Hola!!!

Hellos and His!

Livin’ the dream here in Buenos Aires. I’m so thankful to be here. I even got some packages from home with some sweet letters and cd’s and stuff like that. THANK YOU! I can also feel many prayers sent my way and for those I’m teaching. So again, THANK YOU!  So for the week...

This week was full of meetings and running all over the place! On Thursday, we got a surprise from President! He invited our zone and one other to go and listen to David F. Evans of the Quorum of the Seventy. It’s funny because he came and talked to us back in the day when I was in North Carolina! Haha! It was very moving and I learned a ton! He talked a lot about repentance and how we can teach it better. I definitely feel like I can be more bold when I teach about this topic. And then he said that President Packer always says that you get what you go for. If I go for family baptisms, that’s what I’ll get. Takes diligence and humility, but it’s possible. I learned a ton, but that really stuck out to me. Then we had interviews with President Ayre and that was really awesome. I love having some one-on-one time with a really inspired guy that is really like my Dad here in Buenos Aires. It was super pleasant.

Mercedes got baptized and Guido’s family got confirmed! What an awesome tender mercy! She just made a complete 360 and was so stoked for her baptism. And her cousin, Vanessa, who didn’t want to make the commitment was at the baptism and saw how much joy there was and she felt the Spirit super strong. She decided right there that she wanted to get baptized this upcoming Sunday! And guess who she wants to baptize her? GUIDO! He will have his priesthood interview tomorrow and baptize her this next Sunday! WOOO! So incredible! I love it! We have some other investigators that are so close to baptism, but just need a little more. Vanessa’s Mom should get baptized on the 15th and the same for a guy named Cristian. I know they have incredible hearts and won’t give up on them!

Oh, and yesterday, we ate Asado at the Patiño family’s house again because it was Baby Dannie’s birthday yesterday! Blanca said she had to invite her "2 oldest sons too". hahaha! We love her. We asked her if she would adopt us. Haha! She loved the idea.

Next week is transfers. So I will be writing on Tuesday, not Monday! My guess is that E l d e r  R i s c o will be flying the coup. He has been a good companion and I’ve learned a lot from him. But we will see what happens. Ha!

Más Allá!  MAS ALLA!

Loves!

Mercedes' Baptism

Viva Boca y Los Wachiturros
Boca is one of the most successful soccer teams in Argentina
Los Wachiturros is an Argentine slum cumbia music group

Families can be Together Forever!

This week has been a great one! It’s crazy that today, a year ago, I was set apart as a missionary! But I can’t lose this time! The mission is “the best thing that could ever happen to me; I’m 100% sure it’s my soul mate.” Okay, onto the miracles...

The family Patino... We were continuing to pray for Blanca and were looking at every way we could help her arrive to the waters of baptism WITH her family. On Tuesday, we went on exchanges and Elder Johnson came to Parque Patricios to work with me and my comp left for Chacabuco. I was pretty stoked because I met Elder Johnson 7 months ago and we were already friends. So when we got to the Patino family’s house, we started in with our lesson on Tithing. They accepted everything. And then we turned to Blanca and asked her what her thoughts on baptism were. She was hesitant, but we asked her if she has prayed to know. She said yes. And so we told her how she could receive an answer through the Holy Ghost. As we explained, she said that she felt joy and happiness in her heart, almost as if it were screaming at her in that moment. So... we asked her to be baptized with her husband and kids on Sunday and she said YES!!!! We had the baptismal service right after church and it was wonderful! It’s my first family baptism and words cannot explain the happiness I felt. And Blanca asked me to baptize her, which just made me so happy! It was also the birthday of Lucas who I also baptized. So it was just all awesome! Afterwards, we went to their house to eat asado (delicious meat from on high) and cake. I seriously wobbled out of that place. MIRACLES!

We are also planning on the baptism of Guido's daughter, Mercedes, and his niece, Vanessa, this next Sunday! Everything is just falling into place! I know that when we are diligent and humble ourselves and go to the Lord, united in prayer, believing, we will receive!

So on Sunday, we had a meeting at 7:00 with the stake and President Ayre. It was great. And as we left to head back to our area, I got a text asking me to speak in church about the Work of Salvation... Haha, OKAY! Didn’t have any time to plan anything since we had to go look for our investigators (church starts at 9:30). So I just went up to the pulpit and talked and read scriptures and Preach my Gospel. It was really easy, really. It’s not like this subject is what I eat and breathe all day every day. So it was a great experience!

I’ve been loving this mission. There is nothing comparable to the happiness of walking into that water with a family and helping them receive salvation. This week the family Patino is going on a temple trip with the ward to have a picnic on the temple grounds. So awesome! It’s that sort of thing that just brings me true Joy. True peace! The Spirit is real and the Lord listens to our prayers. Pray that Vanessa and Mercedez will make it to baptism. I’ll tell y’all about the other Gators next week. Looks like we will be seeing the fruit of our labors here at the end of this transfer a full! Loves!!

“The blade was broken!” -King of the Dead
"It has been remade!"  -Aragorn
.... Restoration, anyone? Return of the King (Jesus) anyone? Nice....

Loves!

Baptism Program in the Chapel

The Patino Family!

Little Riscito and I

Lucas and I heading in!

ASADO!

Sweet Deliciousness!!!

B-Day Party for Lucas!

Cake After! Body forgive me!

Stomping Grounds
Can’t take pics as often here

Villa 21

Livin' the DREAM!

So this week has been full of miracles and blessings! And hello to all! It is still nice and humid here in Buenos Aires! Livin' the Dream! My companion and I have been doing all that we could to be a bit more consecrated this week and I feel like it has definitely paid off! So I wanna start off with a great experience!

Remember the family Patino that we have been working with? Well I was super worried about them this week. I was just so stressed about the mother and whether she could make up her mind. We decided to fast together on Thursday and I felt really good afterwards. Then later on Saturday, I was in my studies reading in Doctrine and Covenants 29: 6-7 and it says, "6. And, as it is written--Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive. 7. And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts." These scriptures just hit me so hard. I couldn't stop reading them over and over. I looked through the footnotes and found examples of the Apostles of Jesus in the Americas praying powerfully in power UNITED and also of Joseph Smith and other Elders praying in UNITY. I felt such a strong prompting to share this with my companion right then and ask if we could pray together. I felt so strongly that if we just BELIEVED that the family could get baptized, the Lord would hear our cries. So we prayed together and that day was great!

That evening we taught the Plan of Salvation again and the Spirit was incredibly strong! We invited Blanca to be baptized on the 23 and she said that she would tell us on Sunday her answer. So they went to church and we passed by that evening. She told us of how during the sacrament meeting there was a voice in her head saying, "What am I doing here, I'm just uncomfortable" but then she just forgot about it and enjoyed the mission. I testified that that was Satan throwing every last thing he's got to stop her from reaching the waters of baptism. I told them how great a fear satan had of them being united through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and one day being sealed eternally in the temple. As we closed, we invited them once again to be baptized, and... They said yes!!! Guido, Lucas, and Diana will be baptized on Sunday and Blanca on the 2nd of March. We will see if we can get her this Sunday as well.

I now have such a burning testimony of prayer and fasting (Alma 6:6). I know that this Church is true, and also that satan is real. He is trembling at every turn when we, God's children, choose the right. He wants us... but as Gollum says, "We mustn't let him have it". Haha!

It has been a good week. It's been fun being the district leader of all sister missionaries. It's always something new. My companion is trying to learn English so that has been fun teaching him some slang. The ward is still amazing and will randomly give us donuts as we pass by their houses and stuff like that. I just love them! Pray for the Patino family. Satan always comes back.

I know that my redeemer lives. He loves us and wants to help us. It all depends on us. We are here taking the greatest test of all and Heavenly Father has given us the cheat sheet. It's the Savior's Gospel! I love all y'all!

Loves!

Birthday Cake with a member family

I'm King of the Lollipop Guild here!
Shepherd of the Hobbits!

More... Cake...

I live on the 4th floor of this building  :)

-34.636199, -58.391477

BEST DAY!

So... I’m just really thankful that I’m here. I love the mission! I just feel like I’m putty in the Lord’s hands and he is just forming us into better individuals. I’m learning soo so sooooo much here and am anxious to learn even more of my Savior and what I can do to help in His vineyard.

This week was great! We taught a lot and had lots in the church. We are teaching this family of 5 that have been to church quite a few times. The only thing we have left is help the mom, Blanca, gain a testimony. We have a baptismal date for the 22 of this month. It would be my first family baptism! I love it! I also love the members. It’s so awesome to just receive texts from members asking us if they can accompany us. Seriously, that has never happened to me before. I love this Ward!

The Lord truly does work in mysterious ways! It always seems to me like just little decisions in my head that I make alone, and then when the miracles happen, I think back and realize I was really receiving promptings from the Spirit. For example, this week we were walking and it was late. I knew if we left for the pension, we would get home early and so I stopped and looked at a passageway. I said, “Let’s contact someone in here.” We walked and found ourselves at a dead end. And then, right when we were gonna turn around a lady popped out from the last door and said, “Where is your chapel at? I was investigating your Church in Peru, but when I moved here, I couldn’t continue.” She and her boyfriend came to church this Sunday! Pray that they will receive desires for marriage!

Men are that they might have joy! That phrase hit me hard this week. We are here to be happy! One of the members said yesterday to me, “No, don’t be afraid. Fear isn’t of God.” That statement really hit me. It made me look at what I do and determine if it’s of God or not. Fear isn’t. Sadness isn’t. Anger isn’t. The Lord suffered for our fear and anger and weakness so we wouldn’t have to. LET’S BE HAPPY! LET’S HAVE JOY!

I was able to go to the temple today! It was the greatest birthday present EVER! I learned so much and can’t wait to return. It’s crazy to think that my next birthday will be my last day of the mission. I hope it goes slow. I love this work and my Savior. I love the scriptures and my family and MY MISSION! Keep livin’ the dream!

“Es mejor mirar hacia arriba” or “It’s better to look up” -Thomas Monson

Loves!

Comp and I

Teeeeeemmpppppppplllllllleeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

E l d e r  G i n e s   a n d   I

Buenos Aires Temple

BUENOS AIRES TEMPLE SLIDESHOW

ALOHA!!!

So this week has been pretty great! Being a missionary is under-rated! EVERYONE SHOULD DO IT! I've never been more humbled and happy! The rain has been a little unexpected (as a missionary, I hate rain, but normally I'm cool with it) and there has been plenty of lightning and thunder. So here we go!

Gonna start with the ward and members... AWESOME! We live in a building and our Bishop lives 2 floors below us, so that’s been nice to have. Everyone is so nice. I felt so welcomed and loved right when I walked in the church building and people had my name memorized by the end of the day (I'm pretty sure when I left Lugano, maybe half knew my name). The calendar was full for the entire month, when in Lugano we had a sister fight and fight for us to get us lunches for just the week! So it has been great. There are amazing members that will accompany us rain or shine for the entire day, which is awesome. It's just such a big change, I'm not used to it! haha!

E l d e r  R i s c o is pretty crazy (risco literally means "cliff" in spanish). We get along really well and joke around a lot. Last night, he said I was talking in my sleep. Apparently, I was saying stuff like: Vamos a bautizar and Tenemos que ir a la cita, Elder. Which is good that I'm talking spanish even in my sleep, but I don't know what other stuff I say...

The area is super big where I am at. It takes like 30 minutes to get to our giant villa and sometimes things get complicated, but oh well.

Oh... So I'm District Leader and... my entire district is Sisters! hahaha, we are the only Elders in the district! I've tried to avoid Sisters like the plague my entire mission, but now I have to talk to them every night for 30 minutes. Haha! Super weird as a missionary, seriously.

I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to work in the Lord’s vineyard. He has entrusted me with this area with my Peruvian companion to bring forth GOOD fruit in this final effort. I feel very humble to do so. He loves us and is working diligently in His vineyard. I know it. I Teach it. I love it. I Sleep it.

LOVES!!!

Sonya made me a cake and got ice cream
for my last day in Lugano.
Livin' the Dream! Miss them already!

Last day in Lugano!
Sonya made me a flag!

Got to see Felix. And guess what! 
He baptized his daughter!!! 
My first convert of Argentina!

Last time with Elder Tippets. Ha!

My Son!

E l d e r  G i n e s  &  I
Stopped by Tigre and took a pic
on the way to the offices for the despidida!

Thug Life

About sums up our relationship

Ma Villa

Awesome Family!

The member is really proud of his muscles
so we posed with him. I got nutin'

Inside the Pension