Nazis, Kisses and One Surprise More Photos

We made apple pie empanadas and they were very yummy 

Hey you Highland people.... check it Elder Hyded my district leader graduatd with me

​We went bowling for a district activity... living in the richest part of the mission has is perks a veces​

Ricardo got babtized and I am so so happy :) my favorite man of all time :)

Nazis, Kisses and One Surprise More

So this week was a pretty good one over all. We worked hard as always and it is starting to heat up here and we are starting to bake a little bit but woooohooo :) its all good :)

I had intercambios with Hermana Ochoa and that was pretty fun but her area is kinda far so lots of time traveling which isn't fun but oh well. I learned a lot from her and we were able to see some little miracles in our day. 

So some interesting stories to share....

We met a Nazi... WOOOOHOOO. We rang a doorbell looking for a contact and this man came out and just yelled at us...¨hey are you guys jehovas witnesses??¨ and we were like, ¨no....¨and he as like, ¨oh okay good cuz I would want to kill you if you were, my grandpa was with Hitler and he killed Jews and I kill Jews too.¨ ....... and so basically we said goodbye and ran away quickly..... haha the people you meet on the mission... Argentina kills me :) 

Also I got a kiss.... it was terrible. So my comp and I started contacted some people on the street and there were 3 of them so I started talking to a couple and my comp started talkingto this old guy- the people I was talking to, cute little oldies, were kinda interested so we set an appointment to come back y todo of that jazz. Meanwhile my comp was talking to the man who just hates the United States and wanted to fight. Anyway I said goodbye to my contacts and turned to say goodbye to her contact and he was coming at me going in for the kiss right... which is totally normal, I probably have to dodge about 10 kisses a day and I am a pro right? You just stick out your hand and pretend you are doing the limbo and move your head way out of reach and beg ¨with the hand with the hand we are missionaries¨ but man was this little oldie determined I have my hand outstretched practically bent over backwards to avoid him but he just kept coming in for it, so by this point I am shoving him aways with my arm right but he just hugged me and got a kiss on my chin and then let me go... it was terrible. But hey ... Argentina right? :)

So this area is one of the hardest in the mission. People in Buenos Aires are kinda just a closed off people, and when they have money, even more so. Our area has money to say the least so lots of people don't feel like they need anything more in their life. Sometimes in this area we go out and work all day and come back home and we had no lessons, everyone we talked to didn't want anything to do with us and it is kinda hard but overall we have a super good attitude. We just grin and bear it with a laugh. But sometimes it is nice too to see the fruits or get a little recognition for what you do, right? Like our whole district in district meeting is like we have  baptisms this week and we are like... we are still looking for an investigator but its all good. So that has been hard these last months on my comp and I. 

To illustrate, we went and rang the doorbell of a man Friday and he was busy but we invited him to church and a fireside of investigators and he said maybe the fireside and we told him we would pass by to look for him before the meeting, right? So anyway we pass by Sunday and noone answered the door and maybe that should disappoint me but we were just like okay, lets go to the fireside. We are just kinda used to rejection I guess :) so we get to the firside which is all the missionaries in the zone, like 30 and their investigators and recent converts, so not a ton of people mostly missionaries honestly, and we had a recent convert with us which was good cuz we felt like we had someone at least, right? :) and we are just sitting there in this q and a type fireside and suddenly this man pipes up from the back, "Hi I´m Andres and I got here late cuz the chicas passed by for me but I was showering but I came." And then he saw us and pointed at us and was like there they are and we just smiled and waved at him. But holy cow, we felt so good to have just a little success here. And the whole zone saw it and know how hard our zone is so they congratulated us and were happy for us and it was just ..... a really good moment. My comp and I celebrated with popcorn :) 

I have learned that the mission is super hard for LOTS of reasons I didn't think would be hard, but I have also learned that the joy you feel in the mission.... is indescribable. I am so happy to be a missionary. It is hard and sometimes you cry cuz you are discouargared and tired but sometimes you cry cuz you are happy and get to see people change. There really is nothing more wonderful. 

Amor from the other side of the world.

-- 

Heramana Walker

Helping Others Photos

92 year old Lujarda made us lunch again :) 

the street party outside our pench yesterday! 

it was sunday and i dont know if it is normal! they were chanting songs in some african language and it kinda scared us... :) 

our street

a random house that is cool :) 

there are always dogs on the roofs barking at us! 

Helping Others

This week was a really good one! My comp and I were able to settle into our new apartment and it turned out nice :) On Wednesday I had a Leadership Meeting, so all the Capacitadoras (Sister Training Leaders) and the Zone Leaders went and had a reunion with Presidente Calquin. More than anything we brainstormed ideas for how we are going to use the new Christmas campaign of the Church this year in our proselyting efforts! I am super excited! President ordered so many pass along cards that we are really gonna have to up our game to pass them all out, and I am excited! It really got me animated to help others!! We tried to think super creatively and it was super fun! It reminded me of a story in the biblia I studied about Gideon! He had to fight a huge army with few people and how did he do it?? Creatively! With lights and trumpets! :) We are excited to think outside of the box and really mark our presence here in Buenos Aires ;)  

We also had our interviews with President this week and it was a good opportunity to share with him how I see the mission and what it is that I see that we need to change!  He is a really good guy and really wants to help us as missionaries. He sees the potential in us that sometimes we don't see and that is inspiring! :) 

 Our area is definitely one of the hardest in the mission but we find joy in every day. We had one day where we ended up with more Libros (Books) de Mormon in our backpacks than when we went out cuz some investigators dropped us but we had pastries for dinner so ya know :) balance :) 

 

Also our favorite Menos Activa (less active) gave us lunch! 92 year old Lujarda! She told us she woke up in the morning and didn't know what to cook so she said a prayer and Heavenly Father gave her the idea for something rica! (delicious) It was delicious! She is so cute and we have hope that really soon she will come to church !! :) 

We are super pumped to ponernos pilas (use our batteries)  this week and find a ton of new people to teach and would love the help of some prayers!! Thanks for all the support ! 

-- 

Abby

The Week We Died Photos

You could say this companionship has unity, we didn't plan this :) 

The New Pench

HNA SALAZAR USING AN OLD WIVES TALE TO COOL OFF 

INTERCAMBIOS WITH HNA MCBRIDE

THE WEIRDEST FOWER I HAVE EVER SEEN WITH HNA OCHOA

The Week We Died

So this week has been a really, really, really long one to say the least. So Tuesday after District Meeting I had my first intercambio as capacitadora with Hermana Salazar. She just arrived in the mission field a week before and she is 26 and from Chubut Argentina. We had a really good intercambio. She was struggling a bit cuz her comp is kinda shy and so she didn't feel like she was talking to as many people as she wanted to, so we had an animo pep talk and then we left in the morning and street contacted a ton and it went amazingly well with her! We met a bunch of people with lots of interest (not a single one lives in my area, but hey the Lord works in weird ways right?) and one of them even gave us a big bottle of grapefruit soda, which is really common here and delicious, and it went super well. But it also kinda wore me out, I had to help her and run my area and it was super hot which really drains you so I was ready for a break, right..... BUT NOPE :) 

Next stop, Aldo Bonzi, an hour and a half bus ride away for my intercambio with Hna McBride.

It went well too, we met a bunch of people, set an appointment to go back with a testigo de Jehova and had lunch and all good up to this point right? :) She is pretty new and the mission and still really struggles with Spanish so I helped her out with some study tips and pronunciation practice and then we had something they call a tormenta blanca here (basically white storm) So what happens in these things is a ton of missionaries (mostly elderes in white shirts thus the white) all go to one ward for a few hours to work their tails off to help out a struggling area. So with Hna McBride we went then to Ciudad Evita 2 to have a tormenta blanca there and we did divisions and I went with Hna. Ochoa and we worked our tails off and ran around like crazy people to contact more people! 

To say the least by the end of the day I was wiped and ready for a bus ride home to my comp who is basically my best friend ever, but the other capacitadora showed up and was like no we are gonna camp in their pench today cuz we didn't pay and now my pench doesn't have light or water and I just wanted to go home to my comp but we all 4 slept the night in Aldo Bonzi and then got up early to go back home to Banfield 2 and my comp.... so by now I am really tired and ready for a break right? But wait there is more :) We show up at my apt. and the other capacitadoras comp is super sick in my bed with a fever and my comp looks drained too and well they leave all sick and she tells me all that went down while we were apart and basically just a lot of drama with other hermanas and lots of health problems and that the elders told us to pack our bags we will be moving out of the kitchen soon and.. exhaustion to a new level :)

Then we had a nice day of rest, we went and had a lesson with the Bishop and one of our investigators who read the internet looking for reasons NOT to believe in the Book of Mormon so we just tried our hardest not to fight with him and just bore our testimonies. But he really was just looking to fight with us not to change so that was hard. But we just kept going with our day :) It had rained SUPER hard in the morning so we left all bundled up against the rain right, but then by 3 there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was SUPER hot so to cool off we filled our rain boots with water and walked around with little swamps in our feet and it was quite pleasant :) haha #whatyougonnado 

Sunday in the morning was great too. We got to church in the morning and it just felt like coming home. We walked in and it was Mother's Day here (I LOVE YOU MOM :)) so there were flowers for the women and we had made little cards for all our ¨moms¨ in the ward and we knew everyone and we just felt super good :)  I think the Lord knew we needed that little break after everything and before everything that he was about to send our way! So after church we headed back to our kitchen home and packed all our bags to move, the elders came to bring our stuff and we went to the new apt. dropped off our stuff and the Elders were like we gotta go so we let them and went to a ward meeting and then we came back to unpack and settle in right.... and so many problems, no hot water, no water filter to drink, the fridge doesn't work and we have food, and just a ton of things and at the end of a hard week it was a bit too much for us.

So naturally we were ready for a break pday..... hahaha no. So we left in the morning to go shopping for food and a broom and a few other necessities like toilet paper we hadn't had and we got back and found that the lock we had closed, the key was COMPLETELY STRIPPED. So we kinda lost it there in the hallway crying cuz we couldn't get into the pench to put our milk in the fridge that didn't work..... we went to the place that rents to us, went to the bank to get money, called a locksmith, called our district leader who helped us out a ton (felt bad because for our fault they cancelled the district activity of bowling) and basically I am here now writing this letter very very tired emotionally and physically. BUT HEY It is all okay because the Lord already knows.

Today in the morning in my peronal study on the floor cuz #nodesk I was reading Our Search for Happiness by Elder Ballard and there is a part that was talking about missionaries and exhorted people if they want to know if the church is true to follow the missionaries for a few hours. Because we are literally supported by the hand of the Lord. I know I couldn't take so much rejection and hardship and responsibility and I just couldn't be a missionary unless I KNEW without a shadow of a doubt that this is the true church and that I am on the Lord´s Errand. I KNOW IT. I know it and it gives me the strength to push onward. I know the Lord supports me, knew what I read this morning I needed to read to remind me that I KNOW this is true. I know that nothing in life will ever bless me as much as the gospel. I love the Lord and while being the Lord's servant isn't easy I love it. 

From the other side of the world,

Hermana Walker

October 10 Photos

LOOK!!! RICARDO went to the temple!!! AHHH :) I love and miss that man :)

With my 2 hijas!! Hma Gonzalez is gonna be training a newbie which makes me a grandma wooohoo! :;) 

Pastries in the train station :) 

Check out the garden outside our apartment!! Spring is here :) and also how about that the real rose in the jardin who is my comp no? :) 

PRIMAVERA!!!

Tacos a la Pobre Misionera 

cooking! 

almost cafe rio? 

October 10

So this week was a pretty good one as far as weeks go! I learned how dang powerful the Book of Mormon is and how to cook beans and that my comp is my favorite person on earth (but we already knew that right?) 

So let´s start with the Book of Mormon, so yesterday we went and tried to get an appointment with Maximiliano and we ended up just talking outside and he was just throwing all these questions and Bible verses at us and so finally I just pulled out the Book of Mormon and was like, okay so look, you have a LOT of questions. But this Book has ALL the answers so you have to read it and then ask God if it is true and he kinda ignored me and was like yeah but nowhere in the Bible does it say the sacrament is symbolically the body of Christ, it is literal.... and I just opened up to good old Moroni and the sacrament prayer and read it and BAM! answer! and his doubts and beliefs about infant baptism Moroni 8! It is all there in the Book of Mormon. We weren't fighting but just testifying of what we know. I KNOW the Book of Mormon is true, so while I may not know the docrtinal answer to everything, I have that. And I could testify to Maxi that, I know the Book of Mormon is true and he can know too, and it was super cool cuz after that he was just left a little stunned and said he would read some more so that was cool.

Also we made tacos!! Without meat but hey #notime and #nomoney :) gotta love the mission :) but it was super yummy! We had a party with all 4 of us in the pench all this week :) wooo hoo:)

Also we got to do service for a recent convert in her garden that was a mess and that was super fun! Because SPRING IS HERE ;) and there are so many pretty flowers here :) I have to restrain myself from taking pictures of EVERYTHING :) 

Also good news our health has been pretty good! NO more trips to the hospital for us! Although I did wake up one day with a sore throught and had a super low voice for 3 days and my comp kept calling me Elder Walker, isn't she funny!  

What else did we do this week?  We had to go start my comps visa paperwork.... and..... we basically just worked really hard trying to find a new investigador and found one WOOHOO!! He believes his little Evangelica church is the true church but we challenged him to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it and while he is skeptical he said he would do it so yeah! 

Oh, also Florencia, our investigador is buenisimo!!! Holy cow we gave her a Book of Mormon and explained what it was and how she can know for herself if it is from God and then in her prayer she was thanking God for us and for the Book that was important for her and ahhhh!! so tender! Love being a missionary :) its the best :)

I love you all! Abrazos y besos 

Hna Walker

Hey There Is A Prophet Photos

Tacos a la Argentina, some members tried to make my comp tacos and then gave us ham and boiled egg and cucumber and tomatoes and lettuce to put in it and mayonaise, it is the thought that counts, right? :) we were happy :) 

The District and the Zone :) 

Our conference snack bags, all the elders were suddenly our friends, who would have thought?? ,)

 

Saying goodbye to Hna Edgar who went home today and is headed to UVU!!