God loves us. He really, really loves us.

God loves us.  He really, really loves us.

This week I was in companionship exchanges with a Hermana that has been here for 3 weeks, and doesn´t know much Spanish.  We spent a good part of the days stopping and talking with people in the street.  As we were walking to an appointment, I felt that we should take a different path and we ran into a woman and her little child.

We contacted her like we would anyone and and as we were saying goodbye I got the strongest feeling that we should ask her if there was anything that we could do to help her.

Her sincerity really surprised me.

She looked a little frustrated and told me that she didn´t know.  That she honestly didn´t know but sometimes she just felt bad.

I pulled out a pamphlet and marked a few things for her and then looked her in the eyes and starting talking and testifying.  And as I told her how much God loved her- I became overwhelmed and almost started crying.  She had tears in her eyes, and As we said goodbye the second time she looked a little more at peace.

Still thinking about that moment makes me want to cry.  I could only feel a little part of what our Heavenly Father feels for her- and I can´t even imagine what would be the full effect.

Walking that stretch of road to our next appointment I began to think of our celestial family- and the individual importance that we all have.

This week we`ve been focusing a lot on teaching families.  I think I´ve wasted a lot of time of my mission focusing on salvation- when I should have been more interested in exaltation.  Salvation is personal, but exaltation is familiar.  

We´ve also been talking a lot about repentance in first-time visits- and it´s been really powerful.  Everyone needs to use the atonement a little bit more in their lives.

I also inhaled a mosquito.  It hurts a lot more that it sounds. 

I LOVE YOU.

This week I`m writing from the area of my district leader!! We spent p-day making tacos.  Greetings from Elder Morales ay Elder Romer. 

 Mi nueva compañera y mi distrito y zona

 Las hermanas de mis 3 zonas!

el abuelo with my hat

fantasy land

Sometimes I feel like I´m fantasy land.  I love my mission.  For these past couple of days the streets have been filled with hundreds and hundreds of little white butterflies.

I did splits with an Hermana from Nicaragua and she told me that are a ton of wild tigers where she lives and invited me to stay with her in her house.

It always amazes me how you can only have known a person for 3 weeks and you already love them.  My companion is great.  And she literally puts hot sauce or chili powder on everything.  Popcorn with hot sauce,
and any type of fruit with chili powder are actually super good.

Some members bought me a giant hat from Bolivia, and I think it´s to humid for make-up so I stopped wearing any.  My companion  says that I look Amish but I feel fabulous.  A cute little grandpa even asked if he could try my hat on so that´s that.

About 4 weeks ago our mission president has challenged our whole mission to read The Book of Mormon cover to cover before Christmas. And to mark everything that has to do with the atonement in red and baptism and missionary work in blue.I´ve never marked up a book so much in my entire life.I´ve had to spend all of my personal study and the occasional free time to be up to where I need to be.

The Book of Mormon is true.  There is a reason that it´s the instrument of the restoration. Our Heavenly Father has always loved us, and will always love us.  The only way to find lasting peace is through using our Savior´s
sacrifice, and then helping others do the same.

  When Elder Cook came to our mission, he didn´t leave us a blessing that we would have a million baptisms- he left a blessing for us and our families. There is always a lot of work to do but when we are on the Lord´s side
he does what we can´t.I love you so much.  I´m glad that you got my letter.  I´m praying for all of you.  My companions prays for you too.  One of my converts too!

Don´t worry!  I´m not loosing that much weight.  Just a little bit. I´m just almost the same size that I was before the mission now.  It´s kinda hard not to thin down a little bit when its literally 130 degrees and humid. And there´s more things to do then there is time.  I´m eating a lot.  

ELDER COOK OF THE 12 VISITED OUR MISSION!

This week nothing scary happened!  `Cept a gaint bug attacked me while
I was walking down the street  but it wasn´t even that bad.  And we
ate an unhealthy amount of steak but that pretty much happens all the
time.  Argentina.

ELDER COOK OF THE 12 VISITED OUR MISSION!  We had a special conference
and gathered together completely as a mission!  It was incredible.  In
the end he was testifying, and crying and he left a blessing upon our
mission.  It was so spiritual- it´s like the part in 3rd nephi when the
Lord is crying and praying for all the people that were there.

It was really great to see missionaries that I haven´t seen since the
MTC.  I got to see all of my old companions!  I got to receive
letters from my converts and found out how that are all doing from the
other missionaries!  And, we spent the night in my 2nd area and I had
the opportunity to visit a bunch of investigators, converts, and
members.  I can´t believe how blessed I am!

Even being in a 7 hour bus ride was super fun because we were with the
3 zones that I do companionship exchanges and zone training's with.  It
was like being with family! And I learned all of the slang words in
Chile. And we have a lot of really funny pictures of missionaries
sleeping.

Because of exchanges and the conference, we only had 1 and 1/2 days to
work in our area.  But the Lord blessed us, while we were walking to
one of our appointments, we literally ran into all of the other people
that we needed to see in the street on our way there.  We are
literally so lucky!

We are teaching an abuelito that´s been investigating the church for
years. We´ve been studying with him everyday.  And our last lesson with
him was sooo spiritual.  He didn´t plan on going to church this
sunday, but we ran into him 3 times Sunday morning while we were
looking for other investigators- and when he went back to his house a
catholic program was on TV so he knew that God was telling him that he
had to go to church!

I love the mission!

And I actually have a photo that I can send because my companion sent
it to me!  

Me and mi Hijita Hna Matins, Hna Saenz, and la hija de Hna
Saenz y compañera de mi hija

I found this on Facebook from another mom.  It was after Elder Cook spoke.

Mud and toads

God loves the Colonia and obedient missionaries that fast even when it´s 122 degrees outside.

I love being a missionary. I love being tired.  I love being dirty and sweaty, because everything is worth it when you see the Gospel change lives.  

This was the only week that we have this transfer where we don´t have to travel, do splits or training's- so we gave it everything that we had.  I was so physically and spiritually tired that I started to fall asleep while we were in a lesson singing a hymn!  My eyes hurt the whole weekend, but I´ve never felt so content.

We are focusing a lot on completing families, and we´re planning 2 weddings!

This week we were with one of these families, just leaving thier house when the power went out.  It was 8:30 at night and it was completely, completely dark. We happened to be in a dangerous part of our area, I have literally never been more scared in my entire life.  We couldn´t see anything,just shadows as the people started running. 

Last week as my old companion was finishing packing up all her things to go home, she gave me a little key-chain flashlight and I felt the need to carry it with me that day!  I will eternally be grateful for that small gift.  I pulled it out of my bag,grabbed my companions arm and we started booking it.  The dirt roads had been turned into a  swamp from the storm, and we walked as fast as we could in mid-calf deep mud and toads. 

People started yelling at us- but we just kept going. When we got back home we knelt down and we said the most grateful prayer that I´ve ever said in my life.

The Lord watches and protects us.  If we listen to the spirit and are prepared He will guide us out of the darkness,   

 When I get back I´m starting a fundraiser to put emergency lights in the small towns of north Argentina. 

Our Branch president isn´t coming back.  We almost didn´t have enough priesthood for the sacrament but while we were singing the sacrament hymn one of the priests arrives. We ´re working our butts off to activate and ordain  priesthood.   

All mail has to go through the mission office. And....  Half of the town that I am living in doesn´t actually have named streets or addresses.  We have to basically memorize everything. The address section in my planner consists of drawings and really long descriptions.  When we invite people to come to church it doesn´t have an address so we just tell them that it´s in the yellow warehouse next to a funeral home and they all know what we are talking about.  The Lord work miracles.

I put Jenn´s testimony into a Book of Mormon, and thought a lot about who I would give it to. This week I gave to a woman who has her mother in a wheelchair and her son of 6 years has been left unable to control his own body from severe epileptic seizures.  She´s really progressing a lot and we are hoping to baptize her whole family  

Hermana Shumway

Rain, no power, Branch president missing.

I can´t believe that my E-mail didn´t get to you last week! I wrote to you but
the internet here is literally so bad!

Last weeks e-mail was AMAZING.  It was mostly just my testimony answering your
question. And telling the biggest miracle that has ever happened to
me.  The family Roque got baptized. Next week I will describe in
details because it deserves a long description and I have a lot on my
mind right now.  And my stomach hurts because when some one invites
you to an asado here they literally give you a steak bigger than a
triple combination.

This was probably the most difficult week I´ve ever had.  We didn´t
have to much time to work in our area the beginning of the week because
we had to go do splits with some other Hermanas and we were gone for 2
days.  When we got back everything was normal- we literally had to run
to get to get to the apartment on time because we had to check up on
everyone.  A couple of wild dogs tried to eat me, so we ended up being
late anyway.  But a really cute couple fought the dogs so the would stop attacking me.

About 5 minutes after we got in it started to rain.  Harder than I´ve
ever seen in my life.  And our house started flooding, and the power
went out.  And we couldn´t sleep because  were baling out the water
with the dim light of our phone until it died.  We had a HUGE avocado
tree that completely fell down.  Our little town was in shambles.  SO
many little wooden houses with tin sheet roofs fell apart.  It´s been
5 days since then and there are still people with out power. (I´m
completely fine, and there is power in our apartment!)

All of the members are alright, and we´ve never had more people in the
church.  50!!!

And, our branch president has disappeared.  And it looks like he won´t
be coming back.  There is only 1 other priesthood man who could take
his place but he already has 6 callings and said that he couldn´t do
it.  But... more on that later.

I also have a new companion.  La Hermana Maciel de Mexico.  My other
companion finished her mission.  My new companion finishes her mission
next month, so it looks like I´ll be finishing my mission here too!

I´ve been thinking a lot about extending my mission, but  when I
started praying about it I felt that I shouldn´t.  So I guess I´ll be
seeing you all in January.

I love you.  I´m praying for you.  I have a lot of photos to show when
I get back.  I´m super happy and I know that we are going to see even
more miracles this transfer!