Hola Hola! Guess what day it is, MY 2 MONTH MARK! 16 more to go! When I think about the growth I have seen in these two months I am blown away. I am still the exact same person, but I have learned A LOT of a new language, realize more of who I am, but have seen mostly who I can become.
This week was great! Last p'day I got the wonderful news that we get to watch a movie once a month!! Of course it has to be Disney but I was SOO excited. So my district came to the church and we watched Rise of the Guardians. It has Santa in it and it is so fitting, BECAUSE ITS FREEZING cold and I think it is Christmas everyday!
We always have our wonderful adventure to Carrefour (like safeway) every Monday. It is LOCO! But, they play american music! It is go great to hear words that I understand. Hermana and I sing and it is so funny because she knows the words but has no idea what they mean! Shes awesome. This week we started doing language study where she helps me for 30 minutes in Spanish, and I help her for 30 minutes in English. It actually has helped so much! So much, that the Elders in my district volunteered me to teach English for Avellaneda! I don't know how many people will show up but I am so nervous! I know English, but its the explaining in Spanish that terrifies me! haha but oh well!
I have found my new favorite food! Because there is no peanut butter here I am going through withdrawals! We had lunch at Family Beobides house and she gave us Dulce de Leche with bananas. OH MY GOSH. It is amazing! It is probably so bad for me but, I cant read the food label so I have NO idea and I am not going to try and translate! haha
Argentina had two games this week in the world cup. Oh my word! When they win or score a goal, it is like they whole country just won their Independence! Every car on the road honks for HOURS! They have so much pride in their country!
We have these two investigators, Abel y Silvia! They are about 60 and have 12 kids (AHH!) But, Abel doesn't have a leg. We got to teach him about the plan of salvation. We got to the part about resurrection and read a scripture about how your body will be perfect and he got tears in his eyes and looked at us and asked if he would have his leg. I got to say yes and testify that his body would be perfect. He had so much joy! He committed to be baptized!!! And then we found out that he wasn't married to Silvia, so no date yet. But , we are working on it!
I got to teach about the plan of salvation again with a less active sister, Hermana Flor. She is awesome! I love her so much. I bore my testimony about how I know how hard it is to keep all the commandments but a thing that helps me is thinking about spending forever with my family. I shared that that is the reason I am serving a mission. Because I get to spend forever with my family, I want others to have the same privilege. She has a little boy named Pedro and she had tears in her eyes and shared how all she wants is to spend eternity with her son. She had such a change in desires and that is what all people need. You can't change until you have a desire to change.
One night we were teaching an investigator in a Kiosco (a little baby store) this woman walked into the store and knew the owner. We started talking to her. Her name is Gracillia and she has such a hard life. She lives in the villa (it is equal to the hood) She needed a transplant but she doesn't have an address so every time a kidney was available, she could never get it. Her house isn't even a house and she is freezing every night. She has no money for food and her children are always getting in fights with gangs. It was heartbreaking to hear all of this. We testified of how we knew that Christ knew exactly how she felt. We gave her a book of Mormon and she said she would read it. We cant teach her because we aren't allowed in that area and neither are the elders so we are trying to find a way for her to come to the church and teach her. That night was very humbling. It was so cold. Hermana Rodas and I got back to the pension and we had a our baby stove and our hot chocolate and I went to say my prayers and just cried because I have so much. There are so many people that have nothing, nothing at all. Before coming here, I didn't think this was possible. It was the night before 4th of July and this fourth of July I really realized how much me have living in the US. I never wanna leave the US again after this. It is such a remarkable country.
I sure felt the affects of missionary life this week. Because I have my shoulder bag, one of the bones in my lower back is not in place! It is an awful pain but, hey its part of the call! I have been wearing my BYU Hawaii sweatshirt under my clothes each day because it is so cold. Hermana Rodas and I bought hats and gloves and scarves because we were just SOO cold!!
We had a mix up with our debit cards and we needed to pay our rent. The secretary´s name is Hermano Dance and he is from the US. He doesn't speak Spanish well so I told Hermana Rodas I would talk to him on the phone. I called and I struggled for words! It was hard for me to speak my own language!! I am starting to think a lot in Spanish. I am just amazed at all that I have learned and applied over these 2 months.
Last night we went to visit the people who didn't make it to church on Sunday and we went to Family Abachino´s house. We were talking with them and the Hermana Abachino just started to cry and she said how she knows that Christ lives. She told us a story about how one time she committed to feed the missionaries but she didn't have money to buy food. She had a little bit of rice though so she put that in a pan and went to go do something else. When she came back, the pan was FULL of rice. It was so amazing hearing her testify of Christ. This Wednesday we have a temple trip and we committed her daughters to go. The family is not sealed in the temple and we committed them to work on that and make it a goal. I hope I am here for when it happens!
I read the letter I received from Skye this week and it really helped me. I think of my family and friends everyday but it is starting to be more constructive everyday. It is almost motivating. I want to come back and have no regrets about this time I have spent here. I am working so hard and giving it all I have and I just cant wait to come home and remember this time forever, because it is changing me.
Thanks for all you do, all your prayers, and examples!
Te amo mucho mucho!
Chau Chau!
Hermana Root
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