Word of the week: Caer un tormento (To be stormy)

This was a very unique week for many reasons. Firstly, three of the seven days of this week were stormy! Now, you might all be rolling your eyes thinking, "You grew up in SEATTLE! How bad could it be...?!?!?" Truth be told, it's not too bad, the problem is that it starts to be stormy without warning and it rains for about an hour REALLY HARD with lightning and thunder, then goes away, but not before leaving us wet with soggy shoes. Argentines are deathly afraid of things wet....specifically in the form of precipitation. When it rains, this city turns into a major ghost town. Now, you might think that would be great for missionaries because everyone is in their houses, when in reality, it is quite the opposite. Everyone is inside, TRUE, but when we knock doors, people come to the door and say, "No, we can't help you right now....it's raining!" Right, as if we hadn't realized....standing on the doorstep....dripping wet. Thanks...we had no idea it was raining! Thankfully, it really was only rainy in the evenings, so we were able to pass the worst of the storm with members and a few minutes in the church building. In other exciting news, EVA GOT BAPTIZED! It was a little stressful as the Young Women in Excellence activity changed times and started about 20 minutes before the baptism was scheduled and we had no one prepared to perform the baptism. In the end it all worked out (the ward mission leader performed the baptism---I think the first he'd ever done---and all the moms and daughters from the YW program just moved rooms and participated in the baptism....). Eva was very happy and even brought along her daughter (who unfortunately had to leave before the actual baptism). Monica is sceduled to be baptized this Saturday. This week we went to visit her and she was very excited to show us how she found her answer that she needs to be baptized. She couldn't sleep one night, so she started reading in the Book of Mormon. She read in Mosiah 24 about how the people needed to repent and be baptized in order to be saved. She just looked at us and said, "that's my answer, isn't it?" We are very excited for her and his sons. This week we visited her with a set of elders because she is very concerned about her drug addicted son (Emilian, 21 years old) and really wants him to have a good example in his life. She thought of the elders. When we got there, Emiliano took right to the elders and opened up. Hna. Alvez and I were really surprised and excited at the same time. He expressed his desire to change his life and start over. He said that he's stopped doing some things that he used to do, but the people he knows still see him as the same kid who did those things. He's really frustrated by that, but was very excited at the prospect of starting over, starting fresh. The elders asked us what part in the Book of Mormon we left for him to read the last time we visited. I spoke right up and said Alma 34. Hna. Alvez looked at me all confused, but I just looked back and said, "Alma 34." Still confused...we started reading in verse 30, taking turns. Not sure what to read really, we discovered real fast that we were reading EXACTLY what Emiliano needed to hear as the passage we read talked about repentance and changing our lived TODAY. He soaked it up and was absolutely ready to change his life. It was miraculous to see him change literally in front of our eyes as we read with him and helped him understand his potential thanks to the sacrifice and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Later, as Hermana ALvez and I were talking, she told me that Alma 34 wasn't the chapter we left for them to read. I was so sure that that was what we needed to read. Thanks to my bad memory (or really, the Spirit) we read the "wrong" chapter, but in the grand scheme, exactly the chapter that Emiliano needed to read. What a miracle it was! I learned a lot from that experience, especially the power of the Priesthood. It was so interesting teaching with Elders and seeing the power that they literally transmit. Monica, Emiliano, and even 10 year old Santiago reacted so differently with the Elders in their home. I was really grateful to have them with us because no matter how many times we'd tried teaching Emiliano, we maybe aren't the missionaries he needs. The Priesthood truly is the power of the Lord and Elders do a great work. How blessed I am to have a Priesthood holding father, brother, friends, and other family members. How grateful I will be to have a husband who worthily holds his Priesthood and presides in our home. It truly is the power of God given to men. Other note--we received a reference from a family this week. We taught Oscar (16 year old friend of one of the kids in this family) in the Arias' family's home. In the first lesson, we set a baptismal date for December 11. How important are member references! It's not just your neighbor or that guy who lives near our house, but some one who has watched your example, heard your testimony, and felt the spirit in your presence. Someone who the members have cared for and prepared, so all we have to do as missionaries is teach. What evidence of the importance of member missionary work! Jumped rope with some kids in the sidewalk and took an imaginary train ride to Malargüe (nearby city) with some kiddos sitting outside their house on a bike rack (aka: Train). Still working on finding my personality in Spanish, but these little kids helped a lot. :) Thanks for the love and support. Happy Thanksgiving. Eat lots of turkey, cranberries, stuffing, and pie for me....I'll be missing those yummy things this year and will be sweating while you are all drinking your apple cider in the snow. What a world away I truly am! Love you, Hermana Pelton

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