LEAVING MADERO!

Well I am finally leaving Madero! I am so sad and I was so glad that I got to be in this AWESOME area. This Wednesday I will find out where I am going so I will have to give you an update on that!

Saturday's Waffle - Argentina Style

You asked for an update on my daily schedule, so here it goes....

Get up, pray, do exercises for 30 minutes, have a malta (Mormon style coffee, it isn`t made from coffee beans but from wheat, tastes the same and is free game) take a shower, shave and be ready for studies at 7:00am.

I do personal study for an hour, an hour of comp study, then 30 minutes of language study. Then we leave the house at 10:30am for proselyting. 

 We have our visits through out the day, we knock some doors, sometimes we have success, sometimes not. Most of the time we get the door slammed in our face, haha. And usually lunch with members.

Then we need to be in the house at 9:00 to start daily planning for the next day on where we go, and that`s thirty minutes. Then we get ready for bed, maybe eat something and start our nightly prayers by 10:30. And then we sleeeeeeeeep! Best part of the day right there, haha.

You asked about laundry, a member that we call Mama Santoro (she`s our missionary mom) she washes our clothes here! She`s the best! I am really going to miss her and all the stuff she did for us!

Well this week we had a super miracle happen yesterday night. We were with an investigator teaching them and she was grinding her son about going to some super weird church and as she was doing that we walked in, and then she said, ya know what, you are going to come with me to the Mormon`s church... We were fairly satisfied with that, so we will be expecting them next Sunday! Also the sister of the mom of that family was there and as she was listening to us she told us that we HAD to stop by her house right now. She wanted her whole family to hear what we had to say, and... well we were fairly satisfied with that as well, haha. 

 We went over there, got to know the family a little bit, the parents recently split up and found out that they had just been having a bunch of problems lately and they just didn`t know what to do. So we taught them the first lesson of the restoration and it was just the most I have ever felt the spirit, while we were teaching the first lesson. Me and my comp were bawling, the mom was bawling, the 4 kids were bawling, even the dad was. 

 It was just such a testimony builder to me that people are prepared to receive us! What are the chances that we there in the house of the investigator while she was grinding her kid, while her sister was there, while the sister`s family was in a super crappy time in their lives. It was just awesome. Both of the parents told us that they had always ran inside when they saw the elder`s walking down the street. And even though I won`t be able to get to know this family better and possible baptize them I am just glad I was a part of finding them! It really was a glorious night!

 

 

We also had stake conference this past weekend and it was really focused a lot on the family and the importance of FAMILY HOME EVENING. It really hit me hard for some reason. It just made a really strong impression on me!

 So I guess my challenge for this week or the next would be to have family home evening this week! Cause you will receive blessings! Haha love you all so much and I hope you all have a good week!

Elder Ward

NEW PENCH

Well... Yeah, haha this week was super crazy, the two big things that happened were that we went to the hospital for Elder Steck for his ear, and then we changed houses, and the new one is awesome!!!

So with Elder Steck I woke up on Wednesday morning and he told me that he had been up all night with super bad pains in his ears and that he didn't sleep the whole night. We went to the hospital one time, then everything that they gave us hadn't been working like it was supposed to, so Wednesday night we went to another better hospital in Capital. We went back the next morning to talk to a specialist and then after that we were done with hospital visits. He had something that was called Otisis (ear infection).  They said that maybe it was caused from the super climate changes that have been happening here, it has been changing from hot to cold a lot. 

And then we changed houses and the new one is suuuuper awesome! Can`t send pictures this week because the usual internet cafe that we went to is closed because it`s a holiday today, and all the other ones are kinda scketchy and have a ton of viruses.

To celebrate our new pench we bought a a 3 pound bag of potato chips... And man was it big!  We chowed down on some coke and some chips and it was super awesome, we still haven`t made a dent in the bag though.
The area I am in right now will for sure be in the South mission.  But we are thinking that I am going to leave in the next transfer meeting which is in two weeks.

This week we didn`t really have a lot of time to do a lot of work, since we were dealing with Elder Steck`s ear and moving into the new pench.  It took up a LOT of time. But one of the super cool things that happened is that the African priest guy we are teaching went to church yesterday. So that was definitely a miracle!

 

But seriously other than that nothing happened. We did have divisions this week within the district and they were super good! We found a super receptive family.  It was a super blessing to find them.  We also found another person that we met that was named D*****.  He has NO Christian background.  We had to teach totally different because usually everyone here in South America has been a Catholic or a Evangelist. But oh well, he is a stud and he said he was going to pray yesterday about what we taught! And we also had a contact with a person that I bought a sweater from today in Walmart! Yeah that exists here too.

 

Well hope you have a good week! Love you all!

Elder Ward

TEMPLE DEDICATION

Cordoba, Argentina Temple

This week I felt the spirit so strong!!  It was yesterday in the morning! We had the opportunity to attend the temple dedication of a temple in Cordoba,Argentina! It was super awesome! We went to the stake center and watched it and it had such a great spirit!  We had to wake up at 5:00am to get there so it was a little bit hard to stay awake, but I loved it!! I am so sad that I can`t go to the temple as often as I want to  as a missionary, but I know that during these 2 years I need to dedicate this time to the saving ordinances of the living for right now.  But the temple dedication was so cool! I think this is my 3rd, Brigham City, Ogden, and now Cordoba!  And the M****** family are doing good! They were also able to go the temple dedication so that was awesome for them! They loved it!!

Transfers are in two weeks and we will know about all the mission changes.  I don`t think I will be going to the South mission.  We will see if I stay here in Madero or if I go somewhere else, but no worries! I will be happy wherever I go!

The weather is nice! Right now it is a little hot, which is super weird but it`s supposed to be getting colder, which I am super excited for because I HATE walking around in the sun and sweating all day! Haha.

You asked about the most important thing that I brought from home.....UHhhhhhhhhhh....... That would definitely have to be my... Tooth paste... And the modern convenience I miss the most is...
CLEAN WATER!!! I just want to be able to put my mouth under the faucet and drink it!!!

Well this week we found some more new people! This last week the boy that was supposed to get baptized wasn't quite ready, so we have been looking super hard for a miracle baptism this month! We found some really awesome people! But I don`t think they`ll be able to be baptized this month either... But that`s ok!

Elder Weston and I on splits

One of the people we found is named P****, he almost got baptized like 20 years ago but then his wife told him that she would leave him if he did, so he didn't and then she left him anyways.  He is working on some of his challenges and he is also a Priest in an African religion, so we have some things to work through.

Time for a hair cut!

We found a super cool family too! They were taught by the missionaries a long time ago and decided to let us teach them again! They really want to be sure that they choose the right church because they want their kids to grow up in the true church, so that`s super awesome! We are planning to have more lessons with them this week.

Well that`s about it this week, can`t wait to tell ya about the next one and I hope that you all have a good week!!

Elder Ward

SKYPE

Yesterday was Awesome!! We went to church, had a super huge diner with a member, visited a less active, and then went to call home! It was hard because we had a lot of technical problems and we didn't know how to fix them, soooo yeah we were trying to fix them for a really long time...

It is great because I don't even get homesick after we talk.  I know I will see all of you guys again, so no worries! all is well, haha

This week we have been having a little more success in finding people luckily! This week we found 8 people, so that`s a lot better then we have been getting but there`s always room for improvement! We found two super super awesome people especially!

One is named O****, he was a guy that was living in a super crappy trailer and we didn't even think anyone lived in it to begin with. But he let us in and we had a super awesome lesson with him, and hoping that he will get baptized! 

The other was named S*****, she is a friend of some old investigators that we had and we couldn`t even teach her! She was asking so many questions it was just so awesome! We were there for like 2 hours answering questions, and then we had to leave to get to the pench on time, so we are hoping that those two progress enough this week so that we can have some baptisms! I have been wanting one for a while now! And those were really the only miracles that happened this week. I am sure that there are more I just can`t remember them right now. 

Well I love you all so much and I hope that you have a good week! It was so good to see a bunch of people on Sunday and I cannot wait to see you guys again in 7 months for Christmas! Don`t worry mom that time will go by faster then you know!

Love ya!

Elder Ward

ROUGH WEEK

We haven`t been having too much success, the whole zone actually, usually the whole zone (10 companionships) finds like 8  people to teach every week but this week there were 4 pairs with 0 and the most we had was 3... So it was a rough week and we hope that no one drops. We really have been working the hardest that I  have worked in my mission so far to find new people. But it just isn't fishing out. We were really down last night because the zone leaders made a call to the zone and kinda told us what was up. But yeah, what ya gonna do? Haha the mission definitely has it`s ups and downs.

So yeah that was this week, we just walked a LOT! Hardly had any lessons with new people, but we taught a lot of menos activos (less actives), and had a lot of plans for them to go to church. But none of them showed up. In the Gospel Principles class for the new or returning people, there was no one.... NOOOOOO ONE!!! So that didn't feel too good, and now it`s starting to get cold... Haha so the mission life is just going pretty dandy right now! No but it really is, I haven`t been desanimado (please translate dad, I am starting to forget English) yet! (Translation is downhearted).  I keep going with a smile on my face! Everyone has their strengths, and I think this is one of mine! I just gottta keep on keepin' on and hope for the best!

And I finally saw Joshie's article in the Liahona.  So Awesome!!  Super proud of you Josh!!

Love you all and I hope that everyone has a good day!!!

Elder Ward

NEW COMPANION

I got a new companion.  His name is Elder Steck and he is from Ephriam, Utah.  He has been out 13 months, and he`s awesome! He`s such a cowboy! He seriously has used a giant belt buckle his whole mission!! LOVE IT!

It was hard to say goodbye to Elder Benitez, but I know that I`ll see him obviously and can`t wait to see him in Utah one of these days!!

So the next transfer I have will determine which mission I end up in.  If I stay here for the next transfer (which I doubt I will) I think I will go to the South mission for sure.  But whatever happens, it`s all good because the mission is the same everywhere and I know I will be blessed wherever I serve!

The family that just got baptized are doing so good!  We saw them this Sunday and they just had smiles the whole day. There is an older lady that is a member that lives by them.  They have become super good friends with her now and they help her get to church and with all of her books and stuff, it`s super cute!
Ok. So this week, the first 3 days after transfers (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) we were only let into a house by one person..  So there was a looooooooooooot of walking those days, and a lot of changing our plans because we always visited all of our plans without success... 

And then came Saturday...

On Saturday we had an appointment with someone that was named Adrian, we went to the appointment not thinking that he was going to let us in because that is seriously the 50th time we have came by with no success.  We found him like the first week I was here. But when we got to the door, instead of saying he didn't have time, he let us in.... I WAS SO CONFUSED!!! What happened to this man?? Ok so we went in and he told us that he had been thinking about about his life and he felt guilty. He knew that all we wanted to do was share the gospel with him and he didn't let us in. Well of course we forgave him, then I said the prayer to start the lesson.  I asked that Heavenly Father would bless Adrian and protect his family or something like that.  Then I heard him start crying during the prayer. When we finished he told us that he lied to us and that his name wasn't even Adrian.  After that moment I just felt that like he really, really sincerely wanted to hear us and listen to what we had to say. 

So we kept going and it was just a super awesome lesson.. That experience taught me that no matter how cold or mean people seem, we are all children of God and all have the divine ability to change and make ourselves better than we were the day before. So with this experience I invite you ALL to make a change! And use that wonderful gift of agency that you all have. Because we have it for a reason, and I can tell you that we don`t have it to just have it... But to use it!  Well those are the wise words from Elder Ward this week I guess. Haha, have a good week everyone! 

Elder Ward

Picture sent from his previous companion Elder Benitez titled "Super Ward"

TRANSFERS AND BAPTISMS

We found out about transfers and the bad news is that Elder Benitez is leaving... I AM SO SAD!!! I was hoping that we were going to stay together for just one more transfer, but he`s already been here for 4.5 months, and that is SUPER long. 

This transfer meeting is Wednesday at 10 in the morning it starts, we have a little devotional, and then we find out who goes where, I`ll send a video just to show you how crazy the transfers are... Everyone is screaming so hard, especially to welcome the new missionaries... It`s just super nutz.

 OH MY GOSH THE BAPTISM WAS SO AWESOME!!! Literally I cannot describe how I felt because it would take HOURS!! There were so many emotions running through me I just couldn`t say it all, haha but to sum them all up... EPIC! 

So the day of the baptism was awesome, the program started with a cousin and sister of the dad (who are members obviously) gave talks about baptism and the holy ghost! They both talked about how important these things are and how baptism is the first covenant that we make to our father in heaven to start out journey in our life in the church! After the two talks Elder Benitez and I sang Nearer My God To Thee (Mas Cerca Dios De Ti) and as we were looking at the congregation we saw that the little girl being baptized, turned 8 years this past week started crying because of how beautiful it was!! I almost couldn`t keep singing because I started to cry when I saw her cry!! The whole baptism was just a bunch of crying and happiness!!

Then we went into the room with the baptismal font to watch the baptism. The dad was SOOO NERVOUS!! But he was super worthy, he told us he had been reading the scriptures all week, and saying his prayers every day to prepare for the baptism. The little girl went first and it was just awesome. So pure that little girl! And When she was baptized the mom just started bawling. She was so happy. The mom went next, she wouldn`t bend down all the way, so he put all of his weight on her to go down!!! Haha it was kinda funny. He almost went all the way under too.

After the ordinance they all bore their testimonies. 

The dad testified about how he knew for a fact that this is and was the only church on the earth that has the proper authority to baptize and to do all of the saving ordinances. He also promised that he would NEVER leave the church again. He bore testimony that he knows that the missionaries came at the right time because before Elder Benitez and I, when missionaries asked to visit them they wouldn`t let them in. And he testified that God helps us when we really desperately need it. 

The mom said that me and Elder Benitez were her little Angels sent from heaven in this time of her life (yes I started bawling when she said that) and that she was super super happy that she now has the opportunity to be sealed with her family for time and all eternity!! And I can`t wait to see them at that sealing!!!

And the little girl talked about how baptism was necessary to be able to live with her family in heaven forever! She was so cute! Couldn`t hardly stand it!

And then all the organizations did their welcomes and then that was it!

Sunday we had the confirmation of the 2 and I gave a blessing to their younger girl who is not 8 yet. It was such an amazing experience! And yeah that`s pretty much it... But it was awesome! 

Things that happened besides the baptism were that an old investigator that we have was in her front yard and looked super worried. As we talked with her we found out that her husband hadn`t returned from a party, and she thinks that he left with another women! And this is the second time that it has happened!! As we were talking to her we taught her about the atonement and the forgiveness that we need to have for others when we are harmed by their sins. And it was just super sad, we have been stopping by every day and giving them some noodles to eat because they have no money with out the work of her husband. WHY IS THIS WORLD SO DUMB!?!? 

And yeah that`s pretty much it... But I hope you all had a good week, and that this week to come will be even better! Keep up your prayers, and keep readin doz scriptures! Love you all!

Elder Ward