On Tuesday we traveled to Neuquén for our first leadership counsel with President Casariego. We arrived a little late but we made it just in time to start the meeting. President Casariego must have been studying everyones mission photos because right when I walked in he gave me a big hug and said "Elder Kauffman we've been waiting for you."
No one will be able to replace the Lovell's, but the mission is very blessed to have the Casariego's take their place. We talked a lot about faith and something woke up inside of me when President Casariego spoke to us. He talked about having the attitude to believe that EVERY area and EVERY companionship can baptize every week if we have faith in Jesus Christ.
Before the meeting we had been asked to study a talk called "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" by Gene R. Cook. Its one that ive studied a lot on the mission. It has a story of an Uruguayan missionary that did not listen to what others said about the difficulties baptizing investigators, and in 25 days he had 18 baptisms in Paraguay. Everyone should read the talk! In the last hour of our meeting we discussed what we liked and learned from it, and at the end we learned that the missionary who had all of that success is President Casariego!
Since that meeting I've been working a lot harder, not trying to only give of myself physically, but spiritually too. The last thing president said to us was to work with all of our soul and that's stuck with me. We are really trying to animate the zone and the leaders in the ward so that the level of faith we have increases.
The half way mark of my mission hit me the other day. Yesterday a youth from our ward gave his farewell talk and he leaves for Lima today. As he was speaking I realized it had been a year ago that I gave my own farewell talk. The time continues to go by quickly. I was in the office for 7 months and now it feels like it never happened.
Ismael is going to be baptized that Saturday and I will be sure to take a lot of pictures. Pray for the (MAN), Mision Argentina Neuquén. I love everyone and I hope you have a great week. I am well. It is really cold here and it snowed yesterday right before church!
un abrazo!
Elder Kauffman aka Jack