Somos las manos del señor

This week was great! With the change in area we’ve really been doing things differently. I feel like a mad man with all of the work we’ve done, but I have definitely seen the Lord’s influence in it all. All of the trips we made to immigrations were successful, and Elder Rodriguez is already taking the initiative with everything. He’s an excellent addition to the office and already a good friend. 

We went to Confluencia almost every day this week in the afternoon. I feel like we were running around doing things in the office as fast and efficiently as we could just to get on our way a little earlier. We had a lot of great contacts in Confluencia and I am seeing more and more the importance of just talking to everyone, because you never know what will happen. Something we’ve done a few times is ask the police that work in the neighborhoods we have (there are a lot because at night it can be dangerous), for directions, and boom, we start talking to them afterward. I love it. This past Sunday there was a group of five or six police and they all accepted a card of ´preguntas del alma.´ Super buena onda!

We also had a good lunch with our new bishop, Osispo Linko, and a nice visit with the ward mission leader, Hermano Calarco. It was cool. We sat with him for maybe a full hour just talking about who needs to be visited and how we can make things move forward.

Tonight we had a capilla abierta, or an open house for Limay. The Arnaudins are always in charge of coordinating everything and it turned out great. That’s why I am writing really late, because we were helping out with that almost all day. There was one experience I wanted to share from it for this week, and it explains the title of the email. 

There were plenty of things to do in the chapel to help out, but I guess a tradition of the capilla abierta is that two elders just try and see whomever they can get to come from off the street. I went with Elder Valenzuela and we found two people that actually came with us, and I specifically remember when we first saw them thinking “I don’t know if they would come,” but we got over the fear and invited them. They had a good experience, and one lives in Tronadar, a street in our area!

The third time I went to look for someone I went with Elder Thompson, and we really experienced something cool. We were on our way to an old investigators house to see if he had time to come to the event, and we pass a guy on the street who I didn’t take much interest it, but about half way down the block we both stopped and said to each other “let’s invite him.” So we turned back and chased him down. His name is Orlando and he accepted the invitation, not right away, but we said come with us and he did. 

The first part of the capilla abierta is cool, where we have a statue of Christ and play from a speaker some of his bible teachings. Orlando really liked it and later told us that he was really happy we invited him. I know we didn’t do anything, we followed the spirit, took the initiative and the Lord did the rest, but it feels so good to be an instrument. Spending time with someone who’s had too much to drink and bringing him to an open house doesn’t sound like a fun evening, but when I do things like that on my mission I feel something I’ve never felt before. I feel myself coming closer to Christ when I do his work. Days like today make me wish I could be a missionary forever. 

Orlando didn’t remember his phone number or his address, so we walked back to where we found him and he then told us he could make it back to his house. It was late and we had to go. I hope he comes to church tomorrow but if not I learned something valuable tonight. God loves us all, and if we love God we will love everyone around us, it can be uncomfortable and hard, but it makes me happier than I’ve ever been. 

I love this. I have been thinking a lot about attitude lately and I believe I’ve really changed mine. I can be the Lord’s hands every day in the mission if I put the work in and if I have a little more faith. EVEN as an office elder. 

The district is doing awesome, I love everyone in it and this week in our meeting we talked a lot about having the faith necessary to bring more people unto Christ. The scriptures say that God will do his own work, so why does he need missionaries? I think it’s so that we learn to trust him, so that we ´ponerse las pilas´ and act a little more. 

I love everyone. Things are changing and I am excited to keep working in Confluencia as long as I can. 

Un abrazo gigante para cada uno de ustedes! les quiero!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

New Era in the Mission Office

There are a lot of great things happening in my mission! We finished the mission companion transfers Saturday night and sent out all of the changes to the zone leaders. It went well and there weren’t too many calls asking for clarification which translates into my work was a success.

Missionaries usually travel on Monday mornings, but Elder Rodriguez (the future mission secretary and my replacement) arrived Sunday night so that he could see what a transfer day entails. He is a great guy and is already learning everything. I only have three more weeks here so there is no time to waste in his training.

Apart from working with Elder Rodriguez I have been made a district leader. We had our first district meeting and it went really well. I definitely walked out of the chapel a little more willing to give it my all! Something we struggle with here is setting baptismal dates, or setting goals for dates with investigators. At our district meeting we decided that in one week we will invite five people from each companionship and at least one will accept the challenge! Si se puede!

Some other exciting news is that we have a new area called Confluencia. The mission is getting smaller so the elders who were there went to other areas and this one was assigned to us. We still live near the mission home and obviously do our work in the office, but we have to travel for about 15 minutes by bus to get to Confluencia. We will also be attending the ward there each week. Confluencia has seen a lot of progress in the past few months. A lot of baptisms and everyone says the members in the area the best. 

We had an interesting day today because we went there to get to know the area. The two elders there left for their new assignment after our visit so we only had one day to get to know everything. We already have a few appointments for tomorrow with some contacts we had in the street. We are really excited for this change and I think its just what our companionship needs, I know it's what I need to help me get back into full time teaching mode. 

The assistants have been giving me a hard time saying they’ll need to me to stay in the office al little longer, but just today President Lovell told me by email to get ready for the field again! I wish I could I could fully express how good I felt today just contacting people in the street. It made me think so much of when I first started my mission. The cold, the dirt roads and the dogs all around. I love it!

Elder Wessel did me a big favor today. He works the zone close to the bus terminal in Neuquén and he went there to send off a few missionaries to new areas for me. We drove by there when one of them missed their bus, and it was good to see Elder Wessel. We don’t know when we will be companions, but believe it will happen!

It’s cooling off here and today when we were contacting it made me think so much of my first area in Bariloche. We met a guy named Julian who was waiting for a bus right outside of the church in Confluencia. When I first noticed him all I saw was a guy with long hair and headphones. After talking to him for five minutes he was laughing and telling us about some of the problems he has trying to find work. We gave him a Book of Mormon and are going to visit with him tomorrow!

I love everyone and love being out here! Les quiero muchísimo! un abrazo gigante!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Quick Update

It was great to talk to everyone at home for Mother's Day. Time is flying by! 

Just a few things, transfers are going out tonight. They went well and we actually finished yesterday. They just need to be sent. Milagro!

Another elder is coming in to take my place, Elder Rodriguez. I know him and he is a good guy. He is from Canada but his parents are from Guatemala. This transfer is shorter than usual due to the new mission president taking over July 1st. So in four weeks I'll be heading back out to the field.

Pray that I'll be able to train well so I can get back to what I really love doing here! I'm trying to get back to my roots and really study Preach My Gospel. I am trying to talk to everyone and take my dad's advice and leave nothing left undone. That's the goal. Time is limited here!

I am praying for everyone there. Please pray for me that God will help us to have success. 

un abrazo gigante, 

I love you all!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Photos

Here are some photos from the last few weeks. My call home for Mother's Day and my most recent Zone Conference.

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Meet the Mormons in Argentina

Hello!

It was a great week here in Argentina. A lot of work in the office with immigrations and we also have a meeting coming up with all of the district and zone leaders. They all need to travel to Neuquén so I have been making the arrangements.  

Thursday the mission had a long anticipated day when we showed “Meet the Mormons” in Neuquén for the first time. There were two investigators that we wanted to come with us, and it kind of surprised them when we showed up at their house in a taxi to take them to the theatre! Unfortunately they couldn’t make it, but there were almost 600 people in the theater! I love the movie because it really makes me think about what I will make of my life with the help of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. At the end of the movie everyone was clapping. We still aren’t sure how many of the people in the theater were non-members, but we hope it was the majority. 

With events like this and some of the changes we’ve seen in the mission, the work is moving along. I continue to enjoy the office and learn a lot each week. I feel more confident and capable of learning how to do new things. I’m getting anxious to get back out and teach full-time.

One of my favorite sayings in Spanish is “que va a hacer?” which translates to “what are you gonna do?” We have to keep going and things will work out if we are diligent and have faith in God and his Son Jesus Christ. That’s what life is all about.

I am looking forward to talking with my family on Mother’s Day. It will be awesome! Five months have gone by too fast! I love every one and I hope this is a great week wherever you are!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack