February 20, 2014 E-mail

Greetings from Argentina!

Everything is good here in Argentina! Cinthia gave the opening prayer in Sacrament Meeting yesterday! She wasn´t even a member yet because she got confirmed afterwards! How great! She says she wants to serve a mission! I’m so excited for her! Also, her mom and siblings always come to church and want to follow Cinthia. They just have to work with her dad. I say they because--surprise: I'm not in Congreso anymore! I left and arrived yesterday in Caballito (kah-bah-shee-toe), my new area. Transfers aren’t until next week but her in Caballito there was a sister waiting for her visa to Mexico and it came, so I left Congreso and came here with my new companion, Hermana Sanchez from Guatemala. It wasn’t too much of a surprise because I was with the Sister Training leaders in Congreso, and they always know everything that’s happening because President always talks with them. Caballito is still in the city, but there aren’t as many tall buildings everywhere, so we are in the sun a bit more, which I love! Everything is good so far. Hermana Sanchez is a bomb missionary! I have a lot to learn from her!

I don’t really know all of the investigators yet so that part of the email will have to wait until next Tuesday (transfer p-day). There is one I know, Janet, who has a baby girl and a drunk husband who we are trying to help. She is very humble and will be baptized next Sunday. Her situation in life breaks my heart. In the house where she lives they all drink, and it’s a horrible atmosphere to raise a child. But the Gospel can help! The Gospel ALWAYS helps! That’s what a lot of people don't understand; they don´t grasp that by healing the spiritual and strengthening the spiritual side, the blessings we receive help the temporal. There is no better was to succeed in the world than to succeed as a child of God. It makes me eternally grateful for my family and you and Dad who are faithful and strong and raised me and Caitlin and Michael right. Also I am incredibly grateful for the Gospel, for my life, and my future, AND the opportunity I have now to help people here have the same opportunities.

Well that´s all I’ve got this week. Missing Congreso but looking forward to Caballito!

Love you!!!

Hermana Arntsen

January 13, 2014 E-mail

Everything is WONDERFUL!! Yesterday was the baptism on Cinthia!!! She is the BOMB! Total boss! The best ever!! She just turned 15 and is so mature! She plays soccer and wants to go pro so one day when you see her name all around the world you'll know who she is haha! But really she is very special! Her baptism was incredible! Edison, a convert of a year and a half, baptized her so it was a great growing experience for him too. Then she shared her testimony after and it was so incredible! Her mom, non member, was bawling! Cinthia said that she hoped that her siblings and family can follow in her footsteps and be baptized too. We are working with them but her parents have to get married which takes some time here. Then her younger sisters, twins, are 7 so one day soon in September for them. I love Cinthia so much! She is INCREDIBLE!!!

Everything is going great! I have the best companions in the world! I have the best area in the world!! I have the best mission in the world!! (and Cali Sac of course). And the best Mission President and Wife in the world!!! (except Presdient Lewis and his wife of course- wow this two mission thing is hard).

We had some rain again the other day which is fantabulous, because that means it is cooler for a few days more! The night gets hot again but then hopefully it will rain again. Although somewhere in Provincia someone got struck by lightening. Scary!

Sometimes you´d think it was a thunder storm because of the Murga. In the Plaza by our apt there is usually a Murga in the afternoon. It is SO COOL! Basically it´s just a whole bunch of people that gather and some have drums a couple diferent kinds of drums with sybmols on top and the beat out this rhythm, and then everyone else dances. It´s so cool. The Murga dance is really easy but people get way into it! Even the little kids. I love it! I could stand and watch for hours! The culture is so amazing here! I´m sure there are videos on youtube. Murga is really popular in South America right now, Brasil, Argentina, I would assume Chile but I don´t know.

Well that´s my report for  this week.! All is well in this section of the vineyard! The work has never been better!!!!

We can´t- I mean CANNOT- do this withOUT the members! And I see it every time. The members come out with us or help our investigaotrs, the work is better and the members ALWAYS without fail recieve blessings from helping us. There is no downside to helping the missionaries. One Hermana was loooking for a job and she came out to visit an investigaotr with us, and this investigator was also looking for work and gave our member her interview at a business, because she had just found work in another place. There are blessings to be had! SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND!!

I LOVE you all!!!!

Hermana Arntsen

Cinthia's baptism

 

January 6, 2014 E-mail

MOM!! 

Yep, health wise everything is back to normal. But yes, we think they were bed bugs. But I got a new mattress and now the bites are almost completely gone, but I think I might have a scar or two.

Argentina is great! Mario got baptized yesterday!! He was so happy! You couldn´t tell looking at his face because he was so emotional he almost looked mad, but in his eyes you could see that he was happy. It´s strange, he was born the year before Dad. He seems so much older because of his health problems, but I can´t imagine living all those years without the Gospel. I´m so glad that now he has it and I know he is too.

Here the missionaries do a lot to support the ward. I bet there they do too, you just don´t know it. On the stage of life missionaries are the backstage crew. No one knows they are there working their little behinds off but everyone sees the product of their efforts.

We had our first big rain storm the other day! I´ll send you a photo but you can´t really tell that it was raining. I got out my boots and coat and everything was perfect! We especially enjoyed the days following when it was cooler outside.

I love you all so much!!!

Don´t forget to cherish every opportunity you have to do good.

Hermana Arntsen

Mario's baptism