Hold Your Breath and Count to 10...

So. Here we are. The beginning of a new transfer. My last transfer. What's more, it's only 5 weeks. Which means that this 5 weeks is going to be full of WORK. That's what we do as missionaries. And it doesn't stop until that last second. I stayed here in Costanera. But Hermana Ostler was transferred to my old area in Resistencia. She was really sad. This place really is magic. But now, I'm with Hermana Alduenda from Mexico. I trust in the Lord's decisions when it comes to transfers. Which means that we have some work to do here together.

In terms of the last week, it was a crazy one. On Wednesday, we had to go into Resistencia to renew my visa again. It's a long process. For whatever reason, it takes half the day for me to sign one sheet of paper. But it was fun anyway. I got to hang out with Hna. Beckstead one last time before she hits American soil. And the elders bought us McDonald's after so that was good. Er... we THOUGHT it would be good. But then we had to go out and work and we just felt sick. So, I'm over the MacDonald's thing. Good thing too, as I'll be surrounded by it in a month or so. Haha.

Hermanas Ostler, Hein, Beckstead, and Dibble
doing tramites. WOOO!

On Thursday, we had to go BACK to Resi for multizone conference. That was fun. It's always good to see old friends. I also had to give my last testimony in front of all the missionaries in Corrientes and Resistencia. That was werid. But it was good. I still get nervous speaking in public but the Spirit helped me out a lot. I got up there and everything I'd thought about saying before hand just kind of disappeared. But somehow, something came out that made some sense. Haha. I actually don't remember. 

A group of some of my favorite people at multizone conference
... er... and Elder Karmanov.

The rest of the week was normal, including a rainstorm and some interesting contacts. The best one was the guy who slammed his door on us when he found out that we're from the US. He accused us of being assassins. I looked down at my ridiculous outfit and my stupid hat and thought, "Yeah... the best assassins the US has to offer. Watch out!!" Haha. We had a good laugh about it after.

The last two transfers with Hermana Ostler were tough. We learned a lot together. She's such a great missionary and a wonderful example to me. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to work with her. She taught me so much. And I hope that I can put in practice all that she taught me now in my last transfer and continue giving every last drop of energy to this crazy place. I love it so much.

Hermana Ostler and I with Nazarena and Agustina of
Rama Costanera

I studied a talk this week from the October 2011 conference called "The Time Shall Come". It talked about the dream that Daniel interpreted for King Nebuchadnezzar about the stone cut out of the mountain without hands. That stone is this Gospel. And it's rolling forth and growing everyday. I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know that His work can't be stopped. It will never be destroyed by the wiles of man. There is nothing more right than the teachings of Jesus Christ. They help us grow and become better people. I'm so grateful that I've had the chance to be apart of this great work. It has changed me in ways that I never would have experienced before. I'm so grateful to everyone for supporting me in this crazy adventure of mine.

El fin se acerca, pero todavía tengo mucho que hacer. Gracias por su amor y su apoyo.

Les quiero mucho,
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

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