Preachers, storms, and panchos...

Okay, so Ive just got to say that I love my companion. Hermana Herrera. hahaha we realized in the first together that we're the same. hahah this means that we're always running to appointments because we're late because we both got distracted, but we're working on that... hahahah

Everynight this week we've seen the Catholic Church having mass in the streets and having a parade for different Virgens.... And every night we walk right through this crowd inviting people to know Christ while we're munching on footlong hotdogs.. hahahah

Other churches really hate us... but tomorrow is the BIG FIESTA of the Patrona Virgen in Guemes... We're going to be talking to people all day in the streets! Im super pumped, Ill take lots of pics!!

THis week we're were teaching an abuela who loves her santos, and HATES her neighbor and we ask her to pray, so she did... but in her head. for 10 MINUTES!! hahaha I was literally dying of laughter. My comp and I just kept looking at one another and then at her... 10 minutes and then she said Amen... hahahahah So many weird things happened this week.. so many!!

But our investigadores are progressing like crazy right now. Yuliana will be baptized in 10 Sept, and Hno Avillo in 9 Sept. And we have 4 other baptisms planned. I have a feeling this month and a half with my comp will be the best. hahahaha 

LOVE YOU ALL

AND MUCHAS GRACIAS to my girls in the Walnut Grove Ward. I love you chicas. I got your letters! Literally made my day today reading them. I love you all and your strong testimonies and your love for everyone. hahaha And thanks Ryann... Im going to take your advice and always knock on one more door! LOVE YOU CHICAS!

LOVE

Hermana B

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Estimadas Hermanas,

Ya se les ha depositado el dinero para la compra de pantalones de vestir en sus tarjetas. Estimamos que el dinero les alcanzará para 3 o 4 prendas. Favor mandar comprobantes de compra y si tienen un sobrante deben enviar al secretario financiero por sobre cerrado a través de los líderes. 

Les copio una porción de la carta del departamento misional anunciando el cambio:

"Durante las temporadas en que el contagio de enfermedades serias transmitidas por mosquitos sea alto, se anima a las misioneras de las misiones que hayan sido autorizadas  a que lleven pantalones de vestir cuando hacen proselitismo. Las misioneras deben continuar usando faldas o vestidos cuando asistan al templo o durante los servicios de adoración del domingo, las conferencias de líderes y de zona, y los servicios bautismales; sin embargo, al asistir a los servicios de adoración del domingo, las conferencias de líderes y de zona, y los servicios bautismales, pueden usar pantalones de vestir hasta llegar al lugar de reunión y cambiarse antes de que comience la misma."

Esperamos que esto nos ayude a mantener una misión con "cero dengue"

Favor recordar utilizar la permetrina en ropa de vestir, sabanas, colchón, puestas ventanas, etc. También deben usar repelente en la piel con la frecuencia necesaria.

Por consultas adicionales escriban a la Hermana Chaparro 

Gracias por su servicio

Hermana y Presidente Chaparro

Aquí figuran fotos de ejemplos de la Hermana Chaparro para ayudarles con escoger los pantalones:

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They are telling us to buy pants... nnoooooo or skirts large.... thats like impossible here. the only long skirts are weird gypsy skirts. Ahhhhh nooooo hahahahahaha nooo pants

Estimadas Hermanas,

La falsas largas, máxis o long skirts también están permitidas aunque consideramos que la mejor protección son los pantalones. En caso de optar por faldas deberían no olvidar de aplicar permetrina rociando la prenda a fin de aumentar la protección contra mosquitos.

Gracias por su servicio

Hermana y Presidente Chaparro

Soy un abuellita.. en la mision, y la vida...

So.... I just gotta say...

This week... I have to not only buy pants... but start wearing them... 

Presidente made it final... we need to start using pants to protect from the mosquitos that are giving everyone dengue.... 

Tomorrow Im going to have 11 months in the mission and this is how things change?! This is going to be SOOOO WEIRD!! Dont worry, Ill take lots of selfies... oh gosh...

This week was awesome!! So I just love my ward here, one of our investigadores made me a cake for my birthday, and then the YSA of the ward threw me a party.. and wow... 20 years old.. ew. hahaha I feel old...

Today I got a new companion

Hermana Herrera from Chile... she has 5 months in the mission.. and well shes practically a baby in the world of missionaries... and she asked me how many months I have... 11... wow.. yeah Im old now.. in years and months! ahhhh

But awesome... this week has been crazy.. So last night we were testifying in the streets to one kid that is 19 years old that hes a son of God and no matter what God loves him.. yeah... its sad to see the decisiones of people so young. And when we went to visit Vetiana, she was in the church of the Evangelistas... :( This week I could really understand what Joseph Smith experienced... Never before have I understand that part when he sad there were so many different churches and the pressure to join one was so high. because... yeah theres alot of churches but a lot of people dont even believe in God in the US.But here... wow... Joining a religion is so important here.. walking down the street, theres the priest of the Catholic Church waving smoke and singing with a giant crowd of people carrying a statue of Jesus Christ walking down the street, the churches are open and you can hear a million different religions singing and for once I understand.. how the pressure can be so intense to feel the need to be part of a religion. Everyone here is of one church or another.... and Im just so grateful for the restored truths. God brings light, understanding, and peace.. and if you dont understand whats being said, why youre there... then you need to really ask God what he wants for you. God will never lie. If you ask in faith, and you are willing to act, he will always show you the way. I love that when I enter our church, I feel at peace. I feel like God is smiling at me, and hes been leading the way there all along. Its  a feeling different..... its the love God has for us, his children.

I love that we can bring that hope, that peace to people. I know that God loves us, he wants us to return to him, and he will show us the way. We've just got to be good at listening, and then following. 

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE BIRTHDAY WISHES!!! It was different to celebrate here, and a little ratchet, but I loved it!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Hermana B

LLAMAS, GOD, EMPANADAS, Y BIRTHDAY LOVE

Today.. I hugged a llama, dyed my companions hair, taught these Latinos how to play Uno while we ate Empanadas and we saw a parade held in my honor.. actually it was for a un virgen.. but we dont believe in that stuff so no.. it was for me. hahaha

This week was de 10!!! 

I just love it here!! I can't believe that we have transfers in one week!!

THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE BIRTHDAY WISHES!!!

Awww I just feel so loved from you all! I can't believe Ill be 20 tomorrow... we spent the day doing childish things.. because my mom always says that the day before your birthday you need to always to something childish because the next day youll be a year older and wiser. ;) hahaha 

So today.. we searched for chicken in three different towns with our trusty rusty taxi buddy, and bought empanadas instead and headed to historical park and ate lunch and Hermana Barnes and I taught these Latinos how to play Uno. 

And well I hugged a llama today, and a goat... hahaha and then we taught our taxi buddy about the Book of Mormon and I just am so grateful for the Book of Mormon, it doesnt matter if I understand everything or if things are crazy, I open the scriptures and I can find peace. Its something that is almost magical if I didnt know that it was from God. He loves us so MUCH that he gave usa chance to read to learn of Christ and to return to him.

This week a lot of sad things happened in the lives of our investigadores or converso here in Guemes and sometimes Im just like really... I have no idea what to say. I haven't been in their shoes. What advice could I possible give them? But then I remember that Christ walked in their shoes. Hes the one that knows, so I open my mouth and Ive seen miracles happen this week. 

Not trying to find the perfect answer to their problems, but letting them talk and letting them remember that God loves them so much! And wow.. Hearts change.

I like the quote that says:

"Christ changes men, and changed men change the world."

Ive seen that pass this week, as the husband of Vetiana started to drink and leave her and her little three year old daughter who has epilepsy to try to find a way to live, and Elba told us that she married her husband because she wanted to be baptized and not because she loved him and as shes watching the consequences of that as her husband is using drugs and put their daughter in the hospital... Ive seen a lot of sad things this week, but more than that, I saw the love of God light their lives. Its crazy how God can change the worst of situations to be something that doesnt bring us down but drives us forward. Someone told me this week that challenges and trials arent from God, but are to send truth seekers to their knees.

I love that. We are sent here in our lives to learn. to grow, and to reurn to God again. Dont look down in shame or in sadness, dont look over at what others are doing, dont look back at what youve done, just look up!

I love you all!! I know that tomorrow for my brithday, I wont really have a party or anything.. but Ill work my butt off. Trying to give something back to Christ. 

LOVE YOUALL TONS!!

Hermana B

Yeah... 20... ew... hahahaha thats why I did all these things childish today to celebrate... like sticking my head out the window of the car if youre wondering why my hair is all crazy sauce. hahaha But today was awesome. And the guy in the photos he's our friend. hahah hes a taxi driver that we are teaching. We went and ate lunch and taught him about the Book of Mormon finally! And well hes probably the only person in Argentina that doesnt really already have a relationship with God.. hes awesome sauce. We're going to baptize him when hes not our taxi driver no more. hahaha 

Hanging with the Pres.

hahahahahaha yeah buddy!! I love this pic alot!! hahahaa This is the second monday they had interviews with Pres. I was just there for the ride. hahahaha But this pic.. hahaha we bought these shirts.. theyre one of the rival football teams and well.. pres loves this team... so we took a pic.. hahahah it was super funny. he wanted to go bring his jersey too.

Ive got mountains to climb... okay... hills

Overlooking Salta

So I dont have much time to write... like seriously... where does the time go? This week my comp and I really are trying to focus in the Atonement and what it means to us. 

We're seeing miracles... like wow.... 

 Also we FINALLY found our investigador Vetiana this week. She didnt go to church and we hadnt heard from her in a WEEK!! And well... she was mad at us. hahaha apparantly when we did splits with the sister training leaders... the message was a little lost in translation. She told us yesterday, "I dont like what the other chicka said to me..." Uh... She thought that we said she needed to get married before 6 de Agosto... uh... no.. hahhaha I dont know what happened, but we only ever put goals never tell people what they need to do. hahaha all is good in the hood again. She said that she wants to get married but not this week. hahaha we're working for in two weeks she can get married and then baptized. Really.. theyre a family of gold. Theyre already paying tithing. hahahah

So we were in Salta today... Ive gotta say, I have missed being on top of a mountain... well its more like a hill.. but eh... almost. hahahah And I just love it here!!! I cant believe that in two weeks ill be 20 and then a month after Ill have one year in the mission. life is crazy, but oh how great this life!!

LOVE YOU ALL!! ill write more next week!! 

LOOKIE LOOKIE I FOUND A PESEBRE!!! I got two nativities when I was in the mountians this morning... the treasures you find in the weirdest places sometimes... hahahahah