One Month in Argentina

WOWªªªªª I have been here for one full monthª ¿sorry, the keyboard is messed up, so this is going to be hard to read...pobre Uncle Gregª haha? Itçs crazy to think I have only been here for one month and then at the same time, WOAH, ONE MONTHª So much has happened, but I feel like Hermana Kjar and I are just getting on a roll. I am a little worried because next week on Friday we will find out about the transfer. Hna Kjar has been here 4 transfer, so I am pretty sure sheçs going. I will probably get a new companion. I am really nervous, but I know that President knows what the Lord has in store for me.
IKEçs putting his papers inª ARGENTINA if heçs luckyªªª haha

Howçs the family% Dadçs going to London, Momçs busy with mother stuff, Ben and Jackie are happy, Elizabethçs off on another adventure, Abby and Jack have finals, sorry Abbs and Jack Snack haha, but donçt worry, theyçll be over soon... wow, we are so blessedªªªª I am so grateful for all of our blessings. I am SO eternally grateful for the righteous, happy, patient family we have. I am grateful for all of your examples. I am grateful for your love. I am grateful for your willingness to pray for my investigadores and be part of my mission. This work is SOOO importantª Everyday I am writing in my journal the experiences I have been having. Itçs incredible that everyday there are difficulties and blessings. Everday my testimony is laughed at, yelled at, or scoffed at and my testimony still grows. Everyday I have special learning experiences. But I honestly have been having a SMILE on my face. I LOVE being a missionary and love serving the people here in Argentinaªªª I just wish the miembros wouldnçt feed us so much, I am gaining weightª haha

So, we taught 20 lessons last week which is really really good for us. We have been having tons of people fail us and not be in their house when they say they would be over the passed few weeks, but we have been teaching a few really reliable people. I want to tell you about some of the experiences I have had this week. We have been VERY blessed latelyª

Cristian is a 20 year old from Paraguay who is SOLID. He is so pensieve and loves to talk about Christ. We taught him a few weeks back and we bore a powerful testimony of Joseph Smith. But he wasnçt sure. Just recently we taught him twice and he came to church on Sundayª We are going to hopefully teach him tonight or tomorrow about the Law of Chastity and commit him to be baptized. Hna Kjar and I are really really hoping and praying our guts out that he will realize how important this is and take this step in his life. If he got baptized, I could see him being an incredible missionaryª
Ines is a less active woman that weçve been checking up since I got here. She went through the temple and everything, which is rare here, abut she was living with a partner and not going to church. Ines had started smoking again and had turned her life away from the church. We had lunch over at her house and came over a few times to check up on her. I gave her my CTR ring to help remind her to stop smoking whenever she looked at it. SO, we talked to her last week and she told us she kicked her marido out and decided to talk to the Bishop to start coming back to churchªªª This is a MIRACLEª I gave Ines a big hug and told her how grateful I was for her and for this decision. She came to church on Sundayª I hope she will continue this difficult path of repentance with fe in Jesucristo.
Betti and Alberto = this is another MIRACLEªªª The elders found them in a grocery store. We went over to their house and they invited us right in, gave us herbal tea, and we talked about the Book of Mormon. We went back and Alberto had made us FACTURASªªª Facturas are famous Argentine doughnut7pastries and they are MOUTHWATERINGªªª So we chatted and Alberto told us that this was the first time he had ever opened up to anyone about his religious side of life. He recently lost a job and is looking for something. Betti is his partner. They are both divorced and recently found each other. Sheçs an angel, but she has a lot of doubts about the BOM. We are praying so intently for her to feel the Spirit as she reads. They are amazing because they actually read and think and meditate on these things= it´s increibleªª
We also found two very interesting people. One, Daniel is in a psychiatry home now. We went to teach him and he is the only one who is sane. the others were all fairly crazy, but we talked to them and they have such sweet spirits. Daniel is really into his religion and we are not sure about the rules about him coming to our church on Sundays, but he lit up as we gave him a Book of Mormonª I really think he could progress if he felt our desire. Thank goodness for Montreal in preparing me for THIS psychiatric experienceªª haha The other interesting person is named Ramina. She is a HOOTª She is 28, unmarried, doesnçt have a partner and is not living with anyone, isnçt dating anyone, and doesnçt have any children. WOW, this is BIG for hereª She opened the door and she had pigtails, guy clothes, and a big smile on her face. Ramina invited us to come in and play her keyboard, Hna Kjar played and I sang a few hymns. We then talked about the 2nd lesson. Ramina is a very very spiritual person. The second time we went over, we watched the Joseph Smith movie with her and asked her to pray specifically about Joseph Smith and our church. She said she would and she said she hopes God sends her a dream or an answer somehow. I wanted to shout, We ARE your answerª But Hna Kjar and I are praying fervently for her to receive an answer like that.
The Arrera family is the less active family of an ex bishop. The bishops daughter and her husband and children live with him. They havençt been to church for a while. We got into their house and talked about their trips to Mendoza. They showed us pictures and everything. Then we asked if we could sing a hymn. We sang Families Can Be Together Forever. Pomela Arrera, the daughter of the bishop and mother of the little girls, started tearing up. Hna Kjar and I bore powerful testimonies of the sealing power and the imporantance of hte church and gospel for families. We are going to have a Noche De Hogar , family night, with them this week. Hopefully theyçll come back to church this Sunday.

I have talked to all sorts of peopl from all sorts of religions. I have had people tell me that Mary was a prostitute and that Jesus wasnçt the son of God, Içve had Jehovahçs witnesses come up and bash me, Içve had all kinds of things, but I have also had powerful experiences where the Spirit is strong and the Spirit testifies of the truthfulness of this gospel, of Christ, of Families, of repentance and change, of Gods love for all. Whenver I look back on the week I think, wow, what a wonderful lifeª Itçs so crazy and I am learning so much, but I am SOOO HAPPY because the Spirit has testified to me that this church is true time and time again. God loves us, Jesus is the Christ, our Redeemer. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God who translated the Book of Mormon. I know that this gospel will help unite familiesª I am so grateful for this time hereª WHAT A GRAND ADVENTUREªªªª

Prayer List
Cristian that he will be baptized
Betti that she will not have doubts and that sheçll know that BOM is true
Alberto that he will trust his feelings that this if the true church
Ramina that she will receive a dream or special answer that this church is true
Santiago that he will pray to know that the church is true
Daniel that he will read the Book of Mormon and know itçs true
Ana and su familia that they will open to us and our message
Mirta, Nelli, and Florencia that they will have a change of heart
Hermana Kjar that she will have strength to continue on in this hard work

HUGS AND HANDSHAKESªªªªª

Hermana Tingey