The Grind

Hey guys,

Graciela got baptized! It was so great, it was such an honor to baptize her. It was an experience I will never forget. She is so happy and ecstatic to keep progressing and learning. She really has changed so much and it´s just a testimony to me how the gospel really changes people. It doesn´t matter what kind of person we were before, we can all change. It´s ALWAYS possible when we come closer to Christ.

I have really come to know this week that our Heavenly Father always listens to us. My testimony of prayer really has grown in my mission. I know that he is there. I know that he listens to us. I know he answers us. I know that he wants guide us to become the people we need to become. I know he can give us strength when we are weak. I know he can give us comfort when we are in a tough spot. HE IS THERE. 

Elder Garcia and I are on fire. I got a stud for a companion. We keep finding lots of new people to teach these past few weeks. People that are accepting the gospel now that didn´t before. I feel that we really have a lot of  trust of our ward that continues to give us references and are starting to help a lot more in the work.

I will miss this chango from Guatemala when this transfer is over, but now we got 2 weeks left here. The Grind is on. 4th Quarter baby. We have made the goal that we are going to baptize one more person before this transfer ends. I know we will complete the goal we have made in prayer and faith. Gabriel is progressing well but he couldn´t make it to church, because of work. We are gonna focus on him a lot and the others that are close to baptism. We are gonna keep finding new people so that the next Elder who takes my spot will have a lot to work with.

We have interviews tomorrow with Presidente Chaparro. This will be the last interview I will have with him before leaves July 1st. I am grateful that I have had a great president like President Chaparro. He has put a lot of trust in faith in me, and has been there for me when I have needed him, and he´s a guy that you just wanna work hard for.

The mission is great. I love it here.

Ciao con mucho cariño y amor,

Élder Batman

Barrio Universitario

San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán

La Misión Argentina Salta

Eyes of Charity

Hey guys.

This week was pretty great.

Graciela didn´t get baptized, but she will be baptized this Saturday. She had a rough week. As if the advesary knew she was going to be baptized, he put a lot of obstacles and detours this week. But she is excited and ready for her baptism, and just as much sure about it as before.

We found a golden investigator. And at first glance you wouldn´t think so. I learned a great lesson this week. We recieved a reference for Gabriel. Gabriel is a friend of a less active boy in our ward, Rodrigo. Rodrigo is 14, and Gabriel is 18. I have seen Gabriel probably 10 times before in the street smoking cigarettes. He has got a lot of piercings, and his hair died in different ways. I judged him. I looked at him with my eyes and not the way God sees him. I was so wrong. He started smoking in January because his Dad passed away the day after Christmas. He´s never been baptized in any church and he wants to change.

 We taught him about the God´s Plan for us and he was very happy to know he would see his father again. We taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ to him and how that is a crucial role in returning with our families forever.  We felt very strongly to invite him to be baptized on June 3rd, just after the first lesson. He said without doubt in his voice yes. We returned the next day and he told us that he had already invited all of us his friends to his baptism and that he´s really excited for it. We invited him and Rodrigo to live the word of wisdom by quitting smoking. They are trying hard to quit and I know they will quit completely in the next couple of days.

 We told them that there is seminary in the church at 8pm Tuesdays to Fridays. And Friday after our second lesson they went! And they plan to come back Tuesday! They went to church Sunday and they loved it.  They said that going on a mission is a desire that they have.

God really had prepared this guy, and before I judged him saying to myself that he won´t accept the gospel. NO, THE GOSPEL IS FOR EVERYONE. We must invite EVERYONE. We must look at people with eyes of Charity. We need try to look at people the way God sees them. With Eyes of Christ. I learned a valuable lesson. I find that the mission is humbling me more and more every week. I am thankful for the blessings I have recieved and the lessons I have learned. My testimony is growing every day. There is such joy in bring souls to Christ.

Élder Batman

Barrio Universitario

San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán

La Misión Argentina Salta

Quick Little Update

So Graciela didn´t get baptized this week but it´s okay, she will get baptized this coming Saturday. We are also preparing Joaquin for the coming weeks and Mayra. I hope I can help these people to get baptized before I leave Universitario. We have fought for these people to come to know the gospel. And I hope we can help them to make that important step.

We found a lot of chosen people this week, people that we´re just like waitng for us to knock on their door. We hope we can help them to progress and learn about the gospel of Christ.

I don´t have anytime or pictures. But love you guys. Ciao!

Élder Batman

Barrio Universitario

San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán

 La Misión Argentina Salta

Luke and Isaac

The Work of Miracles

I´m gonna say it again man, this is a work of miracles. I love my job as a missionary. I really feel this week that the Lord has blessed us so much.

One of our investigators, Graciela Veliz, will be baptized this Saturday.  Before, she was basically atheist. She was angry at God for taking her son at a young age and for her husband leaving her for another woman. She has felt so lonely, unloved, and unimportant. She only saw the bad in life, not the good. It´s incredible to see the progress in her. She has changed so much. She radiates with light now. She is happy. I know that she feels the love of God in her life. She understands that she will see her son again after this life. She looks at life with optimism. Her burdens have became light through the miracle of repentance. Elder Garcia and I have felt that we have became tools in the hands of the Lord while teaching her. As if that God has chosen her to come into the fold, as if he was with us teaching her. 

Sunday came and Graciela didn´t show up to Sunday School or the other classes. (we have sacrament last) And she promised that she would show up (she doesn´t back out of a promise) Sacrament meeting was just about to start when I felt strongly that we needed to bring Graciela here. We talked to the Bishop and told him that we were gonna search and bring Graciela here. He told us to be fast. So Elder Garcia and I (In Suits and Ties) ran 8 blocks to Gracielas house. Everyone in the streets was looking at us like we were the feds or secret agents, sprinting all suited up and all. We arrived to Graciela´s house sweating and panting for air. And she was suprised. She said she didn´t feel good and that she can´t make it. I felt this certainity in my heart that she needed to be in church. I said with a lot of conviction ´´Graciela, We have never left in the middle of church to look for someone, but we feel very strongly that you need to be in church. You will hear the testimony of someone that will resolve the doubt that you have, and bring peace to your heart knowing that you are in the path of the Lord.´´ She smiled, paused for a second, closed the door and left with us. We took a taxi and arrived just in time before the passing of the bread and water of the Sacrament. Testimony meeting was so powerful, the Spirit was so strong. Graciela was crying of joy. She told us she wants to be baptized. She said ´´Whatever day, just before this man leaves.´´ She asked if I could baptize her before I leave this next transfer. I really love this work. It´s a work of miracles. I know that the Spirit guided us to sprint down the street in the middle of church to bring her there because God wanted her there.

There is nothing better than serving the Lord.

Les quiero mucho.

Con amor y cariño,

Élder Batman

Barrio Universitario

San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán

La Misión Argentina Salta

FOTOS

Mama Trejo, Graciela, y Mama Cáceres

Claudia Arismendi y Tamára Cáceres

Barbi y Tamara

Stay Schemin

selfie game strong

I Am Alive

Hey, I have no time. Today was Argentine Labor Day basically. So there is no cyber cafe open today. I am using the computer of a member. We have permission to use it from the ZLs. So I am just gonna write this short email and let the other 3 write. I am alive. I love you all. I am staying one more transfer in Universitario with Elder Garcia. I am very happy that I am staying. I love you guys all and hopefully I will be able to talk more the coming week.

Ciao

Élder Batman