Week 25

August 23-August 29, 2016

This week has been awesome!! We only hike up and down mountains everyday to get to all the people we have to visit... hahah its awesome!! It totally kicked my butt at first but now I'm pretty much used to it. It's almost spring here and it always seems cold so we put on our jackets and head out but walking up mountains creates a lot of body heat haha we are constantly taking off and putting on our jackets and sometimes I feel like my body is a little bipolar. I cannot remember exactly how to spell in ingles so please forgive me if my words are crazy. This week Hermana Sant and I saw a lot of milagros (miracles). We have been working like mad men haha. We have a few progressing investigators for now and we are searching for more people to teach. Our goal has been to ask everyone for referencias (friends and family members that might be interested in out message). We are also trying to find out where all the less active members live because a ton of the members live in the area of the Elders (male missionaries) and we want to visit everyone we can. This week we were walking home from our last appointment for the day and a man came running up behind us saying excuse me!! and I stepped out of the way as he ran between us...I gave him plenty of space to pass by, not to mention he could have easily just gone around us, but anyways he ran through us and pushed my companion and continued to run on by... we thought we were about to get robbed... But nothing more happened.. We chose to cross the street and change our path and in the end everything turned out okay. My companion also forgot her 200 GB pindrive in the ciber we were using the other day and well a USB/Pindrive is the only thing that matters to a missionary when it comes to the things we own. It normally has our entire life saved- all our photos, music and memories. The next day we said our prayers and asked that the kind man in the Ciber (internet cafe) find that USB pindrive and keep it safe until we could return and ask if they had found one. We returned and the man looked at us and said "ahh," went to his car and pulled out her flashdrive. We joyfully said thank you and went on our way. My companion was so relieved. She then noticed that her name that she had written in sharpy had been removed... We have a feeling he was planning on selling it. Here a decent flashdrive costs about $300 pesos... and thats one with only 16-25 GBs... I said we shouldn't dwell to much on whether his intentions were true and that we could just change cibers.

Also this week we have been reading a few talks from the last missionary conference/devotional and I have been learning a ton!! I definitely have refortified my desires to always testify of our Savior Jesus Christ and His atonement. I know our Savior lives and that he loves each and every one of us. We are all children of our Heavenly Father and they are waiting with their arms stretched forth for us to come unto them. We can always repent, always change, and always look for a better life. I know I'm not perfect and I have to repent daily for sometimes the simplest things but I know that through the atonement I am able to be pure. Thanks to our Savior we all have the chance to live with our Father in Heaven again. We've just got to do our part and all the gifts and blessings we could ever receive can be ours. I'm am so grateful to be here in El Bolson sharing what I know to be true: that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the exact same gospel, church, and teachings that Jesus Christ establish in His earthly ministry. I know that thanks to the Priesthood we can perform ordinances like baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost and I share these things humbly in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Hope you all have a great week!! Never forget that there is always light to be found!

 

Hermana Jarvis

Hermana Jarvis and Hermana Sant

the beautiful mountains

Week 24

August16-August 23, 2016

We had transfers yesterday and guess what?!! I got moved to yet another awesome area!! I'm not going to lie this place is the most beautiful place ever!! I am literally surrounded by snow peaked mountains!!! It's spring here now so its just perfect outside. Here there are a ton of hilly roads to walk and I can already tell it's going to kick my butt. My companion has less time than I do in the mission!!! Her name is Hermana Sant and she is awesome. She´s from Louisiana!! Una gringa!!! I'm officially a senior companion! It's kinda scary because I have to be even more responsible and be an example for my new companion but it shouldn't be too bad haha.

Last week in Centinario we had another baptism!! Wahoo! Jaqueline got baptized Sunday after the sacrament meeting. I´ll telll you what that water was ice cold and she went in anyway. She came out of the water laughing and sopping wet of course haha. I have some awesome pictures!! Ella es una capa! She knew it was her time to get bautized and couldn't wait another minute! It's amazing to watch people change and grow in the gospel and even more amazing to know that you are doing something for the Lord. I have learned so much about what it is to serve the Lord with all your heart, might, mind, and strength. I am so unbelievably grateful that I have the opportunity to be a hand in His work. 

That´s about all for this week.Oh and I attached pictures of the mountains here today and of our apartment. Not going to lie this one is pretty nice. Oh and today we chopped wood (cortamos leña)!!! ​

Hermana Jarvis

Jaqueline's baptism

Estoy in El Bolson! It is the most beautiful place ever!

Week 23

August 9-August 15, 2016

The other day I bought a personalized scripture case for my english scriptures.

Week 22

August 2-August 8, 2016

This week was awesome!!! First off we have another bautism coming up!! We got a call from the assistants (elders in charge of all of Neuquen who work directly with our mission president) They said, hey president Cassariego wants us all to have one more bauptism before the month is over and asked us if  were up for the challenge. I was like, "of course!" I turned to my companion and we both said "Jaqueline".... Because she has all the lessons and has attended church (everything she needs to be prepared) but wanted to wait till her house was finished. We had been praying for the Spirit and the right scriptures to share to help her accept to be bautized. We ended up sharing a scripture in the Book of Mormon about how we need to be prepared spiritually for what tomorrow might bring. We then bore our testimonies and before we could even ask her she said... ¨I´m ready to get bautized. I don't want to wait any longer!¨ Her daughter (9 years old and member) asked ïn September?¨ and we couldn't believe our ears when Jaquelin said , ¨no I have to do it this month. I don't want to wait any longer.¨ THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT WE HAD BEEN PRAYING FOR THEM OR THAT WE WANTED TO HELP THEM GET BAUTIZED BEFORE THE MONTH WAS UP.  The Lord keeps surprising me with His wonderful ways. I know that there are people who are ready to hear the gospel, who want to change their lives and I know that WE as missionaries are representatives of Christ. That only through our invitation can they accept to come unto Christ. For that we have to teach faith, repentance, bautism, the gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end to EVERYONE we meet. Because if we don't... who will?   I am extremely grateful to have this opportunity!! 

This week was also my birthday and well lets just say that was a hit too!! Of course we worked and taught lessons all day and I think that's what made it the best. I have to say it was the best birthday ever! My companion put flour and a raw egg in my hair while I was was doing my exercises at 6:30 in the morning. Let me just say the egg was hard as a rock and she had to thunk me with it like 5 times... she has it all on video and the whole time I'm like ¨OOOWWW Hermanaa?? Is that a hard boiled egg??¨¨ hahaha it was raw but I couldn't believe it. Also we ate lunch with our investigator Fernanada and her Boyfriend. They cooked Paella!!! its a sea food dish with my favorite Mussles!!!! it was delicious and I have lots of pictures!! My favorite part was that my companion said, ¨And bless Hermana Jarvis with lots of more years¨ in every single prayer that day. She's crazy but I love her. haha Hope everything is going well back home!! 

Hermana Jarvis

Birthday flour attack at 6:30 am

Fernanada and her boyfriend cooked Paella

20 years old! 

Of course we worked and taught lessons all day and I think that's what made it the best. I have to say it was the best birthday ever! 

Week 21

July 26- August 1, 2016

Hey everybody!!!

This week was another awesome week!!! Matías and Candela got bautised!!!! It was sooo lovely!!! Today we went to Dique. Its some sort of camping ground with a nice big river. We took lots of awesome pictures hope you enjoy!!!

Hermana Guida, Candela, Hermana Jarvis

Hermana Guida, Matías. Candela, Hermana Jarvis 

Today we went to Dique. Its some sort of a camping ground with a nice big river!

Over looking the river.

Week 19/20

July 12-July 25, 2016

These past two weeks have been amazing! First off I can now say that I've met John the Baptist! We stopped to talk to a young mother and her three year old boy Juan El Bautista. We shared a message about the restoration but they ended up not living in our area so the sisters in 5 Saltos (that's the city where they live). 
We have a few progressing investigators (people interested in the Church). 

Fernanda - Girlfriend of Alfanso (member but is less active). They both smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol once in a while. We taught them the word of wisdom (revelation Joseph Smith received that teaches us that tobacco, coffee, tea, illegal drugs and alcohol are bad for our bodies) and they are committed to living the word of wisdom!! We left their house with two bottles of wine and three packs of cigarettes in my bag!! Alfonso said we should take the wine to any store and say we don't want them anymore and trade them in for soda! We were like you can do that??? And guess what we did today?? We traded the two bottles of wine in (worth 250 pesos) for two huge bottles of soda and 1.5 kilos of cheese!!!! All we said was that we had been given he wine by a family and that well we don't drink-- so could we trade them in for something else like soda?? There is a picture below.

Tuvimos un noche hogar con ellos y van a casarse!! Alfonso asked us to plan a Family home evening with them and told us to invite a married couple to join us. Usually we ask them if we can do all that but this family asked us!! Of course we took advantage of the awesome opportunity that was given to us and planed the whole evening around temple marriage and eternal families. It was a HIT! The married couple each shared their testimony about the blessings of temple marriage and how the gospel brings happiness. That night they said that they would get married so that Alejandra could be bautized and they said they've always planned on getting married and they are going to set date!!!  Alejandra has is trying to quite smoking and they are working towards her bautismal date. Alfonzo has stopped drinking and smoking and they are trying to support each other in the gospel. We are super excited for them!! They asked us if we could have lunch with them on my birthday August 4th and of course we said yes! They keep teasing me about how their are going to help my companion crack an egg on my head and pour flour in my hair. Apparently its some weird tradition. haha They both attended church with us Sunday along with our other investigators!

    We also have a bautism this Saturday!!! 30 de Julio!! Matías 12 years old will be baptized the same day as his little sister Candela age 8! Their mom is a member and was inactive but has been attending church and living the gospel for more than a month now. We are sooo excited for them!! We visit them every day to make sure that they are all doing good. They are supper smart too-they know the 10 commandments like the back of their hands and everyday they beg to say the opening and closing prayers (we always say a prayer at the beginning of our lesson and at the end)
My companion Hermana Guida speaks 3 languages!!! English (still learning but its sooo good!) portugues (native) and español!! The other day we were saying our nightly prayers together and she asked me to say it this time in english. Let me tell you it was so hard hahaha I kept accidentally saying words in Spanish and having to say them over again but in English. It was also suuuper slow because I have trained my brain to think in Spanish and I have to translate it into English before I speak and I'm not used to speaking English anymore and my companion thinks it's hilarious.  She is also a convert to the church!! She's been a member for a almost 3 years. (I can still say that I've only been a member for a year until 16 de agosto)

Her story is super awesome!!! She was baptized three days after first meeting the missionaries and learning abou the church!!! CRAZY AWESOME!! Normally people are bauptised about a month or so later. Her testimony is so strong! We are quite the team! 

Well thats all for today folks :)

Have a great week!!
Hermana Jarvis

We traded the two bottles of wine in (worth 250 pesos) for two huge bottles of soda and 1.5 kilos of cheese!!!! 

All we said was that we had been given he wine by a family and that well we don't drink-- so could we trade them in for something else like soda??