Having Faith in Tandil

Dear Family,

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Well, this week has been pretty good. We didn't teach much this week but that is okay. We are trying our best to find people and we are talking to everyone. I know that we can do better and put in more effort though.  Even though it is hard we have faith that we will find those who are  prepared to hear the gospel. I know that there are people who are prepared, we just need to find them. I also know that miracles happen after the trial of our faith. It was after 6 months in Villa Mitre that I got to see the fruit of our labors. I know that I just need to Have FAITH!
   
We are still living in the elders home. I can't wait to go to our other home. It really is a lot better. haha.
   

Thanks for the email everyone!!
     
This week we went to Mar Del Plata for a multi zone conference with Presidente Parreño and Hermana Parreño. We also had the opporutnity to listen to Elder Ávila from the seventy. It was a fantastic conference. I really learned a lot and felt strengthened to keep going this week.

Hermanas Pizarro, Cruz, Zubeldia and Williams

The bus ride to Mar Del Plata with the Elders

It was a long ride

Hermanas Williams and Zubeldia

Eating along the way to Mar Del Plata

 Here are a few of my notes from the conference:
- ¿Cual es la clave para que el misionero tenga éxito?.... Es cuando vive y aplica el manual misional.  Nos ayuda a tener éxito, a lograr las metas y a tener el Espíritu.  The rules are a protection and help us be prepared for eternal convenants.  

- Elder Ávila said that we need to  be happy and forget ourselves and serve. When we forget ourselves and focus on others we will feel the love of the Savior and be really happy.

- What is real conversion and how do we get it??  La base de la conversión es a través del Espíritu Santo. Necesitamos leer y orar para continuar a aprender más.

- What is the Obra de Salvación?? It is... llevar los hijos de Dios a su presencia. Este es el tiempo para prepararse para la salvación. 

- To make the Obra de Salvación move forward each member and each misionary needs to have faith and repent and use the Atonement in our lives. When we put this into practice we will be able to let the Atonement change us and help others as well.  Without a testimony of the Atonement we cannot help others come unto Christ.  As we teach the Atonement and repentance, it helps people change and grow their testimonies of the gospel. La Obra de Salvación includes rescate (rescue), baptisms for the dead, and missionary work with our non member friends.  And as we share the Book of Mormon people will have the plenitud del Evangelio. And what does plentitud del Evangelio mean?  The Book of Mormon teaches the Atonement clearer than any other book in the world. As we read the Book of Mormon and apply it to our lives we are truly learning how to use the Atonement. 

We even found Ramen Noodles at Carrefour!

We really are having a great time even though we aren't finding anyone to teach. The weather is beautiful. Its getting colder each day. We are eating very well. Each day we eat with the members.

Yesterday we had a fireside with the stake about missionary work. The missionaries directed the fireside. It is one of 4 firesides that we are having. In each fireside the missionaries teach the members how to be missionaries and how to teach and share the Gospel with their friends. Yesterday we talked about how to hermanar and to include the investigators in church meetings. We talked about sitting with them, and how to present ourselves. We also split the members into groups and had a pair of missionaries with each group and we talked about how to invite their friends to hear about the Gospel. It was an amazing fireside.  It truly is when we work with the members that the work of salvation can move forward.

I hope you have a great week!!! Te quiero!!! Know that I am thinking of your and that I share our family picture with everyone!!

Hermana Susana Zubeldia

Faith in Tandil

Dear Family,
 

Congratulations Sarah for going to the temple!! I am so happy for you. I thought of you all day Saturday!!  Sorry Daniel that you broke your finger, it will heal. Also, Carlos, Sofía told me that you saved a girl in your class while skiing and that you hurt your foot because of it! You are a superhero! Papi, I'm glad that what you were going though is finally over. Mami, I am glad you are doing better. Martín, I hope that you enjoy riding your bike everyday! haha. Katie, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! you are officially an adult! Soraya, have fun at the doctors today.  I can't believe that you are going to kindergarten!!! You are growing up so fast!!!! Pablo, TE QUIERO!!!!!!!

 

Me and my companion Hermana Williams

Well, this week has been kinda hard. I don't really want to lie or not tell you.  Our faith is definitely being tried these last two weeks.  We haven't been finding and we haven't been teaching at all.  We really are trying so hard to go visit less actives, old investigators, contacts, etc. Even though we are not teaching much we are trying to keep having faith that as we keep going and keep doing our best we will eventually find those who are prepared.  I know that there are people who are prepared (I know because I saw miracles last transfer) and all we need to do is find them!! It's really not that hard, all we need to do is find them! The hard part is just the walking! :)

  

This week we have Zone Conference and so we are going to go to Mar del Plata and meet with 3 other zones! Its going to be great! I really love zone conferences because they help me focus on what is important and get a chance to talk to President Parreño.

  

Yes Papi!!! There are tons of Zubeldias here!! And almost all of them are in my area!! We still haven't gone past any of them, but we do have all their addresses thanks to the phone book.  None of them are members though... yet! haha. Everyone here thinks its so cool that my last name is Zubeldia. They always comment on it and ask where I am from.  They are always surprised that I say that I am from the USA.  I am proud to wear the Zubeldia name!

  

Soaking wet... the night we walked to the bus stop in the rain.

Another rainy day... Selfie inside elevator.

Thoughts of the week....

1. We are still in the elders apartment waiting for ours to get fixed. I think I will pass this whole transfer here in this apartment. Its okay, since we cleaned it now! haha

2. An investigator of ours came to church on Sunday! it was a miracle!!

3. Also, we were in a lesson with a recent convert when the elders in our ward knocked on the door! I love when this happens!

4. It rained a lot this week and we got soaked!! We had to walk like 12 blocks to get to the bus stop to go home. We sang in the rain and continued contacting people. We didn't find anyone, but we kept going and had fun.

5. FAITH!!! continue to have faith even when the results of your work aren't coming. It is truly after the trial of our faith that the miracles then happen. 

I love you all so very much!! I hope you have a great week! Did you guys get my package of letters I sent you?

Love,

Hermana Zubeldia

Cooking with Hermana Williams, on a preparation day.

Hermana Williams and I look just like these fairies!

First full week here in Tandil

Dear Family,
 

Well, I am loving it here in Tandil!! (you should look it up online) Its a beautiful city and it reminds me a lot of the País Vasco and Santander! Its green and there are tons of hills. It is such a change from the heat and dryness of Bahia Blanca.  The similarity to Cantabria so amazing! No wonder why there are tons of Basque influence here. Men and youth walk around wearing the boina (the basque berret). And guess what?? there are like 10 Zubeldias that live in my area!!! I have to go and contact them. We will see what happens. Eveyone here just loves my last name and they always say they know someone named Zubeldia. Right now I know there is one that is a lawyer that lives next door to the fire station. 

Plaza de la Independencia de Tandil

With Hermana Williams, my companion in Tandil

 

My area is really big. It includes the center of Tandil and the area around. We also have a small town far away that is part of my area. This area is like 5 times bigger than my last area in Villa Mitre. I know that I won't have a problem going to new areas to contact.

  

This last week we (four sisters) have been living in the Elders apartment. There was a problem with our apartment and so we were moved to the elders apartment and they were moved to the zone leaders apartment. From the day I got here I have been living out of my suitcase haha!  Because it is an elders apartment, guess what we did all last p-day?? yep, we cleaned all day! How grateful I am that my brothers are relatively clean (haha, just kidding).

Hermanas Cruz and Pizarro

Hermana Williams, cleaning the Elders' apartment

However, since we live outside of our area we need to take a bus to our area to work each day. Both my companion and I are new to the area and so trying to learn the bus system has been kinda difficult. We have gotten lost a couple of times.

 

My companion and I are both learning this area together. It's great because we are starting fresh. It's kinda hard though because neither of us know the streets very well and don't know where anyone lives. We are managing though.

  

On Saturday we found a woman and her two kids and  guess what...when we went to pick  her and her family up for church they were all ready and waiting for us. Her kids loved church and made friends.  She said church was really long but that she liked it. We are going to visit her again on Tuesday.

 

Well, this last week I was thinking a lot about obedience. For some reason everything I was reading about in the Book of Mormon seemed to be focused on being obedient.  In Mosiah chapters 2, 3,4 5, 6 I learned a lot about why it is important to be obedient.  The Savior only asks us to be obedient to his commandments. Its the only thing that he asks us to do. And if we do so, he will bless us with many blessings. I know this has to be true, since every prophet in the Book of Mormon talks about the why of obedience. I hope that as we go about your daily activities you remember the blessings that come as we are obedient and remember our baptismal and temple covenants. They truly are for our protection and learning.
  
I hope you are all doing great! From the emails of mami and papi I hear that you are all having a great week!!! I love you all so very much. Know that I am doing well and am having a great time serving the Lord!!!
  
Te quiero!!!
 
Sarah, have a fantastic time at the temple with mami and papi!!!!
 
Hermana Susana Zubeldia

From Tandil!!!

Dear family,

Goodbye, Hermana Asencios. I am going to miss you!

Sorry I don´t have much time to write today. Well, I have been transferred to Tandil!!! I am very excited for this new experience that I am going to have. My new companion's name is Hermana Williams and she is from Arizona. I will be finishing her trainings (she is brand new).  We live with two other sister missionaries, one from Honduras and the other from Chile. 

  

I was kinda sad to leave Villa Mitre. Hermana Marín, the other sister that I lived with finishes her mission today!! I am so excited for her!! She was like my companion... since we lived 6 months together!!!
   

Jorge's Baptism

Miracle of the week!! Hermana Martha was baptized!!! I am so happy for her! This last transfer was a transfer of miracles!!!

Well, next week I will write more. I am so sorry that I didn't have time to write to you this week! 

Te  quiero!!!

PS: Always remember that charity is the pure love of Christ!!! Remember to love everyone! 

Me, Hermana Asencios, Elder Parkes and Elder Davalos

Con la familia Tidei (Belen, Solana, Alegra, Francesca)

With Maite Curruleff! Cutest future missionary ever!!!

 

Con Hermana Asencios the day of Jorge's baptism

Ice cream is good!

 

Villa Mitre Zone service project

Villa Mitre Zone service project

Villa Mitre Zone service project

Villa Mitre Zone service project

The 4 Hermanas at the Mission Office: Hermana Rosza, Hermana Marin, Hermana Zubeldia, and Hermana Asencios

 

Grapes in our backyard! They are really good!

 

Us sisters!!!

 

Me and the Bishop's family... familia Fioromanti

 

Happy Valentines day from Argentina!!!

Dear Family,

I want to let you know how much I love you!! You are the greatest family in the whole Wide World. Everyday I look at the family Picture I have on my desk and I think of all the wonderful people I get to be related to!! 

  

This week was definetly bitter and sweet. Jorge, our investigator was bapitzed!!! Yesterday he was given the Gift of the Holy Ghost and he is now a member of the Church of Jesús Christ.  He was really happy! Hermana Pinnock and I found him like 3 months ago and hermana Asencios and I had the priviledge to teach him.   One of our other investigators, Marta, came to the baptism. She loved it.

   

The hard part of the week was attending the funeral of a dear member of our ward. Hermano Luis Tidei, patriarca and convert to the gospel passed away.  It was such a shock for me and my companion. Each Sunday I saw him walk hand in hand with his wife to church.  Each Sunday, he smiled at us and said, "how are you Hermanas Zubeldia and Asencios?"  Each Sunday I awaited his dear smile and hello.  At 90 years old, this man never missed a Sunday. In rain, heat, cold and humidity, he always made it to church, walking the 10 blocks with his wife or getting a ride. He was such a wonderful brother. His decision to join the church with his wife changad his whole family. He left a legacy, with one of his grandchildren about to leave on a mission. What a blessing it is to have the gospel to know that after this time on earth we continue on living.   I am so grateful for the knowledge of the plan of salvation to know that there is a purpose to us here on earth and that we can live with our Heavenly Father again as families. The funeral was amazing, the spirit very strong. 

   

Also, my companion is doing great!!! She is such a spiritual giant (as Mami would say).  She keeps on going despite the diffuculties and the challenges of the mission.  We worked hard this week and saw tons of miracles.

  

Yesterday as I was studying I came accross a question that I wanted to share with you.  The question is: "What will a man give in exchange for his soul?"  The Savior asks us to exchange our sins, big or small, for the Father's reward of eternal life.  Satan wants us to exchange our soul for a stolen candy bar, a crude joke and playing soccer on the sabbath. However, the Savior only asks us to give up what is tying us down and to follow him. In exchange, we are promised the reward of eternal life. 

  

I know that this gospel is true. It changes lives and helps lift people up to know that there is a way to change. Just like our convert Jorge said, "to know that these things are true gives me the assurance that there is a way to change and become better."

I love you all so very much!!! Thank  you for your letters and your love!!!!

LES QUIERO!!!!  Happy Valentines day!!!

Hermana Susana Zubeldia

another hot week here in villa mitre

Hey Family!!!

¿Como está mi familia allí en Utah? Espero que todo esté bien y que estén teniendo una buena semana.

Con la Hermana Asencios comiendo bocadillos.

Well, this week was FANTASTIC!!! Besides being really really hot we worked a lot! We saw tons of miracles! Yesterday there were 14 people at church! I have never seen so many investigators at church before. 4/14 were our investigators, the other 10 being two families that the elders are teaching.

Presidente Parreño also spoke in our ward yesterday and shared his conversion story and shared his love for the mission work. It was what I needed to hear yesterday. Papi, it was as if I was listening to you speak. ;) I hope that one day you guys can meet Presidente Parreño and his wife Hermana Parreño, they are great mission presidents.

Also, Jorge gets baptized this week, this Saturday.

My packages came! Thank you so much for the two packages! The shirts are great and the candy is kinda melted haha! Also, thank you so much for the passalong cards and the little books about families. we have already started using the passalong cards. But I have a question... why did you send me Ley de Castidad Folletos?? My companion loved the warheads!

Well, this week I was studying a lot about hope. In Moroni 7 it talks about hope. In Moroni 7:40-42 it says that without hope we can't have faith. I know that as we hope for eternal life it will help us have faith in this life to continue going through the hard times. The mission is hard, but its worth all the effort. As I was thinking about hope, I realized that the gospel that I get to share allows people to have hope, hope in God, hope in life after death, hope that we can be eternally happy. I am so happy to be able to share this hope with others, hope to help them have faith to keep going and have a smile on their face!
 

Well, some of the funny things that happened this week,
1. Someone followed us down the street calling us Elders haha!
2. We got lost using the buses and ended up on the other side of Bahía Blanca!
3. There is a dog here in the cyber cafe. Dogs wonder around everywhere!!
4. There is a less active member in Punta Alta (in our stake) who is a Zubeldia!!! I haven't met him, but another sister missionary told me!

Thank you all for the emails and for the love and prayers!!! I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!!!!

Hermana Zubeldia

Congratulations Sarah!!!!

Family,
  

CONGRATULATIONS SARAH!!!!.....HERMANA ZUBELDIA!!!  ¡Viva MÉXICO!
   

Ciudad Obregón is going to be so lucky to have Sarah in their mission!!! I hope she can find and teach some family members too!! What are the coincidences that we are all three speaking Spanish on the mission??? Is Heavenly Father trying to tell us something?? Maybe we need to learn Spanish.... Thanks parents for having us learn Spanish!! It makes it easier! Sarah also enters the MTC the same day as Pablo but a year later!  Cool!!
   
Well, this week was great!! It wasn't that hot which was a miracle! Speaking of miracles! Jorge, the Bolivian man that we have been teaching is getting baptized this Saturday!!!  I am so excited for him!! Hermana Pinnock and I found him about 2 transfers ago.  We are also teaching two sisters who came to church this week!! 
   

I have been learning a lot this week.  One of the things that I learned this week was that I need to appreciate the miracles.  Heavenly Father is a God of Miracles. He blesses us as we do our best and show him that we are willing to work hard.  I was having a hard time one day and my companion told me that I needed to appreciate the miracles that we get.
   

Well, right now I am in the city of Bahía Blanca writing in an internet cafe.  I am here with my companion... and guess who just walked into the cafe? Hermana Pinnock and her new companion Hermana De Lyon.  There are also two elders here. Out of all the internet cafes, we all chose this one haha!
   

Also, my companion turned 22 this week!! We made her a cake and had a great time!!  Hermana  Marín finishes her mission this transfer!
  

What else.... I am so EXCITED FOR SARAH!!! I have been anxiously waiting all week to find out where she was called!!! On Tuesday I was just wishing I was there with you to see her open her call!! I am so excited for SARAH!!!

  

Scripture:

Y ahora bien, he aqui, os digo que la senda verdadera es creer en Cristo y no negarlo, y Cristo es el santo de israel; por tanto, debeis inclinaros ante El y adorarlo con todo vuestro poder, mente y fuerza, y con toda vuestra alma; y si haceis esto, de ninguna manera sereis desechados.

-2 Nefi 25:29  (read the whole chapter! its great!) 
  

Well, I hope you have a great day family!! Keep reading your scriptures... doing FHE... read Preach My Gospel... WRITE IN YOUR JOURNALS... and if possible, go with the missionaries to their lessons!!!
   

LES QUIERO MUCHO!!!
  
Hermana Susana Zubeldia