Week 97: ¡Sopresa!

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey hey! Surprise! Yup! 

I'm back to give a report of my last week in the mission.......

This week has been full full of surprises, the first one is that I'm still writing you from Argentina! They had told us that I wouldn't have time and that we'd go the mission home before we left, but then there was a change of plans, now at 4:30 their going to send a car to pick up me and Elder Flores, the other missionary that lives with us and is going back to Chile, and we're going straight to the airport. Soo!! I've got one last chance to tell you a few of my experiences here in Argentina.

This last week has been full of fun and interesting things. We started off Monday with a grand adventure, we went to a different area to buy a few things to bring home and when we were going back the other elders that live with us called us and they asked if we had touched the water heater.... We told them that we hadn't and we asked them why, and they told us that. SURPRISE! The whole department was flooded with water! When we got back we saw that it was true. The owner sent a guy to fix it and he stopped the water from leaking so much, luckily that morning we had cleaned the pench and there weren't to many things on the floor that could get wet. The repair man told us that the tank had a hole in it somewhere so they were going to have to buy a new replacement. Turns out the last time they sent a guy to fix a small leak in the pipe when he put the replacement shut-off key, he put it as a decoration, because it doesn't to anything, I don't know if that has anything to do with the tank breaking, but as a bonus all this last week we had to bathe with buckets or just with cold water, what a great memory for the last week, am I right? Haha! I loved it!

We worked on Tuesday and Wednesday, we were looking for new investigators and doing some good follow-up with some that we already had. We found 2 new people to help and teach, one is called Santos, he is a very humble man, he has problems with the alcohol and a few other things, but he really has desires to change. the other is Nelson, a great young man, he's 18 years old, we wathched a Mormon message with him, about 3 men that went to Japan to study and the first day's they were there they were invited to a party, turns out in the party that the people wanted to do some drugs and other bad stuff, 2 of the friends decide to leave and 1 stays, at the end the police show up and the one that stayed gets kicked out of the school. Anyways, it was a great lesson, when we watched the video he really liked it, he was surprised to see what a big difference it made in the lives of the 3 young men, that the 2 that left were very successful and the 1 that stayed lost many opportunities. I know that if we are bold enough to say no and to stand to our beliefs we will receive all of the blessings God has for us.

On Thursday and Friday, more excitement! Thursday Elder Flores and I and all of the other missionaries that are going home today and tomorrow we went on a tour of Capital Buenos Aires, we saw tons of stuff, we went to the Obelisk, which is Argentina's Washington's Monument essentially, but it is really cool. We went to a theater, where we got to see an orchestra practicing for an upcoming recital, that was really  awesome, it reminded me of all of the times I went with my family to recitals in BYU and in the conference center, I'm very grateful that my parents brought me to them so that I could learn to appreciate the music and the art. We also saw a giant, and I mean GIANT metal flower, that opens during the day and closes during the night, that was awesome. Then we ate lunch, we got to go to Port Madero, where they recieve all of the stuff that comes in from the ships to Buenos Aires. We went to a cementary where there are a bunch of huge graves and it's where there are many famous people from the history of Argentina are buried. And we went to La Boca, where there is a Soccer stadium for one of the biggest teams in Argentina and where there is a little "feria" or where you can buy stuff in the street. And that was pretty much the day.

On Friday we went to the Temple, wow! It was super great to go there for one last time. You can truly feel a great peace there and I learned so much! Definitely excited to go when I get back! And in the afternoon we ate lunch with President and his wife and we had interviews with Presidente Calquín! He gave me a few councils for my life about work, study, and marriage! Haha! The next mission is to get married! WHOO! And that was our fun trip!

These last few days I could say goodbye to many of the members and investigators and converts. It's hard leaving a ward where I've been so much time, but at the same time, I don't feel like it's really happening. To tell the truth I'm super nervous to get back home, I don't know what it'll feel like to see my family again, I don't know what it'll be like to do the things I did before. My life has changed, I have changed. I now understand the importance and need I have of the Saviour in my life. Over these past few day's many people have asked me, what has been the biggest change that I've seen in me during these past 2 years? Well, many things have changed, but what I see will most affect my life, is that now I follow my desires, I follow what I want, I do what I want, I know what I want. Before I think I was still dependant of my parents my friends and the opinions of other people, but now that doesn't affect me so much, now I know that the 2 most important opinions are that of my Father in Heaven and my own. Frecuently I ask myself, What do I want to do? Who do I want to be? and Where do I want to end up? and then I ask myself: What does my Father in Heaven want me to do? Who does He want me to be? Where does He want me to go? And I pray to know and feel what will be the right choice. I love you all! I'll be seeing many of you this coming week I hope! I'll see my family tomorrow morning! AHHH!!! I can hardly believe that it's so close!! I love you all and I hope that you have enjoyed reading these letters during the last 2 years. If you want to hear more, I'll be giving my homecoming talk this next Sunday in my home ward. I love you all! I have loved representing my Saviour during these last 2 years, and I will keep representing him in and throughout my life. Until the next time we meet!

-Elder Slack

Week 96: El fin de una vida y el principio de otra

Well..... Here we are..... The time has come and gone, and it is now the LAST week of my mission. I can hardly believe it. It seems like it's only been a few months, but as weird as it seems. 2 years have past and here I am once again, writing for the last time in Argentina.

If for some reason the plane has a jet engine failure and I die........ Nah! This letter sounds freaking sad, let's put a positive tone on it!

IT'S BEEEN GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! These last 2 years have been the peak of my life up until now, and I'm sure I've still got a little bit more to climb. God has helped me so much during these last 2 years to grow and become a better person. I love him so much and I love his church and I love his son Jesus Christ. 

With only 7 minutes remaining on my last time to write the family I just wanted to share with you all my testimony. That Jesus Christ lives! That this is the true church, that Joseph Smith yes was a prophet called of God and the Book of Mormon is the word of God. If anyone wants to know it too, read the book, and ask of God to know if it is true.

I've learned so much and I am now a different person. I can say that it has happened to me as it says in the Book of Mormon. I have been born again. I have come unto Christ and I know that we can all repent and feel the same.

This week it's been a strange feeling to know that I won't be here to see the progress of all of the people we have taught and found. In just a week from now I'll be in a completely different continent. But I know that it is God's will. I love you all and I can't wait to see you all again someday! Thanks for being a part of my mission by reading these emails! Love you all!!

-Elder Slack

-P.S. I forgot my memory card, so no photos for the last week. And I'll be giving my homecoming talk on Sunday, September 10th, see my facebook my mom will be writing the hour. Love you all!!

(I added these photos from Stockton's emails over the past two years. I so love this son of mine! He has been a great missionary. I hope you have enjoyed reading his emails as much as I have. Many hugs to all!)

Week 95: Perseverance

Helloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Everyone!!!

Well, for all of you who want to go on a mission it takes 3 things.... Hard work, Perseverance, and... Hard Work!! 

Well! It's been another grand week here in Argentina. It's coming down to the line now as we roll in to week 5 of the 6 weeks of the transfer. This will be my official last working week of the mission, the last week we've got a conference with a seventy and then for the missionaries who go home we're going to Capital Buenos Aires on Thursday to have a tour and then to the temple on Friday! It's crazy to think that the time has come and gone so quickly, I remember when I had 2 weeks left before I left on the mission, I was super excited to see what it was like and to gain so many new experiences but also sad to be leaving behind so many things. A familiar feeling has come to me as I realize every day that I'm that much closer to the end of it all. I feel sad because I'll be leaving behind all that I have come to know here in the mission in Argentina, but happy because I will be able to use all that I have learned I will be able to go back to all that I knew before. What a strange feeling to tell you the truth.

It's been a wonderful week, I'm very happy and thankful that the Lord has assigned me to be with Elder Pavón my last transfer, he's a great missionary and he's so funny and a great person to be around. He's always got lots of energy and excitement to do the work of the Lord and he's been helping me to learn more every week! If you don't remember he's from Honduras, what and interesting world we live in. I love it so much, I love all of the people here so much, it's incredible!

This week we've been working with several investigators, the one that gives me most hope is called Isabel, she's from Bolivia, like almost everyone here in the area :D. She works with her sisters in a workshop sewing clothes. She's very interested in the Gospel and has great desires to come closer to God. She went to church yesterday, just to sacrament meeting because her sister is pregnant and they had to leave because she was hurting a lot, but we hope that she can progress and be baptized in these coming weeks. 

We're still working with Samantha and Andres, they are both super awesome, they've got plans to get married in December, they've got a few problems sometimes and we hope that we can help them to resolve their problems, but we know that the biggest help they can receive is from our big brother Jesus Christ. They are really incredible and they love us(the missionaries) so much!

We're also working with several other people, several of them have to get married too, but they are interested. We're working with a less active family that has a brother that isn't member yet, we hope that the work goes well this week. We haven't been able to find as many people as we would like, but we know that God knows where they are and that he will guide us to the people that need our help.

It's been a great experience working here in Villa-Celina, I love it so much, I have grown to love even more countries than just Argentina, I've come to love all South America. It's been so awesome to learn Spanish as well, It's a blessing that I'm sure will continue to bless me even after the mission. 

This week one of my favorite experiences that I had was yesterday. We went to visit a less active family that didn't go to church yesterday and we talked with them. I didn't really know what to do or what to say, but I just felt that we needed to show them that we love them. As we were talking with them the mother of the family started telling us about her struggle with some of her children and how she wants then to go the church so much and that she feels so sad that they don't want to get closer to God. She started crying and kept talking and as she spoke, I began to feel something very interesting, as I was watching her and seeing how she expressed so much love for her children, I felt a great feeling of love for her, I felt that our Father in Heaven loves her so much, I began to realize that the love of a mother for her child is so great and even greater is the love of our Father in Heaven for us, for all of his children. In that moment I think I could feel just a fraction of what our Father in Heaven feels for her and for all of us, and WOW, how great is His love!

I love you all and I hope you have a great week! I'm home in 2 weeks so I'll see many of you soon!  With lots of love and a big hug!

 

-Elder Slack

Week 94: Birthday's and Learning

Hola!! Buen Día!!!!

It's been another great week here in Argentina, my time here is growing shorter and shorter, I've only got 3 weeks left. Shout out to Heber who finished his mission this week! What a stud muffin! 

This weeks been a week to remember, that's for sure! Lot's of miracles and blessings from the Lord. 

Last week were the birthday's of Samantha and Andres, 2 of our investigators that I found with Elder Gonzales several months ago. They have to get married still, but they've got plans. They were working a ton, so they couldn't celebrate their birthday's, so we decided that it would be nice if we celebrated with them. So Elder Pavón and I we put our baking skills to the test and we tried to cook a lemon cake with cream cheese frosting. The frosting came out well, the cake "más o menos" as we say in Español. Haha! We've got a recipe book here in our department that the mission gave to us before President Thurgood left, it's got a recipe to cook a lemon cake, but in the microwave. Well, me trying to be the professional cake cooker decided that it would be better in the oven. I think the ingredients aren't the same in the oven as in the microwave, but it was edible to say the least. We brought some balloons, the cake and a firework type candle and we celebrated with them. Despite their happy smiling faces as you can see in the photo, it was great and we all had a good little time.

The other day a worker came over to our pench to fix our ceiling that the paint and plaster was  all falling down, I don't know if I commented before, but everything they build here is built with bricks and cement, very interesting. So we had to stay in our pench almost all day Friday, but we were able to have a great weekly planning session with the extra time to kill.

I wanted to share with you guys 2 great things that I learned this week. 1st I learned the importance of falling. Sometimes the sidewalks are uneven here and I trip almost every day, but not that type of falling. Falling spiritually, I learned this week that sometimes when we fall it may be the hardest thing, it may be the most difficult to pick ourselves back up again, but that process of picking up is why we came here. We came to learn, we came to grow, and when we come into opposition we can have the resistance needed to grow and become stronger and better people. So when you fall, don't worry, the path back to God's presence isn't easy and without problems, it was made to give us trials and to push us to the limits of our abilities so that we can become more like him.

The other thing that I learned was about listening. We taught an older couple yesterday and frankly it was quite an interesting lesson. The wife loved to talk, she talked and talked and talked, and I kind of lost my patience. I kept thinking "this lesson isn't going anywhere" "What does this have to do with what we were talking about" or "look even her husband is beginning to fall asleep from this boring story" So, I did something I shouldn't have done. Right in the middle of a story she was telling us I cut her off and told her we had to leave. We prayed and left and we went on our way. I talked with my companion and he said that I shouldn't have done that, I shrugged it off with some excuse that we had more important things to do or something of the sort. As we went along, talking to several other people I began to feel the painful but familiar feeling of guilt as with every step I realized that truly what I had done was wrong. I tried to ignore it, but it became overwhelming as we talked with an older woman, she started to do the same thing and I remembered something that I had learned at the start of my mission. It doesn't matter what the person is saying, if they are saying it, it's because it's important to them. And it's true. If someone is telling us something it's because they feel that it is something important and relevant. I repented and have determined to listen even more. After all, I realize now that more important than the message we bring is the spirit that the people can feel when we are in their homes. The Spirit will convert them, not me.

Love you all!!

-Elder Slack

Week 92: Spiritual Eyes

Good Morning starshine, Elder Slack say's Hello!

Hey everyone, it's still crazy how fast the weeks fly by. But I'm used to it now, every week I can just feel more and more blessings.

It's been a wonderful week to tell you the truth, Elder Pavón is super great, I've loved working with him up until now and I'm sure it'll be a great last transfer, we're working a ton!

Highlight of the week! BAUTISMO!!! WHOOO!! Alina got baptized this week! YAY! It was a great moment, there were hardly any members, but the important part is that she was baptized! She's been investigating for about 3 months now, and has really grown to love the gospel, she is super determine to stay faithful and strong in the church and even told us the other day that she has thought about serving a missionary! How awesome!! 

One of the most important things that I've learned this week is about prayer and revelation. As I've been able to pray and receive answers from God, I have realized how much better my studies and my day can be. Many times before I thought that revelation would come as some big sign or some grand feeling, but I have learned that I need to seek, I have learned that I find.

Love you so much!! 

-Elder Slack

Elder Stockton Slack and his companion, Elder Pavon, are on the left. 

Elder Slack and Elder Garcia

Baptism of Alina, with Elder Pavon on the left and Elder Slack on the right all dress in white. (I sure love that smile!

Week 91: The Last transfer

Hola Friends and Family!

The last transfer has come. I don't have time. but super super quick

Elder Garcia went to Burzaco. I'm staying in Vill-celina until the end of the mission.

This week coming up Alina is going to be baptized!! WHOO! I love That family so much! They are incredible!

Andres, the brother in Law of alina gave to me and my companion some sweet stuff from Peru. 

I'm with Elder Pavon from Honduras, he's pretty awesome. Love you all!

-Elder Slack

Week 90: Happiness isn't a destination

HEEEELLLOOOO EVERYONE!!!!!!

It's me! Elder Slack! I'm back once again, another week has come and gone very quickly and what a week it has been! We've been enjoying some colder humid weather this week, it looks like winter finally got here, so we getting all bundled up and we're enjoying the mud! 

It was a great week this week, we did so many things that I can't even tell you all of them, but! I'll try!

Monday was a good start, we went and we had our district activity, we cooked up some hamburgers in the oven and we played a new game that I had never played before. It's called, Soccer in chairs! Everyone has their own chair and the goal is to hit the chair of the other people when you kick the ball at it. If someone hits your chair you have to sit down and you can try and revive yourself if you can manage to kick the ball at someone else's chair whilst sitting, and the game continues until there's only 1 person left. SO! ..... We had some fun with that and that was pretty much all our P-day. 

Tuesday was pretty exciting, I woke up feeling a little abnormal, I thought it was because it was cold, but as the morning went on I realized that something wasn't quite right, after a few trips to the bathroom I resolved that the hamburgers that it probably wasn't the best idea I had ever had to eat 5 hamburgers on Monday. We went to the district meeting and I seemed to live, but when went to lunch in the house of a member, I started feeling pretty bad, so that was the start of 2 days in bed. But I rested up all day Wednesday and by Thursday morning I was feeling 95% better, so I decided to take it a little bit slower, but we still went to work. We found a new investigator that day. We contacted him and he told us that his sister and a few of his brothers were members already! Wow! He let us go inside his house and we taught him a little bit, he's a really nice humble man, he works collecting plastic and glass bottles that people leave on the street and he trades them at a recycling place for money. His name is Luis, it was very nice to meet him.

It was very interesting, whilst I was laying down on my bed, feeling horrible in my stomach I began thinking a little bit about my mission and about this transfer, I remembered one of the things that my president told me in our last interview, he said something like: sometimes you don't need to worry so much about the end of the goal, but you should look at all you are learning while you are working, be happy for all of the little things that you achieve, God's plan is our progress, sometimes if we put a goal, the important part isn't when we achieve it, but how you get there. I was thinking a little bit about that and I realized something, the joy isn't all at the end, it's throughout the entire journey! Happiness isn't a destination, it's an experience. Happiness doesn't come only when we achieve our goals, but we can experience it while we are working towards our goals as well. We should always be happy, we should learn to enjoy being happy always, in every moment, because that is why we are here! "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy."  I love scripture even more now, it came to me right now, and how true it is.

Saturday we had a great day, my favorite part, we finally got to teach Gabriela and her family again! Whoo! It was great! She had looked on internet and had found some very interesting things about the mormons, we were able to explain several things and clarify some of her doubts, but the most important thing that we told her that she can do, is read the Book of Mormon and ask God if it is true. Because if the Book of Mormon is true, it means that all we teach is true, if it is not true, the rest could be totally a lie. And I can testify to all of you who are reading this letter, that I know, with a certainty that can't be broken that the Book of Mormon is true, I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God to restore his true church, and I know that this is the church of Jesus Christ restored on the earth today. I also know that Jesus Christ lives, and loves everyone of us. And this is what i wanted to share with you all today. And I do it, in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

-Elder Slack

Week 89

Hello to all of my family and friends! It's been another great week here in Villa-Celina! 

Lot's of things were going on this week so I'll see what experiences I can share with you all today!

Well! The most important first!! BAPTISM!! WHOO! On Saturday 2 little girls, Camila and her sister Wendy, were baptized Whoo!! It was a very nice baptismal service, a little put together last minute, but it all worked out, the important part is that they got baptized. We've been so packed with all of the things these last 2 weeks because the ETM's have been with us, but it went well! WHOO!! 

 

One of the things that was most surprising. Last week we found Gabriela and her family, like I said, and she was really great! We gave her a Book of Mormon and we told her to read it! So when we went back the other day, sadly she had not read. But had found some "interesting" things on the internet about the Mormons. She had several questions about our beliefs and practices because she found it very very weird and not good. So we explained a few things to her and we have invited her to read the Book of Mormon and to ask God if it is true several times. We haven't been able to teach her this week, so we're still waiting to see what will happen. But, she is still very interested. Good things! 

We've been finding lot's of people this last week, as we've had the ETM's with us. It was a good experience, but it's nice too to be comfortable once again living only the 4 elders in the same pench. Also it will be nice to meet the people that Elder Garcia has found. 

One of my favourite parts of the week, on Thursday we had a special training with the Asistents for all of the stake of missionaries. We got together here in our church, and we talked about how we need to follow the Spirit, we need to find by the Spirit. If we don't follow the impressions of the Spirit we won't find the people that the Lord want's us to find. Then For 2 hours we all came over here to our area and we worked and contacted a ton of people and we tried our best to follow the impressions that we felt from the Spirit. We worked on not putting excuses and not ignoring it, and it was a very pleasant experience, I've noticed as I follow the impressions that the Spirit gives to me, I can feel the next impression much easier, but if I ignore one, the next one is harder to feel. I know that the gift of the Holy Ghost is a gift from God and as we follow what he tells us we find more happiness and joy in our lives.

As well! HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! WHOO!! For our fourth of July celebration we bought a pizza and we ate it! MMM.... Not quite as tasty as the classic hamburgers grilled by my dad that we would eat, but it was still good! 

Anyway's! That was pretty much our week! I love you all and hope that all is well where ever you all. There's been lot's of rain this week so we're enjoying that you know it!

-Elder Slack

Week 88: Cashing it in!

HEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WORLD!!!!!!! 

I'm back once again, it's incredible how fast the time is flying, it's Monday once again, and here I am to give you the best and greatest from the World of Elder Slack! It's been a wonderful week this week so we've got some great experiences to share!

This week we were with the ETM's! Whoo!! Do you remember back to a few months ago where I would go to a ton of different areas and all that????? Well, now instead of me going to the area of other missionaries, other missionaries came to my area! Whoo!! It was a great week to tell the truth. We were here this week with Elder Haak, from Wyoming, and Elder Figueroa, from Chile! So we were able to t0 do a ton of work this week with the ETM's. It was great! 

One of the greatest miracles, happened on Saturday, All week we were looking for, talking with and finding a ton of new people to teach, it was incredible! On Saturday I was with Elder Figueroa, we went and we found 2 new families!!! One family of 7 people who are really really great, they were all paying attention and it was awesome. The Sosa family! And the other family was a reference from a member, he said that she has been asking for a while for the missionaries to pass by her house and teach her a little bit, and this time he passed the refferrel along and we went on by when we had an appointment. Her name is Gabriela, she is super super super prepared! We had an incredible lesson with her and her mother and her son. She said "What I really want is a church where we can all go together as a family, be happy, and that is the true church of God." :D What more can you ask for? Well, it just happens that that's exactly what we've got here for you!! So we invited her to pray about the Book of Mormon and we invited her to be baptized when she recieves her answer from God that it's true! We fond 10 new people to teach in one day! WHOO!! I know that God blesses us for our obedience.

Side note, on Thursday night I decided to live on the edge a little bit and try a little bit of weird food that they sell here on the street, it was basically a big fried dough. Well, Friday morning I found out that that wasn't the best idea I've ever had. Talk about food poisoning. Whoo! So I was in bed all day with stomach pains until it all finally decided to come out when I drank some Sprite in the night time and well... It came out the upside not the downside if you know what I mean! Haha! But! Don't worry, I've been eating with a lot more care these days so we're all good now. Few! 

One of the great things that I have learned to apply a lot more this week was something that was taught in the World Training for missionaries. One of the things that Elder Bednar said twice was that all things are 1 in Christ. Many times as members of the church we try and look at things as all different steps, first Faith, then Repentance, then Baptism, etc. etc. one after another, as some sort of checklist. But it's so important to remember that it's all one, without Christ there is no Faith, without faith there is no repentance. We can't talk about the Gospel as separate points, we can't talk about Repentance with out the next thing being Baptism, it just doesn't work. This week I've seen how true that is in the lives of the people, we as missionaries don't do a whole lot of good if we can't talk about the Gospel as one. Really it's all very simple the Gospel, but we have to be willing to accept it in our lives. We need to accept Christ in our lives!

We had Interviews with President this week as well, it went great! Tomorrow I'll only have 2 months left here, I can't deny it! It's so incredible how fast the time has past and I'm so happy that I can be a Missionary and Representative of Jesus Christ. I'm determined to keep enjoying the missionary service until the end! I hope you all know that I love you all! :D Until next week! 

-Elder Slack

P.S. 

We made Fried oreos this week! WHOO! And we found these little tiny eggs in a store, we bought them to see how they are! They taste like.... Well.... Small eggs! And here's a photo of our companionship this week in Celina!

Week 87: How.... Interesting!

Hello to everyone! I'll just share with you guys some quick interesting stories from the week! It's been a great one!

Well, to start off, yesterday we went to 2 different lessons that we had planned and they were numbers 3 and 4 on the list of top weirdest lessons, the first one, we got there and we started talking with this young guy that's about 20 years old and then his mom came out. They had some very interesting beliefs, they were very very bible based people. But what made it one of the weirdest lessons, well I think that the 20 year old had looked up mormons on the internet before and had found as we say in spanish "Cualquier cosa! Literalmente Cualquier cosa!" which would come to be that he found a lot of myths and bad opinions about the church. He started off asking  a bunch of questions about polygamy and a bunch of different things like that and I won't go into much detail, but I think it's good enough to say, that we left them with our testimonies after all they had to say and we invited them to ask God, and we left.

The other interesting lesson we had, we met this family that are part of this evangelic church, where they teach that God had prophesied in the bible that he would call forth a new prophet in Perú to bring back the original 10 commandments which are already in the bible, or something like that. It was a much better lesson, they weren't trying to prove us wrong or anything, but they would throw out a new scripture from the bible every 5 seconds, so we had a lot of patience and when we explained about Joseph Smith, they actually took it really well, we invited them to read the Book of Mormon and to ask God if it's true and they said that they would!! So if we find them again some other day, we'll see how it went!

And well, no more time! Love you all! I'm super great! We're going to have the ETM's with us this week, so 2 more missionaries working with us in our area! Whoo! All is well in Vill-Zion. :D Chau!

-Elder Slack

Week 86: We are one

Well! It's been a great week here in Villa Celina! Things are getting better and better and it's getting colder and colder here! This last week was actually pretty warm, but it looks like it was the calm before the storm because now it's hitting hard with the low temperatures, but Elder Garcia and I we'll keep going strong! It's going to be great!

We had a few things going on this week, on Monday we had all of the transfers here in the zone, everyone is super excited for this transfer I'm sure that we are going to be able to work a ton and see tons of miracles!! We were then only 12 people in the zone because they took out one ward from our zone and they put it in the other zone. On Wednesday we had our district meeting, it was really awesome, we had a new district leader and I gave a little class about the obedience as a missionary, and we had a few other great classes about the consecration, some really good stuff it really helped me to understand a few things I need to do better and how I will be able to help more people! 

On Thursday we had our Leadership Counsel with all of the mission zone leaders and the sister training leaders. Some really good stuff there as well, we talked about the goal as a mission to be able to baptize 100 people in one month, with every month we are getting closer and closer, it's truly incredible to see how the Lord helps us when we put goals and we ask for his help to achieve them. One of the most exciting things that happened, after the meeting we got back to our pench and the assistants called us and told us that there were going to be a few changes in our zone. That now instead of there being 12 people in our little zone that there were going to be only 10, they took out the elders from one of the wards and they moved them to another ward close by, but in the other zone, and they told us that we would be only 1 district! Whoo! haha! It was very interesting, so now we're working super hard with us and the other 8 missionaries that are in the zone! 

A little fun fact, I realized that all of the weeks of directing the music in the opening part of priesthood every week have payed off. Because now every week in the ward I am in they too ask me to direct the music in priesthood. haha! A quick thank you to Brother Bateman for asking me to lead the music every week!

One of the things that I am gradually learning is more about the repentance, I've been thinking a ton a ton about repentance all of this week. First I think about the obedience and then I think about when I mess up and when I need to do something better. I've come to realize a few things, many times repentance is something natural that we don't even realize we do. We are always trying to be better, we want to become better and be better people, and we do things to achieve that. Many times what we need is to search out those little things that we do wrong and not do them again. One of the most important parts I realize that I need to apply a lot more, is when I change or want to change, I need to ask forgiveness to God and ask for his help to be stronger the next time. As well, one of the things I'm finding a little hard to do is forgive myself for the mistakes I make, even if they are little things, because I realize that I'm losing blessings, that I'm doing wrong to myself and I'm becoming unclean before God. When I repent I should feel better, and I need to be happy for what I have learned, not keep dwelling on my past mistakes or on my minor errors. I'll keep trying! I truly love the opportunity to repent, what a gift that our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ have given to us.

I love you all! Here are a few photos! I forgot to tell you all, the other week we had a mission meeting with President Whitney L. Clayton, from the presidency of the Quorum of the Seventy! It was really awesome to give him a handshake and learn a lot with him, as well I was very happy to see a lot of my great friends here before they went home this last week. It's sad and happy to see such great missionaries finishing and returning home, sometimes I can't even imagine how it will be, life just seems normal, being a representative of Jesus Christ is who and what I am! It's hard to think than in a short time I won't be it any more. But! We're going strong until the end!! There are still people to baptize!! Let's go!!

I love you all!!

-Elder Slack

Oh! And I forgot to talk about our investigators too! We are working with a couple, their names are Samantha and Andres, they are both super awesome, sadly the sister of Samantha moved back to Bolivia, so she couldn' t baptized here, but we hope that she finds the church over there. Samantha and Andres are still a little bit iffy about getting married, Andres really want to, but Samantha not a whole lot. But we're seeing a little bit of progress there, sadly they didn't come to church yesterday, but we're going to work with them so that they can come this next week. 

This week we were blessed, after searching for many weeks we finally have found some new investigators! They are really awesome and we are hoping that they can progress as well! One of them is David, he's a man about 55 years old, and he lives with his kids and his wife, his wife has a problem where she has forgotten almost everything, she doesn't even know how to respond when you ask her what her name is, it made me a little sad and it made me think a little bit about my little sweet Grandma! Shout out to Grandma Bonney! You're awesome I love you so much! We taught David on Saturday for the second time, it's going to be hard to go to church because he works every Sunday, but he said he's going to ask someone to cover him and he'll go to church one of these day's, let's hope it's sooner than later! We taught him with a recent convert from a few months ago, it was the first time that he went to do a visit with the the missionaries and he loved the experience, so I'm sure we'll be inviting him again this week!

Love you!!

-Elder Slack

Week 85: The last 12 weeks... or... Silence

Hey hey hey to everyone! It's been a great week here in the grand Villa-Celina! More miracles and fun this week!

Today we had transfers!!! And!!!!! It looks like I'll be staying here for at least one more transfer with Elder Garcia! I'm super excited actually. Now that I've got 12 weeks left we're going to keep up the good work and pick up the Slack (pun intended). We're both super excited for another great transfer full of hard work and we're going to be working a ton to help out the zone as well.

Well, I put 2 titles this week to my letter, first, because I've got only 12 weeks left. The other is for something that I have learned. During these last few months I've noticed a huge difference, I have been able to feel and hear the Spirit so much better, but one of the biggest things I've noticed is when the Spirit tells me to be quite. To be silent and just listen. Many times as a missionary I have wanted to say what the person needs to hear, or do what they need done, but sometimes, and many more times than I had thought, the best thing I can do is be silent. When I'm teaching I can feel that I need to be silent and let my companion talk. Or when I ask a question I can feel that I need to wait longer so that the person can think, when someone starts talking and I don't know what to say, I keep quite. What a blessing it has been. No time left. But I'm super excited to keep working with everyone we are teaching. Love you all!!

-Elder Slack

Week 84: Down´s and Up's!

Hey everyone!

Great week I'm feeling a lot better now, we were able to work really well all  week so that was super awesome.

It was a harder week at first, we were working and working, but for some reason we couldn't find any investigators. We went several days without finding anyone new to teach and it began to really wear on me. By Friday I was feeling a little down. But! We had weekly planning and me and my companion talked a little bit about the week and a few things we needed to change to be able to find new investigators! With our new `plan in mind we went to work. Still things went just alright, Friday and  Saturday we hadn't found anyone yet either. I was feeling quite sad, and even I ventured to think that I have been working all this time and that no one loves me here.. How satan makes us think right? But, with a little help from God, that thought went flying out of my head! On Saturday night we had an appointment with one of our investigators with who we have been working for several weeks now. Their names are Samantha and Andres, (a couple) And the sister of Samantha Alina. We had one of the best  lessons that we have  had yet with them, and to top it all off, at the end of the lesson they gave to us these super cool hats that Andres brought from Peru when he went on vacations! I went out of  their house feeling so loved and so happy! As well, to end the week with an even bigger smile, on Sunday we had Stake Conference  and our Mission Presidnt was there! After the conference President Calquín and his wife came up and they were just so glad  to see me! President gave me a big hug and his wife was so glad to shake my hand and see that I had recovered well. I realize now that there are so many people here who love me and want me to be happy! 

I'm very happy!

Love you all!!

-Elder Slack

PS. My comp  made cheesecake, a member works printing shirts, and the cool peru hat.

Week 83: And he rested

Hello to everyone! What a different week it has been! I hope you are all well, I am now super well.

During this weeks I think I had one of the most unforgettable weeks of my mission, not because it was super great in the work or anything. I was sick all week! Whoo! Let's go Bronchitits! Yup! Monday in the evening I started feeling a little bad, so we went to the pench a little early, by tuesday morning I was pretty bad. We went to the doctor and he told me that I had Bronchitis, a problem in me lungs, they gave me some antibiotics and sent me home. All week I was recovering. It was very interesting, just resting all week, in some moments I was pretty sad and depressed actually, sometimes as a missionary one is so tired that you just wish you were sick, but when you really get sick, ooooffff, it's the worst! 

But, despite that I learned a lot this week! God was able to teach me a ton. One of the good things of being sick I had a little bit more time to study a few things, I read all of the book Our Heritage, a History of the Church, great book and I learned a lot about where the church came from, it was the first book in english that I have read on my mission, so that was new. Anyway's it was interesting. I'll send you a few quick photos, I'd like to share more, but my time here has ended. Until next week! With love!!

-Elder Slack

A sick Elder Slack doing a nebulizer treatment...

All bundled up and ready to go to work

Week 82: WHAT?

Hey! 

Baptism this week! Maria!

Not much time right now, but I did Skype yesterday with my family!! Yay! It was awesome!

Umm.... We're focusing on finding a ton of new investigators now, so we'll see what comes up this week!

Elder Garcia and I are super bien! (Super well for those of you who don't speak spanish) I'm super happy here! It's the best to be able to help the people here in Villa-Celina! No time left, but here are a few photos! Love you guys!! Chau!!

-Elder Slack

Week 81: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding.

Hellllloooooo my friends and family!

It's been another great week here in Villa-Celina! I'm here with my new companion now! Elder Garcia! From Paraguay! WHOO!! He's super awesome and I am learning a lot with him! 

It's been a great week overall, we've been doing lot's of follow-up this week with the investigators and the people that we are teaching, it seems like the time just flies flies FLIES by! I can't even believe that I'm sitting here writing you again! I've only got a few minutes left but I wanted to share a few things Iearned this week with you guys!

So! On Friday we had our Leadership counsel with all of the leaders in the mission, it was super awesome to be able to see a few old friends and to hear the counsels of our mission presidente. There have been a few things going on here in the mission and a few missionaries have sadly been sent home, and President Calquin and his wife expressed their love for us and their biggest desires that we can be obedient to the commandments and the rules of the mission. One of the things that I liked most, they mentioned that we have achieved a new high of baptisms in the mission, and they said that it doesn't matter how many of us are working they said that 1 pure person could achieve the same, this is God's work, not ours, our efforts are very small and they should be put in being obedient.

My new companion is really funny, he reminds me of my old hair cutter, he is very direct with the people, and it's hilarious and it works! He is teaching me a new way to teach repentance to the people, sometimes the people aren't sure to do when he is direct with them and they just laugh as he tells them they need to stop smoking or drinking or whatever it is! REPENT o ye sinners!

And last of all, this week has been a little bit of a battle with the health, I've learned a lot about my health as a missionary, I imagine myself now like a health ninja, I want so badly to have good health to be able to work and help the people here that whenever there is any little problem I start searching for everything and anything that can help me to defend my health! It's like.... I cough... BAM! Medicine!... Runny nose.... whiiiishing! eat fruit! I'm tired............. More exercises!! haha! Or something like that...

Anyways! We're great here! I am sooooooo happy! Love you all!! Until next week!

-Elder Slack

Elder Slack and Elder Garcia

Elder Slack and Elder Garcia- eating good food!

 Juan! our investigator who will be baptized on Saturday!