buscad y hallareis

Nov. 17, 2014

Well one cool thing about this week is that we found 15 new investigators! That is a mission record and is mostly because we found two new families that are complete families: mom, dad and a bunch of kids and then a few others here and there. Now the trick is just to get these people to progress. Before in my mission I have never really been able to find prepared people through doing contacts but now we are (at least I hope) and I think it is because we are making it a focus. We found one guy, Gustavo, where we just talked with him and his mom in front of their house one day and then set up a day to go visit them. When we visited them, Gustavo opened up (something he doesn't do according to his mom) and told us he wants our help because he has been into drugs and alcohol and that has caused him to lose his family, mujer(woman/wife) and 3 hijas (daughters) and realizes he needs to make some changes. We talked about Alma 36 and the change that Alma had and afterwards he said he felt more peaceful. We passed by a few days later to see how he was doing and he wasn't there but his mom told us he had been reading in the Book of Mormon! That is something not many people do right off the bat! Then, a family we found, we just clapped a door one day in an area that we don't usually go to because we were lost and asked for help.  The lady seemed really nice and even told us about her experience that led her to believe in God. So we went back this week and taught the whole family! Husband, wife and 5 kids (4 kids over 8 years old) and she had actually read the folleto (pamplet) we gave her, something that also no one does right off the bat! haha So it will be interesting to see how we can keep working with these people. One key is to always be searching because a mistake we sometimes make as missionaries is to say "well we have already got a pretty good group of investigators so we will just focus on them" then they get baptized and there is no one to teach..... so always looking is important and then dropping the people that aren't progressing but leaving a good registro (register) in the area book so that other elders can find them when it is "their time." Then, Elder Nelson talked to us on Thursday, that was great! First, Elder Cevallos and his wife spoke with us. They're from the area presidency and from their accent I could tell they were Chilean, whoo go Chile! They gave very great talks. Then Elder Nelson and his wife. She talked a lot about the premortal existence and the 12 tribes, pretty interesting. Elder Nelson talked about how important the work is that we are doing and what I really wanted to share with you is that at the end he gave us an apostolic blessing and in that blessing he blessed those that are sick or afflicted within our people (family groups) that they would be okay. So, little Benjamin Brimley is going to be just fine :) Then, this Sunday, I had a really cool experience in church. Sadly, as a missionary it is sometimes hard to focus on what is really important in church. Sometimes we are thinking about who didn't show up or why they are teaching some weird doctrine if there is an investigator there or that it is hot or something and it is something I need to work on, but during the sacrament this week I dropped all those thoughts and just focused on the Savior. As I pondered on his life, what I have been learning about Him in the scriptures lately and his love, a big peace overcame me. I didn't notice the distractions and the following meeting was one of the most spiritual meetings I have ever been in. Was it so much more spiritual because the talks were really great, or someone special came to speak to us? The talks were good but I think the difference was me and where my focus really was. That we may all remember Christ through the whole week and especially during that sacred time of the sacrament.

I love you all and until next week,

Elder Andrew

P.S. Facundo Gonzalez from Avellaneda sent me letter and he is on fire! Going to seminary and sharing the gospel with his friends, that made me happy to hear!

 

One year older and wiser too!

Nov. 10, 2014

Well this last week was pretty sweet, we are working pretty hard with elder Cottrell and have a lot of ground to cover so we try not to waste time. Things are heating up again but there are already clouds in the sky so looks like rain. Cool announcement..... Elder Nelson comes to talk to our mission on Thursday! How cool is that! An apostle and just our mission! Hopefully he doesn't drop the cane on us. Something we are really focusing on with my comp is doing more contacts. We set daily goals of how many people we are going to do contacts with and then try to push ourselves to get those goals. We find some prepared people that way, but I feel like the best result of it is that we can have the spirit stronger and new investigators just come out of nowhere. Like random members from other wards coming up to us to give us references (that happened today). I feel like as we show the Lord we are willing to push ourselves to proclaim the gospel he lets us find more people and abundantly blesses us. The ward is getting pretty pumped up to do visits and the leaders of most of the organizations really want to get working so we are going to use that. We have a goal to pass by every leaders house this week to see how we can help them out with their different responsibilities. That is what the missionaries are here for, to serve the ward. So if you have a need, use them in your ward! Then on Sunday we had a kid just show up in church. Apparently he has been coming to mutual for a while and just wanted to go to church. He is 16 years old and seems pretty cool. We set up to go teach him and his family on Friday! We have Mara, a girl in a part member family, that has a date for the 29th come to church. We started calling in between our set appointments to make sure she was keeping her commitments and she has really started progressing. She is a little slower learning wise but we are seeing a big progress since we started and also cool that her family that was less active is also putting the pilas (?) and doing more things as well! When they went they were a bit afraid but thankfully we talked to the president of the mujeres jovenes (YW president) before and she help her out a lot to feel comfortable. Working with the members, it is the Lord's way! I am reading now in 3 Nephi in the part where Jesus is here teaching in the Americas and am also reading in Juan (John) in my New Testament studies. The teachings of Christ seem so clear and precious and I just want the people to understand them as well. I am also very grateful for the Book of Mormon that helps me to better understand the Bible and visa versa. The Bible working with the Book of Mormon are some of the strongest tools we have and that God has given us. So you had better be using them! Well, we will see if someone makes me a cake tomorrow! I love you all very much y espero que se quiden (and I hope that you be careful)!

Love,

Elder Andrew

Mayol, my new home

November 3, 2014

Well I am starting to get a little bit more adjusted to the routine here in Mayol and things are going pretty good. Well this Halloween I had nothing to dress up with in the pension and I was kind of tired do no pictures for you all (sorry!) but it was a pretty good day. This week started off REALLY hot and humid and now for the past few days it has been raining, so we are at full speed on the argentine weather roller-coaster! Elder Cottrell and I get along really well, he is a super chill guy and he knows what he is doing (he only has 4 months left) and I feel like we are really trying to help out. One thing I like is that we are doing a lot more in companionship study, like practices, talking about investigators and setting goals. And we are trying to try a lot of new things with new ways of doing contacts and stuff like that. We are still trying hard to get to know the area and all the members but that will probably come with more time. We have started doing more calls to verify how investigadores (investigators) are doing and make sure they are keeping their compromisos (commitments) and it seems to be helping a lot. We also have 2 ward missionaries which is something I have never had in a ward before, so now we just have to get them more involved in the work because they really want to work! This Saturday was a great day! A highlight was finding a new family. It is the mom, a 16 year old son, and a 8 years old daughter. Norma, Ulises y Ati. Ulises is the friend of a member and went to church like a year ago for a while but then his dad wouldn't let him anymore. Recently his parents got separated and he just started going to church again by his own will. So that is how we found him... he just showed up in church haha. But his mom is also very prepared. We had our first lesson with the family on Saturday and they listened attentively and had already been reading in the Book of Mormon. Norma said she could feel peace and that she wanted to learn more and Ulises also, Ati is kind of like most 8 year olds and didn't pay much attention but she is funny. Norma did the last prayer and asked to be able to understand and keep going. So good start with them, they have a goal to be baptized the 29th of November. Other good news, Elder Bastias told me that Federico got baptized and it was awesome! He is going to send me some fotos later. It is nice to know that the work keeps going! Today in my studies I came across something in Preach My Gospel that I wanted your help on. In chapter 11 in the back where it has ideas for personal study it has the idea to write family members and ask them for a testimony on the blessings they have received from keeping a commandment, or something like that. And since we are focusing as a ward on trying to get the members to do more visits I wanted to ask you all; how have you been blessed from doing your visits (home and visiting teaching)? Or how have you been blessed from receiving them.? Thanks! Well I'm sure I have a great week ahead of me and I will soon be an old man! Just 8 days more! (Ben turns 20 Nov. 11th) How crazy..... well I love you all lots!

love,

Elder Andrew