Blessings are coming down like rain.....

(please note that this post is out of order)

November 1, 2010

Blessings are coming down like rain….

We´ve had a lot of blessings this week! And maybe just a little bit more rain. And a LOT more wind... I´ll send a picture of our halloween costumes and wind hair.
First off, I realize the past 2 weeks I´ve said that we´re going to get a baptismal date with Aurelia and didn´t say anything more about it... well, we got it! She still needs to stop smoking, but we´re working towards November 14th! She says she doesn´t feel ready, but she wants to be ready and we know she can be. We gave her a Bible this week to go along with her Book of Mormon and she was really happy about it and it makes her want to read the Book of Mormon more now that she can look up the footnotes in the Bible.
We also have another baptismal date with Iara! The other picture I´m sending is me with her. That is a rainy-day hair picture. I´m just learning all of these new hair styles!
The rain brings lots of blessings, though, because people are more likely to say "poor girls! come in out of the rain!" as opposed to when it´s just cold and they say "ah, it´s cold!" and just close the door in our faces. So we found a new family to teach that way. They´re really great and normal and the HUSBAND (yes, they are already married) has a steady job and a new car. That´s definitely a first for me in the mission. We usually teach very humble people. But they´re a great family and both parents are interested in learning more and seeing the organization we have for the youth. As well as another family (ALSO already married!) that we found. So we´re really excited about the work right now and the ward is, too, because a lot of the investigators we´ve found have been coming to church. This has kind of been a dead area for a while, but it´s really picking up! There are tons of people out there just waiting for us!
Also this Wednesday we got to pass through an Argentine census day. It´s even more special than the world cup because it only happens every 10 years. What they do is they make you stay in your house until they come knock on your door and ask you where you´re from and how old you are and what your floor is made of and if your bathroom is a bathroom or a latrine... Welcome to my mundo... So that was fun just sitting in the house all day. Good thing I´m used to it!
On Wednesday we discovered another new activity that we love (like yelling at the dog 2 floors down). We really enjoy reading the Old Testament like Yoda (from Star Wars) talks. Give it a try sometime! Yes, we get bored...
Another highlight was Stake Conference. Our mission president came and told everyone that if they had 5 stakes in Mar del Plata we would be eligible for a temple. Of course that got everyone really excited because we already have 2 and they´re about to divide into a third. Hopefully I´m here for the division--I think that will be fun. The conference was FULL though and on a rainy day (a lot of Argentines don´t go to church when it´s rainy because they just can´t get there). I can´t imagine what it would have been like if it was a nice day! We wouldn´t have been able to fit everyone! So now everyone is excited about missionary work because they want a temple. We got a bunch of member references that day and set up times with them to go visit their friends. It was great! Way to go Pres!
We also had a really great ward activity on Friday. The youth put on a talent show and a lot of them brought non-member family and friends.
The cultural hall was full and the youth did great! We didn´t get to stay the whole time, but we heard it was great and we also got some good references from that! Aurelia loved it, too. She loves the church and everything she learns... and that is why we´re going to baptize her :) And Iara participated. She´s pretty much already a member, she just needs to get baptized.
This is such a great area and such a great work! There are people waiting for us, we just need to let them know that it´s us we´re waiting for! Be a good friend and share the gospel :) I love you all and thank you for the prayers!
-Hna. LaPray
P.S. In case you didn´t notice in the picture, we were each other for Halloween.