Amy En Argentina: VOY A SERVIR EN ARGENTINA!

Guys, guys, guys, guys! I have two pieces of the greatest news!

1. This morning I pet a dog!!! On our way to the temple there was this lady walking her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (yes I want one) and I about DIED. I felt bad for the other Hermanas watching me as I made my baby voice and got down on the ground and petted this dog. Guys he was so cute! (Mom and dad... he was soooooo cute, and friendly and wanted to climb in my lap and cute. hint hint wink wink) I haven't even seen a dog since I left for the MTC. I'm dog deprived. I miss my Rusty cuddles.

I feel like it's mean joke that I'm going to a country where there are going to be dogs everywhere but they're all going to be strays and gross and I'm not allowed to to touch them.

sigh

esta bien estoy bien

anyways

2. I got my travel plans!!! We are all so stoked! I feel lucky because we leave at 8:50 in the morning on Monday and everyone else leaving the MTC leave at 3:50... blegh. I feel blessed.

Heads up Mom and Dad + Fam if you all want to get together on Monday because I get to call you guys yay!

(I'll try not to cry)

We leave from SLC airport to Georgia, then straight from Georgia all the way to Buenos Aires, Argentina. That's about 18 hours I think. Then from there we get to take a sketchy six hour bus ride to Bahia Blanca... Pray for me that it won't be as sketchy as I'm imagining in my head.

God bless America

I'll miss it here (especially the English... ha)

Massages Strike Again!

So if we are late to class we have to do a "door approach" and knock on the classroom door like we're legit knocking on doors in the field. Our teachers act like investigators and we have to try and get them interested about the gospel and set up an appointment with them.

Well on Monday, Elder Schiess and Hamblin were late so they had to do the door approach with Hermana Skidmmore! Ha!

And so they knock on the door and Hermana Skidmore barely cracked open the door and very timidly said, "hola?"

Now, I wish you all could know Elder Schiess because I just want you to just hear his voice when he said, "hola Hermana, como esta? Tenemos un massage para usted que puede cambiar su vida para siempre."

Hermana Skidmore was shaking from trying not to laugh.

Just picture a giant 12 year old with an 18 year old's voice (and you've pretty much pictured Elder Schiess) saying "hello sister, how are you? We have a massage for you that can change your life forever."

Hermana Ahlmer and I lost it.

Mensaje!

Not Massage!

Been there, done that!

"Those were on the Floor!"

So we are a bunch of rule breakers and we bring food and candy into the classroom when we're not supposed too... I'll admit that Hermana Skidmore and Hermano Roberts have caught me more than once mid bite into an apple, rice krispie, quesadilla, etc and then I shamefully say "this isn't what it looks like" and I'm shamefully sent into the hall.

Side note: I find it crazy that all of our maestros are our age??? Like literally we would all have gone to high school together!

Anyways, some brought a box of Lemonheads into the classroom. While the Hermanas were away, Elder McCoy tipped the box over and ALL of them spilled onto the floor. He picked them all up and put them back into the box and told the rest of the elders to let the Hermanas eat them. Good thing I don't like lemonheads.

But we didn't know this (except for Hermana Timm who somehow caught wind of the Elders' shenanigans) and Hermana Ahlmer was eating them almost all day.

Finally Hermana Timm noticed and she yelled "Why are you eating those? Those were on the floor!"

I wish you could have seen Hermana Ahlmer's face when she opened her mouth and like five lemonheads rolled out and she looked like she wanted to cry and then die. I did die.... Of Laughter! Trust me if you have seen the carpet here, you would want to cry and die too if you accidentally ate something off the floor.

I Just Like Being A Missionary idk

I really need to write a list of things that happened over the week because I'm just scratching my head about other things. Pero esta bien.

I never really pictured myself being head over heels in love with being a missionary but I totally am! From the moment I got set apart, I had just have had this special feeling that has never left. I'm just always happy... Well I still have my ups and downs but for the most part it's all good.

But for some reason being a missionary feels like being a kid. We don't have anything to entertain ourselves besides each other so we've made up a bunch of games to play with each other when we should be studying... hehe.

This week like every night we just totally lose all focus and we all talk and joke around and then cheeks and sides hurt from laughing so hard. My district are all like best friends with each other. Hermana Skidmore told us that she gets comments from other maestros that have taught us that our district is "muy gracioso." Seriously though, we have the hardest time focusing because we just talk...

Elder Schiess: "Okay guys, it's personal study time. Let's be quiet for 20 minutes."

2 minutes later.

Elder Schiess: "Hey do you guys want to hear about my dream last night?"

Our Final Lesson with Diana

We had our final lesson with Diana last week which was muy diferente because it was over skype because she was on vacation in Arizona... I was way sketched out about it though because we taught a member over skype and it mostly just consisted of us just laughing awkwardly and having no idea what to say and when we speak in Spanish she would hold up a sign written in English: "I can't understand you."

Well I can't understand me either!

...

Anywayyyys... I was so shocked by how strongly I felt the spirit during that lesson. She told us last time she didn't go to church AGAIN even though she pinky swore. We felt the need that we needed to talk about Joseph Smith, and when we did Diana asked why God helped him translate the entire book of Mormon and he showed himself to him when he couldn't help her learn English...

Well Shoot.

Now that I think about it, it was seriously amazing by how smoothly the entire thing went without us speaking perfect spanish. The Spirit works miracles you guys.

But after we tried explaining to her that prophets were called of God to fulfill his work and they were given priesthood power to do so, we just realized that what she was REALLY struggling with the fact that she hadn't received an answer to her prayers about the church yet.

And something really weird happened during that lesson.

It was like we hit pause on what we were teaching and I asked her, "Diana, do you want to know about the Church of Jesus Christ?"

She seemed a little taken aback and then she thought about it and said "sí"

And then Hermana Ahlmer asked her "Do you feel like the things that we are teaching you are important?" And she thought about it and answered yes again.

And then we told her that she has to act if she feels this way.

It was kind of a blur after that. But all I know is that we bore our testimony over and over again about the Book of Mormon. We told her that if she read it everyday and sincerely prayed, and attended church she would recieve an answer. We also told her that as she came closer to Christ through reading the book of Mormon, her life would change for the better and she could feel the spirit. We read scriptures together and it was a miracle to me to see the spirit touch her over skype. You guys... She started crying!

It was so special to see her so touched by the things we said to her. We read the last two paragraphs of the introduction of the Book of Mormon with her and we promised her through the Book of Mormon, all of her questions and trials would be answered.

It was the coolest experience. Hermana Ahlmer and I hugged and teared up after we finished praying and turned off skype.

We didn't know then but that would be the last time we spoke to her.

I really hope her life will continue to change as she reads the book of Mormon.

I hope all of you are reading your libros de Mormon back at home!

Praise to the Man

So we sang in the MTC choir for the last time last night. We sang "praise to the man" and it was the best song I think to leave the MTC with in our hearts. I don't think the choir has ever been so full (we had like 500 missionaries come in last week) or ever sounded so powerful...

Or maybe I'm just saying that because I had a mini high school reunion and sat with Abbey Morrison. I love hearing her sing, she has the most beautiful voice. But she sat on my right side and now I'm a little deaf in my right hear... Pero esta bien, estoy bien.

But the song really made me think of how special the prophet Joseph Smith truly was. I think I remember a quote somewhere that said that there has been no other person like Joseph Smith in the world who sacrificed and did so much for the world EXCEPT for Jesus Christ.

Now as a missionary, I'm just beginning to see just how important it is to know Joseph Smith to be truly converted to the gospel. Because if the Book of Mormon is true, then he was a true prophet. If Joseph Smith was a true prophet, then the Book of Mormon is true. So there's that.

Also lately I've been saying "Jesu Smith" when I'm trying to say "Jose Smith" in Spanish... so I'm just going around talking about "Jesus Smith"... Hopefully I'll cut that habit out before I get to the field.

Holy smokes! The next time I email I'll be on the other side of the world!! I bet I'll have TONS to tell you then!

Also Mom I have been getting your packages! I've been trying to send you emails personally but I'm not sure if you're getting them? I hope so!

Entonces, hasta proxima semana cuando estoy en Argentina!

Wish me luck!