Semana de Milagros! (11/24/14)

Hola hola! Wow monday already! Its feels like I just wrote. My hands always get so tired writing this letter haha. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMS!!! Your the best grandma in the whole wide world!

This week was one verrrrry interesting. I learned SO many things. After having the terrible sunday with the members I was so stressed. My District leader could tell that I was way stressed and so in our District Meeting we talked about stress managment. I told him elder, stress runs in my family. I work better under stress. Leave me alone haha. Then he made us do YOGA to unwind... what a day. But, its all okay. I am now a lot less stressed and so happy because MIRACLES happened during the week. 

We had exchanges and it just happens that my sister training leader is Hermana Rodas!! My first companion. It was so good to see her! I learned so much in our exchanges. My companion and I dropped EVERY single one of the investigators that we had because no one TRULY has a desire to follow Christ. I learned this week that all Christ did was say come, follow me. And those that wanted to came, those who didnt went their way. I was just tired of wasting time with people who just wanted to talk and never do anything. So my companion and I started from rock bottom. We knelt and prayed and asked heavenly father where we needed to go to find investigators. We both wrote down 5 streets and one matched, Reconquista, so we spent 3 hours knocking every door in the street. By the end of the day, we had 8 appointments! That was on saturday so we havent seen them yet but we are hoping to BAPTIZE SOME PEOPLE! 

My companions are all very stressed with how the members are here in Dolores. So, we had a meeting with the Bishopric and I let them know how we were feeling. No one would do it so, I did it. The all had their excuses but, the understood where we were coming from. Then they gave me the opportunity to give a talk on sunday. So, I gave a talk that was pretty straight forward about the responsibility of members. When we finished, we began to ask who could come to help us with our Tormenta Blanca activity and people began to do SOMETHING! There was a difference!! 

My companion and I fasted on saturday that we could find new investigators and that we could work more with the members. When we left for church on sunday, we went to the house of two little girls that walk with us, our investigators that we dropped, left their house and said Hermanas, we want to go to church with you! We had invited them SO many times and they had never come, but they went with us! It was SUCH a miracle!!

We worked so hard this week that I have a hilarious story. I happened to get a terrible cold and was suppppper congested and not sleeping well. On thursday, I woke up and kneeled down to say my prayers, 45 minutes later I woke up. My companion said she felt bad waking me up so she let me sleep! She said I was snoring and everything. The mission wears ya out!!

Today was the birthday of our District Leader and his ward through a party so we came to Chascomus for the day! It was a wonderful p-day! Its the last week of the transfer so we will see if I am with Hermana Vasconcellos again or if I leave or what! Who knows!

I am sad that I wont be home for thanksgiving but make sure to eat a lot for me! Just pretend like the missionaries are me! My companions and I will do something to celebrate the Mayflower, pilgrims, n such. I am thankful to be here in the mission. Its the greatest blessing I have ever recieved and I thank my heavenly father everyday that hes given me this privilege to be here. I am so blessed. 

Love you all!!

Chau chau!

Hermana Root

Six Months Down! (11/10/14)

Wow, what a week. Just like everyone in the family, I had my ups and downs throughout the week but I can say one thing. The atonement of Jesus Christ is real. I felt this peace inside of me during the whole week that I knew that I was going to be okay and that everyone in my family was going to be okay as well. I could literally feel Uncle Al with me. I knows hes watching and hes still with all of us. 

The way I decided to deal with this trial of Uncle Al was work as hard as I can. The truth is, the girls I am living with have a different way of working. They are much more relaxed and are obedient, but not exactly. I felt prompted that I was sent to Dolores to change things. I gained the courage to talk to my companion. I told her we were going to change some things and that it was time to be exactly obedient and more organized because its not our time that we are wasting. She was so wonderful and this week we worked so hard. I was able to literally forget myself, my problems, everything and just emerse myself in the work. There is still SO many things that I need to change about myself and this area but its a start. The truth is, Dolores is a very very hard area. The members believe that the missionaries run the church. The gossip about us and are the farthest thing from supportive. Its so hard. I have been praying and praying as to what to do and nothing has come yet, so I am just going to keep working hard. I know I am here in Dolores for a reason but this sure is the hardest time in my mission so far. 

I had a beautiful opportunity to share my testimony with a woman while we were traveling home from Zone meeting this week. She is an english teacher and she started to speak english with me. It was SO hard to speak english. It doesnt flow. I changed to speaking spanish because it was easier! But, she told me how her sister died of cancer this week. With tears in my eyes, I told her how my uncle died this week of cancer too but I know where he is and that I would love to teach her about where her sister is. She accepted and lives here in Dolores. She isnt in my area so I dont get to teach her but it is amazing how Heavenly Father puts people in our paths. 

This week I had my 6 month mark in the mission. Its so weird to think about how far I have come. My old district leader is now my zone leader and when he heard me talk he told me that he didnt believe it was me because of my progress. I got asked 2 times this week if I am from Spain because my accent! I dont have a lisp like spain so idk whats going on haha. I am realizing just how much heavenly father is blessing me. 

I got the opportunity to teach a family this week about the Restoracion. It was one of the most powerful lessons I have ever had. The whole family said at the end that they could feel that it was true and that the peace they feel is something they have never known. The gospel truly changes everything and I am so thankful for that!

My companion is teaching me how to cook and I can offically cook brazilian food! Its SO good! There are also blackberry trees all over and it happened to be our lunch one day this week. 

RUSSEL M NELSON is coming to speak to our mission on thursday!! I AM so excited!!!

Seeing the picture of all the cousins together was a hard one to see. I miss all of you and am so sad I couldnt be there for the funeral. But, I was there in spirit. Now its time that we all can move forward and remember to always be as happy as Uncle Al. Because, that is exactly what he would want. 

I love each and every one of you. Be strong. And always rely on the atonement! 

Con muchismo amor, 

Hermanita Root

1. There are dead frogs everywhere!

2. 6 months sign from my companions

3. My district

4. My companion Hermana Vasconcellos

5. Blackberries

Home in One Year! (11/3/14)

Hola familia, 

As I am writing this, my heart is extremely full. I am extremely grateful for this knowledge I have and this gospel in my life. It is very hard to pass through times like these so far from home. Knowing that Uncle Al is gone is a feeling I cant understand. I feel so happy for him because I KNOW where he is. I know that he is going to have an opportunity to hear this gospel from missionaries just like me, and I know I will see him again. I know we can be a family forever and nothing will seperate us. I know now hes going to be with me in these final 12 months here in Argentina. It is us that are the ones that will suffer. I will miss him tremendously. He truly taught me how to enjoy life and love everyone. The things I have learned from him I will never forget. Now, we all need to be strong for him. Because I know he doesnt want us to be sad. He wants to enjoy this life just like he did. 

It was a hard week again. This was on my mind all week long. I couldnt sleep and started to have my lovely anxiety problems again. But, on sunday, I had the wonderful opportunity to fast and I fasted that our family would have the strength to support whatever Gods plan is for us. I know that he has a plan and he needed uncle al more than we need him. Mom told me how she knows Grandma Hoyt will be right there when he passes and I know hes with Grandma Hoyt right now. 

I learned more about how real the atonement is this week. When things get hard, remember that someone has already experienced this exact same thing. I know my savior knows exactly how I feel. He will be with me always and he will always comfort me. I feel so sad right now, but at the same time a peace that I know is coming from him.

I also saw miracles in the week. My companion got better and we could finally leave and work. It was so good for me to be able to work again. We worked so hard and it helped me deal with all of this a little better. I truly love my companion. She is teaching my portugese and we teach so well together. Its a lot of pressure because I am the senior companion and she ahs very little time in the mission so I have to lead in just about everything but I am recieving so much strength from my heavenly father. 

On halloween, my companions and I celebrated the American way and bought candy and dressed up and trick or treated at our own house. We bought a pumpkin and carved pumpkins and made german pancakes. I was Messi, the famous soccer player from Argentina. 

This day marks a very special day, in exactly one year from today, my flight  will be landing in the states and I will be finishing the mission. It seems so long but also so short. 

I am in La Plata, a beautiful city in our mission for zone conference. I woke up at 4 AM to leave dolores to get here and will be here till tomorrow night. 

I am thankful that I am here in Argentina. That I have this opportunity to serve a mission. I am thankful for these trials because I know that god knows that I can support them. This mission and the experiences in it are the hardest things I have ever been through, but I know its helping be become who I need to be. 

I love you all!

Chau Chau!

Hermana Root 

Roller Coaster Week (10/27/14)

Hola familia y amigos, 

Wow, what a week. This week was a hard one but also a great one. My companion could not leave the house so we were stuck inside for far too long. I got to do some exchanges and leave with the other hermanas so that was good. Dolores is awesome. I love being here.

I am not going to lie. Receiving news of Uncle Al was probably the hardest thing that's happened in a while. Lots of tears and definitely feel extremely far away from home. But, it times like these, I remember that God truly has a plan for us. We are a family and we can be together forever and I know where Uncle Al will be after this life. This life is just the beginning. Now is the time when we all need to be strong and trust the God's timing is better than our own.

On top of feeling extremely homesick this week because we weren't working, I somehow lost my good luck charms. I had a key from Sayge and a horse thing from Anna that I have carried with me EVERYDAY since I left. Today, I discovered that they were gone. Another meltdown! haha life is just too great! Also, there isn't a bank in Dolores and my companions had a problem with their debit cards and so we have no money. There was a point when we had absolutely no food. For dinner one night, we ate my pumpkin pretzels from Sabrina and without them, we would have starved. Last night we were so hungry we had to go and ask our neighbor for eggs. This week really humbled me. Now we have money and we can eat again but for the first time in my life I felt what it was like to really be hungry.

Now for the happy parts of the week! 

1- We have bikes here and the truth is that I love it! My feet are doing so much better and a lot less pain! I love our bikes and they are cruisers too with a basket!

2. There are lightning bugs here and they are SO beautiful!

3. I finished the Book of Mormon and its true. all of it!

4. I am the new Gospel Principals teacher in the branch and the chorister!

5. Allene is on a mission! All the girls of 317 (BYUH) are officially on missions!

We found an amazing investigator this week. her name is Beatrice and she used to be a model. She gained about 60 pounds and now she has depression and wont leave her house. We shared with her just how much heavenly father loves her but she honestly didn't believe it. When I first started the mission, I started to gain weight and I remember writing my mom and saying just how sad I was because I was exercising so much and eating like nothing! I remember getting a letter from my mom and the words she said to me came to mind. I told this woman the same things and she actually started to believe us that she really is special. She invited us back to teach her again this week and I am so excited!

I am ready for this upcoming week and more than anything, I am ready to rely on the atonement. We can't make it through without the help of Christ. I know all will be okay. I just have to keep telling myself that God has a plan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD TOMORROW!!!

I love each and every one of you. Thanks for your prayers and your love!

Con amor, 

Hermana Root

Photos:

We have a toad infestation!! Its so gross!

My lovely companion and I with her Chicken Pox!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

And I'm In...(10/20/14)

Hola!!! I AM ALIVE! Its late here probably not late there but... I have news! GOODBYE AVELLANEDA AND WELCOME TO.... DOLORES!! The direct translation of Dolores is pain. It is in the middle of NOWHERE! It is a branch and basically it’s like living in Burns but a little smaller. I live in a house with 3 other Hermanas and there are cows and horses outside my window. I hate to admit it, but I almost cried with joy. I felt at home, even though I am thousands of miles away.

It was a hard goodbye this morning to Hermana Nava and Avellaneda. I was there for 4 months and I grew to love the people so much. When we told everyone goodbye yesterday everyone just kept saying, Noo our Yankee can’t leave us!! (that’s what they call us whities) There were many tears shed and I can still say I am TERRIBLE at goodbyes. The worst was to Family Abachino. They truly became my family in Argentina and it was so hard to say goodbye.

But, Now I am here. A 5 hours bus ride to the middle of nowhere and the truth is, I am so happy. I am living with a Peruvian, a girl from Honduras, and my companion who is from Brazil. She has 12 weeks in the mission and we have about the same level of Spanish so it will be a good time. Her name is Hermana Vazconcellos and she’s 28! But, the bad news is that she has chicken pox. We will be in the pension all this week. The poor thing :( I have the shot but I have been informed that I can still get it but it will be a mild case... Hermana Vazconcellos had the shot too and it is NOT a mild case! I am a little bit nervous!

I knew Sheryden was freaking out that I wasn’t safe but the moment I got here the girls told me welcome to the calmest area in the mission! The worst thing that could happen is that a horse could kick you! A member came over to our house to give us lunch and they found out that I lived on a ranch and immediately loved me! It’s going to be a good new area!

HILARIOUS STORY! So, it’s like SUPER humid here and I am not drinking as much water as I should because there is nowhere to use a bathroom. So, the CTR ring that I haven’t taken off in two years was on my hand when I went to bed on Wednesday. When I woke up, my hands were SO swollen and my finger with my ring was purple because the ring was cutting off the circulation. We tried EVERYTHING to get it off but we couldn’t. So, we called the mission nurse and she said go to the ER. So we went! The doctor tried to cut it but he couldn’t so he said hold on, I’ll go get help. He came back with a man that was repairing the bathroom (who is NOT a doctor) and he used these HUGE pliers and cut it off and I was on my way. Only in Argentina...

SURPRISE! I got all the packages today! But I am going to have to pay a BUTTLOAD! But oh well, que me importa! But, don’t send anymore :( But letters are GREAT!

Thanks for all you do for me! I have the best support system! I know I didn’t right much but I will send lots of pictures.

I probably won’t be able to reply to like ALL of you today but thanks for your emails!!

Love you all!

Chau chau!

Hermana Root

1. Elder Beers and I. Root Beer hahahah (our last names are the joke of the mission)

2. My district in Avellaneda

3. Zone in Avellaneda

4. ER!

5. On Friday we put Hawaiian flowers in our hair and pretended it was aloha Friday like back in my BYUH days.

6. Relief society activity!

7. Sunday was mother’s day here! Love you mummy!

8. The best abuela in the ward!

9. All the young women!

10. My best friend here Loida!

11. Family Abachino!

12. My companion and I this morning in the taxi! The car was FILLED with all of our luggage! The man asked me if I had a human in my suitcase...

13. PACKAGES!

14. PUMPKIN!!!

15. My view from the house! I am not in the city anymore!

Five Months Down! (10/13/14)

Hola hola! Wow, another email to write. My hands are always tired after this long thing.. maybe I should write less but I like to say all the adventures that happen so I will deal with tired hands. 

You should all be glad that I am able to write! Today is a holiday so EVERYTHING is closed. My companion and I had the brilliant idea to come to Walmart and use the computers here that are SOO ghetto, like everything here. We didnt want to make the 30 minute walk because its p-day and ALWAYS are walking so we asked a random man on the street what bus and off we went. Turns out, we took the wrong one. We ended up in a town called Islas. This town is SO sketchy that is doesnt have missionaries. The bus driver said we had to get out because it was the end of his route so we were LOST in the sketchiest place on earth! We said a prayer, took the next bus, and ended up here at Walmart, 2 hours later!

Looks like everyone had a great week. Sayge is a real ballerina! Parker is famous! Elaine Davis knows my Mission President! Its so great to read all of your emails. 

This week seriously was SO much better. We had a district meeting and talked about not only working hard, but working smart. This is what we were faulting. Just because we get to the apartment exhausted every night doesn't mean that we are working the most effectively. We made a lot of changes and made a goal to work SO hard to try and get the members to go to appointments with us. It truly changes everything when the members are there. If the missionaries ask you to go, GO! The members have so much power!

We taught a less active this week and she really touched my heart. We shared with her how important it is to go to church and renew her baptismal covenants. When we finished she told me how when I talk, she just feels so much peace and sees how patient we are. After this, I realized how many times its not in the words we say, its in the spirit we bring. I don't feel like I truly am that powerful in lessons, but through me, God can bring the message to these people! I am so lucky to have this calling.

We found a new investigator this week THAT'S GOLD! Her name is Lourdes. We taught her the restoration and plan of salvation and she felt the spirit so much! We invited her to come to church and she was all ready! We went to her house on Sunday and she couldn't go but we are ready for next week! Finally we are having some success.

We had exchanges this week and I was with Hermana Olsen from UT (like every North American in my mission). We seriously spoke English ALL DAY and night and it was so great. You just bond with people when you are speaking your own language! haha Everyone stared at us everywhere we went. 2 tall, light hair, white girls preaching to everyone is a sight to see.

We worked so hard this week that I have just been exhausted. On Sunday, I got up, kneeled to say my prayers, and fell asleep kneeling for 20+ minutes. My companion was dying laughing!

My companion, before me, did not open up to anyone and was not emotional. Now, she cries ALL the time when something is cute or spiritual. She always says, you did this to me! Why are you so emotional! It rubbed off on me! haha its so funny. I bore my testimony yesterday and I have mastered crying and speaking Spanish, at the same time! whoo whoo!

I have pictures for this week but I am not sure if I can send them because this computer was probably living during the civil war. 

Bueno, les quiero mucho! Estoy muy agradecia por todo sus oraciones y cartas!

Con amor, 

Hermana Root

Hola Hola Hola! (10/6/14)

Hola Queridos! 

Wow, what a week and what a day!! It has been the most craziest week of the mission so far! Today was our Zone activity. 18 elders and 2 Hermanas. We had plans to play soccer (as always), cook asado (its like steak) and watch the Lego movie. We of course had to take control of everything because these men are just disasters, and then Elder Howell from Utah got hit in the face and his tooth went through his mouth. We then turned into the doctors and had to find a hospital, send them there, find money, and of course pack the sack lunch. If we are being honest, I hate being the only Hermanas in a zone of elders that seriously need a mom at all times. My want for children has not grown in the mission haha. But, finally, we have time to email! The best part of p-day!

Also, fun fact, the mission president that got kidnapped, is the president of my companion in the MTC. (shout out Hermana Tidwell) It is Buenos Aires North. I am 30 minutes from this mission! Haha welcome to argentina, where sketchy is their middle name. 

Congrats to Hailey and Brooke for Homecoming!! Way to rep the mormon girls :) And I loved seeing all the pictures of the modest dresses. We always are cuter when we are modest! 

This week we had interviews with President. Usually, they are in english for missionaries from the states. But he never started to speak in english with me so it was in spanish. He told me how proud he was for my spanish and that I am speaking so well. It felt so good to hear. Sometimes I get so frustrated and feel like I am not progressing but I have realized that in a few short months I am able to read, speak, and write in spanish! I also got 18 HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARDS :) Thanks to everyone! 

I had the best birthday. My companion made me a cake and breakfast. We almost burnt the apartment down at 7 in the morning when we lit a firework inside, whoops. I have it all on video, I hope I can send it! We had a family home evening with our ward that night and when we finished, they brought out this huge cake for me and sang and then sang in english! It was the sweetest thing. Its hard to be away from home on days when we have so many traditions. I of course missed the pumpkin pie and fall days, but I am so loved here and I have my argentine family to fill my heart for now. It was a wonderful birthday! Cant believe I am twenty!

We had lots of encounters with PITBULLS this week. Hermana Nava and I have a mutual fear of dogs so whenever there is a sketchy looking dog we both just start to book it! How funny, seeing 2 sister missionaries running from stray dogs every day!

We got some weird news this week. Our area is very hard. We have about 10% of the ward boundaries because we cannot enter in the dangerous parts. President is thinking about moving us to open another area here. We are so nervous. It could mean that I will be in Avellaneda for more time but in a different ward and different area. Hermana and I are so nervous to start over. Our area has only been open for 8 months and they are thinking of closing it already!

How was conference??! I was SO nervous to watch it in spanish! I watched the womans meeting in spanish and Elder Uchtdorfs talk seriously was just what I needed. Lately, I have been feeling like I am an awful missionary. We really dont have investigators, no one is progessing, our less actives arent going to church, and our numbers are really low. Elder Uchtdorf talked about how nothing that we put value in, is important to God. Really, he is all we need to please. I was able to change my perspective that if I just work for God, I wont feel disappointed with a silly number. 

I was praying all week for a way to watch conference in English. I can understand almost everything in spanish but it just means more in your own language. The session started and the stake president told me there was english in the other room. I told him I couldnt go because I didnt have a companion. He then called president thurgood and I asked if I could be in a room with 6 elders to watch conference and president said yes! I was able to watch it in english! And, the talks in spanish, we watched in spanish and I understood everything. I feel so bi-lingual! haha

But, yesterday we went to go look for an investigator that said she wanted to come to conference with us. We left to go look for her at 12 to make it to the session at 1. She hadnt gotten out of bed so she said come back at 5. So, of course at 5 it was the worst rainstorm I have ever seen in my life. We walked in the rain, COMPLETELY SOAKED, rang her doorbell 4 times. Never came to the door. We both started to cry. We had so many appointments fall through this week, and it was just the breaking point. In the rain, we made our 15 minute walk back to the church SOAKING WET. We watched conference and when we finished there were HUGE puddles from all the water in our skirts, hair, backpacks. I got to thinking that the feeling that we felt when Palmira didnt answer the door is how our Heavenly Father feels when we arent obedient. We knew that conference was just what she needed and she promised, but she put something else before God. I NEVER want my heavenly father to feel that way about me. I know that he has felt that way in the past with me and when I dont follow the spirit, but I have made it a goal to try and not hurt his feelings like people hurt mine here! haha

This week was great. I learned a lot and am loving the mission. Tomorrow is 5 wonderful months in the mission. How fast time is passing. Thanks for all the birthday wishes as well :) Heres to another year!

Hermana Root