WEEK #22

Hey friends.

 This week has been kool. Haha No really, this week the work was pretty slow in terms of finding and numbers and stuff like that but their has been a lot in terms of working and walking haha. But like always, everyday was a learning experience and their were a few things that happened that are things that I never want to forget because the mission is so sick. I really only have one of these experiences that I want to share this week, because I need to go celebrate my B-day right now somehow. 

 So, we received a call from a member who is from another ward but the son of one of his coworkers is in the hospital in our ward. So, he met us there so that we could give him a blessing. As we entered the big room with all of these extrememly sick people (like I was almost just taken away by how the people looked they were so sick. They were all just pale almost yellow and had tubes entering their body from every direction. I wanted to cry just walking in there) but we finally reached the back of the room where this guys son was (the family are non-members) and I guess the son has been in the hospital for more than 2 months now with some sickness that he caught in their vacation, but it almost seemed he was just brain dead like his eyes were rolled back and it was just really sad. But anyway, we explained the priesthood and how the blessing comes from the power of God all depending on the faith of the people. So, we gave a blessing and everything went great, obviously he didn't stand up and walk in front of us but everyone felt the spirit really strong. After we went out of the room and start talking to the family and just whoever was their visiting people that would be interested but we shared a couple experiences about Christ and the Atonement. And something that this kids dad said really got to me, he said " I still have hope and the faith that everything is possible in Gods will" I couldn't stop thinking about how much faith that really was, to still be faithful even when your teenage son has been in the hospital almost unconscious for more than 2 months. He was definitely the example for me that day. And after some of the people that listened to us asked us if we could give a couple more blessings to the patients there. The feeling of using the priesthood like that was incredible, and it's for experiences like that, that you learn to love the mission. What a blessing. 

Well, anyway, I love all of you.

 

 

WEEK #21

A lot learned this week, even though I think I could have said that every week this week was one of the best weeks of my mission so far. First meeting with my President, then General Conference. It just really couldnt have been much better. The mission is really hard, but everytime I take a step back from everything and look at it from the big picture I just feel something amazing. Especially during conference, it was incredible! Haha I wish I wasnt such a punk before the mish and realized how big of a privilege it really is to be able to listen to the leaders of the church. Haha all the missionaries were literally like flipping out the week before conference it was pretty funny.

Im glad I was able to enjoy the week so much, cause really in terms of numbers it was a tough week. Really tough, seeing though we really dont have a single progressing investigador right now. We are trying to work with a kid from Ecuador named Alejandro, but everytime we set an appointment something happens haha I dont know. But he did come to the conference and he loved it so I hope we will be able to meet with him this week and set a date for baptism! 

Rather than that we are really just in the search for those escojidos, Im not really sure how we are going to find them but I know they are out there waiting. So wish us luck!

 Love ya'll

WEEK #20

Little bit of a slow week in Villa Crespo this last week. Slow in terms of finding and teaching, but as always their were positives too. First off with one of the negatives, our investigator, Erica, that I was all positive with last week, basically told us she wants nothing to do with the church anymore because she is too scared to enter the water for baptism and she wants to work Sundays which is really weird but one of the saddest things ever. Because really I  thought she was so prepared for it, and even she realizes that she needs this gospel and baptism but she still wont do it. I just really hope that the members and missionaries continue to stop by her house in the future cause really she is so awesome, she is just lacking a little bit of faith. I have no doubt she will end up getting baptized one day.

 So after that we really just focused on the ward and members for this week, because we learned that finding through your own efforts such as contacts and stuff like that is nearly impossible, so we really need to get the members involved. But basically we were just looking at the directory and started going from member to member hoping that at least a few of them would have friends that we could visit, and it helps that we have these cards about the new Pascua (Easter) video to hand out too ( if you haven't seen it please watch it right now, it's dope. I don't know what it's called in English exactly but it's "Gracias a que El Vive" in Spanish) but as we watch this with the members and feel the spirit re fuerte, we have been trying to connect it to the missionary work and gave them kind of a commitment to share the video with their friends and to invite them to church or to conference or whatever. So please pray that we will see some success from this! Really the members make the biggest difference. Even you members in Utah (hint hint) help the missionaries haha. 

Oh and we are trying to see how Argentine real estate works, which is kinda exciting. Haha are ceiling is destroyed and is basically just falling off little by little cause the lady above us has flooded her room like 10 times, but it was really kind of funny cause she was flipping out and had no idea what to do. Females are weird. So we decided that we are going to move. So yeah so we have a lot of work to do this week please wish us luck!

WEEK #18

Not a super eventful week, but it went good none the less. Since I'm almost done with my training, I took charge in guiding the area. So, basically just being senior comp for the week and it went pretty well. It's super weird that I only have 1 week left of my training then it really starts and I can actually be training a super green missionary myself which would be super dope.

But to start out this week, we did divisions with the district leader and his comp. I went with the DL Elder Mamani and we stayed in my area. Which was a super good experience mainly because he cant speak english at all. Really the only word he can say is "waddup my nigga" and I have no idea where he learned that but he was basically just repeating it over and over through out the day hahaha. Yeah but we found a new casa tomada which had a few interesting people in it, one of them being a lady named Milagros which means Miracles. And with a name like that I thought we might have a chance with converting her, but it all went down hill once she started nursing or breast feeding her children as we were talking and things just got super awkward. Then she went and grabbed another beer. So yeah.... and her kid is 3 years old just to make it worse. So, yeah real weird experience.

Rather than that really it has really been same old same old. But my Spanish has gotten 10x better the last couple weeks. I'm really feeling like I might be ready to do this mission thing after all. I don't know its a great feeling when everything just clicks. So, yeah next week I'll be writing Tuesday cause its transfers which means all probably be with a new comp. (possibly be having a kid) Yeah, it's weird how you form families on the mish. For example, every missionary you train becomes a kid and you are his dad and then you could have brothers and step dads and bunch of cool stuff.

Well, yeah anyways that sums it up for this week. Peace.

WEEK #17

Another week down of my training down which means I only have like 2 weeks left of my training which is pretty crazy. I dont know if I'm ready to move on yet though, so I'm stressin myself out a little. But its kool I'll be alright.

Not a ton happened this week though cause both my comp and I got a little sick and were in the pension quite a bit, but there were still some cool experiences. But was still mainly just out walking the streets trying to find some new people to teach. Which hasnt been too successful  to tell you the truth. But one thing I have learned, is that I hate humidity and that I am definitely ready for the winter here! 

Well one thing both of our investigadors that were progressing lost their baptism dates which sucks. One of them, Melina, got a job that works sundays. And Belen just kind of disappeared to be honest, we have no idea where she went. So that is going to be one of our goals for this week is find here and reset a date. I dont know, it's just hard to get somebody to understand how important all of this is. How important the gospel is, I guess all that I can do is testify and have faith that the spirit will do the rest. 

But we did have a little bit of a miracle this week. We walked into church this week and some Columbian girl named Pilar that we have never met before walked in and was so escojida. So we set a date right there and have already taught her the first lesson. And to make things even better she lives in a building just full of college students so we are just going to try and congregate israel a ful there. But yeah everybody goes to Argentina for their schooling cause its 100% free here. And for their highschools the students get paid and receive a lap top. So lucky.

And we had the oppurtunity to work in a thing called a capilla abierta which just means Open Church where we basically guide people through the church and explain things. I was incharge of explaining baptism which was super fun, and I have some photos. But yeah it was super fun and this week actually turned out great! 

Yeah that about sums up this week. And I got some pictures finally. And God Bless America. Love ya'll.

 

 The famous Asado plate, soooo good.

 

 

 

WEEK #16

This week was great. A couple great experiences, and really just a good mind set all week. For one Elder Zeballos who is in the presidency for all of South America came down with his wife to talk to us, and I almost understood every word which was cool. But no, they were way funny and shared some of their experiences, it was awesome. He showed us a picture of his missionaries that baptized him, and I just couldnt even think about how cool it would be to have one of your converts grow so strong in the church that they are now a member of the seventy. Its really incredible. He taught a lot about how big of a blessing and responsibility it is do be a missionary of our lord, which really is so true. Even though the mission is super tough at times, people are blessed for their whole lives because of it. Its kind of funny though, one of the hardest times it is to understand the spanish speakers is when they are trying to speak english to you. I dont know it just always makes me laugh.

But rather than that, my comp and I have been blessed enough to find a couple new investigadors who really have desire to learn more. Melina and Belen, both again mujeres, but really the guys here kind of hate us it seems like haha. But anyways Ill keep you guys updated on them as we get closer to their baptisms which should be within the next month.

Rather than that we have basically just been steady mobbin the streets trying to find some new people. I dont know Im starting to find a new love for just talking to people and making the mission the best it can be. 

Anyways, I hope everything is going dope in the USA. Sorry this computer sucks and wont accept my camera for the photos so Im going to have to wait yet another week to send some. 

Loves

WEEK #15

Ayyyye everyone.
This week was great! Cause we are starting to have some success once again which is pretty kool. And because I can kind of speak Spanish now which is kool as well. I dont know. Well first of all, earlier this week my companionship did divisions with the Zone Leaders which went super well in the beginning of the week which was by far the highlight because I learned so much. Just about like how to talk to people without making it super awkward and like drowning them with a gospel interview. And just showing love to eveybody I dont know but showing love and just being sincere in all that you say to people makes the biggest difference in the world. Yeah so lately my comp. and I have just been talking to everybody on the street and it makes it so much more fun, even when you sound like an idiot sometimes.

The mission really is what you make it. Cause sometimes I get a little trunky and start thinking about home and all that stuff still, and it just makes the work near impossible. But the more you animate yourself and just get pumped for the work, the better that day is going to be really. 

Yeah, rather than that, their isnt too much that has happened specifically. Besides the fact that my zone right now is going to break the record for baptisms in a month for this zone. I don't know I'm pretty psyched. Before the record was 7, and this month my zone got like 11 or something crazy like that which is super cool! 

Yeah, sorry I dont have pictures again, you guys probably hate me, and I'm probably going to hate myself in the future. But I should have a few for next week which is a promise I'm going to take right now.

 

 Love you guys and I love America!