Email Letter 29 July 2009

Hey Fam,

It’s been a good week and we did baptize little Debora. Her mom was so happy that one of her kids finally decided to get baptized and now we are working on the other ones. The problem is that they are just shy so we will have to see.

On Sunday Hugo and Graciela Navarro received their callings. Hugo is our branch mission leader and Graciela is first counselor in the young women. They are very happy.

We are having lots of success and I thank the lord every day for the miracles that we are seeing. I really don’t want to get transferred and I think that I’m going to tell that to President Del Castillo this weekend when we have our interviews.

I love this place and we are going to have a lot of baptisms in August. President has set the goal of 96 Baptisms in August and told the zone leaders when we were in Resistencia a few weeks ago how he knows that we as a mission can do it and he knows because he has received personal revelation that its possible. When he said that I felt something strange and didn’t really think that we could do it. I prayed the other day and I know as well that it’s possible and we have a baptism planned for every weekend in august except for this Saturday. I know that the lord is blessing me and our area and I’m so excited.

Still working out the kinks with Elder Hunsaker and we are doing better but still have a long way to go.

We had a lesson with that young family that we found again the other night and it was awesome. They had both read and they had marked the book and had lots of questions. They seem so excited about listening and learning and we are praying lots for them. We invited them to pray and they said that they would because it seemed like something important for them to do. They are only 21 years old, the both of them but they understand really well. We are going to go by again tonight and see how they are doing. We already have members visiting them and Graciela Navarro is super happy to be able to help because of all the help they received from members while they were investigating. I have high hope for this family and I promise to send a picture of their little baby girl next week if they let me hold her. She’s always sleeping though so we will see.

Nothing else has happened in the last week so I will end for now. I love you guys and miss you like crazy but I know this is where I need to be. Take care!

Tay

Email Letter 22 July 2009

Hey Fam,

So no real big news this week. I’m feeling much better and I should be just fine within a few days.

So I told you about that young family that we found didn’t I? Well they are amazing! I’m very excited to keep teaching them. The other night we watched the restoration movie with them and they loved it. It was a good lesson. Their little baby is just so cute. She’s almost two weeks old too. Her name is Jennifer and she’s tiny! As we were walking out Alexander (the dad) said… “Wait! You didn’t mark anything for us to read.” I can’t say that I’ve had investigators say that to me very many times. They seem to be really excited to listen. They are both 21 so we get along with them really well.

Not much else has happened. Tomorrow we have a baptism of one of the kids of a new convert. Elder Rapp and I had been trying to get some of these kids baptized but they just wouldn’t budge and then the other day we went over there and I asked them again if they wanted to get baptized because it had been a long time since we’ve asked and one of them said YES! I want you to baptize me on my birthday. She turns 9 tomorrow and she wants me to baptize her. We are going to keep working on the other two but for now I’m happy that at least one of the three wants to.

We are being really blessed here and it’s amazing how things change. This area didn’t have a baptism for a year and then in January they had one and we’ve had 7 since and one more tomorrow. The members are going crazy and they love helping us. I can’t explain how much I love these people and how amazing they are. Things are just great!

Elder Hunsaker and I still have some things to work out but I’m sure at some point we will get it. It has to come or things won’t keep going like this.

On Sunday we spoke in Sacrament meeting and I came down hard on the members and myself really. I spoke on Pride and I took a lot of stuff from one of my favorite talks “Beware of Pride” by President Benson. I loved speaking and I think it went really well. I hope that we can all change to be better people. I think my next talk will be taken from Elder Holland’s talk “The other Prodigal” it’s also really good.

Its sounds like everything is going well at home and I love hearing about that.

Take care everyone! Love you all.

Tay

Email Letter 15 July 2009

Hey Fam,

Things have gone well this week other than I’m sick again. I just can’t seem to stay healthy.

So last week as you know we had our zone leader meetings in Resistencia and just as I was sitting down to eat breakfast with all of the other elders the zone leader from Reconquista (my last area) came up and said “elder king I have some bad news for you, Pico (my first baptism) died about three weeks ago. I’m sorry” I guess he died in his sleep. He was only 24 years old but had some health issues and it just got to him. I’m grateful that he accepted the gospel when he did though and now I don’t have to worry about whether or not I'll see him again.

On a lighter note, we had our zone conference yesterday and it was amazing as usual. President talked about prayer and it made me and I think everyone else realize that we have no idea how to pray. He said that he had and still has a lot to change about his prayers but that we can make them more meaningful and sincere as we study. I just love when he teaches.

As sick and horrible as I felt yesterday I built up the strength to just sit and listen and it helped me so much. It’s just reaffirming every time he talks that he really is called of God to be leading this mission right now.

Not much has been going on as of late but we did find this young family that we are teaching. They are really nice and they had a baby on Friday. It’s so cute and I’m excited to see them progress. This is a short one this week but not much is going on so just know that I love you. Take care.

Tay

Email Letter 08 July 2009

Hey Fam,

Well today we are in Corrientes Capital hanging out with lots of other elders and some Sisters as well. We all met up at the mall and had breakfast at McDonalds and then went and played soccer for 2 hours at this indoor soccer place with like 30-40 missionaries which was awesome. It was a lot of fun hanging out with lots of friends that I don’t see very often.

We have our meetings in Resistencia again tomorrow for zone leaders which is why we are here. I’m pretty excited for the meetings. Alter we played we went back to the mall for lunch and then we went bowling. It’s been a good day so far. It’s been at interesting week. Let’s just say that my new comp is not Elder Rapp…and leave it at that. He’s from Las Vegas and is the youngest of 10 kids. Overall he’s a nice guy but it’s going to take awhile for us to get along I think.

So on Sunday Hugo Navarro got ordained a Priest so they now have Priesthood in the house which they love and then that night we went over to set goals with the family because I’m trying to do that with all of the families in the Branch. It’s a new idea that I’m trying out and it’s working well. We started talking about the temple and how there is a temple trip planned for Friday and Saturday this week and I could tell that Solange the 16 year old was a little down so I asked her if she wanted to go, she looked up and me with a smile and said… “I can go?” and so we explained that she could go and do baptisms if she wanted so I left her with all the sections of doctrine and covenants that talk about it for her to read and told her that I would pay for her if she wanted to go. You guessed it; she had her interview last night and is so excited to go. I’m really excited that she’s going as well. I think that it will help her a lot and that she will get a much stronger testimony after having done the work for her ancestors. They leave on Friday night and come home Saturday night. I love that family!

Other than that things are pretty much normal. I have a huge testimony of fasting and to talking to everyone we see. It’s been so amazing what blessings the two together bring. I love this work. I miss you guys and pray for you often. Take care!

Tay

Email Letter 01 July 2009

Hey Fam,

We had our baptism on Saturday and it was amazing!

Let’s go back to Friday though. At 10:30am Graciela and Hugo got married and they had their parents that traveled to see it and a few other friends and lots of members for support. That night our Relief Society President and Solange got a surprise party ready as a reception. It went perfectly! Everyone cried at some point and we ate empanadas and pizza and cake and they all danced around and it was lots of fun. I think that it changed the way a lot of the family thinks about the church because our members are so amazing and are so loving.

Then on Saturday they got baptized. The water was so cold but it didn’t matter! The service was so spiritual. One of the other elders and I sang and the primary girls did as well. The spirit was so strong and we were all so happy. On Sunday they got confirmed and Graciela gave her first talk and didn’t really even use notes!!! I also talked about fathers and the role that they have in the family. All and all it was really an amazing experience. They are so amazing that I can’t explain it with words.

There are Preach my Gospel DVDs that the church has made and we gave those to them to watch because they want to be missionaries and want to know how to do it. They have given away many copies of the Book of Mormon with their testimonies inside and have taught people how to pray. I honestly can’t tell you how happy I am and how blessed we were to find them. It was a miracle and they lord did bless us.

So as you know I have a new comp because Elder Rapp’s two years are up. I’m staying here in Paso de los Libres and Zone Leader 1 or senior companion. My new comp is Elder Hunsaker and I don’t know him. I know that he goes home in 4 months which is 3 more transfers. I’m excited to meet him. Things are good and ill have lots more to tell you about my new comp next week. Love you guys!!

Tay