An Easter Week in Claypole

An Easter Week in Claypole

This last week was a really good one - made all the more special because it was the Semana Santa - the Holy Week.  This week Hna Menezes and I worked in the area of Claypole with the Hnas Barlow and Mattos.  We were 2 Brazilians and 2 Blondies and it was a blast!  The area of Claypole is awesome - we found sooo many people so prepared to hear the message of the Restored Gospel, it was ridiculous!

Lots of crazy stuff happened this week.  To name a few things:

• I bathed by candle light every day (not as relaxing when it is done out of necessity - but relaxing all the same)
• H Menezes and I got fined on the train cuz APPARENTLY we don’t know how the train works (#pickingonforeigners)
• We had interviews with Presidente Calquin
• One of the assistants gave a workshop where he had us imagine heading to the airport the last day of our missions and what we would want the Lord to say to us, and then we put goals to be the missionaries we want to be and my comp and I were in tears cuz #wedon’twanttogohome!  :(
• I hit my 13 month mark
• We invited the leader of a group of umbendas (a super scary religious group) to be baptized and he said yes!
• It got cold - we started using sweaters and scarves
• The Hermanas of Claypole’s district set up a stand in an outdoor market to give away Book of Mormons and we literally had people asking us for a book instead of us having to chase them down.  We gave away about 75 BOM in about 2 hours!
• We went and worked in the area of San Jose
• We accidentally got lost in the sketchy area of the Elders of Don Orione
• We were given pork to eat by some members for lunch and it still had the little piggy hairs on the meat…. not my favorite!
• We made brownies  :)
• When we got back to Adrogue Sunday, the Hermanas that live in that apartment had set up an Easter scavenger hunt for us to find 2 chocolate eggs and we had more fun than little kids finding the clues and the treasures!  :)
• In Adrogue we became electricians Sunday night when my comp broke the light switch.  To get the lights to come back on it only took 4 sister missionaries, 2 knives, flip flops, a flashlight, sketchy Argentine breaker systems, a camera and girl power!

It was a great Easter week, filled with lots of fun moments.  But for me what really made the week special was what I did to help me focus on the reason for the season - the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Every day this week, and a few days of the previous week,  I studied in the Gospels what Jesus did that day.  Where He spent His last Sabbath day, the parables of the 10 virgins and the talents just before his Last Supper on Thursday and His trials and crucifixion on Friday and then on Sunday His glorious Resurrection.  It was really moving to study Christ’s life that way, it helped me gain a deeper appreciation, understanding, and love for my Savior.  I know that the story Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us are true.  I testify that our Redeemer rose the third day and He lives today.  I know that my Redeemer lives.  And because He lives every single one of us will be resurrected one day and each and every one of us can turn to Him and receive peace, relief from sin, and hope.  That is the true meaning of Easter.