transfers and goodbyes and sunrises - General La Madrid

Crazy and long but good week!

We had multizone conference this week, which was great cuz I got to see some of my old companions, plus it was the first conference of the new mission president, so that was fun. However, it was sad too, because this was the last conference of one of my old comps, Elder Bingham, who was with me in Catamarca. He's the first of my comps to finish the mission. He's on his way home as I'm writing this email. Good guy, if any of you are going to BYU, you'll have to say hi from Elder Jenkins:)

This week was also transfers, and my comp Elder Oyarzabal got assigned to a new area, Santa Ana, so a lot of this week was spent saying goodbye. We visited a few families, and ate some great dinners. 

Earlier today we left to the terminal to meet up with all the missionaries, where I dropped off Elder Oyarzabal, and picked up my new companion from Chile, Elder Ortega. He's from the same group as Oyarzabal and my hijo Elder Miliotto, so I've already gotten to know him a bit from before, he's a cool guy, I think we'll get along great.

Hope you all have a great week, find ways to help those around you! Every morning, ask God who needs your help, and pray for the ability to find that person and follow through with the prompting!

Elder Jenkins

Book of Mormon pic with Elder Kotter, Elder Lucker, and Presidente Hintze

Bye Elder Bingham

appreciated sunrise on Sunday

cool flag wall art

the catheral in centro

my new agenda

very small dog

my new comp from Chile, Elder Ortega

al agua

Finally in the Argentina CORDOBA Mission - General La Madrid

Wow a lot happened this week, but the most exciting would be leaving Dean Funes to go to my new area! I spent the week working, and after a long long wait, we found out that I would be leaving to go to the area General La Madrid, which is sitting in Cordoba Capital! super super cool, and Im super excited. Im writing this email on my first day but I already love it here. I love cities in general, and there's so much to do, lots of people to teach! it'll be awesome. BUT it was sad leaving Dean Funes. I thought I was super ready to leave, but then saying goodbye to some of the families was real hard. its all good though, my son Elder Miliotto will take good care of them. My new companion is Elder Oyarzabal, from Uruguay, and he has the same amount of time in the mission as Elder Miliotto, and he seems way cool. All in all, Im super stoked for this transfer, with a change of pace from Dean Funes.

Last week we had a conference of the whole mission to listen to Elder Whitney Clayton of the Seventy, so I got to see all my old friends, I took pics with each of my companions up until now, which could be the last time I see them all in one place, because Elder Bingham finishes the mission soon. 

I don't have much else to say, but I have a lot of pictures, and I'm sure I'll have a lot to say about my new area next week! love you guys, peace out!

It's always been our dream - Dean Funes

How are ya? 

This is gonna be a short email, I don't have much time, but there's a chance I'll be able to email tomorrow but I'm not sure. Thats because...

I'm leaving Catamarca! I have mixed feelings about it, these past 4 and a half months have been really amazing, and I've learned so much. I'll definitely remember all the experiences I've had here. Yesterday and today have been filled with saying goodbye to so many of the awesome people I've met during my time here, it was a lot harder than I was expecting. They'll be alright though, Elder Bingham and his son (he's gonna train a new missionary) are going to keep checking up on all of them. I said bye to Graciela, Andrea, Lucia, and her daughters, which was one of the hardest things of my mission so far, they were one of my first visits, and I've been to their house so many times, they're like family. Ill miss them so much. Also last night Elder Constanza, my first zone leader, left to Córdoba to go back to his home in El Salvador. He's been a great example and teacher to me, and he's finished his mission like a champ.

Tonight I leave on my way to Dean Funes, another city in the middle of nowhere! This time in the province of Córdoba, but halfway on the way back to Catamarca. I'll be with Elder Olivera from Brazil, and I'm stoked. It'll be fun to get to know more people and a new place.

If I'm able to email when I get there, I'll send photos and stuff, but love you all, hope everything is going well!

You're one big beaver,

Elder Jenkins

Arm in arm, we'll win the fight - Catamarca

February already? Someone needs to tell me if the Groundhog saw his shadow or not, and what that means for the Southern Hemisphere, cuz I could use some cold weather right about now.

Another good week of work in Catamarca! I think I'm finally going to be blister free, after over a month of foot pain haha! gotta love Catamarca heat and inconvenient walking! nah but we're good, Elder Bingham has been a lot sicker than I have so I have a good example to follow of working hard.

We had a really great lesson last night, I started out unable to speak, I don't know what happened. But partway through, I said a quick prayer to myself, took a deep breath, and the Spirit helped me a lot, and we had a very powerful lesson to 4 new people. 

Not too much else for this week, the Church is true, because it's the same Church that Jesus established, and He is still it's head! Next week is transfers again, CRAZY, and this time it's pretty likely that I'll leave Catamarca, but who knows? I'm not certain I'll be able to email next week but I'll try!

There's the flavor,

Elder Jenkins

Panchita the parrot drinking mate

The baby of the lady Farfal and I baptized

Getting a haircut

Intercambios with Elder Macquehue from Chile. This is his first transfer, and he's awesome, reminds me a lot of Elder Farfal, also from Chile

drinking pritty limón soda with Elder Bingham

Corbataza (neck tie)

Me with some cool murals/art 

There's no better team - Catamarca

There's no better team than Elder Bingham and I, I tell you what. We've been working dang hard out here in Catamarca, especially because chances are that I'll get transferred out next transfer, so I probably have two weeks to leave any mark I'm going to leave in this place. Gotta stay on that grind.

I just want to share a short experience from this week that was really special to me, and is hard evidence that the church is true. Because it is.

A little while ago, we were walking down a street, and we saw a recent convert in front of a food service building, so we said hi. When we walked up, the service ladies inside invited us in for mate and to share a message. It was awesome, we talked, most were super duper Catholic, but one woman wasn't very religious and had a ton of questions that we answered as best we could, and we set another return appointment. Went back another day, and taught them about the Restoration, and the Book of Mormon. We could see she was a little skeptical about Joseph Smith seeing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but she was really intrigued by the Book of Mormon. We asked her to read it and pray, and told her she would receive an answer about our church. She said that she didn't think she would, but she would try. 

When we went back the next time, she sat outside with us, and told us that the other ladies were saying bad stuff about our church. We asked her if she read and she said that she read what we told her to, but it was boring. 

RIP.

BUT THEN. She said that she started reading a different part of the Book, specifically the Introduction. She said she prayed and felt a feeling that she couldn't describe, but she felt really calm and peaceful about all of it, and that she wanted to learn even more. She also told us that she liked what we taught and that she WANTS TO JOIN OUR CHURCH. We need to finish teaching her everything and have her come to church, but I feel like this story shows the true power that the Book of Mormon has. Its the truth, man. Sometimes we take the scriptures for granted, SO DON'T! READ YOUR SCRIPTURES, PEOPLE!!! Seriously you'll receive so many blessings, including an answer like Alejandra if you need it. 

Love you all, the church is true, the book is blue. 

Get dunked on,

Elder Jenkins

PS I tried sending a ton of awesome pictures of my adventures in making some Donut Balls, but they might have to wait. but in the meantime you have the end result.

Come with me, the time is right - Catamarca

Catamarca is the best. This week has been great, we've seen a lot of small miracles. 

We've started visiting with a couple that has a little daughter, the dad is an inactive member, but his girlfriend isn't a member, but she wants to get married then baptized so bad. Which is really convenient, because since my companion Elder Bingham was the mission secretary, he knows all about the paperwork for everything, so we've been able to help them make steps towards those goals.

This Sunday in church, a new face showed up and just straight up said that he's investigating the church and wants us to visit him. He lives in our area and we visited him yesterday, and he has so much faith. He told us about family members that were members, and how the Gospel gave them peace in hard times. He wanted the same peace and to help his family have it too. What a guy. 

Not too much to say this week, but everything is going great! Pics this week include:

Nice sunset

Me riding a motorcycle

Eating Shawarma with Elder Bingham to celebrate another successful week

Playing Heart and Soul on piano with Elder Campbell for way too long

Hope you all have a great week, remember that God loves you and you can show your love for Him by doing the small things He asks of us! The Book of Mormon is true! Love you guys!

"Big, big, big, big, water,"

Elder Jenkins

I will battle every day - Catamarca

Wow what a week.

Lowlights:

Saying bye to Elder Farfal, he's been an awesome trainer, but I'll see him a lot these next 6 months since he'll be in the mission office.

I ran out of toothpaste, so I bought some new toothpaste, but the lack of minty freshness is disheartening to say the least.

Highlights:

Elder Bingham! He just ended his time as the mission secretary in the mission office, and now he's out in Catamarca with me! We've had a lot of great success working together, and we get along really great. We've been contacting in a lot of new parts of our area, and we have found some great people. One street in particular really made me feel the Spirit when everyone was so interested in what we had to say, and our message, and gringo-ness, that we were just sitting on the curb talking about the Gospel and prayer, with about 15 people gathered around listening, aging from 2 to 8 to teenagers to adults to old men. It was so cool to see all these people and how all of them are able to benefit from the message of the Gospel of Christ.

We've been listening to a lot of Conference and BYU talks by different apostles, and I liked a few in particular that talked about doing the little things, and the Book of Mormon. Henry B. Eyring talked about how if we are able to enhance our efforts in the little things (scripture study, prayer, etc.) we will be blessed. Not only should we, but we need to improve in those areas in this changing world. Dallin H. Oaks talked about the importance of the Book of Mormon, and why it's important. We need to recognize/remember that the Book of Mormon's purpose is to testify of Christ. It really is "Another Testament of Jesus Christ." It's awesome. Everyone please make an effort to read the Book of Mormon every day.

We had to move a baptism date back a week so we could fit in everything we needed to teach her, but she passed the pre-baptismal interview and is way excited!

This week has been great, I'm excited for more time and work with Elder Bingham in Catamarca, hopefully with some days where the whole world doesn't feel like it's on fire. Loves.

"I like shorts, they're comfy and easy to wear!"

Elder Jenkins

With courage I will face - Catamarca

Hey! and Happy New Year everyone!

Everyone be sure to give 2018 the sendoff it deserves by listening to the best song to come out this year, (and the best song of all time), Me and Michael by MGMT. Also start off 2019 right by listening to Me and Michael by MGMT. And might as well make it a daily habit. Just saying.

This week was pretty good, a lot of anticipation to know about transfers coming up! Elder Farfal is going to go to Cordoba, to be in the Mission Office as the Pensionero! Exciting stuff. I'll be staying in Catamarca for at least one more transfer, and the old Secretary of the mission, Elder Bingham, will be my new companion! I'm really excited, I've gotten to know him a little bit already from the times I've traveled to Cordoba, he seems like a really good guy, and a hard worker. Elder Farfal leaves Tuesday night, and Elder Bingham gets here Wednesday morning. Im stoked.

We've been teaching a girl in a partial-member family, and she's progressed faster than anyone I've taught before. After her first sacrament meeting, she said that she already knew that this was the true church. And she has a baptismal date for this week! So if all goes well you'll get some pics next week!

Love and miss you all, hope you had a great 2018, and that 2019 will be even better! (Which it will be if you listen to Me and Michael. Just saying...)

Flameo, hotman,

Elder Jenkins