ROLLER COASTER

I am getting transferred!!!.  Well I  am now heading to a new area called Ezeiza.  It is right next to the airport that brought me here to Argentina... Not going to try to escape! I promise! But it`s going to be good. I will be opening up the area with my new fresh Greenie!! WOO!! It is going to be a ROLLER COASTER!!

Of course yesterday was hard.  We went to church and then I said goodbye to 3 families. Luckily I was kind of  prepared because I had been thinking a lot that I was going to leave so it didn't hit me very hard, but I was still super sad! 

Transfer days are super crazy!  I woke up at 5, finished packing, got ready, and then a taxi came and picked us up at 8. We got to the offices around 9. Waited for an hour, and then the transfers started at 10. Everyone left and found their new comps, I talked to some mission friends (Ellie Holt says thank you so much for the package!!).  Then I left with other trainers to stay in their areas tonight.  We went to eat at an all you can eat buffet and it only costed 95 pesos (which is like $9.50).  It was super awesome! They had an Argentine grill, sushi, fish, just like everything, we stayed there for 2 hours eating. And I am. SO. FULL. 

Well 2 days this week my comp and I were doing exchanges and being with other missionaries in other areas. It was really good, honestly there were a lot of miracles that happened in both areas. Where I was  we found a guy that wants to be baptized as soon as possible, and we found other less actives that said that they were for sure coming to church this Sunday! The area that Elder Avila went to had 2 youth commit to serve missions that didn't want to before! He also taught and almost made a whole family cry from the spirit being so strong in a lesson!! Just miracles all around!

There were also 2 little kids in our area that had birthdays, the first was at the home of  a sister that feeds us every Tuesday.  Her daughter got baptized and turned 8.  The other birthday was the Bishops son that turned 1!  Man do Latins go serious with their parties! Even for 1 years old!  He`s not even gonna remember that party! Haha

Ok so super super bummer this week. We had set an appointment and we planned to go have a lesson with a recent convert, her 2 cousins, her brother, and her aunt... 2 new investigators, and they all wanted to come to church on Sunday. So we called them in the night and we set up the appointment. The next day we went through our  routine, had some lessons and then that night we had a Noche do Hogar at the Church.  As we were walking back to the pench we had realized that we had completely forgotten about the appointment that we had with the family. We called her that instant and asked forgiveness. She said that her family was really disappointed that we didn't come, and said they thought they had heard that we were ¨Representatives of Jesus Christ¨. When we got back to the pench I just dropped to my knees. I couldn't take it anymore, and I think that was the hardest I have ever cried in my whole mission. That night I asked for forgiveness from my Father. Hopefully I can do better and remember to be more organized!! 

I am dying laughing at Dad and Davie in their Kiss costumes!! Oh man those 2 are too funny. Literally I am only a little ashamed I have their blood in me... na just kidding, haha.

And wow. I can`t believe it about that shooting that happened with the Jacobs dad.  I know both of the Jacob kids. Sadly in Laferrere that happens like... 2 times daily. When we left to go to church in the morning on Sunday we saw like 4 fights that were super bad, and we just walk so fast so that we didn't get caught in them!!

But I am super glad that you all are safe and that nothing happened to you guys! I always have you all in my prayers! 

Love you guys so much! I`ll tell ya more about Ezeiza next week!!!

Elder Ward

PLANTING SEEDS

This week we went to the temple, I would send pictures but I forgot to take my camera to the temple and Elder Avila`s Camera isn't working. But we went to the temple and it was so good! One of our converts  brought 2 of her cousins and they both are super awesome! They all said wanted to come to church on Sunday but....they didn't.  The whole ward was talking together and laughing.  It was just a way good experience! I got to see the niece and nephew of  one of my favorite families so I sent them some pics and a What`s Up (a texting/audio message app). And then 2 minutes later they had drawn a poster saying we miss you and everything! It was so awesome! The tender mercies of the Lord to keep pushing me to help other people have a conversion like theirs!!

On Sunday, Argentina voted for a new president, and Saturday night we received a message from our zone leaders that we had to stay in the pench all day Sunday because of the voting.  So we went to church, came back, cooked, slept a little, studied, and yeah.  I guess in some way it was nice to be in the pench all day but it was also terrible, haha.  I did fall asleep for like an hour but after that I was just on my feet wandering around the pench the whole day. But it was good! A little weird especially as a missionary.

You asked about a typical P-Day.  Here is our schedule today:

6:30 wake up and exercise

7-8 shower and breakfast

8-10:30 studies

11 we had a district activity.  We made tacos and watched the movie Singles Ward.  We only watched a little of the money because it took a TON of time to cook the tacos.

3:30 writing you guys, haha

And yeah that`s about it this week. It wasn`t really a super eventful week. We went and did some proselyting with some members of the ward, and we had a BUNCH of appointments planned but all of them except one on Friday fell through. It was a bummer because the members were super excited to go and visit our investigators and just none of them were there.  Luckily the members were still super motivated to teach and we were able to talk to a lot of people that weren't in our plans. I guess sometimes the Lord has different plans.  For example..We left on Wednesday with the Bishop to visit 2 families that we had appointments with, and they both fell through.  On our way to one of our citas we talked to a cabinet maker because the Bishop wanted some more cabinets in his house.  We ended up talking to him about the gospel.  He didn't accept us, but I just think that a lot of this work is about us planting seeds.  So that when the time comes and the plant has sprouted future missionaries can swoop in and save the day!!

Well I hope you guys have a great Halloween.  They don't really celebrate it here.  I mean you might see some candy that has a Halloween theme but that is about it. 

 Have a good week!! 

Elder Ward

WAYS TO IMPROVE

Transfers are in two weeks and I have NO idea what will happen, I would love to know right now, but I can´t!!!!! I would love to stay here a little longer! I feel like a lot of good things are going to happen this next month! But I have no idea what will happen, I haven´t quite got a hold on what President Thurgood likes to do in transfers too much so yeah... I am just left here hangin.  It will be hard to leave here though.  This is the longest time I have spent in an area, and I have to really come to love the people here a lot!! And this is my 4th transfer here, so I have been here almost 6 months!!

Last P-Day we watched some movies as a district, we have 3 hours for our district activity and everyone just wanted to watch some moives, so we watched The Minions and Inside Out, and i made some delicious Sloppy Joe for the whole crew. It was a super lazy P-day, but we were all tired and hungry, haha. 

We also got to teach the family that I think I mentioned in the last email, they have 3 daughters (the mom is a less active) that want to be baptized!! WHOO!! We also found a friend of a member, and then a cousin of a member! So we are just getting loaded of the new people and the help of the members!! Really that is the only way to be a successful missionary! Is work with the members! There are an average of 100 in every ward that are active and at least 2 missionaries! 100 people can do a lot more then 2!

Elder Avila woke up one morning and said as if we were a TV show ¨Elder Ward, I know what we are gonna do today!¨ He had a dream that at 4 we went over to the house of a recent convert  (I was here when she got baptized) and there in his dream we started teaching her cousin. So this dream seemed too good to be true.  So we had to find out what would happen.  Lucky enough we went to her house, and her cousin was there and we taught her the restoration! What a miracle!

Also other miracle I got a letter from John Nelson... With a killer Thai tie in it... Haha Thai tie. 

And last night we ate some waffles after a  Family night with a family! It was good, I brought Peanut butter and Jam, and they bought NUTELLA!! Oh man that was good, it´s been a while since I had that stuff!!

We had a super good lesson with some recent converts.  Elder Avila and I studied up on commitments and what they really mean for somebody and how they truly help them progress in the gospel. Preach my Gospel said that leaving commitments with people is helping them with their process of repentance. If they complete with these commitments then it is a way to repent.

So this week we talked about having daily prayer with the family and between the husband and wife. They are going on vacation so we commited them to do it every day of the vacation. I think that we can also give ourselves commitments to keep getting better at the things in this life just start with the basics. There is always ways to improve in that area.

I love the mish!  the hardest thing to overcome has been Myself, haha. Just dropping it all on the plate and making the Lord´s Will mine. COMPLETELY. I still have a long ways to go. 

Well that was about everything that happened in my week! Hope all you guys have a good week!!

Elder Ward

AMAZING SCRIPTURES

Well this week we had interviews with the Mission President. They were really good! Short, sweet and to the point. I talked to him about college and all and he said it would be super good to just get home and get started, I am thinking on just coming home a week early home.  But I have time to figure that out.  The theme of the interviews was faith and exact obedience and we needed to look up some scriptures about the two subjects, especially about obedience...

Alma 53:16-21 

Alma 56:44-48 55-56 

Alma 57:20-21 25-27

These are amazing scriptures! I encourage all of you too read them! They are truly inspiring! They really helped me out!

I finally got the package that you sent with Mike Hatch.  I loved it! It was so nice, everyone in the pench loved Hi-Chews so those are already gone, haha they don`t like candy corns so much.  But that means more for me!! WOO!!  I gave Stella the peanut butter.  She was so excited!!  She loved it!!

We were asked to give a noche de hogar (Family Home Evening) about patience, especially patience with other people. It was good, and we had a good turn out, lots of people came! We also found a couple new investigators that the people had invited! 

Everyone says it`s supposed to get warm soon, but it is still pretty cold. Luckily we can warm up at members homes with a cup of  malta.

Ok. So when we went to General Conference there was a lady that came that is a less active.  She had recently found out that she has cancer, and for that reason she has come back to church! We are going to start teaching her 3 daughters, and her husband! Sometimes God gives us a good kick in the butt to make us remember who he is and why we are here on this earth. Yes the kick kindof hurts at first, but if we follow what he wants us to do we will have ETERNAL BLESSINGS!! ETERNAL!!! YEAH!

Well I hope that you all have a good week!!  Love You All!!

Elder Ward

ACCEPT THE COMMITMENTS

Hello Everyone!!

We finally had a fun activity today!! We went to this  party place with skee ball, bumper cars, video games (no we didn`t play those, haha we can`t) and air hockey! It was pretty cheap so that was way fun! I felt like a kid  but I don`t even care, haha it was super fun, especially the bumper cars. Then we watched a movie and ate after, the movie was called Mobsters and Mormons. It was Pretty funny, kind of cheesy, and super over exaggerated but funny! Haha. Go watch it with the fam! I am sure dad will love the Guy in the movie, haha.

And that was our activity! Super fun, and I enjoyed it a lot! 

Well this weekend I was just blown away with a hurricane of inspiration from General Conference! It was so awesome. I just couldn't get enough! Can`t wait for the next one! I had a couple favorites.  

One of them was from President Monson, about being an example in word, conduct, faith, light, etc. 

The other was the testimony of one of the new Apostles Dale Renlund. He talked about how his calling wasn't about him, but it was about the Lord, and the Lord`s children that he will be serving. It made me think a lot about the calling that I have, and if I was serving like it was about me, or about the Lord. Me and my comp both decided that there were too many things that made it about us. So we have decided to change, and this week is going to be a different week, more work, more lessons, more investigators, and more about the Lord and his children.

This week we had quite the miracle, on our way back to the pench there is a a hospital that we pass by.  As we were passing by a member grabbed us and asked if we could give a blessing. We said of course, and gave a blessing to a woman who was not doing well and had very high blood pressure. When we gave the blessing the member thanked us and we left.

What would have happened if we weren't prepared with consecrated oil? Or worthy of our Priesthood? Was she cured? I don`t know. But I know that the Lord will be testing us in moments that we least expect. I know that Idid not expect that to happen at all. And only the Lord knows if we were truly prepared or not. So that was a pretty neat experience. 

Well I hope that everyone enjoyed General Conference and that everyone accepts the commitments that were given and that you do them! I can remember three specific ones! And if you don`t know what they are then read all the talks again! Haha but I hope you all have a good week!

Elder Ward

REALLY TIRED

So this week we had a lot of success in finding new people!! It has been such a long time since we have found some good solid people that are going to progress and be baptized! Some of them are the aunt and uncle of one of our recent converts.  The other we just found out of simply talking to people and contacting!!! Finally!!

The weather is not warming up yet.  Today it's pretty much cold and rainy.  It warmed up for one day but that was it, then it just started to get cold again

I am super tired this week because we have been really focusing super hard on finding some people. We also  did a fast and I am still feeling it.  Man when I get home I am just going to sleep for at least 2 whole weeks, haha. But before that I gotta keep working super super hard!!!

But yeah I am just really tired, haha this will not be a super long email. I am just worked, and am gonna sleep for awhile today. But I hope that you all have a good week and that you all have your questions ready for General Conference!!

If you haven`t done it yet, make a question that you want responded and make sure you listen well to all the talks, maybe read them after, but you will find the answer! General conference is full of inspiration!!

For Conference we will be inviting people to come to listen to the Prophet.  We will watch it in the Stake Center, and the priesthood session with our zone because it starts at 9 here and that is out of our schedule!


Have a good week!!


Elder Ward

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE

Well this week we had some exciting things happened.  Some recent converts said they never wanted to go to church again, Elder Avila threw up in the street, the other companionship in my apartment is having a bunch of problems and I am just right in the middle of all of it! WoO! Haha.

Our recent convert and her husband had a pretty bad fight and the both of them got mad and said things that they didn`t really mean or want to say, and not going to church ever again was one of the things. When I heard those words come out of her mouth my stomach just hit the floor. I just felt terrible. Luckily we talked a little bit to her and everything, did some service in the house (painted their little girls new room), and she came to church this Sunday, haha. PHEW!!

The other had a fight with one of her best friends that brought her to church and she didn`t want to go because the friend said something on facebook or like that and she was mad (girl stuff). But she came to church this Sunday too. So man I have just had a roller coster of emotions here.  One second happy and then completely devastated, haha.  Man I was super glad that in the end they both came to church. Let`s hope that they KEEP coming.

One day we were walking in the street one night and out of no where my comp said really quietly, I`m gonna throw up (in Spanish obviously, haha) and man did he throw up. Luckily we were pretty close to the pench so our day pretty much  ended there.

Transfers are this week but I am staying here with Elder Avila!  There are some changes in my zone, but that's alright, no big deal. 

This last Sunday I gave a talk about the 3 groups in Lehi`s Dream. And if you don`t know about the 3 groups go and read 1 Nephi 8, I hope that ALL of you can be the last group that Lehi sees in his vision, so read it to find out what we need to be doing!! Haha

Hope you all have a good week! 

Elder Ward