My Week was Good

HOLA!

Another week in the glorious missionary work.  Everyone should go on a mission, it is the only way to really understand how amazing it is.  

We were able to say goodbye to Alejo before we moved areas.  He is a special kid.  He says that he is happy because he is in the true church.  You`re right buddy.  We also said goodbye to Liliana and we ended up cutting her grass in her front yard at 9:00 at night.  Service until the end is the best way to do it.  It is a great feeling.

Tuesday we did the move to our new area, and then in the afternoon we went on a trip to Concordia.  A city about 6 hours away from Santa Fe.  In Concordia we were able to share an awesome story with the 20 missionaries that are in that zone.  We read Acts 8:26-40.  This story just brought the spirit like a flood.  You should all read it.  

These are my favorite verses:

36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

There are people all over that are ready to be baptized.  We just need to find them and explain to them the perfect doctrine of Christ.  I love the faith and the willingness of this man, the eunuch.  ``I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.``  Powerful.  It was an awesome experience.  The numbers in the zone have moved up a lot this week.  We are increasing our faith! VAMOS!  It was a great trip.

Elder Llanos and I are wandering around in our new area.  It is so awesome.  It is a neat experience to be in a place that you have never been and expect to get yourself around.  It is fun.  The best way to learn how to swim is to jump in the water.  Well, since day 1 in the mission, I have been tossed in the water about 80 times.  Can I swim yet?

I want to leave you all with a scripture. Alma 34:32 "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."  This scripture has been helping me lately to just focus on the work.  We have to focus on the day and what we have to do today.  Because today is the day to get the job done.  We can`t change the past, and we shouldn`t be too anxious for the future, we just have to enjoy the day, enjoy the moment, and get to work.  I love you all a ton!  I hope that you have a great week!

Besitos, 

Elder Maynard

Misiòn Argentina Santa Fe

 This is what some of our planning sessions look like.  Its a good time.

 Saying goodbye to a pair of shoes and my W

 Hello new pench

 LZ in Concordia

 Bye Pench

  All of the fun in Concordia

A Change Up

Hey Everyone!

We received some big news this week.  Elder Llanos and I are being transferred to another ward here in Santa Fe.  Our new ward is Mayoraz.  The news surprised both of us, but we are excited to go where the Lord wants us to go.  I will never forget the opportunity that I had to serve in Costanera.  I was there for a little more than 9 months.  Looking back on it, they are probably the the fastest, hardest, yet most rewarding months of my whole life.  My companions and I dug deep down and gave everything that we had there.  I don`t have any regrets.  There were lots of hard moments, but we never stopped, we just kept going forward.  I am so grateful for everyone that I met there.  All of the members are a part of me now, they are my family here in Santa Fe.  The Lord showed me some great miracles through Mariana and Alejo, and Liliana.  These people have showed me a lot and they have exercised faith unto repentance and have made it to the waters of baptism.  I am super proud of them.  During these past 9 months the Lord has taught me a life long lesson.  It is found in Ether 12: 6 "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."  My faith in God truly has increased.  After exercising faith, miracles happened in Costanera.  I can`t put into words how great it was.  I am at peace with everything that has happened in Costanera.  It is sacred ground for me.

Highlights of the week:

-Elder Llanos and I cut down another tree. It is the third time that we have cut down a tree now.  I like swinging an axe too much.

-There are lots of bats here.  There was an injured bat and it was crawling on the ground at night, at first glance I thought that it was a tarantula.  I almost died.

-Elder Llanos loves his peruvian Arroz Chaufa.(ham Fried rice)  He always offers to everyone to cook it for them.  One family accepted this week.  It was the first family that has accepted so we were super excited.  It didn`t turn out as well as we hoped.  To make a long story short, everyone makes fun of Elder Llanos now that he likes his rice hard.  It was super awesome.  Poor Elder Llanos is really embarrassed.

-I have made French toast two times this week.  😍 It has been so long

-I shared 3 Nephi 18: 25 with Liliana this week and I felt the spirit super strong.

I love you all tons! Have a great week!

--

Elder Maynard

Misiòn Argentina Santa Fe
 DyC 128: 22 Hermanos, ¿no hemos de seguir adelante en una causa tan grande? Avanzad, en vez de retroceder. ¡Valor, hermanos; e id adelante, adelante a la victoria! ¡Regocíjense vuestros corazones y llenaos de alegría! ¡Prorrumpa la tierra en canto¡

 There are lots of dragon flies here.

I think that my desk is awesome sometimes 

 Saying goodbye to my friend Juan!  

Is it a frog? Is it a spider? ITS A BAT!!! 

 Family Romero

Lunch with Liliana! 

Somos como Ammon

HOLA!!

The mission is just an adventure.  You meet so many people, you do so many things, and every day you feel a little uncomfortable.  It`s so fun.  

We had a road trip this week.  We went to La Paz. A nice quite town 4 hours away from Santa Fe.  Just traveling in an argentine bus is an experience that you will never forget.  Lots of fun, kind of.  La Paz is awesome because it has lots of green hills, dirt roads, horses, pigs, and of course dogs.  It is a fun change up from the city.  In La Paz we did a Church open house.  It is a huge activity where we basically just fish people into the church so that they can see what it is like.  We were 30 missionaries working together and it was awesome.  I love being with all of the missionaries, we are just an army.  During the church open house, we invite people to be baptized.  15 people accepted a baptism date.  How cool, right?  Super awesome.

In Costanera we are working a lot with inactive members.  We had some cool experiences this week.  There is young man who hasn`t gone to church in years.  His name is Adrian and we have come to be friends with him.  He had originally told us that he stopped believing in God. We invited him to look up a song that has to do with prayer. (Here it is: https://www.lds.org/youth/theme/2017?lang=eng)  He said he liked it.  He has now said 2 prayers with us.  We are trying to get his testimony built up.  We also invited him to eat lunch in the house of a member and he came with.  We saw some small, awesome miracles with Adrian this week.

There is an incomplete family in the ward, Family Romero.  We have tried to work a bit with them in the past but we haven`t had many results.  Last night we passed by hoping to find some luck.  The mom answered the door and was trying to convince us to come back another time.  Elder Llanos saw that they were cooking dinner and he offered to help.  With a bit of persuasion we entered the house and cut all of the potatoes and tomatoes for them.  We shared some laughs and smiles and we left them with a prayer.  We are going to go back this wednesday and eat dinner with them.  Awesome, right?  This morning I read Alma 17, where Ammon saves the flocks of King Lamoni.  The flocks of King Lamoni were being attacked and most of the servants of King Lamoni got really scared, but Ammon got excited.  He got excited to be able to take advantage of the situation, to be able to help and serve.  This act of service gained the trust of King Lamoni.  Ammon was then able to teach him the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I related this story to what we did last night.  We just took advantage of a small opportunity.  We cut potatoes, Ammon saves a flock of sheep.  It is almost the same thing :)

I love you all tons!  I hope that you all take advantage of the opportunities that God gives you this week!

Love,

Elder Maynard

 Some bus contacts

 Something Delicious

 Something Gross

 My Main Elder, Elder Clement

 Street Work for a Church Open House

 GAUCHO

 PARE

 FOOD

 Capilla Abierta en La Paz

La Semana Fue una Locura

Hey Everyone!

Have you ever gone to the beach?  And you are in the sun all day?  And all of your strength is gone because the waves just smash you as you are in the water?  At the end of the day you lay down in bed and you fall asleep within 3 seconds?  Well that beach day right there is every day in the mission.  It is just a battle.  Even though it is really tiring and sometimes it hurts, it always turns out being a good time.  

Good news, Liliana got baptized!! It was a pretty stressful week because there were lots of huge waves that we had to overcome.  There was a lot of opposition, but Liliana made it.  She is super awesome.  She was pretty emotional all week due to some trials, but after her baptism and confirmation she repeatedly said that she had peace and tranquility.  The mission is amazing.  Lots of times this week my companion and I have said ``Estoy sin palabras.`` (I`m without words.)  I seriously cannot describe how awesome this whole experience has been teaching Liliana.  I know that God lives, and once again I am a witness of His miraculous hand.  

Matthew 11

28 ¶Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

This is the scripture that Liliana says that helped her stop smoking.  I know that Christ lives.  He is the life and the light of the world.  He is hope.  He is peace.  Every day I find rest through Him.  I love Him. 

Un gran abrazo,

Elder Maynard

 Baptism pics!!

 The bishops daughter with a little puppy.  Too much cuteness in one picture. 

 Mcdonalds with Elder Llanos

 Divisions in Esperanza.

 Everyone finds out that i am in Esperanza and they all come to see me hahaa :)

 Esperanza!!!

 Cake with Familia Zuviria

 Painting Familia Chiapello´s house

 Lucia has a mate toy kit and it cracked me up

 Cleaning baptismal font!!

 BAPTISM!

 There was a rainbow around the sun :O