HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Hey Everyone!

Feliz Noche de Las Brujas y/o Dìa de Los Muertos!  I wish I could bulge myself with some Papa Murphey`s pizza right now haha  Everyone give my mom a big hug because today is her favorite holiday! Or at least it was, I am not sure if it is still her favorite holiday now haha  I think I am going to eat some ice cream tonight and If I get lucky maybe I will have a nightmare.   We will see how it goes.

🎃🎃🎃

This last week was pretty awesome!  Mariana and Alejo made it to church!  They now have been 3 times and they can get baptized!!! WOOOHOOO Their Baptism date is the 12th of November so we are getting ready for that.  They are awesome!  This last week we taught them The Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity.  Alejo was a little disappointed that he can`t drink tea, but his mom laughed and said that he only drinks tea like 3 times a year haha  He said that he could give it up.  Also poor Alejo is 12 years old and did not understand a thing that we said when we taught the Law of Chastity.  But everything is all good and they are in the fast line to baptism! Elder Pearson and I are pretty excited, hey the whole ward is excited! WOO HOO!!!

Here in Santa Fe we ride a lot in Taxis.  We always share the gospel with the taxi drivers whether they like it or not haha We have actually had a bit of success with this in the mission.  A few taxi drivers have come to church a few times and others have given lunch to the missionaries haha  But this week we found a taxi driver who just looked at all of the bad in the world and couldn`t accept that there is a God that lets all of this happen.  We talked with him for a good while and we calmed him down a bit. Before we left from the taxi we said a small prayer with him.  He thanked us and said that he felt a lot better.  A small prayer can change a lot.  I love all of the little moments and experiences like this that come from the mission.  It is a good time.   

I have been studying Doctrine and Covenants lately and I love that it is full of promises from God.  I have been overwhelmed with all of the promises and blessings that God has in store for us.  He has glory prepared for us that we cannot even comprehend.  We just have to be obedient and do all the small things every day.  We have a recipe in the mission called OLA.  Orar (Pray)  Leer (Read) and Asistir (Attend church)  If we do these simple things, then we progress and we hold firm to the iron rod.  If we do these things then we can qualify for the blessings of God.  I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.  Doctrine and Covenants 82 : 10.  Also I love another promise that comes from the Book of Mormon¨:

And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.   Mosiah 2: 22

he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you.  Mosiah 2: 24

I know that the scriptures are true and I know that god does in deed bless us.  Just continue on with faith! I love you all! Have a great week and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Besitos,

Elder Maynard

 Elder Guevara caught me with his Pokeball haha

Divisions with Concordia! 

 Lunch with Hermana Atausupa.  She is from Peru and makes us awesome new stuff. Also that day we did a service project for her, we paved her wall with cement.

 Divisions and Food with Zone Leaders!

 Elder Maynard made peach cobbler?

 Breakfast with Investigators Edgardo y Etel!!

Almuerzo with the Familia Zuviria!

Lunch with the boys

Progress

Saludos a Todos!

Elder Pearson and I have had some of the best few weeks lately.  We have been working so much here in Costanera.  I cannot believe that we have been here for more than 6 months.  The time has gone by so quick and the blessings are coming.  I realized yesterday that we have had so much progress here.  All of the members are more excited about the missionary work and they are joining us to more lessons lately.  A ward mission leader was called reciently and that has helped us out a lot.  We have organized a Family Home Evening every week to give the members opportunities to bring friends and family.  We are improving!! When we got here, the church attendance was about 30 members, but now every week we have about 40 people in church.  Every once in a while I like to make a list of the blessings.  Sometimes we get a little negative as the trials go on throughout the day.  But when we look up and count our blessings, we really see the goodness of God.  Seek the good and you will find the good.

We are teaching a mother, Mariana, and her son, Alejo.  They are awesome and super nice.  They have already come to church 2 times, and they are progressing with our lessons. Alejo is 12 years old and a stud.  During one lesson I was sneezing a lot, I think it was due to lots of dog hair in the house, but during the closing prayer Alejo said ``Please bless Elder so that he has good health.`` haha That touched me, Thanks buddy.  Mariana says that she is filled with peace during church and when we visit them.  They are doing really well and we are going to shoot for their baptism the 12th of November.  

We are teaching a couple, Edgardo and Etel, and they came to church with us on sunday!  We took them facturas for breakfast and drank mate cocido before heading to the chapel.  They are so awesome too.  The last lesson that we had with them, they were waiting outside of their door for us hahaha  They led us right into their house where there were only 2 objects on a clean table.  The first object, the Book of Mormon of Edgardo.  The second object, the Book of Mormon of Etel.  It was so awesome!  I love when people are ready waiting for us to arrive.  We taught them the Sabbath Day that night, it seems like it worked. :)

I have been feeling super blessed lately.  The mission has been a humbling experience. We are useless servants, yet the Lord still blesses us with miracles every day.  I am doing great, I am having a good time.

Besitos,

Elder Maynard

When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

PS: GO CUBS GO!!!

LDM

Hey Everyone!

How are we doing? I am doing great and I am a little tired because we just got done playing basketball.  Basketball is the best.  It is God´s favorite sport because He puts a basketball court in all of His churches.  There is no argument there.

We went on a trip this week to La Paz for a Zone meeting.  A few things built me up during the trip.  1.  There is a zone leader, Elder Gomez, who is a convert to the church.  He told me all about his conversion story.  The missionaries contacted him and taught him the restoration.  Elder Gomez then left and did visits with them.  He was just a contact and he did visits with the missionaries!! He got baptized in 2 weeks.  Then after one year as a member he left on the mission.  What a stud.  Just an awesome story that God is a God of miracles.  2.  We had a bus driver on the trip who said ´´Hola.´´ kindly to everyone and who passed out candy to everyone.  He had a voice like the white yeti from the movie ´´Monsters Inc.´´  haha  One lady asked him,  ´´Why are you so nice?´´  The bus driver responded to her,  ´´Because it doesn´t cost anything to be nice.´´  That stuck out to me.  It is so true.  The man brightened my day.

Well, Elder Pearson and I have been so blessed lately.  We have found lots of new people to teach.  It has been a fun week.  We have been really busy which just makes the time fly by.  I think that we have had a lot of success with new people lately because we have been putting a lot of focus on the Book of Mormon.  

I love a promise from Marion G. Romney ´´I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness.´´ 

I think that we can thank our success to this great promise.  Lots of our investigators are beginning to read the Book of Mormon.  Their hearts are being softened and they are beginning to feel the love of God.  Every time that I read the Book of Mormon I have peace.  This is the greatest testimony to me that this book is true.  

Have a great week everyone!  

Love,

Elder Maynard

 Lunch for the day!

 I love how there are random busts all through out Santa Fe haha

 BUGS BUNNY 

 HEY DAD I CAN STILL DUNK.  I am still catching alley-oops too

Moon in Santa Fe  

Sun in Santa Fe

 It was so hot outside.  Was it the weather or Elder Pearson and I?  

 Hna Chiapello is our Santa Fe Mom so we took pics with her.

It was mother´s day this past sunday in Argentina. HAPPY MOTHER¨S DAY MAMA :) 

 FISH

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA!!!!! 

I like to take pictures of my eggs.  I want to see dad´s face when I make an omelette DE DIEZ in 7 months :) 

ALFAJORES 

 ALFAJORES

 MOM I EAT FOOD

MONEY 

Money Money Money Money 

A plaza here in Santa Fe 

 Leaving La Paz with 5 boxes of alfajores

 Meeting in La Paz

Lunch

Para Siempre Jamás

HOLA! ¿QUÉ TAL? ¿CÓMO LE VA? ¿TODO BIEN?

One thing that I love about Argentina is that people always say 4 things to say hello haha It is like saying ´´Hello! Good Morning? What´s up? How are you doing?´´ I love it, it makes me laugh sometimes.  

To start this letter off I would like to say Happy Birthday to my little sister Amanda!  She is 18.... :O  I hope you have a great birthday on Saturday Amanda! YOU ROCK! And you have so much swag! ;)

This week was transfer week, so it was full of lots of meetings.  I am fine with that because I get to listen to President Pérez a lot and he will just take you into a spiritual spaceship and blast off.  President Pérez focuses a lot on the personal conversion of every single missionary.  We have to be truly converted ourselves if we want to be able to help other people.  Do we just believe in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ or do we really KNOW that it is true?  We have to KNOW! And if we do not know, then we can always go to our Heavenly Father in humble prayer and ask Him for wisdom.  We read together Moses 5:8 ´Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.´´ I love how this scripture says ´´Forevermore.´´  We aren´t here to serve the Lord for only 2 years, we are here to worship God forever.  That gives me so much comfort.  In the mission, in this life, or after death, I shall worship God forevermore.  The mission is just a step that we take to prepare us for the eternities.  We have to be ready to follow God at all times and in all things, and in all places.  We have to be converted to Him.  He just wants us to follow Him and have the joy that He has.  The church is just so cool and so true.

Due to lots of meetings we weren´t able to work very much this week, but basically all we do is contact people. It is fun and we enjoy it a lot.  

Funny story of the week: Were talking to a guy in a park, and the guy freaks out and points at Elder Pearson.  We didn´t notice but Elder Pearson was standing on an ant hill.  I have never seen so many ants on someone´s pants.  It was so funny.  We spent the next five minutes shaking ants off of Elder Pearson.  Luckily he wasn´t bit.  

I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Happy Birthday Amanda!

Love,

Elder Maynard

Greeting the new missionaries this week. 3 from Utah, 1 from colorado, and 2 from Mexico

Foto shoot with Elder Maynard? haha 

Food after the meeting with trainers and newbies

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKSON!!!! I got the party hat on

Elder Giacoboni goes home soon.  He was my zone leader and I did my very first splits with him.

I got an x ray this week so I took a selfie.  Don´´t freak out, I am completely fine.  I have a funny story coming soon.

This is called Puré pie. One of Elder Pearson´s and I´s creations and it is delicious

Alfahor for 17 months!

 The crew at church, our new ward mission leader. 

 

Alberto gave us a loaf of bread.  its called pan chincharron.  It is made out of little pieces of cow fat but it is absolutely delicious.