May 15, 2018

May 15, 2018- 39 weeks down- 39 left!

hola a todos!

Wow this week literally flew by...I don’t remember what happened... only on SUNDAY. I think i was probably the BEST day of my entire mission.

We had the baptisms of Lucia, and her two little boys Santiago and Sebastian. 

They were investigating the church for the last 8 years... but when i arrived here in Rawson 3 weeks ago, the first day we met with them Lucia told us that she was ready to be baptized, that it was finally her moment. That she had felt the Spirit a lot while reading the Book of Mormon, and had come to know that it was true. She was willing to do anything to be able to make this covenant with her Heavenly Father and be baptized. 

So we had their baptisms Sunday night, as a family. It was an experience that I will never forget.

When Sebastian came up out of the water, his little face just shone with joy. Made me so happy. Makes every moment of this long journey WORTH IT when I get to see another one of God’s children take the first step in returning back to him. I’m so blessed! Sebastian said “ I can’t even remember the bad things I’ve done!”

I’m doing super well. I’m super happy, every day is an adventure full of miracles and struggles, but that’s what makes the mission so wonderful. I absolutely love what I am doing. Even the hardest days are so wonderful, because its the hard days where I feel myself growing and learning and changing!

I KNOW without a doubt that this is the church of Jesus Christ on the earth. And I'm not afraid to say it. I KNOW it. By reading the book of mormon, I know that God has a plan for me. He loves us! He loves us so much, and blesses us each day. Sometimes we forget about him, or don’t do the things we know we have to do... but he is there, with his hands stretched out to us, wanting to help us along the road back home.

I love you guys. Thank you for your love and support always. You mean the world to me. 

Know that I love you and feel your prayers. My investigatores feel your prayers. You sustain me in each moment!

This week i hit my halfway mark, 9 months. I cant believe it. Time passes so fast, we have to use the most of each and every moment. Or life will pass us by in a flash! 

Make the most of each moment this week. Focus on the things that are truly important, that will have a lasting impact. Focus on your family. They are the only thing you can take with you after this life. Nothing else really matters!!!! families are the best!!!!!

I’m super tired, we have two areas now and are constantly traveling to and from, and also the the city Trelew. But i have learned to plan our time effectively and be grateful for the opportunities that I am given. I love where i am serving. The patagonia is amazing!!!!!!!!!  The people here are so distinct but so wonderful. 

It’s beginning to rain a bit,... winter is finally arriving! I miss the sun already haha!

LOVE YOU ALL have a great week

amy

May 7, 2018

May 7, 2018- 38 weeks down- 40 left!

helloooo mom! whats going on!

wow, what a fantastic week you guys had!! haha i love it.

bueno, to answer some of your questions...

yes, i used your breathing techniques this week, especially in the beginning part of the week, and honestly and surprisingly enough, it did help. i felt a bit more relaxed and everything. so thank you! my comp got a kick out of watching me do the breathing exercises, but hey, whatever works! I have to remember to be consistent now and keep doing them... especially in these upcoming weeks... cause lets just say that Presidente is hurling a giant stressball at us due to lack of baptisms in the mission...wowza but yeah haha. so thanks!

i was thinking about Brandon a lot on Sunday, and on his birthday, knowing he would be sustained. Thank YOU for the sweet descriptions of that day that you wrote to me. Makes me feel like I was there a little! I love how sweet and tender that boy is. So big and grown up. I love it! He’s looking a little chubby still... but i cant wait to see in a few years when he gets tall and thin and even more grown up. I can totally imagine it. And yes, i agree, he will have many important callings in the future. What a special experience for you to be able to receive that little bit of revelation for him.

WOW you’re right, your summer is STACKED already. AUGUST 16 ALY IS GOING TO SCHOOL that blows my freaking mind. I cant believe it. I celebrate my year mark the 17th,  but wait, i guess its true that i left on the 16th huh? i always counted my month marks on the 17th cause thats when i arrived at the ccm. but man how cool!!! IM SO EXCITED FOR YOU GUYS to go bring her up to school. what a champ mckayl, going to check out the rooming. I love her so much! Hows she doing?

Man oh man things are changing fast mommy!

hahaha yes yes i got the box i think Tuesday or Wednesday if i remember right. THANK YOU SO MUCH. you guys are so sweet, so loving, too generous, it blows my mind. The shoes are AMAZING: i compared them with the old ones, and i honestly didn’t even realize that they were the same brand. thats how trashed the old ones are haha. the bottom LITERALLY fell off of my old one, hanging on by a thread no mas. So thank you! and WOW you put so many socks in there, they are so nice and comfty! AND THE SHIRT!!!!!!! I love it so much. The candies, fotos, talks, (I’ve read a lot of them already haha i love them so much), and especially the notes. I love those handwritten notes so much, i read them over and over! THANK YOU MOM! You guys are the best. The whole zone was jealous when they saw that giant box that read HERMANA HOLT hahaha they couldn’t stop talking about it. 

I love you so much mom! Yeah, next week is the halfway mark. Where did the time go? Still have a ways left, but everyone says its faster on the last half! I believe it. This week FLEW. we were so busy, by Saturday i was so tired that i had a hard time working and low energy and animo. but a few calls from my sweet leaders, and Sunday i was back up and ready to go. and today we took a nap, cooked noquis in the chapel, shopped, and now writing you! Super chill. 

This week

1. my comp, yes, dear comp, broke the toilet. i was on the phone with my zone leader when i hear a shriek from the bathroom. Comp? are you ok? i asked... nothing. bueno. i kept talking. and a few seconds later my comp opens the bathroom door (as I’m still on the phone) and WATER GUSHES OUT OF THE BATHROOM as she says I broke the toilet help! hahahahah i shriek into the phone and hang up on my poor confused zone leader. i called the elderes who live close by, the district leader, and he answers all calmly Hola hermana.... ELDER, i yell, YOU HAVE TO COME HERE RIGHT NOW OUR PENSION IS LITERALLY FLOODING i yell in super mumbled Spanish OK WERE COMING he yells. so i go in the bathroom, wading through the water, to see that the back of our ceramic toilet has a giant hole where it holds the water! My comp accidentally knocked a hole in the toilet! So we try to plug the water, cause its still coming. I'm soaked. the elders arrive in like 7 minutes, and help us turn it all off and plug it up. WHAT A NIGHT. hahahhahahaa. i went to bed a little ticked off that night haha., 

but 2 days later luckily someone from the mission who lives close by came and replaced it for us. comp has to pay like 75 bucks but oh well. now we have a toilet again so thats that.

2. we are so busy with two areas. we have lots of people, lots of problems with the people, like always, and doing all that we can to help them progress to baptism.

3. i was feeling sort of down Saturday like i said, and right when i was feeling bad, elder comisario (my zone leader calls). I had a dream about you and your comp he tells us. How are you guys doing? I wanted to tell you all that right now,  you are holding this zone of Trelew in your hands. You have HALF of the baptismal dates of the zone. if you guys are doing well, the zone is doing well. if you are bad, the zone is bad. So i need you guys happy and energetic and working as hard as ever! keep it up. Thank you so much for all the work you are doing. The leaders are all super pleased with you two. you are the two hardest working missionaries in this zone right now, not joking.

made me feel super good to hear all that, and my animo spiked right back up!

This weekend was stake conference, which was an interesting experience. learned a lot, and we had two assistencias. one, Lucia, who has a baptismal date for SUPER soon with her two kids. and a miracle assistencia. Alejandra, who we have been teaching for a long time, girlfriend of a less active. and SHE CAME! For the first time in months. with her less active boyfriend! We were so happy i couldnt believe it. it has been hard for her to come to church, cause her boyfriend doesn’t want to go and doesn’t want her to go. So it was a true miracle. we have a appointment with her tonight!!

I'm doing well. Im happy, working hard. I love to work, cause the time passes fast and i feel like I'm doing a lot. Theres always more that i can do, I’m imperfect, but i never am disobedient or stay in the pension or not work. i always do what i can and work hard. sometimes i fall short, but the lord always makes it up for us. For example, we aren’t perfect, and have a lot of areas, but the Lord has blessed us to have 4 active baptismal dates! 4!!!!!!!!!! we are so stoked and so ready. and these four people are super prepared to b e baptized. pray for them! maxi, lucia, sebastian, and santiago. 

I miss you guys. I always miss you guys! I think about you at night, when my busy brain has a second to think about other things. i smell things or see things that bring me back to a memory with you guys. I love it! I cant wait to see you this Sunday, and in 9 months! Thats not too long. Its going fast. I love you guys so much more than you will ever know.

The mission is so hard.  But it is so worth it. I learn so much. Sometimes i feel like I’m not learning or not changing, but when I think back to the CCM or before that, I feel like that Amy was a little baby, and now I’m a different person. So in the end, yeah, i think I’ve changed a lot. grown a lot. I feel like my testimony has grown so much its not even funny

i love you all. thank you for your never ending love and support. you will NEVER know how much it has saved me, and how much it saves me each and every day

my love,

ames

April 30, 2018

April 30, 2018- 37 weeks down 
Hi mommy! 

WOW THE PICTURES. Thank you for all the pictures. It made me feel like I was there, in each of those precious events! 

WHY IS EVERYONE GROWING UP SO FAST. Turning 16. Going to prom. Getting married. OH MY GOSH. I really feel like I’m so



darn far away now, in another universe. 

So glad everyone is doing well. Sorry I’m writing so late, time got away from us shopping and cleaning and nap... haha. But here i am! 

I sent a few pictures by email, and I’m going to put a video in my google drive for Brandons birthday.

Ugh mom why are you guys so far away? Why is everyone changing? I feel left behind. sadness haha. 

So glad you had a good week. So glad everyone is happy and healthy and doing well. 

This week went decently for me. Week 1 of this new transfer. we moved to our apartment in Rawson (because now we work out of Rawson but still work in Playa Union also). It was a busy week, trying to get to know the new area and visit all the investigators. A lot of investigators progressing, but a lot of challenges with each one. But the good news is this week we put 3 baptismal dates, and they are all pretty firm! Pato and Maxi, bueno, just maxi now, will be getting baptized this SUNDAY! WOOHOO! He’s 8, and so precious. His older brother Pato was going to get baptized too, but now he doesn’t want to because of some reasons, so we might have to wait a bit more with him. 

Also Maria, one of our new investigatores, loves the church a lot and is reading the Book of Mormon, and accepted a goal of a baptismal date for the 19th of May. And Lucia, an investigator of like 8 years, finally accepted a date for the 20th of May, and has 2 little boys that now love going to church. We had a family home evening with them, and they loved the activity I planned that taught about the holy ghost. i sent pics of it. and they are progressing a lot now! 

So thats the real good news from this week.. lots of investigatores, and they are progressing. we are going to start seeing baptisms starting this Sunday! I’m pumped.

The week was hard too, my compa is still a bit of a butthead each day. I think she has spoken like 5 sentences to me since Saturday. oh well. She’s really stubborn but its all good, pushing through it. I love the elders in my district, they are awesome. Elder Arguello from Paraguay, and Elder Fellows from Idaho, brand new in the mission and doesn’t speak a lick of Spanish poor guy. 

I feel great. not sick, doing great and happy. Happy knowing that i will hit 9 months this month. Its crazy right? Time goes fast and slow. I feel like I always say that but its true.

Wow your pics made me seriously feel like I’m there with you. It’s so hard to believe I’m so far away, i think thats really hitting me now seeing all the big events you guys had go on this week. 

But all is well. I’m happy. studying hard, working hard, and trying to enjoy each minute.

love you mommy dear 

ames

and:

Glad you are doing good! Yeah it sure is a double edged sword... makes me so so happy but sad at the same time.  i love being part of it, but hate seeing all that I’m missing... yikes! haha!

YOU make me so happy! I love writing you too and seeing whats going on. I miss you guys lots mom! but doing well. feel really comfortable here. Struggling in moments for challenges that i have, with the compa, the investigatores, the stress i put on myself, tiredness, but its all part of it and the sacrifice is worth it. i gave a talk in sacrament meeting this week about sacrifice and the missionary work. everyone said that they liked it, and it touched one of the investigatores of the elders a lot, and helped her decide to push her baptismal date up... and she was baptized this Saturday!!!!

Also this Sunday i gave the gospel principles class..w e arrived and the teacher wasn’t there.. so i said id give it, didn’t even have time to read the lesson... but i idid it! it was a good experience

i love you guys. i miss you. but its all good in the hood

i love you so much. thank you for missing me. that makes me feel not forgotten. sometimes i feel a little lonely, but i try to imagine you guys there, in the normal life, and i remember that you all exist and its ok!

LOVE YOU

ames

April 23, 2018

April 23, 2018- 36 weeks down

Hola!

So we had transfers...... and ..... I'm leaving! and staying! haha super confusing but basically I'm leaving my area of Playa Union with my comp hermana lapuaho and we are going to Rawson. a town 20 minutes away. BUT we still will be working in Playa, beacuse we have a few investiagotrs there. Thats right, I have TWO areas now! Not just one! That means a whole lot of work, planning, and traveling. Man its going to be a loaded 6 weeks! I'm a little nervous for a ll of the responsability, but I'm sure it will go well. We have a few people getting ready for baptism... but we have a lot of work to do.

I've only had 1 baptism in all of my mission. That's how hard it is to baptize here, but we are so close with some people, and I'm afraid that with all of the things we have to do, all of the responsabilities and everything, that its going to be hard to focus 100 percent on each and every person we have to teach. But I'll do my best, and try my hardest not to stress hahaha

The weeks fly by, can't believe I'm already writing you all again! So much happens each week, its like a month of things in each week, but it goes fast. crazy.

Loved the pictures of the chicken coop!  What an awesome project!!!!!! I'm so excited for you guys!! i hope Ginny doesnt try to eat them hahaha

Two people commented to me in the same day that I look a lot skinnier. out of the blue. So that made me happy. I noticed it too, less cheeks in my face haha. 

My week was good. crazy. busy. some successes, not a lot of time to work. but we are having some great lessons with Karen still, and we found a new investiagor, Maria. She came to church with her two kids this week, which was our miracle of the week. Seriously it was so neat to have them there.  They were a little nervous and trying to figure everything out, but they liked it. Maria has started reading the book of mormon! It's awesome. whatta feeling. 

Pato and Maxi should be baptized soon, but we are having some troubles meeting with them cause they have been sick this week and not answernig the phone... so it may be pushed back a week or two, but we will do all that we can to help them get baptized!!!!

I'm doing better health wise. Still a little bit of the cough remaining, but that's about it. I feel good and happy and everything. 

Weather has been great here, sunny and a little bit of cold. super great.

Went to the beach for the last pday in Puerto Madryn, but didn't see the penguins sadly. So beautiful and neat. 

Everything good here!  I miss you lots and love you lots!!!!!

amy

April 16, 2018

April 16, 2018 35 weeks down.

hey momma!

HAHA you are idealizing me now? oh uh.... thats not good... you might be real disappointed when i get home haha! but you’re sweet

this week was... not good. hard and no one wants to listen to us. but Saturday and Sunday were super amazing!!!!

haha yeah they have all been complaining to me too about going back to school. I sure wouldn’t mind going back to school! its really not that bad haha. That’s funny about Ashlyn. Wait, i got cranky when you came down with me in the mornings? i don’t remember that at all. I thought that i enjoyed it?! hmm, I’m really starting to lose my memory of the life before the mission haha.... yes i sure would enjoy a few moments with you in my mornings now!!!

awww i cant believe Brandon will turn 12. cant believe it. cute little guy. he will be so good passing the sacrament on sundays. i will really miss being able to see that. i cant wait. he’s such a good worker, so smart. Still learning a lot in school and impressing the heck out of everyone? I’m glad he’s a good little worker. and that Aly is sweet and tranquila and easy going. I cant believe she will be graduating soon

duck legs! hey way to go... the kids liked them??? awesome

i miss your food!

way to go dad!!!!! Im glad he’s trying to be healthier. Oh, i hope he quits soon. Gets a job doing something easy going, something he actually likes to do. And yeah, i would be super down to move to Wyoming or somewhere... but only if we can take our ward with us hahaha sooo not possible but hmmm. id love to live the country life, more simple. more like Argentina! ( a little... haha)

160 of Spanish way to go! entonces como te vas con tu espanol? bien? estoy orgullosa!! Te amo mucho mami

im so jealous of your cooking, eating well, running, exercising... i dream of the day i can do that again. i feel so ugly all the time, i refuse to look at old pictures of before the mission. i feel like i look like a different person. not because I’ve gained weight, but because i look just, different. whiter, a little bigger, no muscles at all,  short hair... it makes me sad. i don’t know what to do. i am getting a tiny bit tanner here because there is more sun, and my hair is growing, but im quite sure ill never look the same again and it makes me depressed.

i exercise a lot more in the mornings and have realllly cut back on gluten, a lot. 

i hope you get the box back soon as well! ugh. when does dad go to BA? 

i miss you a lot too. you guys are on my mind a lot, maybe a bit too much. i constantly dream or during the day have random flashbacks. i miss you all. but hey 10 months really doesn’t sound that bad. 10 months ago i was coming home from BYU... that feels like yesterday.

hah you have not failed as a parent why would you say that. i think you are a better parent than ever before. you are so amazing, you have no idea mom the parents of the people and missionaries here. they are awful. there isn’t any love. i feel spoiled when i get to say i have two parents, active in the church, that write me each week. thats rare. 

i LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU. i hope you are happy and well. Im doing well. Learning a lot. my studies of the scriptures are amazing. The hour that we study flies by in a second. Spanish is natural now. a little harder, now that i have a gringa companion and we like to joke in english sometimes, but someone today told me in a store that my accento es lindo. So that made me happy, even though i have a gringo accent at least its pretty ... I guess hahahahaha

love you send more pics

ames

April 9, 2018

April 9, 2018- 34 weeks down

hey guys! whats going on! Sorry I haven’t sent out a lot of group emails lately... Time is so limited to write, but I always think of you all back in TO and love you all!

So this week... after Conferencia with Presidente Salerno, we finally got back to my area late late Tuesday night. So we got back to work Wednesday, with expectations and spirits high. Well.... it turned out to be a week of rejections, closed doors, investigatores calling us to tell us they don’t want us to teach them or visit them anymore, people with baptismal dates closing the door in our face and telling us to not come back... yeah long story short it was rough, especially after a super uplifting conferencia. Sadly, i let it get to me a bit. i was pretty downtrodden and i still worked my hardest, never letting the hard times get in the way of my work... but it definitely had an effect in me. Well, the Lord was still listening to my prayers, because starting Saturday and continuing into Sunday we saw lots of Miracles that made me and my companion realize that he is here still, helping and guiding us and blessing us for our efforts.

we have 1 investigator progressing a lot... her name is Karen. 24 years old, and has a 5 month old baby Ramiro. we contacted her in the street last week, and we’ve already had 3 lessons with her. She’s reading the Book of mormon, and praying and doing everything! Saturday we had a SUPER amazing lesson, and during it she started to cry and told us that since she met us, she has felt a lot more peace and tranquilidad in her life. She feels like she is receiving answers and knowledge. We invited her to go to church Sunday, and she said a bit hesitantly, ok. 

i have to say, i had my doubts she would go. for the last few weeks, we have not had investigators come, because our area is a bit hard and really far from the chapel. But we passed by her house at 820am Sunday morning.... and she was there ready waiting for us!!!!! We went to church together... and 2 other investigatores showed up as well! we were on cloud 9. Testimony meeting was SO powerful, and every single member in their testimonies said I know that this is the church of Jesus Christ. I know he lives. It was such a powerful meeting. 

A few other miracles this weekend was that we saw one of our investigatores out in front of her house, and it had been a week since she had answered us and let us pass by... so we ran over real quick and she let us in. We had an amazing lesson about temples and the plan of salvacion, and at the end as i testified to her i could see the tears in her eyes. Man, theres no other feeling in the world as amazing as when you get to look someone in the eyes and tell them that families are meant to be eternal, and that God has a plan for them. 

Bueno, lots of other amazing things happened this weekend, but thats all thats coming to me in the moment.

Also, when we were in a colectivo (bus) a mochilera (backpack traveler) from buenos aires was rapping in the bus and started rapping about us as missionaries.. it was pretty funny. 

Also i think one of my favorite things from Argentina to eat is Chipa... this type of cheese bread. ohmygoodness its so good. 

Well, thats about it. Im doing good. Working hard. Im so tired all the time but its all good. I miss life at home, but i LOVE the missionary work. I know its the Lord work. and i know that these next 10 months will go fast, so i have to make the most of them while i get the sacred opportunity to be here, as one of the Lords missionaries

I know this church is true! I know without a shadow of doubt in my heart that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. No one could even try to convince me otherwise.

Love you all

Amy

-- 

Mucho amor, 

Hermana Holt 

April 2, 2018

April 2, 2018- 33 weeks down

WOW Happy Easter!!!! Sounds like you all had an absolutely wonderful week! Saw all the pics, watched the video and loved it all. Love hearing you guys talk about me in the video and seeing how cute you and dad are... how normal everything is... blows my mind. Loving all the new clothes you guys have! Mom you look super skinny!

Yeah man General Conference was AMAZING. it was like Christmas day for us haha. I watched half in Spanish, half in English. Its more powerful in English cause its their actual voices. and WOW we are getting a third temple in Argentina!!!!! We were so excited, crying and shouting hahah! And in Russia, man the work of the Lord is REALLY speeding up here in these last days. How crazy. Conference touched me so much, my favorite talk was the last one of the Saturday afternoon session about family history work and how our ancestors can help heal family rifts now in this life. I loved it and it made me cry a ton haha! And hearing the prophet speak so many times was so amazing. I felt the confirmation of the Spirit each time he spoke, that he truly is the prophet. Its an amazing feeling to hear a prophet speak. 

Easter was basically like any normal day, but I made eggs and potatoes and pancakes from corn flour in the morning with my comp, which was nice and a little like home. We made tacos as a district for lunch, then went and watched the Conference sessions. 

Monday we traveled early to Trelew, an hour away, for interviews with presidente. We were there for a few hours, and my interview went real well. I love talking with him, and I could see in this interview he has a lot of trust in me. He asked me if we should keep my area Playa Union open, if there is potential, he trusted my opinion completely, and I said yes there is potential, so that means when the transfer ends in 3 weeks, we will stay in Playa for at least one more transfer beyond that to get some real work in! The grind is on hahaha. we are working like DOGS i tell you. We taught more lessons this week than i have in my whole mission. 25 or something like that. Inviting EVERYONE to baptism, and saw some really amazing experiences and have new investigatores. I have gotten to testify of Prophets and of the Gospel and Christ more in this week than I have in a long time. It was so exhilarating. I love this work. Its so hard still, but man its amazing. 

Monday evening the missionaries from Puerto Madryn arrived, cause we have conference joined with them. So i got to see some old buddies, including Hermana Borba (who was there for a presentation- elder homes, hermana batista, hermana bushmann ( who i communicated with before the mission) and a few others that I love dearly! Such a nice break and nice opportunity to talk and chat. 

Today was conference. from 9am to 5pm.. super long and amazing as always. OH AND LAST NIGHT. we got to stay... IN A HOTELLLL!!!!!!!!! I had a real bed, with a huge thick mattress and pillow and sheets and a shower with high pressure and a huge huge clean bathroom and oh my gosh i almost cried because it was so nice to be in a clean nice room again. All the missionaries were so happy. Its nothing compared to hotels I have stayed in with you and the family, but man it blew me away that I was blown away haha. I felt so spoiled and so happy! 

I learned a lot in Conference today.  I feel older now haha. There are lots more missionaries that are younger than me, and when I say i have almost 8 months and have been in Ushuaia they all look at me like wowww how cool are you haha makes me feel good. And I feel 100 percent comfortable in Spanish which is super great. We even got to watch the movie Coco as a zone last night. SUCH a funny movie, we were all dying laughing and singing the songs under our breaths hahahaha

Man I’m so glad you all enjoyed Randolph so much. I want to go there so bad, to live there in a such peaceful country like environment. That’s my dream too haha. 

Awww and how fun you got to see the Pomars and spend time with the Lees and Sims and everyone, birthday cake and Easter and everything. whatta time. So glad you guys are having so much fun!

Did my package arrive home yet? Because if it did, i wanted to ask for two small things if possible... a few more of those small black slip socks i use, cause i every single one i have have  huge holes already, and a cortaid, a small one.

Also one thing.. if you can’t do it its TOTALLY fine.. but I’ve already worn through two of my three pairs of shoes.... and if you could send the black ones again it would be so awesome but if not its fine, they still work and are functional.. As long as it doesn’t rain much because they’ve all got a few holes in them now from walking so much hahah. But if its expensive or whatever then don’t worry about it, I can find more shoes here maybe. 

But yeah thats it. I’m doing good. i feel happy and am adjusting real well. Time is going fast. So many things are changing and progressing. Almost half of my mission goes home in June and July, so some big changes will be coming up.

well, mom, i love you. i love you so much! take care, i love your emails.  I  miss you so much!

ames

March 19, 2018

March 19, 2018- 31 weeks down

short letter! hi mommy whats up!

yeah this week was better... way different... i feel like I’m in a different country or something... completely different from Ushuaia in so many ways

Bus ride wasn’t fun.. but it was nice to be able to sit and sleep and do nothing for 30 hours haha, nice break from the usual insane missionary life. but it was long, and i basically didn’t eat for 2 days and only slept 3 hours at a time at the most.. but i arrived in one piece!

My new companion is from Utah, but is Samoan. Hermana Lapuaho. she has 1 year in the mission, but i feel like she has less time than me. shes super sweet and i know ill learn a lot from her. we have a ton of deseos to go and work.

My area is called playa union, rawson, trelew. its a tiny beach town in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. ok imagine this. the mojave desert, but next to the ocean. and a tiny little beach town plopped right in the middle of it. one road that leads to a town thats a little bigger called Rawson, and THATS IT. MOM THERES NOTHING HERE. i looked around, and it looks like the mojave desert. and feels like it too. crazy winds, heat, dirt. you walk outside for two seconds and are covered head to toe in dirt.

oh and we opened my area in a whitewash. which means that there have not been missionaries in playa union for several months, cause presidente closed it. but he reopened it, put us two here to see if the area has potential to progress, and if not, he might close it again. Its insane. But i like it. its super different. we are 5 seconds from the ocean, which is neat. and there is not a hill or mound or mountain in sight. i dont think they exist here haha.

so glad that grandpa is improving. wow roadshow looked like it turned out amazing! watched the videos, couldn’t really hear much, but loved the pictures and the outfits and everything, looks super awesome. hope they had a blast. 

loved the pics you sent.

you have a renter in the guest house? cool! I didn’t know that

ohhh poor ginny. she’s better though? yikes

so fun that you are gonna head up to Randolph! Send pics! Should be super awesome. 

wow thats right, its almost general conference and easter! what the heck where is the time going. i now have more than 7 months! and Brigitte is a missionary ahhhhh! So cool!!!!

Loved your story about the hermanas in trader joes.... how lucky they are! i miss trader joes!

We did our shopping for food today. had to walk 20 minutes to the store, shopped, and my comp is so skimpy with money its not even funny, then dragged our bags the 20ish minutes back to the house. and the wind was so bad that it almost blew us away- literally, if you want to know what my area is like. think of the mojave desert where we go quad riding. its the same !!!! hahaha

Presidente salerno called me two nights ago. he wanted to talk and see how i was, clear up some things about the situation in Ushuaia, and tell me that i have his 100 percent confidence and support, that i was in the right about everything i did, that he loved me and is super super proud of me and i have his trust. and hermana borba told me in her last interview with presidente that he mentioned me by name as a future leader in the mission, which makes me happy. 

oh yeah, hermana borba! on my trip up north, i ran into borba in Rio Gallegos, and we passed an hour together chatting! I was so happy to see her, an old face that i loved that i actually cried haha. Thats how happy i was to see someone who loved me. 

i really miss you guys! i love you. I keep thinking that each week brings me a little closer to being home. I focus in the mission, and its hard hard brutal work. lots of pressure, responsibility, and we are alone out here in this little town, with the closest missionaries like 30 minutes away by bus. I’m a little lonely, but learning  a lot. 

I’m in a ward again! but its small, like 70 people maybe. But they like to work, the leaders are absolutely amazing, and i feel like I’m back in church again. the members are so kind and actually talk to us and we have lunches. i told everyone i cant eat gluten. so they think I’m celiac. cause the word gluten free or intolerant apparently doesn’t exist here. so I’m known as the celiac missionary now. but whatever, i haven’t eaten gluten in a week, and the stores here have tons more gluten free options, so its all good.

i think my hair and skin hate this area, cause i feel nasty all the time.

oh and when we arrived to our pension, it was abandoned cause no one has used it in months, and DISGUSTING: like you cant even imagine. we cleaned for 1 day straight and its better but it wasn’t even livable beforehand. oh gosh it was awful while we were cleaning the bathroom my poor comp was dry heaving haha.

well, ask some questions! what else are you wondering, do you want to know? Love you guys more than i can say

ames

March 12, 2018

March 12, 2018- 30 weeks down

Hi mom! so yeah you listened to the recording.. couldn’t type all that so yeah...

last week wasn’t hell week... this week was. but its all good. maybe I’m laughing too much cause I’m in shock.

SO IM GETTING TRANSFERRED TO......

TRELEW (playa union) !!!!!!!!

Tomorrow at 5am I'm going in colectivo for the joyful 30 hour bus ride to Trelew.... my comp is from Samoa and Utah... she has like 14 months i think? and we are both companera mayor so basically we are gonna be able to work a ton and baptize MUCHOO.I’m so pumped to not be trained or be training... although Ii do really like training. I’ll arrive there sometime Thursday I think.

AW I loved your email, your videos!!!!!! made my day seeing the video of the family all happy eating dinner... i cant believe that this exists still... I forgot all about what the house looks like, what you guys look like... AH! hahah!

haha you talked to presidente?? He’s amazing. yeah, they cant get involved in packages and beg us not to fedex them... I didn’t know you were gonna do it like that or i would have told you other wise... sorry- so is it gonna arrive or no? its all good don’t worry at all. Presidente is literally the best person on the planet i love him so much.

So glad that grandpa is improving. I was so sad and worried and crying a bit after I printed out your last email and read it, broke my heart, but what a miracle. what a miracle. I hope to see part of that as blessings from my service. I loved your email, but absolutely hated it at the same time, cause I wanted to be there with you guys.

Wow way to go Aly. She’s so smart, so strong. I was thinking about her a lot this week, about what’s she’s gonna do now... I think thats a really smart idea to go to Idaho for a semester, then Provo. I believe its a Not Now, not a No also. She’s amazing. I hope she is still happy and making the good decisions necessary with Ryan, mission, and school.

Also, how is it already March. this week I’ll hit 7 months. 7 months mom what the freak. Ill be home in exactly 11 months today i think. whattttt in the world. 

Thats good dad went to the baptism.. how did it go with Grandma? she writes me a lot, which is good. Makes me happy. I hope things are improving at least a little bit.

But despite the hell that broke lose this week, i saw miracles. we had SEVEN investigadores in church. THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN MY AREA. I was so happy i almost cried. and now 4 of my dear investigadores are getting baptized this month... right after i leave ushuaia. in my heart they are my baptisms... but i know it doesn’t matter. it hurt to have to say goodbye to say many people yesterday. especially Alejandra and la familia Lira. i love them so much. They all gave me so much thanks for my work and example and diligence. made me so happy. and saying bye to Laura also was so hard. we cried. but she is so happy to hear that you guys want to go to their sealing in buenos aires, was telling everyone about that. haha 

Hope you understood what we were saying in the recording. To be short and not give details, there is a lot of disobedience here in my area and district. So I tried to correct things with my missionary leaders, then went to presidente, and when presidente began to change and fix things, all the crap got thrown on me for correcting things. I’ve been called in church by my ward mission leader a servant of the devil... attacked.. hated.. and yesterday all hell broke loose when hermana simons called emergency divisions and all the missionaries of andino and the zone leaders arrive at their house... i had to keep one elder from fighting the other that told on his disobedience... the zone leaders stood up for me when that same elder began to attack me.. the hardest part was that this elder is my dear friend. and the things that happened between us two was all miscommunication. So with both of us crying, we talked it out and explained everything and cleared up a lot of stuff. I asked permission from the leaders right then and there to hug him, because after the conversation and fights that were going on, i couldn’t leave in peace with just a handshake. i couldn’t, i was dying instead and so was he and everyone else. Everyone was so hurt and so done. So they gave me permission and i hugged him. and he cried. It was so hard... but i say all this because it happened and i want you guys to understand whats really going on right now for me. not gonna lie and say i had a good week.. i didn’t. but i feel happier now. stuff is still going done, but i feel better. learned a lot. and there is a whole lot of changes in Ushuaia right now. but its all good in the hood. i don’t want you to worry. i think I’m officially a grown adult now, dealing with the leaders of the branch and the mission and all this... what more do i need hahaha. 

but I’m happy to be leaving tomorrow and having a new start somewhere far away. but ill definitely be leaving a piece of my heart here in Ushuaia. its my home, i love it so much. i grew up here and learned so much. i love the missionaries, the people, the members. i love them.

so i uploaded a butt load of pics and a video

oh yeah!

we hiked up to a glacier here in Ushuaia last p day and took a lot of sick pics. it was amazing. 3 hours of straight up to the top of a mountain where the glacier resides. i sat on top of it and ate a alfajor, so basically my life is complete. i went to the end of the world, sat on a glacier, and ate argentine food. yeah not much more i need to do with my life

sorry for the novel. i love you. you look so pretty in the pics and video.

i hope everyone is happy and healthy. 

love you guys

ames