Feliz Año Nuevo!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, the best part of the week was seeing all of your adorable faces!!!  It was so much fun! I loved talking to all of you even though I could only talk to each of you for about 5 minutes! Why is our family so big?!

 

Well, this week was great! Besides talking to you, we taught a lot of people and found a family of 11 kids!!!  We hope to start teaching them this week. The dad is less active but we haven't been able to talk to him yet.  We are teaching the 3 older kids English and hope that we can start teaching them about the wonderful gospel that will bless their lives!!!

 

Yesterday was a really hard day for my companion and I.  Our investigator Orlando, the one I talked to you about on Christmas told us that he doesn't want to continue learning from us. The story is really long and so I will just tell it to you in the letter I am writing to you. After he told us why he doesn't want to continue, we just bore our testimonies to him that we know that this Church is true. I told him to never forget the spirit that he has felt and to never deny the things that he has learned.  He said that maybe in the future he will start learning again, but right now this isn't for him.  It broke my heart because I know that this gospel will help him.  I know he knows it too, but I know that Satan is trying to get to him with doubt and scare him.
  

One of the things that I have learned this past couple of weeks is the power that satan has.  He is fully engaged in going against this work.  This morning I was reading in the May 2012 conference Ensign and read a talk by Elder Adrian Ochoa.  He said that the best weapon against the enemy (satan) is to actively promote righteousness.  As we stand up boldly for what we know to be true, the Lord will give us power over the enemy. We are part of the Lords Army.
  

Each person we share the Gospel too has the choice to accept it or not.  If they don't accept it, I know that one day the missionaries will knock on their door again, or look in the area book and will share the gospel with them again.  Everyone has their time and everyone will have a second chance. It's hard when people say no, especially when you know they know.  However, I am grateful that we have this great plan of salvation that gives everyone another chance.  Heavenly Father wants all of us to return to him!
  

Last night, as I was laying in bed I was looking at the pictures I have of you family on the wall and I was filled with so much gratitude that I belong to a wonderful family! Thank you for being my family and for staying strong in the gospel!!

 

I am learning so much! My favorite part of the day is my study time!  My challenge is for each of you to study at least 10 minutes each day... read a chapter in the Book of Mormon, read an Ensign article, read a conference talk -- it will bless your life and change your whole day!!!

 

Well, I hope you have a great day!

¡¡¡FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!!!

With Hermana Pinnock at the mission Christmas dinner.

Christmas dinner with the Martinez family.

With Hermana Hadley and Elder Bagley... the missionaries from Kaysville!!! Two darts and one lancer...

Just got back from the day... soaking wet!!!

With Hermana Pinnock in Christmas spirit!! Red and green!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE HEAT OF ARGENTINA!!!

Dear Family!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

With Hermanas Marin, Hadley, and Pinnock

This was a busy week.  We were here and there, meeting new people and teaching all around.  Its been kinda hard though because of the heat.  We have study time and then lunch, and then 4 hours of silence as we walk around the city in the heat during siesta.  People start to appear around 5 or 6 in the afternoon after the heat dies down.  Its fun though.  We are trying to be creative during the siesta time by visiting less active members or part member families.  It doesn't feel that much like Christmas since its so hot here! This last week it was about 38-46 degrees Celsius.... One day it was 50!!  I am definitely getting a nice tan line! You are so lucky to have snow and cold weather! I much prefer the cold weather!  It did rain a lot yesterday! After 2 weeks of heat, heat and heat, last night we had a thunderstorm and we danced in the rain! Probably not that safe, but it was sure fun!!

This week we had the Mission Christmas party! It was a lot of fun. We sang songs at a disabled person home and then sang songs in the plaza in Bahia Blanca! There were about 100 missionaries singing.  Members who came to watch said that you could hear the choir blocks away and that the spirit was there! The T.V channel came too. It was a great missionary opportunity. Also, we had a wonderful dinner and then a talent show.  Yes, I did a talent with Hermana Pinnock! We danced.  However, after not dancing for about a year my body was hurting afterwards... It is still hurting and its been 4 days!  But it was a lot of fun!  

We had a fantastic experience this week!  We were teaching one of our investigators about faith.  We told him that he didn't have to know everything about the gospel to be baptized but what was important was that he needed to feel and know that it was true.  He said that he knew it was true but that he wanted to know it all before he made any decision. The lesson was definitely guided by the Spirit. I don't remember what we talked about but I felt the Spirit teaching him.  Hermana Pinnock asked him if he would accept to be baptized.  He said no, but then looked down at his scriptures for about 2 minutes in silence.  He then looked up at us and asked, "do you really think I can be baptized in 3 weeks?" This was a miracle.  The Spirit was very strong in the room.  We weren't teaching that lesson... it was the Spirit who was teaching and helping this investigator to feel the love of the Savior in his heart.  I know that the Lord is preparing people.  As we work with the Spirit it can help touch the hearts of others and help them know that the Gospel is true.  This was our miracle of the week!

Why are we commanded to love everyone? The first commandment is love god and the the second commandment is love others. why?  

 

In John 4:8 it says that God sent his son into the world, that we might live though Him.   So, if God loves us, we ought also love one another.

 

In Luke 2 it says that Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and was laid in a manger.  Many think that that Jesus was just a baby. But he was more than that. What was lying in the manger was the Jehovah of the old testament, the God that parted the red sea, the God that created the world, the son of our Heavenly Father.  After all that, he came down and was born in a stable.  Jesus loved us so much that he came to earth so that we may live again through him.  

I am so excited to talk to you in 2 days!! I can only talk for an hour though, but that is okay!  I can't wait to see you face to face and talk with you!!!  

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

TE QUIERO!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

Dear Family,

Yesterday at the concert

Well, this week was fun!!!!  We had a Christmas concert last night and it turned out very well!! I was so happy and excited to be a part of this concert and to sing with other missionaries from two other zones.  There were four wonderful choirs that also sang.  It was a wonderful missionary opportunity and the spirit was really felt in the chapel as the choirs sang.  Sad part of the week, none of our investigators came to church... but we will continue trying and working with them!!!

Well, I get to talk with you next week!!! It is so exciting! I will be skyping from a member's home on the 25th.  She said we can come by in the morning, around 10 or 11 am our time. Her name is Hermana Chaura. I don't know what her Skype name is but I will have her email it to you this week. She has two sons on their missions! She is so great to us sister missionaries!!! What time is better for you to skype? When is Pablo skyping?  Also, the packages wont get here for a couple of weeks because the mail system is on strike here. They just stoped striking this week but they might do it again next week. Either way, the packages will get here sooner or later. :)  Thanks for sending me the packages!!!  Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY PABLO!!!!!!!!!

I love this season of Christmas.  As I ponder on what the meaning of Christmas is, I am filled with hope and with love for our Savior Jesus Christ. As we celebrate this wonderful season I am reminded of that night in Bethlehem long ago when the Angel appeared and proclaimed the tidings of great joy to the shepherds that Jesus  our Savior was born in the city of David.  What would it have been like at that moment to hear that the Savior of the world had been born? And at the same time in the Americas the sign was given of the birth that there would be night but the night would be as day.  I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior.  I know that because of him we may live again.  Through Jesus Christ we can be given release of any burden of guilt, sickness, pain and sin.  Through him, we may be given peace and love as we continue on through the trials along the path. Through his atonement and sacrifice we are given the gift of repentance and resurrection, the gift of everlasting life.  He knows who we are and is there every step of the way. It is his purpose to help each and everyone of us to return to live with our heavenly Father again and to experience joy and growth here on earth.  I know that he loves us and because of this perfect love he gave us the most precious gift of hope. Everyone needs this message of Jesus Christ because it is only through Him that we may live again.

I love you all so very much.  I hope that you can think about the wonderful gift of the atonement as we approach Christmas.  I promise you that as you continue to share this wonderful message of Jesus to the world you will find peace and feel more love this Christmas season.  This truly is the most precious gift we can give to our friends and family, the message that our Savior lives and that we can have peace.  Jesus truly is the Prince of Peace (2 Nephi 19:6)

I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!!!!!

Hermana Susana Zubeldia

With Hermana Fries. Brooke Nelson taught her during her mission!

A slow but kinda fast week

Dear Family,

Sorry that this letter is going to be short. I don't have that much time this week to write but I will type really fast!!

1. Christmas concert!! We are having a Christmas concert this week. There is an "encuentro de coros" of several choirs in Bahia Blanca. The church is hosting it at the stake center. A few of us missionaries where chosen to sing in a special missionary musical number. It is going to be next Sunday! I am really excited to sing!! We have made some great arrangements of hymns! Also, in two weeks three zones are getting together to sing in the main plaza of Bahia Blanca. We will be singing for an hour! You can look it up on the news probably...it will be on the 20th!

2. It has been a hard week but we are still going. Thank you Papi for your words of encouragement. I know that in the future those we meet will eventually join the church. I may not see it now, but that is okay because I know that seeds planted will one day be harvested by other missionaries. The people we are teaching know are products of other missionaries planting seeds 5 to 10 years ago.

3. Guess who Hermana Marin's new companion is!? Her name is Hermana Nicky Hadley and she is from the 20th ward in our stake! We went to junior high together. She is great! She was waiting for her visa for almost 7 months!

4. About Christmas. I think that we get to Skype you. I am not sure if we will have access to Skype or a phone. I will find out and tell you next week. I know though that we get about an hour, maybe a little more :) to talk to you!! I am so so excited!!!

5. SNOW!!! How I wish I could have snow right now. I am dying of heat and humidity!!! It's ridiculous!! I don't like the heat at all. Its great that the nights are cooler and more people are out.

6. I am glad that Ethan is doing better. We are praying for him.

Love.

Hermana Zubeldia

Another transfer in Villa Mitre

Dear Family!!!

Hermana Pinnock, Hermana Silva, and I

Another transfer down!!! I am now on Transfer 4!! In just about a year I will be coming home! The time is flying by so fast.  I am staying here in Villa Mitre I with Hermana Pinnock. I am so excited to get to work here for another 6 weeks! There is so much work to be done and so many people to find and teach.
 

We are still teaching Orlando and Santiago. They are doing great and progressing. Orlando came to church for the first time yesterday and he loved it!

This week was really hard. We didn't teach much and we didn't find any new investigators. It was really hard because it was hot and the sun was shinning. We worked hard each day and when we got home we were so exhausted. Even though we didn't see much success we know we did our best each day and we fell asleep content that we had worked our hardest.

Villa Mitre weather, with a beautiful thunderstorm.

This week I have learned a lot about faith and about being humble.  As we humbly submit to the will of the Lord he will help us through our trials and help mold us. 

I had an incredible experience this week concerning faith in the Lord.  We have an investigator who, after teaching him about the Law of chastity, took the step in the dark with faith and decided to stop living with his girlfriend.  He has such desire to get baptized and has committed himself to get baptized on the 21 of this month! We are really excited for him because he really wants to change and wants to live the gospel.  Seeing his example of faith really taught me the value of living the commandments, with the faith that one day you will see the blessings of your obedience.

Obedience to the commandments really does bring blessings.  Just like Nephi said, the Lord really does provide a way for us to live and complete his commandments.  I know that because I am seeing it in the lives of those we teach.  I am so excited for this next transfer to come! We really want to work hard by using the Christmas spirit! This is going to be such a great next 6 weeks!!

Funny time of the week: making Thanksgiving turkeys...making a Christmas photo for you guys! I am not going to send it yet, but it will come in the mail to you just in time for Christmas!

I am so glad you had a great time in Arizona for thanksgiving!   Even though I am not there with you I know you still had a good time. Sorry Papi that you had to drive the whole way down though...you should have had Sarah or Mami help. haha :)

Just like Pablo asked, I too want to ask: what are you going to give to Jesus this year? Remember that the best gift that we can give to people is the happiness they can find in the gospel.  My companion tells everyone that the message we give them is the best present in the world.  It truly is! I hope you remember the blessings you have.  Share your blessings with the world! As we work in the field together we will bring our friends and family closer to Christ. And when we are in front of him in the last day we will be in front of him together!

Have a fantastic week! Keep reading the Book of Mormon and keep praying to have the opportunity to share the Gospel with someone. Remember the promise given in General Conference about bringing someone before Christmas.

Love

Hermana Zubeldia

PS: Here are a few pictures

Me with Hermanas Rozsa, Marin and Pinnock. Hermana Rozsa is going to another area.

Shelling walnuts, by hand, with a member of our ward.

The missionaries in my zone.

The sisters from three adjacent zones.