Hola hola familia y amigos! Sorry that it is so late, this day has been sooo crazy! We had a ward activity ALL day because today was a holiday so chau to my p-day! haha but oh well, its all part of the calling right?
Primero, feliz cumpleaños Shelby!! Hope today rocked, enjoy america for me.
This week was seriously FILLED with miracles. I dont know if you all could tell but last week I felt a little down about not being able to find any investigators and how we have not had any baptisms. Hermana Rodas and I have been praying and praying and fasting for new investigators but nothing was happening. We talked with everyone! Each day we would go to this giant plaza in the middle of the city and just talk to people but no success. Somehow, we stumbled upon this door. We thought that we were contacting one of our ALBs but this wasnt the correct house. The woman told us where this family lived and then we started to ask her about her life and her family. We told her that we were missionaries for the La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de los ultimos dias. She told us how she used to believe in God but her 3 year old daughter randomly died in her sleep and how she doesnt believe. We shared a little with her about the plan of salvation and asked if we could come back. She AGREED! So we went back a few days later and seriously had the most amazing lesson in the world. We taught the whole plan of salvation and they way she can be with her daughter again. She has 4 other kids and they are insane, but one of them listened the whole time. She told us that the day that we knocked on her door. She said a little prayer in her heart for a way to find peace for her family, then we knocked on her door. When she shared this I was close to tears. I was able to be an instrument in the hands of God. This woman and her family needs this gospel and somehow we stumbled upon this random house. Her name is Giselle and her son Alexander accepted a baptism date for September 13th!!
Not much time after, we were searching for a less active and knocked on this door. A 22 year old woman named Paola answered the door and she told us that this was the wrong house. We started to talk with her and she invited us in. She has a son that is 7 months old, is pregnant, doesnt know the father, has a 40 year old boyfriend, and most of her life has been suicidal and depressed. We were able to share with her a little about the atonement. The spirit was SO strong. All this woman needs is someone to take this pain away and that is Christ. She invited us to come back and we cannot wait!!
Also!! We talked with a woman in the plaza and she invited us to come to her house. She is a grandma from Peru (PS, PAYDEN HAS IT SO EASY! Peruvians are SOO easy to understand!!!!!!!!) We taught her the restoration and she asked us why there are so many churches. We were able to answer and talk about the apostacy and how everyone took a little part of the gospel but the real authority of God wasnt on the earth. We then shared the first vision and it touched this womans heart. It was the first time that I did it without any mistakes and at the perfect speed! She accepted a baptism date as well!!
ANOTHER MIRACLE! There is an 80 year old woman in our ward named Dolores and she lives alone and has no family in Avellaneda. She is less active and one day I just had the feeling that we needed to call her. So we did. She happened to be sick and needed medicine but couldnt leave her house. We went and bought her medicine and helped her do somethings and right as we were about to leave she told us that earlier in the day she was crying and praying and begging God to send someone to help her, right as she said amen, we called. The spirit is real. This whole week we didnt have huge GRAND promptings, just little feelings and we followed them. Most of them, we didnt even notice that we were following the spirit, but we found so many people that need this gospel and just needed some help and a friend.
In the letter from my mission president last week he talked about something that really hit me. Sometimes it is hard to do hard things. There are so many commandments, things in life, situations that are difficult, but if we just do them, each time its a little easier. This is so true and it really helped me this week!
Yes we had so many miracles and wonderful things but also so bad! We had a couple that was our investigators, Abel and Silvia and we taught them the Word of Wisdom. For the next week, they didnt answer their door. One day, they sent their son to the door and said that Mormons were them and not to come back. It was really hard. It is hard when everyday people slam the door in your face, and reject our message but that is when I think about Christ. Christ felt rejected too and since I am a representative of Christ, its okay if I feel the same way sometimes.
Our ward is really really progressing! My first few weeks attendance in church was about 40. Now we are at about 65! Everyone is starting to share the gospel in little ways and it is helping so much. We had our activity today and so many people invited their friends! It is so great to see how much improvement this ward has seen. We are working so hard and it is starting to show some results! I really am feeling a part of this ward too. People actually talk to me now because I can talk back! haha
So, bad word of the week: CHANCO! (PAYDEN, Stay away from this!!) It is pork. But they cook it weird or something because yesterday we had some in the house of a member. I hated it but I ate it. (along with a bunch of tomatos, yes mom, I am eating tomatoes) Long story short, pretty sure Hermana Rodas and I got food poisioning. Our stomaches have been a MESS for about 24 hours. Its not fun! I NEVER WANT TO EAT CHANCO AGAIN! Also today, I got offered blood sausage, SICK! I declined! haha
I finally am a real argentinian! One of the Hermana´s in the ward bought hermana rodas, her son, and I matching Messi (for those who dont know, he is like the Soccer God in Argentina) jerseys!
I also washed my sheets and sweaters for the first time in 8 weeks this week! haha this whole hand washing thing really sucks, lets be honest! haha but I am learning. Someday I will have my washing machine again!
Today in the ward activity, I learned how to play real soccer. It was rey fun! I loved it. We then played welts (pingpong) I taught all the youth how we played it all of high school. They loved it! Then, we had a talent show and Hermana Rodas and I sang! In english! I taught her the song and we sang. haha Everyone after asked what the song was about because no one understood! lol
This week was great and ready for another!
I love you all and if I dont reply to those who wrote me, it is because I am short on time!
Con muchisimo amor!
Hermana Root
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