Temples and Christmas

12/9/14 

Favorite line of the week "sorry about my grandchildren... they are like those savage Indians."

We were tired of sleeping for 3 hours every time that we have to travel on the bus so this week we got up in front of like 30 people and talked loudly so that they could all hear us and we gave out flyers and cards.  We found some sweet people so we started doing it every time that we have gone by train or bus.

Speaking of buses.  We went to Canuelas and we barely missed the first bus so we had to wait for 2 hours and then the 2nd one was running late and they told us that we have a lot of time so we went to grab something for my companion to eat and while we were there the second bus just flew by so we had to wait for another 2 hours.... great...

While we were eating we had 20 pesos (like 2 dollars) to buy us both lunch so getting real creative we went and bought the cheapest juice and 2 pounds of bread.  Nothing says good lunch like bread dipped in tang.

Also while we were waiting we have a bus driver friend named Osmar and he told us if we have to use ties every day he finished using his tie for the year in his work so he just gave me a free tie.  What a great guy.

I saw a rainbow

We went and taught a super sweet lesson with another member to a menos activo and then they both went with us to go teach #ifyoucantbeatemjoinem

It rained on us even though there weren’t clouds 

We were walking super fast and my comp said... " I think I’m gonna puke"

and I said "Sure..." and kept on walking. Then I heard it hit the cement.

We had to Go to Acevedo because on the 20th I was going to the TEMPLE!  So I went with my old companion Elder Varela to do splits.  We ended up going to a member’s house, Nico and Graciela, who were super sad and we gave a sweet lesson about how God can help us.

The other Elders ordered some pizza but I wasn’t that hungry so I didn’t eat it at night.

The next morning I woke up and ate some good ole pizza and then we went to the temple to go see the Family Ormeno and Alberto from my first area sealed together.

There were so many dang people that when we went there were 2 spots left and there were 3 of us; Elder Varela, Alberto, and I... So of course I drew the short stick and for 2 and a half hours I had to wait outside.

Then to make things worse the pizza came back for revenge and started killing my stomach forcing me to run to the bathroom several times to take everything that I had in my body out.  BEST TEMPLE TRIP EVER!

Then after that the whole family didn’t show up to get sealed for like 2 more hours so we were a little bit behind but the sealing was super sweet and happy for them.  So all of the sickness was definitely worth the pain.

I was so happy to see them there together—the whole family.  It was just a great day.

I also finished the Bible for the first time on Johnny’s birthday.

We booked it to Monte forgetting half of our stuff where we stayed and then we had a ward Navidad activity.  It wasn’t the best but it was super funny cause the little kids did almost all of it.

I called you guys this week. We got lost getting there. I had a nice chat with the Rubio family that I came to know in Ezeiza, who let use use their computer on Christmas and stuffed me like a pig that they were going to slow roast.  

We had a Christmas party with Noel and Silvana in Ezeiza with 4 other missionaries and their family.  We played cards, ate, looked at fireworks, watched Tomas (the 4 year old brother) open Presents and got home and slept. I ate a huge breakfast of Granola, milk, jam, German pancakes, syrup, smoothie, and ice cream... all mixed in one bowl. 

We got home and went to go teach a family and I started feeling super sick.   They gave me some stuff to take so that I would feel better.  I took them and then we walked outside, I leaned on the fence, and threw up so much... Haha I don’t know what happened.  They were all asking me "What did you eat today?"  Definitely not a bowl of Granola, milk, jam, German pancakes, syrup, smoothie, and ice cream.

We have been teaching a menos activo member since the first day that we got here and he would always say yep... I’m going to church this week or yep... I’m going to start reading today and then he would never do it.  So we taught him again this week and we had the most spiritual talk ever and we talked about his Patriarchal Blessing and he told us how he was going to go look for it in that moment and he was going to read it and go to church tomorrow.  Then the next day he didn’t come to church, but his wife did.  So we started talking to her a little about the Patriarchal Blessing and she told us that when she got home they would read it together....and then we didn’t hear anything from them again.

The next morning I heard the alarm and thought "no... it’s already morning..." and I hit the alarm... and then I heard "Andrew...?" 

When I heard my name in the pitch black I started getting freaked out cause I know that it wasn’t the voice of my companion.

As quick as a bolt, I shot up and looked around the room and nobody was there but I heard my name again. I looked over to my left and the dim glow of the phone.  I can’t see anything without my glasses, but being night time I was blinder than a bat without sonar or whatever the heck bats use to see. But as I held the cellphone an inch away from my nose I could make out the name "Mario Leiva."

I started talking to him and he told me that they read his Patriarchal Blessing together and that starting in this moment everything is going to change. And they started saying thanks for all of the work that we do and things like that. And I think that they invited us to eat at their house the next day  

Dazed and confused, I hung up the phone and my companion mumbled "Who called and what time is it?"  I looked at the phone "Mario Leiva and 1 in the morning."

At 6 in the morning we woke up, wrote, worked out, ate some breakfast, and then when we were just about to leave we started talking about the phone call that we had received and neither one of us were sure that it was real.

So we called the Hermano and asked him.  He told us that he read his Blessing and that he was so happy to have it and that he was going to change from that day on. 

It was one of the most satisfying things to hear on my mission.  But even more satisfying is when yesterday he came to the Church for the second Sunday in a row. God puts us where he needs us in the moment that he needs us.

Like it says Ezekiel 34:11

 11 ¶For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

 12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

It is so interesting to see how God guides us day by day and the great things that happen if we just try our best to listen to him.  He guides us to those who need us, so be looking.  have a great week and Be safe

Love,
Elder Andrew Huber Merkley