HOLA MI FAMILIA!!!!! COMO ESTA?¿?¿?¿?

Wow what a great week! I t has been such an eye opening rewarding spiritual week at that!!!

Well this week with investigators has been rough! We have been trying to visit Y___________ a ton this week but every time we go, she is not there! And that goes for O___________ too! It's sad because they were progressing so much, but we are not giving up on them! We are going to try to see them tonight and tomorrow! I pray that we can reach them!! V__________ is absolutely amazing! We had a lesson with her on Thursday and she said that she wants to be a member of the church and that she loves the Book of Mormon! She was so happy when we taught her. We taught her about baptism and she said that she wants to be baptized! The hard thing is her schedule... she is only available Thursdays and Saturdays. She needs a lot of teaching before her baptism. Its just hard to get to her, but she wants to be baptized! It so great!!!

Well I guess I will get to the spiritual uplifting part of my week!

On Saturday we had an activity with all of the youth in our stake. All of the missionaries in our zone put together a Mini MTC for the youth. We had a great turn out! We split up into companionships and taught them about the mission. There were so many youth that came that almost every missionary had 2 youth with them! I had 2 youth with me. I sent a picture of them. The smallest of the two is M____________. She is 12 years old and got baptized the Saturday BEFORE!!!!! One week baptized and she is prepping to be a missionary!!! My other youth was J_____________. She is 17 years old and amazing!!!! Well after we taught them we took them out into the big world and contacted people in the street and knocked on doors! They were amazing! In 1 hour we contacted 12 people and taught 1 man! We also ran into a man that was not very nice and my poor hermanitas got really discouraged and scared to talk with more people. I told them the scripture when Christ Says ¨Blessed be them that are cast out for my names sake. I told them that Christ basically said if they cast you out, its alright, you just got a blessing! haha Well we kept going and the next person we taught was the lesson that we had with a man!

After the activity we has testimony meeting and the youth got he opportunity to bear their testimonies. J___________ got up to bear hers. She told them about the experience she had with the man, but she then gave thanks for me. She was basically telling everybody that I am a great missionary and that I have an amazing attitude! hahaha It was a little weird to hear it in a testimony meeting but it gave me so much joy and I couldn't help but to cry. I have been so used being cast out or ignored that I am used to it now, but it was neat to hear how I respond to situations.  It was such a blessing to hear that from her!

The time is winding down fast here too. I am realizing how amazing this work really is! It is so amazing how the Lords work is just exploding!!!!!

Remember how a couple weeks I was telling y'all that it was really hot?? Well the leaves are starting to change color and the sound of crunching leaves beneath my feat is starting to happen!! YAY!!!!!! It is now Autumn! During the day it changes from cold to hot then back to cold! Man I have missed that! haha

Well transfers is next week and there is a huge possibility that I will be training next transfer or getting a new companion! Still have not received more sisters in the apartment. I am thinking that we will next transfer!

Well I am out of time!

Love you tons!!!

Hermana Creaason

HOLA mi querida familia!!! Como estan?¿?¿?¿?

Wow what a week! Its been a crazy one, but a good one at that.

This week we had interviews with Presidente Levrino. It was really good. It is the last one that we had with him. He is being released in June and we are getting a new mission president. It is sad. Presidente Levrino is amazing! He has helped me a lot! This week we talked a lot about me spiritually. He asked how I was doing and I told him that satan has not given up working on me. He gave me a lot of advise and he told me about my progress as a missionary. He told me how to keep my chin up and to not give in! And a lot of other things but stuff that is just for me ;)

Well this week was a good one too. Last Sunday our ward had an activity of finding our less actives. In the ward directory in Cabildo, there are more than 1000 members!!!! And on the average 35 are attending!!!!! So they had an activity with the stake president of finding the old faithful.

It was a success. Well for us it was. We got a lot of referrals of families that are part members. 1 family for instance. The Family M___________. They have been inactive for 10 years. We went to see them for a visit and what started out teaching the mom, in a matter of 20 min there where 10 people in the room!! haha Family and friends filled in to listen to our message. There are a lot of times that I forget who I am. I forget that I am a missionary and that I have the message of eternal life. When I was teaching this family the spirit reminded me of this blessing. That I am actually blessing lives! When we left the house I began to cry silently. Not crying because I was sad but I cried because I realized what it was I am doing. It was tears of gratitude!!

I know that satan is trying so hard to make me forget this or to bring me down. I have been on my knees a lot this week, not because its something that I need to do but it has been a moment of comfort. As a missionary we have so many things that are in our minds, at times I feel like my mind doesn't have any more memory space but when I am on my knees, I feel peace. It's a place and a moment of comfort. I have grown to love prayer and now know more than ever the importance of it.

How are you guys with your prayers?? I know that I have gotten after you with your scripture reading but how are you with your prayers?? Doing them as a family? Individually?? Mom, dad are you two praying together? Conner are your praying in the morning when you wake up??? I slacked a lot on prayer before the mission. I took a lot of it for granted. BUT NEVER AGAIN will I let a day go by without praying!!!! I challenge you all to pray. Pray more than you have before!!! YOU LIFE WILL CHANGE!!!!!

Well to answer your question about O____________ and Y___________. They are not progressing. They progressed really fast but their error was they didn't do what we invited them to do: read, pray, go to church, etc. They want to learn more but the problem with that is that the more they learn and they don't act on it. We have lessons planned for them this week and basically its going to be about ACTING in the word of God. Hope it goes well and that they change their minds....

I'm not sure if I told you about V___________. I think I did. If not let me know. Well she is progressing a lot!!!  She loves the Book of Mormon and has received a testimony that it is true! She is just really nervous about baptism. Could you include her in your prayers. That she will have the desire to be baptized and that she will the in the next week?? It would help her a lot!!!

Well Easter here really is like every other day... haha the truth!! Easter here is not celebrated like it is in the states. In the states its something really special and important. Its when we get together and be with family. Here it is a time to get together and drink wine till their drunk.... like every other Sunday night! haha. During church we had a good sacrament meeting. I told you about our ward how their are 35 active members.  Well the whole sacrament meeting was about the mission work and their duty in the work. I gave a talk and we told all of them that they need to follow the advise of Elder Ballard in General Conference. Every member and family needs to study Preach My Gospel! AN APOSTLE OF THE LORD TOLD US TO DO IT!!!! WOWOWOWOW!!! This is evidence that the Lord is hastening His work NOW!!!!

I want to remind you all about this too. Are you following the advise of Elder Ballard or have you forgotten that he said that??? I challenge you all to open your preach my gospel in your family home evenings, personal studies, your talks in sacrament meetings! There is a reason why and APOSTLE OF THE LORD has told us to do so!!!

I know that the Lord is hastening his work and that it is because he needs us to do it! We have been saved for this time to do this work!!!

I came across a quote this week and I have been trying to live by it this week

Obedience is the price
Faith is the power
Love is the motive
The Spirit is the Key
Why??
Because Christ is the REASON!

I know that this is true!

I love you all more than you know and miss you more!!!
Hermana Creason

Oh my what a week! I don't know even where to start!!! Well I guess I will just start from the beginning!

Well remember last time how I said that I was going to be changing apartments??? Well I basically got transferred into a huge problem!

The apartment is a good one. It is a 3 bedroom, 1 bath and a big living area. Its a nice apartment but it was a horror to go into!! Basically what happened the apartment was vacant for 3 months before and the women that lived there before didn't take good care of the apartment.  There was a lot of fixing up to do but the owner sad that she would fix everything up and everything would be perfect when we got there. Well some how she didn't get informed until last Sunday.... when we got there Monday evening we had no electricity, we didn't have water AND cucurachas en TODOS LADOS!!! Lets just say I had a mental breakdown! It was horrible. The elders de zona helped us move and when they were searching the apartment they found horrible things!!!! They said that we could not live there till everything was fixed and cleaned. so this whole week we have been sleeping in La Banda and taking a 45 min bus ride to Cabildo every day! I am so spent!!! But we finally got everything done and will be sleeping in our apartment tonight!!! It was fun sleeping and being in my old apartment but I am glad that we have our own here now!!!

I feel like we have wasted a lot of time this week but really its not our fault! I feel like I have been transferred into a mess! haha The area is great and my companion is too. I guess I should have known that there is no such thing as a perfect area! haha.

Well I think when you sent your email you sent your germs from when you guys were sick! haha yup with all this stress and its starting to get cold here, I have caught a cold.... bummer! It's nothing too bad but its not fun either.

The work this week has slowed down a bit. we have not seen O___________ this week.... every time we went he was not home, and he didn't go to church yesterday, so he wont be baptized this week! We have an appointment with him tomorrow! Cross your fingers!

Well Y__________ had a hard week. Her mother had an emotional breakdown and tried to commit suicide.... she was really emotional we asked her if we could also teach her mom. She invited her mom in for the lesson and we taught about the love of God and that we can find it in this life. It was really powerful! Y____________ prayed to know if the Book of Mormon is true  and she KNOWS that it is but she is having a hard time letting go of her  old catholic ways. We are working on it little by little with her.

This week i think that my name tag has said.

Hermana Creason

Tell me all your problems..

I am serious!! Most of the time I feel like I am yanking out teeth to know what their issues and problems are so that we can better help them but this week EVERY SINGLE DAY we ask one question and out comes all of their problems on a silver platter! haha

For example. We talked to a young adult, M__________, and we were in her home for 2 min and I asked her who was Jesus Chirst for her... 1 min of silence and she spilled out all her problems. She said that she was angry with God because her son is handicapped and that she felt so lonely and sad and that she doesn't know her purpose in life. She cried and cried and cried.  We just listened. After we sat there not knowing what to say but then I felt the need to speak so I did. I testified to her that God loves her and that she has a purpose. I told her that I worked with handicapped youth for a year and it really is a privledge more than anything. We tought her the plan of salvation and she begged for us to come back!

We also had a member yesterday tell us duing lunch that he and his wife are struggling with their sons. They have 4 sons in the age range of 15-20. 2 of his sons are less active and the other is becoming. He told us his concerns as a parent and he didn't know what to do..... I AM 21 YEARS OLD!! haha I honestly had no idea what to tell him but he reminds me a little bit like dad. I told the member of the way I look at my parents. My dad is stern and quick. There is no middle ground with him. Black or white. No gray. But he is also full of love when he teaches and that when he teaches he makes sure that I understand. We will explain the same thing OVER AND OVER AND OVER again, but it works because I understand it. I then explained the example of my mom.  How she has always honored the priesthood right of my dad. She is my friend and she knows me perfectly. She never showed fear and when she was afraid, she didn't let it effect the way she was. She is always there for me and I know that. The member looked at me with tears in his eyes and said thank you.

But I now want to turn that thanks to you guys! Thank you for your example! I want you to know that your example to me helped me teach people her in Argentina! In a way, you guys are the teachers and I am just the mouthpeice!

It is true about the packages. dont send it! I would hate it if it never got to me! I will just use the skirts when I get home. Well I hate to turn down money to buy new clothes but it's starting to get cold here and the clothes that I have for winter are a little big but then again, I really don't have time to go shopping for clothes. We will see how things go once its winter.

Well I am out of time!

Love you lots and miss you more!

Hermana Creason

p.s. Once again, there are no fotos today either. All of my stuff is in my suitcase still but NEXT WEEK I will have lots of pictures to send!!!!

So I am on a little earlier today than normal and I will explain why in a sec but first.... If you loved General Conference raise your hand! (my hand is raised!)

Oh it was so good!!! I really loved every talk! The thing is, is that on the mission every talk applies to you because we are teaching these things and we have people that we are teaching that applies to it! I love general conference in the mission!!! I actually watched conference in Spanish!! I had the option to watch it in English but I figured that this is my last opportunity to listen to it in the mission so why not?? The cool thing was, I understood everything!!! It was cool! I sure have come a long way in my Spanish. I am still learning but I am super surprised of my progress!!! I really can't pick a favorite talk. I really liked Richard G Scott also I liked Boyd K Packer. They were all so good!!!

So as for an update on investigators. Y___________ is still going strong. She couldn't make it to general conference because her mom got really sick and stopped breathing... so she couldn't go. But she is reading the Book of Mormon and inviting her friends to our appointments with her! She is great. She is having a hard time accepting the authority but I think it will come in time as she prays. Her daughter wants to get baptized but first they need to go to church!.

And as for M___________ and O___________. We had a lesson with them this week and we talked about the gran apostacia. They really enjoyed it and understand it better. They said that they would go to general conference on Saturday. Well we waited for them and they never showed up. We called them the whole day and they never answered. Well Sunday after the first session we had lunch with a member and I felt the biggest impression to go find O________... well as my time as a missionary I have learned to act on promptings like this. I told Hermana Garibay that we need to go find him and she said that the next session starts in 30 min. I told her it doesn't matter, we need to go!  So we left. We called a taxi and left. The ride there Hermana Garibay didn't talk to me. I think she was a little mad but when we got there O___________ was doing nothing in his house and he was really excited that we had came because he said that he wanted to go but not alone! So we went with him and just as we sat down in the chapel the conference started!!!! It was so cool!!!! Just evidence that this is the Lord's work, not mine!

We had another investigator attend, V__________. She is the girlfriend of a member. She is interested in the gospel. We had a lesson with her before the session on Saturday and we talked to her about the plan of salvation. She had a lot of interest of the Resurrection because her dad died 5 years ago of a motor accident. Well she couldn't attend Saturday but went Sunday for all the sessions  and her favorite was D. Todd Christofferson! He talked about the Resurrection!

All in all we only had O________ and V__________ attend general conference but it was perfect for the both of them!

As for me, all of my answers were answered! I absolutely have no doubts that this is the true church and that God really does call prophets in these last days!!!!

Well I am having an adventure of adulthood here in Argentina! The apartment here in Cabildo is super, super tiny! There is no room for chairs for our study table in our room so we sit on our beds with the table between us and study there. Well Hermana Garibay and her last companion had been looking for another pension that would be better but never got it settled,  Well we got it settled now. All day today we have been packing all of the house and we are changing apartments!!!! We will have a room to sleep, and room to study and 2 extra rooms to do what ever we like! haha but not for long because President Levrino will send more hermanas to live with us in the future! This is why I am writing earlier. I am so excited!

It's hot here in Santiago but everyone says it is going to get cold here soon. And yes we are keeping really busy! We keep finding =people to teach! I really like this area, the only this is that the members are........ well..... flojos...... for example our bishop didn't go to the priesthood session... he stayed home and watched a soccer game.... haha but we are coming up with plans to get the members into shape! We will see how it goes ! I really like Hermana Garibay. Thankfully I have not had a companion that I have had a lot of difficulties with!

So glad to hear about the family! Can't wait to see everyone again! I really cant believe how fast the time is going! I feel like the time is slipping through my fingers and I don't know how to slow it down!!!! I have 5 months left..... that is NOTHING!!! I really cant believe it!

Glad to hear you guys are doing better!!!

CONNER good luck on your game tonight!! Be sure to tell me how it goes!

Dad I hope the job works out and that all goes well! I am serious if you need anything in Georgia, I got my peeps ;)

I am so glad that we had the opportunity to listen to the prophet this past weekend! It was so good! It is just evidence that God loves us so much.  He is trying to send us anything we need to know the path we need to walk! I know that Thomas S Monson is the prophet of the Lord y sé que este es su obra! no hay un otro iglesia verdadero! uhhhhhh.... just realized I totally typed in Spanish! hahahahahaha

Well pray you all are doing well!

Love you and miss you more!

Hermana Creason

PS fotos next time.... all my stuff is packed away!