Oct 27, 2014 Stake Conference

Hello!

Well I’m glad to hear that you guys are going on your diet! That’s super awesome! I also need to do something about my weight! It’s kind of hard to go on a diet in the mission but I definitely need to work out more diligently. I’ve been feeling a little fat! =P haha! But things are going good here! We are working really hard and trying to improve everyday! We found a family that is really great! We have been working with them this week and they are really awesome! The Loto family! Joana (18 years old) Gabriel (12) and Karen (8). The mom is a less active. Unfortunately they didn’t make it to church this week! But I know they will come the next week!

This week we had Stake conference! We tried so hard to get lots of members to go! The ward ordered a Bus and we were going to meet in our church building and go to the Stake Center in the bus. Well. Only about 10 members showed up. And so they canceled the bus and we went in the 2 or 3 cars that we had. Lots of members went in their own car so a lot went. But a lot of the members that we wanted to go like less actives and recent

Converts didn’t go. (The investigators didn’t go either :() but oh well! We keep working and try to find the things we can improve! The conference was very nice! Our Mission President came and talked. They focused a lot on family history and missionary work! And also the importance of members in the missionary work! 

Other than that, not a lot has happened here! Yesterday was the birthday of a member and I made a cake! =D I also took a picture, but I don’t have a way to download it on the computer! Haha! But one day ill be able to take pictures again! Haha! Love you all and I hope that everything is going well! =D thank you for all that you have done for me! For your prayers and the examples that you were growing up and are now! Stay strong in the Faith!

Oct 20, 2014 Happy Argentine Mother's Day

Hello!

Well this was fairly a good week! It was a very Chill week to put it that way.

We had interviews with mission president! And that was really good! He asked us to write down our goals for after the mission. 5 years after the mission. 10 years and 20 years. and so I did that and it was a great experience to think about my life and what it is that I want to achieve and who I want to be in the future and what do I have to do in the mission now to achieve those things that I want! We had a great little conversation. It was really nice! He likes that I want to be a dentist. And he laughed because he has a brother and a brother in law that are dentists and so he had his jokes. Haha!

Then we have just been working. Looking for new people to teach and help! Its getting a little harder because we have talked with so many people and it just seems like no one wants anything! But we don’t get sad. We keep working and going! We have met some people that wanted to learn more but didn’t make it to church! So we have to pass by and see why they didn’t go! So on Sunday we were invited to talk in church and kind of plan the talks and all that. And so what we did was I sang. And my comp and the ward mission leader spoke. I was nervous because on Saturday I woke up a little sick. I had a sore throat and I could hardly talk. But on sun I was already feeling better and I sang. It wasn’t very well. But the members really liked it. So we will have to see what happens when I get my voice back. Haha! And what we have been doing is thinking of new ways to find and we are planning a couple activities that we can do in the ward. Also thinking about teaching English. So we will see what happens there! Haha! Well I love you all and thank you so much for all you do! Here in Argentina it was Mothers day yesterday! So I’d like to thank you mom for all you do! You are a great example to me and I’m so grateful for all you do and all you have done! Love you so much! Have a great week!

Oct 13, 2014 Alma 37 - Diligence

So I feel kind of dumb because I haven’t written the letter yet. But here I go to start. Haha! Well things have been going really well! Me and my new comp get along very well! We are both very calm people and we don’t let the little things get us down. We have been working hard this week but we have been having a little trouble finding people that will progress! We have found people that like the church and like to learn. But no one that is ready for baptism yet. Also the same with inactives. We have found some that like to learn. Read the Bom but don’t want to progress or go to the church! I feel like we have just been stopping by the same people that missionaries have passed by already a bunch of times. And so I want to find new people that know nothing to kind of have like a clean slate! The problem with that is we need the members for that. Usually new people don’t just start listening to the missionaries. They need to know some member so they know that it’s nothing weird and also so the member is there to help guide them along the way! So we are trying to work with the members to find some one that is willing to progress!

The inactive family that we were working with didn’t want to progress anymore. They would go to the church just because we took them and it was close. But inside they weren’t trying to learn anything or feel anything. They just went because they had fun with us and we went and so they went. Kind of sad but that’s the mission. You got to drop the people that aren’t progressing so that God can prepare them a little more and so that we can go work with other people that will progress!

On Sunday I had a really great revelation! I was in the church and I felt this feeling that I should really pay attention to the spirit that day, especially during the sacrament like they counseled in the Conference! I had such a great experience in the church. It wasn’t any special. I just felt an energy. I was ready in Alma 37. And it talks about being diligent in all things. And that if we aren’t diligent its like nothing happens. It talks about Lehi and Nephi. How in their trip when they stopped exercising their faith and diligence they stopped seeing miracles. But when they were diligent they saw miracles! I took that as. We can do the things right. We can go to church, read the scriptures and do other things just cuz we know we need to do them! But we need to think about the why we do them. And actually try to learn and progress in every part of our life! It’s a great chapter and I invite all to read it and learn from it and then to apply the things you learn from it! You will be blessed and you will see Milagros! Haha!

Other news. I lost my camera! = (  I lasted 15 months in the mission with that camera! Thankfully i didn’t lose any pictures! So that was a blessing and a testimony of being prepared! But now I’m on the search for another one! But I’m doing good and I am working hard! The other day a member told us that chicken was really cheap at a grocery store. So we went and bought two whole chickens. And we cooked up one of them Argentine style! Asado! It was taking too long so at the end I just ended up putting it in the oven to make sure it was cooked all the way through. But it was good still! Now we are thinking about what we want to do with the other chicken! Fried...? In the oven...? Another asado...? You’ll just have to wait and see! =P this next week is mother’s day here in Argentina. I am also going to sing in church! It should be interesting! Well I Love all of you and hope things are going well! Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

Oct 7, 2014 Happy 21st Birthday Connor and Elder Montenegro

Well this was a really crazy week!

So... On Sunday we had the Despedida (going away for the missionaries that are going home). I got to see a bunch of friends. Then on Monday we had a short p-day. We got to write and then we went to go to work. Well what happened was we had to go to a place called Del Viso which is kind of close because my comp had to sign some forms. Then we started working really late because we were traveling. But on Monday we had a really great lesson with the Bishop and Matias! Then on Tuesday was normal. Wednesday was my birthday. We started with a planning session for the week. And then we went to an Asado with the Martinez family. They are the investigators Matias that I had talked about. It was really good the food! But unfortunately they are not progressing. He refuses to give up smoking and when we were there on my birthday he takes out two giant beer bottles. And starts drinking in front of us, saying you got to celebrate but wasn’t listening to us. So we ate. And then we dropped them. Haha! It was sad and a little hard but it was what needed to be done. So we left and went to work. And then at the night we had ward council. Haha. The bishop said he was going to bring me something but didn’t have time. So after we left and get to our house he calls us and says come down. We go down and he has a cake! It was super good! Thursday we had a Zone meeting and then found a couple potential investigators. And then had a nice family home evening with a family that I love! We made French fries! They didn’t come out very well. And then while I was making them the Hermana hands me the dish that had the French fries and it was a metal plate that was right by the stove. When I touched it I burned myself. And then I dropped the plate and then I stepped bad and rolled my ankle. Haha! At least it still wasn’t my birthday haha. And then on Friday we had to wake up at 3 to go to the temple! We went and met in Escobar and then waited for a tour bus to pick us up and it was huge and comfy. Much better than those that we used with LIGHT haha! It was 2 stories also. We went to the temple! It was so special! It was something that I was really missing! It made me think about a lot of things! We got back about 7 and had another family home evening with another family after going out and looking for people with their son. Nobody came out. We ended up making French fries again! Haha! What happened was. I was making French fries but they weren’t coming out very well and I didn’t know why! And I was really frustrated! But they explained it to me. There are 2 types of potatoes. White and black. The black ones are cheaper so I would buy those. Apparently what happens is they will up with water and it makes them not good. So we used the white potatoes and they were so gooooood!!!! Haha! And I’m getting better at peeling! Haha! Then on Saturday and Sunday we watched the conference in Pilar! It was super cool that they spoke in their own languages this year. When it got to the Elders that spoke in Spanish (because it was translated in the TV that we were watching it on) we ran to the chapel to listen to it in Spanish in the native tongue! It was such a cool experience! I learned so much! Then it was raining the whole time and I didn’t have an umbrella or anything and so I got sick again! =/ oh well. Haha! Then we are at transfers. My comp thought that he was going to stay here. And when they told him he was leaving he got upset. Poor guy. But he is in Capital now. And now I’m with an elder from Panama Elder Montenegro! Im excited to get to know him and work with him! Well that was my week! I love you all! And I invite everyone to watch the Conference and rewatch it! It was so great! I was sick and I went and even though I was sick and didn’t feel good I never got sleepy and paid attention the whole time and learned so much! I love this Gospel and the Mission! And I love all of you! Have a great week!

 Studying with Birthday cake!! =D

 The family is MAtias and all of them. it was my birthday. I didnt get a good pictures. haha! 

 Watching Conference with all the Gringos. watching in English! 

Elder Sanderson! he is a BOSS!!!  

Selfie with president!  

 A Day at the Buenos Aires Temple

 Happy 21st Birthday Connor

Sept 29, 2014 Goodbye Elder Ballesteros

I’m so bad about writing. Haha! I always run out of time! Haha. But I’m doing well! We had some what of a fun week! My comp got a little sick and so he cooled down a bit. And we started working well together and having some success!

We found a family that lives right next to the church. The mom and daughter are members but the rest aren’t. We have been working with them really hard. Matias is a kid that is 18. He is a great kid and we get along together!  He has a little smoking problem but we are helping him with that! He is really excited to go to church and everything and learn more and change his life! He is a really great kid, He tells us that since he met us he doesn’t want to smoke marijuana anymore and that he doesn’t want to do the things his friends do, He feels comfortable in the Church because everyone there greets him and makes him feel welcome! One problem is his brother. The brother keeps trying to prove that our church is wrong and stuff like that. Like he asks stuff like, if you went to another church and you felt something strong something different that you’re church, what would you do? Or. You guys say this is all true that you feel good and all that stuff but any other pastor in another church can say the same about his church. And says that the bible is the most important book and we shouldn’t read anything other than the bible. And invited me to read the bible (which I already do haha) and so the next day I brought my bible and I explained to him everything that I had been reading and all that. But still doesn’t want to touch the BoM. He distracts Matias and the lessons. But we have stopped focusing on him and try to focus more on Matias because he is willing to Progress! We are here to baptize and work with the people that the Lord has prepared!

Friday was a strange day. We had to Work on the newsletter that we do for the ward each week! And then our lunch called and canceled. Neither of us had money and we were both very hungry. So I pulled out my debit card and we went and bought stuff to do hamburgers and make brownies for a Hermana in the ward. We went home and while we were eating the brownies got burnt and we didn’t know what to do! And then my comp drops the oil from the Fries all over the floor. So we clean that up and get going. We need to print out some photos for the Hermana and buy something else to have for a cake for the birthday party. Luckily the mom of the Hermana was willing to put something together. So we buy the things and give them to the mom and she puts the cake together. We go and see Matias and we teach them the plan of Salvation. And then on the way to the party we run into a big group of drunk men (it was like 7 at night) and they start yelling at us. It’s the Germans! It’s the Germans! (Everyone here thinks we are Germans I don’t know why. and also they don’t like Germans here haha) so they are screaming and start throwing rocks at us! But we get there safely! We eat pizza and talk and have some fun with the family. All of them recent converts. And then we teach them a retention lesson and pull out the cake. We ended up having to run home because we almost got home late! It was hard because I hate running home. But we got there and that’s what counts!

On Sunday we had almost all of Matias’s family at church! They stayed 2 hours (which is more than I thought they would stay). And some less actives that we are working with too came! It was so nice that we had so many people at church! Then at night we went to the going away for all of the elders going home. Including Elder Ballesteros! And I saw a lot of old friends there! It was really a great night!

Love you all and im really excited about the General conference! Bye! Oh! On Friday we are going to the temple! And on the next Tuesday we have transfers

On friday our lunch got cancelled so we went and bought hamburgers and we made fries also ! Well my fries werent coming out really great and i didnt know why, But also we were making brownies for a member because it was her birthday. I was making the fries and my comp put the brownies in the oven. after like 5 minutes my comp tells me. Your fries are burning take them out. They were a little dark but they werent burning. but anywys i took them out. Then my comp remembered that the brownies were in there and he burned the  brownies! haha!

 burnt brownie! haha!

Went to the Despedida. Which is the going away devotional for the missionaries that are going home. I Saw alot of old friends there! 

 Elder Ballesteros is going home!