Saren is HOME!

Her flight arrived on time, 12:20 on Tues. the 12th. She left Argentina Monday night at 8:00pm and flew straight through to Atlanta arriving at 6:00am. On that flight Saren was surprised to meet up with her former MTC companion Hermana Smith who has been serving in the Buenos Aires South mission. Saren traveled home with Elder Hobson whom she served with in several areas. Hooray for Saren's return. She wanted to stop for mexican food which I assumed that was all she had in Argentina, but found out I was wrong haha. Hermana Jill Daniels and her mom were able to visit with us at El Matador before heading back to good ol' West Weber. Saren was released and whisked away to softball and baseball games, where we are found everyday. She is freezing in our crazy Utah weather. Her homecoming talk was wonderful, we enjoyed Hermana Sasha Lopez visiting for the weekend. We were fed both spiritually and temporally that day. Thanks to you all who have helped support our Hermana and who have offered prayers and letters in her behalf. Our family has been very blessed.

Welcome Home Saren!!

Saren's last letter!!

We had a good weekend of many people that came and watched conference! We watched it both in English and Spanish.. one of our investigators, Graciela, turned to me and said this man is talking directly to me! hahah it was at the beginning of Elder Utchdorf´s talk! I just thought how would it be to listen to these men for the first time in my life! I love how the spìrit works and testifies of the truth. It’s all so perfect. As long as we are open and have a desire right? We also had Marcelo who we have been teaching English to come.. he’s the one from another religion that is a preacher and he loved it as well! He said the men talked about good things from god and they were right about many things. haha of course they are! All the missionaries loved how Dallin H Oaks dropped the cain on all the mormon bachelors. haha. im going to miss working with the elders.

We also are preparing Marta for her baptism this end of the weekend. Amada the lady that lives in the villa wants to build up a little room on top of her little shack for me to live and you guys can come visit me when you want in the villa. Hermana Daniels wrote me the other day as well! It was nice to hear from her! I was thinking to myself I don’t need to be scared when I get home, the lord will always be there for me he always has been. I just need to trust in him and everything will come into place! I love you all and hope you study those talks that were given just barely. I love the church so much and I have loved the joy it brings into others lives, I will miss my mission more than anything.

NO te precupes!!

So we are emailing a little later cause we had a long day trip to Las Heras! Oh it was so great to see the Velazquez family and the Mercado family! They are doing great! This week was pretty crazy as well. My comp was sick one of the days cause on last Monday we ate a lot of deep fried food and it wasn't so good for either of us.. but the next day she was able to rest a little and then we went out and worked. Martas kids were being different yet again! They have their off and on days. we need to find out what the iceberg is with her and them. She came to church with us and it was good! We gave the principles class and it was on the organization of the priesthood. I actually learned a lot that i didnt know before.. haha.the time is winding down... and everyone likes to point that out.. missionaries, members and investigators.. but its all good! We are getting excited to go to general conference! it is in our area where they are broadcasting everything! I hope you all have a great week! I have to go cause its late!
I love you all!

3 Week countdown!

Hola familia!!!
We are sending mail early this morning cause we are heading out to Ituzaingo and Ramos today!!! yay!! I’m going to be visiting all the families it will be fun to see them! This week was kind of sad with Marta and her kids. We had a fun night with them and the zone leaders came as well. They have been coming lately in all the different areas to help the whole zone out, to help us meet our goals that every area in the mission can have baptisms- all for one and one for all!!! So they came and we played this oreo game and ended the night with all of them committing to coming to church on Sunday.. however we showed up with all the pancake mix on Sunday morning and none of them were home. Marta had left with some of her children to go out and help her other daughter.. soo that was a very devastating.. however the daughter of Josefa and Fransisco came to church and absolutely loved it! She wants to be a missionary.. haha. which she can be! She just needs to quit her job cause it is not a good place for her to be!

Last week I forgot to tell you that Guillermo, the guy with one leg, blessed the sacrament and it was amazing and he gave a talk in church! He gave it on honesty and how we must be honest today as members of the church! i loved it we were so proud of him. It is so rewarding to see the progression of the new converts and with the help of the holy ghost!
well I love you all and hope you have a great week!
I sure hope there is snow left to get in a day of snowboarding!

March 14

Hey family!
Well that was a good full email of events! I'm so happy you all visited Hermana Daniels.. I love her so much! Jason just barely wrote me too saying he got to talk to Hermana Lopez.. I love her too. What a small world! haha. Thats so weird they are home.. I guess in a month I will be as well. It hit me this week that I have to actually think about life after the mission, plans and goals that I need to make.

This week was really weird with everything happened. The tsunami of Japan has caused people talking non stop here. It's just more of a reason to prepare and preach la palabra de dios! We saw a bonding moment happen from one the converts from the villa Amada with another lady who suffered a lot during her life with her mom. She is like 70 something her name is Mari and she always calls us mamitas haha. she has a huge heart. When Amada came with us to visit her they had a bonding moment during the lesson. She came on Sunday finally to church! and absolutely loved it! Then marta ( the lady with 11 kids) stopped smoking! thats exciting. we keep teaching the kids but sometimes its hard to get them all together or paying attention but little by little they progressing.
well.. thanks for looking and getting into all the schooling stuff for me! I love you all so very much and hope you have a great week!

March 7

Hey family!
Wow this week went by so fast. we ended it off pretty good! We had a huge barbeque on Thursday with the familia Laporte (who are my by far favorite family here in Bonzi) We have about 80 to 90 people in attendance here it's officially a ward now thanks to Guillermo being baptized and a full tithe payer now.. he is amazing. He wants to show up at our door in the states someday to watch conference live. We gave talks in the ward about the importance of serving a mission for all the youth.. that was very special. I probably wont be back home in time for general conference.. i think its the week before I get home. Tell Hermana Daniels that I love her so much and that Tomas is still in the house! haha.

This week was nice! There was a baptism in the other ward so Marta and some of her kids came to watch it! the day before we had a haircutting party and while I was cutting the 16 year olds hair Estefania she was talking about how she has been reading the book of mormon and loves it! She loves the story of Nephi and how his family was like families today with the same problems.. she is going to get baptized before I leave. We also had a noche de hogar earlier on in the week with a family from the villa. Amada is the mom and a member. She has some kids that aren't members including her 25 year old son. He came to church on Sunday for the first time and got to hear his mom's testimony. He used to be huge into drugs and drinking but after she got baptized back in Oct he stopped and started working! Amada is an amazing woman so humble but yet so strong in the gospel, her grandchildren are teaching her how to read. I truly feel so blessed to be a part of the lives of these great people. The Lord has His time for everyone.

Hermana danes and i colored our hair.. mine looks pretty much black and hers is really red! haha its fun. it was a holiday so nothing was open. Well I love you all and hope you have a great week!!

Soo...
We didnt get 200 baptisms this transfer but we did get two hundred and ONE!!!! yaya! thats exciting isnt it! And yes Josefa and her cute little husband Fransisco were baptized on the 26th which ended up being their anniversary too!!! oh it was such a special day. We were really nervous at the beginning of the week cause we had some problems but it all worked out in the end. we felt so blessed.. their daughter came to support them and now she wants to get baptized too.. she has suffered a lot in her life with her husband leaving her and her children getting into problems.. but Josefa and Fransisco are going to be very blessed in their home. They have another daughter that lives there too with her sons and husband so its a full house!!

We are not having transfer meetings anymore.. now they are just calling the night before and telling us to come to Ramos if we are changing.. which we are together thankfully again and yes it is my last transfer here.... all the missionaries that are leaving are called pastores.. But now we will be having a little zone conference to see what are the goals for the transfer and they are filming the testimonies of all the hermanas and elders that just barely left.. so i will be doing that before i leave...

Hermana Daniels is leaving today to her house and will there by tomorrow! I have been so deeply blessed with having amazing companions that have taught so many things.. Hermana Danes has been great too. I'm so proud of her! We have Marta who is slowly stopping smoking.. we bought her the nicotine gum and suckers to help her but in the end she ended up getting an infection in her molars and now she has to get her teeth all pullen out.. oops. we felt so horrible but she was very understanding and we helped get her kids ready for school. they started the school year again today.

Well I love you all so very much and thank you for all your help and love! have a great week and i hope Heston and Maisie will feel better!! and find a date to prom Jake.

February 21, 2011

Hola mi familia!!!
This is the last week of the transfer and the most stressful week we got! We have been working with Josefa and Fransisco towards baptism the end of this week but there have been some challenges the past week. On Wednesday we read a scripture from the bible of when Paul was giving the gift of the holy ghost to some people and it says they spoke in tongues and prophesied.. well Fransisco misunderstood the meaning of the ``gift of tongues`` and during the end of the prayer he started saying words and babbling then asked at the end what did I say what did I say?! we couldnt help but laugh afterwards.. he`s getting a little old.!!

We had a chicken barbeque pizza night with Marta and all her crazy boys. We were playing games while it was being cooked. They are a fun family. They have been reading the book of mormon together.

We found this man whose wife just recently died two weeks ago. The hermanas a long time ago use to teach him and he came many times to church. We were able bring comfort to him about how he can see his her again. We have been searching all the former investigators lately to find some new ones as well. I’m so happy with my comp! Well I love you all and yes I’m pretty sure the time hasn’t changed when am leaving it is April 11. Guillermo who recently was baptized thinks I’m going back to Ramos for another 2 months before I leave.. he is funny. Have a happy presidents day!

EL DIA DE AMOR!!

I‘ve been wanting to send pictures but I have been having bad luck with the computer I get. This last week we had a conference for all the newbies so i got to see Hermana Daniels and Lopez! Its so crazy it is coming to an end... it felt like yesterday we all started fresh- what cherished memories and special people! We are taking real care of all the investigators that will be baptized this month cause we have the goal to achieve 200 for the transfer! We have Josefa and Fransisco who will be baptized on the 26! Their daughter who lives with them isn’t at all for it.. she goes to the church universal that is from Brasil and they used too as well but they have loved learning and coming to church. Josefa was telling us the other day who she felt she was being judged by her loved ones for coming to our church and reading the book of mormon. I felt bad for her cause she is so sweet and wants to please her family but we expressed our love for her and promised her all the blessings she will receive by sticking it out and enduring! Fransisco her husband follows her wherever she goes... haha its funny. This week the zone leaders are going to come out to our area and help us with them as well.
Did I mention one of them looks like an older version of Heston??. I showed him a picture of Heston and he said he looked exactly like him when he was younger.. so I think of Heston everytime we have district meetings. We have been planning a missionary activity as well for next month that has to do with the tree of life and the plan of salvation... thanks to all the activities in my youth I have used them on the mission! It will be fun and spiritual! Every Saturday we are translating a talk of this pastor for this guy Marcelo.. all the talk is in English and we have been helping him translate it in Spanish.. everytime we go we share something with him but he is very strong in what he believes in the protestant church... we always pray for him that he will have his heart softened which I believe it will be.. he is really nice and you can tell how he wants to follow the Savior.

So everything has been going good here! Hermana Danes is progressing really well she's going to be amazing. We have a fun time together. I love you all and keep on choosing the right and helping Levi with the missionaries. Have a family home evening with them or offer it to them and they will be more than happy to have one! nos vemos!!

SuperBowl Sunday

Hola mi familia hobbs!
ANother week has come and gone... it was quite fun! During the week we found out how small the world really is especially with Archibald Gardner and all his wives!! Little did I know I have been walking with my long lost cousin the past couple of weeks here in Argentina. This is how it unfolded! On Tuesday night we were getting ready for bed and Hermana Danes brought up something about Mount of the Lord, how it wasn’t Wilford Woodruff that said something about the foundation but really Bishop Gardner! And I said ya ya I knew that too! and then the next thing she said ya he is my grandpa! hahaha.. so I told her he was mine too! Ask grandma Deona which one we come through? We got a big kick out of it cause a lot of people have asked if we are sisters or related.... haha in the end we are related! 5 generations back! haha.. how fun.

We had divisions with the Hermanas from our stake. We found this guy who is opening up a little kiosco and he was painting his floor. We asked him if we could help him and he let us! I put in all that practice that I had in the wood shop to use... then we have been working with this family of 11! We invited all the boys to come play soccer on Saturday so we picked them up to go. They are crazy boys.. we had like a parade of 5 of them with dogs all following us.. I felt like everyone was gawking at us thinking what are those girls doing with those wild boys! So we got to the church and they ended up not playing so we gave them a tour of the church and it was like night and day when they stepped in the church they all went silent and told us they felt something different inside. then we went back to their house and taught the whole family! it was quite fun. They need the gospel so much in their lives.. I keep imagining them all in white in the temple that they would be able to be sealed to their father... but all in the Lords time.


We have this cute old couple as well who are preparing to be baptized. They call us their angels when we come and visit them. Everything has been going good!! it hasn’t been as stressful as I thought it would be. Its been refreshing and I will be happy to leave all my things for Hermana Danes and just load my bags with Yerba and Mate cups! woohoo!

January 24

We had an awesome start this transfer with Guillermo and Hector who were baptized on Saturday! I was so nervous to start out this week training and planning the baptisms.. the bishop has been on vacation too..but it all worked out in the end. I was so grateful. It's very humbling to train.
So it was Hector who was a contact from a long time ago with Hermana Scott and Guillermo was a contact last transfer! I'm not a fan of doing contacts but the lord seems to bless us when we open our mouths.. haha. i like that. Guillermo patted us on the back and said good job for dragging me here. haha. It was a great baptism on Saturday, they both were very excited and there was a special spirit.

My comp's name is Hermana Danes from IDAHO!! from a little town called Nampa... she was studying music at BYU I. Im so proud of her! she has been doing great, always smiling and having a good attitude about everything. She is improving on the language everyday.. starting to understand a little more each time if she doesn't understand something we have the people repeat whatever they say a little slower- unless its bad then I tell her dont talk to them.. hahaha. like the guys who always love to make comments of girls in skirts - i dont know why..

I like Bonzi.. I'm happy I finally got to be here. Hermana Danes is refreshing, she has helped me remember how it was at the very beginning of the mission! fresh out of the mtc with so much ecxitement! I absolutely love it!
I feel comfortable with the area too... zi have felt more and more comfortable getting to know an area with all these changes. and the people always warn us where not to go!
Time is flying by too fast for me. but I feel like I'm taking full advantage of it.. there is still work to do.. plenty of it!! I love you all and have a great week of school! we are baking here in the sun but we are getting a nice tan line!!

January 16

Here i am sitting with my good ol comp Hermana LOPEZ!! woo hoo! we just found out today with transfers that we are training! AHHHH!! there are four sisters that are coming from the big USA! I know shocker... I thought I would have at least one more transfer with Hermana Vindas but she is in Lujan now with Hermana Lewis. Hermana Daniels and Hermana Hulen are the other ones training as well! So today im with Hermana Lopez in Billinghurst.. reminiscing good ol times.. she is amazing I love her.

This week we are preparing the baptisms of Hector and Guillermo in Bonzi. So pray for them that everything will turn out good! I still need to plan the baptismal service and they need their interviews.. we got a new bishop in the as well! He's a young father, Jose Luis Martin! He will be a great bishop in the ward. It will be nice to work with him! I feel so nervous to train! I finally got the packages from my birthday and from grandma and grandpa Hobbs! I have been sharing the candy with the kids from the villa (a really poor part of our area). They always asked for candy whenever we go and visit some of the members or our investigators! I have also been enjoying the peanut butter :) and we ate the cake yesterday for Hermana Vindas leaving!

This last week we had divisions with the hermanas from Ituzaingo as well. with Hermana Tucker from Cali and Hermana Duarte from paraguay! we found this lady that we contacted and she was telling us how she had the missionaries before in her house and had a friend in the church. So we put a date to come back the next day to teach her cause we were on our way for Guillermo. The next day came and we invited her to church and to prepare for baptism and she came... her name is Josefa. She saw her friend and the member came up to us and said- hermanas do you know how many times i had invited her to come to church?! haha Josefa is a cute little old lady. She loved church on Sunday! Things are working out good.. there is A LOT of work to do but its good, it pushes me to work harder focus on the people and their needs. Today they announced that we probably wont have any more transfer meetings in the mission. There has been a lot of changes here and now we have the goal to achieve 200 for the transfer.
Well I love you all! thanks for all your support and prayers. I feel so deeply blessed.
Have a good week and enjoy the holiday!

Pictures

Another photo slideshow by Smilebox

January 10th

Hey my fam bam!!!
The weeks are going by fast I do not like it one bit. we are in an internet place where all the teenager boys are playing computer games. This week was full of running from one end of our area to the other. The banks have been having problems taking out money from the machines...so we haven’t been able to take out money or have change to take the bus.. however today was successful! So I am content. we started off the week not so good... we had started to fast on Sunday til Monday.... cause we had forgotten. haha... so we thought we would make burritos for lunch on Monday. however la comida no se cayo bien con la pansa de Hermana Vindas or in other words that night we came back early cause my comp didn’t feel so good... but the next day she felt much better! Our two investigators that are getting ready for baptism live on opposite ends of the area so we have been getting a good work out and finding good people along the way. We have Guillermo who doesn’t have a leg.. and he can only see through one of his eyes.. he is hilarious too with his reactions to things. He is progressing really well. he loves to sing and pray when we visit him. Hector, the one that I met before, showed up to church with a tie and a white shirt.. he was all proud of himself! We had FHE with him and a recent convert who made steak and a fried egg on top... interesting - but it was delicious. No I haven’t gotten the two packages yet... I asked elder Bennett, who´s in charge of the mail and he said it could be because the mail offices were closed for the holidays... so hopefully tomorrow!
Well I love you all and be good! Have a great week!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Weird its already 2011! I feel so old.. haha. We had a good week finding new people and having them come to church! We found this man outside of his apartment on Monday. He recently had his leg operated on because of diabetes so right now he is learning how to walking with his crutches. He used to go to the church universal but when he was recovering no one came to visit him. so we started to visit him through out the week and he came on Sunday! He used to be a cop and has three daughters but none of them visit him... only if they want money. sad i know. Then the other guy we have been focusing on is the one that I had contacted with Hermana Scott on divisions. Both of his eyes were horrible at the beginning of the week but towards the end they were getting better so he came to church as well! For new years we didn’t do anything special the elders forgot to inform us that we could be out til 10 eating at a members house or investigators but we were pretty tired that night. We were awakened from all the fireworks at midnight! There were tons.. I recorded some and then we went back to bed. haha. really the weather is like the month of July here on december. haha. and I actually just barely sent the discs today so hopefully you get them in a couple of weeks! Last week a member came and sprayed for the cockroaches that we have had... we have been getting high off of raid for the week so that’s been a highlight! Well I love you all and hope you have great goals for the year! Its always nice to start out fresh. We gave the principles class on Sunday and invited everyone to make goals on how to become closer to the lord.
have a great week!