Amados Padres

December 20, 2021

Hola Hola mis amados padres!!!! Here are just some of the stories I've written throughout the week. It has been so crazy the amount of miracles we've seen. I know I wrote a lot, I'm sorry haha. But the last paragraph is kind of more of a summary. I love you all so much, I can't express that enough. I have felt your prayers and support and know you all are with me. I cannot wait to talk in a couple days!!!! 

Lunes 

-Román. saw us on the street pulled over and gave us a ride. Met him, then his wife and daughter who are members but less active. He said he would come to church 

-Hna Barrinuevo. Awesome lesson, read with her and got to know her son David, less active 17 yr old, so excited to see us. Introduced us to his friend Nicolas, walking w them and ran into the Ramos, they gave us a ride back to our place and gave us some more food 

Martes 

-Facebook!! We don't have a lot planned so I put in some Facebook time, just thinking like eh i don't think anyone here uses FB but why not. But I open it up and the one Ramos girl has already sent me a friend request so I have now access to all of her friends that live here and just start adding every person in Aimogasta. It was nuts I was shocked by how many people were here. Legit within 10 minutes a guy accepted my friend request, and then messaged ME first. Turns out he knew the missionaries years ago. Then I found some groups based here, throw up a little post, and wam bam within another 10 minutes some messages me about my post AND said they knew the missionaries before and wants to talk. I've gotten a handful of other comments too since then, oh my goodness. 

-Antonio. Walk out and see the guy next door and we are like alright let's go haha we start talking to him and he is way good friends the recent convert, the one who's house we are staying in. 

-Maxi. Stopped by and said he was doing good, said he normally isn't there in the afternoons so it was a blessing he was there that day. Suoer nice guy. 

Agustina. Lady on the street, Elder Monday goes over and starts talking, we share a little more and give her a folleto, and then she realizes what church we are from and turns out she's baptized!!! Super cool bc we asked her about her baptism and her testimony of it was still super strong. So that was nuts haha 

Met a bunch of other people on the street, everyone we talk to believes in God and is open for a message. Pretty similar to my other areas actually haha but i guess we will see if they are legit when we go by again. I am trying to push focussing our time on the members and not like just random cold contacts with people who most likely aren't going to keep commitments and progress. But we are for sure seeing miracles with it all so it is honestly insane hahah. 

-Familia Chumbita. Walking back to the house, just around the corner from our place when this guy and his family are outside and the man goes vengan vegan!! I was like oh boy either he knows he who we are and wants to talk or he's crazy and drunk haha. Luckily, it somehow was the first one. Literally insane. The guy who called us over, his daughters got baptized a few years ago. And his sisters family was outside and I guess some of their kids are baptized too. They were so excited to see us and told us all about the other elders in the past, they remembered Dylan Allen. And they are like come back tomorrow and teach us haha. And turns out as well we actually talked to one of the daughter's who was baptized earlier bc we had her number in the couple records we had but she didn't know her address so she was like we will meet up at the center of town another day. It was just just too crazy, I am just amazed. Heavenly Father is simply placing us in the right spot. 

-Last thing, we are walking into our house and Antonio, the first dude we talked to, was there talking with none other than Fernando, the recent convert. They said they were talking about the church and stuff. And Fernando told us of his other friend and his family who want us to go teach them, and he offered to set up the appointment and drive us to their house to teach them. Like are you serious?!  

Jueves 

Thank you so much for your kind messages and photos. I am feeling so much better today after reading your thoughts, feeling your love, and coming to the realization of a few key things after listening to some conference talks and reading in the Libro de Mormón as well. I felt I've received revelation through you all and through these things. I am so grateful for you all and love both so much. I am infinitely and eternally grateful for you two, I really can't express it enough. Here's what I wrote earlier too, part of it was in Spanish so I put it into Google translate haha hopefully it makes sense. 

I am exactly where I should be. I love my Lord, through Him I servant.  That is a dream to be here in Argentina, it is what I have wanted with all my being for so long.  The Lord has put me in the path of some very good people.  I have a good partner, he can't be a better man.  I have a family that is praying for me on both sides of the veil.  I know I'm here because God put me here, by revelation.  I know I have a purpose here, there are people I am going to meet.  I don't know which ones but I don't worry because I know that if I do everything I can, the rest is in his hands.  I've already seen the miracles of him.  I know that he is aware of me at all times.  I trust him and the perfect love of him.  He knows me better than I know myself.  I've seen this everywhere on my mission and again here. 

I was also reminded of the power of gratitude and a good attitude.  Change everything. I listened Elder Gong's speech, "Return to Trust." So good and just what I needed honestly. And then I read Alma 17. Just one of my favorite chapters ever, I love the stories of the Sons of Mosíah with all my heart. They are the best. 

Felipe Chumbita!! Hernan, guy from Facebook. Another lady who had been taught in the past. Gave a blessing to a lady w bad foot 

Viernes

Wow. I again am just amazed. Started out not how I was expecting this afternoon. We left for a lesson a little father away but we got our bikes today so we thought we were good. Before we even leave my tire was a little flat. But I was like it'll be fine it'll work so we start biking and within the half a mile at most it is just completely flat and I'm going like 2 mph so I just have to start walking it down to the bike shop. It was a good mile and a half walk with my bike and we were running late for the lesson at this point. But eventually we made it to the bike shop and sure enough it was closed bc of La siesta. We were like alright we will just lock up the bikes and pray they don't get stolen and come back later when the shop opens back up. So we go and walk to the lesson with this 17 yr old member and it was great!! Our plans for the rest of the night though were kinda shot though bc without bikes it would take forever to get back up to where we were planning on going. But we were closer to the church and I had been wanting to street contact close to the church bc then it's way easier to get those people to go on Sunday, a little tip from PMG. So we start walking talking to a ton of people. We ended up meeting an old in active member who pulled over and said hello, met a guy who Elder Monday had added on Facebook that same day, and met a ton of other people. Around 8:30 we thought to head back bc we had a couple lessons scheduled for over the phone. We start walking to the shop of the Ramos to ask them for a ride and their store is across from the bike shop I needed to take my bike. That was when realized we took a wrong street but started towards the shop. We took a turn and see this family and of course just start talking to them. They were super nice and we were like we would love to share a message sometime. And they said yeah right now sit down. Haha. So we start to teach and it was cool bc we've taught a lot of first lessons together but this one was a little different, we just set it all up and explained it differently, 100% the Spirit. We explained how baptism is essential, the three requirements of a valid baptism, and that our church is the only church that has the authority to baptize. We prayed with them right there about if our church was true. And the spirit was so strong. After we were asking how they felt, the wife said she's been looking for that feeling and hasn't been able to find it until then. And then the dad starts crying and said he recently lost his parents and knew we were sent from God. We invited them to be baptized the 16th of January and they accepted!! So obviously they still have some things to learn and it's very likely they need to get married but such a cool experience!!!! Something I'll never forget and I know that they we were sent here to find them. La Familia Contreras.

Hno Ramos then gave us a ride back, but only after he gave us food for tomorrow, we gave them blessings and then he also helped us w the bike. And lastly he set up 3 lessons with investigators in the next two days and will come to the lesson with the Contreras. And the Fernando said he set up a lesson for us too. It is just insane. Wow. I don't have the words 

Sábado 

A hot hot day that was yet again increíble!! So many miracles it is insane. We started off walking down to pick up my bike, and again had another super powerful lesson w a familia on the way.

Bikes are the best!!!! 

Pollo riquísimo guau. Me quedó sin palabras. 

Bautismo de Luz!!! 

Lección con Iver Ramos y su familia. Quieren baurizarse, necesitan casarse primero.

Domingo 

Hot hot día!! Pero muy bueno!! 

Grisela, ya conce a otros miembros!!! So this was another lady we met the other day, we went back and taught her and at first she was like I'm catholic and stuff but we just re explained the Book of Mormon and then she got interested and then we later made the connection she already has friends that are members which was nuts. And she is going to read the LdM so lots of potential there!!! Yet another miracle 

Contreras, Ivan read 8 pases del LDM 

Iglesia. We had 10 people and los Contreras didn't come, they said they had something come up, which doesn't really surprised me bc something always goes wrong haha. The advsersary works hard on people and going to church always seems to be the hardest thing. But I'm not too worried because he has already been reading in the Book of Mormon which is insane and really will be the key to his life long conversion. 

Jessica, guau. So after church this member told us there is this old lady we need to go give a blessing too, she had a headache and is just old and stuff. So we go with Hno Ramos and we get there there was this lady there and she's like I met you all the other day do you remember me? And somehow I did haha we were in the street and we smelled some people selling Empanadas so we just stopped and talked to them and there was a couple there waiting for the Empanadas they bought. We basically just talked to the people working there since it was in their house but the other people heard the whole lesson we had. At the end we gave the people working a pamphlet and then realized the other people were listening too. So we gave them a folleto too and our numbers and left. Turns out the lady who was listening to the lesson is friends w the member we went to give a blessing to. And she said she had read the whole folleto!! It was pretty crazy actually and we are going to have a lesson with her and her member friend this Tuesday!! 

It's been like 90+ the last few days haha but I love the heat. As long as I'm not biking uphill in  sand which we only have to do like once a day haha. And I'm already working on my tan, haven't been burned too bad but definitely coming along. It doesn't feel like Christmas at all though. Like zero. Which I kind of like becuase I'm not homesick for it at all. But also when i remember i feel bad I'm missing out on such a special time to remember the Savior in such a special way. But when I think of home rn I think of the ACC, golfing and the pool haha. Other random thing us we run about a half mile to this little Park thing where I run another 4 laps around the block and then do some band stuff, those have been so nice thank you so much, while Elder Monday just kinda chills and then we run back. It has been really good actually! I'm getting creative with some cinder blocks I found too us that has been good!! Another thing the shower is basically just a trickle right now and luke warm. I stand there and cup my hands together until it fills up with water and then throw it on myself. but I'm actually pretty used to it now I feel like. Kinda sucked the first day but it builds character and when else am I going to say I lived like this. I can say I am a real South American missionary. I feel legit haha. Honestly I feel so happy. This week has been huge miracle after huge miracle. There are so many people prepared and God is putting us in their path. I feel so much better this week with it all, I have a huge note full of people who we have met, members we've met  potential people, and more it's awesome. I cannot thank you all enough for your prayers and messages and outpour of love and support. I was a little overwhelmed last week not going to lie, I know you all know that but really I cannot express my gratitude forbyou all enough. I love you more than I can describe. I also Love the Lord and this time to serve Him and his children here in Aimogasta, I've felt so much love for them here already. 

LOS AMO!!!!! FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!! HASTA PRONTO!!!! CHAO!!!!!