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
Elder Kauffman aka Jack