Argentina ~week 67

So this week was pretty busy as always the first week of a transfer, but it was great!

Tuesday was just a normal day. We went out and contacted several people, met some of the members and set appointments. My area is pretty big, so we have to take buses alot, but it's great! That night we had English classes in the church.

Wednesday we had district meeting in the morning. It was my first time eaching that, but we just introduced ourselves, we set weekly goals, and I asked them what they'd to do in our meetings and activities. Then we went out to work, met some less actives and one of our investigators whose son got baptized and went on a mission. She didn't get baptized yet because she says she doesn't feel comfortable in the church. That night we had family night in the church.

Thursday morning I had District Leader training in the morning and they told us our responsibilities. I have to call them every thursday and sunday, collect their reports, do baptism interviews, do exchanges with every elder, and prepare a class every week in district meeting. Then we taught a new investigator and had dinner with a member.

Friday morning we had an appointment with a crazy guy. He was gonna be a new investigator but I think he has severe ADHD haha. We had lunch with a member and went contacting then did weekly planning at night.

Saturday we spent a lot of time organizing the area book which was a disaster, and choosing people we will go visit from there (old investigators, etc.) and did some contacting.

Sunday we had church. Our ward is small, but pretty nice. We're planning an open chapel here in two weeks. We had a small correlation meeting and I shared my testimony in sacrament meeting. Then we went to look for some less actives and new investigators in the cold.

Today we had district activity. We went to the institute building, played pool, foosball, pingpong and a mexican elder taught us how to make tacos.

Here is a picture of our district.

Anyways it was a great week. I know that the Lord blesses us depending on our level of obedience. If we do our best, we will see fruits, maybe big, maybe small, and some we never expected no matter what. D&C 130:20

Have a great week everybody!

-Elder Severtson

Argentina ~week 66

So this week was pretty busy nothing too big or exciting. Also, I don't have very much time so I have to write quickly. This week we didn't have a lot of time to work because we've been planning an open chapel, but now I'm not going to be there.

Tuesday we had district meeting and in the afternoon we had several appointments that got cancelled.

Wednesday I was on exchanges all day with Elder Araneda, my district leader's companion.

Thursday we visited several people throughout the day. Including Felisa our convert from like 3 months ago.

Friday we had weekly planning and then lunch with Felisa. We did some contacting in the afternoon. That night they called us and told us our transfers, but only if we went or not, they didn't tell us where.

Saturday we had a white storm in Berazategui, the ward next door to ours so we were there almost all day. Then we had to come back in the afternoon to teach English Classes, and plan the open chapel we are going to have.

Sunday was a great day at church. Felisa came, and I was able to take some pictures with a few people. We had lunch with the Silva family then in the afternoon I packed.

This morning I went to transfer meeting. My new companion is Elder Drake from Texas, he has 2 transfers in the mission, and I'm in a new area in a new zone - Villa Elisa in La Plata. It's pretty close by my other wards, in fact it borders my first two. It's a small ward, only about 40 actives according to my companion, and we share the ward with two sister missionaries, so anyways we'll probably be cooking in the pension alot.

Also now I'm a district leader in charge of 11 other missionaries. Some of them I know from before, so that's pretty cool. I'm grateful for the new responsibilities.

Anyways, I'm like out of time, so I'll let you know more next week.

Here are some picture of me with Felisa, me with my old companion, and our new pension. Also I'll send another email with a few more pictures.

Have a great week everyone!

-Elder Severtson

Argentina ~week 65

So this week was pretty cool. We were able to help alot of people.

Tuesday morning we had district meeting as usual. After we had lunch and taught our convert Leandro's sister, Ruth. Also another one of their friends was there and we taught her too. Ruth wants to get baptized after seeing how it helped Leandro. The only problem is that she has a problem with smoking that we are trying to help her with.

Wednesday we had several appointments that ended up getting cancelled. But we were able to contact several people who may become future investigators.

Thursday we were contacting in most of our free time. We taught Ruth again. We are beginning we the commandments now, because she understands very well the principles of the Gospel. That night we had executive committee. One of the other elders got into an argument with the first counselor because they are always really negative, and never do anything to help us. There have been lots of problems with this ward, and I worry alot about our convert Felisa because nobody in the ward has gone to visit her. Also the ward leaders always make excuses not to do stuff. Anyways I try not to argue or be negative back with them. It's just frustrating sometimes, It's hard to know how to help them.

Friday morning we had planned to do divisions with a recently reactivated kid, Facundo, and also Royer. Facundo is preparing to go on a mission and we want to help him alot and also Royer who was less active a few months ago. Unfortunately they both slept in, so we couldn't do the divisions. Latert that day we did visit Felisa because she hadn't gone to church for like 2 months already. We are worried about her because we though she was really prepared for baptism. But luckily she always wants to go, and is always praying and reading, it's just problems with her family that stops her from going. That night we did weekly planning.

Saturday we had a tormenta blanca (white storm) in my old area, Hudson. It was cool to be able to go there, and see some of the members. After that we practice for a choir we did in the other ward's sacrament meeting because we share a building with them. Then we taught English classes that night.

Sunday at church was cool because we got a less active family to show up. They also called a new ward mission leader who is very excited. Felisa didn't come, but leandro did again, and he brought his down syndrome brother. Also Facundo's mom came, who isn't a member, and we had taught her a few times.

Anyways that's it for this week. It was great to be able to help many people. Next Monday is transfers and I'm pretty sure I'm leaving. I think I'm ready for that though, I've been here a long time.

Here's some pictures: It's really cold here, me in my old area, and me with my companion on the bus.

Have a great week everyone!

-Elder Severtson

Argentina ~week 64

So this week was pretty great. We were able to work hard and receive many blessings.

On Tuesday after the district meeting we had lunch with the Silva family. Then the rest of our appointments were cancelled but we were able to contact some new people to teach.

On Wednesday we had 3 appointments set up. First we were going to teach Olga and answer her question about what happened to her son that committed suicide, because one church told her he went to hell. We were all planned to answer that, but she wasn't home. Then, after lunch we got a new investigator named María, and taught her the restoration. One funny thing that happened was as soon as she grabbed her bible, the power went out. Also, at the end of the lesson we taught her how to pray and her grandson was copying her and she told him to stop but he just copied that too. Then we went to the Ledesma family that we found last week.They asked us the same question that Olga had for us before so we were able to answer easily. They told us that the Jehova's witnesses couldn't answer us, haha. They didn't accept a baptismal invitation, but will keep learning from the Book of Mormon. Then we had mission correlation.

Thursday morning we had a service project, mixing cement to cover a roof. After lunch we taught Facundo, one of the young men that went inactive. He actually called us to visit him, after he had been avoiding us for awhile, and we helped him and he came to church sunday. That night executive committee was cancelled again.

Friday we did weekly planning in the morning. After we got a new investigator, Ruth, Leandro's sister. Before she wasn't interested, until she saw the changes Leandro made. She accepted a baptismal invitation too.

Saturday my companion was sick all day.

Sunday at church none of our investigators showed up. Leandro came, and also one of the Silva family's friends, belen, who later that day became an investigator.

This morning we played soccer at the church then came here to write.

Here's a panorama of our pension, and a picture of our district.

Have a great week everyone!

-Elder Severtson