Christmas Call Home

It was so good to see everyone via Skype! A little surreal, and I was nervous because I didn’t know what to say, but I loved talking to you all.

This was a different Christmas. I’ve always been impressed by the increase in the Spirit that I can feel during this time of year, but it was even more so being in the mission field. In Neuquén we gave away cards of ´El es la Dadiva´ a week ago, and I think that experience is where my increased feelings of spirituality started. I realized how much I loved asking people to come and experience the love that God has for us, and to be reminded of the gift that is His Son. I wish it could be this time of year always because it has been so easy to talk to people. Hopefully next Christmas the church comes out with another incentive like “He is the Gift.”

Yesterday we taught a lesson with a family that has a son who is less active. The grandmother also does not attend church often. During our visit we talked about something simple, prayer. We asked the son how often he wants his kids to talk to him, and he said as much as they can. Then we explained that it is the same with our Heavenly Father. He loves us and although he knows what goes on in our lives, he wants to hear how we feel about things.

I am playing a lot of soccer here because we live with two Brazilians. Watching the last World Cup I remember there were a lot of stories about kids in Brazil who love to play football wherever and however they can. It makes me laugh now because I am actually seeing it first hand with these Brazilian Elders!

Finally, I’ve been practicing driving here and it’s kind of scary because the traffic rules are different, and the people drive crazy!

Feliz navidad de nuevo y que tenga una buena semana. Les amo mucho!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

¡Feliz Navidad!

Merry Christmas! I remembered Christ this week, Isaiah 49 to be specific. We have been engraven upon the hands of the Savior, and he will never forget us. I love him, and if anything I hope my mission makes me more like him.

Working in the office offers new ways to assist others. This week I was able to help a young man from another city who came to the mission to finish out the transfer of an elder who went home a month early for an operation. We picked him up at the terminal and I felt like I was able to make him feel welcome. The next day I brought him a pair of shoes from the mission home because the ones he had traveled with were too small.

The other night we did an activity passing out "He is the Gift" cards downtown. It was great to get out there and talk to people. I felt like I was on fire! We also had a lesson this week that affected my attitude a lot. It wasn't part of our plans for the day, but we called an old investigator who was planning on being baptized some time ago. He was really animated during the lesson, and when we asked him why he wouldn't want to be baptized, he said it's because he still needs a desire to really follow Christ. 

Then he stood up and began to walk around with his shoulders shrugged and a long face. He said that right now, he feels like his is following Christ with shrugged shoulders and a frown. Then he began to walk around the room with a straight back and a face that looked determined. He then said that he wants to be baptized after he can follow Christ with that type of demeanor. I thought to myself that for some time I had been following Christ with shrugged shoulders and a heavy heart. They say you know it's a good lesson when the missionary learns something, and I learned a lot that night! I left with a desire to follow Jesus with more enthusiasm.

Thank you to everyone for the nice Christmas wishes. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to spend it at home with my family, but I am happy here. My friend Mark McKellar wrote me the other day telling me that to get through his rough beginning in the mission, he attached himself to his "mission family." That's what I have been doing here lately. I realize that I have brothers all around me. Elder Moser is another new office elder and we have been talking a lot. It turns out he has a fourteen year old brother that is autistic, and he has already become one of my best friends here.

I love everyone and wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Hola familia y amigos!

This was another interesting week and not one with a lot of teaching unfortunately, but I learned and reflected on some interesting things that I want to share. 

On Tuesday we went to the bank to pay some bills and the banks here are crazy. There were at least 200 people inside waiting, and they get angry waiting! There was one point when everyone was screaming and clapping because they were tired of standing in line. 

We had to wait so long that we went outside for about three hours until they called our number. I was really tired and hungry and suddenly noticed something on my shoes. There were bird droppings all over them! I was about to lose it when the thought came to me, “at least it wasn’t on your shirt or pants.” It’s silly when things we don’t expect happen to us, but I learned it can always be worse, and that there is always a bright side to everything! 

Working in the office is very different than working in San Carlos de Bariloche. My area in Bariloche was very poor and Neuquén is very nice. There is a lot of grass and it is much warmer. We go into the office Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m. and leave at 5:30 p.m. We had very little time to teach this week and I really miss talking to people.

I live three or four blocks away from the mission office that is on the same grounds as the mission home. We live with the assistants to the president and one of them was my zone leader in Bariloche so it’s cool to be with him. The assistants and the mission president were gone all last week visiting zones in the mission and giving a Christmas Devotional. 

This week I’ve been studying in Moses and after reading a few verses I like to stop and think about what it really says. The entire book makes me think of something my dad wrote to me in a letter before leaving for the MTC, and this is that God loves us, and that nothing we do will ever change that. When we are discouraged we can always feel the love of God, its something that we will never understand, but something that’s always available. 

I love everyone and I wish everyone the best this week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

He is the Gift

This was a crazy week with a lot of adjusting now that I am in a new area, and I am learning how to do a lot of new things.

My last week in Bariloche was great with the new program "He is the Gift" or "El es la dadiva." The church wants every companionship in the world to talk with ten people a day in the streets and talk about Christ, and why he is the real gift of Christmas. Elder Supelano and I did it every day and were always sad when we ran out of cards. People were really receptive and liked chatting with us.

Doing that made me think a lot about why we celebrate on the 25th. I love the video the church has put out, especially when it says that the gift of Christ was offered lovingly by a Father to all of his children. That’s a great gift and it makes me think of the love God has for us. 

As I mentioned in my last letter, Saturday night we received our calls telling us where we would be going for transfers, and I am now working in the mission office. My companion is Elder Da Silva from Pelotas, Brazil. Our title is “Secretaries to the Mission.” We have a lot of different responsibilities, and I’m not sure what they all are, but I know that I am in charge of entering all baptismal records into the church database every week. We also collect all the numbers of the mission, like lessons with members, with less active members, referrals etc. 

This was a busy week for us because we helped send all of the missionaries who finished their missions with this transfer home, and then the day after we helped receive all the new missionaries starting their missions. I did A LOT of translating taking new missionaries to the police station to obtain their legal papers. I also translated presentations from the senior couple missionaries who are from Buenos Aires. 

It was a strange week because there wasn’t much time to proselyte, but that’s something I hope will change. Even though working in the office is different than what I am used to, I’m excited to be here and I know I am helping the mission. Overall these last few days have been a trial, but as I’ve prayed for help, I’ve received strength and comfort that I need to press on. (A little personal revelation I received helped very much. I got the distinct impression that because of my challenges I will become something greater than I was before.) 

One of my high school Spanish teachers (nicknamed “Kimo”) always talked to us about the story of the silversmith. A silversmith can’t heat silver too much, because it will melt away, but he can’t heat it too little either, or else it won’t shine. There is a middle ground, and he knows he’s done a good job when he can see his reflection in the metal. It’s that way with us and God, we are the silver and he is the silversmith. I know God always provides a way for us to learn what we need to learn. To do what we need to do. And that nothing is impossible. 

I love everyone. Please pray for me. I find myself in the office, but I am a proselytizing missionary first! My goal is to help someone come to baptism here. It didn’t happen in San Carlos de Bariloche, and that’s okay, but I want to see it happen soon!

Have a great week and remember I write on Saturday now!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Transfer to Neuquén Mission Office

Hello Everyone!

This was a great week and I worked harder than I ever have talking with people in the streets. Most are very receptive when we discuss Christmas and tie it to Jesus Christ. As we talked about the Savior I came to understand the love of God more. For God so loved the world that He GAVE His son. That's powerful.

I was transferred from San Carlos de Bariloche to the mission office this week. I left Bariloche after church and traveled 430 km to Neuquén. I arrived at 9:00 p.m. and my new companion, Elder Da Silva who is from Brazil said, "¡Nos vamos, hay cosas para hacer!" "Let's go, we have things to do!" We take care of all missionary travel, records and other matters. We only have three or four hours a day to work our assigned area. I'm a little nervous to be in the office, but very excited. Wish me luck!

My new day to write is Saturday. I love everyone. Please pray for me and I will do the same for all of you!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack