Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Just keep working, just keep working

Hola Queridos!
The weeks just start piling up and they keep on coming faster and faster!  We work so much and all the days just seem like one.  We are still in the search to find new people that the Lord has prepared! It is tough, but we aren`t going to give up.  This week we did a service project for our investigator Jose Godoy! We scrubbed down the whole outside of his house so that we can paint it this week.  Climbing up and down questionable argentine latters, and sweeping dirt off the roof.  We wore working suits like mechanics, and flimsy plastic bags to protect our shoes.  Of course my feet didnt fit in the shoe protector so my feet looked like elves.  People think we are weird enough, not to mention they see a tall, skinny, yankee, elf sweeping dirt from a rooftop. haha It was a really fun, unique service project.  I`ll send pictures next week!  I hope that this will help Jose see that we care for him and are here to help him.  We need to get this guy baptized! haha Our other investigators Jessica and Sebastian are starting to have some struggles.  Jessica thinks it is unfair that women cant have priesthood, and Sebastian didn`t come to church because he was tired.  Satan always works hard on people when they start to make good decisions in their life.  We always have to hold firm to the iron rod!  They´re great people who still have faith, and their testimonies are growing slowly but surely.  Hay esperanza en Esperanza!  
We keep working and know blessings will come!  The lord gives us trials and afflictions so that we will humble ourselves and remember Him!  We are nothing, but when we follow Christ, we can become something.  Entonces Be a disciple of Christ! The is no greater work in the world than that of a missionary, and I love being a missionary.  The church is true!  Continue in the faith!  Love you all! have a great week.
Love,
Elder Maynard

Monday, August 17, 2015

Rain For Days


Hola mis queridos!

This week was insane.  Just complete rain, rain, rain.  I couldn´t tell the difference between riding a bike and swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.  It was cold.  But it´s all worth it! haha  Other than being drenched all week we did have some good moments.  We did servicio for the Familia Falkenberg.  We got to chop down some small trees in their back yard.  It felt good to be swinging an axe around. haha We do a lot of the same things every day and it´s nice to do something different, especially in the service of others!  Not to mention the Falkenberg´s cooked us a big old lunch.  Tons of chicken asado and slow roasted sausages.  Argentines know how to cook their meat! Wow, so good.  Right now we are having trouble finding investigators.  We only have about three continuous people that we are teaching.  There are a lot of people who already have `their religion` and don`t want to change.  It`s hard to get into houses.  But our solid investigators Jessica and Sebastian are doing awesome.  Sebastian is such a good guy and he wants to change.  He is working to stop smoking and drinking.  He has cut down on smoking a lot.  I`m proud of the guy.  We taught them the Plan of Salvation this week.  They loved the idea of eternal families.  Jessica said it is the most beautiful part!  Yes it is:)  I love my family!  On the way out the door they gave us a big bag of random groceries.  Cookies, pasta, soup, and a bag of sugar.  Alright! We`ll take it! They are great people.  Progressing!  They have a wedding date for the 11th de September!  It`s going to be awesome.  Also this week we had Stake Conference.  Elder Viñes de los Setenta came and spoke to us.  I love how he said that the Missionaries are gathering the Lost Tribes of Israel.  We are preparing the way for the Lord.  Hoorah for Israel!  It got me spiritually pumped up!  At the conference we sang `We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet` and it was so powerful.  Chills just shot down my back.  My testimony of a living prophet has grown so much on the mission.  I know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God, and the President of the Church on the earth today!  I`m glad that God speaks through prophets to lead us and guide us.  Through their teachings we can avoid the dangers and wickedness of the world.  I`m so excited for general conference here in a few months!  Well everyone, LOVE YOU ALL.  The church is true.  Push on in the faith.  Read and Pray every day.  Repent and progress.  And we will be safe in the hands of our Savior.  Have a great week!

Un abrazo muy fuerte,

Elder Maynard
 
 
I found my argentine baseball team! haha how cool aye? and a photo of this morning! Flags are set up all around town and every shop is closed because of a holiday! haha
 

 
 The only beautiful day this week hahaha

 
One of our investigators gave us groceries. I was happy so took a picture

 
Me in pouring rain with tiger dog!!

 
Got some actions shots on the bike for you guys hahaha :)


 
We went and visited Rodolfo and taught him Restauraciòn.  He is preparing to receive priesthood! WHOOOO

 
Celebrated a milestone this week.  This torta was filled with dulce de leche"!!!!! I cannot describe how delicious.


 
More party time.  Disfrutè mi torta muchìsimo:)


 
You know what it is!  So sweet! Vamos Santa Fe!


 
Service project this week!  so fun!


 
 
The Lord blessed us with a beautiful sunday morning. 
 
 
 Bus ride to stake conference!!!
 
 

8/10/2015


HOLA!

Cómo están ustedes? Another really quick week!  Time flies out here and all the days just seem to get smushed together!  We have two investigators, Jessica and Sebastian. Love these people to death I´ll tell you what!  But they committed to be married!!!! WHOOOO! hahaha Everyone here is ´´together.´´ Nobody is married.  Don´t you know what a family is people? C´mon.  They´re killing us out here.  Anyway this is a huge step for them because they want to be baptized!!! Let´s go!!  Our other investigator, Jose, is a great guy.  He is scared to marry his señora and be baptized because she doesn´t have the same beliefs that he does.  He knows the church is true but this little conflict is holding him back! ahhh It´s frustrating.  The family is so important, and when it´s divided, that´s when problems happen.  We are going to focus more on the family with him! This week we also had a baptism in the rama of a little kid named Bruno!  Kid is so awesome.  Baptism services are just so special and I got to participate in the confirmation!  The Spirit of God is REAL.  One of the greatest blessings of my mission so far has been opportunities to use the priesthood.  A way to serve my fellow men!  Yesterday it rained for about 12 hours straight! Huge puddles in the street that we had to ride our bikes through.  Needless to say I was soaking went.  Socks, shoes, pants, raincoat.  Everything just drenched.  When It rains here, it pours.  Pretty cool to see because never rains like this in Utah haha
This week I studied a lot about the atonement.  It is beautiful.  Christ died so that we can live!  He has already paid the price for our sins, he has already walked our path.  We just need to grab his outstretched arms of mercy, and he will walk alongside us!  He is my Captain, He helps me through my trials.  I´m so grateful for my Savior, and that through Him I can change and become a better person.  I too can overcome!!!  Love you all!  Have a great week! The church is true!

Love,

Elder Maynard
 
 
Me after the pouring rain yesterday! I was drenched!!
 
Chicken President made!!!

 
 
Our rama!!! haha this is where I go to church every week!




 
Baptism for my homie BRUNO!!!

 

Monday, August 3, 2015

8/03/15


Hola!!!

What a week.  We had the confirmation of Rodolfo yesterday! He is now Hermano Kohon! haha It is absolutely incredible to see someone receive the Holy Ghost.  He was just filled with emotions and tears of joy.  Absolutely amazing! After sacrament I had to go over and give him a big old hug.  Man I love that guy, still can’t understand 95% of the things he says but I sure love him. haha He talks in a huge mumble.  His words sound like mumbo jumbo.  This week was filled with priesthood blessings too.  The power of the priesthood is so real. Wow.  We went to the hospital to give a Sister a blessing who is sick.  Such a great experience and opportunity to serve.  The hospitals here are so terrible.  I feel so bad.  I felt like I was walking in a wave of deadly illnesses.  After the blessing we went to go wash our hands in the bathroom, and there was no soap! What kind of hospital is this?  Sheesh.  We had some funny contacts this week.  One old guy came to the door mumbled a whole bunch of nonsense (neither my comp nor I understood), then he told us to wait a minute, and he closed the door and never came back. haha Another one was a dark house.  They turned on the lights, looked out the window, then turned the lights off again, and didn’t answer the door. Alrighty then. haha People are funny.
I want to bear my testimony of the Libro de Mormon this week.  This book is so true everyone.  Whenever I´m having a hard time, I open up that book, and it all goes away.  The power in this book is indescribable.  I bore testimony of it to two of our investigators this week.  I had to fight back tears.  I love this book so much.  Chills rushed down my back all the way to my feet.  Like a wave of spiders.  I know without a doubt in my mind that it is true.  If we apply the teachings from the Book of Mormon into our lives WE WILL CHANGE.  And we will draw CLOSER TO CHRIST. I’m grateful for my Savior and that through Him I can return to live with my Father in Heaven someday.  The church is true.  Love you all and have a great week!

Love,

Elder Maynard
 
 

Not allowed to drink mate but we can drink this mate tea bag thing.  Disgusting

 
Chicken asado with the familia falkenberg!!! haha I love these guys. 


 
 
 I love the fog in the streets here. so sweet. almost every morning theres fog.  I feel like im in walking dead

 
AFTER confirmation of RODOLFO!!! He is a STUD!!