Mother’s day is coming up! So start preparing your questions if you have any... we have 40 minutes to talk but I don’t know for sure at what time we are going to call! I just got the letter from Kate last week!!!!! oh thats soooo excititng for her and her little hubby! I wrote her back so she should be getting one in a couple of weeks!

Its been a tad bit chilly this week! We have this little electric heater that we put right next to our bunk bed to keep us warm! I’m thinking that I’m going to get my sleeping bag out soon. I didn’t believe that it was going to get that cold but I guess my blood was all nice and thin from the humid summer.

So this week went by fast with divisions from the other sisters in the mission! I went to Hurlingham with Hermana Urdapilleta who is from here in Misiones! She`s been here for about 4 weeks now. She lost her little map during the night together but luckily had an extra with her, she is awesome. Then the day after I was with Hermana Abbot who has about 11 months in the mission. She`s from Illinois! We have some fun sisters here in the mission from all parts of the world. It is such an adventure to be united in the same thing! You can learn so much from each and every one of them.

We kind of had a rough weekend with our investigator that was going to be baptized Sunday. He ended up not getting baptized cause he needs to be able to partake the sacrament but the problem is that he works in the morning. We are going to see what we can do. He wants to be baptized but his boss won’t let him have time off to come! Things are looking on the bright side with the ward. We`ve been able to work more with members that just moved into the ward. The lord always provides us the way to achieve what he wants done.

Tomorrow we have our interviews with the president. I’m sad to leave my city and ward and Hermana Lopez! But that is life in the mission always changing and every moment counts. There is no time to waist. It’s the same as life. We must always cherish what we have and look ahead to the future. Never live in “I should have done this” or “I could have done that.” Just do your best and move forward. I love you all and its always exciting to hear from you! Have a great week and remember to stand in holy places! Good luck Sam with the temple! Love Saren

Hola

I´m glad to hear that nothing has changed from home with mom and her chocolate to famiy dedication with the baseball! But yet I can feel in your letters how everyone is growing!

This week I would have to say was one of the funnest with Hermana Lopez, she is a blast.. and we work work WORK til we drop.. and she did this week! The other night we were walking on our way to the bus stop and before I know it I look over and Hna Lopez is on the ground with her leg behind her back and her skirt up! ahahha. She had slipped on a plastic bag and fell right on her back! I was scared she had broken something but no she was all good. On Wednesday it poured all day so I felt all snug in my big rain jacket! Then we had lunch with this member who gave us soup first.. she got up to search for something, while we were eating I looked up right in time to see Hermana Lopez flick something in the bowl of the members! ahhaha and I turned to her and asked if she had meant to do it and she said yes... so we both started laughing and the member was like what happened... and we made up something on the spot! .. then come to find out it was a little bone that she had flicked in her soup and the reason was cause at first she was going to give it to me or drop it on the ground but then she thought she could be sneaky and flick it into the other bowl but right after she had done it she realized the son-in-law was behind us watching the whole time!

We are starting week 4 now in the our transfer here! It is crazy how time flies by so fast. There’s so much to learn as well... I don’t feel like a year and a half is enough.. maybe i could ask for an extention! We had a crazy Sunday with helping our investigators come to church. We had this cute family come who are way into their church but the mom said afterwards that she going to start coming to ours for right now cause its closer and cheaper (and better for her). During our lesson the other day the three little boys were singing all their songs from their church. We have another family that we are working with as well that is a very humble family. We watched the Joseph Smith movie with them and they loved it! Know that I love you all and keep on being the great examples you are! You never know who is watching or listening. Always be ready for when our savior needs us to help others! have a great week!!!

A Great Week!

It’s so crazy to think of all that is happening while I’m here! There´s a lot that goes on!! We saw some miracles that our heavenly father blessed us with... especially having lessons with members which is sometimes hard. Sam should go on divisions with the elders in our ward or stake! We also have a baptism that is coming up this weekend a 25 year old guy that has been coming to church on his own. I know the baptisms do not determine the success. We see a lot of opposition everyday here, but hna lopez and I were talking about this last night how without difficulties we would never experience joy. It’s kind of the same if we didn’t have the hardships or the times when people would not listen then we wouldn’t know how unique and satisfying it is to see these people progess and follow the lords path!

This past Sunday wasn’t as stressful as the others have been. For some reason the pews in the chapel were taken away so right now we are using those metal fold up chairs, kind of ghetto looking but its all good! We have our zone conference tomorrow as well! Time truly does flow by fast!
Right now we are working with this lady called Yolanda. She´s this old tall grandma that always has something stressful going on in her life, but the last couple of times we´ve gone to teach her we´ve seen a big difference with her attitude about her difficulties and things that come up. It’s amazing to see such a difference, where she was at first with her negative attitude to now with feeling like she can face anything! She can hardly read cause she has bad eye sight, but we gave her this little calendar to read a page a day or one column in the book of mormon and she´s been faithful at it!

We also had this lady that we found recently that is from Peru! She is about in her early 50s and has a 5 year old girl. Her husband died a couple years ago and she´s living with her brother here. She is so sweet and seems like she was just ready to receive us! Our Heavenly Father truly does love us and wants the best for each one. Hna Lopez has been awesome as well! I’m sooo happy we have this other transfer together! haha she is truly an amazing missionary! I’m honored to be her companion and have our fun moments together! It is funny when we are walking down the street and a dog starts barking right by us or something happens that is startling, I will jump and gasp, then she will do the same from my reaction! Haha

Well I love you all and it sounded like you had a fun week! I’m excited for mom to go to Boston! Mrs. Hobbs on her history trip! haha. Have a good week and choose the right!

Conference was Wonderful!!

The Castelar Zone in the baptismal font, proud of their efforts!
Juan, Miriam & Ramona baptized on March 28th.
Antonio the former boxer is getting baptized next.
Saren outside on their apt balcony
Ice cream buffet
The ring salesman they met while in Moron
Not-so delicious hamburger patties, 5 minutes in a storm and soaked to the bone!

Okay so I just sent like a bunch of pictures hopefully they all worked! Oh I just got a letter from Sarah, thanks for sending it for me! Maybe I’ll just do that cause I don’t know how the mail works here for Puerto Rico. Yes they all keep in contact with me! Kara just sent me a picture of her cute little boy and the salon girls sent me a couple of letters together but I lost them on my way back home.... I almost started crying cause letters are like GOLD!!! I truly felt horrible... but that same day is when I did hair for like 5 hours so I was reminiscing from those good ol days in the salon trying to figure out what to do with my hair and cutting everyone elses... haha I love those girls like no other!

This weekend was CRAAZY! With running everywhere to get our investigators in the chapel... but we did have some good ones and some interesting ones. We made all the sessions but I didn’t get to hear all of them in English. Conf. was held in our stake church and it was great! This really is the best I’ve heard. The spirit was so strong in the room just hearing the exact words and messages a missionary needs! Oh it is crazy to think where I was this last year! I am in a total opposite pathway than I thought I would be... I’m so happy that I am here with the people that I am with teaching and working the lord’s work! I would never change it for anything. It is pure joy that nothing or no one else can bring or at least that I’ve experienced!

This week we taught a lady that let us in one day when it was raining and this visit she was feeding us crackers with butter and jam and then she left for a bit and returned with this bottle of perfume... she gave it to Hermana Lopez and told her to try some and then was like more more put more on! Then she handed it to me... and I put a little on and the lady called chicha was like NO you need to try MORE! The next thing I know she grabs it out of my hand and starts smothering me with this perfume that stinks like those old perfumes that makes mom sick! hahahha. She was going to town with that bottle! in my hair, all over my face, getting up in my grill! ahha and then she starts rubbing it all of hna Lopez´s back! hahaha we were laughing like no other with this little old plump lady! We were thinking maybe we stunk and that was her way of telling us we needed a little help!

I’m excited to get your letters. It was freezing this morning! I didn’t realize how cold it was going to get here! ... but I’m good I have a sweater and my comfy socks! I love you all and thanks for sending me letters! I always love hearing from you! Oh and yes I did know the sister that was from my mish that Pres. Monson talked about! She was here til Christmas so I got to meet her before she left home! She was an awesome sister and we were all so proud that the prophet had mentioned her in his talk and our mission! I know he is our prophet today and that he speaks directly from god to us. How great the love is of our father in heaven. I love you all and be good this week!

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