Isaias Baptism / Grateful to Serve

Isaias was baptized on Saturday! It was really the perfect day and his whole family and a lot of non member friends came as well! As I watched Isaias there in the font looking at his mom I was filled with such an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the calling that I have had here in Argentina as a full time missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ.                 

Reflecting back on my first couple of days in the mission I remember the very first time that I recited the First Vision by memory to an investigator. My trainer and I were standing across the table from Pablo in his little shop teaching the Restoration. In broken Spanish I tried to tell him about the experience that Joseph Smith had that day. It was the first time that I really felt the power of the spirit testify through me. I don't know if Pablo understood anything I said or felt any of the same feelings that I did but it was the first time I really understood the importance of my calling. Since then I have been able to meet more people and teach lots of different lessons, some better than others, but the constant help of the Spirit has been there. The experiences that I have had watching the Spirit testify to those that I have taught and being able to be the voice of that spirit has been one of the best parts about being a missionary.    

I am so grateful to have had my own personal testimony strengthened during these last 18 months. Learning how to be a disciple of Christ and doing the best that I can to represent Him everyday has helped me to understand the impact His life can have on each person that makes the choice to follow Him. Meeting people and loving them without knowing almost anything about them has helped me to better understand the way that Christ loves each of us. Feeling His help every step of the way during this crazy adventure has been the biggest blessing. I know that He lives and I know that missionary work is His work. I can't believe that my time to serve has already almost ended. The people here in Argentina have taught me so much and I am so grateful to have been able to learn from their examples. My heart breaks even just thinking about all of the goodbyes that are ahead of me this week! Being a missionary was the best decision. I´ll see you all next week! 

CHAU! 

Finally Bitten

HOLA! 

This week has been so great. We had divisions with the hermanas in Rama Centro and I was able to work with the Hermana Quenta from Peru. We visited one of her Investigators who has been investigating the church for years but hadn't been able to quit smoking. A few weeks ago she decided to stop and has been working towards her baptismal date ever since. When we visited her she seemed really sad. She told us that the night before her 16 year old daughter had moved out to live with her dad, who hasn't been the best influence on her. She was crying and asked why God would do this to her now when she's finally starting to work towards her eternal family. We watched a mormon message and read a couple of scriptures together before we ended with a prayer. We asked her if we could kneel and Hermana Quenta prayed for her. The spirit felt was so strong: When she ended Veronica couldn´t even talk. She pulled the two of us into a hug and we just kinda stayed on the floor hugging her for awhile. It was a cool experience to feel so much love for someone that I had literally just met. 

Also on Sunday Isaias, his mom, his older sister, and his grandpa all came to church. Isaias was so excited to show us his new church tie and his nice shoes. We sat next to them and he taught his mom all about the Sacrament and what everything represented. Griselda (his mom) had been pretty closed off to everything but she stayed the whole 3 hours and even had an interview with the branch president afterwards. We talked about Temples and Family History in our Gospel Doctrine class and Griselda told us that Isaias had been talking about wanting to Baptize his dad (who passed away) and she didn't know what he was talking about and now it made sense. We are praying that she wants to start taking the lessons this week! 

Andrea. Martin and Orlando are all doing well. Andrea teaches everyone she meets about the Plan of Salvation and even has a few of our pass along cards to give to people! 

I was also BIT by my first dog this week. I should have known I couldn't leave this country without that experience.  It was on my ankle but did not break the skin.

This is Isaias and Zamira reading the Book of Mormon with us in their childrens book that we gave them. Isaias told us that he knows God answers prayers because he lost something of his and after praying he found it! 

No Kissing

Hello!

This week we taught our 10 year old investigator Isaias about the law of Chastity and The word of Wisdom. He's so smart! It's so fun to teach him because he picks up on things so quick. When we came back to visit him after our lesson his older sister Diana told him to fill us in on his big news from school...he looked at us and told us that he has a girlfriend BUT that he explained to her that because of The Law of Chastity they can't kiss until they are married. 

We also have been working with Andrea and Martin to help them get married. When we passed by to visit this week Andrea was a little down because of some crazy family problems she's having right now. We had planned on teaching her los diez mandamientos but we both felt like she needed to hear something a little different. We shared with her a couple of verses from Romanos 8 about Christ's love and her divine potential. She cried and told us she can feel it when we teach her and has loved having so much more knowledge about the plan that God has for her and her family. Andrea is such a great example to me. She has been through a lot and has never let herself be mad at God for it. 

We had a few other adventures this week like locking ourselves out of our apartment and not being able to leave the building either without the keys. Thanks to the elders for stopping by and saving us from that situation. 

Also, it has always been really interesting to me the way that the meat is handled here in Argentina. The other day on the way to an appointment we passed our meat truck friends and I finally got the courage to stand close enough to the dead cow for a pic. 

I hope all is well at home! Have a good week!

Locked out of their apartment

Meat Truck Friends, This is how all of the Carnecerias get their meat here

General Conference

HOLA! 

This week we had transfers and my new companion is actually my old companion! Hermana Watkins! My first Hija! She started the mission with me and I'll be finishing the mission with her. We are super happy to be able to be back together after our crazy emergency transfer back in March. This week has been really great and today Hermana Watkins was able to see the beach and the ocean for the first time in her whole life! 

I loved General Conference and I hope that everyone had the chance to watch it! The spirit felt is always so strong and the messages that the apostles gave were great. I especially loved how much the principle of learning and progressing "Grace to Grace" was brought up. The mission for me has definitely been a learning process for me and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has ben so patient with me as I try and progress "Grace to grace" 

Have a great week!

At the Beach with Hermana Watkins, Her first time seeing the ocean ever

We can on the mission at the same time