December 27

It was soo nice to talk to you all... mom likes to hog the phone doesn’t she. haha thats okay. Well there’s really not that much to say. Sunday it was kinda disappointing all the people that have been progressing really aren’t progressing but that is okay. That is why we keep on going and searching for those who are honest and sincere. We also left to Ramos yesterday for Hermana Vindas to talk to her family! We have been going to Ramos almost every week now. It’s like a 45 minute ride in bus. The other day we found a man in the street that was like hey you said you were going to come to my house but you never did and neither of us knew who he was. So we said we would pass by in a couple days and we did. When we got to his house he had said it was me and another girl that had passed by a couple months back so he went and searched for the pamphlet he had gotten from us supposedly lo and behold it had my handwriting and my name with hermana Scott! He had come to church a couple of times after that so now he wants to get baptized! We also have a lady that is deaf but she reads lips really well. She was a reference from a family in the ward and wants to start her life over and wants her sister to be baptized who died a couple years ago... but she left for vacations and wont be back till the end of this week... so were are trying to find others it will come in due time!
I love you all and have a fun new years eve!
Photos from the mission Christmas party

Happy Birthday Saren and Heston!

HEy Fam!!!!
Oh I loved those pictures of Heston! they were so cute... he sooo big I can't believe how much he has grown!!! Okay so now I can give ya some details. Aldo Bonzi is a pretty big ward... and very well organized! It's not the city but we have two Walmarts in our area! woo hoo! We went there today... it was weird I felt like I was in the states! Yes Hermana Vindas understands a lot of English but she doesn’t like to talk too much in English. We had a good first week here together in Bonzi! She has been to Utah before too!

Hermana Daniels is with an hermana from the Provincia Jujuy in Argentina... Hermana Claros! And yes we went back to Las Heras for the baptism it took awhile to get there but totally worth it to see them all in white. Hector's membership records were miraculously located and he was able to baptize his wife and daughter. They celebrated my birthday after. Nothing is comparable to see a family change through the gospel in their lives it was so nice.

During the week it rained a couple of times. On Thursday two elders in our district were walking and were late for lunch in the rain and this guy pulled up to them in a big cheese truck and wanted them to get in! They were thinking who is this crazy guy! So the guy pulled over in front of them and opened his window showing them a book of mormon and telling them he was a member of the church! The elders got in and the guy asked them if they knew Hermana Hobbs and Hermana Daniels... and they said ya! It was Hector that had picked them up in the middle of nowhere! hahahaha. One of them is in my district, Elder Bush from Lehi, so he told me the other day what a small world even here down south. We also had stake conference here.. that means I had stake conference two weeks in a row. haha. Next week we have a Christmas activity! This year its going to be a little more spiritual and we will see the devotional of the presidency.
I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Another Transfer

Thanks for all the birthday wishes... I feel so old .. haha. we had transfers today and almost all the Hermanas changed companions! Hermana Godfrey is leaving in two weeks.. mom you will have meet her. I have been moved to Aldo Bonzi, and my new companion is Hermana Vindas, she is from Costa Rica! She just barely arrived about a month a go in the mission. I know it came fast the changes... we didn’t think I would be leaving already but that’s all good. Daniels and I live close so its not a problem at all. We had a great week last week preparing for stake conference! We all went in a little bus to stake conference... for all those who didn’t have cars. It was fun! Hector and Vanesa are getting excited for the end of this week, he is hoping to baptize her! We still haven’t received his records from the other ward so we will see... it would be cool cause it would be on the 11!!! and we have permission to go and see it.. I love you all sorry the letter is short but I have little time!

Thanksgiving!

This week flew way fast! I cant believe its the end of the transfer and its been already six weeks! We have one more week cause the last transfer was way short... we had divisions with some hermanas far away from here.. we were stuck in the middle after waiting for the train so we wandered around and talked to some people. It was fun... this week we also had our three baptisms of Veronica and her two girls! They were embarrassed to put on the white dresses... that was the first time its happened here, crazy, then we explained that everyone wears white and that they needed to focus on the symbolism and spiritual side to it. As it turned out the baptism was very spiritual her mom cried and cried after she was baptized, they are an awesome family. We also have Hector and his wife who are progressing so much!!! She and her daughter are already to be baptized!! We want him to baptize them but we have to wait and get his records from where he lived when he was little. if we find them in time before this Sunday he could receive the Melchezedeik priesthood, or if we cant he will be baptized again... but we are hoping they find them.
It has been a blast with hermana Daniels ! I really hope we are comps one more transfer! We have been SO blessed with opening Las Heras and seeing these tender mercies take place. The lord blesses those who work hard and trust in him. I feel so very blessed with the experiences I have had here.. even in one transfer! Hermana Daniels is a great missionary.... cross our fingers there is one more!!

Thanks for everything family! We had our interviews for the three that got baptized so our district leader made us brownies... haha it was a great Thanksgiving party! Today we are having our zone activity for the end of transfers.. barbeque and soccer! the usual. I love you all and thanks for everything.
have a great week in the snow!!

November 23

hey!!!
Sorry I didnt write you yesterday... we had a holiday and nothing was opened!! So here we are in Las Heras, we had a fun week starting with a movie night. We prepared tons of popcorn and had everything set up nicely and borrowed the projector from the offices cause we were expecting a lot of people! And they did all come!!! They all came to church on Sunday as well. Veronica and her daughters are getting excited for their baptism at the end of this week. We will be having it in Marcos Paz cause they have a nice font and we want it to be special for all of them! Veronica has a sister who is waiting to be divorced and then she can get married to the guy she is with so that she may be baptized! She has been receiving the elders for quite awhile now too. The other day we met her and their sister here in Las Heras. She wants to come to church and also see the baptism of Veronica. It is exciting to see how it spreads once someone starts sharing in the family! The Familia Miguez have been amazing at helping us with everything.. they are always willing to go with us and become friends with our investigators. It is so amazing how the members make such a HUGE difference.

We have this couple as well that the dad was baptized forever ago and stopped going but now we have been teaching the wife and daughter who all love the church and the activities. He told us it makes him happy to see his wife excited about the church! Today I received the emails of Sam’s letters and of all the missionaries in the ward. I love to think of all of them working in all parts of the country. They are good young men. So is Sam, I loved his story of the lady on the bus!

I’m grateful to work here with them and with my awesome comp! We colored her hair yesterday for the third time going lighter and lighter little by little. haha so she can get rid of the black she had before! I love you all and am so grateful for your support. I am so grateful for your help in making this decision to serve a mission. It is funny to look back at all the people that helped me truly follow what I wanted to do and what I knew was right. Happy Thanksgiving week and show your gratitude for those you love!

November 15

Hey!!!
What a week of hotness!! Its getting warmer and warmer each day... we are sure loving the spring here cause it gets nice and cool during the night! Well this week we kicked it into to gear trying to work with the members more and focusing on those that really are progressing and... it paid off!! There are two families we are working with, a mom and her two daughters and then a mom with her mom and her daughter who is 15 that has a son, the boyfriend and the other son of the lady! They are all amazing and they were both contacts in the street! I have to say contacts are not my favorite but there has been so many miracles that have come out of contacting people! haha! Isn’t that interesting.

We had a hair party on Tuesday in Navarro and ate some postre and watched some of the video of the special witnesses. Then this week we had divisions with the hermanas from Aldo Bonzi! I went there for the fourth time. We are figuring out all the transportation here. When we meet up for our district meetings on Tuesday’s we take a train that is really bumpy- its a fun ride- and that’s what we take to go in for transfer meetings as well. Yesterday we had made pancakes for one of the families to come to church and they loved them. Pancakes here are really crepes so they aren’t used to having thick pancakes! haha but it got them excited to come to church. The mom wants to be baptized and so does her little old mom who is 81 and walks and does everything, they are great ladies. So is the other family. We have been talking about baptism in every lesson with them and we invited the mom and her two daughters to be baptized! I used to be so scared of talking about baptism what if they would reject it or think its too soon.. but through time I have grown to love challenging in a bold way, cause that is what we are here to do! Bring these people to our savior that they may really follow him and apply the atonement in their own lives!

It has been such a blessing to work here, there are so many great families. The familia Miguez especially.. they all live in the same block and all the kids are married and have kids except the youngest. They are like our Hancock family all living close by, only closer!
chao!!!

November 8

Hello HELLO!!
THe weeks do fly by pretty fast! This week was very eventful! It was blazing hot on Tuesday and we were headed out to Navarro. where its soooo country! We take a 40 minute bus ride out there so we brought these straw hats that some missionaries left in our pench for the blazing sun! We felt like we would blend in with the country life out there.. but little did we know it drew attention that we didn’t want. After lunch we headed out to an investigator’s house and here pulls up the cops asking us to step aside and ask some questions. It was the first time I’ve ever been pulled over like that here. So they asked who we were and we were doing and that they had a phone call that morning from someone that saw us get off the bus looking like strangers. We laughed afterwards with the cops! haha what a small town!

Then we had an amazing lesson with the lady that drove us in her car one day. We have found a lot of good families lately that have a lot of potential to progress so we are excited to work this week with them!
We had some haircutting parties this week with a family of 6. It was all done in 3 hours.. they kind of ruined my shears from trying to sharpen them... bad idea but they still cut a little bit. haha. Then the day after we straightened hair for a lady who has really curly hair. We are trying to help her and her boyfriend get married!

On Sunday we went up to Navarro cause lately no one has been going to church. There is a family who has the calling to live out there and build a rama. At one point there was 18 that were coming and getting ready to be its own rama but as the opposition works its hardest it has decreased a lot with different problems between the members so we went with a member up there who is not too active. It was us, her and this family with the calling. They have the meetings in their house. the spirit was so strong. It made me think how time has passed and the church used to be like that starting with a few people in a house and after many years the growth!

President Benton said something interesting during our zone conference this last week he spent a couple weeks ago with elder Neil Anderson. He was saying that we need to start finding people that can be future bishops, mission presidents, and leaders in the church cause we are reaching to the point where the North Americans will be serving more in Asia! This work is growing! That is because its the lords work! I am so grateful to be a part of it those small and simple things build up into marvelous works of our savior!

I love you all so very much - Love you! chao!

Tormenta Blanca

This week went by so fast! It was a great week with many tender mercies... Tuesday we had a tormenta blanca which meant all of our zone came here to help us out with finding new people! It was really fun. We all met up at the end of the day to hear their different little success stories. I have found the Argentine version of grandma Deona Hobbs! She is always so loving to take us and teach her. She has been reading the book of mormon and understands everything really well!

We were ''counted'' on Wednesday which meant we couldn’t leave at all cause all Argentina was being counted to see how many people there are here, so we did some good spring cleaning! Then on Thursday we saw a lot of little tender mercies.. We had plans to go out to Navarroo and get to know the members and the investigators. We forgot to look at the bus schedule but luckily when we were planning we saw right then a bus was supposed to come. We ran out of the door with our rain boots, coats and umbrellas- it was pouring outside! We caught the bus in time cause he saw us running to make it! Once we got on we met this lady on the way who, after the bus ride, drove us over to a converts house. We were running late for lunch we were looking for a taxi to take cause it was on the opposite side of town, but there was a man standing in the road so we asked him if he knew and he told us he was waiting for his little girl to come home in a taxi! It finally arrived and we took that one. After that we were able to enjoy our day even more with an Hermana that left with us for visits! We met this family that has 16 kids with a single mom. We have plans to visit them this week.

We also were making plans each visit to have a haircutting and hair coloring party for all the investigators because the majority of them are women, so yes we are trying to look for every opportunity to serve these people!
they live in normal houses like in the city and they aren’t poor. The church has a little keyboard that I played yesterday but I need to practice more. We have plenty of members here that love to feed the missionaries, but they are used to giving portions for elders not sisters. haha. I feel so blessed to be here and to work in the countryside. They are great people to work with and we have some big plans to start working out in the other areas as well to start building a branch out in Navarro.
I love you all and have a great week! and be good!

Transfer!!!!

Soo.... there has been quite the change here on the mission!!! We had transfers on Wednesday and I’m with Hermana Daniels now! She is from good ol Sandy Utah! You should look up her blog and her fam! hahaha it has been awesome with her! AND... we opened up a new area for the hermanas in Las Heras! They had hermanas here about a year ago... and they were sure happy to have them again! hahaha. So when we were driving out here on Wednesday from the meeting and it was all just fields and fields and COWS!!! Who would have thought I would miss all of that.. hahaha. Hermana Daniels and I both screamed for joy!!! it was great.. it gets greater everyday. We have three different areas that we work in. Las Heras, Navarro, and Villars. It’s a branch and basically its this huge family Miguez who are great! The son is the branch president, daughter is the relief society president, her husband is the elder’s quorom president, the son in law is our mission leader, the other son is in the presidency and ya there is even more of them! They own a meat place, a carniceria.... I can’t remember what its called in English! But they butcher the cows and sell the meat... I’m in heaven!!! And the people are sooo soo nice.. so open and nice. haha I guess I have been so use to the city and its so safe here too! I absolutely love it.

On Sunday we had a baptism too, of this little boy Rodrigo who is 9 years old. He was baptized in a pool- it was great. The elders had been preparing him and we just had to make sure he came for the day! He´s a great kid who has tons of cousins and family that we have been teaching since we have gotten here!

So our church ..we don’t really have one.. is like a little back allyway that has 2 little rooms for young womens and primary and then two big ones for relief society and sacrament meeting. It’s just great, doesnt change the spirit at all and we eat really well here with the family Miguez! haha..
The other day we found our own little chancho here from nacho libre... this cute boy that was eating his chocolate outside and starting dancing away.. hahaha.
Hermana Lopez and Hermana Lewis opened up another area as well for the hermanas! in Billinhurst. It’s in the same stake as Ramos where I just left.

Oh I truly feel so blessed to work here with Hermana Daniels! She is an awesome missionary and that we are both from Utah its funny to contact people and tell them. I’m excited to work with her here in campo! We have had some great times already! hahaa. There are so many great people here to teach! All we need to do is work hard with them, the members and trust in the lord! I love you all and have a happy Halloween. Argentina doesn’t celebrate it... there are some stores that have decorations but they don’t do any trick or treating!
Love y’all

Last few days in Ramos Mejia...

Goodbye Hermana Godfrey

My good bye gift from the familia Cordoza

Yesterday was mothers day here! it was a beautiful day! so happy mothers day!
This week flew by so fast! We have a lady who is preparing to be
baptized next week! She is a friend of Maria who just loves to share
with everyone the gospel. The friend who is getting baptized calls us
sol and celeste cause she has a hard time with our last names... we
remind her of two of her granddaughters. She´s a great little old lady
who wants the best for her kids. Every time she prays she cries for
them hoping that they will talk to her more and learn of the church as
well. she is so cute!

The familia Escobar had some problems this weekend with the dad. He is
temporarily paralyzed on the side of his face. I can't remember what
its called, anyway they all left to the hospital yesterday in the morning.
it started on Saturday and was worse the next morning.

It is going to be hard to leave here. This area has been so amazing. I
dont really mind the city of having everything so close by. The
members are so wonderful! I have loved to get to know them and their
strong testimonies it is amazing how the gospel links us all together.
I absolutely love it and I know this isn't the end of everything! This
life is just a glimpse! haha.


So we have four new sisters coming in and one mini missionary!!
transfers are on Wednesday so we will see what will happen! We will
all be changing companions... all the sisters at least and probably
opening up two new areas for the sisters! I know to trust in the
lord... I'm sad to leave but I know it will be a new adventure and
another area to find those who are ready!
I love you all and have a great week!!!
oh and i got the package!
thank you sooo much!
we have already eaten the peanut butter treats

Dia de Diez

We had our dia de diez yesterday and I will never forget it! Six baptisms!!! I cant even explain to you how blessed we were this week with all the miracles that happened!

So last week when I was talking about the familia Escobar all the kids were wanting to be baptized and the wife was too. One of the boys, the oldest (Jonathon) wanted to wait for our mission leader to come back from his trip to baptize him cause he was going to be his "godfather" oh ya and I’m a godmother now! haha of Sasha the oldest girl. I don’t really know what I am supposed to do? Anyways we were still hoping for the whole family to get baptized yesterday so we had stopped by during the week with our mission leader and his wife to talk about the plan of happiness and temples, that it is our goal to be sealed to our families. Then the night after, (Tuesday) we stopped by with the assistants. Alejandro, the dad, was still indecisive about the decision. Aldana, the mom, wanted to but she wanted to wait for her husband so he wouldn’t be alone being baptized when that day came. After we left they stayed up all night talking about it. The next morning we were working and we got a phone call from Aldana saying they all wanted to be baptized on the 10th!! We went over that night with the bishop and it was amazing how Alejandro had changed he was so excited to be baptized! They were all excited so we got them all prepared and ready for Sunday! It was a lot of work but so sooo worth it. I am so happy for them.I can’t even express how I feel. It was a beautiful Sunday! The last to be baptized was Sasha and for some reason the water started draining so she had to be baptized I believe 5 times. haha. but she was a good sport! She was the first family member to make the decision to be baptized then one by one they all started to grow the desire! On the 8th was the birthday of Michelle the smallest and she turned 8 that day and Sasha´s birthday was on the 10th as well! Look how the lord works in mysterious ways!

We have some other great people we have been working with. Matias who came to church yesterday and stopped smoking for three days now! Maria Angelica who was baptized about three months ago has been bringing a new friend to church every week. haha she loves to talk to everyone she can about how she feels so good and happy!
I’m going to miss this ward so much. There are families here that have been so helpful so loving, I have one more full week here to take advantage! Hermana Godfrey... she is an amazing missionary! Well I love you all my family! The church is true!

Hello fambam!!!

What a beautiful general conference weekend we had! We were getting everyone prepared to come and listen to the great talks and the familia Escobar all came on Sunday and so did this guy we invited to get baptized Matias.. I dont know if I mentioned a him before but he showed up one time to church and then we didn't see him for like two months. One day we saw him at a bus stop so we rushed over to him and got his number to call. We have been teaching him for a couple of weeks. its hard to get a time with him to teach but on Friday we invited him to be baptized on the 17 of this month and then promised him he would receive a lot of answers at conference! So he came and loved it! The Escobar family is progressing as well! All the kids want to get baptized. The mom too but she wants to wait for her husband so this week we are going to work hard to get them all on the 10! our dia de diez!

The Cardozo family could not come to conference cause Alejandro fell again at work and hurt his other knee. Their little daughter is really sick too. The doctors don't know what she has but she dropped a lot of weight already. I felt bad they weren't able to come and hear the prophet and conference. We also had this guy we found in the plaza last week that wants to change his life so we invited him to baptism. On Sunday we met up with him in the morning and told us he didn't want anything more to do with the church. His sister said all of it was from the devil. hahaha. but we helped him calm down and then he came to conference and loved it! The talks were perfect for us and for others who came especially on Sunday. We are so blessed to have a living prophet and apostles. I was reading this morning in jacob 4 how he says we gain the hope from revelation and that revelation comes through the prophets and servants of the Lord. What a great feeling we can have at this time in our lives. I know without a doubt Thomas S. Monson is called of god. We have the truth. It breaks my heart to see so much confusion in the world but I know what I'm doing is right. I used to be so scared to share my testimony but now here I am in a total different country with a totally different language sharing it everyday! haha i love it!! its exactly where my father in heaven wants me. its not easy pero vale la pena!

We had a funny experience on Saturday, we helped our zone leader's investigator take a bus at the plaza so we bought lunch and were eating there. Hermana Godfrey had a hotdog and I got a hamburger. I had eaten half of it and then this homeless looking guy came up to us walking kind of drunken, pointing, and asking for our food. So Hermana Godfrey lifted up the quarter of her dog to give it to him and he said no and then pointed to my hamburger... so I gave it to him and he went on his way enjoying my half eaten hamburger... Hermana Godfrey afterwards said she was offended that he didnt want her food. hahaha. so it was a good laugh. i felt bad as well for him. To be that desperate for food to ask for what others had already eaten.
I love you all and hope you have a great week! Be good and listen to the prophet!

Hello Fam!

We had another great week full of miracles. It’s interesting how we learn so much everyday from what happens. We had a family home evening night on Wed that turned out really fun! it was with all the people that are new converts and some investigators as well. Maria brought this little neighbor friend who has been struggling a lot with her health. We were able to teach her on Friday. She lives with her mom and sister and just barely started going back to high school. She told us after that she wants to change her life and start over new. So we are working with her now. On Friday we had divisions with the Hermanas from good ol Ituzaingo 4 and Hermana Duarte (from Paraguay) came here again with me! We met up with a lady and her daughter from Sunday last week. She came to church afterwards asking for food so we got her information and put a time with her to meet in the church cause she lives where Lucas does he can’t go with us anymore cause he has been working a lot and getting ready for his mission! Anyways we met up with her on Friday and gave her a tour of the church. We taught her the restoration and how god always answers prayers. She commented when her kids were younger she use to beat them all the time she said she was a horrible mom, she said that one day she hopes to have all five of her kids in front of her to ask forgiveness. I felt so bad for her.You could just feel the regret through her voice and see it deep in her face.

On Saturday we did a little service painting a hospital here in Haedo! Then we went over and had a barbeque with the familia Escobar... the ones we found last week. They came to church on Sunday three of their kids want to get baptized!
We are working with the parents. The mom almost didn’t come cause she was sick in the morning but in the end she came with her husband! My goal is to cut his ponytail off before I leave from Ramos! haha. I need to be more careful cutting hair cause now its lice season. President Benton told us this transfer is going to be short cause Elder Anderson is coming here to speak with all the mission presidents.. we were kinda of sad to hear that we won't be together for long! Next week we have general conference and then the next is our dia de diez!
Well I love you all and hope you are all doing great!

Hola la familia Hoobb! as Alejandro would say without any teeth.. haha

This week was amazing to start off with, we have been working with some great people here. On Thursday we were walking down a street in our area when this lady came up to us and asked us for directions in Ramos Mejia cause she had been before with a friend. She said she had tried to find it on her own but never could so we gave her the direction and told her we could pass by the next day and that this Saturday there was an activity for the primary so she said she would talk with her kids.
The next day we went and ate with a family Hna Salerno, the primary president- side note with them... they use to live in Ogden with the Westergards in Far West! small world! She was telling us that we needed to tell her for sure how many kids that weren't members were coming to the activity. So we decided we would visit the woman on Friday. We went and met her four kids and taught them all together the plan of salvation... after she wanted us to come back later to meet her husband.. so we did! she and the kids came to the activity on Saturday and loved it!!! She was telling us she has been looking for where she needs to be with god and that she wants the same for her family. She saw how blessed her friend was that had brought her to church so she knew quite a bit already about some things! Tomorrow night we have a family home evening with them!

We have another guy that came a long time to church. He just showed up one Sunday cause the elders contacted him at the bus stop. He said he had an uncle who was a member. We set up a time to meet with him but he never came... we didn't have his address or cel. but two weeks ago we found him at the bus stop again and got his number so we have been teaching him as well! He has such great questions about life and what he needs to do to draw closer to our father in heaven!

This week really was amazing. I am so happy I'm working with Hermana Godfrey! She will be finishing the mission in December! hahaha. I dont know if I said she is from Pennsylvania and was studying music before... she did a lot in opera shows and all that good stuff! It reminds me of our opera night in Logan! ahaha.
It is crazy how this week went by so fast. We are all preparing for the general conference and getting plans ready for Oct 10, 2010. the president wants every ward to have a baptism that day in our mission!! UN DIA DE DIEZ!!!!!
Well I love you all and hope you have a great week!!!!

Sept. 13

Hola Mi Porteña Familia!

Soooo we had a great weekend! Hermana Isla and I! We ended off the week with baptizing Enrique a family friend of the familia Cardozo! Alejandro baptized him! President Benton and his wife came to our ward and spoke! I am so grateful for the president and his wife here in the mission. He has a great love and spirit for missionary work! We truly are the best mission in the world!

This week we did some haircutting... i lost my shears awhile ago as well so Enrique gave me some that he had! how nice! They are from Brasil. i cut this guys hair that used to be famous in bike riding. His nick name was the Black David, his name is Dario David. He has had a rough life but is trying to fix things up.

Hermana Isla went off to her house today and I have my new comp with me! Hermana Godfrey! she is amazing! She served with hermana Lopez! I'm really excited to start this transfer with her.

It's been warming up a little more. We had some rainy days this last week! We are focusing more on referrals from the members. especially here in Ramos with the familia Cardozo and other recent converts to the church. It's crazy how time flies by.. I love to read the letters of Sam.. it brings tears to my eyes. When I think of what a great example he is for me. Well i love you all and have a great week! Remember who you are and read your scriptures every single day!

La Familia!

We were able to contact a reference from the stake. Her daughter had sent an email to a member in the other ward to send the missionaries over to her house because her daughter lives in Ireland with her family. She lived in Utah for a year and a half cause her daughter was living there! During her time there she had gone to the ceremony of Gordon B Hinckley and attended church there too. She knows quite a bit about the church. She came on Sunday with us to church, she is really special! The other lady Mary came as well.. the one that came last week! We had Sara there as well, and a friend of the family Cardozo. He will be baptized next week! Beatriz used to attend another church with him but he was looking for more, so he came two weeks ago with the family and said he found what he was looking for. Something that he couldn't find in the other churches! Alejandro will be baptizing him!! They have been sharing the gospel with a lot of their friends and families.. haha, that is the power of true conversion when they have the desire to share it with others! It was a very special Sunday with all the testimonies we heard. I love the people i am surrounded by. Their examples for me and the help they offer to the work of the lord, all united to do what we are suppose to do to have happiness!
We had a crazy week full of rain until Sunday. it was bright and beautiful!
Sometimes our lives are like that. We will have storms and days that are just horrible.. haha. but our savior is our light. and when we put hope and trust in him and the atonement then we can find the true happiness, the warmth to our soul. I love you all and am so grateful for all that you do. no matter how far I am from you all I have the comfort that you are working hard so that we may enjoy the life after! Have a great week and be good!

How exciting sam left!

We had an exciting and interesting week yet again... it is always an adventure in my life.. especially this transfer. haha. We had some little problems with our water at the beginning of the week and we were locked out of our apartment cause the guy from the offices to fix it had our keys. We had divisions with the Hermanas from Ado Bonzi. I was there with Hermana Claros! We visited a lady they were teaching, made pancakes (well really crepes but they call them panqueques) then we spent two hours washing all of her dishes. In the end we were able to set a baptismal date for her! haha its always through charity that we can warm the heart. Then on Saturday we had a talent show in the ward it was really fun! There were skits from the movie night at the roxbury, then two bands from members here, and we sang two primary songs with one of the members that plays the guitar! There was a friend of Lucas that came who we have taught in the past. He is about Jake's age and has a hard life. speaking of Lucas, he received the melchezdic priesthood last week.

We had a funny thing happen on Sunday. We share our building with the ward Ciudadela and they have their sacrament at the last and ours is first. Alejandro and Beatriz brought a friend from Ciudadela that stayed with us during the block and then we thought we would pass his address to the elders afterwards. When we went to talk to them they had someone for us! They said a lady came for the last block, it ended up being Mary, the lady that her daughter was a member, we met her last week!! We hadn't been able to contact her during the week cause she had changed her work schedule.... but she came on all her own. haha so we had switched investigators for the day with Ciudadela.

My little companion is doing great! She is a little shy but she works really hard and is always helping. I really do appreciate her! We have our fun moments everyday, and the language has improved a lot... but there is always room to improve right?

Well i love you all and hope the best with this new year of school, it's always refreshing to start over new. We just recently shared with Sara about the Sabbath day. The importance of partaking of the sacrament and how we can really apply the atonement in our lives. What refreshing hope it gives to each of us individually to be clean and renew our covenants. Have a great week!

1- me and Hermana Isla!
2- Andres with his ctr ring
3- Alejandro painted this picture ahahaha
4- the baptism of Nahuel and Andres

Wow - End of August

Hola mi familia!!!
Today it has been 11 months since I have left and how time goes by so fast! We had some adventures this week and found some great new people! We received one from the stake president, a lady who had a daughter that was a member but she passed away a couple years ago from cancer. So that's all we knew about her that she had interest in the church. so we went to visit her on Saturday and she explained this to us, that she recently had a dream that her daughter was unhappy with the mom. and wanted her to change something in her life. so the mom began to pray to one of the her santos in the catholic church, but she explained to us she didn't feel good during her prayer so she stopped. Then came one day she felt really depressed and sad. Her other daughter called to see how she was and she explained how she was and the daughter told her ¨mom! you need to contact the mormon church!¨ she recently talked to a member and wanted her mom to learn more as well. We were able to explain to her the plan of salvation and that the church of christ has been restored! It was amazing how strong the spirit was.

OH and i received the package from the Parslow fam! Most of it is gone already! hahaha. we ate the mac and cheese the other day and the idaho potatoes! it was delish! we are going to open on the ramen noodles... I never thought I would miss them but its nice to have a little taste of home. haha. It was really nice of them to send it! Give Leslie a big hug for me!

Sara is progressing really well! She bought a cute little dress for her daughter to come to church on Sunday! She loves that they talk a lot about the family in the church. Last week we ate at our apartment for lunch and I shut the door without the keys! The door knobs here are different, they dont have a handle to open from the outside so you always have to have your keys to open the door no matter if it's locked or not. I locked ourselves out of the apartment... we called a locksmith later that night to come rescue us. haha. I never fail to show that I am just human.. this morning as well we had a little problem with water everywhere on the floor... good thing we only have tiled floors.

Sunday was so amazing to see Alejandro bless the sacrament and to watch Nahuel pass it around. I am blessed to be here and see their progress. I wish I could just bring them all to Utah and live with us.... its a blessing to be a part in the lives of these people. and how important it is to have the spirit! Sometims you wonder if the people really listen to you or if they understand. It reminds me of the talk by Elder Anderson from general conference in April commented how the son of Alma remembered what his father had said and how Enos remembered the words of his father talking about a savior! The sacred name of our savior contains much power and the importance to talk about Christ! We must always be anxious to share what we feel and know! thank you for all!
I love you!!

HOBBS FAM!
This week went by so fast! it was good. We had divisions this week with the Hermanas from Aldo Bonzi. Hermana Urdapilleta came here with me! We also had a new investigator come to church! She lives a couple blocks down from the church and we found her last week cleaning the sidewalk ( which practically every person does here when the sun is out) . She is from Bolivia and lives with her sister and her two kids! I'm going to color her sister's hair tomorrow for some service... haha. I have decided it is a good way to get into these houses here cause where we live a lot people live in fear or are very cautious of us! They like me being their own personal hair dresser haha.

We had a conference this week for all the new missionaries. I always love to hear different ideas of what we can do and what we need to work on more. There is always something to work on or better.. and there was a returned missionary that came to visit her converts here with a friend that served awhile ago, she is from West Haven, just around the corner of Kanesville where you taught mom. Her last name was Zaugmaister I think?.. it was cool to hear their testimonies. It has been 2 years since that they returned from their missions. They both knew my comp from the Hurlingham! We also had a family home evening on Saturday with the family Colque!

I love Sam's scripture that he chose for his plaque. President Benton always tells us we are in a spiritual war here and its so true. We are not fighting against the people but against the powers of satan. Sometimes it may seem like hope is lost, but we have the promise when we obey that we will be shielded from the things of the world. its so true! Those little things everyday protect us and our tesimonies. I love you all and enjoy your last week of the summer! It is such an adventure to be here! It's more than I could have ever imagined.. hahaha i love you all! be safe and read your scriptures! the church is true!

A New Week

SO!! i have my little mini missionary with me! she is from Hurlingham, it is in the stake! Originally she was going to be in her own ward with Hermana Scott but we changed it! She's 19 years old and comes from a family of 4! She´s a good little worker and really helps me out! I am so grateful for the companions i have had! We had a great week to start out with and I'm excited to work with her this transfer! She served a mini mission in Mercedes... and now in the big city of Ramos! so she will be with me here for 5 weeks! We have some great investigators and some new ones! We have this man from the street that has come a couple of times to church so far. and he loves it! He told us he feels so loved and exactly where our heavenly father wants him to be.

I am in an amazing ward with tons of help from the bishop and the members, I can talk enough Spanish to find the bus we need... soo we are all good! hahaha. We are very blessed, where much has been given much is required.
The grandma of Lucas passed away last Sunday, the one they recently found a place for. we went and visited them on Wed and thats when we found out. We had the Liahona with us with the talk that President Monson gave about the resurrection in the Sunday session. I was able to bear my testimony to them about how special it is to me to know the plan that heavenly father has for us. Marisa was crying with me... then on Saturday we went with our mission leader to visit them... I think this is what we have been praying for them to prepare to receive the gospel in their home.

I am grateful to be here... no matter if most of the people tell us no in the streets. when we find that person who is looking for the truth everything is worth it! I just marvel every time we visit Beatriz and Alejandro! he is going to be the secretary in the young men! I have learned a lot here the importance is that we do look forward with faith in the lord and in the future. Mistakes we make are there to build us up and to learn from them!

It sounds like you all have had a great summer! Is the sweet corn on that is one treat I do miss..
I love you all and have a great week! Keep sending the emails from Sam, I love reading them!

New companion

Hola mi hermosa familia!!
So we had such a great week to end off the transfer! My last days with Hermana Salazar here were very special, she has been my anchor and we have seen so many miracles here in the big city of Ramos. You would all love her, she´s so funny! Alejandro proudly baptized his two sons on Saturday! It was a very special to see Alejandro reach this point in his life. He is a very spiritual man and loves to learn more about the savior. Andres the 8 year old, received the gift of the holy ghost that night and then Nahuel who is 12, was able to receive the holy ghost on Sunday and so did Maria Angelica. For testimony meeting Hermana Salazar bore hers and so did Maria. It was a very spiritual meeting. We had some new investigators that we found during the week to work with. One of them is this 16 year old girl from Peru, she is amazing and so is her family. She came with us on Saturday to the youth Super Saturday... with sports and food and games. Then she came on Sunday and really enjoyed the church. She wrote Hermana Salazar a goodbye note thanking us for answering her prayers... that she had always questioned if god was listening or watching over her.

Today was our new day of transfers... and guess who is my companion...... I DONT KNOW YET! Its a new hermana coming in. I'm going to be training AHHHH! I'm excited... but a little nervous. I'm with hermana scott right now. She is going to have a mini missionary! She is the other cosmetologist in the mish... so we are going to have a hair cutting party tonight!

July was a very good month here in the mission. Today the president was talking about how the mission is growing more and more. We are seeing many miracles day by day, focusing on others' needs especially in this world of challenges, difficulties and trials. Im grateful for the gospel, that is my anchor and my armor. I know it is true. Everytime I have a chance to bear witness of it I feel a confirmation in my heart. There is no coincidence in this life, everything and everyone has a purpose and it is my job right now to awaken those who already accepted the plan of our heavenly father before coming to this existence.

I received all your letters today but I still need to read them! Thank you for everything and I love you all with my heart! We are a part of so many rich and wonderful blessings! There is no reason to be sad and discouraged because Christ lives and through him we have the hope for a better life. It is a goal to work for... eternal life!
Have a great week my family!

Hello family!!!

Zone Activity



This week was so great! We had divisions with the Hermanas from Ciudad Evita! I was with an Hermana from Paraguay who has an amazing story of how she was converted…she was attending seminary for a couple of years before she was baptized because her parents didn’t want her to be involved in the church until one day she saw the elders after seminary and she went up and told them she wanted to be baptized! At first her parents were not happy but after they warmed up to the church they allowed her to get baptized... then years passed and when her parents moved here to Argentina they started to receive the elders after a stake conference meeting. 3 years ago they were able to enter into the temple together with her whole family!

We had the baptism of Maria last Sunday right after church, she was soo happy! She’s a little grandma that works so much and loves to learn! She received the lessons from the elders a long time ago but couldn’t be baptized cause she wasn’t married. Now we are working with her grandson Leandro. He will be baptized in a couple of weeks! Alejandro will baptize his two sons on Saturday! We have had lunch at their house every Sunday this month. I love how the people get so excited after church sharing what they have learned! haha... i feel like I’m at home with all of you when we talk about our Sunday School or Primary lessons. I love to see their desire to learn more and to purify their ways. Leandro and his little sister came to church to watch the baptism of Maria and they were so excited after church to read the Book of Mormon and study more! That is how it should be for all of us!

Well i love you all! it sounded like you have been enjoying the pioneer days! Here we have friend day - dia del amigo - so we were giving treats out! It’s always good to hear that my family is waxing strong in the gospel! I love Proverbs25:25 where it says "As cold waters are to a thirsty soul," so is good news from a far country!

Matias & Gabby on their wedding day. And the family of Alejandro & Beatrice. Alejandro will receive the priesthood soon and be able to baptize their sons. Miracles of the mission!

Rain again!!!

Oh it sounds like you had a wonderful week with everything! I love those parts from Tuckers talk. I didn’t recognize Jake with Jacee!! he´s huge!! and cut his hair... how crazy!! and maisie is as gorgeous as ever! I love my crazy family.. haha. This week flew by fast! At the beginning we had a conference for the whole mission. They were announcing some changes that will take place so that we may focus more on the work and that the president will be more involved in leaving and teaching with the elders. We will be having our zone conferences every other transfer and so will our interviews with president Benton.

That same day we found two boys that were recently baptized with Hermana Gurr and Hermana Carrasco in Haedo, but now they live in our area. Their parents are not members and they have a little brother so we are excited to start working with them as well!
We had a great baptism of Alejandro on Saturday! He had chosen our mission leader Emmanuel to baptize him cause he is in charge of filling up the water as well... Alejandro wanted to be for sure that he wasn’t going to have freezing cold water like his wife! haha He received the gift of the holy ghost on Sunday and Maria was able to fill the spirit strongly. Then he had us over for this delicious pasta. He makes the noodles homemade and the salsa... We found a frame in the street last week so we sanded it down and put shoe shine on it to make it all shiny. Then it was all ready for a picture of Christ. It was our gift for the family of Alejandro! He received the Aaronic priesthood as well and now is preparing to baptize his two sons next week!

We have postponed Maria´s baptism for this Sunday! She has loved the church so much and we want to set a date with her little grandson that lives with her! It is amazing to me how these people are just so prepared to have the missing pieces of the gospel revealed to them in the fullest! This weekend ended with a lot of rain.. its raining today as well.
I love you all and hope you have a great safe week! Tomorrow is el dia del amigo here! and happy 24th of july!!

Hola Familia

Happy July!!
We had a week of divisions with Aldo Bonzi... again! ahaha. But Hermana Lewis came here and my comp there! It was fun to have a day full with her, she´s from Arizona and it was different actually talking in English with someone! haha.. weird. The next day was full of experiences. The morning my comp and I helped with a wedding in the ward of this family that we´ve grown to love. I did the hair of the bride and Hermana Salazar made this cute bouquet of flowers made out of the ribbon fabric. It was so cute! They had a little civil wedding but it was special to be a part of it. The family is all members but some of them were inactive for awhile, however they have all been coming to church!

Later that night we were able to find this lady that we contacted last transfer who received the elders in another area where she lived with her daughter for some time. We found out that she was to the point of baptism with these elders but she couldn’t because she wasn’t married to her spouse. Her husband died1 and a half years ago... and we had an amazing lesson about the plan of salvation. So we invited her to baptism and she was so excited and said she was grateful for a second opportunity! Her and her grandson that lives with her came to church on Sunday and she will be baptized this Saturday with Alejandro, who is amazing just as well! He has been faithful and not smoking and loves the church.. he always participates in the class. Last week he had a dream that he was with our mission leader saying a prayer with his hands upon the child’s head... he asked us what it meant and we told him it is because he is preparing to receive the priesthood. They are an amazing family. This past Sunday I was thinking of what I heard this week in our zone conference that we work hard and some day we may all be together again and enjoy those blessings of all our hard work in the eternities. I am blessed to be here to help them in their first steps of growing testimonies and following the path of our savior, that they may have those sweet rich blessings that I have had in my life. Sometimes its difficult to see that with the little things we do each day turn into great and wonderful things, but once I look ahead and remember it gives me faith and hope to move on. We should never doubt the lord and what he has sent for us to do. Through our prophet, leaders, parents, loved ones, Wthat his parents were able to find a rest home for his grandma! so they were able to have a calm weekend.. so we have big plans to pass for her this week and help her. Thank you for praying for her! We had a great zone conference week with new ideas to help our investigators.. on Tues we have a special conference as well to help improve everything on the mission! love you all!!

July 5th

This week has been great with members helping in the lessons and the progression of the investigators. We found this lady who loves to talk.. she is one to know what is going on in the neighborhood. She was a contact in the street that at first didn’t want to know anything but somehow we got on the topic of family history, so we told her a little bit about it and set a day that we could go check it out with her. The day came and she was able to fill out some of her info with the member helping us. In the end she was really impressed with the family history and told us she felt the love she has needed for awhile. She has come a couple other times to church in the past but stopped investigating because she had her doubts about tithing. We were able to help her understand more clearly what it is and where the money goes.

Another day we went to teach where Lucas lives. He came with us and we found a family of 8 kids! We have taught the father a couple of times but this day we found 4 of the daughters all together.. recently their cousin, a friend of Lucas, passed away. So we shared the plan of salvation with them.. we want to work with them more but we can’t see them as often as we would like cause they live in the area where we can only visit when Lucas is with us. We didn’t have the baptism of his mom after all. She had some struggles this week but we are going to wait and see what happens with her. Their family is really struggling right now.. but I know they will make it through.

It has been a great week with little miracles here and there. We are fasting right now for Alejandro to stop smoking completely so he can be ready to his baptism! We had baptisms in the ward on Saturday. We were able to receive some references who were a grandma who was Catholic, and a little family of four. The dad was very interested in everything that happened!

Thanks to Connie (Saren’s piano teacher) being so patient with me I’ve been playing the piano in church for sacrament and relief society... but I’m being pushed to learn more cause every Sunday they don’t want to sing the same three songs that I know... haha.. so its good for me... I get nervous but in the end they keep on singing whether I mess up or pause a little bit.. haha. its all a learning experience!
i hope you are all doing good. I love you all and read your scriptures and start the promise of 21 days!!

Ciudad de Famoso Ramos!!

Oh it is crazy how time flies by and everything that changes! It was a great week full of miracles here and there. It is amazing how diligence and obedience make such a difference in the work here. Even the smallest little rules make such a difference and what we are really working for. We had a meeting about how we are the ones that put the goals and show if we are searching for those who are ready to be baptized and the importance of praying for this in every prayer. We didn’t have a baptism on Sunday but the ones we have been struggling with like the mother of Lucas has her date set for next Sunday and has stopped smoking for a week. Last night we had one of the members of the bishopric come and bless their house. Most of the family was there and it was so spiritual, he blessed each person that was there individually. Before he started the blessing he explained about the priesthood and a little more of the restoration cause there were some brothers of Lucas that we have never been able to teach or were kind of cold with us and one of Lucas´ friends was there as well. While waiting for the bus afterwards we talked with him about what he had thought of the blessing and the church he started saying he wanted to change his life. His grandpa just recently passed away and his family is falling apart he smokes a lot cause he gets so discouraged... he is Jake’s age. I was able to talk to him about grandpa and the plan of salvation and baptism. He was crying and I was as well it made me think of Jake and how it would be so hard for a 16 year old to go through such difficulties.

Earlier this week the husband of Beatriz has decreased his smoking a LOT!! Last week President Benton gave us money to buy him the nicotine gum and when we went in to the pharmacy there was some other gum called chicle laxante and so before I took a moment to think what laxante meant I asked my comp what is chicle laxante with a voice that everyone could hear in the small store and she replied with a big grin its what you need to go.... hahahha my face went bright red from the realization of what it was... oops

Yesterday the whole family came to church and Beatriz received the gift of the holy ghost. The mother of Lucas came as well and another investigator.... who is eternal... haha but he hasn’t attended for a long time.
So last night we invited Alejandro to be prepared on the 17 of July for his baptism and the next week he will be able to baptize his two boys! This family is so amazing!! I can’t get over how prepared they were to receive the gospel in their lives... They are all like little children after each Sunday wanting to share what they each learned....ya Alejandro has his challenge with smoking but he has shown us his willingness to stop and nothing is impossible with the lord! It truly is amazing to see these people change and start to be enlightened with the truth in their lives... the view becomes clear of why we are here and what we are doing with our lives as - clear as daytime!

Sam will set up his email in the MTC... it’s one of the first things he will do when he goes! Good luck with everything Sam! Do what I said and you will be happy... hahaha. I love you all and have a great week saying your farewells to your future Spanish speaking Hobbs! Hey Sam, Argentina recently won Mexico in the Copa Mundial!!! woo hoo!

FELIZ DIA DE PADRES!!!!

Oh what a great letter to read of my family!!! ... people look at me weird cause we come to local stores that have computers and I sometimes laugh outloud at the stuff thats going on.. haha . Oh we ended this transfer amazingly well! Beatriz was baptized last night at 5:30 in freezing ice cold water in the church. We had the water running right after church and the mission leader had left the pump on to drain the water cause there was old water and he is new. So when he showed up at 4 he saw it was all empty. Luckily we showed up at the same time and then others to start pouring in water. We were in the women’s bathroom filling up buckets of water and so was our ward missionaries in the other but it was all good in the end. It was perfect for her kids to see and her husband since we´ve been working with them as well. Before her baptism we went over to their house and had a delicious barbeque for fathers day and for her big day!

Hermana Salazar and I are together another transfer!! with new goals and a new view thanks to our president and Elder Aidukaitis. Something that I remember from general conference... I was questioning before was how can I gain more faith or strengthen it.. someone had said that it is through obedience and righteousness. It is so true in this life... the more willing we are to give our time and everything that we have, the lord is more willing to bless us and strengthen us into what we can be what He sees in each of us. We have a view high and it is all possible with our savior.

The mother of Lucas is good. We are learning patience with her but she is still in the progress. Its interesting how many difficulties a family can have but I know someday this family is going to be eternal. His brother could be baptized this transfer as well he has been going to seminary with Lucas! Today there were tons of elders that left for home... half of them were from the mission. It makes me feel old! This week I’m going to have 9 months in the mission! How crazy to look back on what has all happened. I’m so grateful for my companion and feel so blessed to work in this area.

Wish Sam good luck for me and that I need his address for the MTC and his mission.. that would be nice! I love you all and are so grateful for your examples! It’s sad we don’t get to call our fathers on fathers day but how I love my dad with all my heart!
I love you all have a great week! Que Dios les Bendiga!!

Saren and Beatrice
Beatrice's kids
Hermana Salazar

A Week Full Of Rain!!!!

Today it is raining and pouring with the old man snoring! Yes winter starts here on the 21st of June! It’s weird that it is winter without snow but I love when it rains we always have a good time in it! This week we started off with a family home evening with the mother of Lucas who we´ve been preparing for her baptism at the end of last week. We played the if I were .... I would do... game! It was way fun and we used dad’s feather example with our words and actions! So thank you for all those ideas! During the week we found out that the mom has been smoking.. so we postponed her date of baptism. Now we want to work with the father more and the brother, so she can have more support from the family and that she doesn’t feel alone. Her son helps her a lot but the more involved her husband and other son the better it will be! They are a great family who have been through a lot. It makes our lives seem so cushioned and so simple with the things that others go through.

On Thursday we were walking on our way back to our apartment and I sprained my ankle from stepping weird on the side of the curb! It was my lucky right ankle that I have sprained almost every year of my life! ( yep the same one from falling down the stairs with Katie and Sarah) hahahaha. So it is all swollen like a baseball but its all good! We went in the next day to the famous hospital posada here in Argentina which is in our area! We went in the emergency and there were tons of people but the lord blessed us and somehow bumped my name up at the top to be x-rayed and then to see what I needed to do. There were some little old ladies that were way upset that I went before them for the x-rays, so it was quite an adventure! While we were waiting this guy came running up to me and asked if he could speak to me. He was a member and asked if we could contact a lider in the church to come and give his son a blessing cause he was going to have surgery done for his heart. We contacted a member from the ward to send up some men of the priesthood. In the end we were meant to be there for something! The doctor said my ankle was all good.
Then on Friday we ate these old sausages from two weeks ago called chorizos. My comp was sick on Saturday night.. so we were quite the companionship of the handicapped gringa and the latina with a bad stomach ache.

There was a guy that showed up at church on Sunday! He told us the elders contacted him at the bus stop and he had the impression to come that day. He has a 6 year old son and is divorced, so this week we are meeting with him in the house of our mission leader! It was disappointing with the mother of Lucas this week but there are still so many miracles everyday that we are so blessed to be a part of. This week we are preparing Beatriz for her baptism! It is crazy how fast this transfer has gone by. I feel like it was my first week here.

Well I hope you are all well and have a great summery week! Next week is another new transfer, I hope Hermana Salazar stays with me!!! It has been a blast and a privilege to be her companion and her aunt! I love you all and be good!

(THANK YOU LOPEZ-ZIMMERMAN FAMILY FOR THE PHOTOS!)

Visiting authority

I'm so happy to hear that everything was wonderful with grandpa's funeral and. He was truly a great man and a hero in many eyes as well as mine. I know he is right with me thrusting his spiritual sickle with mine and shedding forth miracles.

We truly had an amazing week and ended it off amazing! On Tuesday in the afternoon we had a conference with Elder Aidukaitis of the seventy. He came and taught us many great things! I left with my mind and my heart really open to what we could improve and work on! Especially about faith! He is a great man and talked to me a little bit afterwards about grandpa.

Then on Thursday we were trying to put some dates with different investigators but the lessons were not quite what we planned.. we ended the night a little frustrated and sad. But I kept thinking the weekend is not over! We are going to get dates and have baptisms cause this is God's work not ours! And Friday we did! We put a date with the mother thats been having a hard time coming to church and she came on Sunday! So her date is for this Sunday thats next! Then the other is another lady that I was talking to you about with her husband who didn't want anything to do with us but it was her birthday on Saturday and she told us she wanted to be baptized!! whooo whooo! So her date is the 20th. We are hoping to put some dates with her son's cause they all came yesterday... its amazing how the lord works through his little missionaries. Both of the ladies that have fechas received blessings after church cause both are going through some difficulties, but it was exactly what they needed. The spirit was so strong and so powerful. It truly is the authority that christ had when he went out performing miracles and healing the sick.

Oh thank you dad. I love your letters always. I can feel your love and your voice through them. I am so grateful for the gospel and here on the mission there is nothing compared to the sweet miracles and mercy of our dear heavenly father, how he does love us unconditionally and pours down those blessings, just by our simple willingness to obey and follow His Son our Savior. And His perfect plan. This experience I will never forget and what happened with grandpa. How I can be right here in the service and help others have the peace and comfort that I have. THank you dad for everything you have given me and how your work time and love has shaped me into who I am. I love my badge that some may have a hard time saying Hobbs well actually everyone hahha, but im proud of who I am. I love you dad so much and pray for you all. have a great week! and wish Maisie happy birthday and congrats to Heston and his victory in baseball! haha!

Well i cant write too much more today... we are kinda short on time but I love you all and have fun on your trip mom! That is so exciting and on an historical adventure! Send me some pictures!ª

The passing of Grandpa Hancock

On Thursday May 27th we lost our beloved Grandpa Val. He had been out weed-eating, a farmer who can never sit still. He had his dialysis treatment the day before, came home and rested a bit and then went out and planted the rest of the spring crop. My brother Blair helped him get the weed-eater going and turned to get gas in the other machine. Blair heard the weed-eater stop and saw dad slumped over on the ground. Dad never regained consciousness. He was a man of the earth that wanted to wear out not rust out and he went out with his boots on. Dad was 81 years old.
President Benton was the one that Saren heard the news from and he allowed her to call home for strength and comfort. She also sent the following note that was shared at grandpa’s funeral:

The president suggested that I should write some of my feelings down of my wonderful grandpa who I loved.

His Legacy Lives on Strong.
Last year for his 80th birthday mom had the great idea of making a little tribute film. Little did I know how much time it would take and patience especially with how mom gets an idea and there´s no other way you can make it when she has it painted vividly already in her mind. She had all the different black and white pictures of moments of grandpa’s life on the farm, as a kid, his mission in Copenhagen Denmark, moments with his children, and their families. They had to be scanned on to the computer then transferred to my laptop then all in order and in harmony with the music. But as I was loading up these pictures it hit me hard of what a legacy my grandfather brought there in West Weber. Of how his vital decisions and his dedication radiated through his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. What he did day in and day out on the farm and in the house with the gospel central to life on the farm. He did exactly what it says in Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when his is old, he will not depart from it.

How true is that in our Hancock family! How that scripture was exemplified on Sundays with all of us together surrounding this old farmer with his posterity at his side laughing, talking, and cherishing every moment with him. What man would not want that? To be surrounded and know he is loved to look in the eyes of his grandkids, his legacy. Someone told me here on the mission that you wont know that you were a successful missionary until you look into the eyes of you grandchildren. It does radiate in our family, his example and what a great leader Val J was.

Sometimes it’s hard here in the mission to keep on going. But whenever I get discourage or frustrated I remember the blunt short powerful words of grandpa the night before I left for the MTC. Two things that make a great missionary is - pray hard and work hard then famous of all is - getter done!
I am so grateful for him and the great impact he has had in my life. The great hero he is in my eyes and I know in so many others. I know exactly where he is. With his sweet Margaret Ellen rejoicing she has been patiently awaiting her hubby at the back door coming back from a long days work on the farm. I know this to be true. I testify of it everyday and today as well. The plan of God is real and alive and we are in it! Our Savior is central to this marvelous plan. Through Him we will be united as an eternal family. Our grandpa led the way and now it is our time to follow him and keep on following in those farm boot foot steps. We may get stuck in the manure or kicked by a cow. But never stop... getter done.
I love you all and hope you are all good. It’s hard to think he passed away but he’s not too far. Just on the other side of the veil. I love you all!

On a Rainy Sunday!!!!

Wew this week slipped right underneath my feet and out the door in no time! We had some fun times this week... We had stake conference, and had tons of investigators all planned to be picked up by us or my some of the members.... but none of them came. either they werent home or they didn’t come.... it was really disappointing cause we were all fasting in our zone to have a goal of five in the conference. I guess the lord had other plans in store for them. We passed by some of them later in the day with liahonas. It was pouring like crazy. We visited the Italian member that lives in the same building as us when we returned and she made some soup for us... it was nice and warm! So once again that big rainy coat serves its calling here for the rainy days of May!
And yes I did receive the package!!!! oh it was amazing to get it… all the sweaters and sticker notes and everything is just perfect! thank you so much... and yes I did get the letter from Lynette! I’ve been meaning to write her back.

Other than Sunday we had a really great week with finding new people and working with the members in the ward. It is amazing to see these people change their habits and change their ways when they grow closer to our heavenly father.
Its interesting how I never realized how many churches there are in the world and how important our message really is... its been a big eye opening experience to share my simple testimony and have it re affirmed every time we share the restoration. Last night we had a lesson with our mission leader where we talked about afterwards that you will find everywhere you go the same questions... why are there so many churches... which one is true... and how can you know?? It is through a simple sincere prayer. I testify to you all that I know it is the true church. With our prophet Thomas Monson leading the way. I know he receives pure revelation for you for me and for all the people on the earth. I know that we have the authority to act in the name of our savior Jesus Christ and truly become members of HIS church, the original church that He organized when he was here. Our covenants are sacred and bring us closer to him. How I’m so grateful for what happened to Joseph Smith and how our god which is in heaven is the same forever. We can trust in him and his path. The other day I saw a little sign in the Liahona that said the ten commandments are commandments not suggestions.

hahaha there is my little spiritual message! I love you all and am so grateful for the people in my life and how they have helped build me and strengthen me. I hope that I may do the same for others! Have a good last week in school and know that I love you all!! Be good and Be safe!

Mulé de Arjenteena!!

OH my goodness that is hilarious with Hestons hair cause I swear every kid here has it as well!! (Sam cut Heston’s hair into a mullet for a day - GROSS!) It’s exactly like that a thick mohawk! hahahahhaa... the little boys grow up to be grown guys wearing them.

I love RAMOS!! It is amazing here... with my little comp Hermana Salazar! She doesn’t speak a lick of English so that’s good! ahhaha then I won’t be tempted to revert back in my own tongue and get the gift of tongues in more progress! I do feel like I have improved with the language.. I just keep on going and keep on talking and I know the lord will use me where he wants to. The church is right in the middle of the rich area and then there is a highway that is close by. On the other side we have kind of a ghetto area, but its all good... its the west side of the highway! watch out!!! There is a kid that was recently baptized and he comes with us during the lessons... we were pretty good this last week.
This next week I want to try some more areas where we found a lot of people the other day. I swear Hermana Lopez drilled in me exactly what I needed before I left her and the area. The ward is great too! There are a lot of members that can come with us. This transfer we are trying to focus on members that relate to the investigators in some way... like if its a teenager then we would want to bring someone around their age that would be able to befriend them! hermana salazar is wonderful, everyone loves her here in the ward.. we laugh a lot together! The bishop in the ward is really young like in his 30´s and has two little children. He seems like he is going to be great to work with and our mission leader as well. There are a lot of families in the ward that are from all parts of South America, like Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay, all sorts of different people here!

I enjoyed this last week... it flew by way fast!!! There is a park as well that is right next to the train and buses that we contact a lot of people! It’s going to be a good transfer... the more I get into the mission the more I don’t want to leave it. It has shown me how ingrained the gospel is in my life and our familys. How I’m so grateful mom and dad for both of your examples.. and look at the fruit that is coming out of it! president benton is a wonderful president, I think he will be higher in the church after his calling here... he truly is amazing.. and his wife. Buenos Aires West is the Best!!! I love you all and have great week and happy birthday JAKE from last week!!!! oh I loved your pictures too of Sam at the temple!!! I love my family soo much... never forget that !!!!!