All That I Have Learned

This week has been a little different.  First off, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday were great with Hermana Sanchez.  We were able to communicate which was great!!  Well ok, she knows affair amount of English so we were able to figure out what each other was trying to say.  And Wednesday was really good!!  We had our transfer meeting and our P-day Navidad program. 

My new companion is Hermana wait for it, wait for it, wait for it, wait for it, wait for it, wait for it......................Hermana Zamora!!!  She is from Mexico Puerto Peñasco Sonora. She is actually the sister training for our zone also.

The first couple days were a little hard.  We have different ideas and also I learned things from Hermana Redford differently than I am now learning from Hermana Zamora and both things are good but it is hard and I am trying to decide which is best.  It has been hard right now while I am still learning everything.  But last night we had a really good talk sort of in my broken Spanish about this and today has been really good with her.  She is very nice. 

Anyway this week has been good it has had its up and downs but it is turning around.  I am so overwhelmed right now with everything I have learned since Sep 24.  I thought I would never learn Spanish or learn this area (ok well we got a little off yesterday going to pick Jonathan who is a recent convert to the church), but seriously I can’t believe all that I have learned so fast and felt like I never was going to be able to learn it.  It is incredible to me. 

I am so excited to see what this week will bring with Christmas here.  I don’t know any traditions or anything so I am very excited to learn more about this beautiful country.  I will be calling around 3:00 here so that would be like maybe 11 your time is that ok.  I am super excited to talk more with all of you and see your faces.  I would say that I am not going to cry, but I am going to cry!! jajajajajajajajajajaj :)  Feliz Navidad!!!!! 

Con Amor,

Hermana Kent

Our Room

Study Area

On the corner of JD Peron and Eva Peron streets

Meet Herman Zamora, my new companion!
 

The Gift of Tongues is INCREDIBLE!

Hola Familia!

Wow this week was AMAZING!!!!  Divisions were so great!!!!  I was super nervous for divisions and I stayed in our area and Hna Redford went to the other area.  I was super nervous because I wasn’t sure if I knew the area enough to be able to get Hna Henao and me everywhere we needed to go.  But I did!!!  I am feeling a lot more confident now because of this experience.  I was nervous also because this Wednesday when I receive my new companion, even though I am still in training I am the companion who served in the area before and knows the area and will be responsible for getting us everywhere.  But, now I know that I can do it!!! 

I also didn’t get too frustrated with the language barrier.  We were able to communicate just fine.  It was amazing!!  She was able to help me with Spanish and I helped her with her English.  This is the same right now with Hna Sanchez.  She is helping me with my Spanish and I am helping her with her English.  The gift of tongues is an INCREDIBLE gift!! 

Other than that this week has been pretty interesting.  We were doing a lot of things to get ready for Hna Redford to leave us.  She leaves tonight.  We said goodbye yesterday and I have been with Hna Sanchez since yesterday afternoon in Santos Lugares.  Wednesday after transfers I will return to Caseros. 

I am SO excited to hear that Dad went with the Elders.  I didn’t understand before when I was going with the sisters how important members are missionary work.  We as missionaries are able to teach and be their friend for a little bit but we are constantly changing.  Our investigators need someone in church who will be there always to answer their questions and help them through their conversion journey.  Their journey to conversion is very hard and difficult and a member friend is really important in helping them stay active and go through their journey with them.  Also, members’ testimonies are so important and powerful.  Thank you for going with the Elders and please continue to go with them.  Members are KEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have really liked the food but it really isn’t unusual.  It is really similar to ours so it has been super good!!  Lots of pasta and beef and flan which is a really good desert, it really hasn’t been that different than what we have.

We did have a ward Christmas party that was so fun.  Josefina and Angel brought a daughter of theirs.  They have another daughter and two sons.  It was great and I think they had so much fun.  I am still praying for them.  Yesterday we went over to their house so Hna Redford could say goodbye to them.  And Angel said "well we will have to send you a picture when we get baptized."  Oh my goodness, he said WHEN!!!!!!  They are so great!!!  I am praying for them!!  Also yesterday in church we had Andrea with us!!  It was amazing it was her first time and she seemed to really enjoy herself while in church!!  It was a really neat experience!!  Also we had lunch with our stake president, Pres. Catron and he said that we could come and to his house to skype.  So I have a place but I don’t have a time.  So what time do you want me to skype you guys and I will just tell my companion what time you guys want me to skype?  This church is true and Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father live!!!

Con Amor

Hermana Kent

PS  I just found out that there will be two new missions made next July.  That is so cool!!  The work is moving forth!!!  Our mission will be reduced by two zones!!!  OH my!!!!!!

She is Golden!

Hola Familia!!!! 

This week was really good!!  We got a new phone so that is kind of fun!! 
We are super sad again.  Angel and Josefina were supposed to be baptized this weekend but it is not going to happen, again.  The hardest thing is that we can do so much and then it comes down to people’s agency and whether or not they want to be baptized.  But I still have faith that they will be baptized.  They are so great!!  We are praying hard for them and working hard with them. 

We had our first appointment with Lourdes on Friday.  She is the women who just decided to come to church a week ago.  She is golden!!  She has a baptismal date for the 27 of this month!  However, she isn’t married and is living with her boyfriend.  She has three kids and then her and her boyfriend has 1 together.  She is totally willing to be married so we are praying that he will be open to marriage as well so that she can be baptized on the 27.  She is so great! We taught her about the restoration but didn´t do much of the lesson!!  She did a lot of it!! 

I am still struggling with the language.  But it is coming little by little.  We are going on divisions tomorrow until Wednesday.  I will be with Hna Henao who is from Colombia so I am praying that I can learn a lot from her the next couple days.  Also because Hna Redford leaves next Monday, Sunday night until Wednesday morning I will be staying with Hermana Sanchez who is from Peru.  Hopefully I can learn a lot from her as well. 

I LOVE this gospel and KNOW that it is true!!  I love and miss everyone lots and lots and lots and lots!!!

Con Amor,

Hermana Kent

I'm Legal Here in Argentina!

Hola Familia y Amigos!!! 

 I still can’t believe how fast time is going!!  I can’t believe I have already been here in Argentina for a month!!  It feels like yesterday I landed here!!  It is SO crazy!!  Anyway, first off because I forgot to mention last week that Christmas came early to us missionaries in the Buenos Aires West Mission!!!  We were all given very nice, new pots and a frying pan about a week and a half ago!!  It was AMAZING!!! 

This week was also great!!  We had lots of lessons that were just great!!  And yesterday we had Angel and Josefina in church for all 3 hours with us!!!  It was AMAZING!!  We also had Hernan and Malvina with us in church the whole time but they are already good about staying with us the whole time!!  And we had a woman come who just decided to come to church!!  Her name is Lourdez!!  Her cousin is a member over in Uruguay!!  It was amazing!!  So we are excited to start to teach her this Friday!!!  Unfortunately, none of our baptisms are going to happen!!  But we have Lourdez who we start teaching this week so we will see how we can help her!!  And Josefina and Angel have accepted baptism but not set date yet so we are praying for them and working with them!!  And Hernan and Malvina are going to be getting married in about a month and a half and then he will be able to be baptized!!  Many good things are happening!!

There is a new initiative “He is the Gift” that started this week!!  It is AMAZING!!!  I LOVE it so much!!  It is so incredible!!    

The language is coming very slowly!!  I wish it would come faster but I have faith that it will come little by little!!  I just focus on how far I have come and how much I have learned regarding the language instead of how far I still have to go!! 

It rained A LOT Saturday night!!  It was amazing!!!  I was absolutely drenched because I wasn’t prepared!!  Neither Hna Redford nor I were prepared!!  All of the sudden the clouds came and the rain started hard and then before we knew it we were drenched!!  We laughed about the whole thing!!  However, were very blessed!!  We had an appt with Josefina and Angel that night!!  When we got to her house she noticed how drenched we were!!  She have us a towel and then some of her shirts to change into so we had dry clothes and then gave us mate cocida and some warm bread!!  She was so great!!  That was the first time I have had mate cocida!!  It is actually pretty good!! 

 I have been really good!!  The only thing that has been hard is my legs hurt a lot all of the time from walking.  Like remember Disneyland?  It’s like that every day.  But it’s getting better and my body is getting more used to it, I think!!!  Hermana Redford told me the other day that the temperatures right now are already not as hot as last year.  This spring hasn’t been that bad, so I think I can make it through this summer. 

Oh and I am now legal here in Argentina!!  Wednesday we went to a bunch of different places and filled out paperwork!!  It was such a great week!!  I LOVE being a missionary!!  I LOVE the spirit that is always right with me!!!  Love and miss everyone lots and lots and lots!!!

Con Amor

Hermana Kent