Another transfer in Villa Mitre I

Dear Family!!

I am still in Villa Mitre I and guess what?? I´m Training!!! My new companions name is Hermana Pinnock and she is from Salt Lake City. Im not really training her but showing her how the work is done here in Argentina and helping her with her Spanish.  She was in the MTC with me but was in Arizona waiting for her visa! She is the third of four kids and her brother is serving his mission in Milan Italy. Because I am left in the area its going to force me to really work hard and stretch myself. Just like Katie said: "To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain."
  

I am excited to learn a lot from this new transfer and excited to start new and find those who are ready for the gospel.  Because I am still new and Hermana Pinnock is new, we are going into this area kind of blind.  Hermana Pinnock and I are ready for miracles to happen this transfer as we put our all into the work.

Hermanas Pinnock, me, Tokailagi, and Hawkins

Right now I am reading in Alma. In Alma 43 Moroni and the Lamanites are preparing for battle. I really liked this chapter because it shows us how Satan tries to attack us and shows us how we can prepare ourselves from the attacks of Satan.  Moroni in these chapters is fortifying the cities with arms and weapons.  As the Lamanite armies were attacking they went to attack the weakest city. However, they were surprised to see that Moroni had fortified the weakest points of the Nephite lands.  Just like the Lamanites, Satan knows our weakest points, he knows our secrets, he knows where to attack to make the most damage.  However, as we trust in the Lord and work each day to strengthen ourselves we will be protected from being attacked from Satan's temptations.  As we read the scriptures daily, pray fervently, count our blessings and head the words of the prophets we will strengthen ourselves. 

Question for the week: How have you been blessed by keeping (the law of the fast, Word of Wisdom, tithing, keeping the Sabbath day holy, or Living the law of Chastity?) I ask this because in one of the Preach my gospel acitivies it asks us to ask our family.

We are still working with Blanca. We taught her about the Law of Chastity and showed he the blessings that come from a gospel centered home and marriage. We had a member with us who knows Blanca who also served her mission. She was a great help! Blanca is really progressing and is wanting to live the gospel. We now need to teach her with her husband.  We have lost contact with Margarita.  We are still going to keep trying to find her because she really wants to change her life as well.

I am so glad that you guys are doing great! Keep up the good work in school, in sanding the swing set and painting it! I am so glad you had a fun time at the halloween party!!! Send me some picutres next week!!  Have a fantastic week!!!

I love you so much!!!!

Still in Villa Mitre...and loving it!!!

¡¡¡Hola familia!!!

Well, another week down and another transfer down. We have transfers this week! This transfer was 7 weeks long instead of 6 because the Mission President was gone a week for a mission conference.  I find out tomorrow if I am staying here or if I am being transferred.  Also 40 new missionaries are coming this week fresh from the United States! Its really exciting.  A new zone was opened! The mission is expanding, and not just in this mission, but in all the missions in the world! The work is expanding and the vision of the prophet Daniel is now being accomplished!

 

 Well, this week has been great! We found a couple of new people and are working more with the ward members.  We are still teaching Margarita.  We have taught 2 lessons with her. On Monday we were teaching her about the restoration and were about to invite her to be baptized when guess who showed up?? Her two friends who are "pastores". It definitely was fun! We answered their questions about Joseph Smith and then ended with a hymn. I felt the spirit very strongly in that lesson and I know that they did too.

  

Yes Papi, I would love to get a copy of our ward mission plan to see what it is like. You said that the ward has a plan, but why haven't I ever seen it before? The ward needs to give the plan to each household so that they have a constant reminder of the plan and the part they play in it. Just a suggestion :)  And yes, each apartment in the mission has a DVD player to watch the District movies and also to play music. Hey, take a look at what I found in the phone book!

 

Pablo, are you training??

 

Sarah, email me!! Good luck with your school work and have fun on your dates! Mami told me that you gave the Sunday School lesson this last Sunday. I bet it went amazing!

  

Daniel, good luck on your performance tomorrow! You are going to do a great job. You have a great voice and I hope you keep practicing. When are the try outs for the school play?

  

Levi, keep up the good work with your violin!!! I wish I could have learned to play the violin. Just like Daniel, you have a talent for the violin. Keep up the good work in school. I promise that as you read the Book of Mormon before you do your homework and pray for the Spirit to help you that you will have an easier time doing your homework.

 

Carlos, I love you and I hope that you always remember that you can do anything that you put your mind to.

 

Sofia, keep writing in your journal. You are a great example of a missionary and your example will help other people.

 

Soraya I love you! You will always be my baby!! You are potty trained!!! Congratulations!!!

Family, I love you all so much. Sorry that my emails aren't as spiritual as Pablo's. I am going to try harder next week to write on a more spiritual tone.

Hermana Zubeldia

 

 

Week after General conference

Dear Family,

I am so glad to hear that you guys are doing great! This week was really good. We worked really hard each and everyday. My favorite feeling of the day is when we return back to our apartment and my body is physically exhausted.  It is at this moment that I realize how much I worked that day and I feel like I did my best for the Lord.  I know that even if we didn't teach as many lessons as we had planned, or that even if all of our plans fall through that, if I work my best, the Lord will be pleased with what I did, because it was my best. 

Miracles happen each day. I promise that as you pray as a family you will see miracles and you will find someone to teach.  I promise you this because it happens to us each and everyday.  I told Sofia that if she wrote down each day one miracle that she saw in her journal she will see the hand of the lord in her daily activities. This week, as we were knocking doors we met a woman.  After talking a bit she let us in.  After talking about prayer and about the plan of salvation we invited her to come to church, and she said yes! She had taken the discussions 20 years ago and was about to be baptized but couldn't because she was living with her boyfriend and wasn't married. She was the miracle of the week! We are also still teaching Graciela's mom.  Graciela bore the most amazing testimony about the Book of Mormon yesterday.  She is truly becoming converted to the gospel as she studies the Book of Mormon each day.  Tears filled my eyes as I listened to her bear her testimony about how the Book of Mormon has changed her life.  She told me that she sees her little son one day being a missionary too. Its remarkable to see the change in the lives of people when they have the gospel. This work is truly amazing! I am so grateful to be part of the Lord's army in this time-to proclaim the gospel to the world alongside Pablo.  To think that you guys are also in the work make me so happy!

Good luck papi at school! I can't believe you are going to be teaching for a couple of weeks at the school! How fun!!

And the funny event of the week...We were walking down the street and saw two girls knocking doors and talking to people.  The first thought in my mind was... oh no, the Jehovah Witnesses again.  Many people don´t talk to us because they think we are Jehovah Witnesses.  Well, as we kept walking I recognized them and realized that they were sister missionaries! Even I, a missionary confused sister missionaries for Jehovah Witnesses!!

Brother Martinez is our Ward Mission Leader

Yes papi, we are working with the ward.  Yesterday our ward mission leader presented the ward mission plan in the ward coordination meeting! I am so happy that the ward now has a ward mission plan! Does Kaysville 3rd ward have one? I bet they do. I didn't even know what a ward mission plan was until the mission.

 

Lunch with the Familia Martinez yesterday

Also, we are eating well. the members feed us each day. and when they don't my companion cooks amazing meals (she is a chef by profession!!!) and also Hermana Marin cooks great!  

I love you so much! Thank you for your prayers and your emails!

Hermana Zubeldia

Update from the Oakland Mission

Hermana Cooper,

Happy birthday Hermana Cooper!! I hope you have a great day tomorrow as you celebrate your special day! How are you doing? What area are you in know? Where is Hermana McLaws?

Questions...did Nelson ever get baptized? Did Lexi? How is Kristin doing?

Have a fantastic day Hermana!!! May tomorrow be a great birthday!!

Hermana Zubeldia

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Hermana Zubeldia,

 

Nelson and Lexi both got baptized. Hermana McLaws is in San Francisco!

Kristin writes me letters...

 

Hope you have a good birthday too! LOVE YOU! BAPTIZE EVERYONE!

Hermana Cooper

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Hermana Cooper,

That makes me so happy to hear that they both got baptized!!!! I have been waiting to hear the news!! Can you send me pictures of their baptisms?? I want to send them to my family!!

She is finally in San Francisco!! Her dream came true! Where are you??

Is Kristin still getting the discussions? What is her address so I can write her.

Thanks!!!

Hermana Zubeldia

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Hermana Zubeldia,

 

I'm still in Brentwood. :) I don't know. I don't have Kristin's address but if you want to write her a letter I can get it to her.

 

Here are pictures of them.

Hermana Cooper

 

 

General Conference and my Birthday

Dear Family,

Thank you so much! I had a fantastic birthday!! And what made it even better was watching general conference! I am now 21 years old! It is weird to say that. Yesterday, someone asked me how old I was and without thinking I said I was 20. haha

  

Hermanas Zubeldia, Silva, Marin and Rozsa

My birthday was great! I woke up to the sisters in my apartment singing happy birthday with balloons all around me and a cake with a sparkler in it. It was very sweet (both them and the cake).  And then around 11 the elders in the zone called me and sang happy birthday in English to me.  Later, Hermana Parreño, right after conference ended, had the elders who were still at the church sing to me again. My companion said that my face was all red.

  

I love having my birthday during General conference weekend.  It was especially wonderful this time because I watched it from the point of view of a missionary.  The conference talks were all really good.  Elder Ballard's and Elder Holland's talks were really good.  There was a lot of focus on member missionary work and also on preparing our testimonies each day.

The conference was particularly based on maintaining our relationship with the Lord and on how the time has  come to share the gospel with everyone. Right after the last conference session ended our zone leader told us that he had set up an appointment for us at 7 (he told us at 6:55).  The women lived right up the street from the church. Her name is Susana and she accepted to be baptized on November 9!  She had already had the Book of Mormon in her home and she said that she is going to start reading it.  

 

I was thinking of a FHE idea for you guys to do... I would love it if you would all send me your testimonies so that I can glue them into the Books of Mormon we pass out. If you could each do one I could pass out 10 Books of Mormon with testimonies.  You could also do this for Pablo. He would appreciate it just as much as I would!!

  

With my companion, Hermana Silva

Hermanas Silva, Marin, Rosza and me

  

I want each of you to know how proud I am that you are reading the Book of Mormon together as a family and separately. It will really bless your life and make a big difference as you study the Book of Mormon, both as a family and individually.  This morning I focused my study on Humility.  I was reading in Alma where Ammon was teaching Limhi and the Lamanties.  Alma was humble and taught with the spirit.  When asked if he was god, Alma said that he was just a man and that he is only teaching the word of god.  The Savior is the perfect example of humility. Read 2 Nephi 9:28-29 and Mosiah 4:11-12.  As we accept the Lord's will with humility, he will help us accomplish the work he has given us to do.

  

Concerning missionary work, I want each of you to really take the commitment given in conference to heart, to invite one person to hear the message of the gospel between now and Christmas. I promise you that as you pray to know who to invite, miracles will happen.  This is the Lord's work, he is more invested in it than we are.  As we, with humility, allow him to work through us, we will see miracles and opportunities all around. 

None of our investigators ended up coming to conference.  They all said they would the morning of, but none of them showed up.  It was sad, but I have to remember that everyone has their agency to choose.  It was a beautiful spring weekend though.  The sun was up, the weather warm and the breeze fantastic. A lot different than the cold that you described! I can't believe that it already snowed! I am going to miss the snow! It's now getting really warm here. 

I am so glad you had a fantastic weekend with Wendy and Jonathan's family at our home.  This weekend was really busy for you all... Brooke's wedding! The funeral for Wendy's brother and general conference! I am glad to hear the primary program was a success! Also, good luck Daniel with your fall performance! you will do great! Levi, keep at it with school and have fun! Carlos, you are fantastic! thank you for your smile and I know that you can do anything if you put your mind to it! Sofía, keep doing your crafts and I know you are a great help to mami!! Soraya, I love you too! Sarah, you are reading the Book of Mormon again! great job! I'm still reading it for the the first time on my mission. Papi, if you keep doing a great job at substituting in school they are going to keep calling you....and Mami, I hope that you are feeling better. I also have had a little sore throat this week. honey and lemon really do work! Pablo, I love you so much! you are a great example to me!!

 

I love you all! I hope you have a fantastic week!!!! And the chocolate chips would be great, and peanut butter too if you want. haha

I love you!!!

Hermana Zubeldia