Week 19 - El Bolsón

Sari and her new companion, Sister Jarvis.  Sister Jarvis has been out one transfer longer than Sari.

It is incredible to have a companion that 1. works hard. 2. really loves the people. 3. wants to be on a mission. 4. is happy. 5. wants to learn thew language. 6. is willing to help me learn the language. 7. actually helps me learn the language. 8. wants to teach the gospel. 9. has fun on her mission. 

These are all things that I wanted and I completely lost touch with all of my wants and desires.  But! Now things are better! And now that Ive seen how far I drifted from my goals and happiness, I know how I can stay with them and I am going to stay with them no matter what happens next! 

It's so fun having a gringa companion! Sometimes, we can't exactly communicate what we want or understand words, but we ask the people and they are MORE than willing to help us! Also, she is dangerous! She's a gorgeous blonde and all of the latinos LOVE her! She gets cat calls, people follow us. One guy told us that he wanted to marry her and would go to church to meet her again... he didn't show up... thank goodness! And some guy ran between us and shoved me over haha we're learning how to be careful! But more than anything, we are learning how to enjoy our missions!!!

We're searching new people, so its all new - except Paula! She's still reading and we are working on getting her to church... and to get married... and to stop smoking! She knows the church is true. She just has to work past her fear :) I love Paula! When we met her, she didn't believe in God and now she prays and reads every day! Also, we have been working with members! We want to visit every member in our area every week. We've already seen how important that is for the work in this week! 

I've got a smokin' tan line on my nose from my glasses.

This week, there was a special at the ice-cream place in town where it was 2 for 1. A less active who had a membership card went with us and we got 2 kilos of ice-cream. Its incredibly delicious! Ice-cream is the only was I can have something peanut butter flavored! They don't have it in other places, but there's always manteca or crema de mani icecream! So that's been awesome! 

Also! This week, we found out we cant leave Bolsón without our passports or a certificate saying that we are in the process of getting Argentine identification but all of that stuff is in Neuquén, so we're working with Presidente on that. We can't even go to zone conference in Bariloche!  Its been a good time! 

Oh! And! miracle of the week! I had my USB (132GB) in a computer place this week and I was so freaked out and stressed about not being able to leave Bolsón (it was a huge deal at the terminal... I was sure I'd go to jail haha but its fine!) and I forgot my pen drive in the computer place. Electronics are SUPER expensive here. The biggest USB Ive seen is 8 GB. I didn't realize it until personal study THE NEXT DAY! We went back when we could and they said come back in an hour. We went back and the guy went out to his car and gave it to me. I didn't realize until later but her had skillfully erased my name from the pen drive!!! He was going to sell it I'm sure! Its a huge miracle that he was honest when I got there! He could have said he didn't have it!!! Such a big blessing because it has all of my pictures and everything. I have other copies, but this was important.

Anyways, this week was incredible! I love you guys! 

A video of me trying to cut wood for an old lady. I dont know If I sen the one where I actually split the wood or the pathetic ones haha but have fun with it! I hope it sends! 

Week 18 - El Bolsón

The sun is staying out longer and longer each day... primavera here we come! Also, its pretty hot haha I'd say yesterday was like a good day in Idaho in the summer. Hot because of the sun, but theres always a nice breeze, but it smells like spring, so I love it!!!

Okay, today is tranfers! I haven't met her yet, but my companion is Hermana Jarvis! Hermana Ovando went to serve in Esquel. So now, I'm in Bariloche waiting until Hermana Jarvis gets here! I'm with the sister training leader, Hermana Artica and Hermana Farr.

This week was good! On P-day (last week... not today), we had an activity in the church with all of our recent converts and two young adults that are leaving on their missions soon. We played games and ate pizza! It was super fun! 

Maira had her baby this week! His name is Maximo and he's darling! 

Last night, we had the family home evening at the church because we couldn't earlier in the week. We are slowing trying to transition it into more of a fireside instead of family home evening so that the people will have family home evening in their houses on Mondays. 

One cool experience we had this week! Hermana Ovando and I have been working and praying to find more people to teach and one less active stopped us on the street the other day (he left his house and practically ran after us haha) and told us about a family that is going through a hard time right now that he thinks we should visit. We visited the family the next day, and the father is very interesting in the gospel and we were able to teach him this week! It was perfect! 

Also, this week was awesome because Lucas bore his testimony in sacrament meeting! he always gets emotional when talk about God or preying so he was very nervous and scared he would cry, but he did a great job!!! 

Well, I'm not sure what more I can say! Its been a good time! I cant wait to meet hermana Jarvis!

This is the family of Hermana Mariela. She has two more kids not pictured.

The Cayo family! She is incredible! She work so hard in her calling and her job! 

This is the mom and sister and nephew of Nelly.

This is Santiago and Soledad (Alan not pictured) with their new car.

Also, I saved a cat from a tree! I heard a kitten screaming for help (like we could hear her down the street) and we passed by and she was stuck in the tree. I said "Grab my camera! Im gonna save this cat!" and I did haha I felt like a super hero cause that always happens in the movies (Incredibles).

My district.

Week 17 - El Bolsón

Presidente says that he thinks we all learned the languages that we learn in this life before in the pre existence and that all we're doing now is finding that part of ourselves again. I like to think of it that way. We were prepared to come here and do these things. So we were prepared for the language too right? 

 

 Maria, the mom of a boy thats leaving on a mission soon, got baptized this Sunday! Shes amazing! We got to teach her once and she was so prepared for baptism! 

Also, this week, one of the children in our ward died. I think he had hydrocephalus or something. One member said "idrosafalia" and that's the closest one I could think of. He was three years old and his name was Yahir. His cousin has it too, but he's 6. I remember the first time I met Yahir and his mom, Evelyn. They are the happiest, sweetest family I've ever met. The funeral services were the saddest thing I have seen in my life, but Evelyn is so strong. Hermana Olais played primary songs on the piano for a while and Evelyn was singing along to every single one. She has an incredible testimony of eternal families. 

Also, this week, we had exchanges. Our sister training leader is also training a greenie (shes super woman because she doesn't speak English and is training a gringo and a sister leader!) So for a little bit, I was with the greenie too! It was fun! We felt the spirit so strong in our lessons and we learned how to do more in a  lesson than we have before with the Latinas. Then  I had a breakdown because a member said the greenie's Spanish was better than mine and I was crushed. 

When are transfers? They're this upcoming Monday

Still no lice? 

Nope! Por suerte! 

What's your biggest challenge right now?

I've got a bit of a head cold haha I guess right now, finding people. We're in a bit of a "drought" of investigators and we're just working on finding right now! 

How's the language going?

It's coming! slowwwwly 

Also, there are two kinds of dogs here: the ones that follow me for miles and want to be my friend, and the kind that bite me and try to kill me. ME not my compaion haha I have several teeth holes in my coat! but I have yet to be affected on my skin... I can't wait til summer! haha I won't have my protective layer! haha I am sending a picture of one of the dogs. This one like really bit my coat! Almost my butt! haha I got away (thankfully) and when I was at a safe distance, took a picture! It's been a good fun time!

 The stuff I bought myself with my birthday money!

Week 16 - El Bolsón

Here, they eat a lot of meat! I had never seen so much meat all at once until this member, Hermana Cayo, had us over for lunch and we had barbecue. It was so yummy!!!

 

She served us a steak, a huge piece (or really I think it was a whole chicken) of chicken, a ginormous blood sausage, more sausage links and ribs with potato salad and normal salad..... for each person!!!! I was full for the entire fast sunday that followed haha

  

 

Oh! The cover for my English Book of Mormon... I love it! Its really all I wanted from Argentina! Is a homemade leather cover for my Book of Mormon....it was made with love by the sweetest little old hippie lady in the ward (she knits ALL of her clothes) and I LOOOOOVVVVEEE this cover! 

The struggle with people not coming to church continues. We have done everything possible and so have a few of the members and nothing haha They can't get baptized or anything without church! 

One investigator, Paula, is amazing! She read the first 17 chapters of 1 nefi in 3 days!!! And shes still reading every day and prays all the time and understands and loves the gospel! Now she just has to go to church, stop smoking and get married... yay! I love her! Her understanding and growth has amazed me every time we visit her and I know she can change her life and grow even closer to God! When we met her, she didn't believe in God at all, but she "sensed a good energy" about us and let us into her house haha 

 

 

 

 

My language learning techniques!

I wish I had time to describe every single bit of this place to you! Its incredible! I love it! Thank you for all that you do! You and dad and everything you guys have done before and now have inflkuenced me more than yall know! 

The family home everning activity that we have each week! 

A member who had a birthday and we brought her a little cake! 

Week 15 - El Bolsón

Oh and mom, I got your letters! I opened up like 3 of them... like... weird. Letters that stand for things. I didnt know what it was until I opened the H. I almost cried when I found out it was my birthday sign! thank you thank you thank you, guys! The people in the office when we visited Neuquen were talking about how I get a ton of letters from y'all! haha Thank you! 

Okay, so we had to go to Neuquén this week on Wednesday. Its about a 9 hour bus ride, but the buses were super nice! We had to go there because I'm a gringa and my 90 days without a visa are up! We have to do paper work but apparently there's some complication with my fingerprints or something so I have to start over the FBI background check. Luckily, Argentina is pretty lax about this stuff. So really, the trip to Neuquén was pretty useless and we missed out on like 9 appointments in the 2 days that we were traveling, but that's okay! It was good to see all the elders I came to the mission with again and to meet a senior couple that is now serving in the mission!

Oh and I took the picture of the bus because if you look closely, there's a mate cup in the window. The bus drivers and workers drink mate in the buses too! Its so funny haha I love it!

The red machine was in the terminal for the buses. Its a hot water machine for mate! And there's a Mary statue next to of it, of course :)

The pictures are of the hike today with Wendy (purple hair) and Nelly and the elders. 

 

 

Oh and the baptism is Hernan! Hernan was our investigator. I only taught him once before him and his girlfriend split up and we handed him over to the elders and now hes baptized! He knew the church through his girlfriend who is a less active and she didn't want to get married or reactivate, so they broke up and now he's baptized and happy living the life! He was so prepared for the gospel! It's been great to see the change in him! Wow... English is hard right now haha  He knows the church through? that's not good english! I can't think of how to say it though and that's basically the Spanish way! Anyways, I think this means my Spanish is getting better!

I'm going to write a handwritten letter about Paula for you guys. She's an incredible investigator! 

I love you! 

Hermana Sant