HOORAY FOR MAY (2010)

May 31, 2010

Tomorrow we are having an Area Seventy come, Elder Aidukaitis.  He's from Brazil and the Area Authority will be there.  Today we had a really fun p-day.  I was so sick of doing nothing that we got together a member, our recent convert, Lucas, and four elders and played soccer.  I liked it.

I will have divisions again this week with Hermana Lewis and I'm going back to Aldo Bonzi again.  I love that place.  The people are so accepting.  Hurlingham is great, too.  Last Monday was kinda hard because Norma and Luciano, who were going to get baptized this weekend both fell bak into temptation.  She started smoking again and Luciano started drinking again.  We are working really hard with them and have had some really spiritual lessons and hopefully, if we do all we can, they will get baptized before the end of this transfer.

Say your prayers and then act.  Have a good week!


May 17, 2010

My cough is the same, even though I finished the antibiotic, but who cares....I am fine.  My comp, however, has been waking up in the night with coughing attacks and I've had to help clam her down.  It kinda stinks that we couldn't work like normal this week.  It's getting really cold here.

As far as the work goes, things are good.  We still have the two investigators.  Norma--I LOVE her.  She's 57, a nurse, and super smart, but she has some things to work on.  Her neighbor, Luciano is 72 and comes to church every week and loves it.  Lucas, our recent convert, comes with us like three or four times a week to teach.  He loves the church and is doing really well.


May 3, 2010

Alright, so as far as Lucas goes, he's getting baptized this Sunday!  He's probably the best investigator I've ever had.  The last baptism we had was Sabastian.  He's 22 and wants to serve a mission, but he still has three years of school left he has to finish.  It makes me so happy to see when the investigators progress and I don't feel like they will fall whenever we aren't teaching them every day and making sure they're keeping all their commitments.

Today was zone activity and we played sports.  I loved it!  Yes, I played even though I am sick.  I need the exercise.  Exercising makes me happy and it makes me able to work harder so I like that.

MOM IS REALLY MESSING UP MY BLOG--APRIL 2010

April 26, 2010

Yesterday my comp and I were walking to church in the morning at about 8 a.m. and all of a sudden ten dogs started following us and they were not nice dogs.  My comp’s biggest fear is dogs because she was bit once really bad when she was little.  They were following us fighting and growling with each other for about ten blocks.  Finally we made it to the church and shut the gate in their faces.

I did divisions this week with Hermana Lewis and I went back o my first area and got to visit some of my converts and YES they’re all still active.  I was so happy!  I miss Aldo Bonzi!

April 19, 2010

I have a favor to ask:  I was trying to light the oven to get it going and you have to do it manually here and I had the gas on too long before I stuck the match in there and I almost burned myself to death.  It singed a little bit of my hair, but took off my eyelashes on one eye and part of my eyebrow! It’s not too dramatic, but I’m a little embarrassed.

So I want to devote this email to a good story.  So there’s this less active couple in our ward and they came to church last week and brought a teenage boy with them.  I obviously introduced myself since he wasn’t a member.  Anyway, they left during the middle of sacrament so we went by their house Sunday after church and set up an appointment to teach this kid names Lucas on Tuesday.  We taught him the first lesson and he understood everything more than any adult I’ve ever taught.  He’s 16 years old.  We invited him to be baptized and he told us he had to pray.  Family, you must understand—this is a golden investigator.  We returned again to teach him with these members and taught the Book of Mormon and at the end of the lesson we asked if he had any questions and he asked us if there was a waiting period to be baptized.  We asked if he felt ready so we have scheduled it.  It was amazing! 

The story gets better.  Yesterday at church the less active couple that he was supposed to come with didn’t come to church.  We called them after the first hour and the lady told me they had company.  I had to teach the principles of the gospel class cuz the teacher didn’t come so I sent my comp on divisions to go get Lucas. He was happy to come and wanted to pay for the taxi we used to go pick him up.  Yesterday after church we went and visited him.  We taught him the Plan of Salvation.  Afterward we were just talking and he told us his life story.  He’s only sixteen, but he has more of a life story than more adults I’ve met.  When he was 14 years old he left his house that he left his house that he lived in with his mom and the mom’s boyfriend.  He left to find his father.  He found his real dad and when they met up it was a joyous reunion—crying and all.  Well, the mom warned Lucas that he was a drunk and abusive.  Lucas then realized from the experience when the dad started beating him when he came home drunk every night.  He lived with him for five months in a big city about an hour away from here and started working every day ;to support him and his dad because his dad didn’t work and Lucas just gave him all the money and he spent it on beer and stuff.

One day after those five months passed, the dad just never came home.  That’s when Lucas began to live alone at the age of 14 working and providing for himself living alone.  He got into drugs and stuff.  A month ago he lost his job and had to move back. So now he’s getting baptized.  What a story!

April 11, 2009---Well, Dad.......

Well, Dad, to answer your gospel question (cuz it was what interested me the most), I honestly don’t have a clue.  But if you want my opinion, I feel that as we take the sacrament, we are renewing the baptismal covenanat and yes, being born again each week.  I remember learning somewhere that being born again is not a one time thing.  It’s a process of conversion and conversion is not a one time thing either.  So as I see it,, yes, we literally are forgiven of our sins each week as we take the sacrament if we repent and progress.  If not, we’re stuck in a rut each week from the sins we transgressed the week before. I you look at it as a process of progression, it has to be true that we are born again each week—progressing and repenting.  But I dunno.  That’s just how I feel.

Something that I’ve analyzed and really come to notice is that the gospel in all its truthfulness and profoundness is really the most simple thing that exists.  That’s why the Savior taught through simple parables.  We are the ones that make them complicated.  The principles of the Gospel are pure and simple.  I remember before the mission I was so obsessed with curiosity of the deep doctrine.   Since being on the mission, I’ve come to a conclusion that the deepest doctrine is the most simple.  One of the most simple doctrines that we teach everyday is the scripture that is most repeated in the Book of Mormon, “Ask and ye shall receive”.  Prayer.  It’s weird I still don’t understand prayer and have lots to improve, but that’s my spiritual thought for the week.  Pray.

As far as this week went, we had a baptism yesterday.  Woo Hoo!  Sebastian!  It was my first baptism with just one person and you know what?  I liked it more.  It was special to me because I was able to observe him more instead of stressing out about everything else.  I really saw joy!  I like it.  My companion is amazing.  I feel like she’s training me—so I am happy in that realm.  I’m a little stressed because we don’t really have too many investigators right now.  We’re having another baptism this Sunday though. 

A Clean Pench is All I Ask--April 5, 2009

Well, I had my first whole week with my new companion and she’s amazing.  This morning she deep-cleaned the pench with me and I am so thankful for that.  As far as training goes, I feel a lot of responsibility.  That’s all I’m going to say, but we are doing just fine.

We are having a baptism this Saturday.  His name is Sebastian.  His story is amazing.  He was telling us this week as we were travelling to conference about his life before because he used to so all kinds of drugs, drink, smoke, the works.  Anyway, he was telling us of near death experiences with drug deals and guns and lots of crazy things.  You can’t even imagine the change he’s had.  He came to every session of Saturday.  He got to the Stake Center with us at one in the afternoon and stayed til eleven at night for priesthood and then Sunday he stayed for all the sessions as well.  Anyway, I’m excited for him to be baptized.

As far as other people, we are struggling.  This is why I feel stress.  But my companion is great.  She’s from Argentina from the Provincia Missiones—the Missionary from Missiones.  I’ll forward you a picture.  (Maybe at some point we’ll even get to know her name!)

I liked conference.  I loved Elder Uchtdorf’s talk on love.  I liked President Monson’s talk alot, too, and yes, I know the sister he talked about.  Hermana Gurr is her name and she left about three months ago so she’s home now.  I din’t know the story either, but we were all watching it in English—the north American missionaries—and when he told the story, we all looked around and the assistants told us it was her.  P.S.  I got to watch it in English.  It was amazing.  All the Argentines were in the sacrament room and all the north American elders and me (the only girl) were upstairs.  I bought food and got to put my feet up for the sessions.  It was so nice.  As far as conference goes, I think the general theme was the atonement and families.  Looks like we need to repent more and teach better in the home.  Anyway, pray for me that I can teach my companion!

I'M GOING TO BE A TRAINER!

MARCH 29

Well today we had transfers and I am going to be a trainer.  I will be finding out who my companion is tomorrow when they fly in.  I don’t know what to say.  I’m kind of speechless about the whole thing.  Maybe the next email I send home will be a bit more detail oriented.  I think the Lord knows I need to be humbled so I’ll be on my knees a lot this transfer, I assume.

 
My area is amazing.  We have three people that have bapatismal dates and we will be getting a lot more—so for this I am gratefrul.  I really miss my companion.  She was more of a friend than a missionary companion.  That’s probably why we only had one transfer together.

My friends have written me and everyone and their dog of my friends are getting married.  I guess that’s what happens when boys like girls and girls like boys.

I’m so excited for general conference.  I think it will be falling in the exact moment that I will be needing it the most.  

HURLINGHAM: HERE SHE COMES!

February 15
So I got transferred. I’m sad. I miss my comp and my area. My last day in my area I went to see my recent converts. The oldest girl, Diana, told me she had something for me. She had written me a letter of gratitude and a poem. The mom gave me a ring that’s really cute! As I left my last area I got more of a vision of the work. I saw how much I really loved the people and how much they love the missionaries.

I want to tell you about Michel, a recent convert. He’s twelve and is amazing. He asked us for a missionary bag because every day he tries to go around handing out pamphlets and copies of the Book of Mormon and he invites all of his friends to church. He was giving us references and setting up appointments for us. He was at every mutual activity and a half hour early to church every week. He went to all of our baptisms after his and even the baptism in the other ward with the hermanas that we live with. He talks about serving his mission every time he sees us and everyone in the ward talks about how he is such an example.

Gisell, the other girl who was baptized, is almost half way through the Book of Mormon. She reads and prays every night. She has been to every activity since her baptism and walks twenty minutes to church every Sunday by herself. She has started bringing her mom. The hermanas are going to start working with her. The other three baptisms are all brothers and sisters and when we showed up at church yesterday, they were all there early with their mom, who has been less active for years. So you know what, family?? I am happy.

I am in a new area called Hurlingham. It’s a big city. There’s a McDonald’s close to the pench. My companion is Hermana Carrasco. She’s Argentine and from Nao Kin. I dunno how to spell it—but not the same place as my trainer. I really loved my last companion. We had so much success. It was insane today at transfers. I really got to see just how hard we worked.

February 22
So I am in Hurlingham with Hermana Carrasco and I love Hurlingham. The ward is huge—almost one hundred active members and it’s beautiful here. During the week we were walking along a dirt road and there was a huge field to the right of us—just country and trees at the other side. It reminded me of the movie Pride and Prejudice. It was so pretty. It’s been raining here this week like crazy. One day it was insane. The water was up to our thighs when we had to cross the street in one part and when we got back to the pench, it was full of water. We had to sweep it all out. But it’s a nice break from all the heat. I’m scared when the heat comes back because the pench here is more of an oven than my last. I love my campanion. She’s from Nao Kin, too. She a little thing like five feet tall and she goes home in five weeks.

Hermana Lewis and Hermana Daniels

Today we were with the sisters from Ramos, Hermana Lewis and her companion, and we made vegetable soup and talked in the pench for a few hours. It was really nice cuz it was raining all day. As far as the investigators, there are golden ones here—two couples that are getting married so they can get baptized. They’re both getting married the same day.

March 1

Well, family, I have a story: When I first got to Hurlingham I felt stress because well….anyway, so we were contacting like normal at the train station close to where we live. We got a few appointments to visit those people during the week, but we couldn’t get to all of them. Anyway Friday we did a contact in the street of a nice little couple. We were working Saturday and decided to go see them…just so you know, sometimes we don’t make it to all our appointments because we make a ton. We had a good feeling about this one so we made it a priority. It had been a long mental day because we had amazing lessons that day with people who were insanely accepting. I was emotionally drained. Anyway, I started teaching and I don’t know why I was thinking to myself, “Oh, boy, here we go with a disaster lesson.” We picked it up after a bit and used some visuals and I had a huge feeling to invite them to be baptized. So you know we’re supposed to be inviting everyone to be baptized the first lesson. The thought came to me super strong so at the end of the lesson I did it. This is a family with three kids and the parents are MARRIED. Legitimately married. Adriana, the wife, answered my invitation and said she already received an answer. It turns out the day we were contacting at the train station, they were one of the contacts and one that we didn’t pass by for. We found them again on Friday and that same week she had been crying and struggling because her husband hasn’t had work for two months. She had four pesos to buy food for her whole family and found herself praying for help. She said when we talked to her for the second time she said to herself—these girls are the answer to my prayer. She and her husband had been talking about us coming and Friday she had been waiting outside for us to come all day. She said she already received an answer and they both accepted to pray to be baptized and agreed to come to church. So on Sunday we pulled up in the taxi and the whole family was waiting outside ready for church and everything--dressed in church clothes. I can’t express to you the joy that I felt in that moment. My comp and I could hardly talk we were so incredibly happy. They loved church and tonight we have a family home evening planned with another couple who are waiting to get married to get baptized. We have two wedding this month, so it’s more of a family thing, which is really exciting for me because I haven’t seen a family baptism yet. There’s also a little kid who is eleven and has been to church over twelve times and has read almost the whole Book of Mormon, but his dad says he’s not old enough to make his own decisions so he can’t get baptized. If you have any advice on what we could do to help the father, let us know.

March 15
Well, hello everyone. We had four baptisms yesterday. I love seeing people get baptized. There were over seventy people there. It was insane. My comp goes home in two weeks. I love her. We have fun. Right now I’m sitting next to Hermana Lewis from Arizona. She was with me in the MTC. I love her. We had divisions this week and had a nice little time.

March 22, 2010

Dear Family,

Hermana Lewis’s first name is Koria and Hermana Carrasco’s first name is Giselle. Mom, just so you know, you get a lot of compliments from the people here in the photos I have of you and dad does as well. They all tell me I have very attractive parents. Well, usually the men tell me my mother is beautiful and the women tell me my father is very attractive—so I just put the two together. And the rest of the family, too. They all say that Beth and I look very similar especially now that I have brown hair. I don’t know why I’m telling you this, but anyway…

On Friday I had probably the hardest day yet in the mission as far as the work goes. I’ve never had so much rejection in my life and I used to be a telemarketer for Allstate. Remember that? I do. Anyway, the golden family that we found was just not having it. He found work and so now they have no interest cuz they have what they want. Our other couple that we found disappeared. Well, the wife did. We think they had a fight and she took off with the baby. And everybody and their dog was arguing with us and had no idea what they were talking about. Anyway, the next day was fifty/fifty, but Sunday we showed up to church and a kid we were teaching forever, but stopped cuz he couldn’t stop drinking and smoking was at the church when we showed up there. That was good!

Also, another woman that’s an ancient investigator is getting married so she can get baptized. Right now we’re just teaching like young guys, two brothers fifteen and seventeen and then this 21-year old kid and then couples that need to get married.

I’m sitting in the cyber right now and it’s not really a cyber. It’s like a private room with a bunch of computers where a guy teaches lessons on how to use computers. There’s like an eighty year old lady sitting next to me, my comp, the guy teaching her on a white board and me. It reminds me of Mom a little bit trying to learn all the ins and outs, but I’m sure Mom, you know more than this lady.

LET'S CATCH UP--BIG TIME!!

Here are notes from Aldo Bonzi

February 1
It’s FEBRUARY! I can’t believe it! It’s like January didn’t even exist. It flew by! We’re having a lot of success here. The four people who were baptized are progressing and doing well. We’re having two more baptisms this week, Sol and Diana, both teenage girls. Sol is amazing. We gave her a talk by President Monson to read and to pray to see if he was a prophet and she said she knows without a doubt that he’s a prophet after she read it. Diana is the sister of the two little kids who were baptized two weeks ago. They are a big family—like fifty people in the same family and their houses are all connected. They are all starting to come to church now. It’s cool to see.

So I have a cool story. Yesterday one of my ancient investigators that I taught with my last companion came to church. When I saw her walking towards the chapel I threw my hands up and was yelling, “YEAH!”. She had a huge smile on her face. After the first hour of church she came up to me and whispered that she wanted to get baptized. We set a date for her at the end of the transfer. She is a smoker and has to quit smoking. But I was so happy because we worked with her forever. Her name is Lilian and she’s fifteen and basically is a mom. She takes care of her brothers and sisters. Her dad is sick and her mom works in a different city. But she’s got some progressing to do before we can be sure she’s ready to be baptized, but it was good for me to see because I for sure thought she would not get baptized. But looks like I just need to have a little more faith, eh?

It’s my comp’s birthday today and we’re travelling to Ramos today to celebrate. It’s like a big city and we’re going to go eat at a restaurant. Can you believe that? A restaurant!

Oh, I want pictures of you guys. I have pictures, but they’re all of the same day, Jeff’s wedding. I need a little bit of a switch up to show the people. You know, maybe in normal clothes everyday life. The people are going to think that we’re all uptight and always dressed up! Naw, I’m just kidding!

February 8
Well, this week was great! We had two more baptisms. Diana and Sol. Some sad news, though. Lilian went to a party Saturday night and smoked a bunch so she won’t be getting baptized. She didn’t come to church either. Sacrament meeting is last and the family that lives next door to her tried to see if she was there a bunch of times and she didn’t respond or anything. So my comp and I left the church right before sacrament started and ran to her house. It was pouring rain! Rang the bell… nothing… opened the door (she lives behind like two doors) and started banging on the second door… nothing… so she didn’t come to church. We went back soaking wet, but who cares? But we will still try to work with her.

Today is the last p-day of this transfer. I will be getting transferred most likely from Aldo Bonzi. So this might be my last week here. I am scared to leave, but it’s time. I can tell because I’m starting to get comfortable. My comp and I are doing really well, too. It’s always when you’re comfortable that you need to change because you’re not growing, right?

So weird story—There’s this family here that lived in Utah for the last twenty years and we were at their house Saturday morning and they were watching the Fox 13 News on their computer. Not going to lie, it was weird.

Funny story: There’s this couple in my ward and they cruised down to San Clemente for vacation. That’s where Gavin is serving. I wasn’t sure which ward he’s in, but
they went to the exact ward where he is.

My companion and Giselle and Me.  Giselle is crusin' through the Book of Mormon!

Just doin' some shopping.

President and Sister Benton came to fix breakfast and celebrate!

President Benton, Hermana Lopez, Hermana Daniels, and Sister Benton.

What a skit it must have been!

This is the blonde before the (purple??) brown.