The love of Jesus and Fiestas is real...

"By their fruits ye shall know them..."

Well... what if they just hand us fruit... does that make them good people? Because Ive been handed a lot of fruit this week and I think these people are amazing. haha Seriously... oranges, apples, half a giant watermelon that was literally bigger than my head -picture me walking down the street in the dark with half a giant watermelon in my hands... carrying it much like the cover of the book Twilight because there was no other way to hold it, and walking past gangs. No one harrassed me that night. hahahahha Also a different version of cantalope.. and a bag full of lemons... because when life literally hands you lemons... rejoice!!

But anyways, this week has been a trial of my faith. Welcome to the refiners fire baby!! I started to question why I was here as I was swimming in my own sweat after chuch yesterday.. hahaha no not really... but kinda. hahahaha That and something Ive learned this week. If someone is striving to do good, don't you DARE bring them down. If someone is trying their hardest, you cheer them on. If you don't want to follow the same rules, so be it, but don't you dare bring them down. Ever. I know that's randomly a very strong lesson I learned this week. But if you're a hater go hate in a dark corner and leave us happy people be. hahaha This mission is already changing me... hahaha I know why I'm here, I was called of God... He called my name, and I answered... I don't have time in my life for anything else but God's plan for me. God is important to me, and I came here to help people. No less.

Anyways Christmas was literally the bomb. The whole world exploded in fireworks and paper lanterns at midnight. People really love Jesus and fiestas.... hahahaha It was so awesome! We were up on there roof terrace thing watching it all go down. Whether they believe in God or not... Everyone here is really happy for Jesus to be born. hahahaha Also I got two Christmas gifts this year...

ONE    EMILEE was my companion for a day!! We killed it in Cabildo. hahahah Two Washingtonians from WG ward... my oh my... It wasn't even work... it was so fun!! hahahaha

SECOND     I skyped my family!!!! AWWW I just love them so much!! And the Lord really blesses me out here because it wasn't as hard as I thought to say goodbye.. but also its because I know I'll see them again and we literally have eternity to catch up on these two years. I love them so much and so proud of them!!! CALISTA GOT ACCEPTED INTO BYU-I (I think I) hahaha Im so stinking proud!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh 

But I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas... I realized something... Christmas is Christ-mas and in Español mas means more.... How true... Christmas is really about Christ. its more about Christ than all the lights we hang up or the gifts we give. It's about him and finding our faith in him much like the shepherds and the wise men had to find him. We all need to find him in our lives. And if your lives dont have room for him (much like the inns) then make that your new years resolution, and actually do it. hahaha

I have so much love for my dear brother Jesus. He's dedicated his life to helping me, same with you. He literally pleas for us before the Father. That's my new years resolution, to make room for Christ, because he's waiting at the door, ready to be let in. 

I love you all so much, I hope you had the most amazingly fantastic Christmas' and that they were cold... hahahahaha HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Im sure I'll have some crazy stories about the fiestas for these week also. hahaha

LOVE YOU ALL

Yes YOU

hahaha

Con muchísimo amor

Hermana Bower

llama llama ding dong

So I can't write much just know that for some reason ever since I got here, I love llamas... I don't know why. Have I seen one yet? Nope! But llamas have my heart. Argentina is changing me.... hahahaha

So I prayed hardcore for an investigator to attend church. HARDCORE! And did we have one.. heck yeah! Did I know them? NOPE! A kid as we were hurrying down the street to church called out, Are you headed to church? We're yelled back, SI! And he said, Can I come? We stopped walking. So he came to church with us. Does he live in our area, can we teach him? Nope... but other missionaries can, and I saw the miracles happen in my life. I wish I could explain more but I don't have time. But I asked for a miracle, and did my part in working my butt of inviting people. God really does help you with whatever you ask for.

Just know that I love you all. And I cant wait for this Christmas. I love the Savior so much and all he's done for me. I can't even put it in words. But God has given us the ultimate gift, Christ... What gifts are you going to give him.

I love God, I love my family, I love this gospel, and recently I love llamas. This work is sometimes the weirdest thing I have ever done in my life, but it's also amazing. Keep striving to do your best, and God will help you, but you can't plead and plead without putting in the efforts. This Navidad... think about you really want under the tree and in your lives... and if it's not God and your families.. then maybe you need to change a little. That can be your gift to give. 

I love you all

Sweating my booty off in Santiago

Hermana Bower

Crackers and God sustain me

Welcome to the infierno... 

When your shoes melt and your hair catches on fire, you know... you just know Hades is nearby.

This week was interesting, got  my first sunburn this week (I know, its hard to believe it took a month and a half of being in Argentina for that to happen),

Proof of a suntan

The burn is real!

Went swimming... I even got all dressed up for the occasion too. Pure ratchetness! My hair in a Girls Camp Flashback (frenchbraids) and my rain jacket pulled tight around my face... and yet I still heard the chant of Rubia! Like come on people!! you cant even see my hair!! Geez... I started to float away in all the garbage that was floating across the street that this mother of all rainstorms was bringing down on me. Or at least my poor, shattered heart was floating away in the garbage. I still haven't found it. My heart has taken a beating this week. 

One of our recent converts - three toothed, one toe Maria, or Maria z as others call her. Well let me break this down... She lives in a house with her daughter. But also she lives with this guy Andres and his nephew Cristian. Well Andres wants to be baptized really bad but first he needs to get married or move out and also... also.. he killed a man once so he needs to talk with our mission president. hes the bomb though. And his nephew is a weetheart and is like 26. He calls maria tia and helps her and holds her hand. He's gone to church twice, has a baptismal date, and wants to change his life. But like many hes's caught up in the gans and drugs but he loves hearing about God and just repeats everything you say with a wonder. Well... FREE AGENCY SUCKS!! Yeah it does! You might think, wow this is great, i can choose for myself. hahahaha... NO!

We went to go teach them, and we were a little concerned because they weren't at church. well... Maria was bawling when we saw them. In the middle of the night, Cristian stole their money and stuff and ran away. Yeah.. my heart... for this family and for Cristian! I hope wherever he is, he remembers what we taught him and that God loves him no matter what. No matter how far you´ve fallen, theres hope. Gods waitin gfor you to look up so he can rasie you higher than your burdens. I know this is true.

The Stake Center

Also... this Sunday we had 22 people at church. 22! We have a ward, but you wouldn't know it... it looks like a struggling branch. I love these people so much they're breaking my heart! So prayers for this ward would be awesome. Also on the 26th after lunch, all the leaders in this ward and us are fasting until after lunch on Sunday. These are people you'll probably never meet but that shouldn't be a factor, everyone needs to be brought back to the fold of God and to feel His love. You don't need to fast for that long but if any of you want to, this ward needs all the help it can get. We can't go out working with investigators until the we've working on strengthening the members. We're just not sure how to go about helping them.  I told you.. my heart is broken!!!

One of our fave investigators gave us bread she made as we were running through the rain.  It's not important that she put it in a really dirty bag or that I pulled hair off of it.  It was made with love.  She's awesome-sauce.  Also, I was hungry.  #noregrets  #kinda  haha

But in happier news, apparently we're the Bishops spouse... he told us that. and sadly for America...Everyone here thinks the DONALD TRUMP is the spokesperson for America.... Uh shoot people.. we need to fix America because people keep quoting Trump here and Im just like wow.... Okay America... wooo.. we're sad. Please somebody fix this while I'm gone because this is just embarassing. 

Stop signs on the wall

Happiness is Peanut M&Ms

OOOh I got a Christmas present early this year!!! EMILEE IS IN MY ZONE NOW!!! AHHH YEAH BUDDY!!! thank you God and Santa!!!

LOVE YOUR FACES!!! 

Sweating in Salta,  Hermana Bower

The spine broke.  Just wearing them in.

I am NOT a doctor!

In case any of you forgot... in case I've been gone for too long... I am a 19 year old girl. That's it. It's not much and I have not went to medical school. I know someone of you think I have but nope, I'm afraid I haven't done too much with my life yet.

Buuuut... Explaining that to people here... IMPOSSIBLE.

Almost every person LOVES to tell us aaaalll about their medical problems. It's like Hola, mucho gusto.... He're my only toe!

Seriously, Maria... yes three-toothed Maria... she constantly shows us how one foot only has one toe, and the other foot has a missing heel thats not a good color. Yeah... she whips that thing out and I´m like oooohh... hahahaha okay. No more. I am not a doctor, I can't help you with that. All I've got is the Plan of Salvation. Later, you'll be made perfect, but for now... Maybe you should go to the Doctors. 

Seriously though, everyperson... They start on about a pain in their side, and then my companion starts on how she was sitting studying and a crazy strong pain started in her little toe. (Sidenote she's totes fine hahaha) and then soon everyone is going on and on, and I'm just sitting there.... Yeah... so Jesucristo... hahaha its so funny. It's moments like these where I have to become the best actor ever and not laugh. It's never serious problems, but I honestly think I have a laughing problem. I laugh in all the wrong moments. Ask Crystal Blacker... We can't go to movies anymore... hahahaha No but there's this one family... Familia Coria. And one lady is a member but her mom, no. But they ALWAYS smile and laugh. Even about bad stuff. So I always try to watch my comps face, which is always neutral. And the lady always stares me down when talking. hahaha so I'm forced to react. And let me tell you.... You can only fake like you know what's going on for so long. She was talking about her friends baby who was born with some kind of problem.. and I was smiling right through that. Yikes... she still likes me, and still thinks I understand her, but jeez people!! Would it hurt you to frown when you're talking about sad things?! 

Another interesting thing was we were at a members house eating lunch, and they LOVE to sing. Like they've traveled the world as a family performing and know tons of famous people. Anyways, they're always trying to do karaoke. And so we were sitting there and they asked my comp how this song goes and so she starts humming it. And then soon she kinda starts to sing it. And they're like, sing it all! So she's like okay. So she starts to sing it, and then all of sudden they hand her a real microphone, and just like that... the lights were dimmed, microphone on, and music from who knows where turned on. We had a show. Everyone was acting like this happens often... and I was just like... uh... That escalated quickly. hahaha it was sooo funny!! These people... I felt like I was in that one ICarly episode where the whole school is a musical (Calista knows what I´m talking about hahaha). It was intense.

So this week we didn't have very  many lessons. It's hard in Santiago because the other presidential candidate Scioli paid almost every person here to vote and gave them jobs and he's not president now... Macri is. So... Santiago is struggling. Many of our people can't come to church or meet with us because they're looking for jobs. A whole city is looking for jobs. It's bad.

But I'm so excited for Christmas!! It's getting closer!! And as it gets closer, I realize more and more that yeah I miss my family and normal Christmas, and having no sun, but that's not what Christmas is about. And I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to tell people why Christmas really is so special. It's because of Christ. He gave us his everything, and still continues to. He gave us the gift of peace and love and hope. "He's more than a teacher, than an example, he's more than a physician, he is the literal savior of the world." Turn to him this Christmas season. He's waiting. Let us all come and adore him, and shout with praise, because he lives and he loves us. 

"When we his children plead for bread, he does not hand us a stone. He swallows us up in gifts overabounding. He transforms darkness to light. He gives us his son." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

LOVE YOU ALL

Hna Bower