The Day After Tomorrow

Unfortunately, no. I did NOT meet Jake Gyllenhaal... But Chaco WAS hit with a crazy storm this week.
Tuesday, Hna. Beckstead and I had planned to do divisions with the Hermanas of Ensanche Sur. I was to head over to Ensanche with Hna. Aybar and Hna. Beckstead would stay here in Centro with Hna. Moreno. Two hours or so before we were about to make the switch, during our companionship and language study, it began to rain... HARD. That's one of those little things I love about Argentina: the rain storms. There's no storms like that in Utah. Anyway.

We called a cab and headed over to the Hermana's pension on calle 10. They live on the corner and the entire intersection was flooded, almost up to my knees. Even in my trusty knee-high Hunter rain boots, there was the danger of getting wet.

I've noticed that generally, when there's a huge rainstorm like that, it's during studies, when we're inside. Then, when we have to go outside to work, the deluge lets up a bit so we don't get so wet. Yes. There are some exceptions, (I don't even want to talk about that one storm in Formosa.) but I like to think that for the most part, it's a little blessing from the Lord so we don't have to be out walking in the pouring rain. So, when Hna. Aybar and I headed out to work, the rain had stopped and we were happily enjoying the cool, fresh air.

We had had a number of good lessons and we're nearing the end of the work day, only lacking 1 hour or so, when dismal, dark clouds started rolling in again. We had one more appointment which luckily, wasn't too far from the last house we had been visiting and the rain started up again. The one umbrella we did have was flipped inside out in the wind and so we decided it would probably be better to just run. We waited outside the house of the Hermana we'd gone to visit in the pouring rain until her husband could open the gate and let us in. Almost immediately after we got inside her house, quarter sized chunks of ice started pelting down from the sky. It was hailing like the end of the world! We could hardly hear anything because of the rocks of ice pelting down on the tin roof. It was crazy. The Lord really is watching out for us. Had we delayed just 1 minute, we would have been under that downpour of ice. It's crazy that it can be so hot outside and then, 5 minutes later, have ice falling out of the sky. I don't understand...

 Hna. Beckstead and I at choir practice for 
district conference

 This week, we also got to go back to Resistencia for Multizone conference. Not much to note there, other than getting to see my little hija, Hermana Dustin! She's all grown up. I'm so proud. Haha. It was a good conference. President and the assistants talked a lot about using the Book of Mormon to teach investigators, and teaching more to their personal needs rather than just teaching the written out lessons. It's what Hermana Beckstead and I have been working on anyway and we've found that it brings a lot of cool miracles.

Speaking of the Book of Mormon, we read this week the chapters about Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah and their different missions among the Nephites and the Lamanites. A personal favorite of mine is the story of Amulek, Alma's mission companion. Amulek is just a normal dude, living in the wicked city of Ammonihah where Alma had unsuccessfully tried to share the Gospel. Alma says that he was ready to turn his back on that city forever when an angel comes to him and tells him he needs to go back. Meanwhile, Amulek, "a man of no small reputation", as he says, had resisted the Lord's calls to serve several times. He was comfortable in his life and was happy to go on living it. That is, until an angel came to him and told him he had to go back to his house because a prophet would be coming by. Oh. Alright. So, without hesitation, Amulek goes back to his house and receives Alma there. And the rest is history. He becomes an awesome missionary, calls Zeezrom a child of hell for offering him money to deny Christ, they're thrown in prison, and the prison walls fall down through the power of God. Awesome story.


Something that President has been pushing a lot in the mission, is getting members to help with the work. And we need it. There's no way that Hna. Beckstead and I can do all of this on our own. We need help. We need people to do that member missionary work like Amulek did. Being a member missionary doesn't mean you have to get thrown into prison and beaten like Amulek was. It means praying for missionary opportunities. It means going on visits with the missionaries. It means doing your visiting/home teaching. It means being an example and living the Gospel. Maybe I'm just an impulsive, self righteous-missionary. But the fact of the matter is, we are all missionaries. And we need to have unity to be able to bring the lost sheep back to the good shepherd.

Also, the ladies of the choir! 
Classic Hna. Hein, taller than everyone... 

This work is so important. I love it so much. I know the Lord has His hand in the work and that we can only do it with His help.

I love you all,
Hermana Hein

Always Darkest Before the Dawn

Oh hey friends.

Tanto tiempo... Not really. Just one week. But a lot has happened this week. Firstly, you're probably wondering why I used such a dismal Dark Knight quote for my subject this week... well... Here's the story:

Laura and Federico... Yeah. They were doing so good last week, trying so hard to stop smoking. And what happened last Sunday? They smoke. ONE CIGARETTE. Unfortunately, one cigarette is one too many, and we had to tell them that they couldn't get baptized this weekend. Then things took a little turn for the worse: Laura got angry. She told us that she feels like we're punishing her even though she's trying so hard to do what we've asked her. "I don't want to get baptized anymore. I feel like you're just going to keep telling me I can't get baptized for every little mistake I make. I'm sorry I'm not perfect like you." Whew. It was rough. Like a wooden stake to the heart. We tried telling her that we're not perfect, and that the church isn't for perfect people. But she wouldn't believe us. Laura still likes the church. She told us that she wants to keep going to church and wants for us to keep visiting them. She just doesn't want the pressure of a baptismal date. "I'm going to try to stop smoking on my own and then we'll see how I feel." *sigh* It's frustrating. But as we learned in Conference, "If things are going great for you now, just wait..."

All of this mess happened Wednesday. Friday, we were blessed with the opportunity to go to Resistencia for a mission conference with the one and only ELDER DALLIN H. OAKS!! It was amazing. For so many reasons. We were able to talk with old friends long lost to transfers. Like Nakken! Yeah. She's super blonde. But it was so good to see her. Also, mission conf. was so great because... oh yeah. Elder Oaks. Ugh. He's the coolest guy. So sweet and funny and spiritual. Not to mention he said exactly what Hermana Dustin and I needed to hear after the Laura incident: "It's not likely that you will baptize thousands of people. What you WILL do is bring thousands of people unto repentance."

On the bus with Hermana Dustin

Mission Conference with Hermana Nakken

No. Laura and Federico didn't get baptized this weekend. But you know what they DID do? They got married. The Gospel has changed them, whether they can see that or not. And the defenition of repentance is CHANGE. Even though we weren't able to put a '2' in our planner next to "Investigators baptized this week", I can say that we made a difference in their lives. And we're not done. They WILL be baptized one day. All we can do now, is keep loving them. And one day, they'll see the difference that I see.

This weekend, I realized just how much I love being a missionary. And how scared of time I am. I have less than a year left to be a missionary. That's not enough time. This Gospel is TRUE. I see the difference it makes in life EVERYDAY. I will not deny what I know, and I know that God loves each and everyone of us. After the Sunday conference with Elder Oaks, I wanted to get on the roof and shout. Everything came into focus for me this week, and I want everyone to see what I see, because it's amazing.

Cuídense mucho,
Hermana Hein