I will travel across the land - Catamarca

This week, wow.

So the earlier part of the week was pretty unexciting, just teaching lessons, trying to find new people, and it was transfers last week, so we met the three new greenies in Catamarca, Elders Larsen, Houghton, and Olivera. They all seem great.

I'm starting to realize that I need to start eating better (cuz believe it or not I'm starting to get quite plump around the belly) and its good news because our stove finally started working after almost 2 months of not working, so we can start cooking some nice healthy stuff to eat, instead of buying hot dogs and alfajores all the time.

K now here's the story of the worst and best parts of my week, back to back. It started on Sunday, we had 5 people we were hoping would come to church this week, and that they would all keep progressing. The morning of, one slept in, one didn't answer, and the other three have been acting really strange lately, and not answering us, or have been too busy to talk, including Sunday morning, when the kids told us that the mom had gone out shopping and wouldn't be back to go to church. We were super bummed, especially about the family, because we love them so much, and they've been progressing so well up to this point, we'd be so sad if they stopped listening to us, but that was the way it was starting to seem.

After church, and the whole rest of the day, and the next morning, I was constantly praying that the people we were teaching would keep progressing and listening to the Gospel, and that we would be able to find the people the Lord had prepared for us to teach (with the fear that we would lose the family.) 

We left the pension yesterday, still a little bummed, but with faith that the Lord would answer our prayers to find more people as we went clapping gates (you clap outside the gates of houses most of the time instead of knocking on their doors.) Before we had walked even 4 blocks, before clapping at any houses, a man walking past us stopped us and said "Elders!" We started talking to him, and he only responded in really good English. He told us that he listened to the Elders a long time ago. He was super friendly and said that he lived nearby, and we could stop by to share a message and drink mate together. The whole time I was caught off guard, first of all because he was speaking English almost fluently, and also because the Lord had answered our prayer so fast and fully.

Elder Farfal and I were stoked out of our minds, and spent a while looking for more people, with little success, but it was okay because we already knew the Lord had answered our prayers. We were close to the family's house so we decided to stop by, and I was preparing myself for the worst, that she would tell us that she wasn't interested anymore, because that's what we were expecting after the last few visits. Instead, she answered the door, invited us in like normal, and we had a great conversation and taught her about the Word of Wisdom. We were stoked again, and right before we finished the lesson, her friend showed up at her house. We all started talking about religion and different things, and her friend brought up that her boyfriend passed away recently, and wished she knew where he was right now. Elder Farfal and I instantly recognized another blessed opportunity from the Lord, and taught her the Plan of Salvation, which she accepted very well, along with a baptismal date the same day as the family. 

I honestly can't describe how amazing yesterday was. This was the first time in my life that the Lord has answered my prayers so quickly and fully. There's no way that coincidentally after praying our hardest we would have one of our most successful days so far, with two amazing new people that are so interested. I know that the Lord hears and answers prayers, and that you can pray to Him with the problems and concerns of your heart, if you ask in faith, you will receive an answer and blessings that you need. He is ready and willing to give, just ask in faith.

Sorry this is so long, I just needed to share this awesome experience with you all. Talk to you next week.

The Law has entered the game,

Elder Jenkins

To train them is my cause - Catamarca

Wowza this week was awesome! Honestly probably my favorite of the mission so far! (I'm gonna send pictures of everything through a Google drive folder with comments on each picture, let me know if it works well, or if I should send them a different way)

So first off, this week our Zona Catamarca returned to Córdoba for Zone Conference. Since everyone's gonna be busy during December, this conference was Christmas themed, which got me hyped. We saw a whole bunch of missionaries from other zones, heard some awesome messages from the assistants and the president and his wife, ate some dank food, and performed skits that we prepared (I got a video of the best part.) We hit the town for a little bit afterwards because none of us had really explored Córdoba much, cuz we live 6 hours away.

Definite highlight of this week was a baptism! It was really cool, his family was really excited, I was nervous about messing up in Spanish, and the water wouldn't fill all the way (and Lil guy is super tiny) so I baptized him on my knees. It was de diez. We had some cake afterwards to celebrate. I felt so happy the whole time for him.

Since we were in the Christmas vibe after conference, and we are starting a new transfer, we decided to switch around the whole pension and decorate for Navidad. The pension definitely feels a lot more alive, and now we can study where we have an air machine so we don't have to be roasted alive while we're trying to feel the Spirit. 

Last week we went to a farm, pics included.

We were being driven around by a member, and after we taught a family with him, he was driving us home, and we were going past the home of one of the families we're teaching and we decided to visit them and walk the 35-40 minutes home instead of get driven home, but it was awesome. I love visiting that family because they are all so humble, and have so much faith. I spent a lot of the time talking about my pictures, and teaching a short lesson with Elder Farfal. I felt the Spirit super strong the whole time, and afterwards, Elder Farfal told me that she was really surprised about how fast my Spanish has progressed. Made me feel real good, and I know it's the gift of tongues and the Spirit that have helped me grow in the language, and I'm really grateful. 

Speaking of grateful, Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up, so make sure you think of things and people you're grateful for, and express your gratitude to Heavenly Father. We all have so many blessings, and Heavenly Father loves when we show gratitude for those things. Also, a great way to show gratitude is to serve others. I gave a talk in church this week about serving like Christ, and "abounding in good works." Look for ways to serve these next few weeks.

It's dangerous to go alone, take this,

Elder Jenkins

To catch them is my real test - Catamarca

I don't have much to say this week, sorry everyone.

BUT do something this week that puts a song in your heart. It's easy to have a song stuck in your head (for example, I heard Tainted Love on the radio over a month ago, and Blue Monday has been stuck in my head ever since, I know that doesn't make sense but it's true.) Do something that you love and put a song in your heart, it could be eating, going into the mountains, or sharing the Gospel. Whatever it is, do it. 

This Saturday, we're gonna have a baptism for an 8 year old of a family that's kinda less active but on the borderline, so I get to perform the baptism which is awesome, even though it doesn't count for the mission numbers, but that doesn't matter, it's all about the salvation of another soul. 

K I really don't have much to say at all, this week we went to a farm and saw some cool animals, it was fun. See you all soon.

I fight for my friends,

Elder Jenkins

Like no one ever was - Catamarca

Hey wazzzzzzzzup I forgot my notebook with all the stuff I wanted to email, so this email might be a little bit shorter, and next week might be a novel. Who knows.

Anyways this week was great as usual, more working and more learning. I figured I should tell you guys a little bit about the people we're teaching right now. My favorite fam is a woman and her kids.  She's 25 and has I think 4 kids. We've been teaching her and she's so receptive to everything, and loves the Church. Her son is planning on getting baptized with her later this month! She has another son that's 11, and he is in a wheelchair with some physical and mental handicaps, but he's so funny and such a great kid. We've been figuring out with the bishop whether or not he needs the ordinance of baptism, because of his disabilities, and right now it's looking like he will be baptized as well, because he wants to with his family. How sweet. 

We're also teaching a guy who's around 30 years old. He's way receptive also, working on giving up alcohol and drugs. He came to church with us and really enjoyed it, so we're hoping he follows through with his baptismal date later this month as well! We also are teaching a 19 year old with a little girl and another child on the way. Her sister and mom are members already, and that family is honestly the greatest. They help out the missionaries so much and have been the most kind to me ever since I came to Catamarca. She has a baptismal date for later this month as well, and she's made a lot of progress recently in wanting to come to church and read scriptures. 

Those are our main progressing people we're teaching so if you could pray for them that they'll continue to accept the truths of the Gospel and be baptized that would be awesome! Because God answers prayers. He really does. If you're in need of something, God and Jesus Christ are standing ready to help us, we just need to demonstrate faith first. Read Ether 12:12, it's one of my favorites. That whole chapter is amazing. 

Love you all, not much else to report this week, stay sweet

Elder Jenkins