Close Call

This week was filled with interesting stuff.

Monday we recieved a referral from a member. The family was super awesome and asked to learn from us. The Mom of the family is a member of the church and the husband wasnt and wanted to learn more. They were super chosen. We invited them to be baptized and they accepted. They were GOLDEN. They accepted an appointment to return another day. Then when we return the next time they told us not to come back. The family members of the family told them likes about the church and they don´t want to hear anymore. It´s so sad when that happens because they were such a chosen family. But the adversary got a hold of them and they chose not to accept the invitation from the Lord.  We just gotta keep working and finding.

Tuesday we had a multi zone conference in tartagal. It´s 3 hours away. We had to leave on the bus at 5:45 am. There was a huge storm and we had to walk 15 blocks in the rain and flooded streets. I was completely soaked in my suit and bascially shivered on the bus and was half wet all day. The conference was awesome. President wants more out of the mission. ANd we gotta do more to work harder as a mission. It was really good.

We had exchanges with the assistants after in our area and Elder Andersen worked with me. He´s a stud and I´ve known him for a long time. We worked hard together. Taught some good lessons found some people and on the way back we were in a sketch barrio and I felt the Spirit strongly advise me to turn another way. I realized We were about to pass the house of the man who tried to fight us a couple weeks back I told Elder Andersen:   ´´Hey lets go this way some guy tried to fight us last week and he lives there.´´ and as we turned Elder Andersen looked back and said  ´´IS THAT THE GUY?¨ and I looked back and IT SURE WAS. He was following us. He had the strangest look in his eyes like he wanted to hurt us. We walked faster. We felt the Spirit strongly advise us to go certain directions and eventually SOMEONE stopped the man. We made it safely to the pension. If I had not listened to the Spirit and turned we would have met him front on on the street we were originally on. Elder Andersen said he saw him with binoculars in the median of the street scoping us out. And he got up when he saw us.

I got to go. I know the Spirit directs us even in times of danger. We must always follow his impressions!

Love you guys!

Gotta go!

​

Élder Batman

Rama Pizarro

San Ramón de La Nueva Oran, Salta

La Misión Argentina Salta

Symbolic

Hey guys,

We had council of leaders this week in Salta. It was awesome President showed a lot of excitement for the temple that will be built in Salta but also said that we as leaders need to do a lot more to show our appreciation to the Lord for this wonderful blessing. Our mission can do a lot better and we are improving but President and the Lord expects a lot more of us. It was good to see some good friends and the spirit is so strong in those council meetings. We can really feel that President does love us and wants us to be our best.

This weeks been crazy arranging stuff for the conference we have tomorrow and stuff. Franco Cardozo, our recent convert, lost his brother this week. He asked if we could go to the viewing and funeral for his brother. It was my first funeral ever. Never had been to one. There was a lot of saddness in the family. A lot of people that were real distraught. Franco was sad but had peace because he understood the Plan of Salvation that God has for us. Eventhough we lose loved ones, we will see them again after this life. It´s all part of the plan. It was a somber feeling to be there.

This week was difficult in terms of numbers we couldn´t find hardly any new investigators and we couldn´t get anyone to church but there were plenty spiritual experiences to come by.

Sunday night we had a family home evening in the Chapel. We had a little activity planned. The sisters had prepared banana bread and we had everyone sit in a circle. Elder Utai went around the circle one by one to every person and asked if they wanted a piece of banana bread. The first accepted and Elder Utai said ´´Elder Batman, can you do 15 pushups for the piece of banana bread that he took.´´ And I crank out 15 pushups. And Elder Utai goes to the next and the next and I keep doing pushups. People are laughing at me and trying to look for ways to make it harder for me so I´d have to do more pushups. Then one person who saw that I was struggling thought to not take the piece of bread so maybe I wouldn´t have to do more pushups. Elder Utai looks at me on the ground and says: ´´Elder Batman, can you do 15 pushups for the piece of bread she didn´t take?´´ And everyone was confused why I still had to do the pushups. There were people who were still laughing and making fun of me struggling to do pushups. Some people were somber and quiet and started to tear up and started to notice what was going on.

 There were 16 people present in the circle. I had to do 240 pushups. By the 10th person I was struggling a lot to do them. I was shaking and gasping a ton. Some were still laughing when it got to the 15th person. Then Elder Utai decided to read a scripture.

´´As it says in the book of mormon:

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

As Elder Utai closed that scripture. There were few in that room who didn´t have tears in their eyes. This activity was designed to represent a small minute part of the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I, being the one doing the pushups for everyone who had taken the bread, which symbolized Christ paying for our sins for our salvation. And those who chose not to take of the bread, I still had to do the pushups because eventhough some choose not to follow Christ and be saved through him. He STILL PAYED FOR US.

On the last set when I was at 225 pushups. I was struggling a ton. To hear Elder Utai say read that scripture I started to think ´´ Christ had to suffer the most pain and suffering of all for each one of us and I can´t even do 240 measely pushups? I collapsed and I was so emotional. I started balling and thinking of the sacrifice that he did for us. It was a surreal experience and something I´ll never forget.

I know Christ suffered for ALL OF US. The least we can do to repay him is follow his path and obtain salvation through him. 

Thank you,

I love you guys.

Élder Batman

Rama Pizarro

San Ramón de La Nueva Oran, Salta

La Misión Argentina Salta

"You Know Martial Arts"

Hey guys, how´s it going?

Well another good week here in Oran. It just seems here like new investigators are just popping out of the woodwork. We knock and they invite us in. We have been really focusing on talking with everyone and being bold in our contacts. We are finding a lot through this way. Funny story: Elder Utai and I were walking through Barrio Caballito during mid day. (it´s like the sketchiest part of our area) And a man drunk and drugged out of his mind stops us and blammers on asking If we are from the USA and stuff and about Donald Trump and we say yes but we are missionaries and we are in a rush right now so take this card and have a nice day. And we keep walking and he screams back to us ´´CHICOS WAIT¨ and we come back to talk to him and he asks ´´DO YOU GUYS KNOW MARTIAL ARTS?´´ and I said yes because I boxed and wrestled and took Muay Thai for a bit and also if a strange man in a sketch barrio asks if you know martial arts I´m gonna say yes because he´s probably trying to rob..

So I said yes and then this guy over here says ´´ALRIGHT, I WANT BOTH OF YOU TO FIGHT ME ONE BY ONE RIGHT NOW´´ and we asked ´´Why?´´ and he said ´´YOU AMERICANS HAVE BEEN KILLING EVERYONE IN THE WORLD AND ITS TIME FOR ME TO PUT AN END TO IT.´´Elder Utai and I are pretty big guys and we did like our odds, but as missionaries and representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ we said with power (and in spanish of course) that ´´we are not here to fight or ´´kill´´ we are here to share a message of peace about or savior Jesus Christ and we will not fight you sir. Good day.´´ And we walked off. Weird experience. But yeah things happen.

We have been inviting every new investigator to be baptized on the first lesson and it´s crazy how many people are saying yes to us. We have a lot of people preparing in th coming weeks.

Aylen, Vanesa, And Abi are three girls that showed up to church last week invited by a member and Aylen has been attending seminary ever since. They are really prepared and have a lot of questions and are preparing to be baptized on the 28th of Abril! They attended church as well this week. BLESSINGS

Well we have to go to Salta today for a leadership council. The zone´s good. the district is good, life is good. And the mission is good. I. My comp is awesome and we get along and work well together. ALL IS WELL TODO BIEN

LOVE YA

Élder Batman

Rama Pizarro

San Ramón de La Nueva Oran, Salta

La Misión Argentina Salta 

ENFERMITOS

Well, this week has been interesting. Elder Utai is super awesome. We get along great. Super obedient, spiritual and a great bold leader. He is super funny and we have a lot in common. It´ll be a great transfer. I am learning a lot from him!

Well we got the flu this week. I had it for a couple of days then Elder Utai had for a couple of days. We only missed one afternoon of work because we were just dead exhausted. It´s been real hot lately. And having the flu in the heat like that was just too much. So we rested up and now we are better. Not 100 percent but better.

We´ve been focusing a lot on finding investigators. We have seen a lot of miracles in finding. We were able to find a good amount of investigators this week to which we know will progress and grow. 

Saturday night, we had already been fasting, and it was a really hot day. We were covered in sweat from riding our bikes so much in the blazing heat. We had so many appointments and they either cancelled on us or weren´t there when we got there. It was quite frustrating, but we kept moving and working. Elder Utai and I, noticed a man sitting on the corner of the street, smoking a cigarrette. We walked by and then we both felt the strong impression to go back and talk to him. We talked to him, and his Mom came by as well. His name was Gustavo and we started talking to us. He started telling us how his life has been the past few years and his Mom told us as well. (He was currently drugged up at the moment) We talked a bit and made an appointment to come back tomorrow when he was sober and more able to hear and comprehend our teachings. We taught a very powerful lesson to him and his mom about Faith in Christ and how he can help us break our addictions and problems in life. How he can help us to change and become better. I know these things to be true and testify that God loves us and sent his Son for us so that we may always have the way to change and become better as people and as disciples of Christ.

Also miracles, none of our investigators we had commited to come to church had come. BUT, a member had brought a long 3 people to church for the first time. They supposedly had been attending seminary and really like the church! We are going to visit them Thursday. The Lord really blesses us when we do our best and our keeping his commandments and rules.

I am loving the time I have as a missionary and want to take advantage the time I have.

I love this mission.

I love the Gospel.

I love Argentina.

And I love how the Lord is molding me into the man I need to be.

GRACIAS!​​

ELDER UTAI AND I NOW.

ELDER UTAI AND I AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MISH.

Élder Batman

Rama Pizarro

San Ramón de La Nueva Oran, Salta

La Misión Argentina Salta

Salta Is Getting A Temple!

Well, as many have heard watching General Conference. Salta, Argentina. My MISSION! Is getting a temple in the near future! It was such an amazing experience to hear our beloved Prophet, President Nelson announce Salta, Argentina as a new site for a temple. 

Our branch was ecstatic and gasped when President uttered the words that a temple would soon be built in their province. There was not many who didn´t have tears in their eyes of joy. They have sacrificed so much for so long having to travel really long distances to recieve the great blessings of the house of the Lord, the Holy Temple.  

It really motivates us even more to know that we are working to something even more greater. That we can help others to be baptized and partake of the saving wonderful ordinances of the Holy Temple that will be close by soon in the future.  What a blessing!

General Conference was really edifying for me and I know without any doubt in my heart that President Russell M. Nelson is a Prophet of God. The solemn assembly was really an amazing moment to be able to have sustained President Nelson as our Prophet, Seer, And Revelator. I know God reveals his words through the Prophets today as he has in the past.

The talks really spoke to me and helped me to find answers that I really needed and to keep going giving my all this last 3 months that I have left. I know I can, and will give more. I loved Elder Bednar talks about being meekness like our Savior.  

´´Meekness is an attribute developed through desire, the righteous exercise of moral agency, and striving always to retain a remission of our sins.” 

“Meekness is strong, not weak; active, not passive; courageous, not timid; restrained, not excessive; modest, not self-aggrandizing; and gracious, not brash,”  

“A meek person is not easily provoked, pretentious, or overbearing and readily acknowledges the accomplishments of others.” 

“Meekness is an essential aspect of the divine nature and can be received and developed in our lives because of and through the Savior’s Atonement,” 

“He will guide, protect and strengthen us as we walk in the meekness of His spirit.”

It really impacted me a ton. I must strive to become more meek. I have a lot to work on but I know through the Savior and his atonement and through willing change I can become more meek. 

I was able to baptize a little girl in Colonia Santa Rosa for the sisters due to lack of priesthood. It was awesome. I baptized her in a little plastic pool thing and it was a really spiritual experience.

Transfers are today and Elder Wilkes is shipping off to Salta. He has been my favorite companion to this point and one of my best friends. I learned a lot from him and we worked well together and had a great bond. I´ll miss the guy. We´ll definitely be in touch as he lives close to me in Utah.

I am stoked to have ELDER Wade Utai as my new companion! I have known him for awhile in the mission. He´s from Taylorsville, Utah! He´s Samoan and he´s bigger than me. We are good friends and have had a blast whenever we´ve been together in the mission and the Lord decided to put us together as companions! I will be his final companion!

New chapter, New transfer. And 3 months to make the most of the last 2 transfers I have left of the mission.

#4thQuarter

Love you all!

Élder Batman

Rama Pizarro

San Ramón de La Nueva Oran, Salta

La Misión Argentina Salta