Jan. 26, 2015

Today is the first day of a new transfer! That means this is my third transfer of the mission, I'm half way done with my training woohoo! I'm staying in Malargue, because I have to finish my training still of course. Thank you for all the news! I think I am going to start writing a more general email and then send little tidbits to each of you also. So turns out, we didn't have to travel last week, but that means we still have to sometime this transfer, but whatever haha. OH yes, the picture from last week. The one with me and Hermana King and ice cream was in San Rafael. We went to this really popular ice cream chain called Grido, and they have all sorts of delicious flavors and it's pretty cheap too. And delicious. Tan rico. The other picture was of a part of our area in Malargue, just a classic little street corner in Malargue. You can see part of a kiosko, I think and the sunset is always beautiful here. That's something different about Argentina, they have all these kioskos, which are just mini stores, kind of like a gas station without gas haha. 

This week was pretty good. We tried so hard to have members with us when we were teaching, but everyone was busy haha. We also had intercambios this week (we weren't able to have them last week because we were in Mendoza todavia), and I absolutely loved it. I learned a lot from hermana Japa, she has a true and genuine love for everyone that she meets, and she teaches with the spirit so strongly, there are a lot of things about her that I want to develop in myself also. And, we saw lots of little miracles during our intercambios. Hermana king went to visit one of our investigator families and the daughters told her that their dad has been reading the book of Mormon everyday! That was so exciting!! We also did find a couple of new investigators and are seeing a lot of progress with our menos activos tambien. I just love this work.

It really is amazing how personal each person's progress is to me. It is a really beautiful and unique experience to be able to look through Heavenly Father's lens and see people as he sees people, love people as he loves people, even just a tiny fraction of that grand and infinite love is so amazing to experience. I can see that if we continue to develop this love and this eternal perspective, we will be more prepared to become like our Father in Heaven one day. 

Yesterday, Hermana King and I went to the capilla to help Hermana Ahnder (the senior couple here) teach a class on how to direct music. It was really fun and I learned a thing or two as well. Some of the people in the class were asking me if I could help them learn how to sing better and maybe even start a branch choir, so that should be an adventure:) We are having a branch activity next week, a noche de talento (talent show), so that's gonna be fun too. We are hoiping sometime in the future we can have an activity on missionary and family history work. 

It rained quite a bit last night, and it reminded me of Oklahoma. I think it's a sign of good luck for our next transfer haha. 

Just a little spiritual thought for this week. I really love Alma 36, because I think that it is a chapter that everyone can relate to. I think everyone has felt some of the same converting power of Jesus Christ that Alma experiences in his life, and I absolutely love verse 24, "Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost." I love when Alma says that he wants everyone to taste the sweet joy that he tasted, the sweet redeeming love of Jesus Christ. And I think that an increased desire to share the gospel is a natural consequence of your own conversion. We see that a lot in the scriptures and I see it in my life everyday. 

Well everyone, I love you, have a wonderful last week of January! Besitos from Argentina!

Love,

Hermana Pyper