Baptism!!!

It´s been SOOOOOO long since I´ve had a microwave oven! And even longer since I´ve had microwave popcorn! 

Leo´s baptism!!!!!!

We had a baptism!! Leonardo Godoy is a capo. I am honestly stunned at how prepared this kid was and how much progress he has made. We have done very little for him. We literally can´t visit him almost at all (because of his family situation), and last week, we saw him two times: Saturday when he got baptized and Sunday in church. That´s commitment. Normally, lot´s of stuff happens the week of the baptism and the investigators have troubles making it to their baptismal dates. Leo didn´t. We were unable to see him at all, but, he got baptized anyways. He´s such a capo. A real good example for me that even if our leaders can´t or don´t do much for us, we still have to do what´s right and keep the commandments.

We had a world wide broadcast. We now will be planning in the mornings (decisions of the prophets and apostles). This´ll be really interesting.

So the missionaries that were in my area at the end of last year didn´t pay the electricity bill, and this week, we suffered the consequence. We went without electricty for a few days. It was a little shock to awake without electricity, especially in the summer when it´s super hot and fans are essential. Luckily though, God was looking out for us, and we had some really, really, really nice days. We had a few days when it didn´t even get to the 90´s :)

 Leo´s little brother, Santiago will get interviewed this week to get baptized next week. Next week, the other brother, Lucas, will get interviewed to be baptized the week after. Azcuénaga is a sick area. I love it. There is lots of work to do, and we do it. I love it and love being a missionary. It truly is the most rewarding work there is.

Elder Brown

Moroni 10:3 (not 3-5, just 3)

 3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how ^amerciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ^bponder it in your ^chearts.

P.S. I got a chair!!!

Time sure flies

Azcuénaga

The flag monument

I am without a chair for nowLeo passed his baptismal interview!! So he´ll get baptized this Saturday!! His little brother, Santiago, will have his interview this Saturday, and will get baptized the next! Things are going really well here!!

Elder Argyle is teaching me a lot. Even though I trained two Elders from his group, and have been out in the field for more time, and was taught more about the gospel in my home, he is teaching me tons of stuff. Mostly about how to always have fun and work hard at the same time. He´s a really good missionary.

We had a SWEET contact on Saturday. Saturday morning was really slow, and we pretty much just ended up contacting because all of our plans fell through. My contacts honestly were trash, and Elder Argyle gave me some tips. Basically just saidI should change my contacts every time and try not to repeat. That turned out to be really helpful. At about 6:30, when we were heading to the baptismal interview (that was to be held at 7), I felt like we had to contact one more house before leaving our area to go to the church building were the interview would take place. We contacted a house, and I felt really strongly like I had to be super smiley and happy, like to the point were a normal person would get weirded out by so much smiling. So I did, the guy came out, and I felt like I had to say something that I hadn´t ever said before in a contact. So, I scrambled my mind, and the first thing that I thought of was to talk about wind. So, I started to talk about wind haha. I am sure the guy was thinking that I was nuts, and I prolly would have too if some 19 year old kids knocked on my door and started talking about wind. But, the guy seemed to be down with it.

Then I felt like I needed to talk about how grateful I am for the Atonement and that I will be able to live with my family forever, even though I haven´t lost a family member that was really close. The man looked like he wanted to say something, and so I stopped talking. He then told us about how he had lost his mother recently and had lost his wife a fews years back. We quickly taught a bit about the resurrection and eternal families, and he invited us to go back. We gave him a pamphlet about the Plan of Salvation, and he said he would read it. He said that 3 or 4 times. It was awesome. I felt the spirit really strong. We are going back today in the afternoon. I´m pretty excited.

Elder Brown

1 Corinthians 15:20-22

 20 But now is ^aChrist ^brisen from the dead, and become the ^cfirstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came ^adeath, by man came also the ^bresurrection of the dead. 22 For as in ^aAdam all ^bdie, even so in ^cChrist shall all be made ^dalive.

Wanna know where David is?

Answer: right behind me, on the other side of the river, in the province of Entre Ríos

Victoria and Junior from Venado Tuerto got baptized!

Bought a new memory card (virus free) and I will start to send pictures once again.

Good news: Victoria and Junior from Venado Tuerto got baptized!! 😁🎉

More good news, those three boys that have the baptismal date for the 28th went to church, even though it was raining cats and dogs yesterday!!

One of them though, Lucas (13), is struggling a little bit. He is having a lot of doubts about whether he wants to get baptized or not. So, please be praying for him.

His brothers though, Leo and Santi, are doing great and are SUPER prepared!!

This week we were able to program (give baptismal dates to) two children of less active families. One of these kids, Matias Acuña, is the son of a man who served in the Bahía Blanca Argentina Mission. This man, Hno. Acuña, wants to get active again really bad, and is more than willing to help his kids get baptized. Prayers for his daughter Silvia would be appreciated. She is 12 and is deciding if she wants to be baptized too with her brothers (the youngest is 7, Gabriel and will turn 8 the 23rd of February). Matias and Gabriel will get baptized the 25th.

The other kid that has a date is Milagros Barrios (it was the friend of her brothers to whom my comp rapped). She has the date of the 18th of February. But, I do not know if she will make that date, mainly because her mom isn´t showing much interest. Pray for them too please.

My new area is really awesome. I feel like I got picked up out of Venado Tuerto and dropped off in an area molded perfectly, just for me. I feel like I am seeing WAY more results here for my efforts than in my other areas. It is honestly hard to get out of my comfort zone now and progress because I feel like this area is just perfect for what I am. I feel like the Lord has prepared me in my other areas to get ready for this area. I know I need to give more so this area can become the best it can be. I really love this place.

Elder Brown

Mosiah 2:9-17 (how to be a good leader)

 9 And these are the words which he ^aspake and caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to ^btrifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should ^chearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your ^dhearts that ye may understand, and your ^eminds that the ^fmysteries of God may be unfolded to your view.

 10 I have not commanded you to come up hither that ye should fear ^ame, or that ye should think that I of myself am more than a mortal man.

 11 But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and ^aconsecrated by ^bmy father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me.

 12 I say unto you that as I have been suffered to ^aspendmy days in your service, even up to this time, and have not sought ^bgold nor silver nor any manner of riches of you;

 13 Neither have I suffered that ye should be confined in dungeons, nor that ye should make slaves one of another, nor that ye should murder, or plunder, or steal, or commit adultery; nor even have I suffered that ye should commit any manner of wickedness, and have taught you that ye should keep the commandments of the Lord, in all things which he hath commanded you—

 14 And even I, myself, have ^alabored with mine own ^bhands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be ^claden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day.

 15 Yet, my brethren, I have not done these things that I might ^aboast, neither do I tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear ^bconscience before God this day.

 16 Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.

 17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn ^awisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the ^bserviceof your ^cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Rap battles and aliens

This week was plain awesome. I loved it. It was hard. I was so far out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot though. Something I am really seeing is that the more fun I have, and the more I push myself out of my comfort zone, the more progress I see.

So you are all probably wondering what my title means. I shall explain.

We got a hold of the ward list, and have been visiting a bunch of people, or at least trying to.

We went to visit a less active family, with the last name of Barrios. We got there, and Elder Argyle goes "Oh, here? I heard that these people are SSSSUUUUUUPPPERRRR inactive, and when they went to church, they wouldn´t do anything. Let´s try though." WE clapped, and a little girl came out. We told her to go get her parents, she went back inside, and came back out. She said "What do you want?" And we said that we were missionaries and wanted to meet her parents. She went back inside, and we thought that she was about to come back out and tell us to come back another day. Instead, a 18 year old kid, came out, unlocked the gate, and let us in. We had a sweet lesson, and started teaching a friend of theirs, who´s named Eric Rivero, and raps. At the end of the lesson, when I was talking to the mother to set up another appointment, Elder Argyle asked Eric and the older sons "What kind of music do you like?" They said "We like rap," and I said, "Elder Argyle is a really good rapper" haha I totally threw him under the bus (I didn´t realize in the moment), and they started trying to get him to rap. He gave in, after a bit of persuading, and sang the McDonald´s Drive Thru rap. Haha it was really funny. They didn´t understand a word and went nuts. Then Eric sang us one of his songs that he wrote for his depressive brother. It was honestly really good and interesting to hear.

On Sunday, a man dressed up in all black showed up to church. Leonardo is his name. He asked us to stop by his house and teach him because he wants to get baptized. We were super pumped to be able to teach him. Super pumped, that it, until we found his teaching record, and saw that an Elder had written "Has mental problems. Recieve permission from Pres. Zanni before passing by." We called Pres. Zanni, and he said the following "Is he the man with a bunch of tattoos?" "Yes" "Does he say weird things and give off a strange vibe?" "Yes" "Don´t go to his house. He is insane. He thinks he is from another planet, and is part of a superior species of humans." And explained how this man is crazy and can´t get baptized. Not gonna lie, it was hard not to laugh out loud when I heard Pres Zanni say this guy thinks he´s an alien. Poor dude though, can´t get baptized. God understands though.

We started teaching three brothers of a recently reactived sister in the ward. Their names are Leonardo (16), Lucas (13), and Santiago(10) Godoy. They all went to church on Sunday and will be getting baptized on the 28th of this month. I love my new area!!!

My comp lent me a talk titled "People on Other Worlds". It really put things in perspective and made me really realize how insignificant we as human beings are. Then I started thinking about how incredible God´s love is. He has created SSSOOOOOOOOOO many things, and has SSSOOOOOOOOO many kids, but, he would still do ANYTHING to have ANY SINGLE ONE of us return to his presence. It is really amazing how much a being so perfect can love people so imperfect and be so patient with us. I truly stand all amazed.

Elder Brown

Moses 1:39

 For behold, this is my ^awork and my ^bglory—to bring to pass the ^cimmortality and ^deternal ^elife of man.

Next week, I´ll include fotos

Last Week in Venado Tuerto

I can´t believe I forgot to tell you all how awesome my last week in Venado Tuerto was.

Junior- Got his baptismal interview. If nothing bad happened, he will have gotten baptized this last Saturday.

Victoria- Super, super, super, super prepared. She basically already was LDS, even before we started teaching her. Obviously we had to explain some things, but, she was too prepared. She will (hopefully) get baptized this Saturday.

We had a sweet week. We were able to help a couple that didn´t have love each other, to love each other. We read "The Family: a Proclamation to the World" and watched a Mormon message video about an old couple who are sick and continue caring for one another. At the end of the lesson, they were sitting really close and were being really playful, just as a newlywed couple would be. It was awesome to be able to help them.

We had a sweet weekend. We had to stay in the pensh the whole time. We cleaned and studied and all that jazz. Afterwards, we made an AMAZING asado, called "Matambre a la pizza", basically cow abs with cheese and salsa (don´t worry Mom, we bought mozzerella). It was fun. As always, the fireworks were sweet. New Years down here is way bigger than in the US, and the amount of fireworks set off is more than in the US for the 4th of July.

Love you all! Sorry for not sending pics 2 weeks in a row (see email heading for details).

Elder Brown

Ether 12:4

Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with ^asurety^bhope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which ^chope cometh of ^dfaith, maketh an ^eanchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in ^fgood works, being led to ^gglorify God.