Anything is Possible

Dear family and friends,

This was another great week. It went by fast and we were able to do a lot of service with members and investigators!

One of the people we worked with is named Luis. His girlfriend is a member, and every time we have gone to his house it has been hard to talk to him about the gospel. We asked after a dinner we had with them if he needed help with anything, and he said we could help him move some bricks. 

We prayed a lot that during or after the service that we could somehow teach a lesson–and it happened! After working with him we talked about his family and he really opened up. Little by little he is going to change. They have plans to be married in December and that is step one!

President Casariego came to Esquel this weekend for a Zone Conference, it was awesome. We talked about our missionary purpose and why it's so important. The Gospel isn't just something that will afford us better lives, rather it is what will bring salvation to all men. It really changes how I look at people and what I say to them. 

He also did something that he always does which is made me think of the impossible and how I can achieve it. I can't express how valuable that is, that someone says we can achieve anything if we put our minds to it and if we trust in the Lord. Those are two things he has put into practice his whole life and its brought him success. 

The day before the conference he took Elder Motzkus and me out to lunch. It was cool to see him in a casual setting. He was cracking jokes the whole time and he asked us about what we will do after our missions. I also asked Hermana Casariego if they have a blog, she said no, but the do have a page on Facebook!

Search for: Presidente y Hermana Casariego Misión Argentina Neuquén and  you'll find it.

I love both everyone! 

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Just a Quick Note

This will be quick since I don't have a lot of time to write today. This was a great week and one of the fastest of the mission so far. 

As I have mentioned before, we have a focus to serve the members so that we have more trust and more people to teach, and almost every day this week we did some sort of service. One day we went to Trevelin, a small town south of Esquel to work on a farm. It was a lot of fun and we got to work with a big tractor. 

I'm happy and I continue to learn to love the people here, and I'm convinced that its the most important part of missionary work. Yesterday was Mother's Day in Argentina so Mom, asi que feliz día, le amo!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Focusing on Teaching

Dear family and friends,

Things are going great. We are half way done with this transfer, each one lasts 6 weeks, and today is day one of week four. Our big focus this transfer is 1) teach lessons and 2) work with the members. We've had some great opportunities to do both this week!

In Zapala I worked an area that had very little missionary work happening. There were two investigators, a family and not a lot more. We did a lot of contacting in the street and I learned a great deal. Specifically, I learned how to have quick, short, and effective conversations. 

Now that we've changed our focus to teaching lessons we feel like the Lord is giving us what we want, solid people that want to progress. Our number one for now is a woman who wants the Gospel to change her life and strengthen her kids. She accepted a Book of Mormon and is reading it!

One day this week we taught four lessons and two of them with members present. (I had never done that before!) This week we gave bread and cookies to three families to reach out to them. We're just starting to provide this type of small service and it's working. I continue to learn that love for people is key to success. That's true in missionary work and in life.

Everyone have a great week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

General Conference

Dear family and friends,

This was a good week and there was no better way to end it than watching general conference. It was just what I needed to keep everything going. I loved President Monson's talk. It brought me to tears what he said about the Savior, "He is the light that shines in the darkness." There's nothing more true than that. I want to be close to that light. 

I've been reading a letter my dad gave me right before I left on my mission. In it he said "to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, to be simple and to tell people that he came here he died here and we can live with him again." I've been putting it into practice and it makes a difference!

I believe that it's a combination of those simple truths, and the spirit of the Holy Ghost that really have an impact on people. In a lot of contacts this week with my companion we strongly said things like "we don't worship Joseph smith" and "we don't have to have faith in Joseph Smith. We only worship and have faith in Christ. It was sweet! 

I did an exchange this week with one of our district leaders who is from Paraguay. It was an interesting experience because he seemed unmotivated and wasn't feeling well. I felt like I could do two things: be really strict and tell him we needed to get going, or be really helpful and compassionate towards him. I chose to really help him. 

I cleaned his apartment and we had a really good conversation, I asked him why he came on a mission and what he hopes to accomplish in the short time he has left (he leaves in January). We had a great day afterwards teaching two good lessons with members from the branch present. It drove home a point to me that you cannot really help someone until you love them. 

Elder Kauffman aka Jack