Upcoming New Companion

Things here are just turned all upside down. Not in a bad way though. Transfers came in a little earlier this time, Thursday night instead of Friday night and the news was that Elder Macovichuk was gone and I am staying. And guess what, I´m training again! I guess president thinks I did something right. I am also still district leader though the district is smaller now. The organization in the mission has changed a lot.

On top of p-days being on Mondays now, the 12 or 13 zones that there were before
have now been combined into 8 zones. They are a lot bigger and there is more
distance between the areas. The zone leaders are now comp iguales, I don´t know
what that would be in English, but it means that there is not a junior or senior
comp, they are the same time in the mission about. Then the whole zone leader
counsel and zone conference things have changed a little bit. So know I am
district leader of me, my comp, the other two elders in Perico and the elders of
Monterrico, that will be interesting because those elders are struggling a bit.
Hopefully we can help them out.

So with my new comp I have to be down in Salta on Wednesday morning around 10:00 to pick him up. He´ll be fresh from the MTC again but I have no idea if he is a gringo or a Latino. Either way the experience will be fun to go down to Salta and be with all the other elders and hermanas that are training and all that. I am kind of bummed I didn't have that opportunity with Macovichuk.

So the things have changed up a little bit but that's always a good thing every once in a while. So the baptism on Saturday went well. There was only one person who was able to participate because the other one that we had plans to have that day as well was not able to come to church. The whole thing with her family and how they obligate her to work in the family store is kind of making it hard because she works weekends until 4 in the morning so she has a tough time coming to church at 9. We are still working with her though. We actually have an appointment with her tomorrow
night so hopefully she can get the support she needs from the family and all
that.

We are also still working with a couple of the other investigators that I have been mentioning in the last couple of emails. Some new items that are pretty cool. On Sunday we were passing by a members house and business and we saw them trying to fix their car. We offered a hand if they needed it. They said that yes they needed help getting the car push started but first they wanted us to give one of the son's wife a blessing. We did and then the other son said that he wanted us to make an appointment with his wife to talk to her because now she wants to get baptized. Then we helped them push start the car and they gave us a bag of pastries and such (they own a bakery!) So that was cool.

To say the least, Macovichuk was a little bummed since that happened right as he
is leaving, but, what can you do? So right now in Argentina it is almost
carnival season. That means a lot of water balloons, buckets of water, and other
stuff. It doesn't start technically until the 5 or 9th of February or something
like that but that doesn't stop the village goers from trying to get the
missionaries wet and dirty wherever we go. It is rather entertaining actually
trying to dodge them all the time. It's good exercise :).

But anyways, we sent Macovichuk off at about 9 this morning and now it is just me hanging out with the other periqueños until my kid gets here. Thanks for everything you guys. I love you all and I appreciate everything you do.

 

 

Testimony and Pictures

Things that are going on here are pretty exciting. Not amazing, but they are cool. The baptism that we will be having is actually this Saturday at 5 our time. I think I may have told you that it was the last Saturday. We have one baptism for sure and there is a slim possibility for another but we have some good investigators that are close, they just have some challenges to overcome. Martin Suarez is scheduled for baptism this Saturday. We also have Natalia Lopez and Mikaea Moyata scheduled for baptism in a couple of weeks. We have a few more that are in the early stages of the teaching process but are very very good people who I would be thrilled to see get baptized.

If there is one thing that I have learned recently, most of the time it is not our desires that get fulfilled, but rather the desires of the Lord. These things depend highly on us because without us it would be more difficult for the Lord to do his work. I am not saying it wouldn't get done, but I am saying that we are really a key element in the Lord´s work and his glory. I know that whatever the Lord calls us to do, He is completely confident in our abilities to fulfill the tasks that have been turned over to us so far as we trust in the Lord. I have learned most on the mission that when we are always pleading for His help we are blessed. We may not be serving full-time missions but we are all missionaries in some way, shape or form, and whom the Lord CALLS he Qualifies. Don´t ever be afraid to do what the Lord has called you to do and don´t ever slack off either. Sometimes we get overwhelmed and discouraged.

I have a little theme in the mission. “The only time it is acceptable to not be standing up straight is when we are on our knees in prayer." We will go and we will do and we will receive the reward. We all know that is what we want so let´s forget ourselves and get to work. Whatever the challenge, whatever the struggle, whatever the concern, and whatever problem we have, if we take care of our stewardship's in the Lord´s kingdom, he´ll take care of us. ASK HIM, he will give; and in abundance. I know that this is true because I have been more highly blessed and favored of the Lord during these last 14 months than at any other point in my life. And I do not say that lightly, because my childhood was wonderful. I was given wonderful parents, a chosen brother and sisters. But there are certain things that I cherish that I have seen in my mission that just go beyond description. I am sure you can understand, if not, the Lord will allow you to experience what I have experienced if you ask sincerely for the opportunity.

The other details such as the language and things like that are important, but they are, nonetheless, secondary things. When we are blessed with the gift of tongues by a called and ordained servant of the Lord, we need not doubt that we will receive it if we are diligent and faithful. Our priority is to love the people amongst which we serve and wait for the blessings and then share those blessings with those same people, because they come from the Lord for all his children. Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Yes, I say yes we should because it is right, and it is what each of us wants. When our desires become the desires of the Lord, then our desires will always be fulfilled. Aligning those desires is the trick.

I love you all so much and I hope you can feel that love through this letter and this testimony. It is what I want to give to you on this special day. I love you all. Take care.

Tropic of Capricorn


Zone Conference

Elder Rose is still smiling! He and his companion are at Humahuaca, which is situated in the west of Jujuy Province. This is a colonial city that has narrow paved streets with streetlamps and adobe houses.Humahuaca was one of the most important trade centers of the region.

All Smiles here in my part of the world!

It has been a spectacular last couple of days in the mission. This last week we had zone conference and a lot of problems were resolved. The president also gave us a new challenge for the next 6 months. We will be reading the Book of moron as a mission and searching for all the references to Christ and his teachings and each coming zone conference for the next 4 transfers we will be discussing what we have learned. I am super excited about that. The president also asked us to send the notice to our families and friends:

The things in the area are good. We have some really cool people that we are teaching. They all have their individual challenges, but they are good. Jorge Mazzalla is going to church and overcoming the doubts that come and go so frequently for him. Martin, he is getting baptized next Saturday, which will be really cool because he is the only child in his family who is not yet baptized so that will be one more completed family! We are also working with a girl who is dating a less active member. They are currently living together and she needs permission from her parents to get married or get baptized or do anything so that is the current challenge. Some of our investigators still have yet to be recovered after the holidays but we are doing all we can to find them.

I have seen lately the true guidance of the Lord in this work and it is amazing how he puts us in the path of people in the most mysterious ways. I rather enjoy it :.) Things all in all with me are good; still lots of stuff to improve, but that´s the project.

Today for p-day we went to a place called Humahuaca. It is a really beautiful place with really cool stuff there. Look it up on the web and you are sure to find it. We went with 40 other missionaries and it was a blast. I got some cool stuff to bring home for you guys as long as it survives because some of it is rather fragile. I got some cool pics too. It is similar to the landscape of southern Utah.

Other cool stuff going on... not so much.

So everyone thanks for the prayers and for all you do for me. I really do appreciate it. I love you all. Take care!

¡Elder Jeff Rose!

Happy New Year Argie Style

Happy New Year from down under! Well the festivities aren't over here yet until the sixth of January which is Dia de Reyes Magos or Day of the Wise Men is what I think it is support to represent. So things are good. All of the holiday stuff has been throwing off the work pattern with all of the being banned from the streets and having zone activities, but the stuff goes good. Everything is normal.

So far the district leader responsibilities are going good, a couple of struggles here and there, but it is all good. Things are pretty dynamic in the apartment right now because of a troubled missionary that we are living with. Lots of problems that could be so easily solved, but they just have to become more difficult because of stubbornness and selfishness. That is one thing that I have learned that is very important in all relationships, no matter what kind, long distance, day to day, coworkers, family members, acquaintances, whatever situation you can think of. That is, honesty, obedience and I don´t know how to explain it but you could say it this way, don’t do dumb stuff and then try to cover it up and make it seem like you were really in the right. I guess it would be best summed up as owning up to what you do and not trying to do things that you know you shouldn't be doing and think that you are going to get away with it. I have learned a lot of lessons during the mission and this has probably been one of the most mentally tiring ones and has thrown all kinds of thoughts into my head and I just don't know what to do with the situation sometimes. I am super glad I have a zone leader and the mission president to look to though because if it weren't that way this would be really annoying. Poor mission president, I can only imagine.

As for the work and everything, we have people on vacation and the holidays kind of messed with us but I am hoping that in this next week, the things will recover a bit. This week we also have our zone conference, so that is always exciting. I love talking with president. I would hate to be in a situation doing something or not doing anything and be afraid to talk to my leaders. That would just be one of those sick feelings in your gut.

Well, anyway, this has been the dose of real life? But through it all I am doing super well. Love you guys. Keep working hard. By the way, Kim asked me if I was feeling good about my Spanish and if I had started dreaming in Spanish yet. I would say that I am pretty close to fluent if not already there, that is the gift of tongues for you, and I sleep talk in Spanish but you would have to ask my comp about that cause I don't remember :) Love you Family!
Elder Rose