I wonder if anyone but my parentals still read these emails or my blog but to all those who MIGHT
THANK YOU!!!
You all have been a wonderful source of strength for me and I know that the prayers you have offered in behalf of all the missionaries of the world are HEARD and ANSWERED with a great blessing on us. I am so proud to be called one of the servants of God, like the Army of Helaman, taking the world His truth.
I know that this IS the work that He showed the prophets of the Old and New Testament and that the prophets in the Book of Mormon specifically saw our day and have blessed our lives with inspired words that we NEED to study every day!
I am so grateful for this time. Yesterday, I had the great blessing of participating in ONE LAST Argentine, end-of-the-world branch, testimony meeting. It was so beautiful with an amazing spirit touching everyone. I wasn´t planning on getting up but when I saw Hna. Kapp get up toward the end, I decided I would stand with her and testify together as we always do. When I got up and moved closer to the front, the 2nd counselor conducting the meeting got up and I panicked that he was ending the meeting! But he got up and announced that I was going to be the last to get up and THEN we would close the meeting. WHEEW! Good thing I love Hno Cherañuk or else I would have had a mini heart attack.
Well, I got up and as I looked out on the faces of people that I love so much, of people whom I have striven to serve and be a blessing for, I was overcome with emotion. It was an interesting thing to see that tears came to many people´s eyes and then one of them, a recent convert, came up and asked WHY she had started to cry. I tried to explain the best I could but it was really just something that I think she´ll learn when she feels that Spirit again. I am grateful that I got to share my testimony with the members that I have grown to love so much and that Mariela and Virginia were there to share in the great spirit of the meeting.
We have had some great news this week, a lot of work, and REALLY tired legs.
GREAT NEWS! Virginia and Nestor´s papers are all in order to get MARRIED!!! WOOT!......on the 22 of May........but hey, SHE’S FINALLY GOT THEM!
We´ve got investigators all over the map (of our area) so we walk a TON! And up the mountain AT LEAST once a day. It´s craziness!!
I love these people. We have been opening our mouth more and more. We are doubling our failures in order to double our success in FINDING the people that Heavenly Father has prepared for us to teach and accept the gospel at this time.
It´s been complicado with Stefhani but we are (and SHE is) more than certain that she is READY to be baptized. Basically, the minute her situation gets all better, we´re running to the church to fill the font and get the elders over to the church to interview her and LISTO! New member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!! WOOT!
We had a GREAT lunch of choripan, kind of a farewell thing, with Alicia and her kids and Hna Jocelyn. It was so happy!!! I LOVE me a good choripan so it was amazing!
Yeah, basically, I don´t even know how crazy this week is going to be but it will be amazing! I don´t know where I´m going to stay in the north for a couple days but I DO know that I fly out of here at 3 on Saturday afternoon and get to BS AS at 8pm. Then Sunday, who know´s where, hopefully Congreso, maybe Tigre though, or Urquiza!! WOW! But then I´ll try to call you wherever it is I will be. Then I have my exit interview set up with President on Monday the 14th in the morning. Crazy but hey, this is what mission life is :) I´m thinking Hna Gulbrandsen will be my temp comp for a while which I will love!
I´m actually going home with a BUNCH of Orem peeps. By a bunch I mean, at least 2. Most of our group will be all together until SLC. It´s a good size group from Utah haha go figure :)
Elder Grover, who´s little brother is Sam Grover, Ruth REMEMBER HIM? and Elder Unrau, Elder Smith who was my zone leader down here is from Draper, and I forget where Elder Hunt is from. Elder Cordon is from Ogden if I remember correctly. It´ll be legit on the plane! I have served with ALL of the elders finishing now except 2 I think....
Well, it´s a “see you later” for now. See you Sunday!! and then we´ll see everyone home soon!
I have fought the good fight, but guess what the best part is??....The fight isn´t OVER!! Hooray! This is the FIRST of MANY missions to come. :) That´s why I can be ok leaving, it´s not the end. I love Argentina. It will forever hold my heart and we´ll go on progressing forever because I have great faith that my Father in Heaven will continue sending wonderful people to watch over, care for and Find and Teach these wonderful people. I know that the Church is true. This is HIS work and if it weren´t true, nothing would be the same. I am grateful to know that God lives, that we have a Savior and we CAN and WILL be with them WHEN we do what they ask. I love Them and I know They love me. I will stand as a witness of Them at all times and in all things and in all places, Argentina or not, I will live so that others can come to know Him through my small light.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Until we meet,
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| Familia Leiva |
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| Del Fuego District |
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| Hna. Kapp and I with Xenia |
Hermana Gonzalez
