Week 68: Surprise Package from Argentina

This week was really great! We traveled a lot because Hermana Medford had 3 exchanges. Whenever she has an exchange I go with Hermana Martinez from El Salvador so she was my companion for 3 days this week! On Wednesday I went with her to San Vicente by train and bus and it was awesome! I love going back to my first area and we were able to teach a 9 year old girl named Milagros that got baptized this past Saturday! 

Then on Thursday until Saturday morning we were in Claypole and we were able to teach three more lessons to Alicia, Karla and Ricardo´s family, and to a new investigator Nilda! I loved teaching the kids and I was amazed how I was led to Nilda! I got lost because I am still pretty new to Claypole and so I was asking her directions and we began talking. She let us in to teach after we gained a bit more confidence! I love when that happens! 

We have to leave early this week so sorry that this is so short! But it was awesome. We found 6 new investigators in all, and 8 investigators came to church.  Karla and Ricardo´s family and a few other investigators! I think we will be seeing baptisms soon! I felt so blessed and it is a great experience to share the gospel with others!

Editor's Note:  Audrey sent us a package by sending it home with Sister Mckayla Davis from Las Vegas, who then shipped it to us! We were so excited. There were many different kinds of Argentine treats and trinkets. But best of all, she sent the sweetest, most sincere notes to each of us, including our dog Champ!   Below is a sampling:

Week 67:Getting to Revisit my First Area!

Mom I am glad that you are feeling better and that JJ is feeling better now! How scary that she was so sick! I can see from pictures from dad that she is well taken care of. Hopefully she´ll be able to go home soon!

This week on Wednesday I had intercambios (exchanges) and I was able to return to San Vicente! I was able to see Laura and Brian again as well as Noemi and Claudio and a few investigators who I taught when I was there- Sonia and Graciela. It was surreal to walk down the same streets again and talk with same people that I remember I couldn't understand what they were saying before. We all laughed about the old times and were able to reflect on what happened this year that has passed.

Back in Claypole, in was harder to find Karla and Ricardo´s whole family together, but we were able to talk with Karla a lot because she sells toys and clothes in the train station of Claypole which is in front of our pension. It is a little different to teach in the middle of a train station, but I love that Karla is willing to study with us even at work. They didn´t come to church this week even when we went to pick them up, but Karla felt bad that they didn´t go and promised that the next week they would come. Finally on Sunday afternoon we could teach Karla, Ricardo, and Juan in their home and it went really well! They are excited to keep investigating and Juan and the three kids above 8 have October 7 as a baptism date! Ricardo is working on the papers for his divorce so they can get married. Karla already bought skirts for her and her daughters so they were more like everyone else at church.

There are so many people here that have to get divorced to be able to get married to their current spouse- we found a new investigator named Silvia who is in this situation. I can think of so many other famiies I have taught who can´t get baptized because they can´t pay what it costs to get divorced. It is so sad because they want to get baptized so bad! We had other lessons this week too and I love being able to share my testimony and teach the simple truths of the gospel!

This week was also Zone Conference and we all went to Adrogue. A lot of new missionaries have come and are continuing to come. As I heard other Americans trying to speak, I remember that I was the same, but now it seems so far away. As I was talking to a new Hna. from the States who couldn´t understand much, I had to think pretty hard to talk in English to translate. 

In the conference, they showed videos of converts from this mission thanking the missionaries who taught them and explaining how the gospel has changed their life. The work of a missionary really is amazing. I feel so grateful to be here. They taught us how to be better teachers and overall it was a great spiritual experience.

                              Saturday we helped a member in her garden for a few hours for service

 Monday morning for district activity we played paddle-ball!

                     I loved it so much- the first time in a long time that I could play on a court!

                           It was awesome and it was a beautiful day! It is starting to get warmer here! 

Week 66: To the Temple with Laura & Brian Fernandez

Hermana Medford and I were able to go to the endowment session and sealing of Laura and Brian Fernandez and their kids Tobias and Titi who got baptized in my first area San Vicente! It was amazing to see Laura and Brian in the temple. I am so grateful that they stayed faithful this year so they could be sealed! I know that will stay faithful- they are wonderful people! It was really an unforgettable moment to see their family in the temple. It was wonderful to go the the temple again and lots of memories from the MTC came to mind as we walked around the temple. It was a big reunion of he branch of San Vicente as many people came to support them and I loved being able to see them again after so long. Hermana Abate Daga, (now "Julietta" since she went home 4 months ago) was able to come from her home in Cordoba so I got to see her again!  What a blessing that I could meet this family early in my mission so I could see them get sealed and that the temple is in my mission! I am so incredibly grateful.​


   Brian, Laura, Tobias, and Titi Fernandez after being Sealed as a Family at the Buenos Aires Temple

       Laura, Brian, and many members of the San Vicente Branch who came to support them

Also I love my new area Claypole! Hermana Medford and I found a family who let us in to teach on Tuesday! The parents are Karla and Ricardo and their 6 kids ages 12-3 and the Ricardo´s brother Juan are listening to us! We had two more lessons with them with a member who accompanied us and they came to a ward activity on Friday! As we were walking to the activity, a few friends wanted to come too and a group of 15 people ended up walking to the church with us- 12 of them being kids under the age of 10. It was amazing and a little crazy walking in the street with all these people. But they loved the activity and the members welcomed them really well and exchanged numbers with the mom. Then on Sunday, we went to pick up the family for church and the whole family and Juan came with us! They live relatively close to the church so the walk wasn't so bad! What a miracle, seriously! The parents have to get divorced from other marriages and then get married, so they can´t get baptized for now. But 3 of the children and Juan are all eligible for baptism!

I am out of time, but I loved a lesson with another investigator named Oscar who is an older man who is already in Jacob chapter 6 in El Libro de Mormon! We are struggling to get him to go to church and he is still looking for his answer of the truthfulness of the gospel. But we are working with him! 

What a great week! I am so happy!

Hermana Medford is so great! We only speak English if we don´t know the word in Spanish. We get along great especially since we have been on our missions for about the same length of time and are from the same culture, so we understand each other!

                     Saying goodbye to wonderful ward members in my last area of Temperley 

           Wonderful Young Women and Return Missionaries in Temperley

                       Hermana Zarate and I with our wonderful investigator Sol

                                                 With the Bishop and his Wife

                                    Hard to say goodbye to Hermana Zarate

                                           Hermana Medford and I

                                             Buenos Aires Temple in the distance

                                                  What a Joy to go to the Temple!

                                              

                                                        Brian and Laura on their Sealing Day

                          Wonderful friend and ward member from San Vicente

                      Julietta Abate Daga and her boyfriend who lives here in Buenos Aires. :)

       

                                                          

Week 65: Transfer to Claypole/New Companion Hermana Medford

So we recieved the news on Saturday and I am now in Claypole with my first companion (other than the MTC) from the US! Her name is Hermana Medford and she is from Pleasant Grove, Utah. She finishes her mission in October so I will be her last companion! She is a sister training leader so I will be having lots of exchanges! I heard the best news yesterday! The other sister training leader is in San Vicente so in half of the exchanges I will be able to return to my first area! I am so excited!

                 Here is Hermana Medford with a former companion, Hermana Chaffin

Last week, I was still sick and not getting better but we went to the hospital and they said I have bronchitis. So we rested a few days and only went to the appointments we had. I feel better now and am only congested with less cough now. We were able to teach Mariela, Alma, and Azul which was great- they are reading and praying as a family! There was a huge storm on Sunday so they didn't come to church. :( But we have gained a lot of confidence with Sol and she were able to teach her and she did come to church even in the rain! I know she is going to get baptized one day! She wrote me a really sweet letter since I was changing areas and I won´t be able to see her again. 

Deborah, the return missionary, accompanied us to teach Evylin and the lesson was so great! They got along realy well and Deborah bore powerful testimony. With her help Evylin should progress more quickly! We were also able to teach a new family named Angelina and Emanuel. She is a member but he isn´t and he is already super prepared to be baptized. My companion has a lot of people to work with for baptisms! :)

Also on Tuesday the district meeting was so spiritual! Two missionaries that have finished thier missions bore their testimonies about what they learned. We learned about making decisions and how to make the best ones and not just good ones to use our time in the most efficient way possible. I felt the spirit a lot and we said lots of goodbyes as I might not see the other misionaries again in our zone because I was changing areas.

                                           Final Week with Hermana Zarate

 It was so bittersweet to say goodbye to all the members- I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting. I realized I only have two more testimony meetings in Argentina! I grew to love Banfield 1 and I already miss it so much! I felt their love as we hugged for the last time and as they thanked me for my service. It was hard to say goodbye to Hna. Zarate too! Yesterday afternoon I was driven here to Claypole. So this week I will be learning and meeting the members and investigators. Hna. Medford said that almost all of the area is dirt roads and we are expecting lots of rain so its a good thing I have rain boots! Woohoo lots of mud!

I have a lot of pictures but the computers in this cyber don´t read my card so I can´t send them! :( Hopefully next week!

I love you all!

Hermana McBride

Week 64: Family Progressing, Transfers Approaching

To answer your question Mom, yes, I am still playing the piano every week in sacrament meeting! That´s great that you guys were able to go to the Philadelphia  temple! My prayers have been answered and I will be able to go to the Buenos Aires temple on Sep. 9th to see the sealing of Laura and Brian who were baptized during my training in August! I am super excited!

On Wednesday we helped a few sisters in a Relief Society activity print family names to take to the temple. It was fun and I will send pictures afterward. The Relief Society president was really stressed out because everyone who was going to help cancelled last minute so she was so grateful that we could come and help. 

    Helping the Relief Society Sisters

On Thursday we had an appointment with Mariela, Alma, and Azul and the daughters have a baptism date for September 16. Transfers are next week and I will probably leave the area so I won't be there but oh well- I am just happy that this family is learning and progressing!

Afterwards we visited Alejandra and her kids, recent converts, and it was so great! Her kids had really awesome questions and we taught Ale about the meaning of a patriarchal blessing. I loved being with their family and she gave us really yummy cake so that was a plus! That same night a widow named Mirta Colosimo (member) called us and invited us over too. She lives alone and wasn't feeling good so we went and helped her in the house and gave her some company. And she gave us more food- we were so stuffed afterwards! We were overly blessed with food that day!

On Friday and Saturday we mainly stayed in the pench and rested because first I got sick and then Hna. Zarate! We have a sore throat, stuffy nose, and a terrible cough. We bought some medicine but it seems like every day we are getting worse so we are going to the doctor today to see if they can give us something that helps. We are so tired of feeling bad and I hope we get better soon! 

Yesterday we had a special video conference in the stake center where we watched Elder Rasband and other authorities talk specifically to all of Argentina, Uraguay, and Paraguay. One of the talks was about missionary work and the members and it was awesome! At the same time it made me a little sad that the members aren´t very involved in the work. I would love it if the members would give us more references and would help us find more people to teach. Just us, the work is hard and not very efficient. The people are more receptive if they can hear the testimony of a friend. I can count the number of lessons I´ve taught with members in my mission on two hands and I wish it could have been different.

This week is Week 6 of the transfer so we will be waiting anxiously to hear our transfers on Saturday! 

Love you!

Hermana McBride