Still Living In Good Ole ´Tina! (1/5/15)

Where do I start! First off, HOLA! Happy new year, feliz ano nuevo, todo! I hope you all had a great new years! 

This week was, hands down the most difficult week in the mission. I was placed with trials before me that I didn´t think I could support, but somehow, I am still going and it is because the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is real. It carries people. If I have learned anything in the week is that Jesus Christ lives. He is here with us when we need him and when we want him. He literally saved me and carried me through this week.

What everyone is waiting for, is the knee. My companion and I left at 3 in the morning to travel 5 hours by bus and subway to get to Temperley to go get my MRI. Every obstacle that we could have had, we had. I cried almost the entire trip but SOMEHOW we finally got there. I got the MRI and they told me, well because of the new year and everything no one will be working till monday so you can get your results on monday(today) at 7pm. They just told me basically lay down and not walk for an entire week while they all took their vacations.. welcome to argentina! BUT, i called president and told him and I just started to cry. I have just felt so depressed in the apartment all day not being able to work. I want to work so bad and President just gave me the wise advice to be patient and pray and all will work out. He said that the mission cant loose Hermana Root and we are gonna do all we can to keep her here! So we got back to dolores and I spent the entire week in the pension. It was the hardest week of my life. Reading, studying, crying, wondering what on earth is going to happen with me. I literally felt a fog over me. I was just so sad. But yesterday, the branch president picked me up to go to church. While we were sitting in the sacrament meeting, we sang Count your blessings. The last verse just hit me, it says: 

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged, God is over all;

1. Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
   Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
2. The meaning is a little different in spanish but, i realized that its all okay. I am going to finish this mission. There is nothing more in the world that I want to do. And if for some reason I cant finish, I know that its the plan that God has for me. I was praying for a way that I could just be happy and forget these problems and Hermana Lida, the branch presidents wife, came up to me and said hermana root, I dont know why I feel like asking you this but would you like to come and help me sew some curtains for me house? Heavenly Father knows that sewing helps me feel better and I got to spend 8 hours yesterday sewing curtains and a new skirt for me. God really listens to our prayers and I know that there is something that I need to learn from this trial. I am learning really how to trust in the lord and how to apply the atonement. The atonement is everything. 
3. Right now in my district, we have an Elder that I was in the MTC with, Elder Powlus. He is from Twin Falls and we became such great friends in the MTC and now we are in the same district. I sent his mom an email full of pictures of a birthday party we did for him and she emailed me an email of encouragement. Elder Powlus told his parents that he gave me a blessing and that I am having knee problems. She told me how her whole family fasted for me and put my name in the temple. Then mom told me how she put my name in the temple twice and emails from so many saying they are praying for me. I am so thankful for all the people that are taking the time to think of me. It makes me feel not so alone in this far away land. 
4. This week i should know what happens but I am going to think positive and I am going to finish this mission. Theres no other choice. I need to be here. 

I love you all! 

Hermana Root 

1. District meeting!

2. New Years Dinner

3. My companion icing her knee so she can be just like me! (I ice my knees with frozen pees just like mom taught me!)

Happy New Year! (12/29/14)

Wow, Feliz Navidad y Ano Nuevo! Cannot believe that the holidays are already passing. It gets more hot and humid here every day. It has been a long week but just like every other week in the mission, it was filled with opportunities to learn and see that I really do have a savior. 

First off, skyping with the family was hands down the best christmas gift I have ever recieved. I immedietly cried when I saw all of your faces. It feels like I have been gone for just a few months but when I started talking with you all I realized just how long it has been since we have all seen each other. It was hard to hang up and we all shed a few (or more) tears but I am so excited for the next one in May. 

We spent christmas eve in the apartment and Hermana Dora brought us dinner. We made popcorn and got to watch a movie and it really was a fun night. I never will have another christmas in the mission and I will never forget it. I got a little sad on christmas morning but all in all, it was a great day. We came to the Branch presidents house for christmas day and we barbecued lamb and ate SO much. I have barely at all week! 

On friday, we got back to work. We were both so excited that we have 4 baptism dates that we worked so hard visiting and teaching them. My knee hurt really bad but it didnt matter, I just wanted to work.Remember how I said how I tripped walking down stairs and hurt my knee. But, on saturday we went to La Plata to go to the doctor. He looked at my knees and he said my right knee is okay but my left knee has problems. It looks like I tore my miniscus. Also, There is a sack of liquid under your kneecap that allows your knee to move freely, the liquid is leaving the sack. So, he said that I cant walk very much, no bike, and basically just lay in bed all day till I can get an MRI. We left the hospital and I just started to cry. I didnt think it was anything bad and we dont know if its a minor tear or something major till we get the MRI. So, i had to call President and tell him. He was in shock. He told me that if the healing is more than 2 weeks, I have to go home. I started bawling and said please president, dont send me home. He told me how it was the last thing he wanted to do but for now we are just going to wait for the results. The truth is that I basically have been crying since saturday and praying that tomorrow 

when I get the MRI that we dont find anything. I mean I love my family and of course I would love to see them, but I need to be in Argentina right now. I am here to work and not be hurt. This week I have relied so much on the atonement and am just trying to put my faith in my heavenly father. I know whatever he wants will happen, and lets just hope I dont see home until November. 

But dad, you will be proud. My zone leaders and the assistants called me and told me how tough i was for riding a bike and working hard for 2 weeks with a torn miniscus. I told them my dad always taught be that if its a long way from your heart, its all good. Everyone laughed and that Dad was hilarious. 

But, that was my week. I cannot believe its going to be 2015. I am so thankful for this past year. My decision to come on a mission was the best one I have ever made. It has changed the person I am and the person I am becoming. I have really come to know Jesus Christ. Through all these trials, I can see that I truly am never alone. I know that I could have never learned these things if I wouldnt have decided to serve. I am eternally grateful. 

I love you all and happy new year! Lets start the new year our right and try and get to know our Savior more because with him is the only place we can find true happiness. 

Merry Christmas Eve! (12/24/14)

Hola!! Feliz noche buena!!! I am alive! What happened is that we had the choice to email on wednesday or monday and we chose to email today! Wow, today is christmas eve and the truth is that it doesnt feel like it AT ALL! 

Seriously, I cannot even express the miracles that I was able to see in the past week. I am so blessed. I have realized that yes there is always the trials, but for those who are obedient, the lord always has their backs. 

We had exchanges this week. I was with Hermana Knowlton from Utah and we had a blast. It was raining but we worked so hard and found 2 new investigators and HAVE A BAPTISM DATE!! They are Carla and Marcelo and they are a young couple and SO awesome. So prepared! We also got 15 references using the He is the Gift cards and ALSO 2 more investigators that ALSO have baptism dates. In one week we went from absolutely nothing to 4 baptism dates and close to 20 references when we ended the week. Heavenly Father knew Christmas would be hard so he saved all the blessings for the month till this week haha. 

We had an interesting experience this week. It was the branch christmas party and last minute, they called us and told us to set up all the seating and do the decorations. The party was going to start in about 2 hours. We were all frustrated because we had been asking ALL week as to what we could do and we had to cancel appointments because the members are lazy! The poor presidents wife did ALL the food. For 45 people! ALONE. No one helped her. But, the party was really great. We had permission to stay till 10:30 and asked a member a week in advance if they could take us home at 10:15. The hour came and the member was like oh just wait hermanas, we are going to clean up first. And everyone didnt know what to do so of course, I had to be the one who told them how it was haha. I said how we need to be obedient and we needed to be in the apartment at 10:30 (It was about 10:45 at this point) They blew us off and said it didnt matter if we were a few minutes late. So I called a taxi and ALL of the members were irritated because we werent going to stay to clean up when they knew we had to leave at 10:30. By the time the taxi got there, we got home at 11:30. My poor companion was so sad. She had never broke a mission rule before and she was crying. it was so uncomfortable but oh well, we have now learned to not put our obedience in the hands of these members!!

This week I might have tripped and fell super hard and kinda have some knee problems. On saturday I am going to a doctor but yesterday I got a priesthood blessing and today my knee was so much better. The priesthood is real! It works! 

it doesnt feel like Christmas. its just another day here that no one really celebrates and also, its like 100 degrees. We were really sad that tonight we are just going to be in the apartment but this morning Hermana Dora, the relief society president called us and told us she is going to bring us dinner to the apartment. It was such a blessing to know that at least someone thought about us during this week. We spent the past two days going to the houses of all the members and less actives singing christmas songs and giving them a card and ornament that we made them. We are hoping they will maybe start to like us a little more now! haha 

But, I have learned one thing. Christmas isnt about all the presents, or all the material things. Christmas is about Christ, family, and memories. I miss everything from home but I am thankful that I can give just one christmas to my heavenly father. Tonight all of you watch He is the Gift (www.christmas.mormon.org) Remember that he really is the reason for all of this. 

Love you all! Merry Christmas. I will be home next year! 

TALK TO YOU TOMORROW FAMILY!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHH!!

¡¡Feliz Navidad!!

1. Hermana Tongi and I! We both went to BYUH at the same time!

2. Teaching the horses!

3. The missionaries and the branch president and his wife!

Feliz Navidad! (almost!) (12/15/14)

Another week down! I cannot believe its already time to write another email. The days fly by. It is true that after 6 months, the time just doesnt slow down.

This week was another week of learning. Seriously, I am seeing just how much confidence my heavenly father has in me that i do not have in myself. Dolores continues to be so hard and I have been working so hard to be positive and strong for my companion. But, this week came the meltdown. We spent the week inviting EVERYONE to go on saturday night to watch the broadcast of Stake Conference. We got to the church, not a soul. The branch president, his counselors, relief society president, NOT A SOUL. I just started to cry and vented to my companion of how I just dont understand what we can do. She just told me we are going to be positive and we are going to change this town. The same words I have been telling her for the past few weeks, I needed to hear as well. I am just so lost as to what to do with these people. I have never seen such a disaster in my entire life. 

But, on a happier note, this week we had zone conference. It is so great to hear from President Thurgood. He is so inspired. We talked about how to make the most of christmas in the mission and how we can use this time to share the gospel of Christ with everyone. We seriously are talking with everyone about it. The whole zone was in a bus going to the conference and we sang christmas carols and gave everyone He is the gift cards. Yesterday we went Caroling house to house and its not the same christmas here, but this christmas is different. I am starting to see that the real meaning of Christmas doesn't mean gifts and buying things, its in serving others and trying to be more like Christ. I miss all the traditions of home but I am so happy to be able to give up one christmas to help my heavenly father. I don't know if I am making a huge difference here, but the mission is changing me and its the greatest blessing of my life. 

This week we found another new investigator and new references. Things are getting better in Dolores when it comes to teaching lessons, now just need to better the branch!

I got the package from the activity day girls!! thank you! But, from now on, no one send me anything but letters! I guess I got 5 packages, I don't know from who but I had to pay 300 pesos. So letters will be just fine for the next 11 months. 

I cannot wait to hear all of your voices in Christmas Day. The best gift that I have ever received will be to here all your voices. 

I love you all! Merry almost Christmas! Happy birthday Mom! And I hope Ralph brings good things this week :) 

Love you all to the moon!

Hermana Root 

1. My companion fell in the mud! I had to take the picture before I helped her!

2. Proof of the cute sunburn that I have been sporting! 

3. Welcome to Dolores!

4 and 5. My companion and I!

6. We found snickers!! First candy bar in 7 months!

7. Zone picture! La Plata Sur!

8. We went to the graduation of the youth in Dolores!

9. Hermana Molina and I while we were singing Christmas Carols house to house!

10.  The international Christmas choir!

11. Someone came to our zone activity and left us these stockings full of Goodies! We aren't sure who it was. Santa is real!

7 Months! (12/8/14)

Wow, another week down. I cannot believe it! I have 7 MONTHS!! Time is seriously just flying. I am learning and growing so much. I thank my heavenly father everyday for this opportunity I have to be here and try and help his children. 

& HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD. Thanks for being married and being super cool.

Well, I have my daughter! Her name is Hermana Còncenes! She is from Lima, Peru and seriously the best companion ever. I do not feel like I am training. She came SO prepared. The first day in the field was me talking all the time but she caught on SO fast and now we are a strong companionship. Yes, I am the leader and the example in many things, but she is seriously an angel. I am so blessed to be with her. She came to the field SO ready to BAPTIZE. Then, she realized that we are in Dolores and she got a little down because of how difficult things are here. We spent the week working SO hard and with time, she started to perk up and just realize that we have success if we just loose ourself in the work. She had no idea how to ride a bike. I had to teach her how. She only fell like 30 times but now shes a pro! 

It is officially SUMMER. It is so hot. We are dying. With the stupid helmets, we sweat SO much. We carry towels in our baskets of our bikes because we are so sweaty when we get to houses. She is turning SO tan and I am SUNBURT. She told me she had never seen skin so red... white girl problems. 

I had a little meltdown in the week. We went to a meeting with our Branch President. We shared our Progression forms and who we are teaching. We truly have no investigators and we are trying so hard to work with the branch. They chewed us out and told us we need to focus in investigators and I lost it. I said and what are you doing to help us find them? We are working so hard. We need to work together and it is not only the responsibility of us to find people who are prepared. They blew me off as always but afterwards I just felt awful. I dont understand why i am training here in Dolores. It is SUCH a hard area. I just want her to have the best experience in her training and here its so hard.

But, we have decided that we are going to be the next season of CSI. We started searching all the less actives in the directory. We found out why Dolores has this curse. Many less actives told us that about 10 years ago, the leaders of the branch were awful. They were robbing money, unworthy, dishonest, etc. This branch used to be 400 people. Now we are lucky if 30-40 show up. The whole town remembers this and that is why we cant find investigators and that is why no one wants to come back. Its so difficult. Yes bad things happened but OH WELL. The church isnt perfect, but the gospel is. This is why members need strong testimonies. So now, we are trying to recieve the revelation that we need to help this crazy town. drama, drama, drama.

BUT, we found an past investigator in the area book named Nilsa. We went taught a lesson and HAVE A BAPTISM DATE. I am not sure how it happened but we did it! haha and we found 3 investigators this week. Things are going up. Hard work will help us. 

Funny story to end, my companion learned to ride the bike in Wednesday. We were riding home at like 9 in wednesday night and it was dark. 2 dogs started to chase her. She got so scared and went straight into the ditch FILLED with water. She yelled ^MAMA! HERMANA ROOT, AYÚDAME! a went and helped her and we were DYING laughing the whole way home. No matter how hard things are, there is always something to laugh about!

I love you all! 

Till next week!

Hermana Root

ME VOY A SER UNA MAMA! (12/1/14)

Well family, what a week I have had! There is never a normal week in Dolores! But, I have news! I got a call from president on friday and I AM TRAINING! I am so nervous! There is a huge group of missionaries coming tomorrow and my chance of being with a latina is VERY small. Looks like I will be training an american! But tomorrow I will find out!! 

This week we had our huge Tormenta Blanca. We went to the houses of every less active in our ward directory and found SO many people that want us to pass by and visit them. We literally have NOT ONE investigator and we are trying so hard to find them so this activity was such a blessing. We found familys that arent all members and we have plans to teach them. All the missionaries from the zone came and we went and visited them all. It took HOURS of preparation but I am so glad with how it turned out!

Our mission is doing an activity SO awesome! Its called èl es la dàvida. or He is the gift. We are giving out 10 cards a day to people that have a link to a video about christ and we are sharing the real reason of christmas. Its so weird to be talking about christmas when its SOO hot outside but the christmas spirit is still here. And DON'T WORRY MOM, I have my stocking and mini Christmas tree up and a wreath on the front door!

Thanksgiving was weird. I was nervous that I would feel SO homesick but I was fine. It didnt feel like thanksgiving. But, Hermana Molina and Landauro went and bought facturas (which are like donuts but WAY better ) and made rice and eggs and we had our ¨thanksgiving feast¨ I wrote the 100 things I am thankful for and I have never been more thankful for ANYTHING than I am now in the mission. I am sure changing my view of the things most important. I hope your thanksgiving was amazing!!

We had all of our transfers and Hermana Vasconcellos left for the coast and it was hard to leave. She told me how I was an answer to her prayers and that I will always have a home in brazil. Its weird how all of my companions just have become just another sister too me. There were many tears shed but I am excited for this new transfer. I am so nervous to train but I know that its a calling from God and I am going to help this new hermana learn how be serve the lord! I am sure I will learn much more than her! AND my trainer is training again so we will be training together! 

I hope all is going well! I am ready to start this new transfer and work so hard. Enjoy the holidays and the cold! 

Love you allll! 

Hermana Root

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