January 19, 2015

The gospel is for all ages!

Well this week I have a little more to say than last week thank goodness. You guys probably thought Im not doing anything out here in Argentina! haha

So we found this 86 year old man a few weeks ago with 1 leg! Hes so funny to teach because we literally have to yell and he just looks at us so confused. The poor thing doesn understand our spanish, but hes trying. I always just want to laugh when we are teaching him because we have to speak so loud and so slow. When we teach people how to pray we always write out a model of a prayer like this...

dear heavenly father...

I thank thee for...

I ask for...

In the name of jesus crist amen. 

Well when he prays he doesnt add his own words he just reads it exactly how it is written and i tried to explain that he can put his own words but he doesnt get it. Its kind of funny. I invited him to be baptized and he said yes (It might be because he didnt understand real good haha) but I called our district leader afterwards and said "Elder how can we baptize and 86 year old with 1 leg?" and you wanna know what he said to me? "in the water!" well thanks for your advice elder! haha so yeah we will see how that goes.

Speaking of old people, I dont remember if I told you about Encarnacion she just turned 90 she lives all alone and shes blind! I sent a picture last week! Well shes just my favorite she just is so happy and loves to have us come visit. She cant walk so she sits in her chair all day long. Oh also did I mention she doesnt really have a house?  WEll shes just amazing. Anyways one day we went to sing happy birthday to her for her 90th birthday and before we left she asked us to pray for more life! she cant see and doesnt have a house and yet she wants to keep living! she loves life. It amazes me. Well a couple of days later, one of the members told us that the police were outside her house and we were so scared that she had died! we were so scared when we got to her house and clapped outside her house that she wouldnt be there, but we heard her yell "come in!" it was a huge relief. Anyways shes still living and we are just trying to help her get over her fear of water so she can get baptized. 

So theres my stories with the old people now for the young. It seems we only have really old people and kids/teenagers listening to us but they are all super great so it doesnt matter. Our huge obstacle right now is getting permission from parents. WE found a 13 year old girl last sunday who is just amazing. Her mom is inactive and has been for a really long time. She got ofended in the church and now wont come back. Well we found her daughter and she told us that before we came she thought god didnt exist, but now she knows it and wants to be baptized. shes just the most mature 13 year old I know and her prayers are jus amazing. she sincerely is trying to find her testimony. anyways we had a miracle and her mom gave her permission to come to church with us yesterday! one day we had an appointment with her and that day it was super hot in the morning, but after we left lunch it started HAILING! literally ice cubes falling from the sky within seconds.yes the weather here is absolutely insane. So all of the sudden its a flood! We were soaked to the bone and the wind was blowing like crazy! It was seriously a tropical storm. So we basically SWAM to make it to this appointment. when we got there she opened the door and I said "sorry we are a little late we had a little trouble" haha she was so surprised that we showed up just for her. But it was worth it because the spirit was super strong in that lesson.

So we also have a teenage girl that is 15 and is just progressing like crazy. In the first lesson she said "I know its true" and before we could invite her to be baptized she said she wanted to be baptized! Well the next lesson she told us she has to wait until she is 18 because her mom wont give her permission. We were super bummed, but she has a strong desire to read and pray and so were gonna keep on working with her and her parents. 

Theres a huge difference here in Guemes than in my first area. The people are alot more tough! In Aguaray there really was only the Catholic church...here there is every kind of church you can think of and people here have their strong beliefs. They know the bible really well and are much more educated than the people in my other area. We got told off quite a few times this week. Someone told us that we preach lies that was interesting. Another yelled at us to find God because we dont know who he is. Also yesterday a group of guys threw waterballoons at us! its a true spiritual battle here! Ive never been faced with these things before but its really helping me to strenthen my testimony. If anyone is being converted its ME! I know its true and Im fighting so hard to help others know it too. The fight against satan is SO real, Im learning that real quick, but the truth will not be stopped. I know that we as missionaries have a power that no one else has. People can yell and me and try to weaken my testimony, but they dont know that they are actually strengthening it. I just know its true! 

Well that was my week! I know this week is a crazy one back at home! Best of luck to dallin in his preparations to leave next week and josh and alexa with the baby!! I cannot WAIT to get pictures! I know shes holding on a little longer so she can help me here in the mission field ;) 

I love you all so much!

 

con amor,

hermana stewart 

My Selfie with President Hinckley