MONDAY, OCTOBER 30
Wow this week flew by so fast I can hardly remember what happened!
Highlights are:
On Wednesday I had my last Zone Conference! It was awesome and I enjoyed listening to the speakers. Afterwards we played a little soccer and paddle ball and afterward we were all super sore as always.
On Friday we had exchanges and Hna Couto from Brazil came with me to San Vicente and we were able to teach Jorge and Elena, a couple that are really active in their church but that are willing to learn more about the "Mormons". They are a little hard to teach but I feel good that I can testify and invite them and the rest is in their hands! I know there is power in El Libro de Mormon and that people can change.
We could only teach Ana and Lucas one time and it was a lesson a little rushed, but we hope to teach them more this week!
We are teaching a 15 year old girl named Marionela and she should be baptized on Nov. 11! She was an old investigator and has been coming to church for a month already! She was a little unsure before, but this week she finally accepted a baptism date! She is super awesome and I think that this baptism is actually going to happen!
On the way to church, we rode bikes to pick up investigators and on the way, there was a problem with my chain so to make it on time, Hna. Lopez on a little seat behind me on the bike and I pedaled about 10 blocks as she pulled the other bike along side us. We arrived to the investigators and they said they couldn´t come afterall, but they were able to fix the bike and we raced to the other side of San Vicente and made it only 5 minutes late for church. As we were riding home at the end of a day, it started pouring down rain and we were in dirt roads and we arrived soaked and full of mud. haha I love these crazy experiences we have on the mission.
We didn't teach a lot of lessons, but I love being able to teach and testify in the contacts we make. I love sharing the gospel everyday. I love being able to feel the happiness that comes from talking with new people and learning about their lives and inviting them to come unto Christ. There are always people who aren't very nice, but we always find people who are really great and receptive and those are the little miracles everyday. That is why we do what we do.
I felt a lot of different emotions this week as it hit me a little more that my time in Argentina is running short and that a lot of changes are coming. I am really trying to enjoy my time here. I was able to reflect about how I have changed and the things I have overcome and really just how well God knows me. I felt so humbled and grateful to be here.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2017
I had a few days when I was still in Claypole that I wanted to go home, esp. seeing my companion go home and everything. But here in San Vicente I am not having problems with this. San Vicente is really pretty and our area is all country with lots of trees and I am loving my time here! Being in my first area again makes it hard to want to want to go home. But these past few weeks I have been feeling more tired than usual so I don´t think my body can take much more. On the bikes everyday, as we are riding from one place to the next I often have time to just look around, enjoy the scenery, and count my blessings. We keep really busy here and I love the lunches with members. The time passes by so quickly here it´s insane!
On Tuesday we were able to teach Marionela and she is progressing super well! Her baptism is still on for this Saturday! Jorge and Elena are still loyal to their church so we are going to drop them. We are working with a 19 year old girl named Mica who is Jehovahs Witness but lives with her boyfriend who is lessactive Mormon... She is reading the Book of Mormon and prayed to know the truth and seems to have real intentions. They went to the wedding reception and had a great time and last week they came to church. We also found a lady named Alicia who was really receptive and had just lost a grandson. We were able to help her feel better about the situation and we offered to visit the mom (Alicia´s daughter) whose son had passed away. She is named Gladys and on Saturday we were able to teach her and her 8 year old son and they both have baptism dates now! Super humble, receptive people!
This week we had exchanges Thursday and Friday so my comp Hna. Lopez went with other Hnas and I spent two days with my part-time comp Hna. Couto from Brazil. She is super awesome and we enjoyed our time together. The first day was in San Vicente and we were able to teach Ana and Lucas. They have a 10 year old daughter named Morena who wants to be baptized so now it is up to the parents to bring her to church! They didn´t come again...but its okay- some people progress more quickly than others.
On Friday we went to Hna. Couto´s area, Adrogue and it was pretty boring to be honest. Super rich and almost nobody is in the streets or answers the door. I feel so bad for the missionaries in rich areas because the people don´t have time to listen or don´t want to change. But that´s where the faith comes in that there is somebody waiting...
After the exchanges we met up in Temperley with our real comps. There had been an accident with the train so we had to ride the bus along with all of the other people who usually use the train, to San Vicente. We were able to barely squeeze into a hot bus and there we were for two hours, standing up and pressed against other people. It was terrible but I was glad that we had a bus at least. There was a ton of people who were waiting for buses but there were all full. At the stop lights, angry people could come and pound their fists on the bus wanting to get in, but there was no room! After a time, the bus broke ran out of gas and we all had to get out and wait for another bus. When one finally came, it too broke down after about 10 minutes. So three buses and three hours later, we finally arrived in San Vicente just in time for the wedding reception. Wow...I learned that when the public transportation doesn´t work, there are big problems because so many people depend on it!
Friday night was the Veronica´s wedding reception. She is an investigator from the other hermanas in San Vicente and she got married to a member who is now returning to church thanks to her interest to know the truth. They got married and the next day she got baptized! When I was here a year ago we worked with the family of Veronica´s husband who were all inactives (the Dominguez family) and now they have a son on a mission and they are all active now! I love seeing people change.
On Saturday we we able to teach a 26 year lady named Cecilia and the first thing she told us was that she wasn´t going to go to any church. We talked with her a little more and thanks to my awesome como. Hna Lopez who can gain the confidence of people really fast, she let us in and we learned that her uncle had died recently. We read Alma 40 with her and she understood it really well! It is the best to teach people who understand. At the end of the lesson she said "Tomorrow I want to go to your church because I felt something as we were reading." And she stuck true to her word and arrived 30 minutes early. We gave her a tour of the chappel and she was able to talk to a few members before the meeting. And luckilly, my prayers were answered and it was a testimony meeting super spiritual! She had to leave after the sacrament meeting, but she said she liked the meeting! Woo hoo!
So yeah, it was an awesome week and I had the priveledge to help many people learn more about the truths of the gospel. This brings a joy and a satisfaction that is only given to a missionary. I feel so grateful to be here.
I have a ton of photos but I can´t send them now, maybe next week!
About the accident: Wow I never even got to see that van! -I remember that you guys had the other crash last summer and changed vans. I am glad that nobody got hurt but that is so sad about your bike! You were so happy to find it and you could only enjoy it for a few weeks! Oh well there must be an even better bike waiting for you! :) ooh I am excited to play challenge Trent to a tennis match and see his new skills!
Editor's Note: FLIGHT PLANS have ARRIVED!!!
