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