March 31, 2014

Hello family!

Thanks for sending the pics, I love pics more than anything. That race that landon did looks so stinkin cool. And I guess there won´t be any rockclimbing-bobsledding-swordfighting soon for jacob. 

This week is conference. Woohoo!! Highlight of the year. And even luckier to be here where there´s a church to go to! To answer some peoples question, we watch it in Spanish, here in the stake center. I didn´t get to see the women's session, as it started at 9pm. The language makes no difference, I just miss hearing the peoples real voices! E.Holland just doesn´t have the same effect with a soft little young person voice translating....ja. 

Speaking of which, yesterday our investigador came to church. He came in his suit and all, looking quite fine. He is 70, his daughter who is 15 (and has a baby) lives with him, he has had 2 wives die. (He did tell us that he has his cup of wine with every meal to remember the blood of Jesucristo..jaja. We need to teach that.)  It also helps this ward a lot, to have investigadores in church...it´s an area that has hardly had any growth in years, and the members don´t always understand the importance of missionary work. 

Lots of the week was occupied with doctors appointments...it´s been an experience! Today we are going to another one.  But....this week I really came to a better understanding of patience and love - both for my companion, and the fact that God knows our desires and efforts. I try to understand the balance between my responsibilidad, the short time we have as missionaries, a companionship has 2 people that are at times different, and the fact that this time is to enjoy. The mission is like a garden. We get assigned to a little corner of the garden...it may be an area to be planted, or to be nurtured, or to be harvested. The important part is what we do in our little part of the garden, the extent to which we work and watch with patience and faith that things are growing. It´s a lovely experience. Sometimes it rains (or literally downpours) or sometimes it´s sunny. But all of the workers in the garden have the same purpose. We come and go, but the cycle of the garden continues. That being said, I have learned to just be happy and use all the time I can in the way that God wants. Wow, it goes by. 

I introduced my comp to no bake cookies and pancakes with dulce de leche. And of course I put sprinkles on top of everything still. One day a moto ran into my companion, crossing the street. What a day...it didn´t seriously hurt her...but it didn´t add positively to the day that was already filled with visiting the hospital. jaja. So I guess one night I was sleepwalking...my comp said I got up in the night and went to the door. Jajaja. Needless to say, we not sleep with the keys far away from the locked door. 

One day I was crossing the street and a lady was sitting in her car and called us over. She then began to ask if we were baptized catholic and mormon. It quickly became evident that she was looking for a good conversation to pick the mormons apart. She was SUPER catholic and completely uniformed, offered a virgin maria picture to us, I then tried to gift her a little picture of Jesus Christ. She rejected, and then was suddenly in a hurry to zoom off in her car. Quite funny, I just wonder how long she had been stalking us and waiting for an opportunity to attack the Mormons. It just boggles my mind when people who claim to be SO catholic won´t accept a picture of Jesucristo.

There really are little miracles every day, in people that we visit, people we contact, moments that the spirit is so strong. It just really hit me sitting in church yesterday, as we talked about Jose smith, that the church IS the same. It doesn´t matter how many members there are or where we go, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the same. And it´s waiting for those people who are ready and prepared right now. It´s overwhelming how many people don´t want anything and all the negativity, but at the same time God is preparing people in every part of the world to accept the restored gospel. 

Thanks for your prayers, thoughts, and letters. Much appreciated.

Enjoy end of quarter. Lucky ducks. 

Have a great week!

Oh, and happy april fools day. 

love, hermana andrews

Happy Día Nacional de la Memoria por la Verdad y la Justicia.

 March 26 

Once again, a holiday. It wouldn´t be a week in Argentina without a holiday! This being said, everything is closed today. Luckily we found some computers. For zone pday today we watched a movie, the croods...?? or something like that. Maybe it came out along time ago...everythings knew to me. But HILARIOUS. Or maybe I have just been surviving on missionary humor for too long. 

As far as the week goes...it´s been interesting. Ok, that could be said of any week. 

First of all, I love sterling´s letters. (By the way sterling, you probably shouldn´t tell mom when you about die.) It´s the truth, it´s not the easiest to put a week worth of missionary experiences in a letter. 

Other notable things include trying blood sausage, or morcilla. We had an asado, and of course everyone insisted I tried it. So I gave into the peer pressure. I think the worst part was just knowing what I was eating (ok, more like not knowing what was in it), but it was just a black lump of poo looking thing. I wouldn´t really recommend it, but the rest of the asado and meat was delicious. I ate mac and cheese! (thanks mom), the first time in more than a year. My eyes were almost blinded by that bright orange color. mmm. 

I feel like I have really been pushed to the limit. Mentally, emotionally, physically. I´m not saying I´m a mom or anything...but a lot of responsibility has been on me in many forms. Something I have learned more than anything in the mission is to rely on my Heavenly Father as the first form of support. It´s been a challenge ...but I have felt that I have given all I can to the members and area. But hey, it wouldn´t be the mission without a little sweat (but i did survive the summer), blood (stinking mosquito bites), and tears. 

Our investigatorl didn´t go to church. So I´m not sure what´s going on with that, as he was going to be baptized this week. My faith and prayers can only take a person so far. But this week we will see what happens. Patience is necessary for salvacion, I guess? He was progressing so much. Even went to institute by himself. But there have been other little miracles, new people we found, that more people are going to church. One of my favorite moments was as we prayed with a family together. We had talked to the wife, and passed by another day when her husband was there. At first he didn´t really want to talk...but we really got him thinking. Ok, the spirit got him thinking, about his priorities and everything. We prayed together as a family, and it was powerful. The little things we have done our whole life and take for granted literally change the lives of others. 

We also had zone conference. That was great, president and hermana giuliani talked. My comp had to give a talk in english (the english is one thing I know I can leave with my latina comps!), just like I had to give a talk in spanish my first zone conference forever ago. There´s been a big focus on the teaching, and practicing how to actually teach clearly and simply. Easier said than done of course. 

It sounds like the week of birthdays was SO good! The best time of the year is quickly approaching...conference! jaja. It is officially fall now. And well noted here. We still don´t have hot water...and the showing with a bucket method is getting rather uncomfortable. 

Well, I love you all lots. Mom, I got your dear elders, thanks. Dear elders are the best, because I get them random times. And have time to read them. Thank you for all your prayers, they are needed. The gospel is true. Sometimes we just have to keep on keeping on. 

love, hermana andrews

ps. Me and my comp, The other is a pic of (part) of the zone, with (some) people and the matching shirts. Cute, huh. It´s easier to get an andrews family picture than a zone of missionaries. 

happy st. patricks day!

Unfortunately, the leparchauns didn´t seem to leave any gold here....and my comp didn´t even know this holiday existed. Oh well.

As for this week, yep I have a new comp! Hermana Martinez from Honduras. (Tegucigalpa, not san pedro sula...) She is a little fireball, quite the personality! She´s been out almost 6 months. It´s been fun, but definitely a lot of work, as I had been with my last comp so long and we new the area. One thing I have learned during the mish is that example is more powerful than anything...so this traslado [transfer] I hope I can be an example of obedience and positive attitude. But we are adjusting. She told me I look fatter in my pictures before the mission...jaja I don´t know about that. Latinas are funny at times. We have already made a trip to the hospital with her, so we will see what other excitement this transfer brings.

Yesterday President Giuliani came to santa fe for a fireside for recent converts and investigadors. It was really good, our investigador  Marcos even came. Well it was all good, until president drove us home...and we got lost and it took forever. Stinking one way roads...how embarrasing, as I was giving directions. jaja.

It´s funny how much the decisions and lives of other people affects you as a missionary. Like if they are happy and progressing, you are. Their problems are your problems. I tried explaining this to an elder, but they just didn´t get it. So I don´t know if it´s a women thing or what. But we were able to have some good lessons, and even teach with the members. Why can´t everyone just accept the gospel! The world would be so much happier! Stinkin agency! kidding. kidding.

Yesterday I had one of the most delicious meals in Argentina. It was the birthday of a nephew of a member, he cooked a meal fit for america. There was raviolis with a creamy green sauce, and this chicken stirfry stuff that had grapes and peaches and fruit with the veggies...so unlike anything I have seen here. We even had real, hot, peppers. mmmm. Flavor. Unfortunately, my comp doesn't like fruits or vegetables. No joke. I´m trying to prepare her for life.

I´m glad to hear about JaNece, I had a dream the other day that she was smoking and inactive. That´s right, smoking. I woke up and it was the most real thing ever...jajaja. This mission has given me psycho dreams. And zach is getting married??! And ethan in high school? holy cow.

Happy birthday Jacob and Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!! 

I like what you said about missions mom. It sure makes me think about life in the future someday. Not in a trunky way. But really I am seeing how God allows us experiences to expand our perspective, set priorities, and really develop a foundation for the rest of the life.

Well anyways, I hope everyone is good. I´ve already learned that no one tells me if they are not doing good anyways...I always just get the good stuff in the letters.

But have a fab week!

love, hermana andrews

transfers!!!!....

And I am staying here in santa fe! yay! But, my companion/baby/trainee is going to....Venado Tuerto where I started! So crazy! I thought we would have one more transfer here together...but she´s going bye bye.

As far as here in Costanera....we had a super good week. full of miracles. 

One of the miracles of my entire mission has been Marcos. Maybe you remember him from a few months back? Well he´s back on board. And is getting baptized in 2 weeks. I am just SO happy for him. Something changed in him completely. He told us he wanted to come to church and be baptized. He came Sunday, even after working the entire night and got home that morning. We had a lesson last night, I asked why he is even going to church and wants to follow Christ, he just said ´When you know it´s true, you know it´s true. I feel good there.¨ And then later he sent us a message telling us he wants to do service for the members. (We had the lesson at the house of a member and he heard her mention how she was going to have the door painted...well Marcos told us he will go back and paint it. Who does that.) We invited him to be baptized and he said, "I already told you I want to be baptized."...jaja. We had to officially invite him, to put a date and all. 

Other miracle was sunday, having 2 investigadores in the church. I was sitting there playing the piano prelude, when the counselor came up, and asked me to talk, if the speaker didn´t come. Oh shoot. So I was sitting there with 2 minutes until the meeting started....and then I saw the guy walk in. Hallelujah, I was saved. Well we did the sacrament and then they announced my name that I was talking. Oh shoot. A year ago I would have peed my pants over that, but I survived. So I´m walking up there trying to think of a scripture or something...I start talking, look up from my scriptures, and a guy Leonardo walks in. Happiest moment. Leonardo is an investigador we recently found, we taught him a few days ago and invited him to church, he said he wanted to come. Well as a missionary maybe I don´t have complete and full faith in all people following up on that...but he came! He´s 40ish, a teacher, and genuinely interested in the church. To say the least we were content this sunday. And luckily our bishop just returned from brasil, and the members were so good to our investigadores. Funny thing is we were cleaning the church saturday and had the idea to take out half the benches in the chapel to the members would be forced to sit next to each other instead of isolated in their normal spots. Well we had permission from the counselor, but later he called us and told us it probably wasn't a good idea...so we ended up putting all the benches back. Good thing I guess, as it was quite full of members Sunday. Although I still think taking out benches is a good idea...jaja. 

This week we were also blessed with other miracles to find new people to teach. Three days in a row we ended up on the exact same streets contacting as los testigos de jehovah. I still haven´t found the prime opportunity to contact them and give a book of mormon.... I also found my favorite food here, fugazza, it´s like a pizza thing with bread on top, experienced crazy rain storms and having no power, did lots of service for members (I´m getting good at sweeping sidewalks), ate wheat bread (yes mom, you would be proud), visited walmart (home sweet). Happy dia de la mujer! It´s a thing here, like mother´s day. Funny thing is it started in the states, but doesn´t even exist there.

Of course lots happens every week, but when it comes to letter writing truth is it doesn´t even sound so good all written down. Or pertinent to everyone. We had cleaning day. I cooked brownies. Etc. But it was a good week. And now I will have a new comp, one of the elders from Costanera is leaving also. But I sure do love being here. 

Thanks for all the letters this week! So good to hear from everyone. Sterling, I about died seeing pics inside your apartment. What a joke. Enjoy. And just tell your comp that here the missionaries with bikes are at the TOP of the totem pole. But I do love hearing your experiences and all. No matter where you service in the world, truth is there are a lot of similarities.

Congrats to Jack! His family sure has been blessed. Jacob, sorry buddy. I´m sure you are at least getting spoiled right now. Not having to any jobs or piano practice or anything. Lucky duck. I guess it´s getting to be spring there! Weird, cause that means it will be fall here. Today I did buy winter socks and leggings....and I have to sleep with a blanket now. I survived summer in Santa Fe. 

Love you all. I hope your week is great! I´m sure grateful to be here in argentina for this little part of my life. More than anything, to learn and to hopefully become closer to the person god knows I can become. This gospel is so true, we just have to live it. We can decide how we react to experiences in our lives, people we enfrent (and this includes elders...oh boy I am learning patience/tolerance/and the power of example. We as humans are so imperfect). God truly allows us to pass through what we need to, to help us prepare and learn and grow, all through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Love you. Sigan Adelante. 

hermana andrews

Picture: our zone.....almost half hermanas:) (mom, we ate salchichas for lunch. hotdogs. boiled. and I ate them. I think being a missionary has either killed my tastebuds or made me tolerant...)

happy carnival

Happy carnival! All I know there´s fireworks and parades. It´s horrible for a pday...EVERYTHING is closed today. Except a ciber. And here they seem to stretch out holidays for days. Maybe Daniel celebrated?.... At least mcdonalds was open!

I don´t have anything to eventful to report. It´s been rainy. And cloudy. And the lovely humidity. We went to Rosario, that sure killed working time this week. Our investigadores seem to be dropping like flies. Half the ward is apostasizing. But it´s a new week now. I heard the best excuse for not going to church, when a ladytold me she has her little bathroom problem and the diapers she was using were leaking through like crazy...so she couldn´t sit through 3 hours of church. jaja. I really tried to not laugh on the phone. Bless her little heart.

We were contacting houses and found a less active, evilyn. She´s 20 and has a little baby, is living with her BF. We had no idea she existed, she moved here a few months ago. She was super active in the church until about 2 years ago, her boyfriend isn´t a member. Anyways it was a little miracle to find her, and now we have another part member family, and she even told us she knows she is living in sin and wants to go back to church.

Two other things that were reafirmed to me this week is that everyone needs a friend...there are literally people here who have no friends at church. No wonder they don´t come. And second, that complaining about leaders does nothing for yourself or the leaders. Gosh, being a missionary just gives me different perspective of wards. Why are we as humans so stinkin prideful?!

We found a guy from Florida. He was washing his car, then he started talking to us in english. Turns out he is from here but lives most of the year in the states as a neurologist and artist. He thought we were the coolest people, and loved everything we said. I could imagine him as some hippie from the 60´s. It was nice to not be screamed or scowled at. He even accepted a book of mormon as a souvenir from us.

This week we found another scorpion in the shower, good thing it was my comp and not me standing there when it appeared...we did various service projects and cleaning for members...we had zone pday and ate tacos...

Jacob! Why did you bust your arm again??!! jaja. poor thing. Landon, are you still going to graduate? Daniel...tell me your life plans!

IT¨S MARCH! whoa. Sterling, it looks like you survived the winter.

Thank you for the letters. Mom and dad, i got those dear elders. 

Keep on keepin on! I hope everyones week is great! Next week are transfers...so we will see what happens. 

Love, hermana andrews

p.s. jesus loves you.

p.p.s. why were the indians here first?....they had reservations.

p.p.p.s. what do you can a dinosaur with extensive vocabulary?....thesaurus

February 24 2014

hello!

I´m glad you made it back from Cali, and that everything went so well. It sounds like it was such a nice service. One day we will see him again!

A highlight of the week was our historical ward activity... "un desayuno americano". We (us 4 missionaries from the states) cooked pancakes, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, fresh OJ...it was all quite a hit. They first thought we were crazy, but they ate it. Funny thing is they ate hardly anything...their stomachs are just used to mate and crackers in the morning! It was even complete with dulce de leche and peanut butter. 

A miracle was our investigador Christina who came to church yesterday! She first met the missionaries more than a year ago...in fact she contacted THEM. She knows either our church or testigos de jeovah is true. The thing is she NEVER goes to church...but she finally came. I can see how much satan is working on her....probably because when she is baptized she will become general relief society president or something. We also found a new person, Theresa. She is actually 80...but i never would have guessed it! She listened so good....unlike any other lady i have ever met here. We contacted a ton this week too. The mission goal is to have 500 baptisms in the next 2 and a half months. You have to remember that we are in rosario, argentina......not mexico. So this normally would sound ridiculous...it's more like the mission goal for a whole year. But already we have seen so many miracles. Many are called, but few are chosen. God is preparing many of his children right now. We have been trying what's called a harvest blessing....you basically go to someone's house, tell them you are here to leave a blessing and are representives of Jesus Christ, go say a prayer, they feel the spirit, and then go back to teach them. I´m learning to be bold. And more than that to just open my mouth and trust in the spirit. Truth is i love contacting...I never would have said that a year ago. jaja.

Last week we went to Walmart as a district. We are almost all from the states. And everyone had to stock up on peanut butter and hot sauce. I just hope america isn´t going through the inflation that argentina is...oh wow, missionaries shouldn´t have to worry about the economy, but things are rapidly changing here. 

We had the classic contacting in rain missionary experience. We had planned to knock doors...and it was pouring. So we still knocked doors. Didn´t find one sympathetic person. The weather just affects people SO much here! But we tried. jaja. People just thought we were crazy probably. Unfortunately lots of time people think we are begging for food and money when we knock doors....so we are trying to make our presence known everywhere. 

I still haven´t warmed up to cockroaches. I was washing the dishes of a member, when i noticed one floating in the sink. I tried ignoring it. It was dead. But then the sink filled up and it disappeared into the murky depths. I also noticed a dead one hanging from the wall next to me. Mom, you would be proud, I don´t even scream or react. It´s tolerance no más. I just couldn´t bring myselft to actually touch it. As for the mosquitos....I think i have bites on top of bites. We got stuck talking to a person while we were standing in a patch of tall weeds. Bad idea. We were literally attacked by them....i couldn´t stand still, it felt like we talked forever as I was trying to just give the lady a picture of jesus and end the contact..jaja. Maybe she just didn´t notice our ants in the pants dance. This week we also had marriage proposals, we ate the yummiest crepes that a member made. 

Good job on band, Ethan!

attached is the pic of us missionaries in costanera. Also, happy late bday landon...i didn´t have my camera last time. 

Love you all!

hermana andrews

Desayuno

Happy fiesta nacional de mate....yes this is a real event

Dear family,

I´m so sad to hear about grandpa. At least we know that he has lived quite the life. I´m praying for all of you, and most importantly for grandma. Love you all!

I have really seen this week how the gospel of Jesus Crist changes lives, not just now, but for the eternity. This is the comfort that we receive despite trials. I saw a huge miracle this week. It had been a rough time. Nothing we seemed to be doing in our area was working. I feel like I should be at the point of the mission being better than any moment before, but we just felt stuck and like there was no progress or results. I then found out that my investigador from Colón, Sulma, was baptized!! Months ago we contacted her and her family one Sunday as they were walking down the street....me and hna cruz taught her, but there were so many roadblocks, as she isn´t married and didn´t every want to marry her drunk husband. Well I don´t know everything that took place between when I left and now, but she was just married and baptized, and hopefully now the rest of her children and husband will be baptized to form an eternal family!! This was just a little evidence from God that things happen in his time, we don´t always know what the results will be. Today I got an email from investigador in my first area too, it was so good to hear from her!

Our ward here sure seems to be going through everything. A member, Esther, died, our grandma Maria was in the hospital.....We called Esther one day to set an appointment, the lady said Esther had died. I was skeptical of this, because we had just recently passed by, and her family doesn´t really like the church anyways. Well it later was confirmed that this less active member really had died from a sudden heartattack...we passed by one morning and she wasn´t there, as soon as she came home she passed away. It was so sudden. Life really is short. The good news is that several less actives we are working with went to church yesterday!

Other things this week is I went to Paraná for divisions, my dislike for dogs grew even more as I was peed on right through the fence as we were contacting a lady, my comp said she is always entertained by my sleep talking in spanish (I´m doomed for life). This week our ward activity is an american breakfast...the members think we are crazy, but they are just going to learn to love pancakes and scrambled eggs and hashbrowns. 

Sounds like you had a good vday! I think we ate some pizza or cereal or something. Mom, you could have frozen mine:) And happy bday landon! Yesterday I knew exactly what you would be eating! jaja. As for ethan....I think he is turning into sterling. Watch his sleeping habits. 

Thanks for the updates. Let me know how the trip to Cali goes. Cuidense!

Love, hermana andrews

p.s. Mom i just received one of your dear elders from November! jaja. It must have made a detour to india or something. 

p.p.s. I didn´t receive dad's letter