Word of the Week: quejarse ("to complain")

This was another rollercoaster of a week. I am learning a lot about myself and who I need to become to be the best representative of Christ that I can be and in order to become the person the Lord needs me to be for the rest of my life. It was a week of growing pains...but I feel like I've learned A LOT! We had some great teaching experiences this week and found people who I could feel the Lord had prepared. We have been cleaning out our ward list and tracking down the less active members and trying to at least make contact with them. We came across a man named Cesar who lives with his young family. When we got to their house, they had just pulled into their driveway. As they got out of their car, Cesar shewed us away, but his wife--Maribel--told him, under her breath, to let us come in. Apparently elders had been visiting them for some time, but they kept pushing baptism on Maribel because she isn't a member. They pushed so much that Cesar and Maribel asked the elders not to come back and visit them. We just smiled at them and said, "well, we're hermanas, not elders." They smiled and let us in. Instantly, the spirit filled their home as we just talked and became their friends and rebuilt their confidence. They have 2 children: a daughter--Carola (6 years old) and a son---Gonzalez (10 years old). Carola promptly ran outside to play with her neighbor friend while Gonzalez ran to find his school books to show us his grades. Cesar and Maribel were so kind and welcoming. It was a breath of fresh air considering most of the less active references we have either have moved, died, or absolutely want nothing to do with the church. It's refreshing to find a family with potential and desires to get closer to the Lord. We talked about how the gospel blesses families and read from the Book of Mormon. It was so wonderful to sit and watch Gonzalez read from the Book of Mormon with the help of his father looking over his shoulder to help him with the hard words. It was a wonderful experience for me to look at Cesar and tell him of the blessings I received in my home by the hands of my father, using the power of the Lord which he holds by his Priesthood ordination. We ended our little lesson with this family by kneeling and praying together. Family prayers are by far my favorite aspect of the mission...if only everyday could end like this one, with a family prayer, in the middle of Argentina! As we knelt down, I invited Cesar to pray. He accepted and offered a simple prayer for the welfare of his family. I could just feel the admiration of his young son and loving wife who looked up to this 30 year old man who has drifted from the church. I could feel his desire to be the Priesthood leader in his home to bless his wife and his children. I thought of Gonzalez and the powerful lessons he learned about family, prayer, and his relationship with God in about 2 minutes as his earthly father prayed and invoked the blessings of heaven in his behalf. What a powerful message sent to a young son who is eager to learn. We also we able to visit with Blanca and her family again this week. Her husband was there this week, so we got to know him a little bit as well. It was such a cool lesson too! As we started the lesson, we reviewed the steps to pray and asked Jorge to pick someone to pray as it was his home. It was sweet to see Blanca re-explain to her sons how to pray and then to see and hear her pray for her family. We shared the Book of Mormon with them and I was touched to see Blanca reading over Jorge's shoulder as he read about the powerful conversion story of Alma the younger. Jorge shared with us his rough background with drug abuse and how he's left that behind and trying to start over his life again, but feels like he still suffers from the consequences of his actions as people would treat him differently. Now that they've moved cities, they are all excited to have a fresh start on life and are eager to start down a new path that leads to lasting joy and happiness. They unfortunately didn't come to church this week, but I am still hopefully that their desire to change will motivate them to go to church in the upcoming weeks. After teaching them about the Book of Mormon and committing them to read it, I took out my camera and we had a good time taking some fun family pictures with them. It's amazing the love I feel for people I barely know, but who have opened their home and their hearts to the message of the Restoration. We also had interviews yesterday with President and Hna. Lindahl. They go home sometime the end of June, so this may have been the last interview I have with him! It was by far the most powerful interview I've had with him and the one where I feel like I grew and learned the most from. Yesterday was quite a spiritually filled day for me and one in which I learned a lot more about personal revelation. I've been studying more about weekly church attendance and the importance in my life as well as in the lives of all people. This week I went to church with a different attitude and came away with a different fulness of spirit. I went with a more sincere and repentant heart with the desire and need to be cleansed from my sins, with the desire to start fresh again this week, and with the purpose of receiving personal revelation. I left church filled from church to a degree that I don't know that I've ever experienced before in my life. It was a powerful witness to me of the importance of church attendance, and that it's not just simply to renew baptismal covenants, listen to lessons and participate, but to build myself on the rock of my Savior (3 Nephi 18:12-13). Love to you all. Thanks for all your letter, prayers, and well wishes...they are much appreciated. Con mucho amor-- Hna. Pelton pics-- 253-ummm...this is an interesting pic...from our "red zone".... 227-good 'ol Argentina and the dogs 236-by car or horse-drawn wagon...which ever works best for you. 237-Jorgelina and me 240-Blanca, Jorge and their kids (Jorgelina, Facundo, and Aquiles) 252-yep...I know you are Catholic, but we're going to knock on your door anyway (ignore my poor posture please...) zoom in on the sticker on the door. everyone has little signs like this. note the little Jesus picture. Love Argentina. ps--it looks like my release date will be September 28th...or the 9th of November.