"An Unstoppable Force"

This week we baptized a child of some less active members. Missionaries have been trying to baptize the boy for a while but we finally broke through. The baptism of this boy was especially satisfying because we got the family coming back to church as well. They have such strong testimonies but just lost sight of coming to church. It was a grand and emotional experience for everyone. 

This week we got some snow! It´s about time because it´s been cold enough for a while now! It´s pretty fun getting out in the snow and working. The people here are awesome. Even if they don´t want to listen to us or talk to us they still appreciate us and admire what we do. They people here see us walking around all day long, keeping positive attitudes, and helping those in need and they just love it. 

We had a training this week with the mission president (President Ávila) on tours that we will be doing of the churches here in our mission. It´s a pretty cool concept. Most people here have grown up passing by the chapel on a daily basis but have never entered it. The building here really stands out and people wonder what it inside but don´t have the courage to walk in on sunday. So we have started "tours" of the church. It is more of a spiritual experience than one of information because we want people to feel of the peace that is so present in the buildings. 

An update on the language... Good news!! I am speaking well and feel good about it again!! It is progressing rapidly and I saw a major upswing this week. My accent is coming along as well but right now it might me a bit Bolivian. I can´t imagine Argentina without Bolivians but apparently this is the only area in the mission like this.. haha. The rest of Argentina has mostly European descent but that´s just weird for me to think about. Right now when I see a white person walking around I assume first that he is a tourist and then I realize that it´s just a normal Argentenian. 

Well that´s my update this week. I am happy and I feel as if my testimony is an unstoppable force right now. I know the Christ lives and guides this church and have never known it with more certainty than I do now. Hope everyone is doing well. 

My prayers and love,

Elder Rainock

"A pretty intense story from yesterday"

I don´t have tons to say this week but I do have a pretty intense story from yesterday...

Sacrament meeting had just started (right after I had just been asked to give a talk again) when our district president (leader over a number of local church branches) came and grabbed us and told us to follow him. We followed him walking quickly out of the church building and then we just started sprinting down the street... he told us as we were running that his wife had just called them and they had been in an accident. We ran a few blocks and turned a corner to see an overturned vehicle... the vehicle of a married couple serving a mission here. We ran up and saw them (the married couple) and the district president´s daughter, son-in-law, grandchild, and wife sitting on the side of the road. The missionary couple had picked these members up to take them to church since their car wasn´t working and they got hit going through an intersection. Their vehicle did a half turn and stayed upside down.

They all had bumps and bruises and I´m pretty sure that they all suffered concussions. None of them were in the right state of mind... it was very scary. Just to add to the craziness, this is the same family that lost their child in a tragic accident a few weeks ago... they are going through a very hard time right now. Right now they are all home and trying to recover. They are in everyones´ prayers here.

The missionary work here was good this week and my spanish is coming along but I still haven´t made it over this language wall as far as speaking goes. I´ll have more to write next week but know that I am doing well and time is flying for me. My testimony of the gospel has become a part of who I am; not just something I believe. I´d be lost without the knowledge I have of the Lord and the plan He has for us. The Gospel gives me purpose and I am fulfilling that purpose more than I have in my life ever before.

Love you all,

Elder Rainock

"Touched by their dedication to the gospel"

Written July 8.

 

Let me just tell you what... I am going to need some awesome fourths of July when I get home to make up for this one because the fourth of July in Argentina just isn`t the same... my favorite holiday took a big hit but that`s okay. We were planning on some pretty cool things and a burger lunch but it all fell through because we were too busy. There were lots of big things going down this week and we didn`t even have time to cook up burgers. The extent of our celebration was singing all the patriotic hymns in the hymnal and wearing red, white, and blue ties. Fourth of July... hasta luego. 

We baptized two people this weekend. They have been waiting for some documents to go through for them so they could get married and then get baptized. They are a young Bolivian couple that have been waiting for a long time.

Last monday we had a really awesome Noche de Hogar (family home evening) with some recent converts, less-actives, and some very strong members and it went really well. It was a great opportunity for members to make friends and fortify their testimonies. We make brownies for activities like this all the time and the members go crazy over them. They have no idea how we make them and when we try to explain it they get confused (not because of our spanish but because they don´t make things like that here). 

Our one investigator who is working on his addiction went his first day totally clean this week. It´s been many years and it was great to see. He loves church and he and his wife have now been 4 times. 

We had a very powerful testimony meeting yesterday... wow. There are a few older, quieter, ladies in the branch that have such strong testimonies. I am so touched by their dedication to the gospel. A couple of them walk miles and miles in the freezing cold for hours just to go to church... what a sacrifice. I have always had a testimony of blessings coming with sacrifice but this is so much different. When I have made sacrifices I can often physically see the blessings that I have received. These ladies have so little as to physical things and they can´t even say they have a warm home to go to at night. It seems as if their blessings are all spiritual... they are so humble, so dedicated, and have immovable testimonies. 

I will be sending pictures soon but every time we plug our cards into the computers here our cards get viruses on them... so that´s why I haven´t sent any in a while. 

Hope all is going well for everyone back home... praying for many of you. 

Elder Rainock

"Their testimonies are helping them carry on"

Written July 1.

 

There was a tragic accident in our ward on Monday resulting in the death a baby girl. It has been a very rough week for the family but amazing to see how their testimonies are helping them carry on. The branch has been great in coming together for the family and it has really united them; church this sunday was very special because of that. It was also interesting to see the process here after someone dies in comparison to the states. Everyone gathers together for the whole night and day (without sleeping) and mourns together. I don´t know how I feel about it because it´s so sad but it defintely brings people together and it seemed to help the family carry on when it was all over.

 

Excuse me for moving on to more upbeat topics so abruptly but I don´t know how to transition from that last paragraph. Some things that happened this week:

1. We made tacos since we both miss Mexican food. It was good but something about them made us both feel like death afterwards.

2. I ate some fresh bread straight out of a clay oven in someones back yard and it was delicious!

3. I was asked to give a talk in church on sunday right before the branch president got up to start the meeting. A little icing on the cake was that he put me as the first speaker... so needless to say I had very little time to prepare but it turned out well.

4. I feel like I´ve hit a wall with the language. Don´t worry, I understand this happens to everyone. I´m not getting down on myself too much. I´m just trying to push through really hard because I know when I get out of this language slump that my ability to speak and understand is going to skyrocket. Get ready for me to exclaim in happiness within the next few weeks.

 

We have begun working with the some elderly parents of some recent converts and helping prepare them for baptism. They are very excited but the father needs help with an addiction that he has had for over 50 years. It´s been great to see him stepping back from this burden he has been carrying for years and seeing the real him. I´m so greatful for my personal experiences with repentence that give me an opportunity to give a sincere and personal testimony that there is no better feeling than being clean before the Lord. I can empathize with him and it´s helping me know how to help him through the Savior.

 

Sending prayers to you all! Much love,

 

Elder Rainock

The work is certainly hastening

Written June 24, 2013.

 

Mission life is awesome right now! It´s so good to be a part of the work right now. The mission is the place to be for young LDS guys and girl right now. We all got super pumped from the missionary work fireside last night where we got to hear from the prophet and his apostles! The work is certainly hastening and it´s a blessing to be considered amongst the many missionaries that are out right now. 

On Thursday we had another Argentenian holiday. Our branch had a "locro" which is kind of a cookout but with a big pot of soup. They just mixed up a big pot of random stuff and it tasted great! I´m not sure what was in it... but I´ve learned that it´s just better not to ask here. We had some investigators at the activity and they enojoyed it. 

I got bit by a dog after knocking on an investigators door this week. It heard us knock and it came running around the corner and bit both of my calves. Only one of them was bleeding, though. But don´t worry about me... they brought me into their house and gave my leg some Bolivian treatment with some mint plant or something.

I have had some great experiences with reading the scriptures this week. I am getting a better idea of the guy I want to be. I have a strong desire to continue the Lord´s work even after my mission. I hope I never lose these feelings that I am having right now. I want to be an influence for good wherever I go in life. 

Elder Egbert and I are having a great time and are keeping our spirits high. Our work defintely had some low points this week but we pulled out of them very quickly with some prayer, faith, and dilligence. 

What a blessing it is that we can communicate directly with our Father in Heaven. He knows our needs and desires perfectly. If we seek His guidance and follow it then we know that what we have done is right. In our prayers at night we can ask for a confirmation that what we have done is right and if not...  we can find out what we need to change. I am going to be a much different person after the mission because of the experiences I´ve had with this. I felt like I was immovable in the Gospel before but now I feel more firmly built upon the Rock of my Redeemer.

Love you all,

Elder Rainock