Week 7- Argentina

Wow, this week has flown by.   I've had hard days and not so hard days, but the hard days are the days i learn the most. We have met 2 sisters who are catholic and really open to the gospel. They dont drink or smoke because they think its stupid and pretty much believe in everything we believe. The only problem is that the their preacher said he had the same experience as jose smith. I dont know what will happen but we hope as they read the book of mormon they will feel the truthfullness and gain a testimony. 

I had exchanges on saturday so i was leading my area. Man i was worried, the sister doesnt know any english and i only know a little spanish.  She is from bolivia and she is so sweet and a fantastic missionary.  I have been able to speak with people on the streets more. That has been helping me learn the spanish and feel more confidant in teaching. i still have a ways to go but the more i study the more i realize the importance of a strong testimony and knowing why you go to church.  I go not because of the menbers but because i want to and because the lord wants me to.  i might not understand what is going on in church but feeling the spirit makes my week better. Last week it hit about 80 and then we had zona - its really strong winds that make people feel sick. Now its cold again and snowing a little the last 2 days.  Its supposed to be the last of the cold untill fall.  Thank you for your support i love you all. The church is true i know the book of mormon is the word of God, its true and here as a testamony of God and his son Jesus Christ

Hna Smith

Week 6 - Argentina

Well its transfer week and i am staying with my companion in Tunuyan.
My area is very nice i see the montañas every day inbetween the houses. I really want to fix every bodies teeth, well those that have teeth. I love the people, our branch has been really small, but the members are fantastic!  We have met with  a new family and were able to leave the book of mormon with them.  We are planning to visit them again this week.  
My companion has a 2nd cousin who has been in our district.  He is now our district leader .  Our elders quorum pres and his wife  want to adopt me. They are trying to help me with the language. One of their daughters lives in utah- in roy. lol small world.  tried to send a video but it didnt work so oh well. Hope you all have a great week. 

hna smith

Week 5 - Argentina

OK this week has been full of......well stuff.

Starting on tue we had a sister from tupengato come by herself because her companion had to be at a training. We were doing exchages and the other sisters hna Keller nad Cox went to mendoza for a doctor apt. Well, they left and when it was time to go pick up the sister from the terminal(bus station) we couldnt get out of the house. Our keys didnt work! We looked around trying to figure out how to get out - We cant go through the windows because there are bars on all of them. We took the hinges off the door but we still couldnt open the door. We were stuck. So the sister was wating by herself at the terminal and we couldnt get out of the house. We called the missionay couple that helps us out a lot. The other sisters keys work but ours dont.  He was going to drive down the keys so we could get out but, one of the office elders said that was stupid to have him drive all the way down for that. He said to call a member and see if they could help with the lock.  We called the only member who can help us: Hno Molto.  None of us had enough money for a locksmith to come.  Its about a 1000 pasos i had about 200. Eventually we had 2 elders and a guy (who helps out when things go wrong at the houses) after they call and ask if we are sure that we are stuck in the house. We have a gate and middle door and then our door.  If it was the middle door we would have climbed on the roof and got out that way, we are not stupid.  Then they asked if there was a key stuck in the door, did we try to fiddle around with the key? We tried it inside outside and upsidedown. Any way they came from Mendoza didnt even ask the sisters who were in mendoza for their keys. They climbed on the roof looked at the small windows which have bars on them. Then they asked for our keys to get in. They couldnt open the door they tried all the keys and nothing. They cut the bars off the window by the door then climbed in and cut the lock off the door and put a  new lock on.  We have a video i'll try to send it wed.  Normally the weekly planning which took alll day. It felt like a normal friday. We had district meeting lunch wes a pick up so by the time we got lunch we ate it at our church. We didnt want to walk all the way home only to turnaround and go all the way back its about 15 blocks to the church from our house and another 10 to where we picked up lunch. Its been fun and we have all felt a bit sick this week.  Sat was my birthday - the sister we had lunch with made a huge cake for my birthday and gave us all of it to take home.  it is good.  Sunday we barely had 20 people at church, it was so sad.  The other branch had about 70 - that was great! Our president was so happy we started choir and a few came, but it was the first day. So hopefully we will get more next week thats my week. it sounds like everybody had a interesting and busy week.

love you all 

hna Smith

PS hope you all get a good laugh because i did

Week 4 - Argentina

Hola familia,

 My companion Hna Chamberlain, is from wallawalla Washington. She is a mechanic; loves working on cars. My other companions are Hna Cox from kaysville utah and Hna Keller form Brunes Arres. I love them all to death. We have been told that we are ending the cold season but it hasnt happened yet.  We have 5 mission curses: 1 to get peed on by a dog. 2 peed on by a kid. 3 pooped on by a bird. 4 fall in the usakea(ditch like sewer). and 5 getting kissed on the lips by an old man.  Apparently all this and more happened to a sister.  That poor sister. We have 2 progressing investigators one wanted the BOM and was going to pay for it. But no, of course its free. She read a little of it but didnt have time, so we are going to go back to visit again - hopefully she has more time.   The other is a teenager.  We gave him the BOM and a specific time to come back when they are going to be home. Many say "i am usually home at this time" and we show up and they are not there. Its sad, but we wont give up on them that easily. I recieved the dear elder letter - so it works.  I was also told if anyone plans to send me a box not to have anything thats worth more than 25 dollars and a note saying 10 dollars or something like that.

have a great week

herman smith  

Week 3 - Argentina

Hola familia,

Well this last week has been crazy and this week is crazy as well after emails last week it started snowing so it was really cold it usually doesn't snow in the valley so this winter has been weird for everyone here we had a blitz where my zone came to help us in our area so now we have more work to do its great except one sister is sick so i stayed with her while she and my companion went to all the lessons i have a bit of a cold that acts likes its gone but then come back for a bit its starting to really bug me lunes is usually our p-day but we had interviews and then we also had district meeting which we usually have on Tue so i was at the church all day and we had a branch activity because of a holiday the had on Sunday its day of the children they really like there holidays here so i really only go to work an hour which bugged me because i only have 1 year left its weird to think that but that's it anyway tonight I'm leaving my area and spending the night at the mission office because i have to go to some offices in Mendoza for my visa i am here on a tourist visa so i should get my visa soon after i go to the offices so I'm not sure what time ill get back to my area on wed the food here is very good so is the bread (pan) everybody thinks I'm from Argentina unless they here me talk first and they love that I'm small. i feel like a teddy bear so that's my crazy week we are getting my sisters this next transfer but  i hope i don't train because i have a hard time understanding the map and how to find people let alone say there names but its good hope you all have a fantastic week  love you all

hna smith