poco de poco

Hello to my beloved family of mine,

so on this weeks episode of ¨what did hermana alley eat this week¨ I would like you all to think back to some very cherished moments I had with two furry animals named twitchel and nibbles... Yes that is right I was fed rabbit this week... I about died just thinking of the poor things.  Sure the meat was softer than chicken but you the meat still had the soft fur of the poor innocent creatures.  Two times eating rabbit in the same week and I teared up on the first bite.  It was a tough one for me but I made it through! 

Friday we had a reunion with our zones of chilvicoy north and south.  It was just fantastic as always, our new assistants are my old zone leaders so that makes things just a hoot.  We talked about alma 47.  The story to refresh your minds is that Amalickiah is trying to overthrough the kingdom, anyways he is trying to persuade the leader Lehonti to come down to the foot of the mountain.  the first verses shows how he was very strongwilled and determined but as we keep reading every verse he gets weaker and weaker, and after about 5 or 6 times, lelhonti comes down from the mountain and is killed with poison. It was such a small example and we only touched it in tihe meeting-  However during my personal study today I thought about it even more. small things ready lead up to big and if we arent careful we will slowly and surely be weakened without knowing it. I thought of some examples, sthe first thing that popped into my head was martin harris and the pages of the book of mor mon.  how many times did Jospeh smith have to ask the Lord with the same answer.  and look what ended up happening.  I also thought of a cake.  if you add a little big extra salt it wont make a huge difference, maybe add a little bit more, but after A while your cake isnt going to turn out right and its too a late to take out the salt.  instead you have to start completely over. ok ok one more example, if you put a frog in a boiling pot of water it is going to jump out instantly. but if you put a frog in a pot of cold water and slowly bring it to a boil it will die without knowing it.   These can all be so easily related to the mission and normal life.  for example, obedience... those little things really can add up and before you know it you arent worthy to receive all the blesings or miracles waiting for you, ¨¨dont believe me aske the dishes¨ or maybe you are only studying a little bit for your investigatores, after all you have an hour. but little by little you realze you dont have enough time to fully prepare yourself for the day spiritually and we all know that we have to feast on eht words before the spirit will  help us out. we cant just snack on them and expect the rest to come easily.  

Elder Christofferson

I am going to start with my higlight of the week...

exactly one year ago I sat down and listened to the voice of the apostle elder holland.  I was on the second row, or the wet zone... thebest you could have asked for.  I remember as if it was yesterday, when he looked me in the yeys and told lme that my savior loves me and that he did too.  I remember how much I needed to hear those three wordsa and nothingmore, as i was struggling with the life as a baby missionary. One yer has gone and this week i sat down a different person ready to listen to teh voice of the apostel elder christofferson.  I didnt feel like I have become the bst missionary in the world but when I sat there amongst the sea of missionaries I fet at peace, not anzious or scared just at peace at where I am at.. I looked around at our mission group so many new faces replaced by my old aquaitances.  millions of membories and friends at every glance, buenos aires oeste is the best mission in the world, why?  because of the missionaries... because it is my mission and I love it.  its where I have put my heart and fnought with what I have.  amongst this group satan has no power over me and I feel like i have become spirtiually stronger.  that missionaries bring an incredible fource field when we are united.  elder chrisotfferson taught tabout repentance but bringing tru repentance throught the power of the atoneent.  the very best part of the devotional was the last ten mins when he gave us all a blessing.  I wish I ould have recoreded it but allong the lines this is what he said, 

That we will eac hbe able to receive the profund testimony and knowldege of the divity of our father in the heavn that we all will feel his love for us within our hears.  that we will revieve the protectection of angels and feel their spirits aorund us.  that we will be able to effect the lives of others with our postive attitudues and that every effort wlll be recompnesed in the heavens.  that our experiences in the mission are miarcles and blessings but it is our duty to share them with others so they too can be lifted up.  he promised that JesuChrist has accepted our offering to serve him, our service and dnedication and that he knows us individually, our hearts and efforts.  that is he conetnt with what we give of us willingly for the bnefit of others salvation.  

We should count our blessing but we should also make them count

¨we should count our blessing but  we should also make them count¨

This week determined the fate of finishing up my mission... monday night I completely forgot that transfers were this week and we surprisingly received the call... ring ring. oh no panic attack begins like always.  But I was super calm knowing that whatever happed was going to be great. either way I was going to be happy. that is what we called a seasoned missionary.  Well the news was sad... hermana hale is heading out. and we had made a bucket list and everything together, I was a little bit shocked as I had it in my mind that she was going to take me out of the mission. So to celebrate we slept outside on our pourch... camping.. hehe at least we took that off the bucket list, that and teaching her to cut an apple because yup she cant do it...  lunes consisted of lots of farewells and a surprise baptism! thats right our baptism was scheduled for friday but when our investigator heard that hermana hale is taking off jumped it forward so she could be a part of it.  Hermana Marchant is the last to become a member of her family. She is a single mom of 7 kids, and all that live with her were baptised years ago. Her day was super special has her kids sang ¨the family is of God¨, a primary song, I dont believe there was an dry eye in the crowd. What better way to leave an area.   It was a beautiful baptism. 

Wednesday we headed to buenos aires, my very last transfer meeting... boooooo   it felt weird but I didnt let it sink in to much.  in the process of the trip we lost our phone, so we are now living currently amish style.  without phone, but I quite enjoy it because we dont receive pointless calls all day long from the elders... shhhh dont tell them. :)  this week we should get another one!  So I bet you are all dying to know who is my next companion.... Hermana tidwell straight from provo with only 6 months in the mission but talks better than me. haha I must say that she is completely different than hermana hale, she is super chill where as hermana hale was wild with energy.  She is great and a big old sweetie. She has only had three comps all of which are from utah and she has killed them all... kiilling machine!!!  so I guess she is good at what she does.  welcome to campo my friend.   

We had a miracle this week. I dont know the area all that well since all of our investigator pool was just baptized.  therefore I am getting to know very well the area book.  I went through and found a list of names of people that sounded interesting to me that I noted to visit. I than made another list of people who have attended to church before.  Well we head out to visit another list of less actives and we end up finding a 19 year old chicka that was on ALL THREE lists.  We went out searching for her whichout even being aware until that night when I made the connection and about died. fate or what, she is incredible!  her name is just showing up every place now.  after years she is still writing one of the elders that passed by for her house.  sometimes I just get so excited when things work out like clock work.  destiny in a book is what the area book should be called from now on. 

Receive the Promise

Up next on the series of the LIfe of missionary Alley, A week with lots of rain... and hail, nothing like getting pegged on a bike. and the weather update in the nearest town of bragado... a tornato... thats right roofs were beinig thrown off houses. but dont worry we just got rain and lots of wind. nothing that two missionaries cant handle with rainboots and hymns.

Well this week was strange.  haha we went from some really great moments and some not to great. I became nurse for my sick flu companion and tackling the puke with salteen crackers and sprite.  I think I counted nine bathroom runs in one night... poor thing.  I have never prayed so hard for my health! haha  but she is quite the trooper and we only stopped working for two hours.  atta girl, go fight win! 

The best part of the week was halloween. I spent over the week four hours of coloring and trying to be creative to throw together a halloween experiecne just like in the states.  after convincing people to not freak out over what halloween is and just come for candy and dress up, we had a great turn out! we had about 8 people we arent members come and they all loved it!  we also had a great turn out with less actives.  WE played all the classics.. musical pumpkins, pin the tag on the missioanry.  bobbing for oranges (they were cheaper...haha), torta fritas on a string, limbo (a little secret i won... hehe turns out our branch is less flexible than me) , fishing for treats, and a little bit of spooky dance off.  my comp and I went as hippies, tuned down as much as we can but still out of the skirit ;)  it was super fun and we have just been assigned to do the next upcoming activity of a talent show.   I am stoked.