A Fire Inside

Welll well well... Here it is: The update. Transfers.

Having only spent 1 transfer in Barrio III of Resistencia, I had assumed I would be staying another... I assumed wrong. Both Hermana Tello and I got transferred out of Barrio III to new areas with new companions. Basically, the entire mission got slashed. I don't think there was one zone in the whole mission that stayed the same. Crazy stuff yo. But alas. The Lord works in mysterious ways, as they say, and for now, we're just going to have to be okay with not knowing all the whys.

Farewell Lucas.

I was a little sad to be leaving Barrio III. I had really grown to love it. Not to mention Lucas. That's hard. You help someone grow to understand the Gospel and come to know the Lord and then you're just gone. You help them in such a profound way but then, the Lord sends you elsewhere. And you have to say good bye. (Which always sucks. Lemme just tell you.) But you do what the Lord asks. Because He knows best. We do not. (As much as we sometimes believe we do.) He sent me to Saenz Peña with Hermana Beckstead. Whitewash.

Neither one of us knows the area. Hna. Beckstead came from Reconquista, Santa Fe. Funnily enough, she was comps with my MTC Sista Hna. Nakken. Awesome. Anyway. We got to the area last night around six, opened up the area book, picked a couple of names, and headed out. As we walked the streets of Saenz Peña, we both felt this build of excitement; a burning in my chest you could say. We're on the brink of something big. We're both just so excited to get lost in the area and find the people the Lord has prepared for us to teach. We're ready.

I just wish sometimes that I had the words to describe what the mission means to me. It's so crazy. Everyday brings something new. A new miracle, a new adventure... In my case, a new area, a new companion, and a new pension. I know I've said before that the mission is basically the definition of change. And it is. You've gotta learn to adapt. That's the key. Learning how to adapt to the many changes the mission brings. It teaches one patience and humility. Funny how the Lord works that way... Casting us into difficult situations to help us learn. Man I love it.

Hna. Beckstead and I met up at the terminal in Resistencia yesterday and since then, I've just been so excited. Maybe it was because we just clicked. (Lemme tell you what, it's been a struggle finding anyone who shares my feelings about Harry Potter here on the mission. But the search is at last over... I found her.) Or the fact that she was just so ready to work hard. Or it even could have been the adventurous ocarina music that greeted us at the terminal in Saenz Peña. Whatever it was, a fire lit inside me and has been burning ever since. Again I say, we're ready.

Surely this coming week will bring a ful laso de aventura. Stay tuned. Things are gonna get interesting.

Lots of love,
Hermana Hein

Dia' del Amigo

Another week, come and gone like the wind this morning. Even though the wind is still here... It's a nippy one this morning... Anyway. ¡FELIZ DÍA DEL AMIGO! That's July 20 here in Argentina. Friend Day.

Divisions with Hermanas Cluff and Lopez

It was a pretty good week. Pretty uneventful. We did divisions again. This time, with Hnas. Cluff and Lopez of San Martín. That was super fun. As divisions always are. Hna. Cluff came here with me and Hna. Tello took the 2 hour journey up to San Martín to be with Hna. Lopez. Divisions are usually only supposed to be 1 day. But ours ended up being much longer. Hna. Cluff and I were supposed to head up to San Martín to meet up with the Hnas. Saturday morning. Our bus supuestamente left at 5:50 in the morning. So... we had to get up way earlier to get to the terminal on time. Well... upon arriving at the terminal, we found that the bus just kind of leaves when it wants and it wasn't going to be at 5:50. We couldn't even find anyone to sell us a ticket to San Martín until 7. And the earliest one wouldn't be leaving until 9:30... But it was WAY cheaper than the "I leave when I feel like it" bus. So we took it. But that meant a cold morning spent sitting in the terminal. Boo. Luckily, I had conference edition Liahona to hold me over until we could get on the bus. Gotta love conference. But that's the mission for you. Everyday's an adventure. There's always some new test of patience or humility. But that's how you learn.

This transfer, I've tried to focus my studies more. I'm trying to study more specifically for other people. Everyday, I have a question, and I look for the answer in my studies. It's been great. And I've learned so much. I've felt so much more in-tune with the Spirit. It's crazy how much of a difference your studies make on your day. But alas. There it is. Scripture study makes a huge difference.

Studying the Gospel with Lucas

Well... that's pretty much it for the week. We had interviews with President which is always great. But other than that... Pretty much the same old story. Not that that's a bad thing. It just means we're working like any normal pair of missionaries.

PIZZA - YUM

Thanks for all the support and love that's been sent this way. I appreciate everyone who reads these emails. Sorry they've been so lame the last couple of weeks... But I promise I'm healthy and happy here doing the Lord's work. It's so important. Everyone needs to know!

With lots of love from the South,
Hermana Hein

Blank Slate

Greetings from Chaco! (How weird... I thought it would always be Formosa...) Winter is in full swing here in Resistencia and I'm loving it! I always liked the cold better than the heat... and then I got sent to Argentina! Haha Yeeeaaaahh... Nah. It's great. I love it. And the new area is awesome!

The neighborhood horses. That's a thing.
There's a LOT of horses here.

I've only been here in Resistencia for a week, but from what I've seen I don't mind it at all. Maybe it's just the fact that I was in the same area for 5 transfers... But it's been so nice to see a new area. It's a breath of fresh air. And I love it. Our area isn't super huge... apparently it used to be bigger but then it got split so the assistants to president would have a place to work. So now, it's a bit smaller. But there's still so much to see and so many people to talk to. I love it.

We have one investigator named Lucas who's the grandson of a member in our ward. He's great. We're hoping he can be baptized on the 4th of July. Yeah. FREEDOM! (from sin... haha so funny.) I'm pretty sure yesterday was his 3rd time to church so now, we just need to finish teaching him. The race is on! Also, Hna. Tello and I are sister training leaders so we have to do divisions this week with the Hermanas that are in El Colorado, which is like an hour and half away from here so that's gonna cut our time here in our area a little bit short. Time is the true enemy of the missionary.

Lucas wanted Hna. Tello to wear his hat, so we took some gangsta pics.
Haha. Riddikulus. 

Being a missionary is a weird thing. It's such a privilege to be able to say that I'm here as a representative of Jesus Christ. My purpose is to help others come to know Him. I have such joy in my life for the blessings I've received from the knowledge I have of Christ and His Atoning sacrifice. And know, I have the chance to help others have that same joy. What a blessing. I am thankful to the Lord everyday for giving me this chance. It's my responsability to use this time, and do the best that I can. I know Christ lives. I know that He gave His life to give us the chance to better ourselves and come unto Him. Moroni 10:32 "deny yourselves of all undgodliness... then is His grace sufficient for you, that by His grace ye may be perfect in Christ"

Con amor,
Hermana Hein

Not in Kansas anymore...

Hello All:

Transfer Tuesday. Guess where I got transferred? Resistencia. Capital. Am I amped? Yes I am. It's a whole new world here in Chaco. We're definitely not in Kansas--er-- Formosa anymore. Here I am, companions with Hermana Tello de Chile. She's so cool. She actually got to the mission the same time I did. I'm super stoked to work with her. It's a weird thing, transfers. You get to the new pensión and think, "What can I touch? Do I need to ask permission to use the bathroom?" But no. You don't. Haha. Lots of transition. But as I've said before, that's the mission.

Hma. Dustin & me at the bus station. Good bye for now.

Not going to lie, it was a little hard leaving Terminal. I've been there for 5 transfers and I definitely felt like it was time to move on. But spending 8 months in the same area definitely gives you time to make a lot of lasting friendships. And I've never been good at goodbyes. It's rough. But it will be really good to have fresh eyes searching for those the Lord has prepared. And I'm excited to help new people.

Yesterday, as I was riding on the bus over here, I was thinking back on my first bus ride in Argentina and how terrified I was. I had no idea what I was doing. But as I was on the bus leaving Formosa, I didn't have that fear anymore. The Lord doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called. Those first transfers were hard, but the Lord helped me through. He knows what I have to do and He's been preparing me from that first day. and He still is. I'm a missionary now. This is life. And it's awesome.

Into the City

With every transfer, every new area, and every new companion, you learn something new. I'm not sure what it's going to be this transfer, but I know that whatever it ends up being, it's what I need. We're not put in these places with these people on accident. The Lord knows what He's doing. Just gotta be humble and do what He asks. That's when the miracles come.

One last Formosa sunset.

Well, sorry this was such a shorty. My brain isn't really present today. But anyway, I'm grateful to be here and excited to get to work.

With lots of love, Hermana Hein

Todo a la vez

Double Double Toil & Trouble
Stirring the Locro Pot

Well well well... Here we are... Another week here in Formosa, Argentina... And what a week it was. Firstly, I'm writing on Tuesday because yesterday was 25 de Mayo which is a BIG DEAL here. It's not EXACTLY Independance Day... but kind of. I still don't even know. ANYWAY. P-Day got changed to today to give us the chance to work yesterday. Also, because it was 25 de Mayo, everyone and their 3 legged dog made Locro; a traditional Argentine soup filled with all kinds of yummy ingredients, like cow stomach. Yum. The ward had a Locro party too and Elder Johnson received express permission from President to join the festivities. That was an adventure. I'm thinking that I'll probably never eat cow stomach ever again. Once was enough. But it was a blast to hang out with all the members as they celebrated something. Haha. Also. Free lunch. Even though it was filthy.

Ward Locro Party

This week also gave us the opportunity to do divisions... twice. That was a blast. The first was with Hna. Beecher and Hna. Puente de México and once with Hna. Gull. So fun. I love divisions. It's so great to see that there are things that exist OUTSIDE of my area! WHAT?? Haha. No. But it was great. I always learn something new when we do divisions. And everyone I got to work with this week is great. While I was with Hna. Beecher, all of Formosa BLACKED OUT. That was crazy. But it also provided us with a great view of the night sky. Love those stars.

Divisons with Other Missionaries

We ALSO had Multizone conference this week, (The adventures never end.) which was great, as ALWAYS. I LOVE getting the opportunity to hear from President and Hermana Franco. They are seriously, the best people. So inspired. They are exactly who Heavenly Father needs here in this mission at this time. That much is strikingly obvious to me. President Franco knows EXACTLY what we need. Love him.

In other news, Hector FINALLY made it to Sacrament Meeting on Sunday which means that if he so wishes, he can get baptized on Saturday... If it doesn't rain. All Argentines are scared of the rain, but with Hector, that fear is just ridiculous. We're keeping our fingers crossed and the weather forecast in our prayers.

To end the week, I just want to share my testimony of the power the Spirit has. A lot of times, it's hard for me to follow the Spirit's promptings. It can be really scary. But lemme just tell you what, he is NOT going to abandon us. We are PROMISED that if we do our part and follow his council, we are going to have the strength and courage we need to follow through. I am so weak. I really don't speak Spanish super well. I get scared. I doubt. I'm not an amazing teacher. But if we have the spirit, we don't have to be amazing teachers. He fills up the cracks. Something Elder Oaks said when he was here: "You don't have to master the language if you can master the language of the Spirit." That man speaks the truth. (Well he should. He IS one of the 12.) I know the Spirit is guiding us in this work. We wouldn't be able to do ANYTHING without his help. He is sent here to testify of the truth. I have seen him soften hearts and open blinded eyes. I'm so grateful to be able to have a tiny part in this work. This Gospel means so much to me and I'm thankful to my Heavenly Father that I have this time to share it with the people here in Argentina.

Con amor,
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

Our Hearts Beat as One

This week was pretty rough here in the mission. I don't know how many of you already heard about Hermana Scadlock passing away this week. It was a big shock, and really hard on a lot of missionaries here. I didn't know Hermana Scadlock really well. I'd only met her a couple of times, but from the two or three times I talked to her, I could feel her amazing spirit. She was and still is an amazing missionary.

In times like these, I am indescribably grateful to the Lord. Without Him, I am nothing. If there is one thing I have learned over and over again here in the mission, it's that the Atonement has the power to strengthen us in our times of trial, despair, weakness, pain, and sin. It is SO real. I will never understand HOW He did it. But I will always be grateful. I can't possibly imagine the degree of love that Jesus Christ has for every single one of us. It's a struggle everyday for me to find a fraction of that love for some of the people here. He suffered SO MUCH so that every single person on this Earth would have the chance to live again, without sin, temptation, and sorrow. And we will. Because of Him.

I have been so humbled this week by the events that have taken place. I was getting complacent here in my work and that's not okay. I realize now that I need to dedicate EVERYTHING to the Lord in order to pay Him back a PORTION of what he paid for me. I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have to serve Him here in Argentina. The missionary program is so inspired. And I know that all of us are in His hands. I trust Him. No matter what.

Just yesterday, we taught a woman named Laura, who found out about the Gospel through friends. She saw that they had something she didn't and wanted to know what it was. So here we are. She's already recieved some of the discussions from some Elders in a different area. But she lives in our area. So, they sent her name to us and now, we have the wonderful opportunity of teaching her the Gospel and helping her achieve her goal to be baptized.

Thank you to everyone who reads these emails. I feel so supported in this desicion I made to serve the Lord. It's a wonderful opportunity and I will never regret it. Please keep the family of Hermana Scadlock in your prayers. She's a great example to me. I know the Lord lives. And I know that because of Him, death is not the end. Just another step in our journey to Eternal Life. This is His church and I know it's true.

Cuídense mucho.
Hermana Hein

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Well... This week was... interesting. I'm not joking when I say that this week was probably one of the most eventful weeks of the mission thus far... Unfortunately, not eventful in the 'we had 4 baptisms!' way. Let me just explain.

Monday was pretty normal. After P-Day ended at 6:30, we had a lesson with this man named Leoncio. At first, he was really cynical. He kept asking us what it was we had to offer and why it was important. Hermana Dustin was getting really frustrated because this crusty old man was telling her she needed to learn Spanish better and talk more. Finally, she shut him up by bearing her testimony of the Book of Mormon. "This book changed my life." She said. "Why?" he asked. "My life isn't easy. But when I have hard times, I KNOW I can turn to the Book of Mormon and find something to help me." Silence echoed in the room for a few moments until the man responded quietly, "Really?" And from there, Leoncio was much more open to hearing what we had to say. All you have to do is speak the things the spirit puts into your heart and he'll do the rest. I was really proud of Hermana Dustin.

Tuesday, things took a turn for the annoying. As we went to leave our apartment in the morning to go work, we found the door wouldn't open. No matter what we tried, we could NOT get the key to turn. We were locked inside our apartment! I jumped out the window and tried from outside. Nothing. The members we live with are remodeling their house and luckily, their contractor had just pulled up in our time of need. I asked him to help us open the door. But even the big burly contractor couldn't turn the key. "I'm going to have to break the door down." He mumbled under his breath before THROWING HIMSELF AGAINST THE DOOR, TRYING (in vain) TO BREAK IT DOWN. Sorry friend, but this isn't a movie. I don't think your shoulder is going to break the thick, wooden door down... So he got a sledgehammer and smashed it down. But then we had a different problem. Now we couldn't close the door. Great. So we had to stay home all morning. Ugh.

remnants of our door after homeboy smashed it down

Finally, the members we live with came home and assurred us that they would make sure nobody stole our stuff while we went to District Meeting. But during District Meeting, it started raining. And our pensión still floods a little. Not to mention the fact that now, we don't have a functioning door. Well good. But the Familia Lezcano, the members we live with, are literally the best people and made sure that our pensión was all good. But still, the rain continued all evening. Until several streets turned right into rivers. That was fun. We had a rough time finding anyone to teach at that point because Argentines are all scared of the rain. But on our way home that night, we were stopped by a young man named Nicholas who told us he wanted to change his life. He was clearly drunk out of his mind and told me he wanted to marry a gringa. Huh. Good luck with that one friend. And he also tried to kiss me. Sorry pal. Not happening. But we wrote down his address and planned to see him again.

Saturday we met a crazy man who had invented his own religion based on planes and trucks. It was OUTTA CONTROL. Firstly, when I asked him what his name was, he told me he had seven. Oh. Okay. He then started to explain his beliefs. We tried to be kind and understanding but as he continued talking about how God was actually an airplane, I just couldn't handle it. He had this whole philosophy about it and all these papers with pictures cut out from magazines and mathematical equations and something about a package of cookies and you know, I STILL have no idea what he was talking about. Finally, we were able to share our BRIEF testimonies, give him a pamphlet with the church's address, and bounce right out of there. It was straight crazy. Bless his heart.

Morning studies

I wish this email would do justice to the crazy week we had, because re-reading this, it really doesn't seem that weird. But it was. Hector this week basically told us that he doesn't want faith but knowledge. He wants to know everything. It was like a stake in the heart. I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to drop him. He's such a cool guy and has so much potential. But right now, I'm not sure he's going to progress. The mission hurts sometimes. It sucks when you find someone and you want the best for them because you love them, but they don't understand. But you just have to keep going. You have to keep praying and keep working and keep loving. Because if you stop loving the people you're serving, you aren't serving them at all.

One of my goals for this year is to be more charitable. Have more Christlike love for those I'm serving. The Spirit won't dwell with anyone that doesn't have charity, and I can't teach without the Spirit.

I have a testimony of this work and of this Gospel. I know this is the Lord's church on Earth and He is directing it. This is His work. The mission is inspired of God. I wouldn't still be here if it wasn't. I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father for this experience and this opportunity to serve and grow here in Argentina. I love this work. Even when it's hard. Thanks for all the support and love. I'm always sending mine up north too!

Lots of Love,
Hermana Hein

Pics: Morning studies. (sometimes we're a little outta control) Also, the

Wait and Listen

Hello from Formosa, friends and family.

This week was awesome. Why? We had multizone conference this week and it was OFF THE HOOK. Seriously. So good. We talked a lot about using the spirit in our efforts as missionaries and the ways we can best help people. Together, we all read 2 Nephi 31 and discussed the whole thing. It was... AMAZING. Seriously one of my favorite chapters in the whole Book of Mormon. It's so clear. That is all of it. That's the gospel in two pages. It's so good. During the whole conference, I realized how much I need to improve. Which is a lot. But I'm so PUMPED. The whole time, I just wanted to get out and WORK.

Hermana Flores and I at Multizone Conference

We also got to watch Meet the Mormons during the conference so that was awesome. Only... it was in Spanish. And my Spanish still isn't the best. Haha. But it was still great. It's awesome to hear so many different stories and perspectives on the Gospel, from all different parts of the world. Because really, the Gospel is the same everywhere. Be it Puerto Rico or Nepal, it doesn't change.

We did get to teach Hector again on Saturday. He didn't come to church last week so we were hoping to amp him up for this week. We asked him if he'd read anything in the Book of Mormon. "Yeah... I read a little bit." "Okay... what did you read?" "I can't remember exactly where it is, but it says 'Mormon' at the top... it's a book or something." He flipped through the pages until he found 'Words of Mormon'. "Ah. This." "Oh. So you read Words of Mormon?" I asked him. Okay... that's kind of a random book to start with but whatever... "No. I read everything UNTIL this." "Wait. What??" He had read EVERYTHING UNTIL WORDS OF MORMON. 1 AND 2 NEPHI, JACOB, JAROM, OMNI... ALL OF IT!! We couldn't believe it. Hector is so cool. He's going to be Young Men's President one day. We invited him again to church. But he still didn't make it. Not sure why... But we're going to find out and get him to church. He has a destiny to realize.

Sweet Angelina

We found another woman who seemed really excited to learn more but she didn't make it to church either. Church is the struggle. The other problem is that no one here has a fixed work schedule. "Yeah. I work. But only when my boss calls me. And I never know when that's going to be." Uuugggggghhhhh... The worst. But we're going to find Valeria and teach her because she was awesome.

One person who DID make it to church this week was Hermano Duarte's son, Jose. Remember the Familia Duarte? We've been teaching them since I got here. And after 7 years of not going to church, Hermano Duarte started going again. And now, he's getting the rest of his family to go too. I love the Duarte's. They're the sweetest people. We just need to work harder.

Well friends, that's pretty much it for this week. This morning, Hermana Dustin and I took a little side quest right out of our area when we took the wrong bus. Cool. We didn't know where we were but we found our way back. That was an adventure. The bus we were on just stopped. It didn't loop back around like I had hoped. So we were just dropped off on a dirt road with no name... awkward... couldn't call a taxi or anything. Suerte. Haha. It was crazy.

Me doing Ben 10

Anyway. despite that... everything is good. We're working and enjoying and learning. I love the mission. I can't imagine my life if I had never come here. If I had never met the people I have or done the things I've done. My life wouldn't be complete. I'm so grateful to the Lord and for this Gospel. I am so blessed and my life has so much more meaning when I'm living the way God wants me to. Thanks for all the support and love I get every week. Keep the faith!

Con Amor,
Hermana Hein

Heart, Might, Mind and Strength

Hola todos!

All the new trainers and trainees at the Resistencia terminal.

Que loco esta semana, ¿no? I'm a trainer. And this week was crazy. I still have NO IDEA what I'm doing. But I have had the chance to see just how much I've learned and grown since I first got to this country 3 months ago. And that change is... BASTANTE. Let me tell ya'll (vosotros? no. chiste) about mi nueva compañera: Hermana Dustin. She's awesome. She's from Richfield, Utah and is straight Gringa. Which means... she doesn't speak much Spanish. And guess what else? I don't speak much Spanish either... Haha. So It's been an adventure. But let me tell you something else: The gift of tongues is REAL.

 Hna. Dustin, yours truly, Hna. Fullmer, and
her new hija, Hna. Cluff

For the past little while, I've felt like all the Spanish in my brain is all twisted around. It's all there. I know the conjugations and everything. But I couldn't make sense of it. It still struggled to understand people up till that last day with Hermana Fullmer. But that first day with Hermana Dustin, it ALL clicked into place. There's still LOADS I have to learn, (let's not even talk about Past Subjunctive right now) but I can communicate. It's crazy. But all I have to do is OPEN MY MOUTH and the Lord does the rest.

Yesterday at church, we met this woman named Jaqueline. She introduced us to a little girl named Angelina who's either her... daughter? Niece maybe? Not sure. But she told us that Angelina needed to be baptized. But that she needed the missionary lessons first. And she live in our area. So... we are going to teach Angelina. And she's going to be baptized. I'm so excited. We have struggled so hard in our area for a long time. We have been working hard and talking and teaching as much as we can. But we just haven't found anyone to teach. But here we see that the Lord delivers. We need to do our part first. And after, He'll do the rest.

I'm so grateful to the Lord for this opportunity to teach His gospel here in Argentina. It's been a struggle. La lucha es real. SIEMPRE. But it's been worth every moment. I have grown so much and will continue to do so for the next 13 months. Every blessing is from Him. And I am so GRATEFUL. I would not be able to do this crazy thing without His help and I'm glad He's with me.

Tarantula we found outside of church.

Great Tan Lines!

Thanks for all your love and support. Hope this week is DE DIEZ.

Con Amor, Hermana Hein

Now I am the master...

I probably shouldn't be quoting Darth Vader in reference to my church calling but alas... I couldn't resist.

Here I am in Argentina, just ready to finish my 12 weeks of training, when the assistant to President called us... To tell us that I am going to have to relive 12 semanas because I'm now training... a new.... missionary...

Yeah I freaked out. Let's be real. I'm STILL freaking out. We don't meet our hijas until tomorrow. We have to go to Resistencia to pick them up. After that... my real training begins...

I've always said that the mission is like the Refiner's Fire. I'm never going to be completely ready for everything the Lord asks of me. But if He waited for us to be 100% ready, we'd never learn anything. The best way to learn anything is to just do it. I've said it from the beginning of the mission and I'm casi seguro that I'm going to be saying it until the end. If I just sat around as M2 my whole mission, only doing what it is that M1 is doing, what would I learn? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It's time for me to step up, put on my big girl pants (skirt) and go to work.

I'm terrified. I have a little baby bird in my hands now. And it's my responsibility to teach her how to fly. All while I'm still perfecting the art of flight myself. It's going to be very interesting... And we are going to learn LOADS together. I'm excited. My Spanish is going to improve. My teaching skills, my street smarts. All of it. Because I'm a mom now... And I have to help my little hijita.

I have a testimony of this work. I know the Lord has a hand in everything I do here. I am never alone here. And I won't ever be alone if I keep Him involved in what I do. Yes. I'm terrified. But at the same time, I'm excited to see my faith grow as I put all of it in Him. Cuídense mucho.

Con amor,
Hermana Hein

Pics for the week: more rain and even more mud. I almost lost my boot that day to the mud. And also, Hna. Fullmer and I with Araceli, one of our investigators. I'm really going to miss Hna. Fullmer. She's amazing.

The Move...and what happened next.

Whew... another week gone.

This week we had interviews with President and that was great. So laid back. President Franco is the coolest. And he's done SO MUCH for this mission. We're really so lucky to have him.

This week, we also FINALLY moved out of our old pensión. It would have been great, if we hadn't both been sick and the new pensión didn't have it's own arrangement of problems. The first day there, Hna. Fullmer was sleeping (because she's so sick) And I was just studying on my bed when OUT OF NOWHERE, there's WATER EVERYWHERE!! It had been raining diseased cats and three-legged dogs and our windows and door weren't water tight and alas. Flooded on the first day. Luckily, I was able to save everything before it all got ruined and the members who live below us were more than happy to help us. Also, our shower doesn't work. I was SO looking forward to having a shower for the first time in OVER A MONTH but alas... it was not to be. Back to the bucket and cup method.

This week, we had to work as a trio for a couple of days while Hna. Flores' comp. was in Cordoba. It was fun but also exhausting. Working in a trio is hard work. But Hna. Flores is de diez so it  was a lot of fun. And she helped us move on Friday.

Other than that, there's not much to report. The picture this week is of us with the Familia Neumann. They're the greatest but they're moving to Salta in a couple of weeks. We're really sad about it. Also, Hermana Fullmer and I at entrevistas! Yay!

Here's hoping this week brings better health and lots of work. I'm pretty sure we're going to Pirané again for divisiones so that will be fun. But sooner than we know it, another transfer will be gone. How crazy.

Until next week, well wishes.
Hermana Hein

A little family reunion

Holar from Argentina.

We had another hot week here in Formosa but what else is new? I learned a good new trick from the zone leaders: put a giant leaf inside your hat and it soaks up the heat... kind of... Now I'm a legit Formoseñan. (I honestly have no idea how that's spelled. Whatever.)

This week, we did divisiones with some of the sisters in our zone including... HERMANA FLORES!! YAY! We had good little MTC reunion. She came here to our area and Hna. Fullmer went to her area with her companion. It was an adventure to say the least. Both of us have exactly ZERO Spanish conversation skills so it made contacting rather interesting. Haha. But it was fun. We had a blast together.

Leaf under hat

We've been working with a less active family named the Duarte's and they are the greatest. They haven't been to church in probably... six years? And guess who came to church yesterday?? HERMANO DUARTE. Yeah. We were so excited. Every time we meet with them we have a crazy spiritual experience so we knew that spirit would wear on them eventually and it paid off! Also, I had to give a talk in Sacrament meeting about keeping the Sabbath Day holy. The Argentines aren't really into my jokes (it doesn't help that my Spanish isn't great) so it felt really boring but alas. Lots of people (including Hno. Duarte) stayed for the whole three hours so I did something right.

No leaf under hat

But that's pretty much it for this week. It was a long one but a good one. Hope everything is well. Until next week,
Hermana Hein

The Will to Act

Whew. Week 3 down. I'm practically done with my mission. Haha. But it's crazy that I'm already halfway done with one transfer. Yeah... I know. That's nothing. But whatever. As long as I'm working, the time doesn't really matter.

In front of the new Cordoba Temple

Speaking of work... we really didn't do a lot of it this week because I was in Cordoba. It was awesome. Okay... The city was awesome. Waiting around to sign visa papers... not so awesome. We went with a group of like... 30 missionaries and the President's wife, Hermana Franco, who is AMAZING BTW. I was really grateful for the opportunity I had to get to know her a little better. Also, I was grateful that I got to take a HOT SHOWER WITH WATER PRESSURE! Amazing.

While in Cordoba, we had the opportunity to go see the new Cordoba Temple. It's not finished so we couldn't go inside or anything but it was awesome. I love the temple and I was grateful to just be on temple grounds. The temple is beautiful (like all temples, am I right?) and attached are some photos. :)

Also on our trip, I was reunited with Hermana Nakken which was amazing. And I also got to know some of the other Hermanas in the mission. Hermana Barker was my companion for the trip and she (as you read from last week... maybe...) is awesome.

The city is very... San Francisco. Lots of hills and trees and cool buildings... I really liked it. But I wouldn't want to serve there.

In Cordoba

It's almost Christmas. Crazy. Especially since it's so hot here. It doesn't feel like Christmas. But the church recently just made a video that we have been using A LOT in our contacts and it's AMAZING. I invite all of you to watch it. In English, I think it's called, 'He is the Gift'. WATCH IT. We have a new investigator that was just a contact. Some missionary in another area asked her to watch the video and she did and she wanted to know more. So here we are.

This week, I've learned a lot. I definitely feel like my Spanish is improving everyday and I'm becoming more comfortable teaching. The thing that helps the most, is just DOING IT. I'm here to serve the Lord. So I need to do just that. I need just open my mouth and speak or I'm never going to learn. There's no growth in a comfort zone. I have to have the will to do what is needed. The will to act. Faith is action. JUST DO IT.

Okay. I'm out for this week. Enjoy the pics of Cordoba... and my face. Because let's be real. I'm more interesting than a city... yeeeeaaaahhh... Alright. Until next week, then. Love you all and hope all is well.

Love, Hermana Hein

The Long Journey

Hola Familia!

Here I am ... in Argentina ... finally. We finally got to Resistencia after a 36 hour journey, including a 9-hour layover in Buenos Aries. Mmmm.. so fun! But I'm super excited to be here! I'm still exhausted and found that I really don't know Spanish like I thought I did, but its all good.

Hermana Fullmer and Sister & President Franco

I just met my trainer. Her name is Hermana Fullmer and she's from West Valley. She's super nice and has been really helpful for the past 30 minutes that I've know her. Our area is called Formosa and is about 2 hours away from where we are now. Don't ask where we are now because I couldn't tell you, remember?

I really don't know Spanish...  We're eating pizza for lunch and it's a litter different. It has eggs on it. It's alright. Also, Alfajures. They're big here in Argentina. They're like... little cakes filled with Dulce de Leche. They're pretty good, I guess.

I' just had an interview with President Franco. He's really cool. Super nice and understanding.

I'm not sure what else to write. Besides traveling, nothing much has happened since I got here. My little suitcase broke. But whatever, it's fine. Can't send me one anyway. I'm just sick of lugging my crap around. Oh well.

Okay, I've got to go. But I love you guys.

Love, Hermana Hein

The Chamber of Secrets has been opened...

Hello.
Notes from this week: Nothing. Haha. Just kidding. It was just another week of the same. You know how the MTC is: Class for 9 hours, volleyball, teaching investigators, attempting to learn Spanish... The usual. But now, it's a little different. Because.... It's OUR LAST WEEK HERE! Holy crap. We only have 5 more days here in the good ole CCM. (I literally have NO IDEA how that translates. I just say it because it's Spanish.)

Our daily grind

We no longer have our TRC investigator, but we did get two NEW investigators: Our classmates. Hma. Nakken and I are teaching Hma. Flores and Elder Brady. We all get to be investigators. It's kind of weird. I don't exactly know how to do it... Not to mention my Spanish isn't really the best so... But it's fun to teach our classmates. Our goal is to (Nacho voice) baPTIZE by Saturday so we're working like crazy.

We also taught over Skype this week and that was weird. Not to mention it was when I was still kind of sick so my voice was gone. Haha. But the lady we taught was really nice. They're member lessons so they're like, home teaching lessons. And we get to teach natives. The TRC people try to get people from the country you'll be serving in but that didn't work out this week. So we taught a lady from Mexico. It was really cool.

Sunday's Temple Walk: The Sisters

I don't know if Mum posted anything about my travel situation but alas. I got my travel plans this last Friday and I'm headed to Argentina next week!! Crazy. It's going to be so much fun. But also, I'm pretty nervous. One of our teachers told us this story the other day about how when he first got to his mission, he couldn't communicate with his companion. WHAT?? Yeah. He freaked me out a bit. But I'll be okay. I'm not in this alone. I never have been. Anyway. Travel. We leave the MTC, fly out of SLC to Atlanta. We have a layover in Atlanta and then the real fun begins... 12 HOUR FLIGHT TO ARGENTINA BABY!! You can bet your sweet boots I'm spending that time becoming fluent in Spanish. Haha. Or finishing the Book of Mormon. Which is the COOLEST by the way. Everyone likes to cut arms off in that book. It's crazy.

We had a great lesson this week with Hmo. Lloyd. He was teaching us about being creative with our lessons so our investigators don't get bored, (like Juan...) so he demonstrated. We did that one lesson where you have to guide someone through a maze of chairs and desks and stuff but only one person is the voice of the spirit. So, it was Elder Brassanini's birthday the day we did this. (I don't remember. I'm sorry.) So he got to be the lucky one who was blindfolded. The rest of us got to be Satan. Only Elder Balmas was the true voice of the spirit. Everyone trusts Hmo. Lloyd because he's so amazing but he only led Elder Brasspanini to sniff a garbage can. That was pretty funny. He eventually figured out that Elder Balmas was the spirit and he found the chocolate at the end of the line. But it was probably a pretty funny sight to behold. And we all had to whisper so we probably just looked like a bunch of crazies speaking parseltongue to a blindfolded Brassanono.

Two Jen/Janessas

Okay. There's not much else to say for this week. It's my last time writing from the MTC so next time, I'll be writing from ARGENTINA!! Crazy! The pics from this week are from our Temple walk on Sunday. There's another Jenessa in the zone!! Only, she spells her name Janessa so it's not as good. Also, Elder Fuga and Elder Balmas switched jackets and that was pretty funny. Fuga's a 300 lb. Tongan football player and Balmas is tiny.

Elder Fuga & Elder Balmas

Alright. Until next time, good bye friends. The next time you hear from me, I'll be on another continent!

Regards,
Hermana Hein

Potato, Puhtaytuh

Buenas.

Elder Bennett, from my district, is from Virginia (Vurgeeenyaa) and he pronounces potato like puhtaytuh. I can't handle it. THERE'S AN 'O' on the end. HELLLOOO!! So we argued about it for a sec. Anyway. This week has, hey! Been the same. So much class. So much Spanish. So many. Some days I can't handle it. The other day, we were trying to learn indirect and direct object pronouns and I almost stabbed myself in the face with my pencil. Though I'm pretty sure our teacher wants to do that anyway so I'll have to get in line. Ha ha. Just kidding. It's crazy to think about language so differently. I grew up speaking English. So I don't think about subjunctives or progressive tense or anything like that because I already do it all. Is any of this making sense? No. Okay. That's fine.

Me, Hermana Nakken & Hermana Barker

The oldest district left on Monday. It was an all Elder's district and they were crazy. It's kind of a bummer. There was one Elder in that district who got sick and had to stay behind. I'm so sad for him. Poor kid. So, He's flying by himself to Mexico on Monday. The pics from this week are from our temple walk on Sunday. We took loads of selfies with the Elders from the district that left. Also, me looking like hobo on P-day. My favorite look.

Elders Olsen & Davis, Hermanas Ballard, Hein & Nakken

Group Fun

This week has been a roller coaster of emotions. Some of our lessons have been really bad. And it's really frustrating to try to teach the gospel in a language that's not my own. We'll get questions and I know how I'd answer in English but I can't..... Because I have to speak in Spanish. So we'll come out of the lessons feeling so inadequate. It sucks. But then we go to class and since we have the coolest teacher in the whole MTC, we come right back up. Hmo. Lloyd is straight up the coolest person I've ever met.

My District + some others

This week, we had a lesson about visions. Not necessarily like Lehi or Joseph Smith visions, but like, what our personal visions were. How we envisioned ourselves after our missions. How our missions would change us. I don't know how to describe this but it was amazing. No matter how terrible I'm feeling about myself, Hmo. Lloyd always brings me right back up. So anyway, some of us share what our 'visions' are and he says, "Those are great. Now think bigger. All of you have the capacity to be what you want and more if you trust in the Lord." Whew. That guy... I can't. Then we got real personal. We all schooched our desks into a tight circle and shared how we had been helped by the others in the room. It was super cool. This is not even going to sound as cool as it was. I'm just on a spiritual high after every class with Hmo. Lloyd.

P-Day Wardrobe

So... It's MTC Hump Day! I've been here three weeks!! And I only have three weeks left!! I don't even know what has happened these past 3 weeks. But it freaks me out that I'll be heading OUT OF THE COUNTRY in 3 weeks! I don't know enough Spanish to do anything!! WHAT IS EVEN GOING TO HAPPEN??? It'll be fine. But it's crazy. There's not much that happened this week that was super entertaining. Oh. Elder Fredrickson, from the district right above us, got hit in the face with the volleyball during gym and Hma. Nakken was laughing so hard she fell over. We're terrible people. But it was.... pppppprrreettttyy funny.

Okay. I'm out. Enjoy your week everyone!
Hermana Hein