Being Bold

Dear family and friends,

Our mission president shared a talk with us that explained why we should be bold in inviting people to be baptized. I believe it was called "The Vision to Baptize," or something like that. It basically says that there are two ways to go about helping someone come unto Christ through the ordinance of baptism. You can 1) teach them everything and then invite, or 2) present them the idea of receiving a remission of sins and having all blessings of the Holy Ghost forever in their lives, and then go about teaching the remainder of the Gospel. In other words, help them catch the vision on the front end.

Sunday in a Ward Counsel we talked about this the new focus we have as a mission regarding being bold, and the whole country of Argentina, along with Uruguay and Paraguay, had a special missionary conference. Elder Cook and Elder Hales talked along with other local leaders in the broadcast basically saying "missionary work needs to get going here!"

In the first chapter of Preach My Gospel it talks about things that a successful missionary experiences. Even if I had no baptisms, I know that I am doing things the right way. I feel successful and I know I am dedicated. Overall the motive for spreading the message of Jesus Christ has got to be love. That's an insight I shared in our Ward Counsel yesterday, and its something I've come to realize little by little on the mission. Love for the Lord and fellow man. I have seen some missionaries that don't have it, and I honestly think they return home having missed out on that key aspect of missionary work. 

A general authority is coming to visit us this week so the whole zone, and mission is traveling to Neuquén except the missionaries down south in Bariloche, Esquel and San Martin. I'll take a lot of pictures and let everyone know how it goes. 

I love you all!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Checking In

Dear family and friends,

This was a great week that flew by as they always do. We have had a lot of success in finding new people and teaching them the first discussion. It is hard to get people's attention and I feel like it's just part of the culture here to say "I don't have time." It is something I wish I could change but I can't, we've got to do it little by little.

President Casariego promised us that every time we tell the story of the first vision the spirit will be present, and that's what we have been doing. I think this week I related it at least 25 times! They are the same words each time, but it's a different experience for every time I do it. 

Yesterday about an hour before church we went to look for people (something I love doing here). There are a lot of families that have kids and other members who haven't been baptized yet, and we went to see ALL of them before the meetings started. None of them came out to church, but i know they will show up someday! It's fun to search for people because I learn a little more about myself and how the Savior feels about each of us. 

In sacrament meeting I wanted to feel something special or have some type of personal revelation. I saw myself in the future, with the same habits and desires that I have now as a missionary. A desire to find those that are lost and bring them back to the church. It made me realize that I will always be a missionary for Jesus Christ.

I love you all and I hope this is a fantastic week for everyone. Cristo es la razon y el amor es el motivo!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

It's Snowing

Dear family and friends,

This was a really productive week in the Zapala Zone. Elder Rosas and me are working hard, and we have decided that we can baptize 25 people before the next transfer. We have the faith to do it, and are trying to show it through our actions every moment of the day. 

On Friday we had our leadership counsel meeting. Our mission president has the vision to baptize and that’s the focus now. Not less actives or new converts. We are trying to leave those tasks to the members and focus on finding new investigators. Today I am working with Elder Sanchez from Mexico. We arrived the same day to the mission so it’s good to see him again.

A challenge we have lately is getting into peoples houses, but we aren’t letting that stop us. I think that this week we taught the restoration more than 10 times, but each time in the street or right outside someone’s house.

More than anything we are trying to change our own mentality and believe that things are going to improve in the mission. We don’t want it to be the hard, tough mission that everyone says it is, but the people are not what will change that, it is us.

I really miss the heat of Arizona. Most likely because this week was COLD! It snowed on Wednesday. I’m reminded again how happy I was for the boots mom and I bought before leaving for the MTC. It will be exciting to finish this winter and have another summer. It is much easier to wake up in the morning with heat than with cold!

Thank you for all your prayers and letters. Please pray that we will find the chosen ones, ones ready to make covenants.

I Love everyone,

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Changes in the Mission

Dear Family and friends,

Every week since I left the office I'm more excited to be working in Zapala. We are seeing more changes in the mission and President Casariego is showing us that anything is possible if we are committed and recognize the Lord's hand in everything. 

He came to Zapala on Wednesday to speak to us. He talked about his own mission experience, and how everyone was content to just be in the mission, content with the current circumstances. He was not and he really changed things, baptizing wherever he went.

Ever since I arrived in the mission a big focus has been less active members, the wards here are used to us doing reactivation work, and working with recent converts. President Casariego has shifted our emphasis to finding, teaching, and baptizing!

I know it might sound weird or impossible or strange, but I really have the vision that this can happen. I honestly believe that 20 people in my area can be baptized at the end of this new transfer. Me and my companion will need a lot of prayers and all of the help the Lord can offer but we are so ready. 

This last week in one day we had four baptismal invitations in the street. We would show the person an image of Christ being baptized, teach the restoration in 5 minutes, and then boom, le gustaria ser bautizado como se bautizo jesucristo? Would you like to be baptized like Jesus was? People say yes right then and there. Our new focus is finding. Find any way we can is the goal, but not just anyone, the select. People ready to join the church. 

Elder Garcia left this morning for Cinco Saltos, a small town near Neuquén, and my new companion is going to be Elder Rosas from Santiago, Chile. I am really excited to work with him. This will be the first time I have a companion that has less time in the mission field than me. I feel that these transfers are inspired because Elder Rosas was just in Zapala three months ago. It's very rare that a missionary return to a city, so it has to be for a special reason. 

It's pretty cold here but all of the members say that in September it should warm up again. I am used to the cold and the wind now, whatever comes will come. Two nights ago it was really foggy in the upper part of our area, kind of cool!

I feel great with the changes we are going to have here. I feel full of faith and firm with the knowledge that we will be able to accomplish anything as we trust in the Lord and follow his spirit. There will be more pictures of us in white to come.

I love everyone and have a great week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Zone Baptisms

Muy buenos dias! 

Things are going great here, and although I don't remember a lot from the week there, were many good things that stood out to me. 

Three investigators of the hermanas were baptized this week. Our zone is seeing some great things happen and has now baptized for three weeks in a row. This is something I have not seen anywhere else in the mission in the last year. I don't know exactly how or why its happening–but it is.

We are working with a lot of less active families in the ward and it was awesome to see about 7 people in church who had not attended for a long time. I bore my testimony and it was a good experience for me. I realized afterwards that my first Sunday, my very first in Argentina, I bore my testimony as well. Knowing a lot less Spanish and having a lot less confidence in myself but somehow I did it. 

I know that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is fully sustaining. These past 8 weeks have been a roller coaster. I am learning about the power of prayer and the importance of trusting in the Lord in order to make things happen. Such cool things are happening in the zone, not so much in my own area, but we are working hard. I am convinced that its because the Lord loves us, and He makes us strong when we show that we are available and willing to work for Him.

If there is a central theme to my mission up until this point it is faith and the power it has.

I decided this week that I want to work with languages after the mission. I have fallen in love with Spanish and I want to speak it as much as I can. I also had a vivid but strange dream that I learned German; I want to start learning it after the mission. 

I still have not purchased a new coat, but I don't think I will be need it now. I have become acclimated to the colder weather and the wind is not blowing as strong now.

Transfers are this week so well see if anything changes with my companion. Anything can happen. 

Tell everyone that I love them and that I would love to hear from them.

Elder Kauffman aka Jack