Ethan's Ten Percent in Argentina: I Can't Describe My Happiness.....

Hello my friends,

This week was full of traveling again, I think that has just been my luck the whole mission to be in zones where everything is super spread out and all the areas are really far away from each other. It wastes a lot of time in buses but its cool because we get to see a lot of different places. This week we went to las varillas to go to their district meeting and we were also going to do an interview for a baptism, but that didnt end up happening because the young man wasnt ready. ( I dont know if you guys remember Las Varillas, Ive been here a few times about a year ago, or a little more. I never thought I would see that place again.)

We were there on wednesday, the meeting was great, almost everyone in that district is brazilian (3/4) so they speak a really weird spanish but we can understand. Then on thursday Elder Kostura (brazil) and Elder Heap (a new guy from america) came to our area to work with us for a day. President wants us to bring all the elders in our zone to work in our area at least once a month, so we get to do a lot of exchanges and get to know a lot of people. It was a good day, I went with the brazilian, we were able to have some really good lessons and find some new people to teach. That day my companion stepped on a sharp rock and broke his shoe, also stabbing his foot so apparently he was in a lot of pain and came home a little early to lay in bed. He has bad luck with shoes, last night he tripped a little bit while pulling a heavy suitcase that had 60 Book of Mormons in it and the bottom of his shoe fell off, he has no shoes left that are not broken.

The rest of the week we were just working normally, except friday my comp felt like he was going to throw up so we couldnt do much in the afternoon. On saturday we had some lessons with some new people, we had a really good lesson in particular with a girl named eliana, she said that she had been to our church before when she was 15 (shes 20 now) and that she wants to go, she also accepted a baptismal invitation and wanted us to pick her up to go to church the next day. But we were calling her in the morning and she didnt answer..the curse continues. We weren't able to get any investigators to church even though we tried our best.

Church was different this sunday, we didnt have the sacrament because there was a special conferance which was broadcasted from salt lake, Elder Rasband spoke, and also Elder Christensen of the 70, I really liked his because he was brave enough to give his talk in spanish, even though it wasnt his first language obviously, and he had to correct himself a couple times, I respect it a ton because he could have easily gotten a translator like everyone else, but he didnt. There was also a sister who spoke, I cant remember her name but she talked about how sometimes the seeds people plant are not seen for a long time. It was good to keep that in mind.

However what most made me feel good about this week, and basically made me feel super happy about my mission overall was a visit to cordoba last night. We had the meeting with all the zone leaders and president in the morning, but in the afternoon me and my comp went to visit a couple of familes in La madrid (because we both served there, when he got transferred I replaced him there). We visited some members first, some good friends that want us to come visit in november. And then we went to visit Familia Lopez, they are a family of about 20 people (its a guy named angel, his wife and 3 kids, then next door lives his sister, and her 2 kids, and next to them live one of his daughters, her husband, and their 2 kids) and all of them have been baptized within the last year. Elder Baute found them, and baptized 3 people there (Angels kids). Then he left and I arrived, we helped angel and his wife to get married, they both got baptized, then we taught his sister silvias kids and baptized both of them. Silvia we taught a lot but we werent able to baptize her then, but she just now got baptized 2 weeks ago! And all of angels other kids have gotten baptized that live close by, and all their kids and they are all soo different. They are all so much happier now...I couldnt believe how different they were. Silvia was always sad or angry when we visited her before, and she smoked a ton, but when I saw her yesterday she was like a different person. She was so happy and calm...And everybody else there was so happy, they were seriously so happy to see us. (we didnt tell them we were coming) When we got there in the taxi in front of their house some of the kids were outside and they all started running around and hugging us and yelling "Elder Christensen is here! Elder Baute is here!" and it was such a good experience. They told me that they didnt think I was ever going to come back there, and that they were praying that I would come back to see them someday...they are getting sealed in the temple in december, their daughter and her husband will be getting sealed in may...angel has been able to baptize his son in law, they all have callings, a girl named victoria that I taught told us she wants to go on a mission, it was all so great I cant describe how happy I was. They are getting so blessed, when I was teaching them they were having a ton of economic problems, but now they are progressing a ton, angel just bought a brand new car for his 20 year old daughter (and where they live 1 in 1000 20 year olds might have a brand new car) they are just getting so blessed and they are all super happy. Im happy too, it made me feel really good to see them like that. I cant explain with words how happy I am to have shared the gospel with someone and to have had it change their lives. I think the scriptures can explain how I feel better than I can..

Alma 26: 9 For if we had not come up out of the land of Zarahemla, these our dearly beloved brethren, who have so dearly beloved us, would still have been racked with hatred against us, yea, and they would also have been strangers to God.

26 But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.

27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

28 And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.

29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.

30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.

31 Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us.

These scriptures explain pretty much exactly how I feel. Lately Ive been feeling kinda down just because we havent been having much success lately, even though we have been working hard the people have just been choosing not to accept. I was really sad, but God let me have that experience yesterday to make me remember that my whole mission hasnt been like this, that there has been a lot of success and that it wasnt all for nothing. Im super glad that I came here to this country, and that missionaries exist, because if they didnt, those people would still be strangers to God, they would still be unhappy. But they are happy now, so happy, and we can tell of their sincerity because of their love towards us and towards the church and towards everyone. Im super happy and I just want everyone to know that sharing the gospel is a really great joy. No one can know exactly how it feels until they try and do it, it isnt always easy but when you can see the results you will be so happy you will never want to stop doing it. I am going to keep working hard and I hope I can find a few more people like them before my mission is over.

I love the work, I love all of you. .....

Elder Bailif who goes home in 3 weeks, and my last comp....Elder Hidalgo