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

Checking In

Dear family and friends,

Things are going great here and Esquel is a really cool place. There are a lot of people in the area which I like and they are all really receptive; however, there are only 12 missionaries in the zone, but everyone is ready and willing to work. Of the 12 here, three of us came from Zapala and that was an interesting change from the last transfer.

I am stoked for general conference. We are going to watch it here in the chapel of Esquel. We are a district, three branches and two church buildings, and I think everyone from the district is coming to the building I attend. I feel like there will be a Latino apostle called!

This week went well and I am getting used to the area. We met a recent convert who was just baptized but was mad about some incident that happened. He didn't want to listen to our message but calmed down after receiving a blessing. We also found an old investigator that used to  come out to church quite often. It was amazing to see how well they were received by the members of the branch. 

I had to travel quite a bit this week for a leadership meeting we had in Neuquén, but finally we can get to work here!

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

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Transfer to Esquel

I left Zapala yesterday and am now serving in Esquel which is located south of Bariloche. In fact, Esquel is the southern most area in our mission, which is why I couldn't email anyone yesterday. I traveled for 14 hours just to get here and it is beautiful. I'll take some pictures this week of the pension and the area.

We had interviews on Friday with President Carariego and he told me that I was leaving Zapala. Now that I'm here I am ready to get going! I have great confidence in the southern part of the mission. It's where I first served and I don't listen when others say it's a hard area and no one is receptive. My companion is Elder Motzkus from Salt Lake City and he reminds me of Steve Goaslind.  

In Zapala we didn't see the 25 baptisms we had set as a goal, but I saw changes in me, in the way I work, and the love that I have for people. My last night in Zapala we had a family home evening with a part member family. They told us they are finally going to be married!

I am pumped to be here. Wish me luck and pray for my success. For this transfer we have set a goal for 12 people to gain a conversion, 12 baptisms and 12 people who become temple worthy.

I love everyone!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Inviting People to Come Unto Christ

Dear family and friends,

I realize more and more every day that my purpose is to invite. If we are doing all we can to be more effective and dedicated in the way we invite people to do things that will bring them closer to Christ. That really is all we can do, and I can be happy with my efforts! The other week we found an awesome family, Israel, Yamila (dad and mom) and Solam their daughter. They are progressing little by little and I'm excited to see what happens with them.

I am hoping for some warmer weather but I don't believe it will be here in Zapala. The weather changes out of nowhere. Last week we had some beautiful days! We left the pension in short sleeve shirts and were like that all day. Three days later I left the pension with all of the clothes I had it was so cold. We had a meeting in the stake center here one night and to make it to the meeting alive we ran for a few minutes to warm ourselves up! 

This week we really saw the importance of going out with ward members to our appointments. There are not a lot of members willing to do it here, but this week we went with a  member who is coming back to church  again and she made our lesson excellent. It was with a young family who keeps all of the invitations we give them to read and pray, but they haven't come to church. Our member missionary told the family about what we do and how they were going to enjoy it. Now I believe it is key to have an Argentine with you when teaching Argentines. It just makes all of the difference. I can speak the language perfectly, but there's something about having someone from the same city when you teach.

Time is going by fast and I will be home before I know it. I am trying to stay as focused as I can, sometimes that's the biggest battle I face–what am I going to focus on?! Things always go better when I focus on the work. I believe this is my last week in Zapala but you never know for sure until you get a phone call. We have transfers this Saturday so that's when we find out. I am working hard and I am trying to stay dedicated. Elder Rosas is one of the best companions I have been with here. He came to do paperwork in Neuquén a few times while I was in the office and we always got along well. When he arrived in this area became good friends. He's a great missionary.

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

Elder Kauffman aka Jack

Elder Teixeira Visit

Saludos de Zapala!

This week was great. On Wednesday morning nine of the 12 zones in the mission went to Neuquén to listen to Elder Teixeira who is a general authority. It's always fun and a bit weird to go to Neuquén for me. We were in the stake center and I spent quite a bit of time there for zone conferences and other meetings while working in the office. 

Elder Teixeira told us he speaks 7 languages, but Spanish is not one of them. He's still learning and spoke a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese. The interesting thing was that everyone understood what he was saying. I suppose that's the spirit!

Two big questions that we have had as a mission lately are 1) How can we baptize and 2) How can we have greater support from the members? In a meeting we had with the zone leaders and sister leaders we asked Elder Teixeira both questions. 

In response to the first he said 1) it's easy fill up the font and find someone with the priesthood willing to perform the ordinance. In response to the second he said 2) members are busy and you can't expect to always have their support. Basically he showed us that in order to see the fruits we want, we need to do two things. We need to do everything by the spirit, and talk with everyone we meet. I'd say that summarizes his message in one sentence. 

So this week we did what he suggested and it went really well. For the week we had 104 street contacts, and I think every single one was a different experience. We listened to the spirit and had some great conversations about the gospel. Two of the 104 are new investigators who are really interested, and there are about eight more that we still need to visit who want to learn more.

I feel great right now! I realized this week that my purpose is not about baptism, it's about conversion. I'm here to help someone gain a testimony of the Savior, a conviction of Christ. Baptism is only a small part of that. 

I love all of you!

Elder Kauffman aka Jack