HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA TANNER!!!!!

Hola Queridos!

Cómo andamos? Let´s start this week off with a scripture.... ´´And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saith not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s.´´ 1 Samuel 17:47.  I wanted to share this because my comp and I have been working a ton out here in the mission field.  Sometimes we don´t get the results that we want but that is ok, because the battle is the Lord´s, and no matter what we are going to win.  The glory just comes in the time of the Lord.  I don´t know if what I wrote made any sense.  Just know that it made sense to me in Spanish.  Basically what I want to say is that I am in the Army of the Lord and it is awesome!

A while ago we found a family that is going through a few difficulties.  It has been a little hard to find them because the dad works like crazy.  Finally this week we found the dad, Marcelo.  We had an awesome chat with him.  This guy just laid all of his problems out on the table.  My companion and I just bore testimony of our loving Heavenly Father and that the Gospel will change his life.  We also taught the guy how to pray and he offered a heartfelt prayer.  One of the coolest parts of the mission is hearing people pray.  But it was an amazing experience to promise this man with all the confidence in the world that the gospel will bring happiness to his family.  I love a quote by Pres. Benson: ´´Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family.” My companion and I have been praying to find families and we hope that Marcelo and his family will get progressing.

We saw an elderly man sweeping the street outside of his house, and we went and offered some help.  Argentines have difficulty accepting help but eventually we convinced the man.  We swept up his street real quick and then he let us into his house to teach.  Service is the best.  I am pumped up just writing about it.  We gave him the Restoration shuffle real quick and invited him to be baptized.  He didn´t accept baptism but he wants us to come back. Patience is the key.  One tiny step at a time.

This week I have found several opportunities to pray out loud.  In the mission you are always with a companion and vocal prayers are forgotten.  I have gone out of my way to do it this week and it has been awesome.  The prayers have probably been the most spiritual part of my week. I felt so much comfort and guidance from Heavenly Father.  Isn´t it amazing that the most all powerful being in the world listens to each and every one of us?  My challenge for everyone this week is to say your own personal vocal prayer.  If you do it with real intent and a broken heart it will be a great experience.

I love you all.  Thanks for your examples, your prayers, your love, and your support.  And everyone give my Grandma Tanner a big hug for me!  It was her birthday yesterday! I love you grandma!  Have a good week everyone!

Love,

Elder Maynard

 Pictures from Elder Pearson when we went to a place called Feliciano a while ago

 Cumpleaños de la mision

 Fourth of July

 squished in presidents car

 lights

 dinner

 Consejo de Lideres

 Salmon milanesas

Divisions this week

 Dancing in the Moonlight, Santa Fe is so awesome

 we made salmon milanesa 

 lunch with familia Diaz

 Facturas on bus

 the only true church

 Zone meeting

 divisions 

 Secretly eating alfahores with Elder Blackmon

Party Week Continues

Hey Everyone!

Well this week was transfer week and once again it was filled with lots of meetings and with TONS of food!  It makes for some great spiritual moments and a stomach ache here and there :O Just a week of craziness and it is hard to remember it all but here we go....

This week we had a Family night with Flia Diaz in the Ward where we watched the video of the Restoration to try to get some referrals.  One of our lessons this week with Alberto also consisted of watching ``The Restoration.``  In my mission I have probably watched it 30 times, but EVERY TIME every single time I am overcome with the Spirit.  You all can watch it here https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2008-06-01-the-restoration?category=feature-films&lang=eng It is better to experience what I experience instead of my mixed up Spanish and English mind trying to describe it.  The spirit testifies of the truth every time.  

We have also had lots of progress with Alberto this week.  The crazy workaholic tells us that he is going to make it to church at any minute.  Well we taught him the word of Wisdom this week and he says that he can do it.  he is a little doubtful but he is willing to try.  That is awesome.  That is how faith is built.  When we move forward and work even when we aren`t sure about it.  He says that he wants to be baptized.  He says that he is a good person but wants to get down there in the water to clean up any sin that he has missed haha He is awesome.  We have been working a ton with him and he has progressed a ton!  he just needs to come to church!  

I had a cool experience this week where I went on Divisions with THE ELDER CLAYTON.  before work we kneeled down to pray and it was just like the good old times.  We read Alma 24 with less active member and the spirit was awesome.  The Book of Mormon is just a one way ticket to feeling good.  It was awesome to be with Elder Clayton now that both of us can speak Spanish now haha 

I have been thinking a lot lately that there are so many things that I can improve as a missionary and as a person.  It is a little overwhelming if you think about it.  There are just too many things to perfect in this life.  I have had a feeling of peace lately about this subject that everything is all right.  Everything is going to turn out good in the end.  I am not going to be perfect after these two years, neither at the end of my life.  The important part is that we take steps down the road to eternal perfection. I love that my journey didn`t start 14 months ago, neither will it end in 10 months.  I have been walking down this road and I will continue to be walking down it tranquilamente.  Life is good.  

Por favor Sepan que la iglesia es verdadera.  La felicidad se encuentra en el Evangelio de Jesucristo.  Agarren la barra, sigan firmes, y que tengan una buena semana. Vamos Israel!

Besitos,

Elder Maynard

Alberto gave us pan (bread) made out of cow fat

 we ate this purè pie and it was delicious

 Yes mom I eat lots of FOOD! :)

 And hermano Carlotta.  He served with Brittney in neuquen

 We back ot the Prez`s house

 YES MOM I EAT FOOD :)

 Mom, Did I tell you that I eat food? haha Love you :)

 Mom I think you should be more worried about me preaching the gospel instead of me eating food.  Does Elder Maynard work? or all that he ever does is eat? haha

 Mom, 2 out of three of my packages arrived! WOOHOOO!

 Art museum in Santa Fe

 Dinner to welcome the new elder and new sister to the mission

 More food pics to prove to my wonderful mother that I am eating

 Sunrise

 A kid in our ward who we sent off to serve a MINI mission.

Meeting for new missionaries

 Just getting some mission warrior pics in

 I get tired and need to drink coke

 Taking a bus to council of leaders

 I found carpet in presidents house!

 Where is president? Nah.... Elder Maynard runs things around here now.

 I wanted to show you all how I did my tie yesterday hahaha :)