Just a Song Before I Go...

I don't really know what to say. I honestly didn't think I would ever come to this day. But, the time passes for everyone, even me. And as much as I didn't want it to come, here we are. It's hard to have to end the mission. It was the best thing I ever could have decided to do. I love Argentina and the people I've come to know here. And I'm grateful to the Lord for every miracle, every blessing, trial, disappointment, and every opportunity to learn, which, if you add it all up, is basically every second of everyday of these last 18 months. Needless to say, I've learned a lot of lessons here on the mission, all of which are priceless.

From this first day....

Perhaps the most important of all the lessons I learned, was that of the reality of the Atonement. When I first arrived in Formosa, November 2014, I quickly discovered that I had miscalculated just how much I would be walking and what type of shoes I would need. And I paid the price for that miscalculation. My feet were covered, literally covered, in painful blisters and cuts. Also, for whatever reason, my feet began to blow up like a pregnant woman. I could hardly walk it hurt so bad. But one must walk as a missionary. And with every step I took, I offered another prayer, asking for strength to keep walking. Every night and every morning, I prayed that my feet would callous over. Then there was the fact that the amount of Spanish I spoke was exactly zero. I felt so helpless; so lost. "What am I doing in Argentina?" I asked myself. "I'm not contributing to anything." Again, I prayed. I prayed to be able to talk to SOMEONE. And in answer to those prayers, I received a simple answer. "I'm here. Don't give up." And somehow, each day, I was able to find the strength to keep walking. Something I've come to learn about the Atonement is that Christ will not take our pains and suffering away, rather He will strengthen us to be able to face them and become stronger. And He did just that those first 2 transfers.

Another lesson I learned is the importance of obedience. Not just to commandments or mission rules, but to the promptings of the Spirit. I found a quote this week from President Monsen from his address to the Priesthood in the April 2012 Conference. "When God speaks and a man obeys, that man will always be right." And as scary as it is sometimes to talk to people on the street or the bus, we always receive blessings for acting on those promptings. I can't even number the times the Lord fulfilled a promise for fulfilling my end. And in regards to obedience to mission rules, Hna. Ostler and I had put specific emphasis in exact obedience to every mission rule when we found Claudio. Sometimes it's a sacrifice to deny a glass of ice cold water in the 120 degree summer heat, but the blessings of heaven are poured on all those who are willing to sacrifice for the Lord and His work.

This past week, Hna. Alduenda and I had the chance to attend the baptism of a woman we taught a couple of times in another part of Corrientes. It was a really simple service, but it taught me another lesson. It's not about me. It never was. And it never will be. The scriptures teach us that without charity, we're nothing. But what is charity? The pure love of Christ. How did Christ love? Selflessly. Everything Christ did was for someone else. He never did anything for Himself. Everything I've learned in the mission, is to help other people come unto Christ through His Gospel.

To experiences like this...

I know the church is true. I know this is where we can learn what the Gospel is and how to apply it in our lives. I know that Christ lives. I know that His Atonement is infinite and real. I know that the power of God has been restored to the Earth through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that the church is led by living prophets and apostles today. I know families can be forever. This is a Gospel of happiness and I know that it brings happiness to all who live it.

I want to thank everyone who read this silly blog and supported me on this crazy adventure. All the prayers and love sent down this way have been felt and appreciated. I love you all so much.

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Hein


 

An Anchor to the Souls of Men

Hi All:

It feels like the weeks keep going faster and faster. It's not fair. :( Haha. But that's life. I keeps going. Even when we don't want it to. But besides the fact of it being a fast week, it was a good one. Tuesday started out with a trip to Laguna Seca, another part of Corrientes about 40 minutes in bus from where we live in the city to teach a woman who had come to church in Costanera last week named Dora. She asked us to come visit her because she wanted to talk to Hermanas and there's only two of those in Corrientes. We had a nice lesson with her but by the time we were ready to leave, the Argentine rains had come. And when the rains come, they come hard. It always reminds me of Jurassic Park when that first storm comes and all the dino's escape. That's what it's like here... unfortunately minus the dinosaurs. But we hadn't been expecting the rain so we were stranded in Laguna Seca without umbrellas, coats, boots, or even plastic bags to put our scriptures in. Luckily, Dora and her husband had a few extra Jurassic Park ponchos on hand and we were able to wade the few blocks out to the bus stop. Hermana Alduenda was embarrassed by her bright orange poncho. So naturally we took a photo.

Hna. Alduenda and I in our ponchos after the storm.

 Last week, we contacted a house on a street we frequently walk down and found Manuel. He said he'd talked to missionaries before but I think they maybe just greeted him in the street or something because he didn't have a Book of Mormon. But he was really nice and allowed us to share our message. He was attentive and receptive. He liked what we shared. And when we walked past his house later in the day, he was sitting outside in his lawn chair reading the pamphlet we'd left him. The first time we invited him to church, he said it would be hard for him to go because he didn't want to leave his house unattended. (people get robbed frequently here.) But in a later visit, he explained his real doubt: "I don't have a suit." he said. He had seen the pictures of church in the pamphlets we'd given him and was worried that the members would judge him for coming to church in jeans and tennis shoes. But we assured him that wasn't the case and he committed to come. And sure enough, Manuel showed up at the church 10 minutes before Sacrament meeting started. And it was a great Sacrament meeting. (Minus Hermana Hein's terrible piano playing...) The testimonies shared were simple and heartfelt and the spirit filled the room. Manuel listened attentively to every one. Including Claudio's. ;) What a champ.  Needless to say, it was a great Sunday.

Under the bridge of Corrientes. A little Inceptiony?
No Leo DiCaprio though... shame

Speaking of testimony, we sometimes wonder what that means. It's simple. A testimony is a declaration of what we believe to be true. It doesn't have to be long or complicated. All it has to be is sincere. And as Ether says, a belief in God brings a hope for a better world. (Ether 12:4) And it's true. As I've nurtured my own testimony here on the mission, I DO believe in a better world. I have that hope. Because I've seen the changes that people can make as they put in practice the teachings of Jesus Christ. I've seen it because I've lived it. And I'm so grateful for it. I love the Lord and everything He's done for me. I love the Gospel and what it's taught me about who I am and what's expected of me. We don't need to be moved by the crazy waves this world brings everyday. We just need to believe.

And some good wall art I found and replicated. Haha. 

I love you all and hope you have a great 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

The Straight and Narrow

It's interesting the way the Lord works. He's blesses us as we're obedient to His commandments and tests us as we strive to be more obedient. It's like, you take a determination to be even more obedient and He throws even more trials in your path. Not that Hna. Ostler and I are disobedient. But we focused a lot on tightening the screws in these past two transfers on those little rules that are sometimes easy to forget. Be in the pension right on time, put bug spray on every time you leave the pension, speak in Spanish... those kinds of things. And as we tried to do that, it became a lot harder. But it was all worth it. The important things are never the easy things. But they always matter most.

Claudio's Baptism Day

Claudio got baptized on Saturday. He was so happy and just full of light and it was really special to be a part of that. Hna. Ostler and I really didn't do anything. We were just the instruments the Lord was using here in Costanera. It's an honor.

Hermana Ostler and I are all smiles!

To celebrate Claudio's baptism, we had an activity! It was supposed to be for the whole branch but basically only President Godoy's family came. Haha. But it was still a blast. We played charades and ate choripan and brownies that we burned and everyone who came loved it. Claudio felt right at home. Haha. And yesterday, he was confirmed an official member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I think the confirmation was the best part. He was dressed in full church gear: shirt, pants, tie, shoes. It was the first time he had the whole ensemble. And you could see how having the Gift of the Holy Ghost brought a new light to his eyes. He even teared up a bit as we sang "I Stand All Amazed" before the Sacrament. Man I love the Gospel.

Hermana Flores and I at Consejo

We learned this week about prayer and what it really is. We have to remember that God is our loving Heavenly Father. He knows us. We knew Him before we came here. I'm sure that He misses us. And when we don't choose to talk to Him, it makes Him sad. But we CAN talk to Him. Prayer is such a blessing and such a privilege. I know that God hears AND answers our prayers. He may not always answer in the way we expect but He is aware of us and our needs. I know He lives and I'm so grateful to Him for blessing me with this incredible opportunity. I love the Gospel and I love all of you for your support and prayers. They are felt.

Sending lots of love,
Hermana Hein

"Fine day, Sunday. In my opinion, best day of the week‏..."

AloooooooHA!! Sorry. The internet cafe's playing weird Hawaiian music right now. I like it. Haha. Anyway.

It's been a good week. A fast one. But a good one. And a hot one. It's weird how the rain here only makes it HOTTER. Oof. Gotta love that South American humidity.

Claudio came to church for the third time yesterday. Which means he can get baptized on Saturday! We still have quite a bit to do before Saturday, so we'll be working hard this whole week to get everything squared away. Yesterday was a great day. Claudio is just loving church and all the members have been so supportive and welcoming. We taught the Gospel Principles class about Christ's call to be the Savior. I love learning about the Plan of Salvation because as you learn about each individual part, the rest of it all starts to come together. That's what you think anyway, and then you realize that it's just more complicated than you originally thought and you just decide you've gotta keep learning. But it really is amazing to learn about the Plan that God has for all of us. Claudio loved it. He's started a scripture study journal so that he understands better the things we leave him to read. How incredible. And he's just so excited for his baptism. He's already invited his family and his friends.

We had a family home evening with him and the familia Orellano on Friday and we talked about Baptism and the Orellano's shared their conversion story. It was really great. They're an awesome family. And Claudio shared with them what he had learned about the Sacrament. Which was a lot. It's so cool to see the way the spirit teaches those who are willing to listen. You just need to be humble. And Claudio's very humble. And for that humility, he's learning really fast and really well, despite his lack of education. It's incredible.

Painting at Pres. Godoy's House

Anyway. It was a good week. We helped Presidente Godoy paint his house as they have to move this week. So that was fun. I was commissioned to do the top 3 inches of the room and as a result, my back and arm are DEAD. But that's what you get for being the tallest. Haha. But it was fun. And I like that Argentines aren't so particular about their painting. It makes my job a lot easier when I don't have to meticulously place blue painter's tape. Haha.

Some great grafitti we found this week

We've been learning a lot about the spirit this week and the way we can follow his guidance. Again, it all depends on our humility. We have to be humble enough to accept the guidance of the spirit and act on it. It's scary sometimes, but it's worth it if the person you're teaching feels the spirit. I've got a long way to go. But the first step is recognizing it. I hope you all have a great week.

Sending lots of love from the south,
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

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

Keeping up with the Current

After transfers... I'm still in Corrientes. I'm still with Hna. Ostler. We're excited. I love it here.

Taxidermy Museum

The week started out hot and humid, and we sweat our way through Monday working hard. We went searching for old investigators and found three news who accepted our invitation to be baptized. That was exciting. We've been working a lot on our teaching. Making it clearer and more understandable. Doing practices during companionship study have helped us improve a lot. I think the people are understanding the principles better. We're excited to keep working and hopefully, see some progress.

I love the work so much. It's the best thing in the world. There's nothing as satisfying as helping other people come to a knowledge of the Gospel. As I study the Gospel everyday, my soul is filled with joy and hope for a better future. The world is a hard place. And it's lacking a lot of hope and happiness. I just wish more people could understand the type of joy that comes from living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's real. It works. There is nothing else in the whole world that makes me as happy as the Gospel. And I invite all to accept the Savior's invitation to "come and see".

Keep the faith. Sorry. The computer's not letting me send pics. Until next week! Cuídense!
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

Christmas Time in the City

Hola from the southern hemisphere.

Belgrado Bridge

Things here are great. The week flew by as Hna. Ostler and I tried to get to know our area a little bit better. We spent our time trying to find members, old investigators, lo que sea. And most of the time, we just ended up getting lost. But we've been making a little progress. We met a couple of the other Hermana's investigators and we're going to see what we can do there. We did manage to meet most of the active members here. They are AWESOME. We had lunch with the branch president's family yesterday after church... they made us TACOS. It was the best lunch I've had on the mission. I couldn't believe it.

But speaking of missionary work, Presidente Godoy told us when we first met with him Friday night that the members really want to help us do missionary work. They just don't know how. So we're going to work a lot with the members and get some good work going here in Corrientes.

In terms of the work, the church has started a new initiative for Christmas: A Savior is Born. It's a quick 2 minute video that talks about why we celebrate Christmas. I love it. And we've been using it in our contacts and our teaching. It's been great. An awesome way to get people talking about Christ. Because really, He's the center of all of it. He's the reason. And a lot of people don't recognize that. So, we're doing this little initiative to help them remember.

Sweet Pirate statue

We're really enjoying the work here. It's different. But it's a lot of fun. Everyday's a new adventure. But the mission would be lame if it wasn't like that. I know the Lord is working with us. I know there's people here to teach. We just have to find them. Keep praying for us. You don't know what your prayers do.

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