Thursday, August 15, 2013


Buenos Dias mi Familia y mi Amigos,
 
My dad told me in an email that I had written spanish words in my email, so I decided to add a couple more. Today we are getting a new group of Norte Americans and I am excited to see how much I have learned since my first day here. The elders in my district want to play a little trick on them and not speak any english to them on their first day. Haha I don't think it will actually work because they are way too nice :)
 
Different things about my week
1. Feeling much better, I received a priesthood blessing from my district leader, Elder Billings and I have graudally been feeling better every day.
2. Last Saturday after proselytismo one of our elders found out that his father had died, we had a little testimony meeting in our district. It was pretty awesome. TODAS PERSONAS were crying. It was at the beginning of my cold so I used so many tissues that it was so gross. Crying plus running nose equals a whole box of tissues gone.
3. I really look forward every week to going to the temple. At first I thought it was a little odd what they do there, more and more I appreciate the calmness and quietness of that experience.
4. My hair has been super gross. Greasy. The water here, I guess is different from home. My hair did not react well. For the last 4 weeks I have tried everything. Finally on sunday, I mentioned it in relief society and Hma Openshaw (President's wife) said that she would give me some baby shampoo and it would fix it. YAY! It is such a small thing but I am happy to have clean hair.
5. Pretty much everyday I play pingpong during actividad fisca. Yesterday I was playing with Elder Hilton and we were playing around the world pingpong where you spin after you hit. I spun right into the huge metal trashcan. I have a nice colored bruise on my arm now. Our elders think that my companion abuses me. Hehe.
6. The elders in my district (Alma distrito) tease me alot, they act like my brothers :) I love them alot. They are teenage boys and sometimes I just shake my head.
7.  Katrina asked what we eat here at the CCM. We eat alot of meat. It is alright. Sometimes it is annoying that they give us it on the bone. There is like no meat on it sometimes and all fat. We have french fries sometimes. Every morning we have cereal. Every single morning. I don't love cereal that much. I do like their lentil soup stuff. I did not like the fish or the mushy cornbread lasagne. We eat alot of fruit. It is really good. Everyday they have bread. I really like it when they put cheese and chicken in the lettuce. After lunch every day it is our job to clean the comedor. It is kind of annoying that the cooks always give me less than the elders. I am hungry too. Sometimes I don't eat it all but sometimes I wish I had more.
8. My companion and I are good. I felt like she wasn't giving her opinion and I felt like I decided everything. I hate deciding everything. We talked about it in companionship inventory and she has gotten better at in her words "not being a doormat".
 
Our last weeks proselytismo was so  sososososo much better. We went back to the same area from before. This time we were much more relaxed. We met so many old ladies that gave us hugs and kisses. Here they do the greetings with a kiss on the cheek. We even got into someone's house. I asked to use their bathroom. It was these two older sisters. They weren't interested in the church. I think they had had lessons before because they knew a little about us. They said we prayed alot. I thought that was kind of funny. Anyway they live in this little house and they sew for a living. It was so nice to see something familiar. I am from a family of seamstresses. Unfortunately I didn't know the words for the sewing stuff. I hear stories about how I need to bring toilet paper with me because alot of houses don't have it, well I was happy to say that the bathroom was very well equipped. Although I couldn't find the flush until I realized it was a pulley thing in the hole in the wall. We met some people that were really nice to us and that always makes us happy. We met 3 people that wanted us to come back another time and talk to them about our message. We give their names and addresses to the missionaries assigned to their area and they go and teach them. One woman said that when we knocked on her door, we knocked on her heart. My heart just about broke. I can't say alot in spanish but I said "Puede embraso" or Can I hug? She unlocked her gate and we gave her big hugs. I felt really good to be an instrument in the Lord's hands. There are many people in this world that are lonely and need a hug. One last experience. Towards the end of our time on the outside. I really wanted to go to a store and buy some food. Real Argentinan food. So we went into this little grocery store. It was so much fun. We bought this chocolate. Delicious. Anyway but while we were standing in line at the one register, in front of us was this little boy about 4 or 5 and his grandpa. It was so adorable. The grandpa was bending down because his grandson wanted a hug. I just smiled. Grandpa wanted him to say hello to us and give us kisses on the cheek. He was so shy. :) I just wanted to eat him up he was so cute. Anyway I told him who we were and he really didn't understand that we spoke pretty small amount of spanish. He kept talking and telling us stuff. I really have no idea what he said. I nodded and said si alot. I got the feeling that he was interested in religion and so we handed him a pamphlet and he seemed really excited about it. It was the best feeling. Okay proselyting story over :)
 
This sunday or the next sunday I will give a talk in church in spanish. I am kind of nervous but I have already started writing it. It is about repentance. Buenos Suerte!
 
I have a testimony that Joseph Smith Jr. talked to God the Father and Jesus Christ. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and I learn more and more about how it can solve life's problems. I know that I am here for a reason and there are people that I need to influence and people that I need to learn something from. Sometimes I think about what the person next to me will learn from me and it makes me want to be a better person. I love my family and I know that even if I die on the mean streets of Buenos Aires I will be with them forever. They are my life and my joy. I have had to ask for miracles this past couple weeks and it is amazing how the Lord provides. He will give you what you need. I know it. I was sick when we had to go out and talk to people. I thought no one will want to talk to me because I am gross and everyone  will stay far away. I had no problems. I blew my nose a couple times but the Lord worked a miracle in my life. My intentions were pure, I wanted to share the true gospel and He provided a way for me to do that. I love you all and can't wait to hear from you.
 
Con Amor,
Hma. Beatie
(Krista)

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