Yooooooo what’s up my
people. This is Elder Haley, tuning in for
this week’s review in Argentina. Let’s just say, the work is going pretty
well. The people we are teaching still
don’t want to be coming to church, which is honestly pretty frustrating, but
that just means we have to work even harder. But y’all know how it goes, so
let’s jump into the week.
This week we have been passing by quite a few people and we
actually had a bunch of really good charlas and lessons with a few of our
investigadores. Our investigadora that is progressing the most right now is
probably Magdalena. This week we had two lessons with her. First was a lesson
when we just talked more about the Book of Mormon and answered her questions
about that. We also read with her the introduction to the Book of Mormon and
that helped her understand a little more, even though she told us that the
introduction was the same thing that we had explained in the previous lesson.
It was a great discussion that we had and she seemed to be really interested.
But, because she hadn’t read in the Book or Mormon since the last time that we
passed by her, we left with her the same invitation for the next time that we
went by. Sooo, skip ahead a few days and we went back again. At the beginning
of all our lessons we like to just sit down and chat for a little bit to get to
know the people we are teaching a little better and also to try to find if
there is anything else that they specifically need. It’s always really nice and
fun to share experiences and plans for the future and everything. But, the
discussion that we had was super good this time too. We asked her about her
reading assignment, and she told us that she had read! It was great. She had
read all of the witnesses and the testimony of Joseph Smith and all the way up
to 1 Nephi 4. She even remembered all that she read too! So we talked about
that and she was super interested and told us that she really wanted to read
more. Then, after that, we taught her the Plan of Salvation. The discussion
was, once again, super good. We were able to ask her a few things, and she
answered all the questions really well. She also had a few questions for us,
that we were able to answer too. But, in the end, we got through the entire
lesson and she seemed very satisfied with what we shared. We also talked about
what we do in the church on Sundays and she told us that she was really wanting
to go because she felt that since she hadn’t received her "answer" to
her prayers, she thought that it would be a lot better to go to the church
and look for her answer there. We completely agreed! It was amazing. She really
understands how it all works and how she can benefit from what we teach. But,
when it came down to Sunday morning, she wasn’t able to come to church. From
the last lesson that we had, she told us that her boyfriend would be able to
take her to church. So we planned to call her the night before, just in case,
but when we called, her number wasn’t working, which was really wierd because
it was the same number that we had used to talk with her before. So we don’t
know what happened and what kept her from coming to church, but we are going to
pass by her as soon as possible and try to figure out what had been going on
and make sure everything is okay.
Other than Magdalena, we are still teaching Paola too. But,
this week we weren’t able to get in and teach her because her mom is still not
doing too well and she is always having to take care of her and never has time
to meet with us. And, at the same time she isn’t able to read the Book or
Mormon or think and ponder about what we have been teaching her. So that is
super lame, but we are trying our hardest to stay positive and hopefully we can
catch her at a good time this coming week to be able to teach her and get
everything nice and in order. But, for now, it looks like we are going to have
to not focus on her too much.
We are also trying to start teaching a family that we met
this week. The dads name is Mauro and the moms name is Leonela. They are super
great and super nice. We met Mauro on the bus last week and have been trying to
find his house. After finding where he lived, we learned that he had actually
just moved, but luckily he was still in our area. So we finally found them and
we were able to sit down and chat with them for a while. We were able to
explain what we do as missionaries and about where be come from and about our
families and a little bit about who we are. They explained to us a little of
themselves too. We learned that they are super devoted to an Evangelical church
and go not only to the public meetings that take place 3 times a week, but that
they also go to "Prayer Meetings" about 2 or 3 other times a week
also. It’s great to see just how faithful they are, we are just trying to teach
them the true gospel to be faithful to. But sadly, since the first time we
passed by, the rest of the week we weren’t able to teach them. But, the Leonela
seems to have a lot of interest in what we do and what we have to share, and
Mauro seems open to hear us too. Even if it is only because he is a really
nice, religious man. If we do get into their house to teach them this week, we
are going to make it a really great, Spirit packed lesson that leaves them
pondering about what we shared. They are a great family, we just want to set
them on the path to Eternal Life, where they can spend the rest of forever as a
family.
We have also been trying really hard to get a menos activo
family active again. They are the converts of Elder Peña, one of my old Zone
Leaders from my time in Rafaela. They have been members for about a year or so
now and haven’t been to church for a few months. So, we are trying our hardest
to give them all the opportunity to come to church and receive the blessings
that come from that. We had planned a family home evening with them on
Wednesday, but there ended up being a really crazy rain storm that got us
suuuuper wet and when we got to the house, we clapped as loud as we could, but
the rain us too strong and the family couldn’t hear us outside. But, we had
passed by again, later in the week, and invited them to come to church, but yet
again, they were not able to come, for one reason or another. But hey, what can
ya do? Well keep trying and hopefully they will finally be willing enough to
drop all pride and shame, and just come to the church to feel the Spirit.
We are trying to teach a few other people too, but for now,
I don’t have too much to share on that.
BUT! This New Year has brought the first Sunday with the new
schedule of two hour church. Let’s just say that it’s going to take a little
bit of getting used to. BUT! This week was the week for Sunday School and guess
who taught the lesson lead the discussion¡¡ You know it! Noelia Benitez! Or,
because many don’t know that her last name actually isn’t Penno, it’s the mom
to my convert family! It was great. She was definitely a little nervous and
uncomfortable with the assignment, but she actually rocked it and lead the
discussion really well. Adding a few of her own thoughts and also leaving
everyone else to a few thoughts of their own. She is going to get a lot more
comfortable with the calling, but I am actually really proud of the great job
she did on the first attempt!
Spiritual Thought of the Week:
I took a few days this week to read one of the best,
"get down to the business" scriptures in the Book of Mormon. I
studied Alma 5 this week. It was amazing. I can’t tell you just how great that
chapter was for me this week. I took one of the verses and changed it to my
mission experience a little bit. It was the verse 27:
27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently ?
That your garments have been and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to his people from their sins?
I took this verse and changed it a little to say something along
the lines of, "If you were called to go home from the mission today, could
you say that you had been sufficiently humble, faithful and hard working?"
So that is something that I have been thinking more about, just how hard I
should be working, as if every day were my last here in Argentina.
That’s basically all that happened this week, but it was a
pretty great week all in all. We are still hoping to improve even more this
coming week, but thank you all for the prayers, love and support that you are
always sending and sharing. I am really grateful for the blessings and help
that we receive as missionaries to be able to find people to help and teach. We
would never be able to do it on our own. Thank you all.
Chau
Elder Haley
Our skies are amazing here
our water got knocked out for a little bit and then it came
out nice and green like this
one of the streets after a bit of rain
This is a plant called burrito. When you dry the leaves, it is used in mate. Super good!
Dinner one night this week.
Noelia teaching Sunday School for the first time
If "SNOWED" in Argentina! Thanks mom!
