4 Fechas and a Dog...

If you wanna learn how to set 4 fechas (fecha = date) in one week keep reading 😎

Our Favorite Missionary!

La confianza 

My confidence with the Spanish grows every single day. Last week on Wednesday we had a lesson with a friend Mirta, and she is the most charlaton (english equivalent is chatterbox) person maybe in the whole world. Lessons are only supposed to be 30 minutes and we stayed at her house for 2 hours without even saying one word. 

There were so many times we tried to interupt her, but it was literally imposible, she would just keep talking even if you tried to speak over her. Usually my companion is the one who interupts these kind of people since she understands more than me and knows the right time to cut in. But this lesson even she was without words. 

Finally I felt so prompted by the spirit to just say her name, so mid-sentence I just say, "Mirta." And she stops. Then I say something like, "Mirta we're here to prepare you for baptism so we'd like to talk about how we can help you prepare." And then for like 15 minutes she lets us talk and I led the whole lesson. 

Ever since that lesson I started taking charge in lessons, talking more, starting conversations and more. The next week we went back and this time I took charge again and we were only there for 45 minutes. 

There's so much I miss, but there's so much I know! I testify that the gift of tongues is so real! I feel it everyday! 

Bulk then Cut

Sometimes you have to bulk, but then you don't see the results until you cut. And I'm not just talking about how I lost 4 pounds last week while I was sick and now I have sick guns. 

No, I'm talking about the refining fire God has in store for each one of us. In the 2022 April General Conference, Elder Christofferson taught, 

"The process of God-directed purging and purifying will, of necessity, be wrenching and painful at times. Recalling Paul’s expression, we are “joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” So, in the midst of this refiner’s fire, rather than get angry with God, get close to God. Call upon the Father in the name of the Son. Walk with Them in the Spirit, day by day. Allow Them over time to manifest their fidelity to you. Come truly to know Them and truly to know yourself. Let God prevail."

Last week I found myself suffering with Christ a little bit. I was sick and finding the work a challenge, I was quicker to be annoyed, and I was finding the trials was in too much to bear. Yet rather than complaining to God about my trials I found it within myself to pray more. Try harder, pray for more charity, beg for more help, serve others harder. 

It has not fixed everything, I still find myself struggling with many of the same trials, but I have felt the burdens lightened, and the afflictions eased as I have sought to help others more and make myself a more Christlike person. 

The refiners fire hurts, but I have seen how much it has changed me, I am growing, and I am being prepared. So don't be scared when you have to cut after bulking. Because the cut just shows how far you've made it. 

I set 2 fechas all by myself! (Plus God)

Every Thursday we do the pizarrón (chalkboard) activity where we ask people to answer the question on the whiteboard. This week I found myself asking 2 strangers who I just met that day and shared a pamphlet and a testimony with them, to get baptized. I asked these two random men if they'd like to get baptized then put them both on date to get baptized next year.

The question which made an impact on 2 to be baptized

Anyways now we know I speak enough Spanish so that when I'm on my own without my companion next to me I can invite strangers to get baptized. And God can invite the spirit into their hearts enough to allow them to accept! 

Pray for these men! Let's get Roman and Gustavo baptized! 

Peaks

Had some guy tell us if he didn't smoke a cigarette every 30 minutes he would rip our heads off and use them as soccer balls. I think I'll save the word of wisdom for our next lesson... 

Hermanas West and Robbins had a new convert in church today. He doesn't have a name yet, but I think we might just call him Good Boy

"Good Boy"

The president of our rama (branch) came and just literally taught all the members what ministering was because I guess no one here in Argentina really does it. 

Yo y hermana Ellison vamos a quedarnos juntas en Miramar! Vamos! Voy a tener 4 meses con ella! Vamos a bautizar afull!!!

(Afull probably isn't translatable, it literally just means what it says (a full), to be full like busy, I think I explained it in a past post) 

Valleys

Thinking about how I won't be able to use the planning function of carpeta when I get home from my mission. I don't know how I'll function. 

An 8 year girl in our ward got baptized in this kiddy pool the other hermanas bought (because we don't have a pila) and it took literally an hour and a half to fill up. Also she choked so bad on the water cause the guy baptizing her dunked her like crazy she flailed so hard out of the water, it was the most traumatizing baptism I've ever seen. Don't baptize people in kiddy pools... lesson learned. 

 

The Dream Team!