¡Hola Todos!

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great week this week! This week here in Rivadavia was pretty good. There is only one more week in the transfer so we´ll see if I get transfered or not. At this point in my mission it really doesn´t matter to me where I´m at, because it´s where I´m supposed to me. Maybe a little at the beginning, hoping to get to know lots of areas, but its mainly just the traveler thats in me haha. So we´ll see if the Lord still has something prepared for me in Rivadavia or I´m needed elsewhere.

This week was pretty normal, the highlights were on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, we had interviews with President Robertson and a mini training after. President gave me great insights and advice that left me super motivated after and these last few days have been really great thanks to it. He tends to have that effect.

On Saturday, we had a ward misionary activity that went really well! It really pumped up the members to go and do more visits, especially the youth surprisingly! We called it the "tormenta blanca, or white storm" where we all got together in the chapel and went out to visit less actives. Other missionaries from the zone came and paired up with a member. 

New Investigators of the Week: Like a week and a half ago we contacted a woman named Vivianna. She is from another province called Tucuman in Argentina. She had talked with the missionaries there and was very interested, but then she lost contact when she moved to Buenos Aires. She was so happy to see us! Yesterday we were finally able to teach her at a time she could. She accepted everything and wants to come to church and get baptized! I feel so bless when the Lord puts us in the path of people so prepared!

Other Investigator Updates: A lot of our other investigators we weren´t able to pass by this week unfortanetely. Mario Ramirez and his family have been having a lot of trials with their grandma going into a coma. But Mario, the dad, still wants Mario Jr. to get baptized soon despite all thats going on so we are praying a lot for them. Astril and Julio have been a little shaky as well and aren´t making time for us to come by. But Juan is doing really well, and continues coming to church every Sunday. He is just in the process of a divorce and then getting married again so its taking time. I dont remember if I mentioned earlier about Juan Carlos. But he was a really great Cristian investigator that agreed a ton with everything we have been teaching him its just hard to have lessons with him because he works a lot. But slowly he will find his way! We are also really excited for Viviana and the progress she will make!

Anyways, thats all for now, until next week!

-- 

Elder Trent

1 year mark and run over by a greyhound!

¡Hola Todos!

Happy one year mark to me! Wow it been one great year here in Argentina! Today I wanted to write my letter a little bit differently this time for my one year anniversary. This might sound a little cheesy so beware haha Im not the best writer. I just wanted to start out talking about my mission in general. Well in reality, this mission isn´t mine, nor is it my mission presidents, its not anyones, but the Lord´s. It´s the Lords mission that I have the great opportunity to be a part of as many others. He has entrusted me to labor in the Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission to serve the people here that are in search for the truth and need the great gift of the Gospel in their lives. It really is a marvelous work and a wonder that I have the blessing to be a part of. To serve, to love to grow, to save. Before the mission I didn´t appreciate it. I didn´t understand it. But now, as I hit my year mark, I am more and more grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission. I wouldn´t go back on my decision in a second. It took awhile, dont get me wrong. There were a lot of hard times, uncomfortable times, sad times that I went through. But through my growth in this time, I have really begun to love the mission. Love the experiences, love the other missionaries, love the people, love the scriptures, the Gospel and love the Lord. I have grown soo much in this time, it cant be expressed in writing. It amazes me the person I was, have become, and still can become through the Atonement of Jesu Christ. It just gives me so much desires to help others experience that as well! Because its so true! 

One of my biggest focuses on the mission has been Progression. Progression as to be a better instrument in the hands of the Lord. I loved listening and rereading the talk titled "What Lack I Yet" by Elder Lawrence in the Octuber 2015 conference which is a perfect example of that. I am always striving and analizing ways to improve. Im grateful that that is something the Lord has blessed me to have while out here. 

Speaking of blessings, the Lord really does bless his children who obey him. I have been blessed with so many things! It may be a little sad that only just now while I´ve been on the mission, I´ve been able to see a lot the blessings I´ve recieve in my life and continue to recieve and see here. Sometimes its just the little things that make the difference!

I love to be able to focus the time on other people and in helping them. Mosiah 2:17. By losing myself in the work and trying to be more and more Christlike. It a great feeling to be able to do it, even though at times its hard to do it all the time.

While I´ve talked a lot about the good on the mission, there is a lot of hard as well. While there is a lot of great things, the opposition is strong as well. There have been really hard times, frustrating times, sad times, lonely times, times of discrimination and even painful times. But I have learned that there is opposition in all things and in the end its there to strengthen us if we go about it positively. (2 Nephi 2:11) I just like to remember in the difficult challenges that there is always hope through Christ. I love my Savior. Jesus Christ serve the greatest mission anyone wil ever serve. He is the example. I know when I am having a hard time, when things aren´t going my way, Christ experienced it all. It was never easy for him. But he served a perfect mssion still. So my hope is strong. I love this Gospel and I KNOW it´s true!

Love you all, have a great week!

-- 

Elder Trent

One year mark! Lets burn a shirt! haha sorry mom!

oh ya I have to tell you what happened yesterday it was terrible. after church we went to change out of our suits and guess what happened. out of nowhere a greyhound dog(there are a lot of them here, there the big, long, skinny dogs that are breed sometimes for racing) it came around the corner and ran right into me! it was running full speed and smashed right into me! I flipped! and it just kept on running after like it didnt even hit me it was going so fast! Im fine though just a little banged up. It hurt my pride more than my body. I just got the wind knocked out of me and it my head against the ground, not bad just have a goose egg. my shoulder and leg have deep bruises. but i could walk like normal right after. More than anything it put me in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

-- 

I made stir fry last monday! it was with soy sauce, chicken, vegetables, and rice. It turned out really good and was quick. Im kinda lazy today so Im probably going to do it again because I have leftover ingredients.

huh for some reasons your messages show up very late! maybe it takes awhile to reach me but anyways our investigators are doing alright. We dont have anyone thats progressing well. its been difficult to set new appointments with them. We have found some awesome people its just come to take a little more time for them to progress! Mario was going to get baptized (the 9 year old) but they havent been coming to church either for his dad is working. and without the dad the rest of the family doesnt do anything. so we´ll see what happens with them.

Right now we are working with Juan Carlos, Astril and julio, Susana Villafanes, and few others.

French toast and new furniture

¡Hola Todos!

This week we were blessed with having the baptism of Irene! It was a big success! A lot of members came to support and she had a really great experience! After all the trials and complications, we were able to overcome it and have the opportunity to see Irene make the best decision! So that was basically the highlight of my week and other than that went pretty normal. We had hoped to see a few other of our investigators in church, but they didnt come. Thats pretty normal, but we know they will soon!

Also, this next friday marks my one year mark on the mission! Crazy that I have been out here for a year! So much has happened in this year than in my whole life haha! It has been a year that I would describe as fulfilling, rewarding, challenging, productive, difficult, happy and sad, strange, and spiritual strengthening. I can honestly say I have completed the first year of the best two years of my life!

Scripture of the Week: Moroni 7: 33-34. I like to share this scripture to investigators about baptism. But really it applies to all of us. If we have faith we can do anything that the Lord wants us to!

New investigators of the Week: This week we didnt have a whole lot of success in finding new investigators, but we were able to find and have a lesson with a former investigator couple. They are called Pedro and Carolina. Carolina is the sister of a member. She is quite interesting and has some interesting beliefs that dont make sense, but she beliefs in the Book of Mormon so hopefully we can work with that. 

I love you all the church is true, see you next week!

--

Elder Trent

Irene´s baptism! bad picture but oh well, the sister didnt know how to use the camera well.

Moving furniture around

MMMM French toast

Tyler made french toast

This week I made no bake cookies and also made french toast! the first time eating french toast since the mtc i think! I made it with buttermilk syrup that was soo good!

We had a makeover in our apartment. the familia johnson(senor couple misionaries in charge of the penches) came and change our furniture. We had to take it up through the window! That was fun!

ya we got bunk buds now and closets for our closets and also a table for downstairs. I like it, its more roomier downstairs but a little more crowded upstairs. I will send pictures of it next week!

Im bottom bunk. Looks like me and Teegan both are changing things up a bit in our rooms haha.

oh and I also tried to make eggs and gravy. it turned out okay. but it was super thick! I think i added to much flour im not sure haha but it was edible.

ya, its not even cold here. Its colder in st. george in the winter. At least so far. just the rain that is annoying. but i good for now, thanks!

Happy 4th of July!

¡Hola Todos!

Happy fourth of July to all those in the United States of America! God bless you all! haha hope yáll have a great day today. This week for me went very well, despite the rain all week! It has been raining like crazy this entire week here, so things have been a little slow becaue of it. But we were still able to move the work forward a lot here in Rivadavia. Last Tuesday, we were invited to a meeting with the ward council and also the stake presidency here. We were able to see a lot of good results out of it and everyone it starting to work really well together now. We were also able to find out what happened to Irene and get the baptisms all figured out. Turns out that Irene had gotten beaten by her exhusband who was drunk and he wouldnt leave her house. So she left her house for the safety of her kids! But everythings all good now and she is back safe in her house, startled but still excited to get baptized. Her baptism will now be this Saturday. Mario and his family have been sick so they havent been able to come to church and we think they need a little more work, so we are going to postpone his baptism for a few more weeks, but its only a matter of time until he as well gets baptized!

We had a lot of plans of investigators coming to church this week, but sadly because of the rains we weren´t able to have so many. But we are looking good to have a lot of progressing next week!

Scripture of the Week: Jacob 1:19. I came across this scripture last week and it called my attention. We all of responsibilties as members in the church to help others. I personally as a missionary want to be able to magnify my calling better.

Funny of the Week: So my companion, Elder Huber is very well known for his eating habits. He eats a ton and never gets full! We finish eating a large meal and then twenty to thirty minutes later he is hungry again! haha I dont know how he does. Lucky right? Anyways, nothing in particular to share just that we always go to members and they joke with about it, its pretty funny. It even brought me to the point of learning how to cook. It was one of the reason that gave me stronger desires to learn to cook well on the mission to be able to "fill the beast".

Investigator Progress Update: Astril and Julio are doing well. Julio is more and more interested the more we come by and Astril is a great influence on him, so thats great. Last week, we had a lesson with a young member couple(Javier and Sofia) so they could get to know some people in the ward and have friends before coming to church(which by the way they said they were this last Sunday). But in the end, I think the storms scared them off, it happens a lot but oh well Im sure they´ll come next week!

Love you all and have a happy fourth of July! Til next week!

-- 

Elder Trent

happy fourth of july. ya! America!

look, look! im a cook!!

I made sloppy joe´s. whaaaaat

It turned out really well!

Whats on the menu today? Well we have cereal, eggs, cookies, and oh yes our special of the day...ham and potato cream soup.