Monday, October 27, 2014

October 27th, 2014

So this week was super hot. It is nice in the morning and at night but it just burns throughout the day so we are doing our best to have lessons and be inside as much as possible. The worst is that no matter what we do we are just sweating all the time. It´s really gross. But we keep pushing on.

This week we had some cool experiences. On Tuesday we had a good lesson with a part member family about the Restoration of the Church. The mother is a less active member and her sons are not members and in their 20s and her daughter has a baptismal date for the 22nd of November. So we started the lesson by asking if they had read the Book of Mormon since the last time we met and they said they hadn´t but the mother expressed to us that she thought that  only the Bible was the word of God and that the Book of Mormon was basically a knock-off. So we talked about prophets and the priesthood authority and that there is an order to Christ´s church. They all enjoyed the lesson and then at the end one of her sons said the closing prayer without us inviting him to. It was a spiritual lesson and they are all happy to continue to keep meeting with us.

Then on Saturday we went to visit an investigator who we had given a Book of Mormon to and all we did was invite her to read it. So for the past two weeks she has been reading it and loving it. She told us that every time she feels sad or mad or just can´t sleep, she opens to any page and starts to read and doesn´t stop until she calms down or feels tired. It was really surprising and so we talked a little bit more about the book and invited her to church. She didn´t come this week but we hope that she will come the next.

Sunday was really good too because My companion and I spoke in sacrament meeting about visiting and fellow shipping the less active members and also a bunch of less actives that we and a few members have been working with came to church. So we are happy that these families are starting to realize the blessings that come from the Gospel

We are doing a lot of Family home evenings in our ward with investigators and members so could you send me some ideas of fun examples or games to play. It would help a lot!

I know that Church is true and that the Book of Mormon is a True book. I love going and teaching people and helping them feel the spirit and realize that their Heavenly Father Loves them and that there are blessings and comfort that come through following the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ.


Have a great week!
Elder Giles

Last week on Saturday we had a baptism in the ward! His name is Nahuel and is 10 years old. The elders had taught him for a while but recently he decided he wanted to get baptized. He is awesome and understands the gospel really well.

Last week on Monday we had a zone activity in Castelar! We did a bunch of "minute to win it" games. The one that I sent was a game were you had to place the m&m´s on top of the straws while sucking through another straw to put them on there. It was pretty fun!


this picture is out of our front window. It´s a nice day but SUPER hot.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

October 20th, 2014

Hi!

This week was pretty good! My companion and I are doing great and getting a long just fine! We are heading into summer right now so I wish that our apartment was a little bit cooler. The days are nice and sunny so I`m starting to get my tan back even though it is only on my face and arms... We are staying safe. This area is one of the more safer parts and the missionaries have worked here for a long time so the people know us and respect us but we still try to take precautions and walk in safer areas and roads.

So this week we decided to focus more on getting to know the less- actives in the ward. We went to visit one family on Tuesday night and we talked a little but about the basic things they should do everyday like praying, reading, and going to church. Then I asked the husband if he had prayed to know if the church was true. He told us that he did and also how he got his answer. He said that a few years ago he was praying to get his answer and that he wanted to know and feel and touch that the church was true. So he said that one day he was coming back from work on his bike through some fields and that he saw a piece of scrap that he wanted to take home. Then he went into the back of his house and pulled out a huge sign that said: "La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos do los Ultimos Dias." It was an old wooden-like sign from an old church building. It was probably one of the coolest ways to get an answer to prayer and that Heavenly Father answers our prayers exactly.

Then on Saturday we had another baptism! His name is Nahuel and he is the son of a member family  who the missionaries have taught for some time but just recently wanted to get baptized! The primary president wanted to do a special musical number for the baptism so I had to play the piano and my companion had to sing with some other members. I had practiced the song all week and I could play it pretty good, but when the time came to play for the baptism, I choked and messed up really bad... it was terrible. But there is always next time! Ha ha.

Have a great week
Love,
Elder Giles

Monday, October 13, 2014

October 13, 2014


Hi!

This week was pretty good! We focused a lot on finding new people to teach and getting to know a lot of the members, both active and inactive. We did a lot of door clapping and contacting referrals and so forth but we didn`t find much during the week. On Tuesday our zone had interviews with President in Castelar. Then on Thursday it rained super hard in the early morning with heavy thunder and lightning so our plans for finding new investigators that day all fell through. We walked around in the mud for about 3 or 4 hours and didn´t find anyone nor teach a lesson, but at the end of the day we started knocking doors and the first one we knocked, the husband let us in and we taught his family about the Restoration of the Church. It was a miracle. Then Friday we had a lesson with both of our investigators with baptismal dates, one of which will be baptized this Saturday and the other will be baptized on the 1st of November. We are super excited and they are awesome. Then on Saturday we played soccer in the evening with a bunch of investigators. The only thing that was that great was that not many members showed up. I guess we have to push more people to go next week.

The ward has warmed up to us very nicely and they are super excited to do family home evenings with us. In fact, we have one tonight and the family we are doing it with has invited their friends, so it will be pretty fun. If you have any ideas for fun family home evening activities or fun examples about certain principles, could you send me some because my comp and I don´t have that many.

We have not seen the Meet the Mormons video and I don´t know if we will be able to see it...

Thanks for the safety tips and prayers! They are working!

Christmas List: (in order of most importance)
New pair of proselyting shoes. Missionary Shoe would be fine
Garments 3-4 pairs
Ties. 4-5
Skittles! :D
I don´t know how big the package is going to be so start from the top of the list and put in what you can! Thanks!

Have a great week!
Elder Giles

This is our apartment! It is super small with two rooms and a sweet spiral staircase!


We made an American breakfast today with a part member family! We made Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage. We tried to do hash browns but that failed miserably so we dumped that idea. They said it was good!

Monday, October 6, 2014

October 6th, 2014

October 6th, 2014

So this week was pretty exciting. Elder Bartold had left last Monday so Elder Lee and I worked hard until Thursday when he got a call from President Robertson that he will have to go work in the offices again because the current secretary was having back problems, so the next day, Friday, he went to the offices, and I got transferred out and our area would be closed again. So Friday I got sent to Rivadavia in the Castelar Stake with Elder Ritchie! He has been working in the area for only a week. This is the third time that I have been sent to an area where my companion and I hardly know anything. So it is another great opportunity to learn and grow.

Then on Saturday and Sunday we watched General Conference at a member`s house in English and we also brought investigators to watch it too! It was awesome and they really enjoyed it. It was interesting that they had the General Authorities speak in their native language! So I got to listen to the voices of the English translators, which was cool. Did you have subtitles or did someone speak over and translate? I like Elder Joerg Klebingat`s talk and Elder Bednar`s talk. Elder Joerg Klebingat talked about 6 things that we should focus on during our life and it helps me understand and point out things that I need to work on. Then in Elder Bednar`s talk I liked when he said that we invite people to learn about the Gospel in order to enlarge and expand people`s knowledge and beliefs and not to change their or destroy them.


I have had some really good experiences with the Spirit this week in teaching and testifying of the power of the Atonement and that we can all be forgiven. We went to visit a less active member and talk with him a little bit about why he doesn`t go to church and stuff like that when I got the impression to ask him about how he is doing in keeping the commandments. So I told him that the only way to resolve his doubts about the church was to go and talk with the bishop to help him. When I said this the Spirit struck me in a way that I had never felt before and I am pretty sure he felt it too. It was like as it is described in the scriptures: like a javelin that pierces the heart. Then I continued on saying that through repentance and the Atonement, he can truly be happy.


I know that the Spirit of the Lord is in all of us and that if we focus on helping others and reaching out to meet their needs, He will tell us exactly what to say


Have a Great Week!


Elder Giles