May 19, 2014 E-mail

Mommy!

Thanks for the photos!!! I love them!! Right now everything is getting really cold! I always have to leave with the coat on! And it rains very unexpectedly! The other night we had just gotten into the apartment when it started to rain, but we didn't even know--it was like in the movies when in about two seconds its just pouring and you know that it's not real rain but one of those sprinkler machines. But this was real rain! I thought it was just the wind but nope, it was rain!

I´m glad everything´s going well! Here everything is good. I hit a year this Thursday and my body is definitely beginning to feel it! haha! I'm so tired all the time and my feet ache and my back and my shoulders from carrying my bag everywhere, and we walk miles every day and yet, despite ALL of that, it´s worth it. No effort shall be wasted. That is a promise. Think about Abinidai who preached and preached and preached to the king Noah and his priests, and just when they are about to kill him for it Alma begs the king to let him go—“woohoo one person believes me!¨ he must have thought! Then the king kicks the one believer out and sends his big scary guards to go kill him. Imagine what Abinidai must have felt in that moment. The one person that believes him is dead as far as he knows he will be hanging out with his convert in paradise in thirty minutes. I would have been pretty down in the dumps if I were him in that moment, but I don't think he was. I think he remained faithful and trusted in the plan that he could see. Because of the efforts of Abinidai we have the Book of Mormon today. If you follow from Alma eventually you will get to Moroni. How incredible is that!? NO EFFORT WASTED! That is a promise! For everyone! Even you! Every effort you make to share will be of use for someone somewhere even if you don´t see the fruits now. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of them that bring good tidings of peace!

Love you!!

Hermana Arntsen

Megan's zone

May 12, 2014 E-mail

Mommy!

Ok shorter letter this week for obvious reasons! :) I loved talking to you guys yesterday!! I´m sad Michael couldn´t really be there, but at least I got to see him a little bit! This week was great! We worked really hard and we found some new people to teach! Jessica did get baptized. Something is going on with her and we´re not quite sure what it is yet, so we are going to work some more with her first. The members are awesome!! Today we are going to go to the house of the Relief Society president to watch some church made movies! It should be fun! She’s like a mom away from home so don´t worry we are well taken care of. And yesterday in Priesthood the President of the Elder´s Quorum made a list of all the Hermanos that committed to go out and do visits with us!!!! What a great idea!! There was a change of companions for some family problems that my other companion had, and I am now training Hermana Hernandez from Choluteca, Honduras! My second catracha!! (Michael can tell you what that is.) Well, that´s about it for this week. Sorry it´s so short, but we talked a lot yesteday! :D

Love,

Hermana Arntsen

Megan on webcam Mother's Day!

May 5, 2014 E-mail

Mommy!

WOW! So many things happening!! Where to begin! With YOU! Like always!! We actually did find Vladimir again but they couldn't go to church because Victor has a neck problem and had to go to the hospital :( But next week, next week!

Ellie and Stassja are GRADUATING!! WHAT????!!!!!! Woah! Hold the phone! Wow! They´re so old! I CAN´T BELIEVE IT! Yah, here it´s getting colder. I have gotten out the coat and the tights but I don´t need them every day. Buenos Aires is temperamental and bipolar--it never knows if it wants to be cold or hot! We've been getting some more rain, which I think becomes a constant thing in the winter but we´ll see.

God keeps teaching me a lesson very important every week and each time even stronger. MEMBERS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE WORK OF SALVATION! This Sunday was going to be the baptism of Jessica. Every day we had a lesson with her and she met a counselor in the bishopric—everything was progressing just wonderfully. Friday she had to stay last minute at college for something and couldn't get to the appointment and then Saturday she was sick and couldn't get to her interview. We called and sent messages and tried to stop by with the Elders to give her a blessing, but nothing. We even asked Tony, who was going to baptize her, to check on Facebook. Then Sunday—nothing in the morning—she didn't come. Quite a few members asked for her even the Bishop! Then later we had correlation with our ward mission leader. He added her on FB and they started to chat during the meeting and she told him that she didn't have credit on her cell to send messages or calls and that she felt bad because she couldn't communicate with us (the missionaries), and that when we stopped by her mom saw who it was but didn't tell her, so she didn't know to open the door. She was really upset and distraught. Then during correlation Tony called and asked if we were doing anything or if we had time to go do a visit. We said of course and to whom? He said Jessica! I almost screamed on the phone I couldn't believe it! He had talked with her and arranged to meet! So, we went and had a lesson with her. We, missionaries, hardly said anything, and Tony and Jessica did a lot of the talking. Seems strange but it was exactly what she needed—to know she has friends and to know that we care and that God cares. It was a miracle! Now she has more hope and feels more loved and has more strength to prepare for her baptism this Sunday! Without the members this would not be a reality. They acted of their own free will; we didn'´t ask them to and because of their motivation and love for her, we found her again. WE, missionaries, CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU, members!!!!!!! I can´t say it enough! WE NEED YOU!!!! FOR THE WORK OF SALVATION!!! GOD NEEDS YOU!!! So let´s get to it and watch the miracles happen!!! This is the work of the Lord! He directs it and invites to be His instruments! Let´s get to work!

Love you!

Hermana Arntsen 

April 28, 2014 E-mail

Mommy!

I’m Training!!! Hermana Segovia from España!! She is really great!! She doesn´t even need to be trained—she´s just ready to get going to work but she´s having a rough time adjusting, so if you could all keep her in your prayers I would really appreciate that, and I know that it will help her too! I have a bunch of photos to send you! I took a ton because I thought for sure I was going to leave but nope. Hermana Sanchez and I got to be companions again for a few hours while we were waiting for the newbies to arrive, it was fun. We ate subway. Not the same and so much better there (in the US), but it was a nice break from pasta and milanesa!

This week was good. It was hard to contact a few investigators, but the ward is so great and wants to help us!!! I´ve got to tell you the funniest story!! So Saturday night we went to visit an old investigator but he wasn´t there so we talked with the guy that opened the door, Vladimir. He told us a long story about his life and we told him how the Gospel could help, and he said he would come to church and that a couple hours after we could meet to talk more. So in the morning, Sunday, we went to go to church with him and he wasn´t there. Then we went for the appointment later and a different guy answered the door, and when we asked for Vladimir he went up the stairs and when he came down there was someone following him that looked a lot like Vladimir. We had talked with him in the dark, so I thought that I couldn’t recognize his face very well. We didn´t have a woman with us so I said, “hey let´s go to the park and we can talk a few minutes.” So, he said ok and followed us there. We sat down and I started in like this: So last night you said “you wanted to talk more about such and such” and he said “I didn´t talk with you last night.” I was like, “Are you Vladimir?” He said “No, I´m Victor, his little brother.” Shock and awe! Haha! So I asked him “So why did you follow us to the park?” He said “Well, you said let´s go to the park to talk so I went to the park.” We taught him about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. He had a lot of good questions, and he said he would think about his baptismal date for the 18th of May! 

There are two things in this world that I don´t believe in: LUCK and COINCIDENCES. THEY DO NOT EXIST! There are only BLESSINGS and THE HAND OF GOD. Like Moroni says in Moroni 10:6-7 (or something close) all GOOD things come from GOD. Not from some imaginary power that has no source or purpose in existing. GOD- they come from God. THIS is the work of Heavenly Father. THIS is the truth. All the people in the world can say that the sky is green, and all the people in the world can believe that the sky is green, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is blue. All the people in the world can say the Joseph Smith wasn´t a prophet, that he didn´t see Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father, and all the people in the world can believe that Joseph Smith wasn´t a prophet, that he didn´t see Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father, but that doesn´t change the FACT that Joseph Smith WAS A PROPHET, that he DID see Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. All the people in the world can say that it´s foolish to give up our lives and desires to work in cause of Christ, and all the people in the world can believe that it is foolish to give up our lives and desires to work in the cause of Christ, but that doesn´t change the FACT that WE MUST give up our lives and desires to WORK IN THE CAUSE OF CHRIST. If we do not, we can not receive ETERNAL LIFE. THAT is the TRUTH. No matter what they say or do, the TRUTH NEVER CHANGES! God being the Source of it. The truth being known, LET´S WORK IN THE CAUSE OF CHRIST!!! That we may win the prize AND bring our brothers with us! A single soul cannot be exalted but many souls shall be received with gladness into the mansions of exaltation. THAT is the Work of Salvation. And THAT is a small price to pay for EVERLASTING HAPPINESS.

I love you all and pray that we may continue brothers in the faith!

Hermana Arntsen

P.S. Mom, I thought you might like the analogy "THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!!" I hope you remember what that is from!  (note from Mom: This is from an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation in case any of your were wondering.)

Megan and Hermana Sanchez

 

Megan and Cinthia

 

Hermana Mowry and Hermana Dunn

 

The Despedida of missionaries

 

The Congresso Group

 

Megan and Johan