Week 23 - El Bolsón

 

We made german pancakes this week! Wheat... because thats the only flour we had haha and a gringo from missions past left a little bottle of maple flavoring so we had syrup! more selfies and stuff haha  Also, I have a rocking tan line from my glasses. I'm am now starting to use a whole ton of sunscreen on my nose! haha 

Okay, this week, We were outside of a less active's house clapping, and her friend, the sister of an old investigator, walked up and tried to clap too. We asked her, the sister, if we could visit them that day. She looked at us and turned right around and slowly walked away, but not really away, just around the fence a little bit and looked back at us every few steps. Eventually she stopped about 10 feet away from us and waited until we left. We've never been rejected like that before haha Hermana Jarvis and I just looked at each other and were like, what just happened? It was funny for us! And that's my random experience this week. 

There was another guy hiding from us behind a tree and it turns out he's a member! we had a lesson in the steet with him and prayed and everything. He was at church this Sunday:) For the first time since I've been here! 

Also, this week, I learned that having a clean apartment can really change your perspective. We deep cleaned the pension and I feel so much more energetic and happy haha  Also, we leanred how to cook without much in the apartment because a lot of our lunches this week canceled haha but, we ate good! It just wasn't the most delicious week haha we had a lot of eggs and carrots :) 

A member gave us this huge egg but we haven't eaten it yet.

That's my week!

Love, Hermana Sant

Week 22 - El Bolsón

No time this week!

Okay, this week! We were in Neuquén doing paperwork for 3 days! So we didn't have time for anything in our area! We had to do my fingerprints for the FBI background check again (I have NO idea why haha) and the people weren't listening to me tell them which one was direcha and isguierda in english (right and left) so we had to do them a ton! Eventually, we got it down! And my hands were black for a good long time!

Honestly, sometimes I do feel homesick, but less and less. I'm trying to focus only on the mission. The times I feel homesick are when I just want to visit the family and talk. I remember our vacations a lot now because it like vacation time here haha but I'm trying not to think about all of that! 

Well, this week was really interesting! We were in Neuquén for a while so we couldn't visit all of the people that we wanted to visit this week but we really learned that the members are so crucial to the work! We have three new investigators all with families because one member invited her friends over and us at the same time. It was a nice surprise:) And all of our converts all of our investigators are references or friends or family of members. We look and look in other places, but the members are the key! 

 

 Our hike to Hidden Falls today!

 

Week 21 - El Bolsón

What's new with you?
I feel happy. Really happy. And we blow through investigators like crazy. If they're not progressing, we leave them. And we don't spend more than an hour in ANYONE'S house. Which I am so happy that she supports me in. We talk about the parts of life that we need to and then the gospel and we stick to it. We teach with unity really well and speak with one voice. Its so great! I actually enjoy my time in the pension and in the street. Before, my only enjoyment time was Monday email hour and personal study time, but now I'm happy all of the time(except yesterday haha I'll explain that!)

What are some current challenges?
Well, we still have the huge problem that no one wants to go to church and the elders baptize all of the time and we´re just running on gas and not baptizing anyone despite what I feel is the best effort I can possibly put into the work. Its so sad to see people that have a bit of the knowledge from the gospel and know what they need to do and feel like they need to do it and know it will fix their problems and still don't do it. But that´s okay! We know there are people that are ready for and want to gospel. We just gotta find them:)

People we can add to our prayers?
Hermana Bravo gave us a name for the temple prayer role. She said she knows gringa missionaries families have access to temples so she gave me a name. This lady has cancer and lots of family problems. She's named Stella Moris Ledesma.
Also, our investigator Mayra, that her body can recuperate from her c-section and she can get baptized.

Yesterday, we got our first ever threat! It was funny, but only because we never have to pass by this person´s house again haha We had a reference from a member in the ward and we went to her house and taught her a bit and she went inside and her husband came out and said if he sees us again he´ll hit us with a stick hahaha I suppose that story could be taken as sad, but it was funny to us! Ill have to think more because Its hard to remember the whole week hah.

Also, this week we had our training with Presidente! We finally have our passports so we can leave Bolsón! Also, we got to give part of the training at the meeting and it was super fun! And I had McDonalds this week! It was yummy. Felt like home haha. Also, we met some girls in the McDonalds and they were asking us a ton of bad words in English and what they meant. We tried to explain that they're really bad and they just laughed haha.

Week 20 - El Bolsón

Okay, I don't have time. I wish I had a bit more time to write y'all! 

This week was great! We taught a ton of people! And Mayra is going to be baptized as soon as her body recuperates from the C'section she had. And Paula is talking to her husband about marriage tonight! We've been fasting and praying so hard that his heart will be opened and he'll agree to marry her! They have tons of kids together and live together, they just have to go to the official office thingy and get married!

The good: PAULA and MAYRA! and Hermana Jarvis. I'm learning a ton from her.

The bad:

Who are you teaching: A ton of new people and Paula and Mayra. We have all new investigators and a lot of them we just teach on the streets and they're super nice :)   

What's the weather like? Its cold in the morning hot from the sun in the afternoon and cold at night! Its really pretty and dry.   

Have you been run over by anyone else? Nope! Thank goodness! 

Has the work picked up? 

Yes! We made it pick up. When one of our appointments falls through, we contact and have at least 2 lessons with prayers in that time period. 

Do you still have tummy probs? Yes. 

Is it almost summer there? more like spring haha 

Do you fall asleep easily? Always! 

Does a mission still seem crazy exciting and scary or is it totally your new normal? Sometimes its crazy that I'm a missionary because I always pictured them as different and now I am one... Idk its weird. I dont' feel like a missionary, I feel normal with a different purpose every moment of every day.

Do you dream in Spanish yet? All the time. And if not, spanglish.

Wow. I don't know what else I can tell y'all this week was great! We're working hard and having fun in the work! I'm really enjoying the work:) 

I love you all!  

I was too busy and forgot to take pictures this week - here are two selfies I took this morning!

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!