Week 60 - Bariloche

This transfer.... IM STAYING IN BARILOCHE! But true to my dang pattern of having a different comp EVERY transfer, SISTER HOWARD is coming here and Sister Ventura is going north to Roca. Sister Howard is awesome! She trained the gringa when I went to train Banuera:) Im writing early today because sister ventura doesn't leave until noon and I am leaving with her because Roca is near Neuquen and tomorrow we have our leadership council so it wouldn't make sense to send sister howard down here for 7 hours and then back up there for 7 hours and then back down here hahaha 

So, this week we had a lesson with Hebe and her kids every day in the church. And they came faithful every day at the designated time. It was AMAZING! They are so prepared. did I tall yall that Cenon was studying to be a pastor in another church before htis? Well, he told his pastor goodbye and all of his preacher friends bye and came to our church-- in the matter of a week! Charito is an angel! When they were all in interviews on saturday we talked to her and asked her how she is doing and she said, "im really happy since you guys started visiting me" And she looked down and said, " It`s that... before... I have a ALOT of sins. I never made my bed. I never cleaned up my toys. Bnut NOW I make my bed every day and I put my toys alllll in a big bag every day. Im happy and its because of Jesus." She is SEVEN years old. So cute. I love that girl! Anywyas. We had the baptism after church and they were all so happy! Alot of the ward was there because it was right after church! The bishop got his apendix taken out this week, so he couldnt be there. It was all very last minute put together but a lovely serv ice. While we were taking pictures, the elder`s phone was on speaker with the zone leaders saying the transfers. It was all crazy. But so good! 

So, this week, we tried to make cookies for the baptism. I guess we put too much butter and they just melted into a giant butter cookie in the oven hahaha eventually, we just made a cake.  Also, I made little rice cake things. They were yummy and filling!  We had another church open house (my fourth in the mission) in Alto 2. It went really well! Also, we bought icecream from Mamushka. The best chocolate place in abriloche. It was THE BEST icecream Ive had in my life. And Ive had bluebell and coldstone.  Hebe was doing a happy dance ALL week for her baptism.

Love, Hermana Sant

Week 59 - Bariloche

 

This week! 

So, MIRACLES!!!!! YAY! 

This week, Hebe, cristal ( I might have called her Dina in other emails... she prefers cristal now) and Cenon are getting baptized this week! Well, its like 85% aure that theyll get baptized. Because they didnt go to church this week. On Saturday it was snowing pretty hard and SUPER COLD! Because Bariloche is windy more than anything, id say colder than Rexburg! Well, Hebe and Cenon and Sharito (the six year old in the family) came to the church for a lesson in pure snow... WALKING! like 20 blocks! They both commited very firmly to baptism, well, cenon more than hebe. Anyways. We were So excited until they didnt get to church on Sunday, the next day. So we went to visit Hebe and she started talking to us about how shell never get baptized because her kids are ungratefu and she doesnt want to go to heaven anyways and she will never change her mind and her life is too sad for her to have hope that baptism will help her. We stayed and testified and talked to her for a good while and as we were closing up and losing hope she said, oh by the way, I had a dream last night that the bishop baptized me and the water was warm and I was happy. We were like....  WHAT!!!!???? ANSWER! hahaha Now she is SUPER commited. She has a really really hard and sad life, but she will be very happy and faithful in the church. Turns out that Cristal isnt her daughter. Turns out Hebe is a triplet and her sister had cristal and then killed herself a few hours after so Hebe and her husband adopted her. Cenon has a disease in his kidneys and only has one now. and Shorito, the six year old, has lukemia and they dont want to tell her so shes taking "a vitamin" treatment of chemotherapy every day. Also, The husband died and few years ago and Hebe was violated and beat as a child. She told us it all and that only the judge that did the adoption knows about that and everything and it was just impressive how palpable the spirit was as we then testified of the healing power of the Atonement and of priesthood blessings. 

Love Hermana Sant

 

 

Week 58 - Bariloche

I realized I had never taken pictures really in Trevelin so I took a picture or two with sister slade while we were in exchanges. 

Hermana Ventura just had her monthaversary of being in the mission of 11 months. 

I dont remember what the other pioctures were haha 

This week we did exchanges in Esquel and Trevelin. I have served in Trevelin and I did exchanges in Esquel with Hermana Jarvis (a billion years ago). Theyre doing fine now and Trevelin is doing really good too! I love all of them! 

This week, we were in our area for three days. We had lots of miracles. We have a family, Hebe with her 3 kids, that will be baptized on the 10th. We found her in the street three weeks ago. We've had one lesson with her. She is so special! she is reading ht ebook of mormon because she remembers some elders from when she was 4 years old and they were always so good and she felt happy in her family in the few years that they visited. That is why she is receptive now. I dont know who those elders were, but we are just now seeing the fruits of their efforts. 

Also, we found someone from the states. She heard my accent on the street and asked me if I was from the states and told me her whole life in english. She is going through a really terrible divorce. She has been living in the street for 3 months because he kicked her out and tried to kill her and her house was just possessed by the police a few days ago and she was moving in the day we saw her. She doesnt have ANYTHING except the house and a futon bed. And she only talked to me because of my accent. She is really open to the gospel and wants to learn more. She was our miracle. she invited us in and she wanted to heara bout wehat we believe and she loved it all! I will never complain about not having perfect spanish ever again. 

So, when we were traveling, we got the pension of the sisters in esquel at like midnight. Then we left early to get to the pension in trevelin at 7 and then we left the next day to go to esquel early and then we left at 6 in the morning the next day and these nights we slept on the floor and really didnt sleep. Im still axhausted hahaha I do not like traveling so much because it makes me so tired! Bu the exchanges were good! 

We had an activity for the revolution day or something where we had locro. Also, we went to cerro catedral today in the morning. Really pretty! 

Love, Hermana Sant

Week 57 - Bariloche

This Sunday the elders had an investgator in church named Elena. She has been coming to church for a while and will be baptized in a couple of weeks. i LOVE her because she makes me feel like Im in the Baton Rouge ward. She shared ALLLLLLLLLLLLL about how her husband left her and about her eye pain that she has every morning and that despite all of these trials, she has always been loyal to HER church the catholic church. SO FUNNY! I died laughing the whole time (inside). I felt very at home. Its been a while since Ive heard way too personal experiences or falso doctrine and stuff. Good time. 

Paola, the mom of one of the families we found last week dropped us this week. It was really REALLY sad. She doesnt want to go to church because shes afraid her baby daddy will leaev her. She WANTS to get married and fllow god and the commandments but the father of her chirldren doesnt and she is stuck between being a sinlge mom with the church or a woman with the afther of her children, but in contrary to the commandmants of god. We testified that she would NEVER be alone and that as she drew herself closer to christ, she might pass through hard things, but only blessings and the plan that God has for her, the better plan, would be the road shed end up on. It would be better for her children and her family and she does not know the miracles that god has in store until she acts because God is all powerful and all knowing and can change hearts and lives. She just has to trust in hime. She still told us not to pass by anymore with tears in her eyes. It was a hard day. Because aftert that, in the bus to go to the pension, we saw a big car accient. The police directed the bus to cut off the road so we were there seeing the hwole thing for a hwile. So sad. There was a woman that they were butting in one of those stretch boards and there were firemen and medics running all over the place. I felt peaceful for 2 things. 1st, the plan of salvation. 2nd: Ive seen Greys anatomy and I knew kind of what was going on and that the woman was in serious condition and the children in the car were fine because they had medics talking to them in the window of the car. 

After, hermana ventura and I turned to the other and both said we have to find that family. 

Today in the fabric store, the woman was talking to her friedn about how her friend had been in a car accident this weekend and she was destraught. We talked to her and turns out she never works in the fabric store in the mornings but today she switched shifts. We talked to her. It was a miracle to find her! 

It was a good week alll in all. 

We did excvhanges with the sisters from San MAartin this week. I love them! Sister correa and sister nieto. 

Love, Hermana Sant

Week 56 - Bariloche

So, I saw your gorgeous faces this week! It was a good time. If there were a next time, I would tell yall, okay, each person gets 3 minutes and mom and dad get 5! and Id talk to each one of you individually. But I'll have more than 3 minutes with each the next time I see yall haha 

So, this week was FULL of miracles! We went to Dina Huapi! And we found a lot of people there. We found 2 families and we taught the recent converts, the palavecinos. They are great! They lived in utah for 10 years, moved here and got baptized! haha 

We also found another family along the highway that gets to dina huapi! YAY MIRACLES! 

It was a really special week because just last sunday I had fasted that we could find families and we found 4! I love that when we ask specific questions the lord gives us specific answers! 

Love, Hermana Sant

 

Week 55 - Bariloche

THis week, on Thursday, we went to Neuquen to have leader training with president! We got to Limay at like 9:30 at night and stayed the night with the sisters there. In the morning, sister barfuss and her companion sister flores got there too. I Love them both! 

We went to the church and we got to see hermana Brown and Jarvis. Us four (HErmana ventura, brwn, jarvis and I) have all been companions of eachother. We took a pic. Also, of the district we had in El Bolsòn with Elder Bush and Conceicao and of all the sisters together. We travelled in our rainboots because it was raining here in bariloche but not in Neuquen. We left Neuquen at 2 in the morning in the least comfortabel bus and got here at about 7 and studied and went to work! haha We were axhausted but enjoyed outselves! 

We found a lady named Julia in a retirement home this week. Shes GREAT! The first time we taught her she said, Im going to church on sunday with yall! So for the rest of the time she went around the retirment home bragging about how she was going out on sunday. And she did! She came to church with us! Edi and Lily couldnt get permission from tgheir families to come with us, but theyll get it this week. Julia is like60-70. Edi is like 92. theyre wonderful! Theyr understand and remember! Woohoo! I love them! 

Anyways, Im so excited for this transfer! 

Love yall! The gospel is true and miracles are real!