death by mosquitoes.

February 23, 2011

This week was definitely a week Satan tried to get to us. I know it is because we had our first baptisms and that was AWESOME! kinda crazy though. I really don't remember a lot of the beginning of the week other than we worked very hard. I remember one day we were late to a lunch appointment and we were walking so fast just dripping in sweat. I was laughing pretty hard at myself and how silly I must has looked.

But Friday was our first Zone Conference. It was really nice. I was stressed for it because I knew it was going to all be in Spanish but i actually understood a lot and really learned a lot as well. Advice real quick for people going on missions soon--memorize D&C 4. I wish I would have before the mission. Anyways, towards the end of conference I was getting ancy because it was 5:30 and our baptism (held in the same building) was at 6. I felt pretty legit going to President saying "hey, sorry I gotta take off, but we have a baptism..." haha but they came and we had no clothes...the bishop was late...the speakers we asked for the talks didn't come...and i had no idea so many things were going badly so i just sat there while my comp is running around trying to fix things. Luckily we had over 50 missionaries at the time there, so we got speakers, some of them had clothes, and the bishop finally came, and it was an amazing baptism. the only person who came to watch was their neighbor, who was an investigator we had to drop. I told that to one Elder and he said "wait, he has gone to church twice?" and I said yes and how he knows its true he is just scared to leave the catholic church. Then the Elder said "wait right here", walked up the the man (his name is Nelson) and said "Nelson, you know this is true. The Lord wants you to be baptized. If you feel it is right at this baptism, will you also be baptized?" He said yes! I wish I could tell you something amazing like we baptized him that night as well, but he needs a couple interviews. I think he drinks a lot so we will have to take care of that first. Pretty cool though! I would send pictures of it but this computer is really old and doesn't have a plug in thing. Next week.

Anyways on with their crazy story (oh the people who got baptized were Fausto and Lino, 13 and 12). A little background with them, they LOVE animals. Like when we go to their house to teach, we always play with their 2 little puppies they just got, bunnies, birds, fish, hamsters (actually, to be honest, i never touch any of them. who knows what kinds of diseases Argentine animals have). But even for their baptismal interview they brought their puppies. So now it is Sunday, and for some reason we had an activity the night before and they didn't come. We were a little confused. We go to pick them up for church (where they needed to receive the holy ghost), and Fausto comes out crying saying they cant come. they said the night before their puppy started throwing up blood and he died. Fausto was crying, and Lino wouldn't even come out. GOSH If there was only one thing in the world to keep them from going to church, it would be that. I was so worried and literally, right outside their house, i started praying, praying as hard as i could for a miracle. we talked to Fausto and told him we would comfort him and be there for him but that he needed to come to church to receive the Holy Ghost. He agreed, but Lino wouldn't get out of bed. I tried to say anything, but he wouldn't come. We then just left and went to church without him. I felt like crying the whole time. I really didn't know what to do. We came for the rest of the 1st hour, and when 2nd hour hit, i turned to Hermana Kusilek and said "hey, we have to go back and get him" so we did. we went back, and this time we didn't leave till he finally came. It took 20 mins of waiting for him, and when we got back it was just in time for sacrament meeting. they received the Holy Ghost, it was a miracle, and I can testify the Lord blesses those who have faith and no matter how hard Satan tries, Gods power is ALWAYS stronger.

We had a really fun stake activity on Saturday, it was like a Hawaiian Luau. Our investigator Cezear came and he loved it. He is such a wonderful person to teach. He really wants to get baptized but he had some doubts about going to church. We told him that he should go to the activity just to see the people, and then the next day try church out. He did, and he loved it!!! It was funny because Fausto went up to Cezear right after church and he said "hey! when are you going to get baptized?" haha Cezear said as fast as he could. OH it made me so happy.

The mission is wonderful. Sometimes I do miss home a lot but being here makes everything all worth it. I would not rather be doing anything else with my life, i mean that with all my heart. My testimony grows in another area of the gospel everyday. I really love the members here and also our investigators. This week we ran out of money completely because we had to buy stuff for the stake activity and didn't get reimbursed. We were stressed about what to do, because we don't get money again till the first. Then we taught someone who owns a Kisoco, and he gave us tons of food. Just gave it to us! Then all the sudden we had tons of people asking us to have lunch appointments with them. we have at least lunch everyday this next week! I don't love the food here, but i am so grateful for the miracles I see everyday.

I saw someone who looked just like Jessie Noffz, and I almost ran up to her and hugged her. She could very well pull off and say she is Argentine.

I love you all! Remember God Loves you so much and thank you for keeping me in your prayers, the work is moving along and going wonderfully!
Chao
Hermana COllins
ps i say death by mosquitoes because i have never seen so many and such huge mosquitoes in my life. I'm constantly being bit. its literally like living in a jungle. I sometimes wonder if ill have enough blood at the end of my mission because the mosquitoes are just sucking it all away. I hate those things.