May 26 2014

Hello!

Truth is, I don´t have much to say. 

Maybe some pictures to share?

Of course every day is exciting to me, but when it comes to putting it in a letter for people thousands of miles away to read, it just doesn´t quite work out. 

Some things that could be noted is we had branch conference (almost have the people who came were from the stake..jaja) We are part of a stake in santa fe. Us missionaries were in charge of putting together a little choir, so of course i played the piano. Oh boy...such sweet people, with desires to sing...and have never had any training in the least bit. The things we take for granted, like having a beautiful sounding choir in church. jaja. But I think it ended up sounding ok, at least it didn´t drive away the spirit... The conference was really good, the stake president (who was the first person called to start the church in esperanza) talked about the promises that have been made about this area. It really is a special place. And I just know that one day the church will be thriving here. For now, there are some members who are just rocks and such examples.

One day we let a member borrow one of the bikes...so it was me and my comp sharing my bike, cause it has the little ´seat ´ thing on bike. What a ride. A...it´s not so cute to have 2 full grown people clunking around like that. Catches the attention of people, that´s for sure. 

The moral of this picture is you should never ask a 7 year old to take the picture. Because the oversized american gets her head chopped off. But, he is the same adorable little boy who then walked up to each of us, including his mom, and said ´fat ´, ´fat´, ´fat´,...as he pointed to the stomachs. He pointed at me and said ´skinny´. jajaj. First person so say that, so I like him. 

Working hard!....or hardly working?... We helped a family build the brick fence. And dug out weeds. The old fashioned pioneer way...with out the tiller thing or weedwacker. I was just wishing I had some Preen to put down after.

It was 25 de Mayo yesterday, it´s dia de la revolution of something....but anyways some holiday, everyone eats empanadas and loco. So we ate some food.

I love teaching gospel principles. You never know what it will bring. Yesterday it was 2 recent converts and an investigador. Edgardo is almost 80...and the investigador is a sweet old viajito also. Well we taught plan of salvation. Edgardo explained where we came from before being born....in the words of an 80 year old, and how parents love each other and all....jajaja me and my companion were trying to compose ourselves and not pee our pants, all while the other member kept saying ´we lived in the moms tummy! we lived in the moms tummy!¨. We explained about the before, before part....like our spirits in heaven.

Well don´t worry, the week did have the other great spiritual parts and all:) As a zone activity we all contacted for almost an entire day, to find some specifically prepared for baptism. We have met several people this week with lots of potential, and it also turns out that our investigador Sofia already knows one of our members. A super special moment was as we taught a new investigador Melina, she said the closing prayer, and immediately after started crying and crying. She explained she felt something really good...she felt the spirit so strongly, and we helped her recognize what she was feeling. It was a testimony to see how God touches the hearts of his children through the spirit. 

I love you all!

Thanks for the letters and prayers. 

Hermana Andrews

P.S. I heard this scripture in a district thing, and love it. It´s about the work we do...in the mission, callings, etc. The success isn't ours, it's God's. 1 Cor. 3:6-9

May 19 2014

Hello!
I feel so blessed to have had such a special opportunity this week...to see our investigador Leandro take the step to be baptized and make convenios with his heavenly father. He is just so prepared, was just glowing....aahhh it was all so great. I have reflected a lot (obviously) on missionary work, what it means to be a missionary. This week I felt even more humbled, to feel how God uses us his hands on earth, to find and teach his children that he has been preparing. With him it just seemed to easy....we found him, he progressed so well, we just kept waiting for the big problems or trials that he would face before baptism!...and they didn't come. But obviously adversidad will come. We are nothing, the spirit does it all. And how God has really (forced? jaja) me to learn patience, confidence, and faith in him, and in his timing. To see someone like Leandro come to this knowledge of the gospel, it just strengthens my testimony even more. We have to be obedient and diligent, never compare ourselves or efforts to those of others, and always remember that the message we share every day is the truest thing in the world. Leandro has already came with us to a lesson, he carries all his books and scriptures around, is so hungry to learn more, and is the person who helps all the OTHER members participate and be happy. I feel happy knowing that one of God´s children is now on the path to eternal life.

As for the baptism, it was outside on the patio in a little pool. He did have to be dunked a few times, but lucky him the water heater worked! Members know their duty, and brought LOTS of cake and treaties for after:) Leandro shared his testimony, and was just glowing. The funniest thing was a recent convert, Noemi, shared her testimony also...and talked about her ¨padrino¨...what´s the word in ingles?....the people that the catholic church uses for bautismos. And then everyone wrote little notecards to him, and Noemi wrote more about the padrino...oops, she´s still a little confused with some doctrine. jaja. She thought that the person that baptized Leandro is the padrino.... we had to clarify that to Leandro, that we are baptized, and don´t do the godfather (?) thing.

This week we went to Rosario...AGAIN! We were called the night before, right when we had set a bunch of citas[appointment] with super great people. So, we took another little vacay to Rosario for tramites for my comp, which really turned into an adventure as we arrived at the mission home and were told we couldn´t sleep there because president was traveling and wouldn´t be there, so we took another hour ride to be with other hermanas, basically didn´t sleep that night, and going home the next day took extra long as we missed a different bus...oh the joys of traveling in argentina.

The other big news for the week would be the complete embarrasment we went through. Maybe mom should stop reading about now?.....So it was announced as an official rule that we have to use helmets to use bikes. First of all, we are in argentina, and second of all, when i got here i didn´t even know they existed here. So, realizing we need all the blessings we can get, we pull out the old helmets from a corner..uncluding a bright pink and orange flowered one. We were DYING of embarrasment. Like a 13 year old whose mom walks hand in hand to take them to school or something. No one. No one uses a helmet here on bikes. We already get enough attention as it is. Well we started using them, quite a sight cruising down the street in our skirts and helmets, feeling completely out of place, and even hearing people laugh as we pass by! jajaja. But we got over the embarrasment by the next morning. And are so used to it that sometimes my comp even forgets to take it off before we knock doors. One of our investigadores saw that we had helmets as we left her house, started laughing, called her children out to see us, and even insisted on taking a picture of us. Not sure if that was laughing with us or at us.....But I guess God works in mysterious ways...because the other hermanas here found a new investigador, who has a date to be baptized, because he saw the "chicas with helmets" and it called his attention.

Hey family, read in Alma 31, and think how this applies to missionary work and your responsabilities. 

Love you all!

Hermana Andrews

Hey, anybody want a vacay en Argentina??

"Argentina
It's your world. Take a tour."

Hello!

hello!

Well it was just lovely to talk to some of you yesterday:) I hope you enjoyed all that delicious food and brownies and cake.....As for this week, I guess you have already heard about everying. 

This week we had zone meeting. We also went to rosario, i had visa stuff to do. This is always a nice thing, because it includes a siesta in the busride, and sleeping in the mission home. :) I went with hna haynes (from idaho) and my comp stayed here. We had lots of the normal things....noche de hogar, english classes, finding people. The truth is every day just keeps us so busy. Oh gosh, my legs have never been so sore!! The bike is killing me...or I am just turning into an old lady. We had interviews with president, it rained which meant trudging through mud (probably the closest I will have ever felt to a pioneer, hauling my bike through fields of mud in the skirts. what a sight i´m sure we were. this is where they need to take the kids for trek...jaja) Leandro is really progressing, his baptism is scheduled this week. We also have another lady, Vilma, who has all the desires in the world to be baptized, and so we´re helping her prepare to be ready the end of the month. 

Yesterday it was interesting to see who showed up at church with the rain and all...almost all were recent converts or investigadores. Esperanza is going to grow from new members. And when Jesus comes, it´s going to be on a rainy day......

I hope sterling is doing good, and you enjoyed the little skype sesh, and hello to seth also! 

Love you all!

Hermana Andrews

Happy cinco de mayo!

Happy cinco de mayo!

My comp is from Mexico...and we are in Rafaela today for pday and zone meeting...and we will be eating tacos:) but that's about it for the festivities. 

This week has been full of lots of little miracles. I cannot believe how stinkin fast time is going by. Leandro went to church again, also went to our noche de hogar and another branch activity that we watched the long joseph smith movie. He is so prepared and just loves it all. The only thing is...he has a girlfriend that lives in his hometown, so he may have to be married before his baptism, unless he plans on living separated long term. We taught the 10 commandments yesterday, and he asked what adultry is, so we taught ley de castidad, which he didn´t even know it existed.

Testimony meeting always has the funniest moments...I just pray that the investigadores feel the spirit. Jaja. Like the counselor who bore his testimony about how everyone should love and take care of the missionaries because they are far from home, and warn them what streets they shouldn't walk that are dangerous. Or the lady who gets up and bears her testimony how she is tired and deserves a vacation and is happy to be leaving Esperanza for a few weeks. Our ward activity turned out good with lots of people that came. For the noche de hogar we played a game where one person stands in the middle blindfolded, the others walk around in a circle, the person in the middle points to someone and says an animal...this person has to make a sound, and the person in the middle guesses who made the sound. Well it turned out to be the most hilarious game ever. It was mostly old men...and I about peed my pants laughing. We will be playing this the next family reunion.

My comp is just great, she knows the area and the members. We have stayed so busy contacting and teaching and finding people. There's an investigador, Maria, who has been investigating for 6 years. And she comes to church every sunday, but doesn't want to baptize yet....is waiting for the moment. She has been taught so much, but president asked us to focus on her again, as he thought this might be her time that she is prepared. So we went and had a lesson, using the baptismal interview question to see what her doubts or needs are. Turns out she doesn't have a testimony of jose smith, the book of mormon, or profetas. After all this time, of course she still isn't baptized if she doesn't have a testimony of these basic things. One of her children died 6 years ago, and everyone had focused on teaching plan of salvation...and she sure has a testimony of that. But it reminded and taught us the importance of making sure that people have a testimony of the book of mormon more than anything, or they won't progress. (But she did tell us she plans on getting baptized within 3 years, will retire from her job, and then wants to accompany us to lessons with investigadores. Ok.)

Well this week I destroyed 2 skirts. One day it rained....I had on a white skirt, which very soon turned into a coffee brown skirt. Oops. Thank you, bikes and dirt roads. Another day my skirt got caught in the tires of the bike and ripped holes...jaja. But seriously, I am living the life with this bike. Esperanza is just a pretty little place. Last pday we went to a huge park that has a little lake, I love the dirt roads and humble people. Our area has 3 barrios, or areas, and esperanza inclued a little of everything, including wealthy areas. But after living in the costanera....none of the houses surprise me!

I got all the letters and dear elders this week, thank you all!!!

One day we visited an investigador, and there was a big bin piled high with chicken guts, feathers, and even the little feet. They had an asado the night before. It was SWARMING with flies, and that was the closest I have ever been to vomiting from the sight and smell. Oh how I miss hygiene sometimes. jaja. 

Well it sounds like everyone is doing good! Whoa crazy that school is already over. As for skype..is it okay at 2.30 your time?...we are 3 hours ahead here, so that will be 5ish for me. Asi que...we will be talking soon! I will probably check my email later today.

Love you all!

hermana andrews