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

the summer is arriving

Oct. 27, 2014

Well as you may have noticed in one of my pictures, I tried to send you a picture of the tan line that is starting to form on my arm, summer is upon us and it is already showing! Don't worry though I change my watch to my other wrist every day just so I don't get one of those nerd tan lines ha ha just kidding.... but I really do change my watch. Something I didn't tell you last week but we have bikes!!!! First time in the mission, it really makes travel a lot easier and helps because the sube (bus card) prices have really spiked, the lowest cost trip when I got here cost 1.50 now the lowest cost trip is at 3.25! So having bikes means we don't really take busses which makes it nice. Also we technically have two areas because they closed down the branch of San Fransico and joined it with Mayol and then took the elders out from over there so we have both areas, and even though it makes things a little harder I feel like it is necessary because there aren't the best feelings between ex-San Fransico and Mayol, so having both areas we can help build up the unity! Well I am really liking my new area! It is tranquilo and there are a lot of good members. I still feel like I hardly know anything but that will come with time of course. My comp also only has about 5 weeks working both areas and his last comp didn't help him out too much so we are getting to know the area together! We have been doing a lot more contacts and even though we haven't seen too many results yet we have high hopes for the future! My comp had the good idea of taking out the peoples phone numbers in contacts (something I had kind of stopped doing) so we could call them to confirm the visits we set up with them that way we don't waste our time with people that aren't there. I have great hopes for this area and I feel like there is something big that the Lord has in store for us here. There are some really capo leaders and the bishop has about 2 months as bishop so that is an animo (excitement) factor. They also give us good almuerzos (lunches) something the Lord has blessed me with in every area. I have nothing more but than to be grateful to Him. I owe everything to him and I love him. I love being able to work here with the people of Florencia Varela, Argentina. What a great place to be at this time in my life! I love you all,

Un Abrazo Fuerte,

Elder Andrew

Photos: Saying goodbye in Quilmes.

MAYOL A!

October 20, 2014

Well like I said I was pretty sure I was getting transferred and sure enough.... here I am in Mayol A in the zone of Florencia Valera. I am with my new comp Elder Cotrell from Utah. He is the district leader. He seems like a pretty cool guy and I am super excited to get to know a new area and help out. The assistant said this area needed help so the Lord definitely has some work for me and my companion to do! Well this last week was really pretty good we tried hard to find some new people, but we didn't but at least we had some good contacts and did find a few "new" less actives to work with. We are getting Federico ready for his baptism, he really wants to get baptized and we only need to teach him one more principle. He will get baptized this Saturday and hopefully Elder Bastias sends me a picture! Then the Familia Lopez, I don't know if you remember them but we were working with them and everything was going good. Their 9 year old son was going to get baptized and they went to church for the first time in a long time and then after that we couldn't get a hold of them..... they wouldn't be there or when we talked to them in the door they would set a cita (appointment) for another day and then later cancel it, it was just really weird. Well, we finally got back into their house on Saturday, had a really good lesson and they all went to church on Sunday! So that was a highlight. The little kid Juan even made me a goku doll out of paper and tape because I was leaving! Then Ignacio got confirmed and his mom that lives in capital came down to see it. After church we went by to pick up a pen drive I had left with Ignacio and talked with his family, it was really good and we could give them a Book of Mormon and invited them to read, so hopefully that seed can grow a little bit! Ignacio is a super capo and I have no doubt that he will go far. He even went with a young man's leader on Saturday to go visit less active kids with his same age! What a champ! It was a bit hard to say goodbye to the Ward. There really were just so many good people there and I learned to love so many of them. It is also hard to say goodbye to Elder Bastias who was a super good companion and I felt like we really taught well together.... but what are you going to do? The Lord needs me here and so here I will stay. I love working for Him and trying to do what He expects of me. That we may all try to live up to His expectations!

Love,

Elder Andrew

 

October 13, 2014
Well this was another great week! We just keep on working. This week we had 2 intercambios and I learned a lot from them. One cool thing about doing these intercambios is I get to be with a lot of elders from other countries, like this week I was with one Mexican and a Colombian, so apart from learning about the gospel and how to do the work better I get to know a little bit about a lot of countries... pretty cool! Charlie went last week to the priesthood session (of General Conference) and he loved it! He said the hermanos (brothers) all talked to him and that he loved what President Monson said! He keeps reading and analyzes what he reads and then explains it to his wife, haha what a capo. Federico is also doing well and we were a bit worried about teaching the Word of Wisdom because he likes coffee, actually loves it. But we taught him and he said "okay" and he is working on not drinking it anymore! He is ready to obey. Then, we found some new people this week. Some of them are Hugo and Laura who are neighbors of the familia Romue (the family I like so much and the dad is a setenta (70)). We have been trying to get a hold of them for a while and we could finally teach them in the house of the familia Romue! It went really well as we taught the restoration, they really seemed interested, Hugo especially and you can't ask for a better member to help you out than a Seventy! Great start with them. And then we had the baptism of Ignacio. It really was quite special and made me think back to the time when Brooke got baptized. I saw all those jovenes (youth) from other Wards and from his own Ward there to help him out. He really is a special kid and I feel blessed to have at least been a small part of his conversion story. He had been waiting for that day for almost a year and his smile said it all. We asked him to give his testimony in the service and what a testimony it was! He understands the gospel! That is a future missionary right there! So a pretty good week. I really love you all and love this gospel that is so true!
Love,
Elder Andrew

semana 5.... where did the transfer go?!

October 6, 2014

 

Yeah, that is right, I can't believe that the time is going by so fast! They will probably take me out of here. One, because I have been here a while and two, I am starting to get comfortable and when someone gets the hang of things in the mission is right when they take you out! But oh well, I still have plenty of time to work here! Well I'll jump right to conference cause I have got plenty to share! Well first of all since my comp is a Latino and we had investigators show up I decided to watch all of the conference in Spanish. It was kind of cool that I could understand basically everything! Thinking back to my first conference when I had to watch a session in Spanish and Elder Bednar talked about tithing and I don't think I even understood that he was talking about tithing! At least there is some growth there haha. Then, with the new language thing, it was really cool with the two elders that spoke in Spanish. What a blessing the Lord gave me to be able to learn another language! It was good though to listen to the choir sing English hymns, what power they have in music. I loved after the prophet talked that they sang "How Firm a Foundation". How firm a foundation we really do have as members of the church! We have a prophet that receives constant revelation. 12 apostles as well. We know who God, Christ and the Holy Ghost are, and we can base our lives not only on the Bible but also on the Book of Mormon and other scripture. QUE firmes cimientos! (how firm is our foundation) Well, Federico went to the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning sessions with his kids and he loved it. I caught one of his kids sleeping but he only has 11 years so what can you expect haha. Then, Charly showed up late on Saturday night. He is really surprising me because he told us he doesn't let preachers into his house, not the testigos (Jehovah's Witnesses) or the evangelicos (evangelists), nadie (nobody). But he read the first pamphlet and we didn't even tell him to but he started reading the Book of Mormon. And then when we were reading a part of 3 Nephi and it said something about the people of Nephi and he said "hold on a second let me explain this to my wife so she can understand".  He then told her who the nephites where!!! Talk about golden investigator! He has a lot of children living close too so hopefully we can teach them as well. Then, Ignacio came and had his interview after almost a year of going to the church as an investigator. He is going to be baptized next Sunday by his friend Augusto! How awesome is that! Then, in between sessions on Sunday, we ran to the stake center in Berazategui to do some baptismal interviews and got all wet because it was raining but they all passed so I guess it was worth it haha! Today in my study I reviewed my notes from conference and made a few goals for myself, I invite you all to do the same. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Elder Andrew