Going Home

My Last Letter Home

Dear family and friends, 

I cannot believe that I will be home in little more than a week and that this is my last letter home.

This morning I wondered if there was some sort of marvelous message that I could write home, something that could summarize what this whole experience has meant to me. Actually, I don't think I have anything extraordinary to write, but I do have a few thoughts.

This has been the best experience of my life, so far. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true, without any doubts, because I have seen people change as they choose to apply it in their lives. Nothing has made me happier than seeing people make the choice to follow Jesus Christ. 

There truly is a fire in me. I feel the desire to follow the Lord more than anything else. He is my Savior and I will follow Him with faith. By the end of next week, I will no longer be a full-time missionary, but my desire to follow Christ will be something I never leave behind. I know that God lives and that I am His son, he has helped me every single day here and I know that he will continue to do so as I start my next phase of my life.

I cannot describe how much I will miss Argentina. I love the people and they have been very good to me. 

Finally, I cannot describe how excited I am to see all of you! Thank you for your letters, your prayers, and for your support. Nothing can replace the family and friends that I have. You are all the best! 

Amo la obra, sere parte de ella para siempre!

I love you all, and will see you NEXT WEEK!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Two Weeks Left in the Field

Good morning!

This was a great week. It's never easy, but it's always worth it!

I feel like every week I have less and less to write, but we are working hard here in Plottier and things are looking up. We continue to visit ward members to find people who we can teach and serve. That's our focus. 

I know that the Gospel is true and I am committed to living it! I hope everyone has a great week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Checking In

Good morning!

Everything is good here! We could not email yesterday because it was flag day, and there were no cyber cafes open. So we made tacos in the chapel as a district and played volleyball afterwards. 

The baptism that we had planned for Saturday did not happen. Sebastian was all ready to go, but a few hours before the service his dad was taken to the hospital. We are waiting for things to calm down a bit and then will try again!

It is chilly here. I think the high every day this week is a cool 55 degrees! I do love the members here. I believe we have been able to work with more members here in Plottier than any other area.

Have a great week! 

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

The Next 30 Days

Dear family and friends,

Time is passing by quickly now, and good things are happening here in Plottier. In fact, this week was great, a big testimony builder to me!!

The last week I was with Elder Gallegos we stopped to talk to a guy that was sitting in a big park near the church. His name is Sebastian, and he said he was having a hard time. He had no work and no place to live. So we invited him to our ward activity, and he has made remarkable changes. There are a lot of details but to sum them up Sebastian has come to church twice and received almost all of the lessons. We are going to finish up this week, and then he will be baptized Saturday. We are excited for him!

We are trying to work hand in hand with our ward and our new convert Ester to find new people to teach. I feel like I learn what it's like to be a convert through my investigators. I learn with them as we teach and I cannot deny that what we share is true. The Gospel is true! Our goal is to help one more person be baptized this transfer after Sebastian.

I was asked about running a zone and teaching at the same time. I don't believe being a zone leader should impede any missionary from being 100% focused on their area and investigators. The mission manual says that it is possible to fulfill both responsibilities (leadership and missionary work), and that's always been my way of doing things.

I am finishing my mission strong, and my heart is still here even as I prepare myself mentally to return home. Full-time missions have to end, but I will always consider myself a missionary for the Savior!

Pray that I will have success the next 30 days and that I can leave this area well prepared for the elder that will take my place. That is important to me. 

I love everyone and hope you all have an excellent week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Checking In

Good morning from Plottier! This week was cold! It rained on Tuesday and Wednesday but it has passed. A few members told me yesterday that it shouldn't rain again this winter... I hope they are right!

I continue to serve as a zone leader. I feel like I am still figuring out how to do it, but I've learned a lot through filling that role. I had a few leadership positions before the mission but not like this one. I appreciate that both of my mission presidents have trusted me to lead.

This week we had to stop teaching a few people, but we found new ones. We weren't able to see a few investigators that have baptismal dates which does worry me. Work and other commitments complicated things, but I am confident that we'll be able to move forward before I leave the mission.

I realize that service is what makes me happy. Forgetting ourselves and focusing on others is what most helps us to become more like the Savior. I know it! I see it as I serve my companion, my investigators, and the missionaries in my zone. 

I am excited to return home and for all that will be happening here in the upcoming weeks in Plottier. It's going to be great! 

I love everyone! 

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Last Transfer

Good morning!

We had a great week and are working a lot with Ester who was baptized last week. We're also working with Matias and Malena, two kids that have a baptismal date for this coming weekend. The Lord is blessing us a lot here. 

We found a man named Sebastian the other day before going to a ward activity. He said that he needed a place to stay and that he also needed work. So we invited him to come to the activity with us and the members helped him out. He now has a place to stay, a job, and he came to church on Sunday! He says that he's been looking for something more in his life for a while now, and we were praying for people to help. A win-win for sure!

Today I start my last transfer! Elder Gallegos left for the south this morning and I am with my new companion. His name is Elder Marzo from Cordoba. Really cool guy and he will be my last companion. 

I very happy to be here, not too much time left in the mission field, but there are a lot of things to do!

I love everyone and have a great week! 

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Excellent Week

Dear family and friends,

Good morning! This was an excellent week! 

Ester was married on Friday, baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday! Our ward is super happy, and everyone felt the spirit of missionary work at the baptismal service. 

We had a lot of people in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. The Lord is blessing us a ton! These things may sound like little accomplishments but for me they mean everything. I've never been as happy as I am today since I've been on my mission. To teach the gospel and see someone accept is the coolest thing I have ever done. 

We have transfers this week and I hope I stay in here in Plottier because there are a lot more people to help!

I love you all! I know that the Lord lives and that he takes care of us.

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Great Week

Good morning!

This was a really great week! Talking to everyone via Skype was awesome, and talking face to face is better than emailing. 

There was a lot of rain and cold this week, but we still worked hard. We have Ester's baptism this Saturday, and have a few more potentials for the 28th of May! I will take a lot of pictures of the wedding and baptismal service for next Monday's email. 

Not a lot of notable experiences to tell... I am learning the importance of being consistent and diligent in my missionary efforts as my time comes to an end. I know it's going to be a big blessing for me afterwards.

I love the Lord and what He is able to make of us if we let Him. We can all be better people. I know He gave his life for us and there will always be new beginnings thanks to Him.

I love you all and have a great week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Mother's Day Call

Leadership Meetings

Dear family and friends,

I had a great week, and I learned a lot of good things with all of the training we had the last few days. 

I'm doing my best to be dedicated. My brother Chris wrote me a motivating email a few weeks back, telling me to keep working. To put my head down and keep at it. That's what I am doing! My mission president always makes us ask ourselves "what am I giving to the Lord?" I'll only give my very best.

On Thursday in Neuquén Elder Gonzalez from the Seventy came to meet with us. He spoke to us a lot about the potential we have as a mission. He also taught us about the doctrine of Christ. He put a lot of emphasis on baptizing people who have repented, and that baptism opens the doors to heaven. I liked that. 

On Friday morning, we traveled to Bariloche, the city where I started my mission. There was no time to go to my first area, but I did talk to a few members I knew who had gone to the stake center for an institute class. Talking to them was fun and brought back good memories. 

In other news, we had an entire family come to church yesterday! We found them about a month ago, and they were finally able to attend sacrament meeting. It's a family of five. We think we might be able to baptize them before the end of this transfer. 

I love everyone! 

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Checking In

Dear family and friends,

We had a really good week. Two of our investigators committed to baptism on May 14th. Their names are Fabio and Ester. We are really excited for them. After a lot of prayer and hard, work things have advanced a lot here. It's almost too good to be true.

This week Elder Gonzalez from the area presidency comes to Argentina. We have mission conference with him on Friday in Neuquen, and on Saturday Elder Gallegos and I go to Bariloche for a leadership meeting with him. Should be cool!

Our last P-day we went to Burger King. Have a great week everyone!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Another Transfer - Staying in Plottier

Dear family and friends,

Last week was a really good week! Today was transfer day and Elder Gallegos and I are both staying in Plottier as the zone leaders. That's fine with us and we are very happy to still be here. We got things moving last transfer and now we are ready to see the fruits or our labors. Only two transfers left so its likely that Elder Gallegos leaves after this transfer and that I stay to finish up here, but you never know! I'll be happy to finish wherever I am needed.

The small miracle we had this last week was finding Andres and Ester. Andres is a member but Ester is not, but she is really excited to learn more. Andres has a lot of desire to be active in the gospel again, and Ester has a baptismal date for May 14th. We're confident that with a lot of help she can make it happen!

We are working with the members of our local ward and teaching a lot more. We had two days this week where we taught four lessons and that's a big deal for this mission. Little by little we are taking down the barriers that have been set here in the past. It goes to show you how powerful putting your mind to something can be. 

I love what I'm doing. It doesn't get old. I think we taught the restoration three or four times yesterday to investigators and less actives. We were able to personalize the message every time. The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored.

I love everyone and hope you all have a great week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Checking In

Dear family and friends,

I had a really good week. We found a few more people to teach and are progressing with a few that we found previously. One is doing really well. His name is Fabio. He's 31 and has had a pretty hard life and is dealing with a lot of challenges, but he wants to change. 

Too often we tend to think that people like Fabio can't overcome their circumstances and that's impossible for them to change. On Saturday we gave Fabio a blessing and as soon as we started we felt strongly that he´s loved just as much as we are by Heavenly Father. That there is hope for him and others like him.

I am enjoying my time in Plottier and I love the people. We had a zone conference on my birthday so that was a good way to celebrate the morning. The day after a member made a cake to eat after lunch! 

I love everyone and have a great week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Last General Conference

Dear family and friends,

I had a great week and it flew by! We are finding a lot of people to teach and we keep working with those that we have found since I first arrived in this area. Working with Elder Gallegos makes the time go by fast.

We are working a lot more with our zone, trying to find time to work with every companionship and model how we work as a companionship. This Friday I worked with Elder Opfar from Texas, and yesterday I worked with Elder Opazo from Chile. We were even out in between sessions of general conference. 

I loved conference. I watched four of the five sessions in Spanish in the stake center here in Neuquén. I did realize that conference is very “Americanized.” There were a lot of jokes and comments made that made me laugh, but just confused members that were sitting near us.

I had a lot of favorite talks, but I keep think of one that was given in priesthood session. Stephen Owen said that the greatest leaders and the most faithful followers. I’m having opportunities to apply that thinking in the zone here. 

This was my last general conference in the mission field. I am proof that the Spirit works wonders if we are dedicated to learning. I understood everything said in the conference sessions I watched in Spanish. My first conference in Argentina I remember understanding a little less than half of the one session I watched in Spanish. 

A member here has been helping us a lot with our work. He comes to lessons with us and shares his testimony. He brings his autistic son and carries him on his shoulders to all of the lessons. Investigators fall in love with the little boy who’s name is Mariano.

I find that the more I teach something the stronger my testimony becomes. I know that the plan of salvation is true and that it is simpler than we sometimes think it is.

I love everyone and hope you have a great week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Easter Week

This week was awesome. It was a special week celebrating Easter and a good time to testify of Christ.

We have some baptisms on the horizon. We met a single mother a few weeks ago and we were able to teach a lesson yesterday afternoon. Her name is Belen and she has set a baptismal date for the 16th of April!

Another good thing happening here is that the attitude of our ward is improving. It was something that my companion told me he wanted to change when I arrived. The members don't hate the missionaries, but they don't seem to love them either. We have visited a lot of families recently to gain their trust, and show them that we are here to work and work with them.

Its been working really well. There is a different spirit now in church when we talk with members. Yesterday we did divisions with the bishopric to find less active families. 

My testimony of the Savior was renewed this week when we sang yesterday in church. We sang that that HE LIVES! He is with me and I know he is with everyone else.

I love everyone and have a great week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Checking In

Dear family and friends,

We have a lot of people that can be baptized this month. We have been finding people by contacting them in the street, and this week we visited a lot of member families in the ward to ask for references. 

Cristina and Denis will be the next baptisms in the ward. Denis just needs to come to church one more time and Cristina needs to get married. It's sad because she really wants to be baptized, but Daniel (her more or less husband), isn't really interested. He doesn't want to get married, but that's not getting us down. We are hoping everything will work itself out soon. Praying and working with the family as much as we can is all we can do. 

I'm doing well. Every day is another chance to renew again. There is no such thing as a perfect day in missionary work, but I feel like I'm learning to see past disappointments. I am trying to go back to the basics, serve where I can and be happy with my efforts.

The Book of Mormon has been helping me a lot lately. I realize that it takes faith to pick up the book and read it. It works and we can find everything we need there. 

I love you all. Have a great week! 

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Letter from Plottier

Dear family and friends,

This was an awesome week and I am very happy in my new area. We had a leadership counsel meeting in Neuquén this week and it was really good. We talked a lot about having a vision of what we want to accomplish as missionaries, and the importance of asking Heavenly Father to help us accomplish what we know can be achieved. 

It's cool being sent to a new area. It makes me think of a book I have at home written by Rudy Ruettiger. In it he says if you want to start over you only need to go to a place where nobody knows you! No week is easy here, but this one was tough, but we just kept going.

Everyone in Plottier is really humble and are open to talking with us. We had a few lessons outside of houses this week and they worked well. Yesterday I shared my testimony in church. We were few in numbers, but the few that were there were are really nice. Little by little we want to fill the chapel up!

Yesterday with a less active family I discovered something really cool. In 1 Nephi chapter 4. The questions Nephi asks Laman and Lemuel make one think. Me and Elder Gallegos were able to apply it to our day. We had to sit down twice yesterday and change plans because things didn't go the way we thought they would, but we changed plans and kept working. That's what Nephi did, he kept looking for a solution and didn't stop until he found it. 

I have been thinking how true it is that upcoming generations are really special. I interviewed a 10 year old girl for her baptism this coming Saturday and it was as if I was talking to a 25 year old. She knew all of the answers and has a testimony of everything. 

I love Argentina. I love the people and the language. I am filled with gratitude in those small moments that I think every missionary has from time to time. When I remember that I am in foreign country preaching the Gospel I am so grateful for this opportunity.

We have two baptisms set for the 26th of this month. Cristina and Denis. A mom and a son. They are progressing well and we are looking forward to it. 

Have a great week. I love everyone!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Transfers

Dear family and friends,

Saturday we went to the chapel to open the email they send us every six weeks which provides us information regarding transfers and once again I am on the move! 

I left Roca early this morning and arrived in Plottier which is just outside of Neuquén. My new companion is Elder Gallegos from Syracuse, Utah and is a really cool guy. We have been in the same zone (Zapala) before and both go home the same day in July. 

We're the zone leaders of Zona Plottier which covers two small towns (Plottier and Senillosa), and the western side of Neuquén. This is the largest zone I've led and I believe we have 20 missionaries. It will be a challenge, but I'm excited for the experience. 

Roca was an incredible zone and I'm going to miss it a lot. I had two really good companions and saw miracles in the lives of the people I taught. If I had to share some of the principle lessons I learned in Roca, they would be that missionary work is the work of salvation, includes baptizing, reactivating, and retaining the fruits of baptism. Also that it is more than possible to plant seeds and harvest at the same time.

Elder Carroll and I didn't have any baptisms, but we were able to motivate the zone and we never stopped working. THAT is was gives me the most satisfaction. Knowing that I was constant, with my companion, in our efforts to keep things up and going. In our last two weeks together we found a lot of people that will be baptized in the future.

A few weeks ago we had interviews with President Casariego. He does this thing where he looks at you in silence and you know he's about to say something inspired. At the end of my interview he told me that even though I don't have a lot of time left on my mission is still have a lot of work to accomplish.

I love all of you guys! Oren por mi! vamos todavia!

Abrazos, 

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Elder Bednar

Dear family and friends,

Elder Bednar came to Buenos Aires this week and on Tuesday he spoke to all missionaries in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. He talked about so many things and I don't recall every topic. I just remember the things I learned. That's what he instructed us to do when the meeting began. He told us not to write down anything but just pay attention to the spirit, then write down those impressions. 

I learned that everyone is their own agent. These past few weeks have been rough for me because we are looking for new people to teach and it hasn't been easy. I have wondered time and time again "why is it so hard?" I was looking at everything the wrong way. I should have had a better attitude no matter what our results. If someone doesn't accept our message then another person will. That's the way it is in the mission. 

I also learned that I need to be more content with my efforts. This month we had no baptisms, but that doesn't mean I'm  a failure. We have spoken to many less active members, some of whom were past stake presidents and bishops that have not opened their doors to anyone for years. I realized that its all the same work. Baptize, reactivate, and retain. 

I love and miss everyone and hope you all have a good week too. 

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Time is Flying

Dear family and friends,

Thanks for the letters. We had an interesting week here. A lot of work. Like I've written the last few weeks we need new people to teach, and it has been really hard to find them. It's harder than I thought, but I'm not losing faith. We're getting out there everyday and feel that the Lord is guiding us. I had a few cool experiences this week. 

We did exchanges with two elders in the zone. I went out to work with Elder Molina from Costa Rica who is a really cool guy. We were in one of the farther neighborhoods in my area and we contacted a house that I had wanted to visit before but never did. We met a young man named Santiago who is 18 years old. We had a good discussion and I'm excited to see him again.

Another cool thing that happened to us this week was being the first missionaries to talk to certain people in our area. We talked with a group of four young people all around our age on Friday. They said that they had seen us in the past and wondered what we do and why we are here. We were able to make a good impression and I know they understood what we taught them. The spirit was telling them that it was something positive.

We had a really good service project that same day for a lady in the ward, Hermana Rosa. It was the third and final time we went to pull weeds in her front lawn.

Time is passing by quickly! Elder Carroll got here a month ago and it feels like it was yesterday. I love everyone and love what I'm doing. It's not easy but its worth it. 

Have an excellent week!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack