Elder Morley Haley Santa Fe Argentina Mission: Wards are Cool!

That is really the biggest thing I can tell you guys this week. That being in a ward is super cool. Now, just to clear things up, I’m not saying that Branches or Organized Groups aren’t great and cool, because they are. What I am saying is that I love being in a Ward. My time in branches and organized groups has been great and I’ve learned a lot from them. But, being in a ward is much different. All of the members want to give us food, they are all willing to go out to lessons with us and pick people up for church. Oh, and did I mention that they always want to give us food? Haha, no but seriously. If I’m going to survive this winter, I’m going to have to work out a whole lot....

But alrighty then. This week has been pretty good. We aren’t as lost in the area as we were at the being the week and we are working hard. Walking a lot and talking to a lot of people. It’s great! I love it. Esmeralda is a great area and we are going to have a lot of work to do this week. I’m happy to be here and Elder Smith and I are happy to be working hard and having fun together.

So far, from the investigadores that we’re meeting with the Elders before we got here, we have only been able to teach one of them. We have met almost all of the rest, but they were all busy at the time we went by, but we are going to be able to meet with them again this week. The one investigador that we have met with is named Pricila. She is really great. She has been talking to the missionaries for a while and has been to church a lot. She understands the need to be baptized and has the desire. In fact, about 2 weeks ago she was going to be baptized, but the day of her baptism she was called into work and wasn’t able to attend the service. So we are working with her to help prepare her even more and get her, and hopefully her son who is 8, to get baptized, but for real this time hahah.

Also, yesterday was a great Sunday! First of all, our church building is huge! Two stories and filled with classrooms, which is a bit different than Hernandarias... hahaha. But when I walked into the Sacrament Room, I was surprised to see the FAMILIA PENNO sitting in the pews. It was great to see them and even better to share the meetings with them. In Sunday School, we learned about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the Spirit was very strong. I love the class and learned a lot. It was even better to hear Noelia’s great comments and in the end to hear Jose be asked to say the closing prayer. I love the Penno Family. It was also really nice to meet all of the members. The ward area is pretty big, so all of the SIX missionaries of the District are in the same ward. It’s pretty great. So this week we will be doing some divisions and getting to know the rest of the district a little more.

But today we had a really great experience, one of the coolest of my mission honestly. While Elder Smith and I were walking through an area that is called the Peatonal (which is a long open air mall), there was a group of Jehovahs Witnesses talking to people that were passing by. So, as Elder Smith and I walked past, a young, probably 10 year old JW came up to us and asked if he could talk to us for a little bit. He was all dressed up in his tie and slacks and had his little bag and everything. Then he pulls out his well worn, very highlighted and marked Bible and starts to talk to us about our Heavenly Mother. It wasn’t the small message that I liked so much as the fact that the kid was 10 years old and had the guts and courage to talk to the two of us, who were obviously pretty well dedicated to a different religion. I thought about it a little more as we left and asked to myself, if that kid was able to talk to us and other people, why can’t I do it too?? We talk to people all day long, but we could talk to more!

So I’ll let you all think about that and ask yourselves if there isn’t anything that you can do better to share your faith with those that might need it.

Love you all

Chau

Elder Haley