Dos Años en Argentina

Aug. 31, 2015

Well this week has been another good one and it is crazy to think that Matthew is almost in the mission field! What a great blessing, I have been thinking a lot about the blessing that it is to be a missionary and I am so grateful for the opportunity given to come back!

Monday- We did the normal stuff of cleaning and buying and then taught two lessons! One was with a new investigator that we were pretty excited about but then when we called her on Saturday to set up another appointment she said she wasn't interested.... I think she is just too liberal, but it isn't over yet, the Lord can still work a change in her heart!

Tuesday- We did some work in the offices in the morning. We ate lunch with a member and that was good. He is a little guy that has about 60 years and was really into martial arts so he is still in good shape, so after lunch he picked me up just to see if he could do it. and sure enough he could! Then we tried to do visits and get to know people with no luck, at 7 we had an appointment with active members to get to know them, share a spiritual thought and see if we could help them with sharing the gospel. They in kind of a prideful way told us they had already tried sharing the gospel and it just wasn't the greatest visit. I think we should always take the invitations from representatives of the church seriously and really look for a way to get better even if we are already doing what they are asking us to do. Oh well, it just was kind of a weird visit.

Wednesday- We had the zone conference in Banfield. It went okay but there just wasn't that much participation and well... it was just okay. To answer your question, Mom, we do zone conferences on Wednesday and Friday and that is because President wants us to have the full day of Tuesday and Thursday to work! What a great president! It was also Brenda's birthday that day so shout out to my sista! We also met with two sisters that are inactive but want to come back to church! We had to call 10 hermanos to finally get one to come to the visit with us but it paid off and was a good visit!

Thursday- In the morning we had a training on how to use family search, I feel like an expert since I did that service mission haha. We had lunch and then helped our ward mission leader make a ward mission plan to present in the ward council. Hopefully this will help the work to keep going forward! After we took some time to do weekly planning, that is the first time I have been able to do that since being assistant! So it helps to look at what you want to get accomplished. Then we went an taught Paula with our ward mission leader and that went fairly well. She is doing good and staying strong, Maria, her daughter, was feeling sick so couldn't be in the visit with us. Also, it marked the day of two years since I got to Argentina!!!! How crazy is that and to think about how much I've learned and how much I've changed since that first day in Argentina. It is pretty incredible to me and is quite a blessing.

Friday- We had the zone conference in Gonzalez Catan and it went really well. We even got Subway for lunch! After the conference I stayed with Elder Sepulveda de Chile to do an intercambio. He is a really powerful elder who just this Monday completed two years since he was baptized a member of the church. Some of these converts really impress me with their faithfulness and really the level of gospel knowledge that they obtain so quickly. It is amazing how the Lord calls who He needs for the work. Just think of Paul who would have thought from looking at his history that he would become one of the greatest missionaries of all time! What a miracle the atonement is! We had fun going around in his area (Gonzalez Catan is the most dangerous part of the mission haha) and stopped by some investigators to confirm a visit for the next day. They let us come in so we decided to just shared a quick scripture and then teach a full lesson the next day. Elder Sepulveda turned to me and asked what scripture I wanted to share and so I thought of 1 Nephi chapter 21 where it quotes Isaiah and talks about having us marked into the Savior's hands. The wife started crying a little when we were talking and reading and so we asked her why she was getting emotional, and she said she didn't want anything more to do with churches but in the morning had said a prayer to God asking Him a question and felt like He talked to her and answered her question. It was a special experience. We talked a lot to each other about the blessing that it is to be a missionary and it was really motivating.

Saturday- We finished the intercambio with a service in the morning of helping build a concrete roof (pesado!) and a few visits. It was a really good intercambio and motivated me to work even harder even though things aren't going as well as we would like them to in our area.

Sunday- We had a special stake conference from the area! So we got a satellite transmission and got to hear the area president Elder Walter F Gonzalez along with other general authorities as well as Elder Cook and Elder Hales! How cool is that! They talked a lot about missionary work and the Sabbath day observance. Paula was in attendance and said she really liked it! She also is sharing the gospel with her sister who lives in a different area and last night they had their first lesson with her and her family! What a capa Paula! Already a member missionary!

I love you all very much and hope you enjoy these last couple days with boy Matthew, because the next time we see him he will be man Matthew. What a blessing it is to serve as a full time missionary!!!

Love,

Elder Andrew

Another week in Paradise

Aug. 24, 2015

I can honestly say that i just love the mission! I look forward to writing you guys every Monday but also dread it sometimes because it reminds me of the small amount of time I have left, but that just means I need to take even more advantage of it.

I am really glad to hear of the progress that the Lopez family is having and really I think that is the Lord's way for this church to work with those that need strengthening. It isn't for the Bishop to do everything and work a miracle. Just as the Missionaries aren't meant to do absolutely everything in missionary work. I believe the Lord's way is for all of us, working together, can help out these people. The bishop, the missionaries, quorum and relief society presidents, home and visiting teachers, normal members of the ward, we are all a part of his great work.

The thought that I had for Matthew about maybe his fears of not being ready is this: It is interesting to me in Alma 17 Alma talks about meeting up with his brothers the sons of Mosiah. An interesting thing is that he notices a change in them. I imagine it was probably a change in their maturity. He also makes reference to that they had become strong in their knowledge of the truth because of their constant study of the scriptures. He also mentions of their many days of prayer and fasting. These are all things that I think they did on the missions. He saw a difference in them after a 14 year period of preaching the word. They were as ready as the Lord needed them to be when they left and the He continued to mold them as they constantly turned to Him. Doctrine and Covenants 4:3 says something interesting "Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;" I think that is probably the biggest requirement to serve a mission and I know that Matthew has that part down fine. So Matthew, just go out there and get them! You will never get to a point in your mission where you don't need the Lord's help so just believe in Him and He will get done what He wants through your willing hands. What an exciting time in your life!

Monday- Well we had a pretty normal day, we are going to try and start getting everything done in the offices in the morning that way we can have time to work at night and so far so good! That means that I will probably always write you all around this time just so you don't forget to send your letters! We contacted a few people and then had a meeting at President's house with a couple that just got called to family history for the Buenos Aires South Counsel (counsel is the same geographic size as a mission it is just what the church uses to refer to callings that aren't directly part of the mission) and they are going to teach the missionaries by zone how to get people started on their family history! That is such a great tool to hasten the work! Maybe you could invite Lillian to create a family history account.

Tuesday- We had a district meeting that was pretty good and ate at a members house that I couldn't believe. It was a mansion! Lets just say that Banfield 2 is probably the fanciest/richest area in the whole mission. Then we headed over to the offices to get everything ready for zone conferences we would be starting the next day. We then went to go teach the complete family. We prayed a lot that day for them, did a practice of what we were going to teach them, got a member to come with us, showed up on time and....... they weren't there.... After waiting a while we decided to just come back another day, it was a bummer but we are going to keep on trying.

Wednesday- We had the first zone conference in Adrogue! There were some technical difficulties and others as can be expected with the first time, but that was also good because we rely more on the Spirit. It went really well and we are only teaching 4 things. Humility, working with members, Personal security, and the Atonement. Working with members and the atonement take up mostly the whole time and they go from 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. Then after that we did a little office work and had an awesome lesson! It was with Paula and we took an awesome member with us who is a returned missionary. We taught Paula and her daughter Maria. We are reteaching the lessons with Paula and it is the first time for Maria. The Spirit was super strong and the member helped a lot. I asked Maria if she believed that the story of the first vision was true and she said without hesitation "si". Oh man that was a powerful lesson! Greatest joy of the mission!

Thursday- We went to an area in Virrey del Pino to give a training to a new missionary and his trainer because they couldn't come to the trainer meeting. It went really well and they are really good elders. One of them just got here from the states and he was telling us about how much better his Spanish is getting, it was fun and brought back good memories from the beginning of the mission. Then we had a really good experience. We had asked an hermana if she knew anyone we could visit and she said her neighbor in front of her house maybe and she was going to try and talk to her. So we went back to verify if she was able to talk to her neighbor  and she told us no, but right in that moment her neighbor came over!!!! She asked for a tool for something in her house and so the hermana presented us and then went in the house to look for the tool. Well, luckily we recognized that the Lord had probably given us this opportunity and so we talked to her real quick about who we were and before the hermana came back had set up to visit her! She was really nice and had no problem with us passing by. The hermana told us after she left that she had taken longer on getting the tool on purpose so we could talk with her and had gone in her room to say a prayer. That was a special experience and another testimony of the power of members in this work

Friday- We had zone conference in Aldo Bonzi and then went to do and intercambio with the zl's in Alejandro Korn on the most full train ever. At one point I could feel the persons chest expanding behind me when they would breathe because we were so tightly packed! That was fun. 

Saturday- I stayed in Banfield 2 with Elder Rooks from Draper, Utah and we had a day of a LOT of contacts. Not very productive and just made me realize that I think the only way we are going to have success here is working with the members. We had an appointment with active members at night and had a spiritual lesson and then they gave us two references! The sister is going to present us to her friends pretty soon.

Sunday- We had a good sacrament meeting and church services. We passed by a few people, had a meeting to get ready for a family history event on September 12 and then weekly planning with President

I love you all very much and hope you all have a wonderful week!

Elder Andrew 

First week, Good week

Aug. 17, 2015

It is hard to think all the things I'm going to be writing you about only happened this week but that is how most weeks in the mission are and especially with the assignment of assistant! Apart from Drew being home Dallin Mickelson is also home.. hearing about my friends getting home and thinking about it give me a weird feeling inside, I don' know if it's fear, excitement, trunckyness... whatever it is I'll try not to think about it too much haha!

Monday- It was fun doing all the things for transfers and calming all the chaos that was going on, this is pretty good future job training if I want to get into administrative work in business! We sent the missionaries home and then were able to just be tranquil and get ready for the new group of missionaries coming in!

Tuesday- Well there is always some new adventure happening with us and Tuesday was no exception! The flight from the US had a ten hour delay for some reason and so President called us early in the morning to inform us of that and to get new arrangements to pick them up from the airport and change the arrangements with the missionaries being picked up from the Argentina MTC and also change the time the trainers were coming in, and change a few other things. So we got all that taken care of and then went to the MTC to meet the new Latin elders and one sister that are coming to our mission. As always they were excited and made us excited as well. It seems like every group of new missionaries just gets better, The Youth are better I think than even when I came out on a mission! We did some things in the mission home with them ate lunch and got them sent off with their trainers with very few problems. Then we went to the offices to get a few things done and came back later to go meet the USA missionaries at the airport. Well traffic was SUPER bad and we didn't end up making it to the airport, Elder Corry and Villegas from the east mission were at the airport though and they called us and got the missionaries on the vehicle they needed. After getting their trainers and telling them a few things we sent them to their new areas in taxi at about 9 at night. All their comps were Latins as well. I'm glad that didn't happen to me! They had to sleep in the airport in Georgia (or maybe not sleep) get here super late, no one is there at the airport to greet you, and then after a very brief time in the mission home they just send you off with someone you don't know and doesn't speak your language.... these are brave souls haha.

Wednesday- We did a bit of preparation day because we didn't do anything on Monday and we just did work on our apartment! we have kept it pretty clean there was just a lot of junk from stuff that other elders had left when they went home, so we got that all together in a huge bag along with a huge bag of stuff we were just going to throw away. We gave the clothes to the mission home to be washed and taken to the offices in case other missionaries need clothes and threw the garbage out. I couldn't believe just how much open space we have now in the pension!!! It surprised me every time I walked in! It is much better this way though, and makes it easier to feel the Spirit. Then we did some office work and got ready for upcoming meetings.

Thursday- We left early in the morning to get ready for a District Leader Training meeting and had that which went really well. We have some good district leaders! Bought our weekly food and got some money out from the bank to buy food for upcoming meetings. Then at night we had time to work in the area!! We looked for some people and ended the night visiting a less active family who we didn't know but had called the night before to set up an appointment. We got there and they had made us pizza! We ate quickly, shared a thought about the atonement and asked them for a reference and they gave us one! So that was a good night.

Friday- We had a new missionary and trainers meeting. So the missionaries that have six weeks in the field and their trainers, as well as, the brand new missionaries and their trainers. We talked about vision and some important things and then split them in two groups according to the time they had in their training to teach them different things. It went pretty well and we really do have good, pure new missionaries. There are even a few trainers that just finished their training before they were assigned as trainers.... sound familiar. Afterwards for a few hours we got some things done that President had asked us to do and then had more time to work in the area! We walked around a bunch and tried looking up a bunch of former investigators with not much luck but we were able to contact the reference we got from the less active family and she was super nice! Patricia is her name and we set up to teach her this week on Thursday. We also passed by an active members house and got a reference from her! I can't remember what day but Elder Compton and I sat down and made a list of goals for this transfer. Some of them are like just talking in Spanish between us, memorizing a scripture as a companionship per week (already got alma 7:11-12 down!) a few other things and to find three complete families this transfer to teach. They are really good goals and are helping us to be more obedient and more consecrated.

Saturday- We had the whole day to work! In the morning after doing our studies we went to a part of the area that neither of us had ever been to before because the bishop gave us a reference in the baptism that lives over there. So after getting lost for a while we were finally able to figure out how to read our map for that part and how it worked. The reference wasn't at home, but at least we now know how to get there! We did a couple of really good contacts walking to lunch. One lady even asked us to come by her house to teach her and then took us to her house so we would know where it was! She lives in the Zone leaders side of the area so we passed the reference over to them. After lunch with some members we headed to the church for a lesson we set up with a less active, but he never showed up. After we went to the center of Lomas which is a really big shopping area and really full of people with our zone to do contacts and hand out pamphlets and stuff. It was pretty fun and we got about 30 people that let us write down their addresses. It was our ward mission leaders idea and was pretty good, but it is always more effective to work with the members finding new investigators that just talking with random people on the street. Then the final thing we did was we went with a couple in our ward that is over family history in this region to visit Paula. It was awesome because her daughter was there and they are both really excited to get going one their family history! We even helped them to create a FamilySearch account right then and there so they can get started!

Sunday- Well a joven in my ward knows Facundo who is the young man from Avellaneda that I helped get baptized if you can remember him and so I guess he found out I was here and decided to come visit! So I got to see him again which was awesome! He said he wanted to come out and do visits with me sometime so I asked President and he said it would be fine! I'm excited for that. Then before our meeting with President we had a little time to work in the area and so went to look for some former investigators. It's a good thing we did instead of just staying in the pench or something because we found a family! The mom came to the door and was really, really nice to us and explained that they had company over but if we could right down her phone number to pass by another day. We did that and also set up an appointment with them tomorrow! We are pretty excited for that because it is a complete family who is in a good economic situation and are married! the only thing that seems to be missing is conversion, which can be pretty difficult sometimes. However, it is a pretty good start for here in Argentina and we are super excited. After we had our weekly meeting with President and will be starting zone conferences this week!

Never a boring day in the mission! I love all of you very much and hope you have a fantastic week. I know that Our Savior lives and loves us, if we take advantage of the trials in our lives to come closer to Him we will be blessed. 

Love,

Elder Andrew  

Transfers!

Aug. 10, 2015

Well I don't have much time because we have been pretty busy with transfers but I'll try and tell you a few highlights.

Biggest highlight was Paula's baptism! I'll try to send pictures. My camera is being a little weird right now. But the baptismal service was very well planned and the members helped out a ton! It was a very spiritual and uplifting experience. And another cool thing was that President Thurgood baptized her because she asked him to! After her baptism she gave her testimony and said "Hoy renací" She felt born again, what a special lady and what a special experience for everyone that was there! 

We got everything ready for transfers and it was a bit crazy today fixing a bunch of problems with transportation and there were a lot of problems because it rained a lot but it ended up going pretty well. It was pretty sad to see Elder Peterson go. I think I feel more sad today than I did last transfer. He really was one of my best companions, and such a great person. But I don't have much time to think about that! Tomorrow we go and get the new missionaries to pump up the mission with new fresh elders and sister!

I love you all very much and something I suggest to you mom and dad is to set apart at least an hour a week to go out with the missionaries, either separately or as a couple. I would suggest looking at your weekly schedules and then maybe saying something like "Elders, on Thursday night we have some free time and would like to come out on a visit with you"  They will love it, and I testify to you that as you set aside even just an hour a week to do that you will have a greater spirit in your lives, us, your children will be blessed and your worries won't seem as big.

With Much Love,

Elder Andrew

(no subject)

Aug 3 

well sorry family i have no time today, we made an appointment to teach paula so i have to go, just know that i love each and every one of you and pray for you often

un abrazo fuerte,

elder Andrew

nuevo compañero

July 27, 2015

Every week brings new adventures! So here is my weekly report. 

Monday- I drove the truck back to the pension. Seeing as the truck is a stick shift and the driving was done in Argentina I think that is a pretty big accomplishment. I like driving stick although I am definitely still getting used to it and probably drive too cautiously in this world of driving sharks

Tuesday- we had district meeting which was fun. We went over how a baptismal service should be held and prepared. It was a good reminder and got us excited to prepare the baptism of Paula. Afterwards one of the investigators of the zone leaders that share the ward with us gave us lunch. It was really good, ovened chicken with french fries, and she also gets baptized the 8th of august. Then we did a few things for the mission and went to teach Paula. We took an hermano who is about her same age and single....... Sometimes missionaries do a bit of matchmaking as well hehehe. They seemed to hit it off well and also he was able to give a really good testimony and give her re assurance by telling about his own conversion and confirming some of the things she is feeling now with her own conversion. Something also good was that we taught her daughter that was there!  She is 21 and super prepared and willing to listen, the only problem is she works a ton so it will be kind of a hit and miss thing of when we can teach her, although she said the last prayer as if she had been a member her whole life! We were super stoked after that lesson and then got some things done in the offices.

Wednesday- We had interviews in Banfield and they were going really well, until my companion had to leave with one of the zone leaders to help out these other elders that one had gotten bitten by a dog and needed a rabies shot, so the practices kind of fell apart but it was still a good experience. I found out that Kenny the guy I helped get baptized in Budge moved to Peru with his family so I'm sure they are doing well. Then after that we had to meet with President because several elders have gone home lately and we needed to see what we wanted to do about the changes. We pulled up the new assistant a little earlier than planned just so he could be part of the changes we were already doing. Elder Compton, he is a powerhouse and still doesn't even have a full year in the mission! if you want to see who he is go on the lds.youth page and look up the video of "texting truth" he is the one who sends the message of the scriptures. We had to close two areas due to elders going home, that was not a happy thing to do....

Thursday- we did some stuff in the morning then went to the offices to pick my our new companion. After that we went to capital to pick up President's laptop and then had a little intro meeting with Elder Compton and President. After we looked around and found a menos activo that Elder Peterson had never taught before and had a pretty good lesson with him. Elder Peterson is from South Weber, Utah and Elder Compton from Logan, Utah. So now all my comps from USA have been from Utah.

Friday- we did interviews and practices in Montegrande which was good and then got ready for an intercambio with the zone leaders of Gonzalez Catan. It was kind of scary getting over there because we had never done it and we had to take three different trains but we made it without any problem and met some cool people along the way.

Saturday- We spent the day with the zone leaders, Elder Vera and Elder Palacios. They are both from Argentina and very good elders. Super obedient it was a very fun intercambio and we got some good work done, we even got to stay and participate in their baptism since one of there investigators got baptized. They called it a Bautisabado jaja. 

Sunday- We went to church, which was great, a lot of focus on keeping the Sabbath day holy, it really is important! Paula went and even though she was a bit tired enjoyed it. Every time she makes more friends so that is great. We had a meeting with President and I'm starting to feel a bit more confident as assistant but am a little nervous for the upcoming transfers because I have never gone through that process and all we have to get ready and Elder Peterson will be taking trips and stuff that the leaving missionaries do on their last week. There are plenty of people that can help me out though so I'm sure we will be fine. Then we had the office staff over to the mission home and watched the church driver safety video, which was very good and will hopefully help us to drive safer.

Monday- today we went with an hermano and President Thurgood to the county building of Lomas (our county) and talked about a huge family history fair that will be taking place in September. Talk about hastening the work, they are expecting 10,000 people to come through on that day to set up a FamilySearch account and learn a bit more about doing their family history! That is something exciting I'm looking forward to!

Well I know the Lord loves us and He helps me in so many ways. I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!

 un abrazo,

Elder Andrew

feliz dia del amigo!

July 20, 2015

Happy friend day! to all my beloved friends! Well since we do so much it helps me to just write my letters by looking back at my planner and writing something about every day, so I think I am going to keep that format. Kind of sad not to get a letter from Mom today but I sure it was just a technical difficulty. (note from Mom: I did send a letter and don't know why he didn't get it but fortunately I was able to resend it in time for him to get it while he was still on.)

Tuesday- we went to a tiny bit of district meeting and then took off to capital in a remis to take President's laptop to be fixed. After that we fixed a delicious lunch for ourselves and got hung up in the offices getting a bunch of stuff done. We called Paula to see how she was doing and see if we could go to visit her (this was actually on Monday) and she said that she was busy and it would be better if we just passed by on Saturdays.... NO! once a week isn't frequent enough for someone to have a real progression especially if they have the goal to be baptized the 8th of August.

Wednesday- We did interviews in the zone of Gonzalez Catan which is one of the new zones from the west mission. They are really good missionaries and there are only elders in that zone if that tells you anything about the kind of areas there are there.... The zone leaders bought us some really cheap and good hamburgers. We got a text from Paula saying we could come over that night and visit! We got to go with President Thurgood (he is a really good member present) and taught the plan of salvation. She really understands very well and is very prepared. She commented to us that as she reads the Book of Mormon she feels like something empty inside of her is being filled. She is very sensitive to the Spirit and really her own thoughts from her life from before the lessons were even taught to her are pretty inline with gospel principles!

 Thursday- In the morning we looked for some magnets that Hermana Thurgood wanted for a project and did some other little odd thing and then had lunch with a member. He gave us milanesa sandwiches and choripan, not the healthiest of lunches but certainly good! After we got trapped in the offices getting mission projects done, and we had plans to work! That seems to be a common theme however haha. 

Friday- We did interviews and practices in Aldo Bonzi the other new zone from the west mission. They are also really good missionaries, very obedient. And after we stayed with the zone leaders in their area to do divisiones with them. I felt like I was back in Budge! Actually, their area isn't that far away from Budge and are all Bolivians so it pretty much is the same.

Saturday- We finished the intercambio, and got to go to a baptism the zone leaders had of a complete family of six but two kids are too young so 4 in total were baptized. It was pretty special. They are a really nice family and Pres. Thurgood also came! Then at night we taught Paula again with our ward mission leader. We made a lesson plan and the actual lesson went perfectly according to plan! We taught about the word of wisdom and the law of chastity. she understood perfectly after a few initial doubts and confusions and committed to living both commandments! She even told us that she would drink tea and coffee every once in a while but because she read the folleto (pamphlet)  before the lesson when she was going to drink it she thought "well I better not." Yeah she is a K-pa!

Sunday- Paula came to church and so did a guy that we talked to on the street on Saturday night, he is a bit different but seems like he can really use the gospel right now in his life but actually lives in another area so we passed the reference but it was fun having him there! I am starting to get some of the names of the members down, it is kind of hard when you only see them once a week for 3 hours! Then we went to lunch with our mission leader. It was good, raviolis! After our weekly planning with President we went to an activity in our ward of watching "Meet the Mormons" and eating sweets together. Paula went to that activity as well and seemed to have a good time. She is making a lot of friends in the church! Camila (the girlfriend of Paula's son) is a strong member and the one that introduced her to the church. Before, Paula would only go to church when Camila was there because she didn't know anyone so she didn't go for three weeks because Camila was on a trip. But on Sunday she went to the activity by herself and sat with the Bishop's family because she is becoming friends with them! This really is a good ward I just wish I could work with them more!

I really love the mission and am very glad to be in the Lord's service. I am glad to hear that Peter's illness was nothing serious and I pray for you all often. I get along very well with Elder Peterson, he is a fantastic Elder and it really is easy to feel the Spirit in this companionship. I am really grateful for this call to serve!

with much love y besitos,

Elder Andrew

one

July 13, 2015

Well, this week has been pretty fun!

First of all, Peter is really a good looking baby, you're right he doesn't look like a lizard. I'll be sure to never give him advice or drive him around or try to stop criminals.

Tuesday-we had normal studies and went to a normal district  meeting! It felt so good! We were with Elder Flanagan and Elder Monsalve (the one that had the seizure). Then we went to capital to drop of President's computer so it could get fixed and then went to the offices to get everything ready for the leaders counsel the next day with the zone leaders and sister capacitators.

Wednesday- Elder Monsalve flew home and Elder Flanagan got put with a young man for a few weeks until the transfer is over and we had the leader counsel. It was really good and a bit different to see it from the point of view of an assistant. That happens with a lot of things, I used to think that the assistants knew everything and were just the super bosses of the mission. Maybe they were but I know that isn't how I feel! The spirit really helped me in teaching the part that President assigned me and we got really good participation. We have some really good leaders in the mission! Then it was getting ready for interviews where we have a teaching segment with the missionaries.

Thursday- was the 9 de julio! One of the patriotic holidays of the country, I think it is the day that they got their independence. So because of the holiday we decided to take a road trip with President! We went to the farthest areas of the mission and did interviews there. It was really fun and nice to see the campo.

Friday- we had the trainer and new missionary meeting which was really good and it gives us Aanimo to see all the new missionaries. They really are so good and pure. And then we went to do divisions with some of the zone leaders.

Saturday- we had a really good division with the elders, capos! They are doing a whitewash right now and are just trusting 100 percent in the Lord and seeing a lot of miracles. We learned a lot, taught some really good lessons to some really good investigators and had fun. Then we taught Paula. She is also a capa and is noticeably more happy now. She reads and prays every day and has a baptismal date for the 8th of August.

Sunday- Paula came to church! More progress, I try and get to know the ward members but it is hard since we never see them. Then planning with President.

Since we don't get much prosilyting time, Elder Peterson and I have made goals for doing more contacts in the opportunities we have. We always try to talk on the trains as we travel and in the stations as we wait and stuff like that. It is pretty beneficial and is helping us to lose the "fear of man". Elder Peterson is a great companion and we really are getting along very well and I am learning a lot. He is very humble and it makes it easy to have spiritual experiences. Well I love you all very much

un abrazo

Elder Andrew

It has been an interesting week

July 6, 2015

I can't believe that only a week has passed since last Monday... It sure seems like I've done enough for more than one. Today I filled out in my "mi familia" pamphlet some information about grandma. About what I could remember of her and her life. She really was such a sweet grandma and I could always tell that she loved me. I remembered when she would call all of us "love bugs" and how she saved all the drawings that I made her even if they were pretty lame. She really is an awesome Grandma and I miss her. 

Well on Tuesday we welcomed the new missionaries to the mission! It was a lot of fun and so great to see all the pureness and excited/nervous feelings they all had.

Wednesday we did a few things getting ready for President Nuñez to come and then at night we went and met him at the airport. Crazy that now most of my areas and a lot of my mission friends are in another mission!

Thursday we went to visit the new zones that we got from the west mission and have a mini zone conference with them. They are really good missionaries and are going to be a huge asset to the mission. There was even an Elder from Mesa, Arizona that went to Mountain View High School! He said he knew Grant Huber and his brother. That was my first time I had to teach something, it's pretty normal. I guess what is weird are all the people that ask me questions about rules and such. I feel a little under qualified for this job haha.

Friday we had the district leader training meeting and I got to teach a lot during that. It went really well and we have some very good district leaders in our mission. Then we taught a lesson! Not to other missionaries, with an actual investigator! Her name is Paula. She is really cool!

Well, I'm out of time and tired, although Elder Peterson said I'll just get used to being tired. I love you all with all my heart,

Elder Andrew

Love with stress and sadness from Buenos Aires

June 29, 2015

Well I am sort of disappointed that President ruined the surprise I was going to try and keep my new assignment secret from all of you for as long as I could, but I guess that's okay. Last week when you told me that Grandma had Cancer I had the feeling that she probably wouldn't make it much longer. I guess it is just one of the many tender mercies that the Lord showed me while I passed through that time at home, being able to see Grandma and spend time with her. I remember one morning getting up and talking with her in the kitchen about what she was like growing up. How she met her husbands, how school was and getting married. I feel like I got to know her a bit better and am so grateful for all that she has given me and our family. She is a person so full of love and generosity, I'm glad she passed those traits on to Dad. I'm going to miss her but the plan of salvation really is real. The death and resurrection of the Savior are actual things that happened and changed the course of the eternities. I know that she is in a place free of physical pain and that gives me comfort to know.

Well this last week in Citybell we tried to work hard and get things done. Because of some fighting elders we had to do an un expected intercambio, but I guess if I'm going to be assistant I should get used to fixing problems! On Saturday we went to Chascomus to do a capilla abierta (chapel open house)  which is really far away from the Plata. It was fun and a super lindo (pretty) place, I'll send some pictures next week to you guys.

Elder Corry and Elder Villegas are going to be the assistants in the east mission, so I will be with them until Wednesday and then it is just Elder Peterson and I. I did know him before because we came to Argentina together but because he already knew Spanish. He leaves in 6 weeks. So 6 weeks to learn all that I have to do! Well I've got to go. I love you guys a lot.

Elder Andrew

El tiempo vuela!

June 22, 2015

Weird that my first transfer back in the mission is almost over! I try not to think about the time and just focus on the work, there is a lot to do! We are thinking that my companion and I will probably stay together and if that happens then I will probably end my mission here in CityBell! I'm glad to hear about all the things you are doing to keep busy and the great things that you are accomplishing. I pray for Grandma Donna quite often, please send my love to her, She is a great grandma. Well on Tuesday this week we did an exchange and I stayed in the area hoping that I had learned enough to not get lost. Well turns out I hadn't..... I got lost quite a few times and it was pretty embarrassing but it helped me to learn the area better and humbled me quite a bit. We were still able to get to all the planned visits at least. Tomorrow I stay in the area for another exchange so we'll see if I learned anything! We were able to do some good contacts though and hopefully can do a good follow up to be able to have new investigators. Then on Thursday we went to the sisters area to try and get to know some of their investigators. We taught Gabriel a 17 year old who has been coming to church for about 2 months and still isn't sure about being baptized. His mother is VERY protective as well and she doesn't want him to get baptized yet either, so hopefully we can help them out. After that we couldn't find anyone else to teach but got to know a few of their investigators in their doorways. We are sad the sisters are leaving they really work really hard and hopefully we can keep both of the areas up. The familia Cambilla is doing really well, they are reading and progressing. On Sunday Aldana had to go to the hospital to take care of a friend who got in a motorcycle accident and no-one went to replace here so she couldn't come to church but Alejandro came with us! He really likes church and is learning and participates in the classes which is always good. They both always give very sincere prayers whenever asked to give them. Alejandro even gave the opening prayer in gospel principles class. The familia Mamani are having a few problems in the family of not having unity and a few other things, so it looks like we are going to have to apply what we have been learning with the zone to that family. They didn't go to church on Sunday (probably because it was dia del padre (father's day) and they wanted to celebrate) I just thought "and what about your Padre Celestial don't you think you should celebrate Him!" Of course I don't know exactly why they didn't go, today we'll ask them. On Sunday our quorum president took us to his uncles house so we could teach the uncle and his daughters. We had a short lesson on the Book of Mormon because we didn't have much time but they seemed like really nice people. The uncle's name is Perfecto so what more can you ask for? Shout out to you dad, thank you for raising me in righteousness. Thank you for making the decision with mom to get married and raise a family inside of the gospel. I am grateful that you lead our family with love. You are a great example to me of a worthy priesthood holder and I am very proud to call you Daddy and llevar (carry) the Andrew name. Thank you also for being so humble, I think that is something I need to work on. Even though you often say it, I know even without words that your family is the most important thing for you, thank you. Te amo papá!

I love the rest of you as well!

Elder Andrew

Love from Argentina

June 15, 2015

Thank Angela for her kind words being in home really taught me that many times my will isn't the Lord's will. I feel so blessed now to be with the great people of CityBell, a blessing I would not have enjoyed had I stayed out on the misión without breaking my ankle. And tell her, "Si yo tuviera plata para comprar facturas le mandaria algunas pero por ahora tengo que administrar bien el dinero jaja". Well this week has truly been a good one as well as a very busy one! Monday we had some very good lessons teaching the familia Mamani as well as the familia Cambilla. The Cambilla familia are people the Elders found doing contacts a few weeks before I got here, they don't have much of a religious formation and have a pretty mixed up family (the three kids are all from different dads) but they are making the effort to make changes in their lives. Aldana (the mom) is doing her daily prayers now and says she feels a lot of peace Alejandro (the dad) understands the message a bit better but isn't applying quite yet although he did go to church with us on Sunday and really liked it! Back to Monday we went with a Member couple the matrimonio Pintus who are a great family and Hermano Pintus is the second counselor of the branch. Anyway we talked about families and they were able to help the Cambillas feel very good and open up. Lessons are always better with members and especially when you try to get members that are having about the same experiences in life. They were all going to come to church on Sunday for the first time but two of the kids got sick and so the mom stayed home but Alejandro came with Ignacio (the middle kid with 4). They really enjoyed their time and the members here are great cause they just latched on to Alejandro and made him feel very welcome. Another exciting news is that Fatima Mamani came with her family to church! This is the first time in a while that she has come and we can tell they are making changes in the home, there is a different spirit when we go now. I am praying a lot so her and her sister Melani can receive an answer on the truthfulness of these things and be baptized. It was testimony meeting and many gave their testimonies on the Book of Mormon and that Joseph Smith is a true prophet something Fatima is struggling to believe so hopefully some of the words touched her heart! We are trying to find new investigators and no luck so far but we are going to keep on trying. Even though we have a pretty good teaching base now there are always more people to teach the góspel to. Although in two weeks we will be taking over the sisters half of the branch because they are leaving, so this Thursday we are going to visit some of their investigators to start making the transition. Well in the zone we felt like there were several problems with unity in a few companionship so this last district meeting we asked if we could speak in the two districts about companionship inventories. Apparently the district leaders had the same impresión because both of the meeting were about unity and resolving problems. After the meeting we found out that several of the companionships that we were worrying about we able to resolve their problems and that the district meeting inspired them to do it. What a humbling experience to follow impressions and see it help other people with their problems. I sure feel grateful. And one funny story with Stevey Smith (the stuffed lizard that we borrowed from a less active) we pulled of a great prank. We took him with us to the correlation meeting with or Ward misión leader and put him in the bathroom on the counter without anyone noticing. we had the meeting and it was pretty normal and when we finished the sister said "we need to go to the bathroom" talk about perfect. we watched as they went in and then as they ran out screaming and talking in English they were so startled haha will the good news is they don't hate us and we all had a good laugh. Sometimes its nice to just have a good laugh :)

Love,

Elder Andrew

Getting better all the time

June 8, 2015

Well after the blister went away my ankle has been feeling a lot better. I walk pretty much normal now. Some days it feels a bit stiff but for the most part it is fine. What a blessing! This week has been pretty busy and as I look back on what we did it seems like this week has been a month or something. I look back to what we did on Tuesday and think "We did that only 6 days ago, man it feels like it was forever ago" but I guess that's how things are when you have action packed days! On Tuesday we had a zone meeting and talked about chapter 5 in Preach My Gospel about "what function the Book of Mormon has in missionary work" and it was good. This month as a mission we are all supposed to study and focus on chapter 5. My vision of how to use the Book of Mormon I feel is changing and my testimony of it is definitely getting stronger! Like you said Mom, what a blessing it is to have the scriptures! Also what a blessing to know that the Heavens are not closed and God still speaks with His prophets in these latter days! Oh by the way one of the RMs in my ward served in the Salta mission and one of his areas was Tucumán. I don't know if you all remember Elder Reynoso, my hijo that went home after a week because of his back. Anyway the RM here in Citybell served in his ward!! Small world. So Gabriel Reynoso is married in the temple and has a kid already jaja. My companion makes fun of me because I'm still in the mission and my son is already married and has a child. He makes a lot of jokes about how long I'm going to be in the mission, I guess it is pretty funny haha. Then on Wednesday we had the consejo de liderazgo where all the zone leaders and sister training leaders get together to talk about mission things. It was a bit weird because everyone except for like one elder was different from the last time I was there. The mission is splitting and there is a lot going on to get ready. President Thurgood told me when I got here that he might possibly move me to the south mission at the end of this transfer, but I hope he lets me stay here. I really like Citybell and there is a lot of work to do. Plus at the end of this transfer they are taking out the hermanas due to lack of missionaries and so we will have both areas to keep us busy.... good thing we have bikes. This weekend we had a stake conference that was very uplifting and talked a lot about keeping the Sabbath day holy although I like the wording better in Spanish "Sanctify the day of Rest" it is something we must do to make that day Holy. The family Mamani is still coming strong. Fatima has started reading and praying again. She still hasn't asked if this is true or not but said she would now, so we'll see when we teach them today. We are teaching a guy named Julio who is really nice and interested in the gospel. When we went by yesterday to teach him his family was in a big fight, with yelling and foul language and a bit of guareni as well. Not the best way to start out a lesson and it was really sad to see just how sad it made him to see his dad and brothers like that. I don't know what I did to deserve such a wonderful family but I sure am grateful for it. Thank you Mom and Dad for founding our family on the principles of the gospel, on love and Jesus Christ. It has made all the difference in the world in my life and surely in the lives of generations to come. I love you all very much and wish you the Best in this week. May you ever seek the will of the Lord and His guidance.

Love y besitos,

Elder Andrew 

soy un Aregentino mas

June 1, 2015

Well right now I'm in a ciber with pretty bad computers sitting on a bar stool and there are about 12 kids that maybe are 10 years old, playing counterstrike and using worse language than marines. I fear for the future Argentina, well I always kind of did. Anyway other than that this week has been really good. On Tuesday I did an intercambio with Elder Garache, he was in the Quilmes Zone and is a good friend of mine, from Nicaragua. If you remember he is the only member in his family and was kind of disowned by his mother when he came on the mission. He is a good example of doing what the Lord wants before anything else, and it was nice to be with an old friend. To be completely honest being back was pretty difficult. I didn't feel the same love for the work as before and felt like maybe I shouldn't have come back out. However, on Thursday we had a Zone Conference and talked about many subjects that are near and dear to my heart, and I was reminded of a lot of things I used to do in the mission. Then, at the end we had a testimony meeting of all the missionaries since this is the last time the Thurgood´s will have a zone conference in La Plata. Being able to bear my own testimony about why I came back and the truths that I know and being able to listen to the strong and uplifting testimonies of the others gave me a real boost. I would say I'm back to having probably about the same amount of Love for the work and animo as I did before I broke my ankle. My ankle was doing really well, but then the other day a few pebbles got in my shoe down by the pad of my foot on my right foot. Instead of taking them out I just kept walking. Well thanks to that I now have the biggest blister every on my right food haha. It feels a little better but my ankle has been hurting a bit because of the weird walking the blister has caused me to do. I would ask for you faith on behalf of my foot, I'm sure it will be fine. Here is a great lesson we had to finish up. We are teaching a family named the family Mamani. Two of the daughters have already been baptized and the mother wants to get baptized but isn't married and doesn't want to get married because her man has another family in Bolivia.... so typical family you'd find in Argentina. We went and one the daughters who was going to church and progressing really well when all the sudden stopped everything, kind of opened up to us. (We think part of the reason she stopped is the evangelico boyfriend she now has that will just come and live in their house for like 4 days a week) Anyway Fatima (that's her name) said that when she was going to church she really liked it and felt really good but then when she would get home she felt like it was all the same. Also, that she wasn't sure about the story of Joseph Smith. In the mission we are studying one chapter of Preach My Gospel each month and this month is 5 about what is the function of the Book of Mormon. So we told her that really her problems lay in knowing if the Book of Mormon is true or not. We read all of the introduction with the whole family and it was really good. You could tell Fatima was getting into it and a daughter I had never seen before, Yanet, was also pretty interested. This normally crazy family was silent and thinking as we testified of the power of the Book of Mormon and the ability it gives us to know about the truthfulness of this church. I am very grateful for the Book of Mormon because if I ever have a doubt about something in the church I can always fall back on the foundation that I know that the Book of Mormon is true. It changes lives and has infinitely changed mine. I finished reading it for the second time in Spanish last week and am enjoying my study of the Doctrine and Covenants that I'm starting. I love you all and hope you have a great week and can share the gospel with someone or just show someone that you love them, which is pretty much one in the same!  

love and besitos,
Elder Andrew

Joleen Andrew replied: My sweet son. I'm sorry it's been hard. I feel strongly that there is a good reason you are there at this time. Don't let Satan get to you. He will try to get you down. Don't let him. I do pray for the ankle. Remember to take out the rocks...from your shoes and you heart before they make blisters.

Benjamin Andrew replied: I didn't mean to make you worry with telling you how I felt, I really do feel much better now, and apart from the occasional ankle pain it is like I never left the mission, what a blessing :)  

Elder Benjamin Andrew was able to return to the Argentina Buenos Aires South Mission Monday, May 18.

Buenos Aires round 2!

May 25, 2015

Back to the land of street dogs and really bad cibers! haha. Well in Georgia, Hermana Cannon and I met up with a bunch of Hermanas and Elders straight from the MTC that were going to different parts of Argentina. When they found out I had already been there two Elders just glued on to me asking a bunch of questions and stuff like that it was kind of funny and made me remember that weird day when I left the MTC. Then after a reaaaaallllllly long flight we got through customs and everything and I see.... President Thurgood!!!! We ran over gave him a hug and the Hermana Thurgood was there, too. She was so happy to see me she gave me a hug, too haha. They were with the assistants and guess who the new assistant is? That's right, Elder Corry! My hijito ("son", Ben trained Elder Corry) is now an assistant to the president! So we went to the mission home, ate some empanadas and pizza and talked with some old mission friends who were office workers. I had an interview with President and he said he would be putting me as a zone leader in La Plata with Elder Meza. I guess he just doesn't want to give me time to ease back into the mission just throwing me in as zone leader like that haha. It's been good so far though. Elder Meza is from Monterrey, Mexico and is about a head shorter than me. We get along well and make a lot of jokes and stuff. He is a convert of about 2 or 3 years and the only member in his family, pretty special dude. This week, because of the dedication of the Cordoba temple, the hermana that usually sets up the lunches couldn't so we ate in the pench all week (welcome to mission life, haha). Next week we have a zone conference but all we need to worry about is the food and we already took care of that so it won't be that stressful. My area is called City Bell and is pretty big and really tranquilo (mellow), no fear of me getting robbed here. It's kind of like rich farm land. It is my first branch that I've been in and even though the usual attendance is around 65 it is a really nice capilla (chapel). There are about 5 recently returned missionaries and two that got home just last week so a lot of potential to do a lot of things. There are a few good families here to teach, but we are looking for more people as always. This is also Elder Crowther´s last area so he left a few things for me haha. (Elder Crowther was another one of Ben's companions) It has been a bit strange and difficult getting re adjusted to the mission, and it's not like there is anyone who can give me any tips on how to do it. They should make a book for re-adjusting to missionary life. ha ha just kidding But I guess I just worry that I might have lost some momentum but I'm gonna keep trying my hardest to be the missionary I'm supposed to be. My foot feels a bit sore but better than when I got here. We also have bikes in the area which helps my foot feel better. It seems like all the missionaries are new, in my zone most of the missionaries have 6 months or less. Plus there are a ton of hermanas! It is 8 elders and 10 hermanas so really I'm just the president of the relief society. I think the time home helped me to realize how much my love for you guys really had grown. I am so grateful to be part of an eternal family and to be able to share my mission experiences with you. I really do appreciate the good people that you are and feel overly blessed to be part of what seems like such a perfect family. Oh I got an extra transfer added to my mission so I come home November 2. President asked if I want to come home in September or November so I said November. I'll be home just in time to have a huge nacho party haha. The Castellano (spanish) was a bit awkward at first but after a few days I think I'm pretty much back to where I was before, just as President Montague blessed me to be in my setting apart. I love the Lord and am trying to get back in the hang of things.

mucho love,

Elder Andrew

Oh, as of right now in the next transfer I would be in the east mission (new mission) but President thought that he might possibly take me out at the end of this transfer, so we'll see what the Lord has planned for me.