laugh because you can

Shall we start out with a smile this morning... first off I will try telling them in english... however they are a lot better in castellano. and some cant be transladted so you will just have to ask stephen to help you out...

Who was the first prophet to have a car?   David because he had a honda (ok folks honda in spanish is sling..hahhaaha)

second, Que tiene que ver una vava con un argentino?  Una vava da leche y un argentina dice DALE CHE!  hahahahahahahahahahahaha

there are three people on an airplane.  all of which think they know it all, one french, one american and one argentine. First the french, being stuck up says ¨look I am so smart I can put my hand out the window and tell you exactly where we are headed.¨ so He puts his hand out and says ÿes we are going to France¨ the others resonded ¨how do you know?  ¨because I just touched the effel tower!!    the american says that he can to the exact same. ¨look I am so smart I can put my hand out the window and tell you exactly where we are headed.¨ so He puts his hand out and says ÿes we are going to united states¨ the others resonded ¨how do you know?  ¨because I just touched the statue of liberty.  so the argentine says welllook I am so smart I can put my hand out the window and tell you exactly where we are headed.¨ so He puts his hand out and says ÿes we are going to ärgentina¨ the others resonded ¨how do you know, because you touched the tower of san martin?  NOpe because I just got my watch stolen...¨ hahahaha 

alright I hope you are all laughing now because I sure am!!! 

quick potty break.... I know the laughter is unbearable..

"haha beautiful view!"

"divisiones con las hermanas de junin, opps i am writting in castellano... we had spilts with four other americans!  way too much fun. probably should have been illegal."

Ok LISTOS!  this week was just fantastic!  we started out strong and ended strong with 12 new people to teach for this week, RECORD!  we saw so many miracles, you think our meter would say OVERLOAD.  first off we did divisions with the sisters from junin.  That was fun because they both came to our area and I realized how much more we would do if we were two more!  I split with hermana gerber. she has 9 months in the mission.  durning lunch my comp and I cooked up QUISO!  it was soooo good and spinach scones and sugar cookies. we spoiled the sisters pretty much.  we had a picnic out on our pourch and enjoyed the time together, we  than al slept in the same room that night and it was just a big fiesta.  

wE found a family while we were out and about working and they have five kids, are married, and cried during the restoration. they are priceless and are on date.the only problem is that Mr. Hueso is a tattoo artist, and has been for 40 years.  BUT I have HOPE!   Elida is also a huge miracle as we have plans for her baptism this week.  She is adorable. when we talked to her this week about her baptism we asked her if she would continue praying about her date she responded ¨well of cource but I already know what God is going to say, because I have already receivied the answer.¨ we than asked her why she wanted to be baptized and she said, because its the true church and has the right baptizm.  she is a capa, responded the questions like an angel. haha  Ada is a super frail lady who was abandoned by her family and just needs some good mormon love.  She ahs a special place in my heart as we put her on date to be baptized and her only concern was getting her wig wet.  how tender is that.  I just love who we are working with right now, they are all worth gold. 

We had interviews with president this week and all is well, he started getting trunky on me and that I did not like, oh well what can you say I did just pass my two month mark. I came out pumped to not become anxious as december gets closer but to focus on my work and dedicate all of me, so if you could all do the same I would appreciate it.  If it werent for christmas I would ahve totally extended... so here is my rawling call... 

¨PERSIST WITHOUT EXCEPTION OR EXCUSES.  REASON CAN ONLY BE STERTCHED SO FAR, BUT FAITH HAS NO LIMITS.  THE ONLY LIMIT OF YOUR REALZATION OF TOMORROW IS TEH DOUBT YOU HOLD FAST TO TODAY.  I KNOW THE OUT COME I DESIRE AND I AM HOLDING FAST TO MY DREAMS.  i STAY ON MY COURSE AND I DO NOT QUITE! BOOM.  VAAAAMOS ARGENTINA! 

Really I need five hours to skim the details of the week but I think you get the gist of the best points.  two funny things happened this week. 

first the other day I went to take a drink out of my water bottle and fould that a leaf was in my mouth... gross. I go to take it out and it flys out instead... yes it was a fliying baby cochroch... in my mouth.... NASTY and I almost ate it!

second the other day we are studying in our appartement and we hear someone trying to break into our apprrtment... no really?  we look at teh door and the keys are shaking and the door handle moving... panic mood what do we do.  My comp looks through the peep whole and comes running away.  There is someone!  so we run outside on the poarch and start running around in circles, naturally first reaction. but wait, if they come in than we will just be surround and stuck out here.  so I grab the broom and run like a warrior, ready for the door to open.  but maybe they just dont know we are here. So then I start belting so they know we are... singing who knows waht haha well turns out that the scary man my comp saw through the peep hole trying to break in was just a little old grandma lost in our building.  haha but hey I was well armed and ready. and had a good laugh. dont trust in your short companions.. moral of the story.  

well ahve a wonderful week and enjoy the life we are given cause its the best. to bad you are not all in argetinia, because this place just calls for a good time.  Love you

hermana alley 

More pictures! Yay! 

(Okay so a certain editor was possibly not feeling just two pictures in this post and did some online stalking to find the rest. You're welcome) 

Libro De Mormon

Well this week folks was a week in the mission... are you surprised?  I thought about taking a vacation to the nearest provencia but then decided I would keep working here in 9 de julio with my comp hermana hALE. Who has the same name as me.  I guess I will start out by letting you all know that president is fine.  The whole stroy that got out into the news was true, but blown out of porportion. President told the zone leaders that it was really quite calm and that while he was with the guys he was using his phone to call his family. We all got a list of segurity guidelines (for moms heart) and we are all being extra careful (I am in campo mom, nothing happens here).  So all is well!

I heard great news this week on two different areas!  My investigatores Gabriela in 25 de mayo is getting baptized the end of this month!!! Do you hear the hallejuela bells chimming cause I do!  and this past week our investigator, Priscila (hermana davis and I) in casseros was baptized!  I am so happy to know that the missionaries are working hard on helping these people I love become members.  yahoo yippee!  I wish I could see all my areas progress, be there and here in the same time.  I had a moment this week as I thought about some of the people I really love here, four of my conversos are grandpas... I cant imagine the thought of not seeing them again and if I do get the chance to return one day and not having them be around anymore... They are so wonderful and I have all adopted them into my family tree!  it was a hard moment.  Why is it so easy to get attached to these jems of people. Argentinos son los mejores! 

Be happy... NOW

Feliz cumple this week graham!!!

like you all now, last monday I was writting you from within the pueblo of bragado for a zone activity. well that evening we headed back to 9 de julio just to work a good old 2 hours sleep 8 and head back out for a zone meeting.  This months meeting was focused on having a good attitude at the center of our missions, and how everything really extendes out from that until you make your mission a sacred one and end up enjoying it but also doing what you were called to do.  I feel like it was exactly what I needed to boost me up and get me going, and stop slugging around going through the motions of once again getting comfortable.  My comp Hermana Hale is super spunky and bubbly and laughs at nothing... haha so that helps us have fun, just with her tennesse accent its difficult for people to understand her sometimes.  those southern bells... well I learned alot coming out of the reunion and decided once again I would make the decision to be Happy.  its true sometimes it feels like tkeh birds dont sing and the sund doesnt shine, yet in despite of discouragement and challenges I have learned that those who are happiest have a way of learningi from difficult times and in return become stronger, wiser, and happier as a result.  Its all in the way we approach it... our hardest times can be times of greatest growth.  Just think of the scriptures.... nefi, abraham, moises, Joseph SAmith... their adversity, make it or break it.  however they chose to let it polish them and refine their characters.  Really in this life we are given, we have a lot of choices. We have to make them and those that we chose make us who we are.  So in otherwords we dont sing because we are happy, but we are happy because we sing.  Everything thoughts with our thoughts, so if we determine to have a good attitude, it will become a behavior and that makes the results. so why would you not chose to be happy.  I have learned that our Heavenyl Father knows very well that I am not perfect... and here in the best mission in the World I have felt everyone of my weaknesses very strongly and have suffered through my imperfections, but as I have God has given me the comfort needed and as given me suggestions to where I need to improve.  and then when we have gone through the refiners fire, we realize that the whole experience has stretched our understanding, strengthens are attributos de Cristo and increases our compassion for others who feel the same way or soon will.  So to close this little side note I have a scripture... Proverbs 16:20  ¨he that handleth a matter wisely shall find goodñ and who so trusteth in the Lord, Happy he is.¨ In other words, bob marely wasnt the first to say ¨don¨t worry...be Happy¨.  Today make the decision.

week of service.

Hola mi querido familia!  muy buenas días de la mejor lugar y toda el mundo... si buenos aires oeste!  habla su hija, hermana, y angelito.  Espero que tengan la mejor semana, con nuestro extranjero sorella Alley.  que loco!  un gran bienvenida por su viaje!

Tuesday I started out with a blessing from my liders of the zone.  Elder garay and elder collins gave me one of the most beautifully worded and phrased blessings.  I felt the spirit so strongly and although its dificult to remember all the details I could feel the love that My heavenly father has for me and his Son Jesus Christ.  I am very grateful to see the priesthood in action and to have to it so closely available when I need it.  It was even better in castillano. I sure do love this langauge. I know that as I go on with the weeks I will be using what I felt and heard as a strength and backbone to completing and giving all to my purpose as a missionary.

We followed the blessing by a super great zone meeting.  we are super caseros and everyone was given  a character by the leadrs.. bet you could guess what mine is... thats right wonder woman. the only thing I can remember about her is her clothing... haha and that she definitely isnt blond. but it fits right?   we focused on the atonement and there wasnt a dry eye in the bunch.  I just love when we all get together and its just feel good time!  pumps me up to work and do myo best. 

Week of family home evenings

Lets just call this week the week of family home evenings. they are so great that we decided to have one 5 of the 7 days that you find in the week.

Monday we started out with the Familia Meza.  They are our missionaries this week.  We let the two girls sport our name tags as they planned together a lesson to teach us. The plan of salvation.  They all started our grumpy but quickly turned into little angels as they knew a ton about their heavenly father.  We giggled lots and at the end they gave us big hugs and told us that they loved us.  dont tell my comp but one of them whispered into my hear that Im her very favorite missionary.  SCore. haha 

Tuesday We headed with the familia meza to teach carlos and loudres, their referencia that is our progressing family.  They have been investigating for 3 years but for the first time ever came to church with us.  We are pretty stocked at how they are finally progressing.  We taught about a house of orden.  everyone has their chores and role in the family.  We played some games and before you know it Loudres was telling us her miracle.  She always had beef about not receiving her answer.  She says she has been praying just like everyone tells her to do, but never receves anything.  Well this week she felt an answer very strongy. and admitted that we have been right all along.  Do you hear the angels singing... I do... they sing in castellano so beauitfully!  

Obedience

 The importance of obedience... obedience brings blessings but perfect obedience yields miracles.

This week hermana Davis and I learned a few things about the first law of heaven.  I am going to humbly admit that by the end of the day tuesday I felt a little like enos on my knees asking for forgiveness, for my days actions.  as my comp and I talked we discussed how our day had been spent, it wasnt horrible... we didnt break any commandment or major rule, but we werent being obedient either.  Really I just felt like a whole day was wasted,  that we could have spent it a lot better.  obisously we all have hours or moments where our natural man takes over and we arent 100 percent dedicated or conscentrated when we sh ould be but th is day hit me harder than any of those combined.  as missionaries we teach the steps to rempentance daily and when I was living them recent I felt a whole new meaning for restitution. in this kind of situattion what I really needed to do was give back my tin me , khowever no matter how advanced technolgy gets, its one of Gods inreversable gifts, it cant be dont.  there is no reencarnation, we are given this life to perpare ourselves and nothing more (alm a 34:32-34) it even hits you harder in the mission, when the ¨time is far spent and there is little remaining to publish good tiddings ¨  so if I couldnt give back time, I decided I needed to give up more of me.  Really, I have learned that in momeonts of disobedience we are being nothing more than selfish.  Our pride is a sign of spiritual weakness.  Missionaries can be obedient without  being perfect.  The goal isnt t o be perfect , if it was that would be like setting us up always to faiol.  so what is my goal?    

 my goal is  to prepare  myself now to one day answer the following questions found in alma 5 with confidence, assuracne, humility, love and honestly. KNowing that  my answers will please my father  in heaven, His Son, and my The alley family. 

- ¨have you been spiritually born of God¨?¨

-¨h ave you received his image in your countencances?.¨

-¨have you experienced a mighty change of heart.?¨

-¨do you exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you?¨

-¨do you look forward with an eye of faith to s tand before God to be judged according to the deeds done in mortality?¨

-can ye look up to God with a pure heart and clean hands?¨

and my personal favorite. -¨can you imagine to yourselve the voice of the Lord saying... come unto me ye blessed, for beyold, your works have been works of righteousness and I will save you.?¨

Asado

well folks this week is going to be a short one because I sent lots of pics... so thats really a lot more than words can say anyways...

we started out with our activity with the barrior the last monday. Super fun, we ate hamburgers the size of my head that are just delicious! nothing beats the meat here, its fantastic!  we played soccer, voli, and basketball, I felt so freee!!! haha it was a hoot to play with all the kids and parents and it ended up beingi a really good turnout!