9.26.11

hola!!
well I can def say that this week was a better week! I am starting to feel a lot more comfortable in the area and that I am truly able to find my way around and find where people live. It has taken a little bit of time haha but its not easy when we are both brand new in the area and dont know anything. This transfer is def a challenge and one of the most difficult but at the same time probably one of the most incredible because I am truly seeing the help of the Lord in so many ways. I am seeing myself learn and grow so much in this transfer and do things that I never thought I was ready to do at this time. I am not going to lie there is a ton of castellano (spanish) that I dont understand when people talk to me but I just learn to put on a face that I understand and I swear the Lord puts words into my mouth to teach that I didnt know I knew how to teach in spanish. I guess i am learning that I know a lot more that I truly thought I knew and I dont need to know/ understand everything in order to share the gospel with the people. As missionarys we are studying spanish in order to teach the gospel so there is a ton that I dont understand when people arent talking about church things but I am learning that it doesnt affect anything and that I can still be an effective missionary.
It has been such a blessing because there are several returned missionarys in this new area but is awesome because they truly understand us and what it is like to be missionary and we recieved several references from this lady in the branch who has been sharing the gospel with her friends. Oh man I cant even express to you how amazing references from members are. When the members are sharing the gospel like that with their friends it is the best for us as missionarys!! so from awesome references we were able to find some nice new investigators this week. The one thing that we are learning is that I think part of the reason for the whitewash here is that this area just needs a new start. Before the elders left they left us with several investigators but we are basically learning that most of them really arent progressing and we have to let them go and we just really neeed to work hard and find new investigators at this time. so we really dont have much at this time which is hard which means there is going to be a lot of door knocking for us!! oooh yay!! my favorite!! haha not!! thats why references are the best!
Well this past week we found this investigator that the elders were teaching and we were getting to know here and as she was telling me of her life she told us that she was 21 and her husband is like 29. well i didnt think anything too weird about that until she told us that they had been together for 10 years! yes 10 years! that means that they got together when she was umm 11 and he was 19. ahhhh freakin gross!!! I seriously almost died when she told me that. that is like ky with a 19 yr old.. ewww!!!! Argentina can be stinking wierd sometimes! and the other day we visited with a less active family in the branch and their daughter name is Floppy. yes floppy dont you think of a rabbit when you hear that name. hahaha i couldnt help but chuckle when i heard her name. The thing that i am super grateful for at this time is the even though the situation is difficult right now my comp and I are able to laugh about the slammed doors in our faces or the crazy moments. We say hi to all the women by doing the kisses on the cheeks so the other day we were talking to this family outside their house and trying to share with them so we decided to be nice and say bye by kissing them/shaking hands well i went and did the kiss thing with the lady and then went to the man to shake his hand well he tried to go in and kiss and i pulled back and said that we cant kiss the men. he then went off for 5 minutes yelling at me and telling me that i am not christlike because i kissed his wife but not him and that i really dont know God and i need to study more. That christ would treat everyone the same. ahhh! seriously?? haha those are the kind of experiences that we get as missionarys. awesome huh?
But things are good. I am happy and grateful for the experiences that I am having and for the opportunity to I have to devote this time to the Lord and truly serve him. I know this is the true church. that God lives and that I have this opportunity to share this with the people. I am learning that there are a lot of people that dont want to listen or talk to us but as long as I did my part and tried there is nothing more I can do. love you all lots! Thanks for everything! Have a wonderful week!!!

les quiero,
Hna. Van Wagenen