March 2, 2011--SHE'S HOME!

NOT YET.....WAIT FOR IT, WAIT FOR IT........

HERE SHE COMES!!

LOOK AT THAT SMILE!

Mom got the first hug, but Dad was close behind!

All four kids together again.

Jeff, Beth, Jill, and Brian

Hermana Jill Daniels arrived at the Salt Lake City airport at about 4 p.m. on March 1, 2011.  She had a rocky trip home because of a delay in Lima, Peru, which made it impossible for her to catch her connecting flight in Los Angeles heading to SLC. In Los Angeles she had just enough time to go through customs and catch the next flight home. Tender mercies!  Her luggage, however, did not make it on that flight, but it arrived on our front porch today!

She met with President Donald Milne, first counselor in the Lone Peak Stake Presidency, at about 5:30 on March 1 and after a wonderful interview with him, she was honorably released as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

February 21, 2011—Surprise

Well…..where do I begin? You’re probably all thinking this will be my final email from the mission field telling of some amazing stories or the things I have learned, but this week something happened….dun, dun, dun. I got flashed. What does that mean? They took me out of the area and put me in another area. This whole week I was in offices with the assistants, with President, and went to the airport twice. I stayed one of the nights with Hermana Urdapilleta, the girl I trained. A few crazy things happened and Hermana Scanlon was a little emotional when I had to leave. I was sad to leave her, too. I loved and love her. She is now with Hermana Duarte in Las Heras. They took me and the other sister missionary out of Las Heras and closed the other half where they were working. But Hermana Scanlon and Hermana Duarte had two baptisms this Saturday. I dunno who is was because I can’t communicate with them. I am now in a place called Billinghurst, which is the most villa area I’ve ever been in. We live with members. My new comp is named Hermana Svedin. She’s from Idaho, too, and she came with Hermana Scanlon. They were actually comps in the MTC. I can’t even tell you how crazy this week has been.

Oh, this girl named Eva is got baptized on Saturday and two other girls are getting baptized this Saturday, but I feel weird cuz I don’t even know them. We were taking pictures with them and I felt weird being in them. President told me they needed me here to help with the baptisms, so I am finishing my mission here in Billinghurst. I went to Hector and Vanesa’s house to say goodbye the day they told me I was leaving. I had no time and they were not happy. But I think they are coming to the airport, so that will be fun.

So that was what happened with me this week. But you know what, Family,…..I am happy. I don’t like goodbye’s anyway and I felt it was going to be a little dragged out in Las Heras. I am happy to be helping where it is needed. I feel at peace. I dunno if that sounds strange, but if I could explain any of the feelings that I feel being that it’s the last week of my mission, I feel at peace. I am happy.

I love you all and I will see you in a week

February 14, 2011—This past week…We met not Adam, but Eve

Last week flew by. We had something out of the normal schedule going on every single day. Let me tell you a little bit about it. Monday was P-day, Tuesday we traveled and had district meeting, Wednesday we had divisions with the assistants (as in they came and worked with my comp and me). It was fun. My whole mission I’ve wondered how it is for the elders…if it’s different, if people react differently. But it’s all just the same. They get rejected or accepted jus like any sister missionary. Wednesday night we rode back with the assistants to Ramos Mejia and had a sleep over with the hermanas there because Thursday morning we had a meeting all day with the new missionaries and their trainers. Then from the meeting we had other divisions with Hermana Lopez and Svedin. I was with Hermana Svedin back in capital and I had forgotten about the city. I am grateful for Las Heras. Saturday was our only normal working day and Sunday we had church. As of right now I am in Lujan with Hermana Lewis and her comp and we just went to the zoo where we were able to hold baby lions and touch real life huge tigers!!! Was it amazing? Yes! I have pictures. Then we went to Basilica again. I have a fettish with the Catholic church architecture.

Hermanas Daniels and Lewis with a really big cat!

 Hermana Jordan Scanlon

Hermanas Scanlon and  Daniels on alternative transportation.

We had a miracle this week. I kind of don’t want to explain it cuz I can’t do it justice, but I’m gunna try cuz I feel like it could be appreciated. Friday night after we had traveled five hours to switch back divisions. We were walking in the street and we felt genuinely inspired to do a contact with a woman who was sweeping her front porch. We began talking to her and she was extremely receptive. Her name is Eve. But in Spanish that’s Eva. We listened to her a lot and she told us some things going on in her life. Her husband moved back to Argentina to work in a Catholic school the same one where he was raised his whole life. So he’s super Catholic. Eve, on the other hand, is extremely spiritual and very open to listen to her sense of feeling. We shared wit her the plan of salvation because her mother had recently passed away and she didn’t know if there was a life after death. We ended teaching her in the street with a prayer and then I was thinking in my head, “She needs to go to church, but that means we have to pass by tomorrow and I don’t want to be too overwhelming, but…”. So I asked her if we could come back the next day and she excitedly said, “yes”. Saturday evening rolls around and it’s time to go to Eve’s house. She was waiting for us. We sat in her home and taught her basically the restoration, the plan of salvation, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. She had a lot of questions and things. At the end of the lesson we invited her to offer the prayer. Eve took her time and had the pamphlet open on her lap with the steps on how to pray, crossed her arms and took a deep breath and began to speak. When she ended we opened our eyes and Eve had tears streaming down her face. We testified to her that it was the Holy Ghost that she felt. We invited Eve to church. She came. Eve shared her experience in our gospel principles class and she is such a spiritual person. She had the whole room wet in the eyes. Including me. She told us after church that she has to speak with her husband because this is no small thing. She feels she has found her path and the truth. I LOVE EVE. I have been super bummed lately cuz we haven’t been having any success and I felt so bad—my companion not being able to see what a progressing investigator looks like. But we are helping the other hermanas in our area. We have several baptisms planned for the end of the transfer. Crazy how the people started progressing. Delia won’t quit smoking so I dunno if I’ll be able to see her bet baptized.

February 7, 2011--Sent from my iphone...ipad?

(Regarding the subject line:  We asked her if she knew what an ipad was.  I don't think she does!)

Delia came to churrrrrrrrrrrrch! She came all by her little self after being on vacation for a whole week. Tonight we have a family home evening with her and two members. It’s gunna be a success.

I got a call from Mission President. We haven’t had a lot of success in these first three weeks…..us or the other hermanas that are here with us and he called me basically asking why and what can I do to fix it. We have zero baptismal dates, but today, after I got off the phone with President Evrett Benton, we all got together in our little apartment and talked. We will now have more success. I think I have been focusing so much on finding an amazing family like Hector and his family, I forgot that not every convert will be like that.

It’s rainy today.  I like it.

Thank you, family, for fasting and praying for me.  I know it has helped.  Last week I forgot to tell you…..Hermana Jordan Scanlon and I were fed kidney and liver and tongue.  From the cow.

So something that has happened to us a lot lately is that people run away from us. I dunno why.

Thank you for writing me. I really appreciate your emails. I get so giddy to be able to communicate on Mondays. Family, I love you.

January 31--Re: Kato is Massive

(As for the subject, Kato is our cat that is on a diet. He really is massive.)

Mom, about the temple…The Argentine temple is not finished. It won’t be finished til October or November, but I went once already. I’m satisfied. I would LOVE to go to the temple when I get home.  That first week… I would really, really like that. I could go every day. I wanna go to the Oquirhh Hills temple, and Draper, and Salt Lake. Those three are goals of mine.

You mentioned Bishop Beecher. I have thought about him various times on the mission and Bishop Christensen, too. I am grateful for church leaders in Utah.

About the Scanlon family…I laughed so hard when you told me you had tried calling them and here’s why:  During the week I mentioned to my companion that I bet my parents have creeped on her and her parents to try to communicate with them. Haha. I like it though, Mom. And so does my comp.

My area…we are struggling a little bit to find progressing investigators. I was a little discouraged in Sunday when we didn’t have anybody at church and I feel like I’m working harder than I ever have in my mission. We will just keep going. We had some really intense lessons with members this week, though, that helped. I love working with the members. It’s so much easier. We don’t know if Delia is back yet cuz we can never find her or get hold of her, but today we are going again and I hope she’s there.

Beth mentioned something about the Holy Ghost in her email which was so true…that the people who aren’t members don’t have the gift of the Holy Ghost all of the time and that is something so distinct that I have seen between members and non members. I can actually see a large difference when before, I didn’t really self actualize the difference or realize. I feel like I never really paid attention to anything before the mission, or I’ve just forgotten my life before. You decide. 

January 24, 2011--Hermana Jordan Scanlon

Hermana Daniels (third from left) and her new companion,

Hermana Jordan Scanlon (fourth from left)

Mom, that heading is for you. That is my companion’s name and she is American and amazing. I love her. My comp is from Hailey, Idaho. “It’s by Sun Valley,” says Hermana Scanlon. She is a very pretty sister missionary. I’ll send you a picture if I buy a camera. I still haven’t be able to do that. She went to BYU for the last three years in the nursing program and we know some of the same people. She actually has been out on a few dates with Jake Cutler. Ha!

Today we tried to take a nap because we worked so so hard all week. I was dying and I didn’t sleep last night cuz all the mosquitoes and the heat. And today while we were trying to take a nap, I couldn’t sleep either. It reminded me of that one time when we went to Lake Powell with the Boardmans and it was 100 degrees at midnight and we were all still awake. Then it started raining and Brad and Matt were so hot they just stayed under the rain and let it pour down on them. Anyway….

We are truggling (I’ve not heard this word before….) along and practicing the language a lot in the street, but I’m a bad trainer cuz I like talking to her in English, but I’m working on it. Four new sisters got here and three were from Idaho, one from Utah, and they all come from big families, minimum of six kids. I thought that was interesting.

Delia dropped a bomb on us and had to go on a trip so she won’t be getting baptized til the 12^th of February. It is stressing me out cuz it is super hard to get hold of her. When I split the area, I gave all of the progressing investigators minus Delia to the other hermanas so we could focus on finding new people. This week was a little rocky. On Saturday we entered into only one house all day and it was about 100 degrees, but we found a lot of real good people that day. I told my comp at about 7 p.m. that we could sit on the curb for a five-minute break. That felt nice. We chatted and ate some pepas.

This week in Las Heras we had ward conference and there was a shopping 64 people in attendance. That’s the largest number I’ve seen since being here so that was good. Everybody was sweating and having to go get drinks of water from the kitchen during church. Oh, I wish you all could experience some of these things. We ate pizza four days out of the week this week so Hermana Scanlon has a real good idea of what Argentine pizza is like…bread, cheese, boiled eggs, and tomatoes. That’s your average Argentine pizza.

January 17, 2011--Transfers

I have a lot of things to tell you.  1. My camera broke today. Don’t ask me how or why, but it is broken and I had a few elders who are handy try to fix it and there’s no hope. I won’t have any pictures of the last of my mission, but that’s okay.  I’ll get some from other missionaries.  2. We had transfers today and I am training yet again.  All the new missionaries are from the states so I’ll be with an American.  3. President is sending two more sister missionaries to my area until I leave so he asked me to split the area in two and make a new area book and everything. Hermana Duarte, my old comp from Paraguay and another American are coming to live with me and my new girl. As of right now, this very moment, I am with Hermana Hulen, my MTC comp in Hurlingham!!! We are going to go see my old converts here. I’m excited! Hulen is training, too.  4. They are playing techno in the cyber right now and I might be dancing a little bit in my seat right now, you decide. 

Dad, thanks for sending the flight plans. Wow, I have a LOT of layover time—three hours in Peru and four in LA. I dunno if any of you remember, but once upon a time I lived in LAX for three days—sleeping in the airport. We have a past together.

Our investigators are doing super well.  Delia is the sister of a recent convert and she told us she wants to get baptized. The two little model girls that I love are supposed to get baptized this Saturday, but I split the area so now the new hermanas will be visiting the little girls.

I’ll probably have more details next week about who my new comp is and here she’s from and the investigators and how we are balancing my area with four hermanas. It’s only until I leave, then they are going back to two. We will see if we can find a lot of good people in Las Heras. I love my area. I am happy Hermana Duarte is coming.

January 10, 2011--?me entendes?

Greetings here from South America.  We are doing very wonderful here, just sweating away.  I just looked over my shoulder and saw a rain cloud out the window so my hopes are high.

This week in the mission field was interesting.  We had plans to have a large number of investigators at church, but a large number fell through so we will have to keep working with the members to help us.  There are two sisters who want to get baptized, but their mom won’t let them and we have gone by every single day of the week to find the mom.  We even made her a cake cuz it was her birthday and she is never there.  We’ll keep trying.  I dunno if I told you guys that President Benton gave the whole mission a challenge to read the Book of Mormon so I have been doing that, but the Ensign came out in English with the conference talks, so I have been a little distracted.  That is something I will really like to do is to go to conference. 

We have transfers next week.  I guess there are four new sisters coming from the states.  I dunno if you guys understand, but it’s a little exciting for us when we receive new females just because we are so few here. 

Argentina news updates:  The whole country is out of money.  We had to pay rent this week and we had to travel yet again an hour by train to wait in line for about an hour to get money.

I had an epiphany this week when I was walking in the street.  I was thinking about my relationship with God the Father and how I really don’t think about him all too often with the hecticness of all the goals, appointments, deadlines and things of the mission.  But I thought if I think about Him always I will have such a happy desire to do all that is asked of me.  It was a nice little thought I had.  Family, it’s been a while since I have shared any spiritual thoughts, but I want you to know that I have felt the love of Jesus Christ in my life and am extremely grateful for the life he has blessed me with and for all of you.  This is the only true church and I have a testimony of its truthfulness.  I want you all to know that. 

I hope you have a good week and enjoy the warmth of an inside heater.  I’ll just use the sun! 

January 3, 2011--Limbo

It was so good to talk to you all on Christmas.  I just thought I would repeat that again cuz I loved it so much. 

There have been mass bank robbing here in Argentina and none of the banks have money.  We have to travel two hours in a train today to go to a bank in a large city and still waited an hour.  It’s nuts!  How can the country function if nobody can get cash.  It’s weird.  And here they don’t really take credit cards in too many places.

We had a lot of people in church this week and it made me so incredibly happy because I have been a little stressed for the progress of the area.  For sacrament meeting Hermana Claros and I had to sit outside of the chapel looking through a window cuz it was so packed.  They passed us the sacrament through the window.

I was thinking how I have never taken a picture of the church.  Well, it’s not a church, it’s a meeting house cuz it’s literally a house. We found a new family—the only downside is that they tell us they are moving on the 20^th of this month, but they loved church. Hopefully, they stay to get baptized or if no, we can send the reference I don’t want them to get lost in the move, 

December 28, 2010--The Call Aftermath

The Christmas call made me so incredibly happy—you have no idea! I didn’t realize you guys missed me. Well, let me explain…I figured you did, but you never mention things in your emails so I just figured it was casual. It made me feel real loved that you are all excited for my return.

Big News: Vanesa was called to be the first counselor in the Young Womens this Sunday. I thought that was cool. And yesterday we went and did a visit with the new Young Womens presidency to our other recent convert families house and Vanesa shared her testimony and it made me really emotional because I actually feel somewhat included in the process of her gaining a testimony. They will stay active and they will get married in the temple. That makes everything worth it.

Let me explain to you about the heat here….remember at Lake Powell during the middle of the afternoon if we have the air conditioner off on the houseboat and everyone is so incredibly hot we just lay around like zombies?  Well, that is what happens here in Argentina.  Lots of people don’t have air conditioning so they just sit outside in the shade in their lawn chairs and shirts off trying to not overheat.  It’s incredible how hot it is.  Today when I was doing my exercises, I couldn’t do them like I did in the winter cuz my body get completely overheated.

December 13, 2010--Small Town

My new comps name is Hermana Claros. We just got done waiting at the bank for about an hour at the atm. All week we have been trying to get money out, but there has always been a huge line in the morning and we never have time and by nighttime, there is no money. There was no money all weekend either. You are probably thinking, “Jill, why don’t you use your credit cards?” Well, here in a small town, there aren’t too many places that take credit cards. The only place is a chino. That’s a grocery store run by Argentines because the Argentine government said all immigrants don’t have to be taxed on their businesses so there was a massive immigration from the Chinese and they put supermarkets all over the country. I remember when I first got here I was so confused. And they don’t really speak Spanish. I thought maybe English, but no luck there either. Anyway, that’s a chino.

Hector baptized his wife and his daughter yesterday. It was…how can I describe it?  It was one of the most fulfilling baptisms I’ve had on the mission. The last two families we have baptized are super strong. When I got here, the ward was about 40 in active existence. Now we have about 46.

President came here during the week last week to have an interview with Vanessa and he talked to me about finding a new place to have church. He found this place on a corner behind the huge Catholic church. I got the number. I just gotta call them. Maybe we’ll get some real estate practice in, too.That would be funny, though, when we invite people to church to say, “We’re just right behind the Catholic church.”

December 9, 2010--Tardy

So a LOT has happened.  Sorry I didn’t write on Monday, but we had transfers and it was a holiday so when I got back to my area, all the internet places were closed.  I HAVE A NEW COMPANION.  The zone leaders called me and Hermana Hobbs on Saturday night and told us that she was leaving.  I didn’t believe them and neither did she. We were really sad. I was so happy with her!

My new companion is from Jujuy. It’s in northern Argentina. She was just recently companions with Hermana Hulen, my MTC comp. We are having a lot of problems with Hector’s baptismal records. We had it all planned out that he was going to baptize his wife and daughter, but the register that came through from the MLS doesn’t have a baptismal date. I have been on the phone with the office elders and they have been communicating with Salt Lake and it looks like he is going to have to get baptized again. We are pushing for this Sunday that the whole Velazquez family can get baptized.

Yesterday we had a ward activity for the end of the year party in the part of the area that is in the middle of nowhere. It’s like Circleville—Argentina style. Instead of walking around in cowboy hats and cowboy bots and tight jeans, they walk around in beret hats, aparagatas, and these linen pants. That’s the style. Anyway, we had an activity where we had a rope that we threaded through the whole yard of this members’ house. They have a huge yard. We blindfolded all the members. We had different obstacles and stations. They had to hold on to the rope, a.k.a. the iron rod, to get to the end. It worked super well and everyone was just having a good old time. My comp and I were at the end of the obstacle course with a Book of Mormon for each family. Our new converts were there and the Velazquez family, too. It was fun because we had been fasting with Hector and Vanessa for 24 hours before the activity so when we finally got to eat, they were pretty excited.

Hector and Vanessa pray with their whole family every morning kneeling down. They are amazing. They both have to have interviews with the mission president today, so I am hoping all goes well. Helpfully, we can work out all the paper stuff about Hector. That would be super cool if he got rebaptized cuz he doesn’t even remember his baptism.

November 29, 2010--Buen Dia

So how are you guys all doing in the deep dark depression of winter?  Suckers!

Today we have a zone activity so we have to take a train at eleven, which is why we are here early cuz we have to travel far to get together with the other Elders.  We re basically isolated out here.

OH!!  I almost forgot!  Veronica, Laura, and Noelia got baptized on Saturday!  It was one of the most gratifying experiences I have had on the mission.  Veronica was so extremely grateful for Hermana Hobbs and me.  It was nice to be appreciated

Something funny that happened:  We had the baptism in the Elders area in a real church because we thought it would be a nicer experience for them.  We had to take a 40-minute train ride.  When we got to the train station we found out it was cancelled!  I was a little stressed, as you can imagine.  So we called our Branch President cuz they all have cars.  We ended up traveling in a caravan about a half hour to the baptism.  We were about five or six cars full of people.  That is not common in Argentina.  Hermana Hobbs and I felt like we were in Utah just going to church or something.

This next week is stake conference and a general authority is coming.  Hector's family is SOOOOO ready to get baptized.  It's insane!  Yesterday after church we were on the phones with the elders from the south mission, Gavin's mission, where Hector was baptized 25 years ago.  We were finding his records.  We are trying to push so that he can baptize his wife and his daughter.  You have no idea how incredibly wonderful this family is!

November 23, 2010--We Meet Hector

Sorry I did not write yesterday.  It was a holiday here in Argentina and considering we have only two small options of cybers, they were both closed.  Good news though.....We are having three baptisms on Saturday--Veronica, the woman we found on the street and her two daughters.

I dunno if I already told you this story, hopefully not.  BUT, we were found--not we found--but we were found by a man named Hector, who asked us for a Bible when he was pulling out of his house in his car with his two daughters.  I thought to myself, "Well, there is a reason this man is in need of a Bible."  He told us that he used to go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  So he got out of his car and said, "Look, I have to go drop off my girls, but come with me."  Then he went and got his wife and introduced us and told us to stay there until he got back.  We started chatting with the wife and she told us the story.  Five months ago Hector was stabbed by his brother-in-law.  We do not know many details, but just the fact that they are having a real hard time because the family of his wife basically wants to kill him.  Later we found out that Hector was baptized in the church along with his mother and his whole family, but has been less active for about 25 years.  He even received the Aaronic priesthood.  Well, we got to know them about two weeks ago.  They have already come to church and a bunch of activities that our ward has had and they LOVE everything.  He loves us and he calls us Hermanas and everything and respects us. It might sound confusing for you as to why I like that, but I guess it would be hard to understand.  Usually the investigators refer to us as las chicas and not hermanas or missionaries.  It's funny.

NOVEMBER 15, 2010--THUNDER!

There are large bursts of lightning and thunder occurring right now and my computer keeps cutting gout, so we will see how we can get through this.  We had a great week.  I am happy with Hermana Hobbs.  I am happy with my area.  I think we have finally realized the power of scriptures.  We like the scriptures a lot.  I have discovered the Bible dictionary this week and that I like it.  It's a little more interesting to study that way.

Our two families came to church and all have baptismal dates.  Are the members excited?  You bet!  Are we?  Even more!  I dunno if I ever told you guys this, but all the priesthood and their friends have a ping pong and pizza night here and Hobbsy and I go sometimes to get references and I played ping pong last week and I wasn't too rusty.  It was all that practice at the Rice house!

Well, the computers all just cut out again.  Sorry this will probably be short.


November 8, 2010--Here Come the Cops

Funny story this week....We went to Navarro, which is part of our area apart and it is all country land.  We are talking cows, sheep, pigs, etc.  It was extremely hot that day so Hermana Saren Hobbs and I found two sombreros in our pench and decided we would utilize those.  So we get off the bus in "Circleville Number 2" (a reference to another small town) and started walking around in our sombreros.  Some time after lunch we were walking on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and up comes a police car to stop us. The two policemen get out of their car and start asking for our documents and who we are and why we are here and where we came from.  Someone had called the cops on us saying there were two girls who got off the bus this morning wandering around town causing problems and bothering the people.  We were having a good old time talking to everybody in our hats and laughing.  That's what happens in a small town.  I think it was the hats that caused all the attention.

Yesterday we went to church out in Navarro.  They only have church for two hours and we had never been there for a Sunday meeting yet.  We got there and we were six people in total.  The meetings are held in a home.  We began sacrament meeting and I dunno what it was, but being only six people out in the middle of nowhere in an insanely hot little house worshipping together hit me hard.  I bore my testimony and I started to cry and told them that I come from Utah where there are hundreds of people always in one testimony meeting.  But in that little room yesterday, I felt the spirit and it made me think how it was for Joseph Smith and the others when they first organized the church.  I can't wait to see these branches grow out here.

My companion spent several hours this week cutting hair.  It is counted as service.  She cuts hair while I teach, it works out quite well, actually.  We had zone conference this week and we were the only hermanas out of more than 50 missionaries.  All the sisters are basically in the same zone back in capital.

NOVEMBER 1, 2010--Tormenta Blanca

We had a "tormenta blanca" (that's missionary term) in our area.  Every elder in our zone came to our area on Tuesday and we all worked here.  It was amazing.  They found lots of good new people for us to teach.  The only problem is now trying to organize it all and find the people and see who will really progress.  On Wednesday we had what is called el censo.  That's when they count the whole country to see the population.  We had to stay in the pench all day until six.  Hermana Hobbs and I took advantage and cleaned, yet again.  It was nice.  I'll send you pictures of the pench, but you can't really get a good feel for how big it is!

We went out to one of the surrounding towns that is 45 minutes away by bus ride to go work.  It is in our area.  It is out in the middle of nowhere.  Last night we went again and waiting for the bus to come at the bus stop we were watching two guys dressed in European hats trying to catch a horse.  Hermana Hobbs and I didn't think they could do it and we were discussing the probabilities.  Then I said that man has dominion over the animals of the earth.  We laugh alot--she and I.

I GOT TRANSFERRED AND MY COMP IS FROM UTAH

OCTOBER 25, 2010

I have soooooo much to tell.  First, we had a baptism yesterday.  Again.  You bet!  Rodrigo, who is nine years old and was an investigator of the elders who were just here in this area.  I got TRANSFERRED!!  And my comp is NORTH AMERICAN from UTAH!  Do I love my life??  We talk English.  Her name is Hermana Saran Hobbs from Ogden, Utah.  We are in Las Heras—two hours away from the mission office and we are out in the COUNTRY.  We walk on dirt roads in the middle of nowhere and see cows, sheep, chickens, all sorts of good stuff.  But I LOVE it here!!  I love my companion and my area and the people are amazing!  It’s completely different and clean.

We are in charge of three branches.  We don’t have a ward, but we have basically three areas and on Sundays we can choose where we wanna go to church.  On Sunday there were about 40 in attendance and they told us that is more than usual.  There’s a family here called the Miguez family.  Remember that name.  They are basically our ward—a family of 7 or 8 or something and then add their spouses.  They basically hold all the major callings of the branch and all the men served missions.  They help us SOOOO much.  We eat at one of the families’ houses almost every day.  They just rotate.

I feel super at-home here and I am really happy.  Tomorrow we are having our entire zone come here to help us work because we had a white wash (when they take out elders and put in sisters).  So Hobbsy and I are just starting from scratch here. 

Yesterday at church we had to teach the gospel principals class and we gave the talks in sacrament meeting.  I remember all of Jeff’s and Brian’s stories talking about the wards on their missions and how they were so tiny and the missionaries had to really involved.  So now I actually feel like a real missionary.

You’d think that the houses would be more humble here cuz it’s out in the country, but they’re actually nicer and a TON cleaner and there aren’t dogs running around all over the place.  It’s super safe.  It’s basically Utah in Argentina.

Oh, Hermana Hobbs did hair before the mission so she’s gonna help me out.   That’ll be nice!  We’re the only sister missionaries in our zone and there aren’t any in any of the surrounding zones either cuz this transfer it was super crazy.  All the hermanas were changed.  My last comp is now training and Hermana Lewis got white washed, too, with Hermana Lopez, but they’re all super far away from us. 

Our pench is HUGE.  But HUGE!  We spent six ours cleaning it when we got here, but it’s kinda creepy, but I like creepy—so it’s nice.

OCTOBER 18, 2010

Well, I have lots of news.  Marcelo was baptized on Saturday.  It was a mess.  We had more investigators there in the beginning than members.  But an hour later we ended up with clothes, members, even food, and the guy who was doing the baptism.

After the baptism my compy and I had to run cuz we had an appointment and we went to the bus stop outside the church where there was an old man standing.  As usual we began talking to him and he began telling us lots of things, which I didn’t believe, like that he was a doctor…I didn’t believe him because he lives in the old folks home that is two blocks from the church and there lots of crazies that live there.  We got on the bus with him and he sat by us and we chatted.  We gave him a pamphlet and invited him to church the next day.

Oh, p.s…. he recited poetry to us.  His name is Oscar.  Well, he CAME TO CHURCH all on his own in a suit and everything.  And guess what?  He is really smart and was a doctor.  I had the teacher teach the restoration and the origin of the church and the lesson was amazing.  Oscar was amazing!  He actually knew his stuff.  I was good.

We played soccer for a good three hours and I loved my life, but now I’m sweaty.  Gavin sent me photos of Kato (the cat).  Mom and Dad, I thought you put him on a diet!  He’s looking plumpily happy.

OCTOBER 11, 2010

Beatriz came to church yesterday.  She’s the lady who doesn’t talk to her husband.  She wants to get baptized, but two of her nine kids refuse to approve.  So we are working with them now.  Maracelo, our amazing investigator is getting baptized on Saturday.  He’s super prepared and excited—inviting everybody. 

This week we helped the Alarcon family put in a tile floor.  My comp took some video.  Mom, I remember how you put in our tile floor in the basement.  I learned how so maybe I’ll be just like you, Mom.

OCTOBER 4, 2010

So I have some things I wrote down.  Mom and Dad, I want to thank you for paying for my mission.  I want you to watch Elder Holland’s talk again cuz Mom I know you tevo’d it and I want you to know how grateful I am and that really hit me—all the things he said in his talk.  I’ve had a charmed life.  Now….my credit card got rejected today…..

Dad, you mentioned how you thought conference was about faith…watch it again and you might pick up something else.  Sister Lewis and I pretty much got the conclusion that here were many talks concerning agency and the Holy Ghost.’’

As far as conference goes I will say one thing:  “I say unto you I cannot say the smallest part of what I feel” and don’t think this is a cop out because of my scarcity in my ambition for writing, but I took more than 12 pages of notes.  I really liked conference!

I am grateful for the growth and the experience of the mission I have had.  I am also grateful for the people who have been able to come to know of the same knowledge.  I am grateful for all the testimonies of fellow missionaries, leaders, parents family, friends, etc.  There have been many examples that have impacted my life.  I find myself being surprised constantly with the strength of the testimonies around me.  I am grateful for all the letters you write me and pictures you send me.  I am grateful that I was born in the United States and one day I will return back to that wonderful land.  I am grateful for my companion who helps me a ton.

SEPTEMBER 2010--WOO HOO FOR GENERAL CONFERENCE

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

This week is General Conference.  I’m SOOOOO excited.  I love General Conference.  We get to watch it in English with all the North American missionaries and we just get snack and hang out.

Hermana Godfrey, a friend, and Hermana Daniels

(Jill never tells us who is in the photos, so we have to guess!)

This week I had divisions with Hermana Godfrey, who is American.  It’s so weird being with an American.  After she left I missed talking in English.  I dunno if you guys have realized this, but I have NEVER had a North American companion and I don’t see it happening next transfer either.

So our recent convert family—the dad is trying to quit smoking to try to get baptized.  We’ll see how that goes.

We are taking Beatriz’s daughter with us to Moron with the other hermanas.  We had a really spiritual lesson with Maria, but she didn’t come to church.

Hope you are all remembering that I exist.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

I love that you all went to Gavin homecoming!  It made me happy to see those pictures of you in the Rice’s home theatre!

This week we had stake conference with Elder Aidukitais.  We had not even one single investigator in the conference.  Gosh, I hated it so bad.  But my comp and I worked a ton yesterday cuz we were so frustrated and found some really good people.

I feel like I’ve lived in Argentina my whole life.  I’ve been here so long.  I’ve almost been living her a year—nothing compared to the two that Gavin just finished.  But it’s weird.

Maria, who is waiting for a heart transplant, said she wants to get baptized, but she said she wants to wait til she gets better.  Our other good investigator, Beatriz, has nine kids and lives with her husband, but they haven’t talked to each other for ten years and they live under the same roof.  She likes church, but she needs to quit working on Sundays.  She went on vacation this week to see her son in southern Argentina for her birthday, but she gets back this week so we’ll go chat with her.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2010

On Saturday we had four baptisms—the Alarcon family got baptized—three boys and their sister.

Remember Maria, the investigator who was waiting for a heart transplant?  Well, she came to church this Sunday.  She was sitting there with her mom.  I LOVED seeing her there.  I know now more than ever that things do not just happen without a reason.  One of my favorite members, Hermano Peralta (he’s the one whose wife has cancer), gave a talk on priesthood blessings for healing the sick.  During the block we had Hermano Peralta and another priesthood holder gave her a blessing.  I loved what he said about the priesthood blessings in his talk how basically it has no importance the words of the priesthood holder, but the importance is the faith of the person receiving the blessing and how before we ask for a priesthood blessing we have to do ALL necessary with the doctors and medication to help our situation which is good because Maria doesn’t really listen to her doctors. 

Funny story:  There is this couple that just moved here from the states that live around the corner from us.  Both are members, both inactive—but REAL inactive.  The husband was raised in Utah and went to BYU because he was recruited for the rocket engineering program.  We are going to their house today to teach them.  On Saturday I gave him the book, Our Search for Happiness, and I asked him to read it before today.  He said he would do it.  So we will see what he thinks. 

SEPTEMBER 6, 2010

Events of the week:  Hermana Benton came with us on divisions one day.  I really like her.  She is so nice.  It rained all week and on Saturday after lunch the sun came out.  When the sun came out, it was like my comp and I were new people—just loving our lives!  We spend our time in the streets laughing a lot.  She’s from Paraguay.  I also went on divisions back to Aldo Bonzi with Hermana Urdapilleta.  We went to mutual and I got to see a ton of the members—and my converts.

Today we had zone activity and played soccer and basketball.  It was nice to sweat.  I sweated!

Yesterday was fast Sunday.  Our family came and they’re getting baptized on Saturday.  We had another couple come for the first time, too.

AUGUST 2010--FRUITS OF OUR LABORS

AUGUST 30, 2010

Yesterday was a big joke.  We spent the day in the streets yesterday just laughing about what all went down at church.  We finally had a ton of investigators at church and it was the worst Sunday meeting session I have ever had in Argentina.  We had members sit by the investigators and the members fell asleep during the talks.  The investigators slowly started leaving throughout the meetings and by the last, they were all gone.  It’s all right.  Next week it has to be better because it can’t get any worse, right?  My companion and I just laughed about it!  I like my comp.  She works really hard.

This week we found a new investigator named Maria.  She is 45 with three kids and a few grandkids.  In the last few months she has had two heart attacks and now the doctors tell her that her heart has the age of a 95 year old person.  She is waiting for a heart transplant.  It’s amazing to teach her because she’s so sensitive to life because she feels like she could die at any moment.  She’s really receptive to all the things we teach her.  She asked us to pray for her and I have been praying for her a lot and I’ve been seeing the answers.  The next time we went to teach her, she had been waiting for us.  Family, a lot of the time that doesn’t happen—that the people are waiting and anticipating for us to come.  We invited her to be baptized and she accepted.  We’ve just gotta find a way to get her to church cuz it’s not all the easy with her condition.

Our family of boys all came to church yesterday and they all have baptismal dates, but we have to work harder with them to gain real testimonies.    

AUGUST 23, 2010

We have started immigrating working in all the parts of our area—we’ve been working in the rich parts of our area.  And I’m not going to lie, there are some rich parts.  The biggest house I’ve ever seen in Argentina is the house of this old investigator named Damien that we just found in our area book.  We passed by and I was thinking—no way, this has to be the wrong direction.  So we rang the doorbell and the little security camera was just pointing at me and I was thinking to myself that there’s no way they’re going to let us in.  They’ll just talk to us through the microfone.  We sweet talked our way into having the wife come out and she told us all about when the hermanas would come over and all this stuff.  I guess they guy read the Book of Mormon in two months and wanted to get married, but the wife said to choose me or the church and he chose her. 

It sounds really familiar to our investigator named David.  His wife yelled at us this week and told us to not come by anymore and so I asked her if she goes to a church and she said no and that she was actually looking for the true church right now.  Then I asked her if she ever asked her husband why he feels this is the true church and she responded saying that she hadn’t and that her husband is  just confused.  Well, we fasted for them this week and we are going by Tuesday to see what we can do. 

Our favorite family is progressing and another one of the boys came to church this week and the youngest started really listening. 

AUGUST 16, 2010

Today we are with Hermanas Lewis and Godfrey.   We have laughed more today that I have in a long time.  I miss being able to fully express things with common interests and forms of communication.  I can communicate completely with everyone in Spanish, it’s just not quite the same as English.

I get joy and satisfaction out of the work I am doing.  That is one of the fundamentals of my testimony.  The longer I am here, the more familiar I am becoming with the Holy Ghost.  I don’t think I knew him before the mission.

The week we completed the goal I’ve been hoping for—for a long time.  We started teaching the boys in the family we found.  Before we just taught the parents and the daughter, but this week we sat down with all the boys twice.  They are 16, 18, 19, 20, and 23.  Do I think future missionaries every time I think of this family?  Yes!  They came to church this week and when their mom got the Holy Ghost she started crying.  I hope that her kids get baptized.

Jessica, our other investigator that has had a bunch of ups and downs, I think she is one of my favorite investigators.  She came to church with her two kids and got there early and she was sportin’—lookin’ really nice in one of the skirts that I gave her.

AUGUST 9, 2010

Dad, you wanted to know my release date and I told you March 3.  Lie.  It’s March 1.  (Actually it’s February 28, but she’ll probably be home March 1.)  Like that makes much of a difference, but there you go.  Make plans.  It would be cool if you guys could make it to the airport that day.

So this week was kinda bad.  Nobody came to church.  Kill me.  We had three baptismal dates, but now we only have one.  But it’s okay because we will do all we can to get them back on track.  One of our investigator families (ones that aren’t married because the hubby doesn’t want to get married) the grandma died this week.  We taught them the plan of salvation and they totally loved it and felt so much better, but still didn’t come to church. 

Baking??

Can't miss her with that neon bag!

Does she like it or not?

Everybody loves Jill!

I cut straight across bangs. 

AUGUST 2, 2010

I have a new companion.  Her name is Hermana Duarte from Paraguay.  She speaks Guarane.  It’s cool.  We will probably be together for two transfers.

So this is what happened this week.  We were supposed to have three baptisms, right?  Well, didn’t happen.  The two little kids are having the police come to their house today and they are moving out tomorrow to fix all the problems with the dad.  David, our 51 year old investigator drank two days before he was supposed to get baptized.  So none of them happened.  BUT…our family that we have been teaching that has all the boys that could go on missions…well, the mom came to church with the daughter this week even after she told us on Friday not to waste our time with her.  Anyway, in our gospel principles class she bore her testimony.  We were talking to her after and she told us she wanted to get baptized.  The daughter isn’t too sure about baptism yet, but she told us that she feels something different. 

This week was good.  Hermana Perez was trunky, but she finished off well.  Saul, one of our investigators came to church by himself in his car all dressed in a suit. It was nice.  He loves the church, but mainly for social reasons.  We’ll have to work on that.

So today at transfers I felt good cuz I saw the fruits of my labors.  In Hurlingham, Norma, they lady that we contacted one rainy night got baptized and Diego, my last convert in Hurlingham baptized his parents and is going to baptize his daughter next week.  Also, in Aldo Bonzi a bunch of the people we found and taught got baptized so it felt good!

JULY 2010--I AM NOW 22 YEARS OLD!

July 26, 2010

I wrote down a bunch of stuff to tell you guys, but I forgot to bring my planner.  Oops!  This week was one of those weeks that I felt unworthy to see and be a part of all the miracles we saw.  I’ll try to explain…..

There is a member here named Sergio Peralta, a father of three children, and his wife has caner.  They recently moved here from another part of Argentina.  He recently retired and he’s gotta be barely 40.  He was a Bishop in his last ward and has been without a calling here in our ward for months now.  He is using his efforts to help the mission force.  Us.  He came with us to visit three of our investigators that we are worried about—the two little boys and David, our 51 year old miracle investigator who has a stronger testimony that I do.  The little boys had problems because the dad is now interfering and won’t let them leave to go to church and activities.  David’s wife is not a member and thinks Mormonism is a cult.

Anyway, Hermano Peralta came with us and we visited all of them.  The lessons we had were so much better because they listened to him and I could see the power of the priesthood and authority he has and how the people listened to him.  Sometimes the people are just sick of the flavor we give off and need a new taste to open their eyes and that’s what he did. 

Jessica came to church yesterday and is doing amazingly well.  We are also teaching two families.  Yes, two complete families.  In one family the parents need to get married and they have two kids.  The other family has six kids.  They came to church yesterday.  It was awesome. 

July 19, 2010

Yesterday it rained ALL day, but we still had four investigators in sacrament meeting.  The two little boys that we are teaching and their mom came.  We also had an older guy named Saul come.  He’s about 80.  I dunno if I wrote you about him.  He was a contact in the street.  I just started talking to him and we taught him then and there and he came to church.  He was asked to say the prayer and when he prayed he said that his life changed that day—that day being yesterday.  We invited ourselves over for lunch tomorrow and I am going to try to cook flan and we are going to invite him to be baptized.

The two little boys are getting baptized in two weeks.  They love church.  I love them.  It has been so cold here the last few weeks.  I will be excited for it to get warm again, but they tell me that won’t happen til September.

July 12, 2010

Last night about ten o’clock-ten thirtiesh we are supposed to go to bed and our thermo tank went out (provides us with hot water).  So we called the Bishop of the elders’ ward cuz he’s in charge of fixing the penches in our area.  He gets to our pench at like eleven fifteenish and helps me light it.  He leaves.  Then it goes out again so he came back up the elevator and we lit it again.  Well, something happened this time and gas and flames started shooting out all around it.  He wouldn’t even go in to turn the gas off.  I was like, who’s going to do it?  You or me?  Then it stopped and went out.  Anyway, we have gas problems!  We’ve had one of those alarm things that we have on the houseboat for that type of gas that you can’t smell.  I can’t remember what it’s called.  But we have one of those and the alarm goes off sometimes and we have to book it out of our pench.  A guy is coming in like an hour to fix it.  Satan wants me and my comp dead.

I’ve been buying sliced meat to make sandwiches, right?  I found out this week that the meat I’ve been buying is HORSE meat!!!  I’ve been eating horse.  They slice it and make it look like ham.  They call everything here ham, but it’s all different kinds of random meats and they just generalize.  So to my surprise, I’ve been eating horse!

WHAT'S WITH THE FINGER IN THE CAKE???

It’s my birthday this week.  I don’t want to be 22.  I want to stay 19 forever.  I feel like that was a good age—19.  Twenty-two is old.  But what do you do?

I was reading in the Liahona (the Ensign) and it had a list of all the new mission presidents and where they will be serving.  My branch president in the MTC was called to be a Mission President in Japan.  He was the most amazing leader.  He will do a good job!

We have an investigator named David and he is 51, has five kids, and has been an investigator for like a year and a half and we are pulling our teeth to get him baptized.  He has a testimony about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon more than I do.  When he bears his testimony it helps my own and I love it.  He just can’t commit and his wife doesn’t want him to get baptized.  He went to her church this Sunday.  We are having a discussion with both of them Wednesday.  We’ll see how that goes.

We found a family that is amazing and the parents are both listening and the mom and the daughter came to church this week.  The dad said that every time we come visit them, we leave him wondering and on the edge of his seat because there is something that he just can’t put his finger on.  He wants to know if what we are teaching is true and he said he needs to go to our church to find out if it’s true.  Too bad he worked this Sunday or he would have come, too.  They have four boys and a girl and they have so much potential.  We have a family night with them Thursday and we’re going to bring this couple from our ward—the Familia Peralta.  They’re amazing!  They help us so much with the work.

July 5, 2010

This week was average, but an average week for us is pretty eventful—full of wonderful stories everyday.  My new comp and I laugh a lot.  For example the other night we were walking down this street and my skirt got caught on some barbed wire that was on the ground and pulled my skirt right off.  Good thing I had a slip on, eh?

Our investigator, Jessica, is struggling.  For example, the other day Jessica put 50 pesos away to save to go buy groceries because they have no money and she was going to go buy the children food.  Her boyfriend came home and stole the money and bought beer with it so she couldn’t go shopping.

Ariel, who is 32, came to church this week.  He has like super ADD and after the first two hours, I could tell he was losing it.  Anyway, we left him in priesthood with some of the members and afterward we went to look for him.  He was nowhere to be found.  Just got out of there and walked on home.  His house is like 30 blocks from the church.

We have several investigators, but none of them are ready for baptism because of two things:  word of wisdom and the law of chastity.  That’s where Satan’s got the world in his little hands—those two laws. 

JUNE 2010--A BUS AND A TAXI SOMETIMES DON'T GET ALONG

JUNE 28, 2010

Yesterday my comp and I taught Primary.  There were 11 little kids and I was insanely drained afterward.  Little kids really take it out of you.  The new ward is smaller.  It’s what I thought Argentina would be like.  I guess Hurlingham was the largest ward in the stake.  But I like this area.  It has a lot of potential.

There is an investigator named Jessica.  She has two little boys.  Her husband has substance problems.  She has been an investigator for almost two years.  I already knew her a little bit from doing divisions here a few times so the first time we were going to see her I already knew her situation.  I thought of the plan of salvation puzzle and pulled it out.  We explained how she needs to think more in long-term rather than short-term.  After we taught her this lesson, it’s like a big boulder hit her in the head.  She told me last night that the lesson made things crystal clear.  She really wants to get baptized.

We are supposed to have a baptism in two weeks.  His name is David.  He’s been an investigator for two years and is finally getting baptized.  He’s about 51 years old and has kids, but his wife doesn’t want anything to do with the gospel.  We’ll see what we can do.

JUNE 21, 2010

We had transfers today and I left Hurlingham.  It’s sad.  I felt very, very loved from all the converts, recent converts, and members.  It helped me a lot.  I know I told you that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to come back here, but now I do.  I have already promised a bunch of people I would come back.

I am in Ituzaingo 4 with Hermana Perez from Nicaragua.  She is “dying” this transfer, which means going home at the end of this transfer.

Just so you know, I’ve been using the same earplugs since the MTC.  I have fallen in love with earplugs.  I threw them away last night when I was packing and hopefully I can wean myself from them.

We had a baptism yesterday.  His name is Diego.  I’ll send you pictures.  I haven’t written much about him because of the bus accident and stuff.

I can’t believe Blake got married and that you all got to go.  Do you realize when I get home we will all be able to be in the temple together?  That will be cool!

Enjoy the warm weather because today was the first day of winter and it will start getting cold here.  We are slaves to the climate. 

JUNE 15, 2010

I am in the offices right now.  I have to write you guys an email because something happened yesterday and we did not have time to do internet. So yesterday we took a taxi to run an errand and when we finished I was getting out of the car and I did not look when I opened the door and a bus came by and hit the car door.  Well, then a number of things happened after that. We were parked really badly almost in the street, which is why the bus hit us, but also, I did not look.  What happened afterward was the worst part.

He wanted me to pay 500 pesos to him and he would take care of it.  Wowo wow wow!  I thought I do not have 500 pesos to give.  So then I asked him about his insurance and asked him to give me the number of his insurance company and I will call them and work through it with them.  He said no and that is not how it works here—pointing out the fact that I was North American and did not know the system or whatever.  Then he started saying he did not have taxi insurance, only personal.  It was illegal for him to even take us………

(Long story short:  the price got up to 2,300 pesos and kept going up and up and up!  So Jill called President Benton, the assistants spent almost a whole day with the taxi driver, and they all kind of came to an agreement.)