"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