Elder David Maynard

Monday, March 20, 2017

The Final Countdown

Hola!

This week was a full week. We were constantly busy. Actually the whole mission is really busy. We finished up a service project this week. We just moved a bunch of dirt for a guy. I think that it was the biggest mountain in Santa Fe and we took it down. There is one lady who lives near by the guy that we helped out. When we finished the lady came out to talk to us and she said, ``You are true Christians. For real I tell you. You guys do all that Christ said... Even more.`` How cool is that? We taught the restoration to the man that we helped out but he isn`t very interested. We see that no effort is wasted in missionary work. The nice neighbor lady saw our efforts and in the end everyone has a softer heart and there will be more missionary opportunities in the future. Everything is on God`s time and according to His plans.

We have begun teaching a lady named, Analia. She has already read the introduction of the Book of Mormon and she is praying to know the truth. I asked her how she felt while praying and she says that she was full of peace. She also said that she feels lots of peace in our lessons. ``You guys transfer a peace in your way of being.`` I just love cool comments like that. Analia is carrying out her commitments so we will see if she will come to church with us next week!

Almost every morning I have been listening to the song, ``Praise the Man.`` I think that it might be one of the most spiritual parts of my day. We have a picture of the first vision in our pension and I look at it while the song is playing and I just feel the spirit so strong. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I knew it before my mission and my mission has just increased that knowledge. I just wanted to share that testimony with you. Also watch this video, it`s awesome. (https://history.lds.org/story/first-vision)

We have been visiting an inactive member, Mariana, and her none member family. Mariana was sick this week so we gave her a blessing. During the blessing, she fainted. Right in the middle of the blessing she fainted. I think that it is the craziest thing that has happened in my mission so far. Everyone rushed to help her. I was just in shock. She came back to consciousness in about 5 minutes. It was really intense. I was hoping that she had a vision or something but nothing like that happened. I still am not sure what to think about it but it was pretty crazy.
Well, today I start the last transfer of my mission. I cannot believe it. I am just going to try and soak up these last 6 weeks. I am just going to try and keep on doing what I know what to do. I have learned a lot about prayer during the mission. I have offered up the most heart felt prayers to my God during these last 22 months. I have learned that prayer is a tool for us to know the will of God. It is not a petition so that our desires are fulfilled. If we pray with true intent, then we can know the will of God and we can turn our hearts over to Him. Only by turning our hearts over to Him can we truly be cleansed from our sins. Helaman 3: 35 ``Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.`` I will do my best to give my whole heart, might, mind, and strength to the All Mighty Creator before my time runs out. I love you all. The church is true, God lives.

Love,

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¡

Service time

the spider is bigger than it looks

We finished the beast

Mate cocido y alfajor

PANCHO

The goodbye lunch with the boy elder llanos!

Monday, March 13, 2017

It Was Awesome

Hey Everyone!

We worked like lions this week. We had a few service projects. One was with our investigator, Miguel. He put up a wall this past week in his house so we helped him out a bit. We mainly just shoveled a bunch of sand for him. On Saturday we had another big service project. A man named nacho is cleaning up his yard. We hauled a huge pile of dirt, rocks, and garbage for 4 hours. I love doing this stuff in the mission. It is a ton of fun. Along the way of hauling mounds of dirt, we found some scorpions and some alien looking spiders and beetles. Stuff that I have never seen before in my life. Overall it is pretty cool. My fear of spiders has withered away just a little bit here in the mission. What a blessing!

We had a few splits this week. The zone leaders from La Paz came into town and I was preaching with my friend, Elder Clement. I remember that day that I was just happy to be in the street. I love being in the street here. We talked to an elderly lady and testified to her about the plan of salvation. When she expressed her feelings, tears rolled down her face. She gave us a hug smile before we left. I have that smile pictured in my head. That smile was worth everything. It was awesome!

We had divisiones with other Zone leaders from Concordia. We taught a man named Carlos the Restoration. To finalize the lesson we promised him blessings. We promised him that he will be able to stop smoking through the power of Christ. He just got super excited and almost didn`t believe us. I asked him, ``Will you exercise faith in Jesus Christ by handing over your cigarettes right now?`` He didn`t even think twice, he handed them over immediately and we threw them away. It was awesome!

Just a great week. I love a few scriptures. 3 Nephi 20: 35 ``The Father hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of the Father; and the Father and I are one.`` John 17: 21 ``That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.`` The purpose of God and Christ is that we can be one with them. The only way to be one with them is to apply the redeeming power of Christ in our lives. In order to do that we have to hand over our hearts and minds to Them. We have to accept Their will. If we do that, then we can be clean, then we can be one with them.

Once again... I love you all! Til next week. (It will be here before you know it :O)

Love,

Elder Maynard

Service

Lunch with Members, the sauce was awesome

The fruit stores have weird names here, i love it

Elder Maynard knows how to make a sauce de diez

OREO

22 month alfajor :O

Root beer floats in Argentina? (THANKS MOM!)

Divisions with the boy Elder Clement

An inactive family who gave us dinner!

Root beer floats round 2. Yankeelandia in Argentina

Divisions with Zone leaders of Concordia

Service project

Weird spider

Sling shot

Monday, March 6, 2017

22 Meses

Hey Everyone!

Elder Gòmez and I keep on working in the great cause. Our main man, Miguel, is doing great. He has come to church with us the last three weeks. Also this past week he invited us to eat dinner with him. Whenever someone invites us to eat it is a great sign. He made us a ton of fish. We also helped him prepare the foundation for a wall that he is building in his yard. We are gaining some confidence.

We have been focusing a lot on teaching youth lately. Most of the converts in the church get baptized between the ages of 9-25. The youth are either really receptive or really hard hearted. Well this week we found a lot of hard hearted ones. It has made me reflect and see how grateful I am to have been raised in the gospel. It also made me think of a scripture: Alma 32: 16 ``Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.`` At one point or another in our lives we will face circumstances that will humble us, but it is just better to choose to be humble in the first place.

We also had zone conference this week. President Pèrez is basically my hero. His famous motto is ``We need to have faith in Christ and in His Atonement.`` That is the answer to every problem, trial, and difficulty that we will face in this life. ``DyC 89: 18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; 19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; 20 And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. 21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.`` All of these blessings are ours only if we apply the blood of the lamb of God. The blood of the lamb protected the children of Israel, and the blood of the lamb will protect us too. I know that Christ lives. He loves us and He cares for us. We only have to accept Him and apply His Atonement into our lives.

Like always, I love you all tons! Til next week.

Love,

Elder Maynard