VAMOS ARGENTINA!!!! :D

Haha it woulda been better to have that title if we woulda won yesterday (even though I had no part of watching, just heard all the screams and yells and cannons and all that good stuff!)

But I had an awesome week! It really lifted my spirits a lot and I didn't even realize I was in need of that, but like I've realized SO many times out here on the mish, Heavenly Father knows 1003507x's better than we do what we need and don't need :)

I LOVE SANTA ROSA!!! This is kinda silly. . .but I feel like the rest of my mission was like my hard trials and challenges of our earth life and now my last month I've been recieved into the Celestial Kingdom for all the hard work I've been trying to give <3 Hermana Peralta my new comp is amazing <3 She changed missions from Chile last transfer, so she got to our mission with Hermana Castleman, but we have the same time in the mission :) She's from Argentina too and she's teaching me how to speak in vos :) haha and I teach her and help here with her already awesome English! She's an amazing example of hard work and diligence. When she got here our area was super dead, but she's completely turned it around :) We worked WAY hard this week too and we have some of the neatest investigators!

WE ARE TEACHING A FAMILY!! It's hard to find families here in Argentina cuz so many are just living together or are seperated. . .and they do need to get married still, but they are totally willing to which ALSO doesn't happen around here. . .well in Bahia :) The people here are at least a little more chill and small town feel! Lots of people let us in their houses and it's great :) Also. . .we had SEVEN investigators at church yesterday :) Haha Hna Peralta says I'm a good luck charm, and I said all I did is just "smile and wave" haha but really, we're just working super hard and I know we had them all there cuz we gave our all so they could be there!! They all loved it and we're so excited to see their progress :) Hermana Peralta likes having fun too, we're always laughing and being goofs :) She has 12 brothers and sisters haha she also is 24 so before her mission she was working as a Music teacher. She has an AMAZING voice. haha my first day we had a zone meeting and they asked us to sing and I totally butchered it haha but she was super sweet about it, in that she teased me that "we" did awful even though it was just me haha but she's awesome in that way, not at ALL fake :) It's awesome wokring with her here! I'm sure I'll have more stories next week :)

I'm so grateful fo my mission. I love every minute :) It's been hard, and it's not over, but I'm gonna keep rolling forward in full gear until the whistle blows!!! And even then I know it's not over, this was just my pre-workout haha But I'm happy, and that's what really matters :)

I love you all so darn much!! Have an awesome week ok?! Work hard and love God with all your heart :)
xoxoxoxo
Larissa

I'm leaving Bahía Blanca! :( :) :/ :D haha

Yep. Crazy. After being here for almost a year, President called me and told me he's Emergency Transfering me to La Pampa tomorrow! I cried haha cuz after lots of stuggling and hard work with little fruits, we finally were seeing some real progress in our area, which I am SO grateful for the opportunity to have had to work here in Villa Floresta, but I was excited for the fruit too haha but my Heavenly Father needs me elsewhere which I'm excited about!

It's the closest it gets to "the country" where I'm going and I'm way stoked about that!! haha my comp says she feeling like she's the guy on Tangled when she's all "I'M FREE" then the next minute "I'm such a terrible person" haha I thought this was just gonna be a normal keep working hard transfer, but it'll be fun to get to know another part of Argentina for my last few weeks :)

We had invited 6 poeple to church and all of them commited to coming, but come Sunday it was raining and gross outside so. . .no one showed haha when we passed by to see what happened they were like "oh you still go in the rain like this?" haha I was like YESSSSSS!!! IT'S A FREAKIN COMMANDMENT!!!! hahaha just kidding, I said it way more spiritually than that, but I think it had the same power ;) But seriously, it's NUTS the excuses people are willing to make for things that are not optional. I know I defintiely was and still am one of those people sometimes, but I'm grateful I atleast have the vision of what needs to happen and I'm trying my best to make things happen :) That comes from having a testimony though, which I know my buds here in Villa Floresta are still working on gaining.

I'm going to Santa Rosa and I leave tomorrow at 5ish at night and I'm going with all the Distict leaders from down there so I don't have to travel alone so don't worry about anything! I'm going as Junior companoin with someone who has the same time in the mission as me, and it sounds like she's been having a rough time so we'll see if I can help, but pray for me <3 She sounds way awesome! She latina so I'll be able to come home not remembering how to speak english ;) I think she's from Chile, but I'll have more details next week!! LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!! Have an awesome week :) Work hard in whatever your doing, give it your all, and SMILE!!! <3
LOVE YOU!!!!!
xoxoxoxo
Larissa

:D

I'm just happy today :) We had a toughish week haha this whole World Cup thing really throws a loop into doing any sort of missionary work!! BUT we had 2 investigators that FINALLY came to church yesterday! One is a little girl who her mom was inactive a long time and she decided to be baptized Cathloic and when her mom got active she keeps going to the Catholic church but she's knows the Book of Mormon is true. . .she's 8 haha but SUPER smart and special :) Her name is Valentina so we're gonna work with her and her family :) Then the other was the father of an investigator we've been teaching off and on for awhile and he came for the last 20 minutes and liked it but he doesn't wanna commit to listening to us or changing religions, but we'll see where we can get with him :)

Me and Hna Castleman had a really neat experience last night knocking doors. We hadn't been having any luck all day long, and on top of it she got bit by a wasp and we weren't even sure it was a wasp so we were trying to figure out if we needed to go to the hospital cuz it was BAD. . .but then we went to a memebers house and put on some Aloe Vera (it grows EVERYWHERE here) and it got better right away :) so anyway, last night at like 8:30 right before we were going to start heading home, a man, Said (it's Arabic!) came out of his nice big house and talked with us and he was cold so I asked him if his wife was home and when he said yes i offered to go inside to talk, and normally the richer people never let you in cuz they're scared of getting robbed. . .BUT HE LET US IN!! It was the first time that's happened I think my whole mission :) They are a religion that believes in reincarnation and all that fun stuff, but we ended up talking about the Plan of Salvation and our doctrines are so simliar they just kept getting more and more excited. The coolest part was it got to be 9:30 (Hna Castleman like hit me and pointed to the like and I was like OH FLIP haha cuz that's when we should be in the house. . .) we told them we had to go and they both were so excited to inviote us to come back another day :) It was such a neat experience and I'm not sure where they are gonna go, but it was so neat to see the spirit testifying to them of the truths we shared :)

I know this is the true church of Jesus Christ on the earth and I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to share these truths with the whole world so they can be blessed like we are <3

I love you all so very much!! I have transfers this week, I think I'll be sticking in Villa FLoresta, but we'll see what happens!! Home stretch and I'm giving it my all!!! :D Have an awesome week!!!! :D <3 LOVE YOU!!!!!

A SUPER FAST BUT GREAT UPDATE! :D

First off, I love you guys so much :) Thank you so much for all of your support and love and prayers <3 I'm in need of them!! haha

my newbie Hna Castleman is the BOMB!! We work really hard together and we laugh a ton so it's been a great week! The poor thing was kinda sick so we stayed in a day. . .we got to know each other really well :) She speaks VERY well for being straight out of the MTC but she still gets frustrated. We're having a hard time finding people and helping the people we have progress, but if we keep being positive and working and praying hard with a lot of faith I know the blessings will start pooring out :) I LOVE being amissionary and I'm doing all I can to love and serve the Lord with every second of this short I have left here in Argentina <3

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! Have an awesome week!!!!
MUAH MUAH!!!

Mi Semana!!!

I'm gonna be so grateful when I can just put pictures on Facebook in like 5 seconds and don't have to spend 10 minutes fighting with the computer just so I can't send anything haha and then I don't have hardly anytime to WRITE!!! But Oh well :) haha

so I have a new companion!! Hermana Castleman :) Straight out of the MTC! She's super fun and we have a ton in common wich has been fun. She's got a lot of big ideas which I just love too and we're gonna see what we can do to get it into action :) We had a SUPER tough week, whcih is normal but it was rough for her. We're just gonna keep working hard!! Well, I've gotta go now!! I just love reading everything from you guys so much I don't do enough time updating you about my week haha but I'll try to do better :)

I love you all so much!!!
Have an awesome week!!!
xoxoxo

Happy Mother's Day!

 

 

Sacrifice :)

Man it's been an awesome week!

I wish I had more time on weeks like this so I could explain well everything that happened, but that's the way the mission is I guess!!! We had some just crazy experiences as well as some miracles.

The most memorable was we were knocking doors and one answered, a guy about 23 years old (who side note looks a lot like Frodo haha) and we started talking to him and he was kinda interested so we asked if there was a woman and he told us his mom, but she had company and we said that's ok we'll just talk with you! So we sat down and the mom came to see who we were and we recognized her but weren't sure from where (we get to know so many people here haha) but turns out we had contacted her just a couple nights earlier, and she is WAY evangelica. She was with some of her friends talking, but they all decided to come talk to us, which I had a feeling was gonna be something interesting. . .but we began to explain the Restoration and they listened and I got to share the first vision and I have on rare ocasion felt the spirit as strongly as I did sharing it this time. . .there was silence for about a minute and I began to testify of Jose Smith and that's when they attacked haha for the next about hour we tried defending every attck they threw at us and I truly can't remember anything I said, but what I do rememebr is that they were truly confounded like the scriptures promise :) I've obviously felt the miracle of the gift of tongues being able to speak spanish. . .but this experience testified to me that this truly is the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ and I am so grateful to have the knowledge that that I have felt that witness over and over again :)

I read a cool scripture this morning about Sacrifice in D and C 64:23 and you can look it up but the quote from gordon B. Hinckly in Stand a Little Taller was awesome "Our willingness to sacrifice for this the Lords work reminds us that this is the very essence of the Atonement, the ultimate sacrifice made by the Son of God in bahalf of each of us" I hope we all can remember every day when we face struggle and challenges the Saviors sacrifice for us and know that He understands us, but as His brothers and sisters we have to experience a little of what He has in order to love like He did :) I love you all so very much!! Have an AWESOME week!!! 

Larissa <3

An Awesome Week!!

Well, I wrote like a million people today. . .but we had an AWESOME week!! I have never been so happy on the mish and seen so many miracles :)

 

WE have 2 investigators with baptism dates that are just SO happy and excited and they both came to church yesterday!! Dominga is 87 years old and has a lot of health problems but she is so excited to be baptized as we were leaving the church yesterday she asked to see where she'd be baptized <3 it was so sweet :) The other is named Rosa and is the mom of one other investigator whose been up and down for about a year. . .Hna Tolman started teaching her here when she first got to Argentina haha but Rosa turned up in Wednesday after being gone for a year. . .and she has a lot of stuff she needs to get straightened out but she came to church and told us she feels like this is it :)

 

Alright my time is up!!! I love you all so very much!! HAVE AN AWESOME WEEK!!!!! I'll get you all a longer one next week haha

 

 xoixoxo

your Larissa <3

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

Haha yeah. . .so I dunno if I mentioned this, but one of the girls in my house has like all Christmas music on her music dealy and so I get all excited psyching (?) myself out cuz it's APRIL haha BUT this week was SOOO cold!! It rained a bunch and it was almost snow, I think it's just to humid here so it can't be snow. . .but yeah, I'm a bit frozen haha I got sick cuz the change was SO fast and out of no where. One day it's like 90 degrees then the next day BAM 15 haha it was nuts, but really I like the cold weather better so it's all good :) The only bad part is my favorite boots that I brought with me broke yesterday :( I'm gonna see if I can glue them together but it's not looking so hot haha partly I think is broke cuz we've been working so darn hard!! 

Hermana Alvarez is soo awesome. She really gives it her all and when

she does it makes it so easy to give it my all, it doesn't feel like I'm forcing the other one or make me more prone to want to be done too. The whole companion thing is such a good marriage preparation seriously cuz, like I told her, she has been the companion that has helped me fulfill my full potential as a missionary, just like we should look for a spouse that will help us fulfill our full potential as disciples of Christ. I'm super grateful I'm found someone that helps me want to give and do my best always <3 Oh my word, I just realized how much this darn man is charging us for these computers!!! Oh well I guess haha

Sorry this is short and kinda whimpy. I've been freaking out a little about classes and stuff and I messed around trying to sign in and find my password and reading FAQ to see if there were tips for missionaries haha but I sent an e-mail and hopefully next week I can get it all figured out.

I've been thinking a lot about purification and I know that it comes when we are converted, and really both of them are a life process, but I love a scripture in Omni verse 26 that talks about giving our whole souls as an offering to Him, then it says that's achieved through much fasting and prayer. Before my mission I definitely didn't have a testimony of fasting. I just felt hungry haha but on my mission I've been able to feel how really, it brings us so much closer to Christ spiritually. I'm so grateful that we as members fast so frequently, because it's a selfless thing, and we have to practice being selfless. I felt very close to my Savior yesterday and I know it's because I was fasting and had the intentions of becoming more like Him :)

Ok I gotta go! LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

Have a great week ok?!

xoxoxo

Larissa

A LONG and AMAZING Weekend :)

WOW!!! Haha I don't think I'll ever get used to or like the rushed feeling I have on Monday Mornings trying to get all of the e-mails sent that I need to or keep you all in on the loop of my crazy world over here in Argentina, so just forgive me that I can't do it like I would if I had a couple hours on here haha but I know I need to do better and follow the example of Aaron <3 He does so awesome!! 

But ok as for me and what's up?? :) 

I love Conference. It's seriously so incredible everytime even though they all teach the same basic priciples and doctrine, it's exactly what this world needs <3 We also had transfers this weekend, at the same time, so some poor people missed out on Conference. I thought that was a big bummer, but we've gotta do what we've gotta do sometimes I guess! I'm still here in Villa Floresta, but my comp switched to be the comp of another Hna in the Ward and Hna Alvarez, one of the Peruvians I lived with in White is my new comp! She still hasn't met up with us, but I think we'll meet up around 4 my leaders told me, but who knows with them sometimes haha :) I also got to see all of the White families at Conference which made me way happy <3 I think that's where my heart will always be from the mission here in Argentina just cuz I was there SOOO long haha

I felt so many things during Conference, but as I prepared for Conference this time, I felt the impression to start reading the Book of Mormon and mark EVERY time it talked about obedience or repentance. I felt SO grateful for that revelation because, at least for me, that was ALL the prophets encouraged us to do better. Be more obedient then ever before and when we make our human imperfect state mistakes to have complete trust and faith in Christ that he will heal us and help us be strong so we don't ever have to make the same mistakes again. One of the quotes that really stuck with me from President Packers talk is that there are things in this life that can't be taught, but only learned. I feel like the meaning and truthfulness of that statement has really hit me on my mission. I really started internalizing gospel principles that I had been taught my whole life because I relied on and was worthy of the spirit to teach me in a way only he can help me understand, apply and change. I think the real learning comes when as we follow the spirit and do those things most basic to strengthen spiritual growth: Praying Daily, Reading the Scriptures daily, and then sharing the knowledge and truth we receive in Family Home Evening or our church meetings :) 

Click above to read, watch the whole talk from General Conference!

I'm so very grateful for the simplicity of the plan our Heavenly Father has prepared for us and the incredible blessings He promises to us and our families <3 I know it's the ONLY plan of happiness and we have to give 110%, even though our Faith in Christ and His Atonement is like 109.9% of that effort <3 Trust in Him and love Him enough to keep his commandments :) That's all he has asked <3 

I love you all soo very much!! I'm praying for you all and thinking about you and can't wait to all be together again <3 

xoxoxo 

Larissa