Sometimes....

Sometimes He calms the storm,
sometimes He calms the sailor,
and sometimes He lets us swim.

Well...this week was a ¨swimming¨ week, but in the end, through all of YOUR faith and fasting and prayers... and help from on high, we had FIVE people at church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!!! La Familia Roberto came!! Not everyone, but la mamá Claudia with Jennifer (16), Nadia (12), y Kevin (9)!! And we had a surprise, an Hermano brought one of his friends Iliana to church! She sobbed during Testimony meeting and had to leave, but came back happy. I think she felt the Spirit very strongly.

Our Zone Leaders had a bautismo yesterday and we were all invited to go. The Spirit was SO strong! I remembered how I felt at Oscar´s bautismo. It was a great reminder of why we deal with all the opposition and strife that we do - because this gospel changes lives! Because NO ONE can enter into the kingdom of God without this saving ordinances preformed by the correct authority on the earth. I have such a stronger testimony of the Restoration of the Priesthood and Covenants - what gran gozo, what great joy that we have the fulness of the gospel!

Some of my favorite investigadores told me that they don´t want to get baptized and don´t want to continue learning from us. Beti who remembered and re-taught her husband the Plan of Salvation without our help and Ayelen, who is the most loving and kind MardelPlatense I´ve ever met! They both said they didn´t want it now - even though I know NOW is best for them! I hurt sooo badly, my heart and my soul. I am a very passionate/emotional person. I put my whole self into this work FOR my investigadores - it literally hurt me. However, I felt peace from the Lord. I always second guess myself, ¨Was it MY fault they didn´t progress? Was it because we didn´t have enough lessons with a member? Was it because I didn´t convey my testimony well enough? Why am I here if I can´t baptize?¨ It´s hard and Satan works harder and harder on getting me down... the worst is that usually I let him.
BUT, there are ALWAYS blessings. Sometimes, the Lord calms the ¨sailors,¨ no? I read a GREAT scripture in Romans that my Zone Leader gave me, I read the Pslam of Nefi justo during this difficult time, and of course, the 5 in the capilla which was a MIRACLE!

We had a couple new investigadores this week. One named Elida, is an old woman who is alone alone alone. Pobrecita, she´s widowed, her only son and only nieto live in Buenos Aires, she´s sick, and just alone. A member from another ward works in her building and gave us her as a reference (how I LOVE references from members!!!!!). We shared with her the love of God and she cried.

Another is named Deborah. She´s 15 and pregnant. She lives in the villa, or the ghetto, in our area. We´d never set foot in there because our leaders didn´t want us to and because the members always scare us with stories. However, I LOVE the villa´s in Bahía Blanca and we went to look for an antiguo investigadora - she wasn´t there, but we asked if we could teach them. One was named Deborah and she let us in. We taught the first lesson, she accepted the bautismal compromiso, and wanted to go to church! But when we went back during the week, she wasn´t interested anymore. The government is kicking everyone out of the villa, so she has to return home to northern Argentina. I told her she needs to look for the chicos with white shirts and ties, but she just seemed sad and frustrated with us. She´s a good girl though - has made some bad decisions, but who hasn´t? She´s in the most need for love and forgiveness of the Savior.

I´d LOVE to take pictures of things, but now I´m scared to take my (new) camera out and about. Argentina is NOT a safe place and the summer is worse in Mar del Plata because there are more tourist and more ¨Chorros¨ or robbers here. I´ll try to remember to take more though!

Prayer list:
Familia Roberto: Oscar y Claudia, Jennifer, Bryan, Nadia, Kevin, y Mmy - that they will get baptized on the 19th of December!!!! I am praying for a white Christmas!
Miguel y Eduardo that they will come to church!
Elida, Mariana, Hugo, Victoria, Virgina, Martina - That they will read the BOM and pray to know it´s true AND let us come teach them again!

This Church is the true church of our Savior Jess Christ! I know that with my whole soul - it´s an incredible privilege to be part of this work! I only hope and pray I can help bring MORE souls unto my Redeemer who has blessed ME so much - I can only hope to help bring blessings to someone else´s life!

Ánimo y adelante!!!!

Hermana Tingey

Saben que - Hermana Freeman is re-teaching me English vocabulary!!! Who knew I´d forget so many words? :)