Sunburnt Shey Shey... (11/9/15)

Hellllooo familia! What a week! 

Lets just say summer is in FULL force here in good ole tina and I AM ONE BURNT HERMANA! 

This week was, hands down, the best week of my entire mission! (I always say that but seriously, it was awesome!) 

MY COMP= BEST THING EVER! We started this transfer off with few investigators and no one really progressing BUT we put goals as we started the transfer and lets just say we have seen SOOOO many miracles this week. 

On saturday I hit my 18 month mark! I CANT BELIEVE IT! To celebrate we bought ice cream, and then we realized that we both had lice. 

I hate lice. 

SO MUCH.

so i spent all my money buying shampoo to kill my little bugs in my hair.

First off, we had something called Gira Misional. Elder Spitali, a 70, came and we had a day full of LEARNING! We had a womans meeting and I got to traslate for the hermana thurgood and it was so special! We talked about the worth of woman in the church today. We need men, but we need the love and nurturing the women can give!! Sister Spitali answered a lot of questions and just gave us a lot of energy! We then all met together and president thurgood and elder spitali talked and they said that he never wants us to ask ourselves [ WHAT WOULD have happened if I would have talked to that person? I have tried my whole mission to think that. May times we get prompted to talk and because we get nervous we dont, but we never know what could come out of sharing the gospel with one person. That really inspired me. I talk to man people each day but I decided that no matter WHERE i was, I am going to talk to everyone! WELL, we got done with the meeting and we got on the bus. A woman got on and we were in the back and she was in the front. I felt that we needed to talk to her. She looked just so sad. So I made the plan that a few stops before we got off, we would get up, and talk to her. WELL, she got up and got off the bus. I freaked. I wanted to follow the spirit and so I got up, and just jumped off the bus. Luckily, my comp is the best and just followed me. We talked to her and she rejected us. We then had to walk like 40 blocks because we got off to early. It made me think, why did heavenly father prompt me to talk to her if she really didnt even want the gospel? And I just felt a calm feeling that Heavenly father was testing me to see if I would do what I commited to do and luckily, i followed through. I learned a huge lesson that day.

ALSO, we made the goal that we were going to find a GOLDEN INVESTIGATOR! So, we asked for references and we got one from a less active family. We went to contact her and she is named Daniela and shes 18. BASICALLY SHES THE BEST THING EVER! She accepted a baptism date and we taught the restoration.We told her we would never force her or anything, she just needed to ask god if it was true and she would know. So we said she prayed right after we left and she told us that she felt her whole body just fill with peace. She told us how she had had an abortion and she has never felt happy since but when she prayed she knew that what we taught was true because it changed her. I LOVE THE GOSPEL! I LOVE THE RESTORTATION!

ALSO, we decided on friday that we were going to fill our backpacks with book of mormons and give them away knocking on doors. WE FOUND AWESOME PEOPLE!

My companion is a member of just 2 years but she literally is the best thing ever. She pushes me and I push her. We are obedient, we are focused, and I have never been so happy in my life. I love this work. I love being a missionary. I know what God is preparing the hearts of the people and that we will find ALL the people that are searching for this truth. 

 I love you all! And pray for you each and every day!

Les extraño y les amo!

Have fun shipping cows! I will just be here in tina, getting sunburned, and avoiding lice.

1. Chau Hermana Ostler!

2. CHURI PAN! 

3. Gura Misional

4. Hermana Silva

5. Celebrating 18 months and 6 months ( we started the mission both on May 7th ) and getting rid of our lice!

6. SUNBURNS!

And my new companion is... (11/2/15)

Hola hola hola!

Guess what?? 

We had transfers and guess what.. 

I GOT THE COMPANION I WANTED!

HERMANA SILVA FROM MEXICO!!!!!

WHOOOO! I´ll be staying here in Banfield 1 for 6 more weeks and Im pretty sure hermana silva will be my last companion! SHES AWESOME! And we are sooo excited!

BUT, 

im really sad Hermana Ostler is leaving me. 

Wow, what a week! Literally each week goes by sooo fast and I cannot believe I only have 2 transfers left. WE ARE ALREADY IN NOVEMBER! THIS IS INSANE! 

So, this week we had an AWESOME district meeting. Remember the story I shared in sacrament meeting for my farewell talk? Its called I´ll find you my friend and it made me really think about my purpose her in Argentina. Its not a coincidance that I am here or that I have met the people I´ve met. I know that the Lord sent me here to meet the wonderful people i´ve met and I promised them I would come and find them. Today is the day I should be finishing my mission and I feel a lot of mixed feelings. I am sad that I am not able to see my family, but I am 100% happy that I am here and able to keep bringing the people here the gospel. There is a reason why I needed to come back to the mission and why I need to serve these next 3 months here and I will talk to everyone and find all the people the lord is preparing. 

This week I had intercambios with Hermana Alanocca from Boliva. WOW, what a humbiling experience. She is a convert and she told me how her father abandoned her while she was a child. She started working when she was 8 years old and she was abused physically if she didnt bring food home each day. She started going to church when she was about 14 years old and shes been active since. Her mother never told her she loved her until the day that she left for the mission. She has only 6 weeks here and she is struggling because the mission is demanding physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Basically the whole exchange she cried to me and asked me how she could feel better about herself and I remembered that my District leader had given us the story You are Special. So i read it with her and I made her tell me how she thought her heavenly father felt about her. She started to cry and she realized just how much God loves her. But being honest, it was hard for me. I cannot help but ask why did she born in these circumstances and I was born in such a wonderful country, familiy, at the gospel? I am so blessed. I can see just how PERFECT my life is. Far too often we complain for everything we dont have and dont see what we do have. I love being able to be a sister training leader because I get to know these girls and see how the gospel has changed their lives and made them the missionaries they are today. 

We also had to give a workshop this week in our Mission Leadership Council and it was AWESOME! We had to talk about consagration and we read like 100 talks and ideas but we realized that to become a consagrated missionary you JUST have to put gods will above your own. THE moment you stop worrying about what others think and just think about what the LORD thinks, thats when you are consagrated! So we used the  You are special story and said the quote: You are special because I made you and I dont make mistakes! ITS TRUE! GOD DOESNT MAKE MISTAKES. We just have to be obedient, follow the spirit, and THEN just confide in the Lord. HE LOVES US AS WE ARE! 

Yeah so thats basically what I learned this week. Lots of other funny things. My comp fell down stairs, we found some AWESOME investigators, I went to a halloween party dressed as a cat, and I LOVE PREACHING THE WORD!

and just so you know, I know that todays a really hard day for everyone but, I know what 1 year ago today, my favorite uncle went to a better place and I know what today hes looking down saying that hes a lot happier and that he watches over us everyday. Lets remember Uncle Al today, but lets try and remember that because of the plan of salvation, we are going to be a forever family and we will be together forever. 

I love you!!

1.My new comp, HERMANA SILVA y hermana edgar in the transfer meeting today!

2. Banfield 1 MISSIONARIES!

3. Zona BANFIELD!

4.HERMANA ALANOCCA!

5. Stake halloween party!

6. BEST INVESTIGATOR EVER! And we had matching costumes

7. Hermana Edgar and I 

What a Week! (10/26/15)

Hola a todos! QUE SEMANA. 

the truth is that I dont know where to start. This week has been insane! So many good things but also so many hard trials, but its just like life!

On monday we went bowling with my district and it was SOOO fun! The bowling alleys here are SOO ghetto but its so awesome. 

Then the madness started. First off, on monday night we had a meeting with our investigator walter. HE IS CRAZY. I swear, he has SOO much potential but he has SUCH A HARD HEART! We talked to him about the authority and how the priesthood must come from the laying on of hands. Christ gave the authority to his apostles but when christ and all the apostles died, the authority was lost from the earth because they didnt pass it on to another. SO it was necessary that we had a restoration. BUT he just doesnt understand. God will always do the same things! Why would he change up his way of doing things and allow ALL men to have the authority without the laying on of hands from someone who already has it! It just makes sense. But its okay, we are going to keep being patient and teaching him with the spirit and HE WILL UNDERSTAND someday!

Fun fact: After the lesson ended it was raining and we were frustrated so we started jumping in all the rain puddles as it was pouring down rain. 

THEN the craziness began! We have to do exchanges with 8 girls in the 6 week transfer and we are running out of time so this week we did 2 exchanges. And lets just say, the two companionships HATE each other. I got to listen to two girls complain about their companions and I had to just be the person that told them, hey girls, humble yourselves! your comp probably drives you insane, but you have to change or things never will! I felt a little inadiquit this week because I didnt know all the advice to give but the Lord really helped me. Im learning so much being a sister training leader. I feel like leadership positions mainly are to help the leader more than the `people we serve!

We also got to bring our convert to the temple and another member went through the temple because shes leaving on her mission!! It was so Awesome!!

THEN SATURDAY CAME! Basically, it was the longest day of my life. We stayed up all night making decorations for Andreas baptism and we then had ward council in the morning, cleaned and decorated and then the party began. THE BAPTISM WAS SOOOO BEAUTIFUL! 75 people came!! (there were more people at the baptism than at sacrament meeting!) The young woman sang her a beautiful song and everyone was there to support her! It was such a wonderful experience. I love being able to be apart of this great work. 

This is probably my comp and I´s last week together! Transfers are next week and we are sad about it. We´ve seen so many miracles this transfer and I hate how the time is going so fast! 

Love you all! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

les AMOOO! 

1. Happy birthday Dad!

2. Andreas baptism!

3. I LOVE ANDREA!

4. Baptism decorations!

Pumpkins or Melons? (10/19/15)

Hola familia!! Buen dia! Feliz dia! QUE SEMANA!

Wow, what a week! Literally I feel like we NEVER stop. I have never been so exhausted in my life but I have also never been so happy!

This week was interesting! I can offically say I am Lice free and no dogs have peed on me so basically I have seen SOME SERIOUS personal progress this week! 

On monday we went to visit our investigator walter with our mission president and it was AWESOME! Walter did so many SUPER profund preguntas and president was just AWESOME. he answered all of his questions and my comp and I just bore our testimonies of the book of mormon and walter SO felt the spirit. I know hes going to become a member! Hes such a great guy!

SO we are going to have a baptism on saturday!!! Her name is Andrea and she is sooo great. Shes 18 and has been investigating the church for a year now. She has decided to get baptized and we are SOOO excited. Its going to be a beautiful day!!

Yesterday was mothers day here in Argentina and it was such a beautiful day. MOM YOUR THE COOLEST MOM EVER! Thanks for being my mom. ALSO, we had a family de investigators in the church and a little boy named Tiago was sitting right next to me during the sacrament. We sang Families can be together forever and I heard his soft little voice singing. Literally I felt the spirit so strong thinking how because of my mission, I am seeing families that really are going to be eternal. I felt so grateful to be able to be an instrument in the lords hands to bring people to this work. I am so blessed.

My companion has a problem in her stomach and they arent sure what it is. Shes been sick for about 7 months now and are thinking about sending her home. This week we had to do lots of divisions so she could stay home and rest and I could go out and work. Pray for her! Shes the best and we only have 3 months left, I hope she can finish her mission!

I read an AWESOME article in the Liahona this week. https://www.lds.org/ensign/2015/10/pumpkins-or-melons?lang=eng

READ IT! 

If I have learned ANYTHING in the mission, I would have to say it would be how to put the lords will before my own! 

But some choices do matter a lot. President Thomas S.Monson once said: “Decisions are constantly before us.To make them wisely, courage is needed—the courageto say no, the courage to say yes. Decisions dodetermine destiny” (“The Three Rs of Choice,” Ensign,Nov. 2010, 68). When faced with these kinds of choices,a better question to ask is, “What does the Lord valuemore?” If we know the answer to that question, all weneed do is align our values with His and then followthrough with that choice. It will always be the right one.

-- 

I am so thankful for my mission. I thank my heavenly father each and every day for this time hes given me to serve him. There is nothing like it. I have grown in so many ways and I cannot deny that I know that this is the church of jesus christ. I love that families can be together forever. And I know that I am a daughter of God and that he has so many blessings prepared for me. BUT it all depends on my obedience and his will! 

Let us all be more obedient!! 

(Even you mason, no more gun threats ok!)

LOVE YOU ALL!

Till next week, 

time to go bowling with my district!

1. Matching BOCA shirts!

2. Killing the lice!!

3. BANFIELD

4. HAPPY ARGENTINA MOTHERS DAY

Ups and Downs (10/12/15)

hi family, 

WHAT A WEEK,

QUE SEMANA. 

I have lots of positives, negatives, and lots of funny stories. 

This week we had interviews with president! I made the goal to go out with a bang! I dont want to let up and i´m going to find ALL the people that need me in these last 3 months. And mom, i go home the 25th of january!

This week I had exchanges with Hermana Flake from Arizona. We have been like best friends during the whole mission so I was so happy to go with her! Shes in Ciudad Evita, where the temple is and we had a wonderful exchange. Shes training and her companion wants to go home so she asked me what we could to to help her sweet comp stay. After a hard core study sesh we came up with the idea to make a scripture can! we filled it will motivational scriptures and wrote her a cute note! THE MISSION IS THE BEST! We dont want her to go home. We then ate ice cream and found NEW INVESTIGATORS!! 

Funny story, we were doing a contact and this lady was like you know what, I believe jesus had a beard so sometimes when I dont get what I want I just pray and I say, HEY THERE little bearded man, you arent being very good! I laughed so hard and I said I think maybe your confusing him for santa. hahah

ALSO, we were contacting a less active and I clapped my hands outside the door (because no one has doorbells) AND THEIR DOG LIFTED ITS LEG AND PEED ON ME!! It was SOO gross. My comp started laughing SOOO hard. And then I worked the whole day smelling like pee. 

Speaking of little animals, yesterday my head was itching, so my comp did a lice check (because everyone whos anyone here has lice, and NO BIG DEAL, i have special little friends in my hair. I LOVE LICE! Our p-day today will be spent taking EGGS out of my hair. 

I LOVE LIFE!

ALSO, theres been a lot of problems lately with missionaries getting robbed here in Buenos Aires. So we have been having to be super careful! (dont worry mom, I´ve only been robbed one time and now Im in a super good area so it wont happen!)  BUT, this week an elder really wanted to by ice cream so he goes and spends 50 pesos on an ice cream cone. And what happenes? HE GETS ROBBED: But they only robbed his cone! hahaha

YEsterday we went to a less actives house and the rain storm ruined her roof so we helped her clean. We spent 4 hours cleaning her whole house! MOM YOU WOULD HAVE DIED! And then, she said that she had to dye her hair, so what did we do, WE DYED HER HAIR! haha I had nooo idea what we were doing but we got in our service hours for the week!! 

You never really know what will happen here in Banfield! 

BUT on a more serious note, we are teaching a man named Walter. HES GREAT! but hes a leader of his church and he has a LOT of questions. SOO, its SUPER hard to teach him. Nbd, tonight president thurgood is going to go with us to teach him!! IM SO NERVOUS but president is going to show him whats up, using the spirit of course! haha

Yeah so that was week! LETS HOPE THIS ONE ISNT SO CRAZY!

LES AMOOO!

and I probably wont write many of you personal letters, I have to do a college application! TILL NEXT WEEK!

1. Nbd, someone grafitied the church! it says basically, the church of the wholagins!

2. Our companionship in a photo

3. Hermana Flake! 

4. Lice checking! YAYY!

CUMPLES Y CONFERENCIA! (10/5/15)

Hola hola hola, coming at ya with one year more and a whole lot of inspiration from conference! 

My birthday was LEGIT! Thanks for all who wished me happy birthday! My companion wrote me a song, 

I dont know about vos but next year you´ll be viente dos! ( to the tone of 22 by taylor swift!) and we sang it all day. My comp woke up and made me breakfast and we got all ready for conference and CONFERENCE WAS THE BEST GIFT EVER! Shout out to my mom for being so cool like elder holland explained and giving birth to me!! And then at night we went to a recent converts house and she threw a FIESTA for me! She made a cake and they sang to me and I ate lots of pizza and dulce de leche!! YAY FOR BEING 21.

CONFERENCE WAS SOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you all watched it and learned from it and NOW lets make some goals and put it in to practice!! I loved the one that gave the 4 goals that said 1. Go the second mile! 2. Smile 3. Share loving feelings! 4. Invite others to come unto christ!! (im translating all of this because I watched it in spanish!) ALSO, we should all do that invite to MEDITIZAR! Memorize/Ponder a scripture a week!! There were sooo many things that I loved. When they talked about the family it made me so greatful for my family. You are all so amazing and you´ve all helped me get to where I am today. Just like the newly called apostle Rasband, I am am who I am because of my parents, my siblings, and all the amazing friends that have helped me along the way and NOW i get to help others! WHich is the best thing ever!!

COOL STORY! 

this week I did exchanges with Hermana Candia from Argentina in a place called Aldo Bonzi. We got there and she was a new missionary and I had never met her. She explained to me that she was serving for a year in brazil and had to come home for health problems and she got re assigned to our mission. I told her HEY I WENT HOME TOO! So now there are 2 sisters in the mission who went home and came back! BUT we were walking and she heard an 18 year old boy speaking portugese so she went up and talked to him. We ended up teaching him and his uncle and they ONLY spoke portugese but they understood spanish. I TAUGHT A LESSON IN PORTUGESE! I understood everything they told me (GIFT OF TONGUES!) and I would speak in spanish but they understood me! THE SPIRIT WAS SOOO STRONG! They are so prepared and want to be baptized! These poor sisters have been looking for investigators for months and they finally found some that are AWESOME! The lord is so great!

I just am so thankful I am here in the mission. Each day I am blessed to be able to represent Jesus Christ and share this gospel. I am going to keep going with all i have until my very last day. I know this is the church of jesus christ, the only true church on the face of the earth and I love inviting ALL to pray and ask god if its the truth. Ive seen how people have changed there life as they have come to know their savior personally. I know God lives, I know Christ is my savior, and I know that we have the church restored to the earth  today! Even if you already have a testimony of these things, or even if you dont, PRAY AND ASK GOD! And you will get an answer! 

I LOVE YOU ALL! 

Thanks for the birthday wishes!!!!

Chau chauu!

1. Exchanges with hermana candia!

2. Exchanges in Aldo Bonzi!

3. My super awesome comp and I after Leadership Council! 

4. What I woke up to on my birthday!!

5. CONFERENCE DAY!

6. IM 21!!

7. FIRST SNICKERS IN YEARS!!!

8. My birthday cake!

9. Mercedes! She threw my surprise birthday party!

10.WE LOVE CONFERENCE!

11. CONFERENCIA!!!!!