Week 16

June 21-27th, 2016

Hola Everyone!!!

We had another great week! Monday we had a lesson with Mario y Carina (Mario tiene 25 años y Carina 22 años) They aren’t married but they have two kids Thomas tiene 3 años y Sofia tiene 7 meses. We were asking questions about their life and about their religious background and teaching them about how God is our loving Heavenly Father. Mario asked us an amazing question!! ¨Porque hay muchas iglesias hoy in día?¨ ding ding ding. We began to teach them about how God calls prophets in every dispensation (time were the gospel is on the earth) and how Jesus Christ was also a prophet. He established his church and called 12 apostles to lead and teach the people his teachings. He gave them the authority to teach is his name. But we all know that Jesus Christ was rejected and so were his apostles and eventually the people killed all of them. 

Thus the people entered into a time of apostosia ( o sea a time where the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Authority is not on the earth) There were people who wanted to continue to follow Christ but didn’t know how and they established churches based on the principles of the gospel (o sea some of the teachings of Jesus Christ but not all of them) and we can still see today that there are many churches and many religions even though Jesus Christ taught one specific way to do things, His way. 

 We shared the first lesson with them about the restauration and how the profeta José Smith was an instrument in the Lords hands to bring forth the complete Gospel of Jesus Christ and all of his teachings. It was soo awesome!!! 

They then invited us to eat lunch with them on Saturday and so we said yes and lunch was delicious! It was like twice baked pasta with a nice white queso to poor on top. After lunch we taught about the Book of Mormon and how it’s another testament of Jesus Christ. Mario was really interested and we gave them each a copy (free of course) and we committed them to read and pray to Heavenly Father and ask if it is true. We let them borrow the video of the restoration to watch and were going to visit them again this week and see how everything went.

Now Gisela and her father Miguel!! They are doing great!! Gisela is still clean from all her addicions and she has been praying and reading the Book of Mormon!! Saturday we stopped by their bicicleteria and she told us all about how she had been reading about Nefi and how he killed Laban with the sword of Laban and how the mother of Nefi was worried about her children and complaining to Lehi.... I was thinking to myself wow she understand more than I did my first time reading the Book of Mormon. My heart was filled with joy and I was so thankful that the Holy Ghost is teaching her as she reads. I truly love this Gospel! She had a friend with them and we tried to give him a Book of Mormon but he said no that honestly he would like one but he is studying to be a doctor and has sooo many things to read daily that he doesn’t have time. But later we ended up giving him a Book of Mormon because in the lesson that we shared that night we had read a scripture in Mosiah 2:41 and when we finished he shared his thoughts about it and how he really liked that scripture and we asked him, are you sure you don't want a copy of the Book of Mormon? We have plenty of others and when you want, you have it to read. It was sooo awesome!! 

We also had a Noche Hogar (o sea family home evening) we basically went with her to the familia Inostrozza´s house and they shared a spiritual messaged about the gift of the Holy Ghost and how its blessed their lives and Hermana Inostrozza (the mom) shared her conversion story about how she was taught the gospel at 22 years of age and she had a daughter and was wanting to be a better mother for her child but didn’t know how or what to do and that the gospel changed her life and taught her patience and love and many other fundament things. She now has 3 children and is married to a return missionary Hermano Inostorzza. We all shared our testimonies about the Holy Ghost and how it’s a blessing in our lives. I could feel the Spirit sooo strong and I could just see in Gisela´s face that she could feel it too. 

Last but not least Gisela and her father gave us two little pins to pin to our shirts of Argentina!! So that we can always remember Argentina!! How thoughtful!!! I love them, they really are lovely people!!! 

I’ll keep you all posted!!! Have a great week!! Oh and Gisela will be baptized 9 de Julio (July 9th!!)) WHOOHOOO!!! :)

Lots of love,

Hermana Jarvis

 Gisela and her father gave us two little pins to pin to our shirts of Argentina!! So that we can always remember Argentina!! How thoughtful!!! I love them, they really are lovely people!!! 

Week 14/15

June 7th-20th, 2016

Hola!!

These past two weeks have been quite amazing! We have a few new investigators! (people who are interested in the gospel) The first one is Gisela. She is a young mother of two and is pregnant with her third. She is 22 years old and I honestly love this family so much. We found Gisela through her father who is a member of the church and was baptized more than 20 years ago and hasn’t come to church since. Entonces he is inactive and really doesn’t know much about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He says at the time that the missionaries taught him he got baptized because he knew it was a good thing to do but did think much else about it. When my companion first found them (a week or two before I got to Cutral-Co) he only wanted us to teach his daughter Gisela to help her out with her life but he didn’t want to return to church. As the days went by little by little his opinion has changed. His daughter Gisela has had many problems with drugs and many other worldly things. Right now all Miguel (the father of Gisela) wants is for his children to stop doing drugs and start living a better life. As we have taught the restored gospel to them Miguel has begun to remember little by little and has begun to teach his daughter Gisela what he knows about repentance and baptism, the word of wisdom and how the holy spirit works. The first two weeks we had no luck with Gisela, she was never around and we found out that she had actually left for a whole week without telling anyone were she was and wouldn’t answer her phone. During that time we visited her father to see how he was and he opened up to us and we got to share our testimony about how the gospel really can change lives. We shared our testimony about how everyone can repent and come unto Christ, that it’s not too late for anyone. We shared how the chapel is like a hospital no one in the church is perfect and every Sunday all the broken and worn down should go to church to be renewed, to take the Santa Cena (the Sacrament) and to be forgiven. When we invited Miguel to come to church with us last Sunday he said that he would now only invite Gisela to go if she returned but also he would be there even if she hadn’t returned. Sunday came and guess who showed up extra early for church? Miguel! It was amazing, I was so happy. After church he asked me for the name of the person who gave a talk during church on repentance. It was an elder in our district (male missionary) named Elder Larson. He had shared his testimony about the power of the atonement and how his sister had been inactive for many years and just this week she wrote him saying that she wanted to return to church and repent and change her life but she didn’t know how, or if she even could. He said he wrote to her sobbing baring his testimony of the power of the atonement and how much Heavenly Father loves each one of us. That talk really touched Miguel´s heart. I remember Miguel saying ¨eso discurso toca mi corazón¨ Miguel later said that he wants to return to church, he wants to learn the gospel again and he wants to be better. My companion and I fasted and prayed that Gisela would return home safely so that we could share the gospel with her as well and that very day we went to the bicicleteria (their family owned bicycle shop were we teach Gisela and her father) and Miguel said that Gisela had returned that day and was sleeping. He said please pass by this week and see if Gisela wants you to teach her. And of course we did! We passed by a few days later and Gisela was there and we taught her about the Book of Mormon and read with her and asked her if she would like to be baptized. She said yes!! This week everyday Miguel has gone over the house of Gisela to say a family prayer every morning and every night helps her read her scriptures. He is soooo good! We have taught Gisela almost all the lessons and it has been amazing! They both attended church yesterday and the joy that fills my heart to see them growing in the gospel is unexplainable. Gisela has decided to stop drinking, and doing drugs, they have stopped drinking café and tea also. We committed her to following the word of wisdom (a commandment from God that says we shouldn’t use illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco, tea, or coffee because they are not good for our body) She has been clean every day so far. We have goals that we’ve set up with her and we have made sure she knows that we are here to help her. No one is perfect and overcoming an addiction is NOT easy. We made sure she knows that if she has a relapse we are here for her and to keep working and trying to accomplish her goal day by day. I have seen so many miracles with this family I can’t even write all the amazing things that have happened. I will keep you all updated on our progress! Today were are going to teach a family during our Pday at 1. I’m supper excited and I’m praying that they too will be receptive to the spirit and will feel the truth of our words through the spirit!! So happy to be serving my Savior! Love you all and hope all is well! Remember that you are never alone!! 

we cooked a chicken roast all by ourselves without instructions or anything!! It was DELICIOUS definitely proud of my hidden cooking skills ahahha

my complimes present from my companion! She is the best haha ALFAJOR!! its basically a giant three layered chips ahoy covered in chocolate. It was delicious. Alfajors are the BEST!

segundo mi comañera conmigo

Week 13

May 31-June 6th, 2016

Hola! Como andan? This week we have been obtaining references (names and addresses of people we can visit) like crazy! Our goal is 7 a day and that’s A LOT... and we’ve been doing it haha it’s actually the mission goal too and here the mission goals are soooo high so I feel like I’m doing alright. My castellano is coming along and my compañera has been teaching me frases (phrases) and jokes in Spanish. We have a pretty good friendship and she is honestly one of the best examples of service that I have ever seen. Every day I’m like wow she is such a role model I want to learn to be like her. The people in my last area all the member and families I knew all spoke so highly of my new companion and now I know why. She is just naturally a servant of the Lord. I know that heavenly father knows what I need and what each person here needs. Hermana Nieto and I are working really hard to help others and preach the gospel with all our fuerza (strength). I know that if we keep it up we are bound to see many more milagros. I have been studying the book of Mormon en español like crazy and I truly have a testimony that es la verdad (it’s the truth). I love the scriptures because they bring me so much peace in a spinning world. Every day I read I try and apply what I read to my life and how I can be better. I think that is the most important part, not to just read but to apply the scriptures to our life. I really do know with all my heart that the book of Mormon is the word of God and is another testimate of Jesuscristo. It and the bible together testify of the life of Jesuscristo and His Atoning sacrifice for us. I know that He lives and that God is our Heavenly Father who loves us perfectly. So much that he sent his only begotten son for us, so that we could return to live with Them again. We are not perfect but through obedience to the commandments and through the atonement we can be perfected through Cristo. I give my testimony en the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. 

I have completely forgotten how to spell in English... please forgive me.

ps- on the 10th I will have been on my mission for 3 months!!!

Week 12

May 24-30th, 2016

Estoy en un nuevo lugar!! I’m in a new place!! Now I’m in Cutral-Co!!! It’s near Zapala. There is a giant Jesus here!! He is huge, white kneeling statue!! I just got here today so I’ll take some photos and send them another time! Tengo un nuevo compañera tanbien!! Ella se llama Hermana Nieto! I already love her!!! haha Right now we are in a trio with Hermana Perez but only until her new companion arrives Thursday. Right now I am in a biblioteca (library) and we only get 30 minutes because it’s closing. This week I learned that I cannot eat the ensalada aca. (the salad here) I got super sick from eating carrots and tomatoes mixed in a bowl with salt and oil.... That afternoon I threw up more than 8 times... and that’s not a joke. The worst part is that the next day was my companion’s birthday!! but no worries by morning I was pretty much all better and we ate lots of cake hahahaha. Now I’m in Cutral Co with an Uruguaya!!! (From Uruguay!!) She just so happens to be my last companion´s last companion... entonces they were companions right before I got to the field!! My Spanish is sooo much better!! The natives here are sooo surprised when I speak and they are like encerio?? you only have two months??

Here are some awesome pictures from today!!! 

my old apartment (because just today I got a new area, new apartment and new companion)

My new companion, Hermana Nieto

Right now we are in a trio with Hermana Perez

My new area Cutral-Co!!! It’s near Zapala.

Week 11

May 17-23rd, 2016

Hola everybody!! This week was the BEST! We had two baptisms!! Ruth y Mateo were baptized on Saturday!!! The spirit was soo strong and all I could think about was when I left the water I felt sooo spiritually clean and that they must be feeling the same exact thing that I felt when I was baptized. It made my heart melt to see that they were entering into that sacred covenant with the Lord. Mateo was soo adorable (tiene nueve años) and he couldn’t stop smiling. All week he would tell everyone he met that he was getting baptized and that they were invited. hahaha how cute! He was sooo excited! There really is so much joy in my heart this week! Our investigator Fabian decided not to get baptized a few days before the service because he feels like he needs to be more ready. We are working with him and praying for him daily that his testimony may be strengthened and that someday he may choose to be baptized. He no longer has a bautismal date but is reading the Book of Mormon, saying his prayers twice a day and attending church for 4 months now. He received almost all the lessons before I met him so we were just finishing up the last little bit he had left to learn. Now he has had everything that we can give him... however we are going to keep teaching and were planning on re-teaching all the lessons. With faith, love and a little time it is possible that his desire may grow. Something very cute happened yesterday during class with Ruth our new member and Fabian! Fabian asked her how much time she had known us and had the lessons before she was baptized. She answered 3 weeks that’s it. Then he asked her how she felt being baptized and she began to explain the peace and joy that filled her soul. He asked her why she chose to get baptized so quickly and she responded, “It’s a commandment to be baptized...”  Hahahaaha I love Ruth!! She went on to say that she knew she had to do it, that here heart knew it was right and she wanted to “follow her Savior” How lovely is that??? I loooovveee being a missionary and witnessing miracles. Hearts truly do change when the gospel is its fullness is revealed to them. Ruth says that before she was Catholic but hadn’t been attending church because something just didn’t feel right. She had been wanted to improve her relationship with Heavenly Father but didn´t know how. She said when we found her and shared the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with her she knew it was the “clave.”  People are out there just looking and waiting for us! Vamanos

Mateo's baptism!

Ruth's baptism!

Week 10

May 10-16th, 2016

This week was sooo short but guess what!?!?! We have three investigators with baptismal dates!! Fabain male 20 years old, Rut female and 40 years old, and Mateo male 9 years old!!!

We are sooo excited and trying to finish all our lessons super strong so they feel super ready and excited for their big day!! I cant wait!! 

We also have three other investigators that we have just begun teaching! There is so much work to do! Vamanos!! haha 

That's it for this week! Ill have much more to say next week!! Chau!!

Week 9

May 3-9th, 2016

This week I don’t have much time to write but I’m attaching pictures!!

We have 2 new investigators Rut and Celeste!! They are each soo awesome!! Rut came to church with us yesterday and we’ve taught the Restoration to her and we also spent a whole lession just reading the Book of Mormon together in 3 Nephi when Christ comes to the Americans! She loved it and said that there is something different about us and how she feels when she is with us! I love that, that means she is feeling the Spirit and that we are teaching with the Spirit!! She said she’s had many other churches and people try to talk to her but never was interested. She said the difference with us is the way she feels…that is why she let us in her home and lets us keep coming back! Que BUENO!

Some random pictures of my adventures...

old temple pictures with the Hermanas that came to Neuquen conmigo! Ive seen them once since then lol but ill be seeing more of them as time goes on

haha there is a famous apple here and last Monday we got our picture with it!

and my awesome new walking shoes that cost a fortune and aren't that attractive....