More hot chocolate anyone?

This week was full of terrible heat, faulty fans, and another, yes ANOTHER hot chocolate in the hottest house known to man. haha. In the week, I got asked 3 times for my hand in marriage, it's too bad that their average age is 60.

We were able to work with a few young women in our ward this week that helped us in the work. It just so happened to be the hottest day of the week, and they were able to catch a little taste of what missionary work is like, walking in the heat, doors shut on us, the glorious moment when someone offers you juice or water. One is set on serving a mission, and shared a sweet testimony on why she wants to serve a mission to a less active member, because she has seen the examples of the missionaries that have been in the ward and she wants to give back to the Lord for the blessings she has been given. She joined the church a year and a half ago and is the only member in her family, power to her! 

Victoria and Roberto are doing well, reading the Book of Mormon and promised to come to church this Sunday as a family. Sheila is doing well, also reading the BOM and has to get permission from her parents to be baptized so we are praying hard for her. We are searching every day for new investigators that God is preparing to hear the restored message of the gospel. 

Recently,  I have studied a lot about prayer. In Jacob 3:1 I read "Look unto God with Firmness of mind and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions and he will plead your cause." We must come unto Him with a firmness in mind and know what we need from Him. Enos is a great example of praying with faith and firmness. He spoke of his wrestle with God, how his soul hungered, how he cried unto God in mighty prayer all the day long, struggling in the spirit, and through this process he is able to reach the point where his faith began to be unshaken in the Lord. God will console us. He will plead our cause if we are faithful to him. He will help us starting from where we are now, perhaps with faith the size of a mustard seed, but the potential that the seed has to grow is incredible and known to the Lord. And in the end, we, like Enos, can be comforted that in the Savior, our redeemer, we will find our rest. 

Love yall have a great week! 

Hermana Mathis

Mini Miracles

The Sisters on the Loose with a Selfie Stick at Zone Conference 

This week was full of many mini miracles, and "coincidences" in the street that were divinely inspired by God. I could spend quite the time writing out every single experience, but just know that God is always so mindful of us, and that He will lead us to those who are in need of His help and His love. 

We had a great Zone Conference in which we learned the importance of inviting everyone to come unto Christ and to not be afraid to open our mouths and testify of the truth. We are never, nor will we ever be, abandoned. We can start over new. We can change and commit to be true disciples of Christ, and invite others to do the same.

We had a great lesson with Victoria and Roberto this week. They have not really been progressing much over these past weeks. They feel the Spirit when we teach but after we leave they fall back into their routine. Well we decided that we would read the Book of Mormon with them. Starting with the intro, then 1 Nephi chapters 1 and 2. The Spirit testified of the truthfulness of what we read. They were able to understand the scriptures, take the examples of those in the scriptures and apply them into their own lives. We then asked them if they would come to church on Sunday. Viky, usually the quiet one who waits for the response of Roberto, says yes, we are going to go, as a family. Wow the Spirit was so strong. 

We had a fun little birthday get together with Sheila who turned 16. Hna De Wet and I impressed all the young women with our justin bieber singing skills, or rather lack of. Sadly, Sheila is on vacation and has been for about a week which tends to complicate teaching and baptism and things, but it's all good. 

Yesterday, Sunday, we were struck with crazy rain. Some streets were flooded and this resulted in no investigators and only 24 members showing up to church. There is a lot of work to do!! We are trying to increase the love that is present in our ward. Love for God and for our brothers and sisters are the greatest commandments, and the greatest recipe for happiness and success in our lives. Really, if we are filled with love, the pure love of Christ, we will see everyone with the eyes that God sees them. In a talk yesterday, a member got real direct with the ward, saying that the reason many people are becoming less active is due to the lack of love in the ward. People are worried about their reputations or just being right which leads to quarrels and causes the love to diminish. The best way to show our love is serving others, and showing them that we have time for them specifically. 

Through my studies this week, I have marveled at how God truly places things, people and even trials in our lives for a reason, and everything in His own perfect time. They are placed by a wise and all knowing Father in Heaven and prepare us to face what comes next. Many times, He allows storms and winds, when He surely has the power to let them pass and  He guides us calmly and safely to our destination, eventually,  (Ether 2) As I was reading a talk recomended by my sister, "Bread or Stones, understanding the God we pray to," I better understood the importance of the trials we face and following the counsel of our wise and loving  Father in Heaven. He listens to our prayers and knows what we need even before we ask. Do not think that after 1 hour, 1 day, 1 month, 1 year, 10 years, that he has abandoned you. His time is perfect and His answer may come to us in a delayed time (according to us), but a time in which we are prepared to receive His answer and can understand it better. There is never a prayer that goes unanswered or forgotten. 

Love you!!! Pray for you!!! God loves you and He is extremely mindful of you. Find time to show Him your love, serve others! Learn more about His love and His life. 

LOVE,

Hermana Mathis

If you love me, keep my commandments

Celebrating Hermana Benitez's Birthday

HOLAAAAA!

OK, lets start with the bad news of the week:

Liliana (mother of Abi- the young 9 year old girl who drew me that beautiful picture) was baptized about a year and a half ago. After a few months she stopped attending and is now currently less active. We have been visiting them a lot and Abi had accepted baptism and was really excited about it. The baptism was planned for this Saturday, the 14th. Well Liliana, this week. has told us that she does not think that it is what Abi should do and that it would be best if we stopped visiting. That took us by surprise. She said that Abi is becoming too close to us and it will be hard when we have to leave to a different area.  She is doubting basically everything that she has ever known. Upon receiving this news through text, we were in shock. We knelt in prayer together and began to just cry as we pondered that for lack of  better words it is just not fair. Liliana has experimented  upon the truth and the blessings of the gospel, and is now living in a mountain of afflictions and seeks no help, Abi is a young girl with a pure desire to be baptized though now is held back by her mother. In this moment we felt the extreme love that God has for them and His desire to mend what has been broken. We have not given up hope, but this is the current situation with them.

Sheila....still amazing!! She came to church with us yesterday and she is continuing to read, underline, and understand what she is reading in the Book of Mormon! She is still set to be baptized at the end of this month! We all walked back from church yesterday in the pouring rain and to make the scene even better --a car sped by with just the right speed to spray a fountain of water that drenched us as we stood on the side of the road. We laughed, not knowing what else to do. 

We had quite the lesson this week with our investigator Viky and her husband Roberto. We talked about the law of chastity and testified of the importance of keeping the commandments of God, and how we do it out of love for Him. We were bold in what we said as we followed the things the spirit told us to say. Viky told us that she just didn't see the need for it all right now, that she wants Roberto to return to church because he is less active and she will be happy for him and support him. She said that thinking about all the commandments  and the requirements of the church overwhelm her..

  

Later that night as I studied a talk I came across a verse in D&C 64:33 that says, "Be not weary in well doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And of small things proceedeth that which is great." A lot of people are good where they are, in their comfort zones, in their comfortable churches that do not require much of them. But Joseph Smith taught  that a religion that doesn't demand sacrifices in all things would not have the power to guide men to salvation. Sacrifice prepares us to live in God's presence. God says, "If you love me, keep my commandments." The crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty. We can sacrifice our time and energy, have a broken heart and contrite spirit, give our all to obtain all that God has to offer. 

Love y'all. Have a great week! If you're in the home land of Reno-- stay safe during these crazy floods I'm hearing about. I wish I could send some of this heat your way to balance things out. 

Love,

Hermana Mathis 

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

FELIZ ANO NUEVO!! 2017!! Wow time flies. 2016 has been too good to me and I am excited for all that 2017 holds in store. During New Year they shoot off a ton of fireworks, and guns, and bomb firework things. It was pretty exciting, although I was excited to sleep as well- but you can't always get what you want, I guess. 

This week has been the hottest week of my life, and this is just the start. The sun burns me like a tomato but on the bright side I'm getting more color than I have ever had. But these dark pants are less than ideal in the heat. A few days ago, debatedly the hottest state I have ever been in, we had a lesson inside a house that seemed to be even hotter than outside with fans that didn't even reach us...and what did they offer us to drink?? Hot chocolate! 100% serious! So we drank it with sweat running down our faces.
I hit my new record this week...4 people in one day told me that I looked like Lindsey Lohan in Parent Trap. They think I'm famous. I make sure to clarify that I look like her young innocent state, before she went crazy and fell off the deep end.
Other than that this week has been good! We are excited for this month and all that we have planned. I am happy to be here in Arroyito! Our investigators are doing well! They continue to read the Book of Mormon and find important truths. They are applying what we are teaching them which is so key.
This gospel is one of action! Thomas S Monson says the reward of eternal life requires effort. If we want our faith to grow, we have to apply what we are learning and exercise it. If we want more knowledge, we must humble ouselves and go to the Lord willing to be taught and to accept and apply the things He tells us. I hope that we can all start this year with a goal in mind and have a plan as to how we can achieve it. YOU CAN DO IT!! SI SE PUEDE!
Love,
Hermana Mathis

At the Parana River near Rosario:  Glad that barrier is there, yikes!

with the Robleda family

Ano Nuevo Dinner with the Caldarella and Benitez family

This is Abi and this is the "beautiful" portrait that she drew of me

Joy!

HOLAAAA

Wow what a great week it has been! Merry Christmas to everyone. Hope you had an incredible time and that you were able to reflect on the Savior around this special time of year. 

Christmas Caroling with the missionaries

This week we had a Christmas zone service activity which just so happened to land on my 6 month mark! Wow, I cannot believe how fast the months fly by! Well, for the activity we made cookies and decorated cards and bags, played games- one of which was musical chairs which I almost won but came in third because of some extra competitive elders. I'll take it though. We were very blessed by our mission presidents to receive several gifts from them and to have a face to face with them in which we could ask them whatever question we wanted. As usual, they filled the building with the spirit and with that spirit we left to go to the old folks home. We talked to them for a while, socializing and wishing them Merry Christmas, handing out the cookies that we made (one of the elderly folks was brutally honest and when I asked if she liked the cookies she very quickly shook her head and said nooo, but she ate them all so I don't know if I'm super convinced). We ended by singing many Christmas hymns with them and I was just  overcome with the love I felt as I sang of the Savior being born and of this special Christmas time. As I looked them in the eyes I was able to feel the love God has for each and every one of us. 

In Argentina, they celebrate Christmas Eve more and have a big dinner feast and Santa comes at 12:00 am. We had permission to stay a bit later. We shared the night with The family  Benitez and ate way more than we should have, plate after plate being brought to us when I was already full after one plate. Empanadas, salad, asado, ham,  you name it. We sang Christmas hymns and then Santa came early in the flip of a light switch that fooled the cute little kiddos of the Benitez family. They rushed to catch Santa outside but we assured them that he had already left. Poor kids. They got some sweet toys though. 

With the Family Benitez on Christmas Eve

On Christmas we got to talk and sing in Sacrament meeting. By some Christmas miracle we made it through the meeting haha. Best Christmas present ever was skyping my awesome family!!!! 

The wonderful gift of Skype

My sister Lauren with her favorite Christmas Present--me:)

Yesterday I got to see Hermana Whitworth in the bus station which was so so great!!! She is on the plane and will return home tomorrow morning! 

With Hermana Whitworth at the Bus Station

Update on Sheila- we gave her a Book of Mormon last week, and yesterday we went to teach her and she said that  she hadn't read much, but then proceeded to tell us she read the intro, the testimonies, and up through 1 Nephi 10 , and she could tell us what happened and the names and everything. We were shocked. Yesterday we also were able to set a baptismal date with her and are looking forward to continuing our lessons with her. 

Debora as well is reading the Book of Mormon and is answering questions that her family is asking her about it. Her neighbors have also begun to ask us the meaning behind the book and are curious to learn more. 

Having recently completed the Book of Mormon, I am starting over from the beginning along  with these two investigators! They have both expressed their desire to know what comes next and to keep up with the adventure!  I love the Book of Mormon and the more I read it, the more this love grows. The stories are an adventure! And they actually happened. I know that as one reads it, the Holy Ghost will testify that the words are true. The scriptures are inspiring and contain profound doctrine. Yesterday as we were discussing  the plan of salvation and the nature of God and the need to follow his commandments in this life, Sheila was able to flip a few pages in her Book of Mormon and show us that she had marked and remembered 1 Nefi 3:7,  where Nefi states upon being given a task that seems impossible, and upon which his brothers respond negatively,  he states, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men save He shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the things which He commanded them." (I had to leave in Haylie's spelling of Nefi as it is evidence of her Spanish immersion:)) I seek to have this attitude, to trust in the Lord so much that I am 100% willing to do what He asks me with confidence that He will provide the way, because He is the way. 

Love you all a whole lot!!      

Hermana Mathis    

Feliz Navidad!

We found the big guy in Argentina 

This week was super great, despite the fact that we caught the stomach bug or ate something and both ended up throwing up one full day haha. unfortunate. But, the best thing that happened this week was that we met Sheila! Sheila is the daughter of an old investigator the elders taught, Anabela. We have had issues trying to catch a time to meet her. Well, the other day we knocked on their door and Sheila answered. She called her mom Anabella who talked to us for a bit and was ready to shoo us away. Well it was scorching hot, and Sheila had pity on us and asked us if we wanted water. We quickly accepted. Then she asked us if we wanted to come in, and we again accepted. Sheila is 15 years old and is just great. She is reading the Bible and has many questions about religion. We were able to teach her the message of the Restoration and she was intrigued, so much so that she agreed to come to church with us the next day (this was saturday night). So yesterday we passed by in the morning at 8:30 and she was ready to go, and let me tell you this is just about as good as it gets on the mission.  But Sheila came to church, she loved the meetings and young women's and we are just amazed. 

This time of the year is expecially great to just spread love! God is the best example of this. John 3 16 for God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life. What a gift He has given to us! Jesus Christ was born, and He lives. He is always there. He sacrificed and He accomplished the will of His father all the while loving everyone along the way, and always giving glory to his father. He lights the way to the best gift we can receive, eternal life. He is the only way and name that with provide us this gift. 

Merry Christmas everyone!! Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. I know that Jesus is the source of peace and love. I know that He will come again, and in this Christmas season we can remember his birth, his life, his sacrifice, his grace, love, and mercy, and ponder on the day he will come again in His glory. I love Him! Though I am rather far from home for this Christmas, I know that the love of you all will be right here close to me. It is a blessing to share a Christmas with the people of Argentina and to ponder more profoundly than I have in my life the true and piercing spirit of Christmas. 

Be happy and Merrrry chistmas! In the word of the Grinch,..."Even if we're horribly mangled, there will be no sad faces on Christmas."  Give that movie a watch for me:)

The Elders in our District

With our Ward Young Women

A throw back to when Hermana Whitworth and I celebrated Christmas in September by making Cinnamon Rolls

 

Con muchooo amor,

hermana mathis

Peace, Love and Snapchat photos!

Oh no, Haylie found someone in Argentina who
likes snapchat almost as much as she does!
(And shared the pictures with her mama)

Haylie admits that while they did perform service at this house
the ditch digging picture was for propaganda purposes only.

  Hola familia y amigos!!

This week was super great for many reasons:

- We did not get kicked out of our pension even though we waited until the last day to pay rent and had some issues with our debit card.

- We had interviews with our Mission President in which I learned essential things that I must do to become a better missionary and in which I received a blessing of peace and was able to feel my feelings of fear and inadequacy be replaced with peace and love. 

- We were able to finally teach Debora and we taught the Plan of Salvation and the Restoration and she is just soaking it all in! She is super prepared and the things that we are teaching her are things that she says are hopes that were always rooted in her. Her family has had a lot of health problems this week and they were not able to come to church but pray for them because she is super great and her desires are true and pure.

- We are teaching the mom of a recent convert of 1.5 years, Rocio who is 16. Her mom, Marisa, has been to church a few times but aways back, but she came to our ward end of the year dinner as well as church yesterday!! She also is not doing super great health wise so pray for her as well. But even though she is in a ton of pain, she made us dinner two days in a row and is letting us into her home and opening up to us. 

- We met a less active member this week who joined the church about a year and a half ago. She is super great and she has a daughter who is nine years old. Her daughter is just a ball of energy who told me she loved me the second she met me. That was sweet ha and then she did not stop saying it, and playing with my hair, and just showering me in compliments, and she said the sweetest little prayer for us at the end. She wants to get baptized but right now her mom is unsure about this, but pray for Abigail as well and her mother Liliana. 

This week I read a numerous amount of talks and I am so grateful for the prophets and apostles and leaders of the church who say just the things that we need to hear. One of the phrases I read that stood out to me was a question, Are we guilty of being complacent about the greatest gift we can be offered in this life? As I was teaching the plan of salvation this week I choked up as the words that I said sunk deep into the heart of an investigator. It was incredible to see these words fill the hole that had empty for an entire life time. But the plan that God has for us is truly incredible, and as a member born into the church I think that at times I took advantage of the doctrine that is so precious and so miraculous. It is nice to be reminded of the great blessings and peace God has in store for us, things that exceed anything our minds can truly comprehend. 

I was reading in Ether this week as well, about the Brother of Jared, and the incredible faith that he had. The Lord said, never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast. His faith was so great that it turned into a complete and perfect knowledge, without doubt. We must choose faith over doubt! Choose to believe that God has a plan for us and that he is watching over us. Choose to believe that he is fully aware of the hard things that we may be suffering. He suffers when we suffer, but He knows that it is in these moments when we grow the most. Because of the faith of the Brother of Jared,  The Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show Him all things. The Lord has marvelous things to show each and every one of us, but we have to open our minds AND our hearts to these things. 

Choose to have faith! Choose to believe! Choose to increase your knowledge and understanding. Do not shut the door on the greatest gift of them all! Enjoy this Christmas season and know how much I love you!!

con muchoo amor,

Hermana Mathis

I don't know why but she reminds me of
 Elder Rowley in Mexico, no?

Haylie doing dishes! Definitely camera worthy!

Drenched from the rain!