Tuesday, November 18, 2014

This week went well. Alberto came to the special stake conference where Elder Christofferson spoke. He's doing very well and his mom thanked us saying that were the only ones who persevere with him. She's Pentecostal.

Elder Fuentes was invited to a trainers meeting, and I had an interview with President for a Temple Recommend and the Ecclesiastical Endorsement for BYU. It was a very good experience.

I've been transferred to Villa Ballester with Elder Jones. Elder Funtes will be training a new missionary. It seems like a nice area. It's much larger than our area in López Camelo.

Monday, November 10, 2014

This week went well Alberto is coming along well, but didn't come to church. We were outside his house about half an hour clapping and yelling, but he was dead asleep.

We had interviews with President on Thursday. He showed us the trailer of Meet the Mormons and said that it won't come to Argentina until March. He also showed a video of Pres. Eyring when he was a member of the Twelve saying very forcefully "You be careful" if we ever have the idea that perhaps our calls weren't inspired. He said we should tell our younger brothers to take good pictures when they send in the papers because usually the moment the see the picture they know where we have to go. He said he had never received impressions as strong or as consistent as the missionary assignments.

Sunday was Elder Fuente's birthday. He changed clothes because he knew he would be mauled by eggs and flour and mud.

Monday, November 3, 2014

I think I should probably clarify. Lunch with the Cabranes last week was actually very, very good. It always is. It was an inside joke because they said they were reading my blog. I took a chance with that one.

This week we found a few new people who seem interested. We found a Chilean friend of David. They all call him "Chile" as a nickname. He came to Church this Sunday along with a friend of another recent convert, Zenaida, who's now living with her until the flooding by her house cleans up. She's from Pilar, close to Derqui where I was.

There's been about two days of nonstop rain. It seems like some areas of Buenos Aires are flooded. Here, everything seems fine for now. There was another time where it was flooded nearly up to the outside door of the place where we live.

The Google Street View we saw in March finally has the pictures up: https://www.google.com.ar/maps/@-34.4750717,-58.6938603,3a,15y,30.91h,84.51t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sEBeFBLya_GsF9FKhCP9VuA!2e0 It's me and Elder Chriss to my right.

Monday, October 13, 2014

This week went interesting. We've run out of investigators. We've been finding a number of less-actives and we've been working with them because they have family that are not members.

There is so much work to do. There is always someone to teach. As members we have the opportunity to help those within the Church to stay on the path the Lord has revealed. Home Teaching is perhaps the most indispensable program in the Church aside from administering to the poor and missionary work. If everything were to fall apart, the Priesthood responsibility of ministering and administering to members of the Church will always be upon us. I feel that the fulfillment of our Home Teaching assignments should be a high priority in our lives, our first and foremost calling within the Church.

We still haven't seen the Priesthood Session. We normally see it in the Zone Meeting following Conference, but it didn't happen.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

This week we went to the Temple as a mission on Friday. It was a wonderful experience. On the bus ride home, we decided to stop in UniCenter to eat because it was on the way and then take a different bus that would take us just one block from our house. When we went to the Food Court, Nick, President's son came flying at us yelling "Elders!" Turns out every Friday evening President goes with his family to eat there.

Saturday we watched the afternoon session of conference with Ricardo in his house. Sunday we went to the Stake Center, and it rained for a good part of the day. We got a call that night from the Secretary saying that we needed to come to the mission home the next morning to have interviews with President. We went, and it was a great experience. President said that he felt the morning was inspired, and it was.

At the end of everything, Elder Fuentes and I are staying in López Camelo. I'm really happy because there's lots of work to do and I love this area.

Monday, September 29, 2014

This week Brenda was baptized on Saturday and confirmed the next day. It was my first baptism with only 1 church attendance. As a rule, we need to have 3, but we got an exception. This family is so ready for the Church. Ricardo and Cintia love it when we come over and we've had lunch and dinner with them a few times.

We celebrated Elder Ballestero's birthday this week. He's going home in a week. It's a tradition in Argentina to throw eggs and flour on people on their birthdays. They went over the top and threw mud as well.

Monday, September 22, 2014

This week Gladys was confirmed. Lots of good things happened, but many things didn't go quite so well. There's always room to improve. It's a miracle that people as weak as us can bring such change in the lives of people. But frequently it comes after a lot of work and disappointment.

Yesterday I think a friend of Gabriela got offended by a misunderstanding. I think she thought that we got offended when we were talking with her, and then misinterpreted a phone call to Judith thinking that we were saying negative things.

It pains me how much people reject the Book of Mormon. The invitation to "search, ponder and pray" is so simple and natural, yet of those who don't reject the book completely, few are willing to read it, and even fewer actually do end up reading, pondering and praying. But I have yet to meet someone who has followed the promise in Moroni 10:3-5, and has not received an answer. I know the Book of Mormon is true. Every time I follow this promise, my testimony deepens its roots and produces fruit, and the fruit is good.