Sunday Funday

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

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

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

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

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

Family Romero

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


Love you all.
Hermana Hein

Wonders and Miracles

Hi All:

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

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

Graciela and dog, Titan

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

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

Teaching the Gospel to the overly serious rock band Maná.

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

Lots of Love,
Hermana Hein

Fruit Salesman

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

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

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

Happy Hermanas

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

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

Nothing better than those Argentine sunsets

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

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