STRIVE TO BE MORE LIKE HIM

Transfers are tomorrow! And I am staying, haha real shocker! But I was like 100% sure of that. But Elder Ginatto is leaving!!! I¨m so sad! We had such a good time together when we were comps and I seriously hope that he comes up to the states so that we can see each other after the mission and hang out because I only have 2 transfers left and I highly doubt that I will see him in the transfer meetings because he is doing a white wash (when they take out both of the old missionaries and put in new ones) like I did in Ezeiza. 
We also have a new elder coming in that is going to replace Elder Ginatto and his name is Elder Bickmore. He was in my district when I was back in Laferrere so I know him pretty well and he is super cool! He´s from Cali and was actually a wrestler in college before he got over here! Not sure what college but yeah we are good friends.
So we have 2 main investigators that we are working with. We have a couple that is super young (she is 17 and he is 21) and they want to get baptized really bad... BUUUUUT. She can´t get married until she is 18 and her Birthday is in December... AND she could get married if she could get a signed permission from her dad but she hasn't had contact with her legal father for years. But they are doing alright, they are having some couple issues and have fought a little so they haven´t come to church these past 2 weeks, but we are gonna go look for them again tomorrow to help them out!

And we also have an old investigator that actually has had a lot of fear in being baptized, but we went over with a certain member that we thought would be good and it turns out that they are actually childhood friends! And they talked a lot and about baptism and in the end he decided that he is going to come to church this Sunday because we have a baptism right after the service and he wants to see what it´s like to help him with his decision! WO!

So our next transfer will be our last transfer with President Thurgood.  We are going to have Zone conference (it´s when we have like a training with our zone and the president and the assistants, and we are going to have it over in the temple! We are going to go to a session, have lunch and then have the zone conference! It is going to be super awesome and I am excited to see what the Presidents "last sermon¨ (I guess you could say) will be. He is so awesome and I am so glad that I have been able to get to be a missionary under him!!!
So other things that happened this week is that we had a family night with the Brother and Sister Mitchell in their house with all the people that are in the offices! It was super fun! Elder Ginatto gave a super awesome thought about creating Zion wherever we may be and that we can work to make the offices a mini Zion in this mission! And we really can strive to make our homes, cars pretty much every where we go Zion! I mean we can just be like an RV that has a little part of Zion in it! But we can only achieve it if we obey the commandments of God and strive to be more like him and our Savior everyday!

And I did some more tramites (visas)  and I keep forgetting to take pictures of people doing tramites during the week!!! But I will take some in these coming weeks, haha I actually just have to find my charger or buy another one because I can´t find my old one :/ so yeah oops, haha. 

But love you guys so much and hope that you all have a good week!!!

Elder Ward

JUST WOW!

Transfers are coming up but we haven't heard anything yet.  President doesn't tell us until the Wednesday before transfers, but I think that I will be staying here that´s for sure, haha. 

The weather is just getting colder and colder. I have a jacket on everyday now, which is weird because it seems like it was only a couple weeks ago that I was dying of heat and wearing a short sleeve shirt everywhere.

We get  to go out proselyting every day from 6-9. So three hours a day, usually on P-days we don´t go out, just only if we have a lesson planned.  We have to work in the morning on P-Day and then the  rest of the day we have to get our p-day stuff done. So yeah that´s a little different then usual, haha.

Everyone is the office is doing well!  We do have a new companionship that just came in that is causing a couple of small problems because they don´t really pull their load here in the offices like with lunches and all that stuff, but we started to make some schedules so that everyone has their turns to cook and clean. But yeah we all get along really well! We are all super good friends.

 OK THE BIGS NEWS!!!

The Familia Marquez got sealed on FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I literally don´t think I will be able to express my joy through an email. But pretty much just imagine me jumping up and down with a huge smile in my face screaming ¨THE MARQUEZ FAMILY GOT SEALED!!!¨ But yeah. I am as happy as can be! It was seriously such an AMAZING experience to be able to see them again after so much time and to be able to get an update on their lives, I mean we have been emailing and writing letters to each other and all that Jazz but yeah. And then the sealing was just WOW. I can´t even explain it. I haven´t felt like that ever. The spirit was seriously so strong in that room it was amazing. I mean this is what we are all working towards in this life, that is the goal for everyone, to get to that point and just keep going faithfully on with your life. I just felt so much love for that family and have so much love for them!   Here are some pics!! I got to be one of the witnesses of the ceremony!!

Testigo means Witness 

It makes me so happy to know that I am sealed to my family for all of time and eternity and that I can be with them forever if I live the commandments of our God!

Well I hope that you can share this message with all your friends, that really and truly families can be together forever through the power of the Priesthood. I know that after that sealing I have a lot more desires to get out there and share this message with a lot of people!!

Well hope you all have a good week!!!

Elder Ward

P.S. On our way walking home from the temple we ran into Dany.  He lives in my old area La Ferrere.  He is a police man and he was out on patrol.  It was so awesome to see him again!!!!

SHARE THE PLAN OF SALVATION

So this last week we had a super good lesson with one of the investigators.  We were on splits and it was me and Elder Pozos. We had a good lesson about the Plan of Salvation and we made sure that he understood the purpose of why we are here on this earth.  After we had shared that, he told us the reasons that he was really holding back on baptism. He was afraid of leaving behind his family and friends and not being there for them because he would be in the church so much, haha. We explained that this is the plan of Happiness and that that wouldn´t happen. We shared a scripture with him and it was really awesome! 

Elder Tobler and I are getting along super well.  Almost......too well, haha P-Days are just spent with us talking and talking and then we realize that we have to actually get some stuff done. But we are all good friends, Elder Tobler is going to the Y so he is definitely going to visit and if he doesn't I will just kidnap him, and Elder Ginatto said that he really wants to go to BYU but he can´t decide. So we´ll see, but if he goes over there is no WAY that he isn´t stopping by the house.

We also got the opportunity to (try, haha) to do some visits with the Elder´s Quorum president, who is a little inactive. It was really awesome to see that the real purpose of  missionary work is to give people a lot of desires to do better themselves.  That way they can help others understand and be able to keep God´s commandments.

We also had a Family Night in the church yesterday! It was super awesome. They taught also about the Plan of Salvation (lots of that this week! Ha) and while people from the congregation were sharing comments, a family shared that they had recently (like 30 minutes before the family night had started) found out that one of their uncles had died. And yes they were sad, like someone naturally should be. But They were still at the family night supporting the ward! They were a huge example to me that the knowledge of this plan is such a blessing. Like when Grandpa Ward died. I can´t even imagine how I would have reacted if I didn´t know about this plan. I AM SO GLAD THAT I DO KNOW ABOUT IT!! And especially for the opportunity that I have to share with people that that they won´t have to feel such a deep sorrow when their loved ones pass away!

President and Hermana Thurgood and the Mitchells are starting to get ready to go home.  I mean nothing crazy! I mean the craziest thing is that they are putting in new things for the new mission president, like they are painting the walls in the offices, and thay are replacing windows and stuff like that.  One day we helped the Mitchell's move some clothing over to the mission home that they were taking home but that´s pretty much it, it is pretty chill over here. Haha except the Hermana Thurgood is SUPER trunky, but what mom wouldn't be after not being able to see her family for 3 years!

Well have a good week and I hope that you guys do the same! Share the Plan of Salvation/Happiness with someone that you know! You won´t regret it!

Love you!

Elder Ward

MOTHER'S DAY!!

These Cute Elders sand "I Often Go Walking".  Best Mother's Day Present Ever!!  Thank you Elder Ward and Elder Tobler!!

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Well this week I had a TON OF visa stuff this last week, usually I go out like once a week but this last week I went out 3 times and next week I have to go out 3 more times! I mean the only thing that I do is stand and tell the missionaries where to go, but man it makes me tired standing in the same room for like 4 hours every morning!! Next week I will send pics about some of the visa things that I do. 

This week we haven`t had internet in the offices for like 4 days.  That is really bad because we can`t really do much of anything, I mean I can because practically all of my stuff is written and all in my head.  But we have to do reports and all that Jazz and those cannot be done without the internet.  But the good news is we have been leaving the office earlier and going proselyting!! 

And this week Elder Mitchell (the husband in the missionary couple) came and spent the afternoon proselyting with us!! It was so fun! I mean anytime he wanted to talk we had to translate for him but it was so cool. He has such a strong testimony of the gospel and I hope I can keep strengthening mine too!! One night we were talking about the 2nd coming to a less active family and Elder Mitchell said that one of the best ways to prepare ourselves is to ALWAYS be thinking about the savior and his life and what he has done for us. WOW! What a great insight! But while he was out with us he tripped a little and today we had to take him to the hospital because his hip was hurting him a lot from the fall. It turns out that he is starting to have arthritis in his hips! Poor guy. 

And so some new elders have come into the offices that are being trained by the Mitchells.  The Mitchells will be leaving with President and Sister Thurgood  in the middle of the next transfer so that have to start training them.   I DON'T WANT THEM TO LEAVE! But it will be fun because I think the Thurgoods are going to live in Salt Lake, and the Mitchells live in Kaysville. So I will be able to see them after the mission whenever  I want!

So Elder Tobler and I are companions and we get along great! You might say we get along too well!! Haha we don`t want to do anything but just talk. But seriously Elder Tobler is awesome, he has been a friend since I got to know him when we were both in the Gonzalez Catàn stake when I was in Lafererre, and yeah. He`s awesome! He`s from Boulder City (a little town right next to Las Vegas), he has 3 brothers, his dad is a school teacher and a part time DJ. Haha I thought that was pretty cool. 

I had to switch apartments, but it was no big deal.  The pench is literally in the same building so I didn´t even need to go to far, haha. 

Elder Ginatto's comp is  Elder Pozos from mexico. HIJOLE!! (show that to dad, haha) He is going to take Elder Ginatto`s job, and if I stay here for another transfer which is very likely, I will probably be his comp next transfer... I think...

Now I am pretty much  in the office from 9.30 in the morning till 6. And from 6 to 9 I get to go  proselyte!! WOO!!!  Its so great to go out and have lessons and get to know the members!!

Well that`s about it! Love you all so much and I will see ya the next week!!!

Elder Ward

When not one person shows up for our Awesome Family Home Evening Activity.

PROSELYTING COMES FIRST...

Our email this week.....

SO yesterday we had the option to go out proselyting or write a long email to the families, annnnnnd we picked the first one... Still love you guys though! I will send you a big email next week!!!

Elder Ward

But we also got one from Sister Mitchell....

Good morning, 

Last week I sent your great son a email asking all the information for his return home and I just have to let you see what he sent me back.

Sister Mitchell:  What country will you be returning home to?

Elder Ward:  Tahiti

Sister Mitchell:  Will there be someone to meet you at the airport?

Elder Ward:  Yeah it´s a family vacation

Sister Mitchell:  Which email should me send your travel plans to?

Elder Ward:  kaysward@myldsmail.net  (not my email)

Sister Mitchell:Which airport will you be flying into?

Elder Ward:  Tahiti, Papeete

I have the great privilege of working with these wonderful missionaries in the offices and we have loved getting to know and work with Elder Ward. Such a great Elder and  so willing to do the work that has been required of him. Never a complaint from him. You can be very proud of him, his desires to serve and do the Lords work is evident in everything he does. Thanks for sharing him with us.  His email from my response sure made me laugh…and he did actually sent me the right information.  We sure love him.  Have a wonderful Sabbath.

Hermana Mitchell

Secretario

Mision Argentina Buenos Aires Sur