28 January 2016

The weather here's been odd. It was suuuuuuper hot the week before. Then it rained and it's been cold since. I'm not really sure what to expect.

Today I'm gonna tell you about my shoe adventure. So, about the time Hna Fasandando showed up in Olavarria, my shoes started breaking. But i just ignored it. Then the hole started getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Until about 3 weeks ago, it got unbearably big, and we were doing a lot of walking where there is no road. So, I had to do something. I tried to take them to get fixed, but they just laughed in my face. So I went to buy new shoes. I bought some cute grandma sandally ones, but they gave me blisters and started breaking. Then the blisters started getting infected.... and my whole ankle swelled up. It was bad. So I tried to take them back and exchange them. The cranky shoe store lady told me that she'd give me half the price of the shoes. And the only other shoes that fit me that were misión aceptable were dude shoes. They look like super snotty sperrys. I went from grandma shoes to frat boy shoes. Its been a weird turn of events.

Other notes, we've been working like crazy this week... we've got a few investigators, a few part- member families, and a few converts to teach, and we're always visiting and teaching. And when we're not in a house teaching, were contacting like crazy women. Also, we knocked a door the other day looking for someone. And a grandma said to us thru the window "Quien es?" and I said "somos misioneras" and she said "no hay nadie" also known as "nobody's here" and then I kept talking to her and she realized the ridiculous thing she said and said "well, I'm alone here, so I can't let you in" we laughed for like an hour after!

I show up at the house super, super tired every night, but its a good kind of tired. Also, I've been reading the Book of Mormon like a crazy person.  Weve got a reading challenge to read two chapters a day, finishing around March. I've been behind since we started, but this last week I decided to take it super seriously. And it's been going really well. As I was reading in Alma, the letter from Helaman, I was thinking wow, that's super powerful and spiritual, I should write to my mom like that. But then I forgot and just remembered. Ooops. I finished the book of Alma last week. An Elder in my zone told us something really cool about Alma, and I wanted to share it with you. He said that Alma is famous for the war chapters, and there was so much war because of the change in government. The same thing happened in the Bible, with some of the Israelites, I don't remember all the details. But the idea is that a little farm boy with no education was not gonna know these things, that the book of Alma is one of the strongest points of the truth of the Book of Mormon. I thought that was super cool.

But a spiritual note... the other day we were in district meeting, and we were just talking about the chapter in PME about the Christlike attributes, and Elder H, who's super new, was bearing his testimony, and I felt the spirit so strong. Then Elder P, the zone leader, had to finish up the meeting and said- `Wow, how powerful it is to listen to a missionary bear his testimony, and to be together and feel the spirit.' And bore his testimony. And then he gave his comp a little side hug. And it was just a moment of super strong spirit and super strong feeling of love in the zone- a love for each other, for the gospel, for the Lord. It was just a really nice moment. Im so greatful to be a missionary here in this moment, to have these nice Little Moments that strenghthen my testimony.

Well, I have to end. Im gonna run out of time!

Love you bunches!!!

Hermana Long

January 21, 2016

I don't have a lot of time, but I'll type out a few lines. This week was a good, hardworking week. It been hot, we've been walking a lot, but we've had a lot of appointments, so that's good. My shoes broke, and I had to buy new ones. I got the package from the Woodlands ward... someone loves me. Hey, my birthday's coming up, and it's about time to start putting together my birthday package... I'm really missing duct tape, and big bandaids, and goldfish, and beef jerky and goldfish, but more than anything, I want handwritten notes from the whole family, where you tell me about your conversion. That's what I want for my birthday. 

Theres' a bit of technical difficulties with my fotos... I ran out of space in my tarjeta. So I have to buy a new one, but that takes a while. Oh, and to answer the question, i definitely had lice, but now it's all fixed. I hope. I think its like pneumonia, and once you get it, it's a lot easier to get it again. Or I could just be paranoid.

Ummm, what story can I tell you. This week I learned a lot about "enduring to the end". The rama in White's got a bit of a difficult past, and there are a lot of members who went inactive for the bad things that have happened. I've talked to a lot of really great people, who were super active before, who in a moment of weakness, changed their priorities just a little, and now they aren't enjoying the blessing of the gospel in their lives. I'm learning that I have to put my testimony, my understanding, my covenants, before everything else, or I will miss out on the blessings that I want, that I can have. Also, I'm learning just how important it is to love, and to treat people with love, to talk about people with love. The rama of White is teaching me a lot. I love the mission, I love the confidence the Lord has in me, and I love the things I'm learning and the ways I'm changing.

Well, I dont have a lot of time, so I'll leave it at that. I love you bunches. 

Hermana Long

These are the other hermanas in the zone, Hermana Taborda, colombia and Hna Gonzalez, uruguay. They were about 15 minutes away in collectivo. We did divisions a few times with them, and they're just the best. Hna Taborda is now in her house and Hna Gonzalez has about a year in the mission. 

January 14, 2016

Well, what can I tell you about this week? My health is clearing up really nicely. I was getting bronchitis and I had a horrible, horrible cough, but I think that's gone. My throat doesn't hurt. We've been eating healthy and my stomach problems have gone away. I don't think I'm gonna die.

What can I tell you about White. Really it's called Ingeniero White, and it's a really, really, really small town with a lot of factories... I don't know what they're for... I think oil and gas. Everything looks and feels like Baytown. The rama is super small and the church is tiny. I've always had small chapels, but this is the tiniest. I think the Canada house is bigger. But it is a chapel. I'll take pictures on Sunday and send them  to you. We've been cooking for ourselves. That's been interesting. My compa cooks really really tasty food, but she hasn't quite gotten the My Plate guidelines yet. I explain it everyday and we always end up eating a lot of carbs with not a lot else. Sometimes meat. But we had tacos (on Tuesday. I've learned that I really enjoy doing the acronym days thing.) Today we're going to make molletes. I'm super excited. I've wanted to make them my whole mission and never had support. If you want to send me some basic, fast, My Plate guideline approved recipes, they would be greatly appreciated. Other things about the area- everything is closed, almost all the time. I don't know how people can live like that. On Sunday, we had a bit of a misadventure... there is something really really common here called "lice". I've realized that in the US we are raised to believe lice is a step above death, but here, it's not a big deal, and no one freaks out, and it's super common. Well, we realized we had lice on Sunday. Over a year in Argentina avoiding lice, and I finally got it. Our heads were super itchy, and we were super grossed out, and we decided that we were going to go to the pharmacy and buy some lice combs to get them out. Well, the entire White was closed. The whole day. So then we called the zone leaders that are a town over, to see if they could find us lice combs. Guess what, everything in their town was closed too. And they knew we had lice. Needless to say, it was  a rough day. 

Well, the rama itself is nice. There are a couple, 3 I believe, families, and they're all super sweet. And super excited to have hermanas. Yesterday, an Hermana from the ward went out with us and showed us around. It was nice. It's really nice to work with the members. She told us about her mission, her family, and shared her testimony. And taught with us and gave us references. It was a huge success. Then we met our leader misional and his wife. They're  super sweet. 

I think my favorite part of this area is the zone of missionaries. We get along super well. And everyone gets along with everyone. That's really nice. On Tuesday after the district meeting we swapped stories and laughed. Today we showed up at 9 in the morning to play games in the chapel. Well, just "extreme senals." Everyone has a sign, and you have to pass it around. It's really uniting us, cause we play as a team effort, saving each other, instead of every man for himself. I like it. It's pretty big too. There are- the zone leaders, E P, from Hawaii, and E C, from Brazil, us, the other Hermanas, Hermana T, from Colombia and Hna G, from Uruguay. And then the Elders- E P, who I met in Tandil, and we shared the zone for a transfer from Utah, E R, who was in Olavarria just before I got there, and is super famous and is from Dallas (FYI, from what I know, we're 4 here from Texas: him, me, Elder D, from Corpus Cristi, and an hermana from Tyler, I don't remember her name), E F, from California, and E H, who's super new, straight out of the fabrica. We always laugh a lot, learn a lot, and feel the spirit together. I think it's my favorite zone I've had in my whole mission.

This is my zone from last transfer. It has been my favorite zone of my whole mission. It was the best! From left to right: Top row- Hermana Child, Utach, Hermana Darrington, Idaho, Elder Fallentine, California, an an investigator, I dont remember his name, E Paleka Hawaii. Bottom Row: Elder Caparroz, Brazil, E Riding, Dallas, Texas, E Holmes, Utah, E Price, Utah, Me, Hna Gonzalez, Uruguy, Hna Islas (my compa :)) Mexico, Hna Ashby, South Carolina, and Hna Hurtado, Boliva. 

President came to our district meeting and we had a great talk with him. He knows deep doctrine like no one's buisness. I'm realizing that I really don't know as much as I thought I did, and that I'm not quite the thinker I thought I was. I don't even ask as many questions as I thought I did. I think I'm just a `take it as it is' kind of person. 

Also, in other news... I have been in the mission for a really long time. For like the last year, I've felt like it's been a long time, but now I know. Some signs it's been a long time- 

My shoes are broken. But super broken. We had to fix them with super glue.

People ask me if things were "even out" when I was at home. Usually the answer is no.

Principos de Evangelio is starting over. Every week is deja vu. I remember when I heard this class the first time.

I tell people that I've got 14 months, and everyone looks at me like I have terminal cancer.

Everyone I know is "dead" meaning they've finished the mission.

I think every article of clothing I own has a stain or a hole. Or both.

I have some calluses the size of Mars. And I think some of them have splinters, but I can't find them. And I'm not even worried about it. 

I've got a watch tan line that's visible from the ISS.

People tell me about what they were doing last year at this time, their adventures- and then there's me... I was here.

But it's good. It's been a really great year. And I'm super pridefull of the time I have. I would not have had anywere else where I'd rather have spent it. I wish the mission would never end! Why can't I be Superman and they would let me serve forever.

Well, that's all for this week. I'll see if I can send some pictures.

Love you bunches!!!!!

Hermana Long

January 7, 2016

So, you may be asking yourself, what happened in Punta Alta? The truth is, everything was going super well, we had great plans to work, and we were doing them. We had some really great investigators that were really progressing, and then we got a phone call out of nowhere... there was a poor, new hermana from the US and doesn't speak any Spanish who was with a latina, and President wanted to switch her to be with Hna. Leavitt, so I had to pack up all my stuff, and leave all my new friends behind. It was horrid. I did not want to do it. Our investigator, C, was finally starting to like me, and she started crying after I told her. And her 8 year old son started bawling like a baby. And the sweet conversa in front of the house started crying when I said goodbye. I went thru a lot in my one week in Punta Alta, and I love it with all my heart, and I feel like I left a big chunk of my heart behind. Now I'm in White, and at any given moment I would drop everything to go back to Punta Alta. Even the elders were sad when I left. I made them adventure badges, so they won't forget me too fast. And now I'm in White, which is outside the city, far away from everyone. It's a cute little pueblo. But it's a little behind the times- the internet in the cyber is broken, we have to take the bus to the district meeting (I think all of my money is gonna go to collectivos), there's not a lot of stores and stuff, and the banks are not the best in the world, so we always have to come into the city. 

The best part of the switch is my new comp- her name is Hermana Islas, a mexicana. She's awesome. We'd met once before, and I'd always heard such great things about her. She was in a trio with Hna Lopez, my sweet little comp, and Hna Shiffler, my buddy from the mtc, and they always said really great things about her, so I was super excited to be her comp. We get along super well, and I'm super excited to work with her. She's awesome! And we're gonna eat a lot of mexican food together.

Well, that's about it for this week. Love you bunches!

Hermana Long

Me and Hermana Islas. Hermana Islas- shes from Hidalgo, a province next to DF, Mexico. She's 20, a convert of 3 years, she's about to complete a year in the mission. We enjoyed a lot of Mexican food together. We were only together for 5 weeks, but I really really enjoyed being with her in White. The area of White was a little difficult, cause its super small and the elders left us with nothing, but we really enjoyed working together everyday.

December 31, 2015

Feliz Navidad from PUNTA ALTA!

So, here I am. Transfers hit. And I'm currently writing you from a cyber in downtown Punta Alta, a coastal city close to Bahia Blanca. This transfer was really weird. President took just about everyone out of their comfort zone, including me. They made me go really far. But Punta Alta's nice. It's small. We have ELDERS AGAIN. They're super great. One is Elder K, from North Carolina, and Elder W, from Arizona. Elder K's got like a year and a half, and Elder W's, got 3 months. My new comp is Hermana Leavitt, who kicked me out of Balcarce. She's pretty great. She's super funny and likes to draw, anime style. She reminds me a lot of ben.

Me, Hna Leavitt, Cintia, an investigator, and her neighbor. This was new year's day. Me and Hna Leavitt were only comps for 1 week. But it was a super awesome week. We got along super well, worked super hard, and then they fired me from Punta Alta and sent me to White. She's from Utah, she's 22 (I think) and is an art major and was studing at BYU.

Well, what can I tell you about the last week... On Saturday  they told me that I'd be going to Punta Alta. the truth is, I was pretty sad to leave Olavarria, and not super excited to go to Punta Alta, cause it's really far out of my comfort zone. But I decided to see the best in it, and thought of goals in the bus. The two most important to me were "have a working relationship with the bishop" and "have a working relationship with the ward mission leader." I was super excited by the time I arrived in Bahia Blanca. Then Elder B, the elder from Montana that I got to know in Tandil, says "your ward's really great, they're baptizing like locos. And your ward mission leader's less active. And when he got home from his mission, he tattooed the baptism symbol on his back. And your bishop's inactive." That was it. I almost started to cry and wanted to get back on the bus to Olavarria. But he convinced me to get in the cab bound for Punta Alta. So that's how I got here. And everyday's been weird since I got here. Its a small, almost dysfunctional ward. The missionaries are beloved and run everything basically  The hermana that I replaced was super beloved and nobody wanted her to leave. So that's rough. But I think they're warming up to me. 

The zone's really, really weird. Were just a bunch of really nerdy white people. All of us. We're all from the US- it's weird. And we're only 8. And 8 of the nerdiest nerds i've ever met. 

So that's what life in Punta Alta is like. Next week I'll send fotos, and more information about the ward and the investigators.

Well, i'm not really sure what stories to tell you, so I'll go for three catagories- funny/weird, Argentine, and spiritual.

Funny- there's an elder here, E K, who's super redneck. I said the phrase "hold my beer and watch this" about his redneck story, and he laughed and said, that's about right. But he's got a pretty sweet tie. It's blue, a baby blue, with bunches of cotton. It's a really well done tie, Brooks Brothers style, but super redneck at the same time. I thought it was pretty funny.

Argentine- we've got an investigator who's got a dog who loves us more than her. His name is Leo. He's a little squirt. The other day he followed us the whole time. The whole day. We went into places, and he waited. On the way home, a slightly bigger street dog attacked him in the neck, and tried to kill him. We scared the big dog off, and poor little Leo was too scared to keep going. My comp comforted him and carried him for like 20 minutes until he calmed down. Then we sent him home. Then the next day he was fine. Argentine dogs are weird. A follow up story, the same dog followed the investigator to the chapel for her son's baptism. Then we had a sports night outside. The dog really wanted to be a part of it, but he's so not allowed into the court. It look like 20 minutes to get him out. First he came in one door, then the other, then a mischievous little girl let him in. And then the elder from Montana said, I'm gonna fix this, and tried to pick him up. A member girl who was there grabbed his arm and said- elder, don't do it, he's got pulgor. And he looked at me and said- what is pulgor. And I said "ticks" And he said- oh, and tried to grab him again. And the member girl freaked out and wouldn't let him. There's the difference between Montana and Argentina.

Spiritual- the hermanas have a cute little convert of like a week. She was super attached to the hermana who left, and did not really like me. But last night, she was super sad about the hermana who left, and we had a good talk, and I was just like, Heavenly Father, give me the words to help this girl. And I knew just what to say. Then she gave me a huge hug and we started getting to know each other. In a part of Preach My Gospel it says that you know you're a successful missionary when you feel the spirt working through you, and I felt that yesterday with this sweet young woman. And I felt pretty good, like I'm not the worst missionary ever. (I think that might be the elder who has a child that he doesn't know in Balcarce. So there's that.)

Well, thats all for this week. LOVE YOU TONS!

Hermana Long

This is the front window of the Punta Alta house. 

And this is the kitchen. I was only there for a week, so there aren't a lot of fotos.

When we skyped on Christmas, we saw she was sunburned, so we asked about the weather:
When I got here to Punta Alta, it was hot and humid and I was happy. For the first time in a long time my whole body isn't itchy. So that's nice. But then it got cold again. But it's still a little humid, so that's nice. I've learned that I have a really high tolerance for heat. And I've been really good about sunscreen. It's part of my daily routine now. I'm super tan, but not burnt. It's good.

December 14, 2015

Well, this week was a very interesting one. S and S, who had been progressing very well, now are not. But our other investigator, Z, who's kinda new, is progressing really welll. She came to an activity. She came to church. She wants to get baptized, and has a date for January 2nd. There are miracles here in Olavarria! 

In other news, I realized a couple of weeks ago the the Young Woman Personal Progress is indeed important, and that I can't tell all the Young Women here that they need to do it if I didn't do it. So I've started my personal progress all over again. And I'm making good headway. And its been really nice. It helps me progress as a missionary. And it helps me realize all the progress I've made, and where I want to go. And I wanted to challenge you do do your personal progress with me. We can compare notes every monday, and animate (is that a word... i cant english) eachother :)

Well, thats all for this week :)

Love you bunches,

Hermana Long

December 7, 2015

Well, let me tell you, it's been a weird week. I broke out in hives, and my comp made me take massive amounts of allergy meds and sleep. But today I think I'm finally good with my health and I think this is gonna be a good week. I hope. The weather has been nice this week, warm enough that I can leave in just a skirt and blouse. And sometimes a light sweater. But people always talk about the weather here, and how it compares to other years. About every hour someone- my comp, the people in the streets, the members, someone says "it's been warm, but not as hot as last year..."

It has now been officially 13 months since I left home and 13 months as a missionary.... what can I say... I'm tired and happy! One of my district leaders told me that's the secret to being a good missionary, so I think I might be a good missionary.

Here are some answers to questions from her dad:

What's satisfied you the most the last 12 months? 

     I think what's really satisfied me is progress- the progress I've seen in other people, and the progress I've seen in me. I've helped a lot of people, from investigators who got baptized like Juan in Tandil, to the family that I helped change their lives, the Grondona in Tandil, to members that I've helped stay on the straight and narrow to other missionaries that I've been blessed to help on their way. And my progress- how I've learned how to be a missionary and a disciple of God, how I've matured, how the way I talk and treat people has changed. 

What's been the hardest? 

     The fight against the natural man. I always feel like I'm losing, but I think I'm just getting stronger. The mission takes a toll on anyone, especially a walking mission. And I'm always hungry and always poor. I'm pretty much always sore and tired. But I think I'm a lot stronger than I was before the mission. Also, the other thing that I didn't even think would be a problem is the idea of leadership. Everyone my whole life has told me that I'm a natural-born leader, that it's something I do really well. I always figured that if I was a good missionary, I would be a leader- there are senior comps, trainers, Sister Training Leader, etc. And my whole mission, I have had to act like a leader, but I've never had the title, the calling, or the support of someone who's a leader. I've been junior comp my whole mission- and everyone always tells me I'm gonna train, and they get me super excited, and then it doesn't happen. I'm coming to understand that there are other people who are not natural leaders, and they get called to learn. I try not to take it personally, but sometimes it's a little hard. I feel like I'm not good enough, or that president or the Lord don't believe in me, but I know that's just the adversary talking. I just have to focus on working with the Spirit in my area, the things I can change, and everything will be ok.

Was there anything hard that became easier? 

     YES! I had to learn how to talk to people, how to express myself- from my comps, to the street contacts, to the members to the investigators. In the begining I didn't know how to make conversation, how to teach how to share my testimony, not just for the language barrier, just cause I realized how awkward I really am as a person. But now that's a lot easier. Also, the studies. In the begining, I didn't know what to study, and they were just long spans of sitting down, but now I really enjoy my studies.

And with six months left, what would cause you to look back on that time and feel it was the best season of your life? 

     That's a good question. I think if I had a time where I got along with everyone- my comp, the members, the other missionaries, the investigators, and I was working really hard all the time. That would be the trigger. I try everyday to make that happen, but the natural man always gets in the way.

Well, those are my thoughts.

Well, the news for the week... pretty much just the hives... my comp freaked out and wouldn't let me leave the house. So it was kind of a rough week. But some good things happened- on Saturday the ward went to the temple and came back with a lot of really great stories. One lady went for the first time to get endowed, and was super excited. Another went for the first time to do baptisms and took her son. The couple that's getting married next month went to make their appointment for the wedding day. They all came back super excited. And last night we went out with a girl from the ward. She's 20 but she lives alone cause she's studying. It was really nice to go out with her and get to know her and talk to her. Also, we started teaching a new family- the mom is a member from childhood, but hasn't gone to church since she was a teenager. Some of her sons are members, but one isn't, and she and he are super excited to learn and grow. She's also got a little kid who's been living with her, a "child of the state" kinda deal, and he's just a mess, the poor guy. She's been trying to deal with being a single mom and raising this other kid, and she really needs the gospel in her life. So we've been working with them. 

Well, that's about all the news. Now, some pics-

This is S and his mom S, our investigators. He was progressing a lot, but then something happened in his work and now he's gone back to his drinking ways and doesn't want to listen. It's been a little rough. She's been progressing little by little, but she goes to a "Spiritual School" where they teach her weird things. But she really wants to learn about the church and has been missing someting spiritual in her life. She wants to learn how to be a better parent and a better person. So little by little, she's been receiving her testimony and learning. This was his birthday, we made him a cake and went to vist them.

This is me, Hna F and Hna Chestler, our third for a few days. It was a pretty good adventure to be with her.

This is liz- the youngest kid of the familia F, our investigators  She's got really long hair, and one day we went to have a spa day- I did her hair, we did nails, and we got to know the mom and teach her a little alone. It was nice.

This is the son of the ward mission leader. He had a concert for guitar, and invited us. We went for p-day, and it was really nice. He's a cute, talented kid, he reminds me a lot of Ben. They sang incredibly Argentine songs. It was just a really cute event.