¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the leap into 2011! What exciting things lie in store for us this year. To end 2010 and start 2011, we had some wonderful experiences! A few weeks ago, 2 different investigators gave us the name of the same woman (Milta) as a reference. We went by her house three times, but she was either busy or not home. As we were working one afternoon in her neighborhood and our other appointments fell through, I suggested that we try knocking her door one more time before giving up on her. Low and behold, she was home! She is in the process of moving and selling some items from her former store, so we sat and waited while she talked with a few people who were looking at her furniture. She then sat down and attentively listened with her two young boys (ages 8 and 10). She then told us of her HARD year between separating from her husband, running their store alone, having to move to another province, getting cancer (and not telling her sons about it), miraculously being healed before finishing her chemo treatments....and on and on it went and yet she was still smiling. We shared with her about the Book of Mormon and the comfort and peace we find in reading it. She happily accepted it, as did her sons. One of her sons, Franco, even leaned over to his mom and told her that they should share "the book" with one of their friends who was going through a hard time as well. We, obviously, gave them another copy to pass along to their friend as well. I was having a rough day, particularly in terms of Spanish, but as we sat and talked with Milta and her sons, I felt an added surge of love and energy and was able to share with them things that have helped me in times of challenge and distress. I loved looking into Franco's 8 year-old eyes and telling him that the peace and joy he felt as we were talking about the Book of Mormon was the feeling of the Holy Ghost telling him it was true. A smile broke across his face. Unfortunately they weren't available to talk when we went by to talk with them yesterday, but I know that they were touched by the Spirit because I was as we talked with them and as I shared my heart-felt testimony with them. Small moments like that, especially when I feel like I have nothing left to give (or no words to say...literally), make all the walking in the dirt, the bug bites, and sunburns fade away. We also visited with a less active family (the Jofre Family) that the hermanas have been visited for months. With them, I shared a recently discovered analogy (thanks Grandpa for a wonderful example and the gift of sharing stories): The analogy of the mate. Let me explain: First, Google "Argentine Mate" so you have an image of what I'm talking about. Mate is the Argentine phenomenon. It is to an Argentine as coffee is to a Seattlite. It starts with the mate (the cup), then they add alternating layers of yerba (what I like to think of as dried grass) and sugar. When the cup is about 2/3 full of these layers, they add piping hot water and then drink it with a special straw that has a little filter part at the end. They only get about 4 or 5 sips before they have to replenish their layers of yerba and sugar and then add more water, after which, they pass their cup and straw to their friends until everyone has had their "sips". Ok, here's the analogy: Mate=personal testimony Yerba=church attendance Sugar=scripture study Water=personal prayer In order to gain a personal testimony that is delicious and fulfilling, it requires layer upon layer of church attendance and scripture study. In order to understand the scriptures and apply what we learn at church to our lives, we must add personal prayer. Like mate, without yerba or church attendance, as the basic ingredient of our mate (personal testimony), our testimony really isn't a full testimony. Church attendance is the basic ingredient because it is in church where we are able to partake of the sacrament and renew our baptismal covenants (the basis of our testimony and relationship with our Savior). Without sugar in our mate and scripture study in our lives, our mate and our testimonies would be bitter. Water is essential in mate just as personal prayer is in gaining our own testimonies; without pray, our testimonies are dry and our studies and church attendance have no flavor or value, just as our mate is just ingredients without the water. What do you do when you've made the mate and enjoyed your sips? You have to add more layers and more water! It's a constant process that requires practice and consistency. You can't do one big scoop of sugar and yerba and call it good; the richness or the mate and our testimony comes layer upon layer, line upon line, day after day of consistent layers of these simple ingredients. I shared this analogy that I've been thinking about and working on for the past 6 months and they loved it! All 5 kids were paying attention and participating, and better yet, the mom really grasped the idea. The idea is that when they go to drink Mate (in the morning, afternoon, afternoon, and night time...all day really...), they will think about the steps of personal testimony, or in this families case, how to be reactivated and have more unity and love in their family! I also helped make Brazilian empanadas this week (ground beef with onions--think Montana pasties---inside a Rhodes roll dough and then folded into a little papoos baby and baked). Hermana Suriano is an AMAZING cook and I'm thinking that Brazilian food is the best thing I've eaten in months! I love it! I told her I'm bring my recipe book to lunch this week so she can write me down a few of her recipes. She is happy to share and I'm happy to receive! I saw President Lindahl a few times this week (he was visiting our church building and in going to Aconcagua) and he is telling me that I will be training an American in about 2 weeks. Please start praying now! :) For her and me! So, today: At 3:45, I woke up so we could be ready for our bus ride to Aconcagua. We left the bus terminal in downtown Mendoza at 6am and traveled for 4 hours towards the border of Chile. We passed AMAZING vistas of the Andes, beautiful rock formations and real Argentine gauchos (cowboys). The bus ride (though stuffy) was definately worth the 26 pesos ($7 or so). We didn't understand the bus stop announcement, but we only had to walk for about 20 minutes back along the highway to get to the entrance. I was quite surprised because the entrance was nothing special: just a small stone building and a skinny roadway towards a snowcapped mountain FAR away. Right as we got to the entrance, President Lindahl with all the zone leaders showed up. (We knew they would be there, but didn't expect to see them!). Thankfully we ran into them because we were able to walk the short loop trail with the elders and President. We watched the rescue helicopter fly around overhead (we think they were just practicing). We took a TON of pictures and just enjoyed the GORGEOUS day. The past 3 or 4 days have been completely overcast and rainy/stormy, so we were nervous about going today and risking not being able to see the mountain. As it turned out, there was not a cloud in the sky and their was fresh fallen snow on the mountain. It was spectacular and amazing! I came away with lots of pictures, an awesome story to share and burnt calves! (yes, sunscreen on my face, jacket to cover my arms, but I didn't even think about behind my knees...shoot! Just another souvenir I guess :) Love you all! Hermana Pelton pictures: 98-big leaf i found on the street...HUGE! 1-Christmas morning 2- all my presents and Christmas goodies! Thanks! 15- Aconcagua entrance 21-being creative :) 23-me, President Lindahl, Hna. Whitmore with Aconcagua in the background 28- HUGE rock that was lifted and moved then dropped in this spot by glaciars years ago 47- another creative shot of the mountain in the background 53- yeah...missionary tag! 60-it was REALLY REALLY windy, particularly in this moment. so much for doing my hair! 79-shoes that have built calcium (?) from the sulfer that built up and made the bridge that the incas used. CRAZY! they were selling all sorts of weird things that had been "rock-ified!" 81-Puenta de Inca ("Inca Bridge") 83-Puenta de Inca (again with the wind!) 36-Santa (Christmas party) 43-Christmas Eve with the Ascurra Family (making empanadas) 45- homemade empanadas 22-Our white elephant winnings at the christmas party
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