Week 20: The power of prayer!

HellllllooooooO!

Sorry to all of you who were desperately waiting last week for my email, we didn't have much time we had to go to an appointment and we did a lot of things that day, but, in  case you were wondering, I am still living!

This last week has been incredible! I'm learning so much here with Elder Ribeiro (my Companion) we don't always agree 100% on everything, but we work together really well and we are working towards the same purpose! He has been teaching me so many different things about the mission, even though I am training him, I have learned way more from him than I think I have taught him. It is such a blessing to be able to work with such a dedicated servant and amazing missionary!

This past week, we've been working with Camila a little bit, she's been progressing to the point where she reads in the Book of Mormon, but still she hasn't been to church in the last 5 weeks, so we're really hoping that we can help her out a lot so she come this next week. 

We had our zone conference during this past week, we reviewed all of the things that we learned in the world missionary training broadcast and as well we were able to learn a lot about teaching repentance and baptizing converts. There were a lot of things that I could see that I needed to work on still, and as well as I've tried to apply the things I've learned during this past week I've been able to see my progress and the changes and how much the spirit is helping me to learn and grow.

Elder Ribeiro and I, we've been working really hard in our area, really searching and looking for the people who are prepared to hear the gospel. during this past week at the end of one of the days where almost all of our appointments fell through and we were a little bit discouraged. We sat down to plan, and we began to think about something new that we could to do to be able to find more people, and to be able to teach and find more with the spirit. Elder Ribeiro had the great idea that every time that we have a lesson, or every time we go to search for someone, we can say a prayer before we begin and ask specifically for help so that we can find the person we are looking for, and that they can be ready to hear the message that we have prepared for them. We tried it out the next day, and as we searched and prayer, we were able to find 5 new investigators which is more than we had found during the other week before. It was a really great experience.

I learned that we need to plan well, pray and ask specifically, then go and have faith that we will find the people that need us. It has been a great experience being able to work here with Elder Ribeiro and being able to try new ideas and learn lots of different things. It's great being able to learn with 2 fairly new missionaries, we have so much to learn from one another.

The week was really great, I gotta go now, but until next week, If God wants (as a lot of people say here).

Chau! -Elder Slack

(Photos from an awesome sister in the ward Elder Slack is serving in. His camera got lost stolen back in December. I don't know who all the Elders are in the pictures, but it's sure good to see my son!!!)

Week 18: Portugués?

Hey hey everyone from down in South America! 

This week has been amazing! I'll start with the most exciting news! So, I went Tuesday, to go and find out who is going to be my new companion..... And...... It's Elder Ribeiro, from Brasil!! He is a stud! He is learning to speak spanish as well, because in Brasil they only speak portugués, but he is learning really really fast, he knows a ton more than I did when I first got here because portugués is really similar to castellano. He is really great, really excited to be here and he's not afraid to talk to anyone, he just goes and does it even if they don't understand him with his super thick brasilero accent! He's a super awesome companion really ready to go and get to work and I think we are going to be able to do miracles in the area we are in right now! (As an added bonus, he worked in several different restaurants in Brasil before he came out here for the mission, so he knows how to cook really great food!!)

So yeah, we came back from Aldo Bonzi (Where the mission home is) and we went right to work. This week was a little bit harder than at the start, I've learned that there were more than several things that I have to do now that my trainer was doing before. But after a few days I've seemed to have gotten things figured out pretty well. Now we just need to be a little bit more efficient about doing everything. But it's really great! I've learned a lot about prayer and faith and about how the Lord will always help you to be able to do the work that he calls you to do during this past week. 

I've just kind of realized that other than that this past week has been pretty normal. I've learned even more the importance of having a good plan. And as well about how we need to be very direct with the people we try and contact. Before I would come up to them and say something like "Hi, we are missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, and we have a message that we'd like to share with you if we could maybe come into your home and teach you something" And now I've learned that people are a lot more responsive if we just really say why we are here, what it is that we want and teach something that we believe. It's really great! I'm learning so much from Elder Ribeiro, he's a great companion. 

As well, this past Sunday, we were able to bring one of our investigators to church he is a very different case. His name is Demetrio and he had a problem, I can't remember what it's called, but he had something happen about 2ish months ago, and now one side of his body is really really weak. He can't walk and can't really take care of himself. When we first found him we were able to give him a priesthood blessing (If you don't know what that is, ask your local mormon friend, then say you want the missionaries to pass by your house to teach you more) And yeah, so we gave him a blessing, and he has been progressing a ton, when we first met him, he couldn't even move almost nothing without help. Now he can move his arm and his leg really well, and this week he is going to start some physical therapy so that he can regain his strength. So yesterday morning we went with one fo the few members of our ward who has a car, and we went and drove to bring him down to the church, it was really great to have him there and he really liked it, and said when he gets better he wants to come more regularly! 

This week, as well, on Thursday night, we had an activity with the ward that we are in, where they paid for a big bus, and we were able to go with Camila, our investigator, and a bunch of members to the temple, where we were able to have a lesson outside in the gardens of the temple and talk about the importance of the temple and the family in God's plan for us! It was so awesome!! (But then she didn't come to church Sunday so... Man tear)

And yeah, it was a normal crazy week in the life down here in Argentina. It was really really great though! I love every moment! I hope all of you are enjoying your lives! Know that I love you All! Chau!

-Elder Slack

So grateful to the Sister who shared this through FB!