Qué dicha es

The Lord teaches His lessons in mysterious ways and sometimes, they're not the lessons we're expecting. For example, yesterday, I learned the lesson of the sidewalk greeting.

For a couple of weeks now, there's been this police officer working outside of a government building on a street we frequently walk down. I think he's a guard there or something. Anyway. Everytime we walk past, he greets us. "Hola. ¿Cómo están?" Now, you have to understand something about the mission. The men here LOVE to bug us. I don't know if there's been a single day in my mission when some guy in the street HASN'T cat-called or wolf-whistled at me. I DON'T EVEN LOOK GOOD!! But, after 17 months of it, I've grown accustomed to ignorning all men in the street. So, for the past few weeks, I've been ignoring this man in front of the government building. But yesterday, he stopped us.

"Hey wait I talked to someone from your church once over in Laguna Seca but then I moved to Centro and lost contact but he really helped me out a lot in a hard time and I just wanted to know where the church is or what to do!" he said, all in one breath.

I was confused at first, but then I understood. He just recognized us as missionaries and knew we could help him and his family. So we took his address and phone number and told him we'd come visit him and headed on our way. I felt so STUPID. Here I was thinking this guy was just looking to bug when all he wanted was to hear the message of the Gospel. I learned that I maybe need to be a little more Christ-like and be nice to people on the street, regardless if they're looking to bug or not. Haha. Like I said, unexpected lessons in unexpected ways.

I have completed 17 months this week.

 These past 17 months have been an adventure. I only have 2 weeks left, but I'm going to make the most of them. No matter how hard the work is, how many people slam the door in your face, how hot it is, or how much your feet hurt, the work is a joy. But we are responsible for making that decision. We have to decide if we're going to let Satan get us down or if we're going to put a smile on and share it with even those who laugh in our faces.

An Argentine backroad. Love it

I love being a missionary. It's changed my life. And I'm so grateful for the opportunities I've had here in Argentina. It's going to be weird going home. But there starts the REAL mission. And I know that all of the experiences I've had here will be a blessing for me in the future. I know that the Lord lives. I know this is His Gospel. It's the most correct thing this world has to offer. Which is why sharing it is such a joy!

Mexican Monday - Nachos

Until next week,
Hermana Hein

It's not our abilities, but our choices‏...

What a week. I forget how stressful it is teaching an area. I haven't had to teach an area since Hna. Dustin came to the mission. Entonces, hace un buen rato.. But it's been fun. Hna. Alduenda and I have already had our fair share of adventures here in Costanera. Including, but not limited to, the incident with Frank's wallet.
After leaving President Godoy's house yesterday evening, we were headed down España when we see in the street, a wallet. "Oh...crapp..." We pick it up and look for some form of identification. This kid has all KINDS of legal documentation in his wallet. But his ID said that he lives in Formosa, which makes walking up to his house and contacting it a bit difficult. We returned to Pres. Godoy's house to ask him to Facebook stalk this kid and tell him that we had his wallet.

Con Hermana Alduenda de México

The rest of the evening we awaited a call from Franco. (Don't say ANYTHING Beckstead) During a lesson with this guy Manuel we'd met earlier during the week, the call came. I rejected it and we continued our discussion about the Restoration of the Gospel. He rang again. I hit the "end" button again. The phone rang a third time. ¡Dejáme che! I put the phone on silent and we continued with the lesson. But my pocket was buzzing the rest of the time we were with Manuel. I could hardly focus. But we finished the lesson and Manuel accepted the baptismal invitation. So that was exciting.

We left Manuel's and went to the corner to call back. Being from Formosa, this kid had no idea where anything in Corrientes is. "We're by the bridge!" we tell him. "Oh cool. I'm close.".... He wasn't close. We waited for a good 20 minutes for him to find us at the Shell station. He was weird. "Thanks." he said. "Where are you from?"
"Uh... the United States."
"Wow. That's cool. What part?"
"...Utah."
"Cool." he just kept staring at me....
"....yeah.... HERE'S A PAMPHLET YOU'RE INVITED TO CHURCH BYE!!"
We had to get home anyway. But the men in this country are just outta control. But at least he got his wallet back.

In other news, we had the great opportunity to participate in a area wide broadcast with Elder Bednar. He came to Buenos Aires and with the area presidency and they did this huge Q & A with the four Buenos Aires missions (800 missionaries) and broadcasted it to the whole South America South area. (6000 missionaries) It was incredible. Bednar is amazing. Something he said that I really liked is that as teachers, we can't play this game of "Guess what's in my head". We can't ask questions we already know the answers to. Our job as missionaries or as any kind of teacher, is to invite and inspire our students to act as agents "for themselves and not to be acted upon" (2 Nephi 2:26)

One of our divine inheritances as children of God is our agency. We have the ability to act as our own agents. We are not objects, waiting for something to happen to us. We are living, thinking beings with the ability to act for ourselves. And as we exercise that agency with righteousness, we are blessed. As I've spent the last 16 months in Argentina, sharing with others the Gospel truths I know, I've come to recognize that our individual agency is essential to our individual conversion. How many times have I wished that I could just put my thoughts into the heads of the investigators? "Am I not explaining it clearly enough? Why aren't you reading the Book of Mormon??" But if we force our investigators to read the Book of Mormon and we believe its words, what makes the difference between us and he who wanted to take our agency away from day one? (Yeah... that was supposed to be a kind of Harry Potter reference.)

My true conversion didn't come until I chose to read the Book of Mormon for myself. It doesn't matter how logically we explain the succession of the Priesthood or the effects of the Fall of Adam and Eve, and it doesn't matter how much education an investigator has. What we possess, in terms of knowledge or means, really doesn't matter at all when it comes to conversion. What matters is what we choose to do. How we choose to exercise our agency. And if we decide to experiment with the word, we will receive that witness from the Holy Ghost. It all comes down to us. I have no influence over anyone I teach. I can only invite them to act and invite the Spirit to testify, and the rest is in the Lord's hands. And I know that He does the rest. Just look at Claudio. He didn't even finish high school. But he understands more about the Gospel than people who have a college degree. And what he understands is what's really important.

I'm so grateful I've had this opportunity to be converted to this great Gospel. I know the Lord lives and that He directs this work. I love you all so much.

Homemade Mexican-Argentine tacos.
The tortillas are homemade by Hermana Alduenda

Con amor,
Hermana Hein

Sunday Funday

It was a long week. We're not sure why exactly... But it was. I really can't remember much of what happened. I just know that we had a lot of ups and a lot of downs. But that's how the mission goes sometimes.

We did meet this week, a new investigator named Agustín. He's 15 years old and has a lot of problems. He lives in one of the more sketchy neighborhoods in our area and is surrounded at all times by the bad influences of the world; to which he ceceded at the age of 11. It's a really sad situation. But he told us that he wants to change and that he's willing to do what he needs to to be able to make those changes. So we've been focusing a lot on helping him understand his relationship with God. We had a really spiritual lesson with him on Saturday about the Restoration of the Gospel, putting emphasis on Joseph Smith and finding answers to our prayers. And in the end, we invited him to church. He said he would go.
Sunday morning, we sent the Elders to go pick Agustín up before church. They called us to let us know that he had come out of the house and that the three of them were on their way. We were really excited. But also really nervous. Having investigators at church is probably the most nerve wracking thing. But I think he had a good experience. Despite the fact that the young men's president was sick and so he had to sit in on the fifth Sunday combined Priesthood/Relief Society class that we taught... about missionary work. Haha... awkward...

Claudio came again to participate in Gospel Principles and Sacrament meeting and enjoyed them both. I had to give a last minute talk in Sacrament meeting so that was fun. But with the help of the Spirit, I think it turned out okay. It was a Sunday full of blessings and we enjoyed it a lot. The Lord's been blessing us a lot this week. So even though there were long days, I really have nothing to complain about.

Us with the Familia Orellano before Emiliano
headed south for his mission

For studies one morning, I opened up my Book of Mormon to Ether 12. I hadn't planned on studying faith but there it was. So, I studied Moroni's definition of faith. It was interesting to discover that faith is basically humility. Moroni gives several Book of Mormon examples of faith, including Alma and Amulek, who, by their faith, the prison walls fell down. But what did they DO? Alma prayed. They humbly accepted the trials they faced in that prison and then went to the Lord for help. Humbly accepting the will of the Lord IS a demonstration of our faith. It means a lot. By showing Him that we are willing to do what he commands shows our love, and from there, we receive blessings. As I shared this with Hermana Ostler during comp. study, she shared with me what she learned. She was studying humility. And she found that humility is fatih. Wow! Isn't that NEAT?? Ha ha. It was just a cool thing that happened.

Family Romero

Anyway, I just want to end with my testimony. I know that God lives and that He wants the best for all of His children. It's been cool this week to see His hand guiding us here as missionaries to the people who need His help. I love being able to be an instrument in His hands.


Love you all.
Hermana Hein

Wonders and Miracles

Hi All:

It was a week of wonders. Really, just another week in the books. But it was a wonderful one. It was hot and humid but that's not really anything new here. Yesterday was great. Claudio came to church and loved every minute of it. When we passed by the fruit stand Saturday morning on our way down to our first lesson, Claudio stopped us to show us the white shirt he'd bought for church.

He was so excited. We made plans with René to go pick him up after the first hour of church (our meetings our backwards, making Sacrament Meeting last) to be able to make it to Gospel Principles. He LOVED it. He even called us after church to ask us to bring him the book so he could study it more during the week. Then, when he came in for Sacrament Meeting, all the members came and welcomed him and introduced themselves and were just so nice and great. And the meeting was excellent. Emiliano Orellano is heading out on his mission this Thursday to the end of the Earth in the mission Argentina, Comodoro Rivadavia and he gave a great talk about discipleship. The spirit was really strong and Claudio said he was excited to come again next week.

Graciela and dog, Titan

This week, we also did divisions with the Hermanas in Barrio IV of Resistencia. I was once again with the lovely Hermana Palomino but this time I went to her area in Resi. It was weird. I forgot how nice Corrientes is compared to the rest of the mission. Haha. It was like going home. I was back in the dirt roads and janky neighborhoods of Argentina. We had a good time.

Hna. Ostler and I with some of the awesome
members of Rama Costanera

Teaching the Gospel to the overly serious rock band Maná.

This week, we were studying a lot about the Atonement and the effects of this most selfless act of love. It's amazing. Christ was willing to give everything for us and our sins. On one condition: that we follow Him and live His Gospel: Have faith, repent, be baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. Christ is willing to pay for our sins. But we have to be willing to pay Him back. And it's not a bad deal. I love the Lord. And He loves us. He's doing everything in His power to help us return home one day. I know He lives. I know the Gospel is the way to get there. But we must be diligent and humble in completing the terms the Lord has set for us. I love you all so much and I hope you all have a great week!

Lots of Love,
Hermana Hein

Fruit Salesman

Sometimes, you just have great weeks. This was one of those weeks. :) We put a lot of emphasis this week on forgetting ourselves and doing the work that the Lord sent us here to do. Sometimes it's hard when it's 120 degrees and you are sweating more than you thought was possible. But, we focused and overcame that natural man this week and we definitely saw the blessings.

City contacting. It's like a game, contacting those houses
with voice box thingy's... one day we're getting in...

Last week, while on divisions, Hermana Palomino and I talked to this guy named Claudio who works in a fruit stand. Hermana Palomino had worked in this area before us and she had taught Claudio before and she suggested that we go see if he was there. He greeted us kindly and said he'd liked what the Hermanas had taught him before but he'd never gone to church. He seemed nice. So, I fixed another appointment and we went on our way. When we went back with Hermana Ostler, Claudio was all ready to receive us. He had his Book of Mormon ready and the chairs out for us when we got there at 4. It was so great!

Happy Hermanas

Claudio is so receptive! He told us that he just wanted to start over with the lessons. So we taught him the Restoration. I love teaching the Restoration. It's my favorite. And Claudio accepted it so willingly. And he understood. It was such a great lesson. It's so nice to teach someone who's so receptive.
We went back on Friday to teach about Sabbath Day. We brought René, a recent convert with us. It was another great lesson. Claudio told us about some of the things that had happened in his past and how good he feels when he reads the Book of Mormon. He was really excited to come to church and we even set plans for him to go with René. But due to some inconvenience, he couldn't make it to the meetings yesterday. That's always discouraging. Nevertheless, Claudio continues progressing. He literally just called us to fix his OWN appointments. That's NEVER happened before on my mission. AWESOME. We might as well just take him to the river right now. Haha.

The Gospel is amazing. I've been learning this week about love. Which is the essence of the Gospel. But why? Because love is selflessness. Nothing we do in the Gospel should be for us. Our purpose in life is to become like Christ. And what did Christ do? He sacrificed His life for mankind; for those he loved. There wasn't a lick of selfishness in His being and we are striving to be the same. It's tough. But it's not impossible. As I learn more about that infinite sacrifice, I have more of a desire to share it with others. Because it's important. It's the ONLY thing that will save us from this world of growing darkness. The light that Christ brings to this world is beautiful. And more people need to see it.

Nothing better than those Argentine sunsets

Keep praying and keep hoping. The Lord is there.
 
Sending lots of love from the south,
Hermana Hein

One must remember to turn on the light...

Bienvenidos 2016!

Qué raro che. Another new year.

Our New Year Tacos

We spent the fiestas in the pension. It was the actual worst thing. One thinks that a day inside the pension to be able to do nothing more than sleep and read the scriptures would be a dream... It wasn't. I was going crazy. We don't even have music. Bueno. Yes. We DO have music, but we have no way of listening to it. So, what did we do? We studied, we slept, we played a four hour game of Monopoly, we made tacos and fresh salsa, (the BEST part of the day) and then we waited for 10:30 so we could crash pots and pans together outside our window. Then there was day two. Which was pretty much more of the same. By the end of it, we were ready to scream.

Monopoly Marathon, Hermana Ostler

 Finally, Saturday came and we could go out and work again. We were amped. But we hadn't gotten far before the Lord decided that 2016 was going to challenge and stretch us in new ways and we were caught off gaurd with the new trials. By 11 AM that first day, we were losing our patience and also a lot of water as we were sweating a lot.

Our new ride...

We're going to be learning a lot this year. But, as I've learned throughout the mission, that we choose the way we're going to face the trials we're given. We only must remember to turn on the light in the darkness and see. We choose. We decide. And I know that if I choose to, these last 3 months here in Argentina will be amazing and full of growth and learning. I'm grateful for my trials.

Don't stop believing. Hold on to that feeling. The Lord is with us. He loves us. And He won't abandon us. I love you guys so much. Have a great week!



Love, Hermana Hein

Christmas Magic

It seems only yesterday that we were starting 2015. And yet, here we are at the end of it. It's crazy how fast the time goes. Which means we have to be ever aware of how we use the time we have. I thought this year in Argentina was going to go by a lot slower than it did... I was wrong. I feel good about 2015. I've been doing the best thing that I possibly could be doing. And now, as we head into 2016, I have to think about what I'm going to do different; what I'm going to do better. 2016 is going to be really different. But I know it can also be really good.

As for Christmas, it was a blast. Christmas in the mission is seriously the best. The festivities started last Friday with our branch Christmas party. We expected it to be a lot bigger than it was. Haha. We planned decorations and food and a Nativity with the primary, and we handed out a TON of invitations to basically everyone we met in the street. In the end, about 30 people showed up. But it was still a lot of fun. The Nativity with the primary is always the best part of ANY Christmas party. Everything tends to go wrong which makes it all the better. We had planned to sing the Christmas hymns with the primary kids and the Elders, but the kids were too nervous about the premiere of their acting career and the Elders were cooking chicken and my companion was playing the piano, so I ended up singing the whole Nativity solo. Bueno. Then, we have Joseph, played by Santi Godoy, the son of our branch president. He got a little stage fright and abandoned Mary after they arrived in Bethlehem... sketchy... The baby Jesus was born and thrown not-so-tenderly into a carseat and the new star that was supposed to appear in the sky, threw a fit, so her aunt had to lead the three giant wisemen to the manger scene. The whole thing was hilarious. And I think the members enjoyed it. I sure did. See attached photo.

Ward Christmas Party

Christmas Eve, we went caroling as a zone in the big plaza in the middle of downtown Corrientes. It was cool to bring the spirit to a place where most people are concerned only about their shopping. Most people walked past, pretending to not see or hear us, but just the fact that they slowed their pace a little bit showed that they felt something. It was really awesome.

Out and About for Christmas

Christmas day, we had an activity with two zones here in Corrientes. That party included 14 Elders.... and us. Hna. Ostler and I are the only two hermanas in ALL of Corrientes. Woot! So the party was interesting. We ate asado and sang Christmas carols around the piano. Haha. Classic. Then we left to go skype! WOOHOO!! The best. Sometimes, all you need is to hear Mom's laugh and Dad's voice. Families are the best. It was the best Christmas gift.

Overall, it was a great Christmas. And I was grateful that I got to spend it here in the mission. It's helped remind me of why we celebrate and how real it all is. I know Christ was born on the Earth and that it was His mission to save us all from our sins and sadnesses. I know He lives now. I know that this is His true church and that He is aware of each and everyone of us. I hope you all have a great week and a happy new year!

Lots of love,
Hermana Hein

Once Upon a December

It's been another week in Corrientes. The search continues for the people that will accept the Gospel message. It's a struggle. But the work goes on.

We've been teaching a kid here named Ever. His mom is a less active member of the branch who told us that all she wants is for her son to grow up in a place that teaches him good standards and she knows that it's here, in the church. Great! But the goal is to reactivate his mom at the same time so that he has the support in his home and together, they can work towards the temple goal. Ever is 13. Which is what the branch wants. A new young men's president was recently called and he's amped to get to work. There's only one problem: the number of young men in the branch is exactly 0. So we're trying to find the best way to help Ever feel like he's needed and wanted in the branch even though there's no one else there his age. The mission brings about all kinds of struggles. But we know the Lord is helping us out.

The members here in Corrientes are great. We had the most efficient branch counsel of my whole mission yesterday and working with the members here is really fun. They're really excited to work with us and we're stoked to work with them. We've been helping the primary president plan the nativity for the Christmas party. It's going to be gold.

Speaking of Christmas, I've been thinking a lot about it recently. (wonder why?) And I've just come to decide that Christmas on the mission is the actual best. Too often, we get caught up with the commercial aspect of Christmas that we forget why we really celebrate it. Yes. I miss being with my family. But being in a different country where the Santa Claus aspect of Christmas has pretty much been erased and where December is one of the hottest months, has actually really helped me remember why. It's Christ. Obvious. Yeah. But really think about it. Why is Christ important? Why do we celebrate His birth? Because He came to perform the Atonement. And that's the greatest gift we could ever receive. I love Christmas and I love Christ. Remember Him this season.

Lots of love,
Hermana Hein

Carrying the Banner

Hermana Ostler

Well, another transfer, gone. Hermana Beckstead and I were both transferred out of Sáenz Peña and our area was closed... temporarily. We were sad to have to say good bye to that little town. I was really sad. But now, a new chapter is beginning in a new place: Corrientes. Hna. Ostler and I are whitewashing in. And it's... LOCO. Our area is right in the middle of the city. It's a whole new world across the Rio Paraná. But we're going to kill it. The Lord wants us here for something.

Our last week in Sáenz Peña was a good one. We had a lot of fun on Thanksgiving, even though no one in this country even knows what Thanksgiving is. We ate with the familia Guazo. It was super fun. They made some chicken and potatoes and Hna. Beckstead and I brought an apple pie and peach cobbler to contribute to the festivities. We also made hand turkeys for everyone and we all shared what we were thankful for. It was really great. There's always a special spirit when you talk about the blessings you have and the things your're thankful for.

Our "Thanksgiving" with the Guazo Family

As it's now December, our Book of Mormon challenge is over. We finished yesterday reading Moroni's invitation to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. President gave us this challenge to help us as a mission increase our faith. And I would definitely say that my faith has been increased. Reading the Book of Mormon that fast definitely has its benefits. You come to understand more the timeline of the Book of Mormon and the who's and where's of all the events that take place. You also come to notice the themes that run throughout the whole history. There's something I love in the Book of Mormon which is the missionary stories... surprise, surprise... But seriously. It helps me have more faith and more strength to keep doing the work everyday. If they can do it, why not me? I may have just been thrown into a new place without any clue of how to do anything, but what I do know, is that what we carry is the truth. The Book of Mormon has the power to change people. It's changed me. And I know it can do the same for the people of Corrientes. We've just gotta find them.

Walking Home in the rain

I love you all. I hope the first week of December is fantastic.
Love from,
Hermana Hein

Cambiemos

Hello All,

Finally, the presidential race of Argentina is over. The last time the Argentines voted, the votes fell in a 3 way tie. Which required a re-vote... yesterday. Which meant we stayed in the pension ALL DAY... AGAIN. But this time, we were better prepared. We had a Work and the Glory marathon, we made apple pie, and Hna. Beckstead taught me how to play chess. I'd say it was a pretty successful day.

Since we got to Sáenz Peña, Hna. Beckstead and I have been teaching a woman on and off named Carina. She's been investigating the church for over a year and multiple sets of Hermanas have taught her before us. She's really special. She's told us of multiple experiences she's had that prove to me that the Lord really is and has been preparing specific people to receive the restored Gospel. It wasn't by coincidence that those first Hermanas found her. And it DEFINITELY wasn't by coincidence that they found her AGAIN after her and her family had moved to the OPPOSITE edge of the area. Like I said, she's special. But it's been pretty difficult to teach her. She lives far and out of the way. And we can only meet with her on certain days.

The first time Hna. Beckstead and I met her, we were impressed by her Gospel knowledge and the spirit she emits. She could have been baptized that very next day had she wanted to. But little things kept coming up. Little impediments that kept her from coming to church. She had to go visit her family in the country. She had to vote. She would have had to walk by herself.... Little things that to the eyes of a missionary, are easily overcome. But what may be no more than a pebble to me, could be a boulder to someone else.

Every time we went to Carina's, we exhausted our spirits trying to determine what was really impeding her and commit her to come to church one more time so she could get baptized... This went on for four and a half months. It's the most tired I've been on my mission. Teaching people with Word of Wisdom issues is one struggle. But teaching people who are tangibly close to membership in the Lord's church but still so far is a completely different type of battle. It's HARDER. But it all ended this week. Carina never needed us to give her a baptismal date. She needed to figure it out for herself. And she did. She told us Friday morning that she'd going to be baptized in December. She prayed and received her answer. And December is when she and the Lord have decided is the right time. It was like finally reaching the top of the mountain after an endless, steep climb. She's going to make it. And she's going to make an AWESOME member. It's been a privilege to be able to teach her.

Hermana Beckstead, Carina and Me

This week, in our Book of Mormon reading, we got to one of my favorite parts: the second half of Alma, featuring Captain Moroni. So good. One part I love a lot is the exchange of letters between Moroni and Pahoran, the chief judge. Moroni and Helaman have been backed into a corner by the Lamanite armies. They're outnumbered and outmatched and Moroni is angry that the government hasn't sent them any help. He sends a scathing letter to Pahoran accusing him of treachery and threatening vengeance. Little does Moroni know of the insurrections against the government that Pahoran himself has been facing. Any normal person would be ticked. But how does Pahoran respond? "I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart." What humility. Instead of jumping to the defensive and accusing Moroni for not coming to HIS aid, or not even questioning why Pahoran hadn't responded and jumping to the conclusion that he was a traitor, he just takes it. Pahoran gracefully explains to Moroni the situation and says, " I do joy in receiving your epistle." And for that humility, the Nephites were greatly blessed. Helaman and Moroni's armies received support and Moroni and Pahoran were able to drive the rebels out of Zarahemla and restore peace. Where there is humility, there is unity. Where there is humility, there is peace and love and immeasurable blessings. I think we can all be a little bit more like Pahoran. Patient and humble, even when an army of Nephite traitors is rebelling against you AND the chief captain of the Nephite army, a terrifying military genius with the power of God on his side has threatened you with destruction. If Pahoran can manage it, I think we can. Humility is the key to happiness, I would say.

I know the Book of Mormon is true. It tells the stories of REAL people. It testifies of Christ. I know He lives. I know He loves us. And now behold, I close mine epistle.

We're teaching people who have owls!! So Cool!

I am Hermana Hein. (gotta love that CHEESE!)

Being Wise, Yet Harmless

Greetings from the south!

It's been a quick week but a good one. Full of small miracles and the joy of spreading the Gospel! Man. It's crazy how much reading the Book of Mormon can have effect on people. As we've been reading this week, our attitudes, our outlooks, our very desires have changed for the better. That book is REAL. And we've been utilizing it a lot in our teachings with Andres.

Hi-jacked picture from Mission Consejo

He's still great. And we see the evidence of his conversion everytime we talk with him. He's come a long way. But, he still needs to get married. And thank you Argentina for making that very difficult for him as the government building where you get married (I don't even speak English anymore...) is on strike... Great. There's really not much we can do there but pray. And trust me, we'll be praying like maniacs. But until that time that they decide they want to work, we just have to keep helping Andres build up his faith. And you do that through the Book of Mormon. The Hermanas who were here before us told us that when they first met him, Andres read through 1 and 2 Nephi in a matter of days. He loves it. And he's resolved his own doubts by reading it. But, he's fallen behind a little bit. He's been in Mosiah 2 for a number of weeks now. Come on man! King Benjamin?? That's the best part! So, this week, we decided to use his own vice of curiosity against him, just as Ammon was wise, yet harmless in his contention with King Lamoni. We asked Andres what was keeping him from reading. He told us he was confused in regard to the timeline of the Book of Mormon. "Why isn't it the Book of Nephi?" he asked us. "He wrote it!"

Hermana Beckstead and I looked at each other. "He wrote part of it. But the rest was abridged by Mormon."

"I'm still confused."

We knew there was no way we'd be able to explain the entire complex timeline of the Book of Mormon to him in those last few minutes of our lesson. Luckily, back in my Resistencia days, I had stumbled across an old Liahona article that was actually, a detailed timeline of the Book of Mormon. I smiled.
"I have something to show you next time." I told him.

The next time was Saturday. He came, he sat down, we got Hermano and Hermana Avalos the older to come sit with us as well, and we whipped out the timeline. It's HUGE. It's like, six pages, front and back. It stretches out into this long banner that details the dates, events, and peoples of the Book of Mormon. We proceeded to give a rehearsed summary of the ENTIRE Book of Mormon, including details of the different peoples and their trials. As we spoke, Andres just got this look on his face of complete desperation. His confusion had deepened. Which was EXACTLY what we wanted. Perhaps that seems a little counterproductive. But trust me, giving him a teaser of what the Book of Mormon actually contains and how complex and complete it really is, will be the driving force he needs to actually read it.
"You just have to read it." We told him, smiling.

We then bore solemn testimony of Jesus Christ and how one will draw closer unto Him by reading and living the teachings found in the Book of Mormon. It's crazy how fast the spirit flies into a room when you speak of Jesus Christ. We may not speak perfect Spanish, but we don't need to when we have the Holy Ghost doing his job, which is to testify of the Saviour. While before, the lesson had been fun with our elementary school teacheresque presentation of the Book of Mormon timeline, it turned very quickly, very serious and reverent as we testified of the Lord. All of us had tears in our eyes.

I really do know He lives. I know the Atonement is real. And I know that He is the ONLY way by which we will obtain salvation. We cannot trust in the arm of flesh. We cannot trust in our own strengths and abilities to save us. It will never be enough. But with Christ, we can do ALL things.
"I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness... and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come." Mosiah 4:11 I love the Lord more than I can say. And I pray that one day, I will be able to look Him in the eye and tell Him, "I've done my best. Please help me do the rest." Trust in Him. He will NOT leave us comfortless.

I love you all,
Hermana Hein

HiJacked Picture from mission Consejo
Jenessa camera still not working

 

Only the Penitent Shall Pass

November. It's hard to believe that 2015 is almost over. It's hard to believe that I've been a missionary for the whole year. But alas. Time truly flies.

As all obviously know, Saturday was Halloween. Here in Argentina, they do absolutely zero. It's a real let down. But Hermana Beckstead and I went all out. And when I say that, I mean we dressed up as each other. And this year, I was NOT deathly ill. Thank goodness. But it was pretty funny. Hermana Beckstead wore my oversized grandma dress and floppy sombrero and I wore all red, white, and blue, in classic Beckstead fashion and her leather Indy hat. We even switched name tags... No one got it. Not even Andres. Finally, when we told him we were dressed up, he looked between the two of us and realized that I was wearing Hermana Beckstead's elephant necklace and it gave it all away. We still had fun even though no one made the connection. It doesn't help that there's maybe 2.5 people here who actually remember our names. Haha. That's what I get for being called Hein.

Before Mission: Jenessa as Dr. Who, friend Haley as Snow White

A number of weeks ago, we contacted a house in a richer neighborhood in our area where we don't go very often because it's really hard to get in doors. But upon clapping at one green gate, we were greeted by an old lady with twisty blonde hair. She told us that she was a Jehovah's Witness and that before, she had met with the missionaries a number of times, but they had stopped coming by. She was slightly deaf and wasn't understanding much of what we said to her. It didn't look like it was going to go anywhere. But, for whatever reason, the spirit told us to keep bugging until she let us in. So she did. Immediately after entering the house, another woman, the blonde woman's daughter came rushing up to us, greeting us with besos as per usual.
"We wanted to share a message." we said.
"Oh! Great! Sit down!" she said.

She told us that she had been baptized into the Evangelica church, but that she'd stopped going. We knew immediately that she was who we were there for. She listened intently to our message and even got a little teary eyed when we shared the first vision. It was a great first lesson. She invited us back and we went on our way, beaming. We taught Soledad one more time there at her mom's house. And then, she disappeared. We would frequently pass by the house to see if she was there, but every time we went by, we found it empty. Finally, we went one afternoon and were met by her mother again. She told us that she had moved to another neighborhood, miraculously, still in our area.

When we went to the other house, sure enough, we found Soledad. She was really excited that we had found her. We shared with her the Plan of Salvation and she LOVED it. And when we returned the next time, she told us that she had shared it with her husband. And she always reads what we leave her in the Book of Mormon It's been a cool experience. We're hoping to see more progress with her soon. It's obvious the Lord wanted us to find her.

In regards to the title, I know I tend to make reference to Indiana Jones a lot. But let's be real, it APPLIES. This month, President asked us all to read the Book of Mormon, cover to cover. All of it within this month. We're really excited. We started our reading yesterday and today, we finished day 2, ending with 1 Nephi 16. Our reading today included all the chapters where Nephi sees the destruction of the Nephites, the discovery and colonization of America, and the Restoration of the Gospel. Oh man. Those are some awesome chapters. As I've read the Book of Mormon several times here on the mission, I've come to see those themes that run through the whole 1000 year account of the descendents of Lehi. One of them being pride. As it states in Doctrine and Covenants, the Nephite people fell due to their pride. Over and over again throughout the Book of Mormon, the Nephites fall to their pride. Nephi saw it all. Can you imagine seeing your own descendents being destroyed just because they would not obey? I certainly cannot imagine the type of heartbreak Nephi felt as he witnessed that. And yet, despite it all, he kept obeying. He knew that his posterity wouldn't continue. That is penitence. That is humility. And we KNOW, thanks to the Book of Mormon, that only the penitent man will pass. Only those who come to the Lord with a broken heart and contrite spirit. We must keep striving to be as Nephi was, truly penitent and humble, accepting the will of the Lord even if we don't fully understand it. Hold fast to the iron rod, even when blinded by the mists of darkness. "and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction." 1 Nephi 15:24

I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know that by applying the principles we learn from it, we will never be blinded. I know that we must be humble and submissive to the will of the Lord. And as we come to Him with a penitent heart, He will lend us the hand we need to get through.
I love you all. Hope you all have a great first week of November.

Besitos,
Hermana Hein

       

Are you challenging me to a walk off?

Yesterday, the citizens of Argentina had their presidential elections. At long last, the reign of Christina is over. I don't actually have any idea what that means but a lot of people seem pretty excited about it. What that meant for us as missionaries: ALL DAY IN THE PENSION. I guess things can get pretty crazy on election day. So, right after Sacrament Meeting at 10:10 on the dot, (all the other meetings were cancelled) we headed home to wait out elections inside. After we made a delicious homemade lasagna for lunch, took a nap, and did studies, we were left with little to do and the boredom set in. We nearly went mad inside all day.

Anyway, this week provided some interesting miracles. As you all know, we've been teaching Andres for some time now, trying to get home to get married but he keeps telling us he needs a job first... Well, this week, we came to the conclusion that he needs to get married before anything else. We shared Mosiah 2:41 that says that we will receive temporal and spiritual blessings for acting on our faith. We also had a lot of help from President Conradi AKA District President here in Sáenz Peña who bore a sweet testimony on eternal marriage and faith that really touched Andres. He went THE NEXT DAY to verify days they could go get married. It's crazy how much his faith has grown since we started teaching him. Various other obstacles are emerging, but we know that he'll pull through. He hasn't been reading his scriptures everyday and he told us that he feels a difference. "When I was reading the Book of Mormon everyday, I felt this peace. I don't feel that anymore now that I'm not reading as much." Well... There you go. Get on that reading. We promised him that if he puts emphasis on daily scripture study and prayer, he will receive the revelation necessary to help him overcome his obstacles.

It was overall, a pretty good week. We had those good, spiritual lessons with Andres, and we taught Feliciana a number of times also. She's just too sweet. And her prayers are getting really good. The only reason she didn't come to church this week was because of the torrential rain storm that hit Saturday night... classic. It's the curse of Argentina. But Sunday was also election day and voting is obligatory here so... we're not sure what all the Argentines who usually sleep in on rainy mornings did... It was like clash of the Argentine vices here yesterday. Actually, the best part of the whole week was Saturday night, when we stumbled into a Relief Society activity at the church. They were showing off all the artsy things the sisters in the District had made when a sister from the other branch started yelling into the microphone for all the ladies to line up for the dance competition. Yes. All the relief society ladies of Sáenz Peña had a DANCE OFF. What was the first song they danced to? MORTAL KOMBAT... I'm not kidding. It made my entire life.

This week, while studying to teach Feliciana, I focused on the relationship we have with God. God is our loving Heavenly Father. But what does that mean exactly? It means that each and every one of us have a divine destiny given us by the creator of ALL things. It means that He loves us; really, truly loves each of us. He knows us personally. He knows the trials we face and knows how to help us. He loves us so much that He was willing to give up His ONLY begotten son so that all of us could return to live with Him. We could not possibly comprehend the type of love He has for us. But if we can understand two things, that He loves us and that He knows all things, we can have the confidence that everything He asks of us is for our benefit. We don't need to doubt, we don't need to fear, we just need to know that He loves us. I know He lives and that His love is real. I've felt it. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know this is His church and that only through Him will we find our way back to our loving Heavenly Father again.

Sending lots of love from the south,
Hermana Hein


   

Carry On

Hello All:

Another transfer, gone. And here we both still are in Sáenz Peña. Yup. Hna. Beckstead and I both stayed. We knew we would. We're here for Andrés. I'm pretty excited about it. Even though we haven't seen a ton of direct results in this area, I love it. I love the people we've met here. And as I know I've said before, I love the members here. They're incredible.

Anyway, this week, Hna. Beckstead and I worked a lot on focusing more on the work. It was a good week. We met some cool people and had some good experiences. We met this old lady named Feliciana who doesn't know how to read. We've actually run into a lot of people who can't read here. It's hard for me. I don't know how to teach people without that. But we had a pretty cool experience teaching her how to pray this week. We explained prayer like a sandwich: You have to have the two pieces of bread or it's not a sandwich. It's just a bunch of random cold cuts. The top bread, is how we start: "Heavenly Father," In the middle, you can put what you want: ham and cheese? No. I'm thinking roast beef. Maybe tomorrow I'll do milanesa: just say what you feel. And you end with that last piece of bread: "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." I even drew the whole thing out for her in the pamphlet we were using. But she still wasn't getting it. Finally, Hna. Beckstead said, "Okay. If Heavenly Father were standing here RIGHT NOW, what would you say to him?" She began listing off the things she was grateful for and the questions she had. "PERFECT!" We told her. "Now add the two pieces of bread." She slapped her hand over her eyes and began to pray. It was the sweetest, most simple little prayer but it was so awesome to hear her do it. Sometimes, you just struggle getting people to pray. But she did it. And it was great!

Hijacked this photo from the Resistencia Mission facebook
page via Janet Tracey. Thanks!!!!

Sometimes, the trick to this whole mission thing is just to carry on. Sometimes, things don't always go as you had planned or you don't see the direct results of the work you're doing. But you just have to be firm as the mountains around us, (or those of you living in Utah... There's no mountains here.) and stalwart and brave. The work must continue. We cannot falter. The work here in Sáenz Peña continues. Sorry if that was overly cheesy.

Sending love from the south,
Hermana Hein

Grace & Love

Conference... Whew... talk about a spiritual feast. I just love conference. And on the mission, it's even better. All of us gringo missionaries just sat in one room and feasted... spiritually and literally... Hermana Beckstead and I made french toast for everyone. It was pretty sweet. It's amazing to me the way the spirit communicates to the speakers what needs to be said; what needs to be heard. And how every one of us can receive some type of inspiration from the words spoken. Also, let's just mention those three new apostles... I totally called Renlund. They're going to be great.

I particularly enjoyed Elder Christofferson's talk about the institution of the church and why it's necessary that we have a church. It answered perfectly a doubt that Andres had expressed earlier in the week. It was a shame he missed it... Andres did make it to the Saturday evening session and told us afterward that he LOVED it. We knew he would.

Earlier in the week, we were amping up the conference, going off about how excited we were, Andres asked us why we were so excited; why we were "fan girling"
over old church leaders. Well... now he understands. That's the word of GOD right there man... THAT'S why we were so excited. Ugh. So good. Can't wait for next conference.

Earlier this week, we planned to go up to one part of our area we'd never visited before: Barrio Arce. It's up in the very corner of the area and feels a little sketchy sometimes so we generally avoid it. But, in the morning, it's okay. So, we headed up, hoping to find someone to teach... as always. But, after a good hour and a half of nothing, we became a little discouraged. We were about to turn back. But, looking down the wind-blown dirt road we were on, we noticed a little passage we hadn't seen before. "Well, might as well go see who's down there..." I mumbled... And then we found Monica.

Monica told us that she'd investigated multiple religions but that none of them ever felt right. She told us that she'd noticed the frequent appearance of false prophets preaching the doctrines of man and was tired of the lack of God and Christ in their teachings. She wanted the truth. She wanted Christ. So, we explained to her the Restoration. As we recounted the First Vision of Joseph Smith, she paused, staring at the photo we showed silently. "Wow..." She said, beaming. We testified of the reality of living prophets and apostles and that the priesthood of Christ had in fact been restored to the earth. But the only way we were going to know, was by asking Him who knows all. She loved it. We gave her a Book of Mormon and Moroni 10 to read. (Classic) And of course, invited her to conference to listen to the prophet's voice and see for herself. Nobody could have watched that conference and NOT felt the spirit. But, unfortunately, she couldn't make it to the conference because her baby was sick. But we have plans to go back and see her soon. I know she's going to feel it.

One of the themes of conference that really touched me was that of the grace of the Atonement. At times we feel that we're not good enough. There's just no way we can be perfect. So we give up. But the Atonement isn't just for perfect people. It is for everyone. Christ doesn't expect us to be perfect. He expects us to try. And if we try our best and ask for His help, He's going to help us go the rest of the way. He's going to be at our side, holding up the cross we've been trying to lift ourselves. He's already done it once. And He's willing to do it again. Trust in the Lord. Trust in His love for each one of you. He lives. And the Atonement has the power to lift us out of our darkest places. We don't have to be perfect. We just have to try.

Lots of love,
Hermana Hein

PS - Mum here... because Jenessa is still having troubles with her photo card, I thought I would drop in a picture of her getting dropped off at the MTC, a year ago on October 8th. I don't sound trunky....


   

The Noble Art of Divination

Hi All:

A bit of a wooly subject, divination... nevertheless... we had a run in with Argentine Professor Trelawney this week that proved to be... interesting. Walking down Calle 7 one morning, looking for a name from the list of members here in Sáenz Peña, we noticed a sign that said something like, "Rodolfo, parapsicología" "What's that?" I ask. Hna. Beckstead shrugs her shoulders and claps. An old man wearing a stained wife beater comes out to the gate to greet us. "Are you Rodolfo?" we ask. "Yes." "What's parapsicología?"  "I'll show you." We just stand out on the front patio and he shows us a certificate that authorizes his practice of this parapsicología, which he tells us is basically... divination.

"For example," he says. "I can tell just by looking at you that... you haven't been here for very long..." "I've been here for almost a year." I reply. "Viste? That's not very long..." *long awkward silence* "I can also sense that you two... are not from around here." he divined. "How could I possibly know that just by looking at you? I don't know... I'm just... knowing..." We tried our best not to laugh. Apparently, you can't tell that we're not Argentine by just looking at us... or hearing our accents... you have to have... the gift.

This week, we also got to head once more to Resistencia for Consejo. President talked about the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. Which just so happens to be one of my FAVORITE Bible stories. The way the Savior teaches is just so simple yet so profound. One learns important teaching principles from the example of the Master. President talked a lot about the living waters, which are the teachings of Christ. And how important it is for us to share them with others. Those who drink of the living waters of Christ shall never thirst again. What an incredible promise. And it's true. It's something I've witnessed a lot here in the mission. There are people here with literally NOTHING. Entire families are living here in a square of bricks smaller than my bedroom, with a dirt floor and two grimy mattresses. And yet, in these families, I've met people with some of the most faith. They find the strength to keep going even when there's NOTHING LEFT because of their faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. It makes you realize just how real it is and how much we really need those living waters.

Jenessa with Antonia

Pancho, our dog??

I am so blessed. I have everything I could ever want and need and more. Seeing the people here, living in poverty is a real eye opener. It's very humbling. We need to do what we can with the means we've been given to help those who have less than us. It says in the Book of Mormon, in Ether, that we must have charity to inherit the kingdom of God. But charity isn't just giving to the poor. It's loving as Christ loves. And Christ loves everyone perfectly. Which is a hard thing to accomplish for us as imperfect beings. But, one way to get better at loving, is by serving. We automatically grow to love those we serve. Charity never Faileth. (or as they say here, in Relief Society every week, "la caridad nunca deja de ser." in a very monotone voice. It's hilarious.)

Love you all,
Hermana Hein


       

The Road Goes Ever On

Well... It was one of those weeks. You know? The ones where nothing happens? Yup. The most exiting thing that happened was the unexpected journey we took out into the middle of nowhere in search of a man named Alvarez. We had taught him once before in front of a pile of bricks house on calle 1; a long, dirt road that leads out to the end of the world. At the end of the lesson, we asked what his address was and he told us, "Sometimes here, sometimes there." Oh. Okay. We'll just come back here. We planned to return Wednesday morning, but when we arrived at the house, the woman told us Alvarez lived further down the street. But further down the street? Nothing. We did find one house tucked away in a tangle of thorn bushes next the train tracks... But we didn't find Alvarez.

Doing Yard Work with Antonia

The youth in the branch here get together every Tuesday and Thursday at the church to play volleyball. A LOT of youth come; the majority, non-members. As missionaries, it's our job, our calling to introduce as many people to the gospel as physically possible. And this was an advantageous opportunity. So, Hna. Beckstead and I, along with the two elders in the branch, plotted to do just that. We wanted to show a quick video during the activity, a 5 minute Mormon Message or something. But we just haven't been able to organize ourselves sufficiently to actually do it... until this Thursday. After running around for an hour and a half, trying to figure out which cords connect to the projector and how the sound system in the chapel works, we managed to get the video up on the big screen. Success! The chapel filled up with volleyball youth and we played the video. After it ended, there was an uncomfortable silence... "Now what?" we silently communicated with the elders across the room. They shrugged. Finally, Darian, an outspoken new convert and the gangleader of the volleyball crowd shouted, "A FUERA!" (outside)  and the herd of youth filed out. It was a bit of a hassle at first, but I think it went pretty well in the end. A bunch of non-member youth had casual contact with church material.

With Andres, we've been bringing a recent convert of the Elders, Gerardo, to lessons. Needless to say, we managed to make things even MORE awkward. Here we are, two random North American girls teaching two middle-aged, Argentine men about the Law of Chastity. *facepalm* But it's been good to have Gerardo there. Now Andres has a friend.

I read a talk this week from President Eyring called "Where is the Pavilion?" It talks about how we are the ones that distance ourselves from God and not the other way around. God will never leave us. He will always be there. Even if we don't want Him there. But a lot of times, we don't recognize His presence. Especially in times of trial, we need to look for Him; reach out, maybe even a little blindly and say, "I'm here. What do you want me to do?" He will answer. And when we humbly accept His will over our own, we remember. And we see. He is never far from us. But we may be a little far from Him. I know He loves us. I know He's there. We just have to open our eyes a little.

Sending lots of love and besitos from the south,
Hermana Hein

     

Leap of Faith

Well, I'm still here in Sàenz Peña with Hermana Beckstead. We're really excited. We wanted to stay here. This place is magical. But one can't help but get a little anxious around transfer time. You just never know what your fate will be. But the Lord knows. And we just have to trust Him. I have a firm testimony of transfers. I know they're inspired. Anyway. This last week was a good one. Full of miracles. This week, we truly witnessed the hand of the Lord directing the work.

A number of weeks ago, we contacted and taught an old lady who, we weren't entirely sure was totally there. After giving her a Book of Mormon, she attempted to give us 100 pesos in return. But we obviously refused to take the money. While planning one night this last week, she came to mind. "Hey. Let's go visit Elena." I said. Hna. Beckstead was a little apprehensive. "Uh... Okay." So, the next evening, we went by, still not entirely sure why. As we attempted to teach Elena about the Restoration, she kept standing up. "We need to go talk to my daughter-in-law." She said. "Uh... Alright. Can we finish here?" We asked. Finally, after finishing our broken lesson, Elena stood up again. "Alright. Let's go visit my daughter-in-law." Hna. Beckstead and I looked at each other, bewildered. But, one gets used to such weird and awkward situations as a missionary, and we followed the strange old lady out of the house and down the street to her daughter-in-law's house.

The Gonzalez family was a little confused as to why we were there with their grandma when we first showed up. But the 18 year old daughter, Meli, began asking us questions about the Book of Mormon, having heard of it before. Soon after, her mom came into the house with a brand new baby girl, Luz. It was almost disconcerting how well received we were; how many questions they had. They were asking all the RIGHT questions. "How do we know if our baptism's valid?" Well, you have to have the proper authority. "Who has the proper authority?" Well, let's just tell you a little bit about Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Priesthood. "How do we know what's true?" We picked up the Book of Mormon. By reading and praying about this book. "Okay." They said. They all accepted our invitation to be baptized on October 3. And we're really praying that they make it there, taking up our challenge to read the Book of Mormon. From a tiny whisper from the Spirit to go visit some random old lady, we found a family prepared to receive the blessings of the Gospel.

That's only one example of the way the Lord is directing us here in His work. The list continues. The spirit is consistently prompting us to act. But we have to choose to do it. When we exercise our faith and act on those tiny promptings we receive, our faith grows. But it's always a leap of faith. Indy never would have found the Holy Grail had he not first taken that giant leap of faith. We have to do the same. Not just as missionaries. But as human beings. As children of God.

I know this is the Lord's work. I know He is leading us to the people that we are here to teach. I know He lives. I have received that witness personally by reading the Book of Mormon. I know it's true and I know it's another witness of Him. I'm grateful to be here on the mission and for the people I have come to know and love. It's an amazing opportunity. Thanks for all the love and support I receive from you all at home. You don't know how much your prayers do.

Sending prayers from the south,
Hermana Hein

Note from editor: No pictures this week, so I took the liberty of putting in this clip of Indiana Jones and his "leap of faith."

22

So... I guess that's the name of a really famous Taylor Swift song that I don't know... When asked how old I was on my birthday, everyone started singing it to my confusion. Sorry. But anyway. Thursday, I completed 22 years of life. Weird. We celebrated by going to Resistencia, yet again, for multizone conference with President. That's always a great spiritual experience. And It was good to get to hang out with some old friends, like Hermana Nakken. Love her. It was a pretty good day.

Zone Conference

 The rest of the week was normal. We worked. As one always does in the mission. We've been teaching a less active lady named Antonia and it's been a really cool experience. Let me just elaborate...
One hot morning, we were walking down a dirt road at the very outskirts of our area, keeping our eyes peeled for the doors we should knock. We walked past one unassuming, crumbling brick house with a mess of cacti in front and saw a little old lady with flaming red hair raking dead leaves in the dirt. We had already walked past, but I just remember thinking, "We should go talk to her..." Without even a word to my companion, I turned around to head back to the house. To my great surprise, Hermana Beckstead had done the same. We discovered that this old lady was actually a member. And that she had been inactive for a long time. But for whatever reason, the Lord had sent us back to talk to her. After that lesson, she told us that she wouldn't be able to come to church that Sunday but the next Sunday she would come. Unfortunately, Hna. Beckstead and I forgot. Until, two Sundays later, there's Antonia, sitting in the chapel with her bright red hair and a smile like she'd never left. Most of the members didn't even know who she was. That's how long she'd been gone. But despite her many years of inactivity, Antonia is now ready to come back to church.

We helped her in her garden on Wednesday and I actually got to wear jeans for once. MIRACLES HAPPEN! No but really, she's super sweet and prepared to receive the blessings for living the Gospel. It's interesting how the Lord's hand is always with us, guiding both Hermana Beckstead and I back to this old, pile-of-bricks house to find one little sheep that had been lost for years.

This place is awesome. I still, after nearly 6 weeks here, can't figure out exactly what it is. But I think a lot of it has to do with the members. The branch here is struggling. Despite the huge church building and the 1,300 baptized members here in the city, there's only a good, 30 people that come consistently. But that small group of faithful saints is AWESOME. Talking last night to the one and only counselor to our branch president, Hermano Guazo, I realized what it is: understanding of the baptismal covenant. He understands our duty to God to serve with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. And he's pretty much given all of that to this branch. But he's still going. Because he knows that there's no one else here to do it. And it's our responsibility as members of the Lord's true church to accept His will and do what He asks. I'm really grateful for that example of faithful discipleship.

It's been a good transfer. I've learned a lot and it's hard to believe that it's almost over already. Summer is on the way. My old tanlines are already coming back. Can't wait to show off my shackle line from my ridiculous Danskos. Haha. #missionlife.

Keep the faith. Follow the example of the members of the branch here in Sáenz Peña and hold fast to the covenants you've made. And the Lord will bless us more than we can imagine. These things I know to be true. He lives.

Lots of Love,
Hermana Hein

Manna in the Wilderness

Well... It was a looongg week here in Argentina. Lots of rain. Lots of sniffly noses. But... here we are at P-day at last.

This past week, I had to return to Resistencia to do my visa papers again. So all of Tuesday was spent in the big city with Hna. Tello. Who also had to go. It was good to hang out with her again and we had a fun, if a little annoying side quest. On the way back up to Saenz Pena, our bus broke down on the highway. Which took another hour out of journey. They had to send another bus out to come pick us up. But we had to sit there and wait for it. Oh well. Part of the adventure I suppose. Speaking of adventure, on the mission, you have tons of opportunities to meet interesting new people. Let me just tell you about our run in with "Crusty Old Man" as Hermana Beckstead and I like to call him.

Me and Hermana Beckstead

About two weeks ago, we were out in the street, knocking on doors, talking to everyone we could. Peering down the street, we saw an old man staring at us from his lawn chair, mate cup dangling loosely from his fingers. "Let's talk to that guy." I said. So we did. Or at least... we tried to. Upon introducing ourselves to the man, he began to yell at us, telling us that we weren't going to change anything and that no matter how much he'd prayed, nothing ever changed and his whole body still hurt. No matter how hard we tried to testify to the man of the power of the Atonement, he wouldn't listen, letting his crusty exoskeleton resist our attempts at testimony and scriptures. Finally, we decided to give up the fight. We weren't going to get anywhere. We exhorted him to humble himself and come unto Christ and we left.


Hna. Beckstead had written about this encounter in her weekly email and had received a reply from her dad, who told her to go back and give the man a soda or something. Well... walking past the man's house the other day, we decided to take up his challenge. We headed to the nearest kiosco (which was across the street) and bought a roll of vanilla cookies ironically named after the legendary bread Moses and the children of Israel received in the wilderness: Manna. We grit our teeth and headed over to the man's house, handing him the cookies through the window before he could say anything. "WAIT!" he yelled out after us. "What is this?" He asked suspiciously.

"Nothing. We just thought to buy you some cookies." Hna. Beckstead replied nervously.
The man's face softened and he gave us an almost smile. "Wow." he said. "There are still good people in the world." He pointed upwards, to the heavens and declared, "This is a gift from above!"
Hna. Beckstead and I were shocked. His entire demeanor had changed. One small act of kindness showed this crusty old man that God really was looking out for him. And while, this form of manna may not have been his only form of nourishment, it certainly worked for his spiritual nourishment. Receiving that gift from above rekindled his hope in people. It was pretty cool.

Shoes named after me

Of the other events that took place this week, none really have much significance. We've been teaching a law student named Andres and he finally came to church on Sunday. He's been having some trouble with faith, trusting that the Lord will help him work out his trials. But, he's coming along. We taught him about Adam and Eve and agency and the reason bad things happen, which was a concern of his. He seemed to understand better.

Missionary work gives one the chance to learn so much about the Gospel. It's a real blessing. As I've studied for investigators, I've learned new principles and received new spiritual light myself. And I'm so grateful for that time I have to study the scriptures everyday. I have grown to know the Savior through the Book of Mormon and through prayer. And it's been amazing to see others come to that same knowledge through the acts of their own faith. The church is true. Christ lives.

Hermana Hein