They can't say my name in Argentina! I've been called Hermana Banana, Hermana Barbie, Hermana Brownie, Hermana Marta, Hermana Vawdrix and more!

 

Before baptism.

 

I really don´t even know how to begin this letter.  This week was the craziest, most stressful, most spiritual week of my mission.  After writing you last week, my companion and I were talking about one of our investigators.  We were talking, and we felt like she needed to be baptized this Saturday.  So we planned the lessons we were going to teach and we set out.  Wednesday we had a lesson with her, and I can´t really explain everything, but basically we told her that she could be baptized in a couple weeks because we still had a lot to teach her.  There was a little bit of contention in our companionship because we disagreed about a couple things.  To make a really long story short, Thursday morning we got our answer that she NEEDED to be baptized on Saturday.  When we returned that day, we invited her to be baptized for Saturday instead, she was more than willing.  When we returned Friday to do her Baptismal Interview, she was so sick that she had to do it in her bed.  Everything that possibly could have happened to try to stop the baptism from happening happened.  Seriously, 10 points to Satan for his diligence.  It was the strangest experience because Friday night, we still weren´t even sure if the baptism was going to happen because of her health.  Saturday morning, we showed up at her house and she was outside ready to be baptized.  The baptism was absolutely amazing.  Her doctor thought she was going to have a heart attack, but she loved the warm water.  When she came out of the font, she was crying and gave us all kisses.  She is so special.  We still don´t know why she needed to be baptized on Saturday, but she was.  Wow, I really wish that I could explain everything. 

Teresa and I

After the ordinance.

Also, with Ismael... he still hasn´t drank at all since we first met him.  His birthday was this week, too.  We made him a cake, and a really ugly card, but he loved it so much.  I realized that he has never ever experienced true friendship.  He has never received a card or a cake in all of his life.  He is 46 years old.  He put our card in a safe, and he said that nobody can ever touch it.  Also, he thinks my name is Hermana Banana.

 

Cake for Ismael

One thing about Argentina is that they can´t say my name.  I have been called.. Hermana Banana, Hermana Barbie, Hermana Brownie, Hermana Marta, Hermana Vawdrix, and many more names.  It´s pretty funny actually.

ALSO, remember all those dead frogs?  Now they are dried up and everywhere.  Speaking of no water, our apartment hasn´t had water consistently for 3 days.  So when we have water, we shower and fill up bottles because nothing works.  It´s great fun.

Love you all.  Chao.

Hermano Escudero, Teresa and Ismael

Me and my companion Hermana Medina.

All four of us that live in Hospital.

The other day, I was looking out the window from our apartment and I saw a horse carriage thing.  It´s a normal thing to see everday in the city roads.  Then I realized, this is kind of weird.  I am in a different country.  Sometimes I forget because I am really used to life here now, but there are many things that are different.  It´s going to be weird when I come home.  But hey, later today I am going to Walmart.. (Yeah, apparently there´s a Walmart here.)

Anyway, this week was excellent because it was the conference and so we were inviting everyone to the conference.  Three people I want to talk about:

First, Hermano Escudero.  Let me give you the background story.  His wife has been a member her whole life, but went less active when she was a teen.  About 10 years ago or less, she came back to the church and now she is so active.  He has a daughter that wanted to be baptized a long time ago, but he was opposed to the idea and wouldn´t let her.  After she turned 21, she no longer needed his permission and she was baptized.  Then she served a mission in Nicaragua.  In fact, we were looking at pictures from her mission and there was one from the MTC in Guatemala.  Guess who was in the picture with her?  Chantel Knudsen.  Apparently they were in the MTC together there.  It´s really a small world because now we are teaching her Dad.  Anyway, we had a really good lesson with him the other day.  He really wants to know if these things are true.  At the end of our lesson, we asked him to pray, kneel down, and ask God if these things are true.  He is a really tall full grown man who knelt down on his knees to pray to know if these things are true.  He cried!  The whole family is praying that he gets baptized because he is the only one that isn´t a member in all the family.  But he came to the conference and we are pretty sure that he received his answers.  The church is true!

Second, Teresa.  She starts her cancer treatments next week, and we are really afraid that her health is going to go down because she has more problems than just the cancer.  She wants to be baptized so bad, but investigators have to come 3 times before they can be baptized.  The other day we went to her house with some Brothers from the ward to give her a blessing.  The next day, she had so much strength and she wanted to come to the conference.  SHE CAME!  She was in pain the whole time, but she said that it was worth it because she felt so good after.  It was amazing.

Third,  Ismael.  We met Ismael on Friday.  His wife and kids left him and all he does is drink all day everyday.  He has no desires to keep living and he lives his life day to do with everything that he does.  When we showed up (on accident)  he started to cry.  We told him about the conference and he wanted to come.  He came Saturday morning, and then he came Sunday morning... and then he came Sunday afternoon.  He said that the conferences gave him the strength to not drink.  Two days of not drinking!  It is fantastic!  

I wish I could write everything, but it is literally impossible.  So much happens everyday all day and we don´t have much times to write.  Sorry!  

The church is true and I love being a missionary.  That´s all.

On our way back from Conference.  Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is illegal.  

All four of us again!