¡Buen día de la Argentina!

Dear family and friends,

This was a really good week. On Monday all of the elders from the office went to visit a family in the ward. They came to church the day before so we took the opportunity to talk to them and set up an appointment. We weren’t sure what message we were going to share, but we did know we were going to make dinner.

While we prepared the food I felt confident that we would know what topic to share and it happened! Elder Yañez started talking about the Book of Mormon and from there we were really led by the spirit. We talked about how the problems we experience with other members shouldn’t affect our own church attendance. Most importantly we expressed our love for them.

Yesterday we had another good lesson with a family that feeds us lunch every Wednesday. They have three daughters that are all adults with their own families, but have not been out to church for a while. It was a cool visit because I taught myself by talking to them. I felt impressed to say that the Gospel requires that we give up our time, talents, and will to God so that we can help to bring about his work.

It was a nice thought for the family, but it was what I needed to hear too. Lately I’ve been really tired after a long day of doing things in the office. When the time comes to leave the office and go work in the field its become the last thing I want to do. However, I know the Lord expects more of me. I walked out of that visit feeling more determined to work harder in everything I do here. 

There continues to be a lot of work in the office, and I now believe I might be assigned here for some time; at least until the new mission president arrives and is settled. Once Brother and Sister Casariego come there will be no more English spoken in the office since Spanish is their first Language. We don’t do it often now, but sometimes we speak with President Lovell in English. 

It has been hot here lately, but while everyone else suffers, I enjoy it! I love the heat and even though I enjoyed my time in Bariloche, the cold really got to me. I’m an Arizonan for sure.

In one busy day this week I called four hotels to make reservations for President Lovell, took two sisters to the police station so they could be legalized, and then went to visit a family in the ward. Sometimes my Spanish is limited with the complex vocabulary I need to know, but I am progressing and that is what is important. 

Another experience I wanted to share from this week happened when we went to legalize a sister missionary from Brazil. After preparing all of the documents she needed the police said we were missing a stamp from her home country. We walked out of the police station very discouraged because we were going to have to wait a long time for her new documents to arrive. We didn’t get far when we felt impressed to go back and try again. We did and asked the immigration workers if they were positive we needed that stamp. In fact, we talked with the same guy that told us no, but after asking for the second time he said everything was fine and that we could finish the process! The spirit doesn't just lead us in spiritual matters, but in everything we do if we seek it. 

The Neuquén Zone and Mission Office

I am really enjoying working with my companion. After a lot of prayer, and leaving my comfort zone, we are best of friends. We work well together and he’s teaching me all of the responsibilities of the mission secretary as he will be leaving the office in a month.

I’m feeling well and am putting my faith in Christ, remembering him more, and representing him better. I love everyone and as always I hope that this is a great week wherever you are!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Working for the Lord

Dear family and friends,

I am doing well and hope you are too. It was another challenging week and I ended it feeling sick, but I got plenty of rest yesterday and I am feeling better today. I’m doing a lot of good work in the mission home and helping out in many different ways. I continue to do a lot of translating and always encourage new missionaries that come into the mission home.

Something that another missionary told me the other day really hit home. He said that we didn’t come on a mission just preach the gospel, we also came to work! I felt like that was just what I needed to hear because that is what I’m doing right now. Working for the Lord. It feels good and an opportunity like this won’t come again. 

This week we sent off all of the ´fieles´ (missionaries who finished their mission and are returning home), and received ´los refuerzos,´ the reinforcements (new missionaries just arriving into the mission). One of them was my really good friend from the UofA. His name is Eduardo Espinoza. He was baptized just a little over a year ago and I was able to sit in on some of the lessons he had with the missionaries when he was learning about the church.

Meeting up with Elder Eduardo Espinoza

A few months ago another friend told me Eduardo was coming to this mission, but other than that I hadn’t heard anything. So when we had our first meeting with our newest group of missionaries I looked out and saw him! It was a really cool moment. We ate lunch together the next day so we had some time to catch up. He is more than ready to be out here, and has the language down already as his parents are from Mexico. 

We made two trips to the police station with the new missionaries to take out their apostille (a special kind of certificate) required from Argentina. Basically this is the first step to legally reside in the country. It was a fun but weird experience as I got to help them with the work they had to do, I took finger prints for a few of the missionaries and filled out some of the forms that needed to be done. I felt like I worked there by the time I left! 

I’m meeting a lot of good friends here in my second area (the mission home), people that I know will be good contacts in the mission, but good friends when we return home too. Elder Moser is one of the other office elders and he has helped me a lot with my duties. He reminds me a lot of Mark McKellar, and he says I remind him a lot of one of his best friends back home. It’s a perfect match.

This mission experience really is an adventure. This past week there was no water in our apartment, again. Something that sounds like it would only be a bother, but it was actually kind of fun calling other missionaries asking if we could use their pension to shower! Also we did a lot of exchanges this week so I got to spend two nights in the apartment of the financial secretaries. I was all over the place but it made for an exciting week. 

My returned missionary roommates at the UofA all told me that a mission was like taking a fast track course for becoming the person that Heavenly Father wants you to be. I see that now. I’m being stretched in almost every way, and I’m learning so much here in so little time. I’m working with the end in mind and know that I’ll come out on the other side a little more polished, and a little more Christ like.

I love everyone!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Early Mornings and Late Nights

Dear family and friends,

It takes so much effort to run a mission. President and Hermana Lovell never stop working, and this week we had some late nights in the office but we had fun. I love Elder and Hermana Arnoundin who serve here with the Lovells. They are like our grandparents and are always asking if we have everything we need. 

We had a meeting last Tuesday with President Lovell where all of the transfers were presented (which was very cool), and we learned who the new mission president would be later this year. He is from Uruguay and will arrive in June. I don’t know that I will work in the office then, but this will be a big change for everyone. 

President Lovell also told us that soon the amount of missionaries would drop significantly from 250 now to approximately 170 in the near future. He told us new missions are opening, and the big jump in missionaries we saw from the age change is slowly receding.

My Final Zone Conference in San Carlos de Bariloche

This was a week with a lot of early mornings and late nights. Every day at eight we went to the police station to do “tramites.” I have no idea how it translates, but it’s basically a process that every missionary needs to go through in order to legally reside in Argentina. I remember doing it when I arrived here, but I never thought I would be doing it for others. I had to do a lot of translating, and a lot of waiting, but I know I was serving! It really is cool what I get to do. I’m seeing how this country works in some aspects because I spend a lot of time in the department of immigrations, police stations and different banks.

Argentina is a special place. I feel adapted to the country and really confident managing and getting around. I know this time is going to help me in the future when I encounter new situations and new places. One of my cool experiences with the people in immigrations this week was that I bought them all facturas (which are like donuts) to thank them for all the work they do for us. It helps the paperwork we submit move along faster, but it was also an opportunity to do something nice. 

On Monday a new missionary came from his area to do his documentation paperwork and we had to wait a LONG time to get it done. So we just talked. I felt the spirit tell me that I was helping by telling him that he doesn't have to worry while on a mission. He just needs to keep moving forward and trust that everything will work out. That’s something I have done and expect to keep experiencing. I believe when he left to go back to his area he felt more confident and comfort. 

I’m not teaching a lot now but I continue to try and give service by doing small things like washing dishes, cleaning and most importantly thinking of what Christ would do in a particular situation, and then doing it. There have been many stressful moments this week, but I’m seeing how the Lord stretches me to I grow. Whenever it gets too crazy I go to the bathroom and pray. I know the Lord knows what I feel. I need him.

I mentioned last week that I have thought a lot about personal goals for this year, and one of them is that I want people to feel the Savior's love through me. I’m not perfect, but I am really going to try to do this.

I love everyone and have a great week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Happy New Year!

Feliz ano a todos!

This was an exciting week with the New Year and it was cool to learn what they do here in Argentina to celebrate. If I had to pick one tradition that’s done to bring in the New Year it would be: to eat! Earlier in the week some of President Lovell’s family flew into the country including a few grand kids. On New Year’s Eve we had what’s called an ´asado.´ Basically its a barbecue but with a lot of meat. Elder Arnoundin from Buenos Aires is a great chef and made almost all of the meat. It was a good time and everyone enjoyed it. 

For a few days here we had no water, not just in our apartment, but also all along the street where we live. There was also no water or electricity in the mission home. I talked with the plumber who came to see what he could do and he told me it’s always this way at the end of the year. It was kind of annoying but it just made me laugh. 

Two scriptures affected me this week. Mosiah 26:30 was one of my strong motivations for coming on a mission, to know that we can be forgiven in this life for our errors. The other is D&C 112:10-11. I love the line that says the Lord knows our hearts. We struggle and we make mistakes, but the Lord knows we are trying.

As I’ve mentioned we don’t have a lot of time to work our area. When we do I am trying to focus on the people that I know and help them as much as I can. We have an investigator that has been talking to missionaries for a while and I feel like I have a really special connection with him. He has some mental issues, and it’s hard for him to interact with people, but I want to help him. He wants to be baptized on the 31st of this month. He told us he has a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and that Jesus Christ is his Savior. I’ve never heard anyone say that to me on my mission so far! I am going to do everything I can to make sure he meets his goal. Pray for him please!

I have been doing a lot of thinking as this New Year comes in about who I want to be, and what I want to become this year as a missionary. So far I know that I want to be willing to give all of myself to the Lord. This week I found myself in two or three exchanges, where I left the office because elders in the zone needed something from the office, but their companions had appointments elsewhere. It was a little disconcerting to be in lessons where I didn’t know the person being taught, but it felt good knowing that I was helping out in some way. One of my goals is to feel that way always, knowing that no matter what I do, inside or outside the office, I am serving others. 

Finally, I am feeling comfortable in the office now that I am helping fellow missionaries with their needs. It is different than teaching, but service just the same. I like asking elders and hermanas how their areas are and if they need anything special when they call the office. I only expect to be here until May of this year, but we will see. 

I love everyone and I hope this is a great week for you all!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack