Thursday, April 7, 2016

6 Months Down…1 Year to go…

April 7, 2016

HOLA!!!

Can you believe that I have finished the first third of my mission...como ya?!!! Because I sure can't!  Man, time sure flies when you're having fun!

After 6 months in the mission...I'm OFFICIALLY LEGAL!

Bueno.  This week was great!!! First of all, can we just talk about how amazing General Conference was?!  Oh boy, did I just LOVE it!!!  I've always enjoyed conference growing up, but there's just something special about getting to watch it in the mission. AND, I was lucky enough to be able to watch it in English too, so I was even more happy and excited to hear not only the words, but the voices of our dear Prophet and other leaders of the Church. 

One of my favorite talks was Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson when she shared the experience of the mother flying in the life-flight helicopter from Utah County to Primary Children’s Hospital with her son clinging to life.  It definitely brought a smile to my face when she mentioned that the mother saw the Draper temple out her window as well as other temples across the Salt Lake Valley.   (I even admit, I may have missed home just a bit hearing that.)  The thought came to this mother's head in that time of great trial, "Do you really believe it?" Like this woman in the story, and so many of us, I have been raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have known of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ all my life.  But like this woman, I often need to be reminded of this important question, "Do I really believe it?"  So powerful! 

Also, I loved the focus of many of the speakers reminding us of what it means to really understand that we are children of God and that He loves us.  Sometimes we let things get in the way and we forget the importance of remembering where we come from.  As President Uchtdorf shared, Jesus Christ IS the Shepard, and He knows His sheep personally and will do all He can to help us, love us, and bring us back to Him when we are lost. 

Let's just say I'm on a bit of a spiritual high right now that's not going to go away! :) 

Okay, now I need to clear up something super important from last week....I messed up and was too generous to my companion when describing her height...she's actually only 4' 9" hahaha :) Oh, but isn't she just the cutest!  

Yeah...I'm HUGE, but it's fine...

I seriously LOVE Hna. Cardenas!  I also have to admit that I've been a bit of a slacker this week writing in my journal because we like to sit and talk and laugh at night instead of getting ready for bed.  But hey, that's not a bad thing right?!  At least we get along. ;)  Haha she's awesome!  

She likes it when I cook for her...
This is an Argentine Special - "Tortas Fritas" - basically scones...SUPER YUMMY!!
Dulce de Leche is my life now...Whoops ;)

I'm also helping her with her English - it’s just so fun and her accent is the best! Speaking of English... I can't speak English anymore haha!  It’s a struggle but SUCH a blessing to have a Latina compi!

Oh, and just to clarify, Hna. Cardenas was here in Olavarría last transfer too, so she's been here like 6 weeks more than me, which is bastante [enough].  But yeah, we are still getting to know the area together. 

Now I've got some really great news for you all... 

So we have this investigator right now named Alicia.  A couple weeks before I got here, she stopped the missionaries in the street and told them her son was a member of our church and invited them to come back to her home and talk with her later.  The Hermanas passed by a couple times, but she was never home or was super busy.  So when I got here, we got to actually start teaching her and she basically has already accepted everything we have shared with her as the truth.  She even said, without us saying anything, that "I was already baptized in la iglesia evangelica [the evangelist church], but I’d like to go to your church, because I like how I feel when you guys come into my home, and when I read the Book of Mormon, and if I have to get baptized again, I'll do it."   Ummm.  OKAY!!  What?!  That never happens.  So in our last lesson with her, we committed her to be baptized on April 30th (which happens to be my favorite brother's birthday 😉)!!!  She's going to come to church with us this Sunday too!  So if you can all imagine, we are just a bit excited here in Olavarría right now!!  Please keep Alicia in your prayers so that she can receive a sure answer that this is the path she needs to take, and that she will take it! :) 

Also, this week we received a reference from some members in another ward in the stake. They had given their friend Juan a Book of Mormon because he was interested.  When we met with him, he told us that he was already in 2 Nefi.  Say what?!?!  We set up a lesson with him and when we asked if he had any questions so far about what he was reading, his main concern and question was that he didn't understand what the footnotes were at the bottom of the page or how they worked/how to follow them.  Don't you worry, we can help with that, and help you understand so much more!! :)  He is really interested to learn more and we are excited to keep teaching him too. 

So yeah, it’s been a pretty good week :)  This morning, President and Hna Cifuentes came to Olavarría for interviews and then we had a zone meeting - that’s why I'm writing later today.  Don't worry, I'm still alive! ;)   So our p-day just got shifted to the afternoon, and tonight we are going bowling as a zone!  Whoop! Whoop!  Haha, I haven't bowled in 6 months so it’s going to be pretty rusty.  ;)  (Not that I was ever good at bowling before anyway, but oh well). 

Last Week's P-Day...3-Legged Relays in the Park!

P-Day Picnic in the Park

I hope you all have a great week and remember that you are each a very important son or daughter of Heavenly Father and HE LOVES YOU!!! (And I love you too!) ;) 

Hasta la proxima semana! 


Hermana Bartholomew 

Never been so excited to see a Walmart in my life...

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