Week 9: Aug 1 and pics!

To start out, here´s a scripture 2 Nephi 10:20-- trials will lead us to better things**

Last week for district meeting Hma Walters made banana bread with our left over bananas and I made Sandies --my dad´s ¨favorite¨ cookie :D.
Speaking of food, I forgot to mention that I passed my first test** During intercambios last week, we were served some rice, veggies, and noodles in a member´s house. But they weren´t noodles. I half knew this, but didn´t let myself think about it as I finished it. Later, my companion confirmed my fears-- It was cow stomach. Well, the worst part was the texture, and it was cut up small enough that you could just swallow it. :D. Hma. Latoja said that she´s only had it 3 times in her stay here, so I´m pretty safe.
Afterwards, we were looking for a member from the ward list --which is fairly old-- and she hadn´t ever answered the door. Hma. Walters felt to go one door over, and we found her brother. She had moved a few streets over. We found her yesterday. She hadn´t attended the church for about 15 years, but said we could visit her. Yeah**
We found two other less actives that day, both are very friendly and willing to try to come back to church. One of them went inactive because she married and moved shortly after she was baptized, but she has good memories of the church and the missionaries. Today we´re going to talk about Pres. Thomas S Monson and how we have a prophet today to help us.
On Tuesday we had an amazing lesson with Valentina. She asked us how she could recognize the answers to her prayers, and we had the other members of her family answer. After teaching the Plan of Salvation, we also talked about temples. They haven´t been sealed yet, but the mother remembers being sealed to her family when she was Valentina´s age. She said she doesn´t attend church because of some hurt feelings, but she´s going to try to let them go because she knows that it´s a step she needs to take if their family can be sealed. :D We´re so happy for them. It´s been a miraculous experience whenever we´ve taught them. Tonight we´re going to do a FHE with them, and start working with them even more.
Thought from Pres. Faust: The Holy Ghost is the most reliable source of peace in our unstable world. It can be with us in sorrow or joy. It can heal our insecurities.
The weather´s been great** It rained Tuesday and yesterday, but other then that it´s been autumn the whole time I´ve been here-- and occasionally spring and summer, it only gets winter like at night.
Jorge looks a lot happier this week, and we hope that we´re helping him by visiting regularly, and I know that the Priesthood is really reaching out to him as well. At the end of our lesson with him, his son Lucas gave us alfajores and chocolate bars. Mmmm...
Elder Bednar gave an amazing talk a conference or two ago about the prophets, and why they are elder men. He said ¨They are not spared affliction. Rather they are blessed and strengthened to press forward valiantly. ... Their greatest desire is to discern and do the will of Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son.¨ I could feel that as I read the talks of Pres. Monson today. They really do love us and want us to be able to be happy in this life.
Alma 28--talks about a huge battle where 10,000 plus were killed. Later it describes two types of survivors--the kind that had hope through the gospel, and those who didn´t. They were both sad, and both had lost so many loved ones, but because of the gospel, one group was able to look forward with faith and to move on to their future.
And yes, there´s a tie in in verse 14 to missionary work...
We had our first interview with our new mission president this Thursday, and it was cool. He gave great advice on how we´re going to help improve our work in this mission.
We also sang I am a Child of God for an older lady, and right after she asked if we were married. :S. She´s super cute, and it´s such a cool opportunity to visit with her.
On Friday, as I was talking on the phone, the lady on the other end kept saying that she couldn´t understand me. :O. I thought my spanish was improving** We also found an investigator that is rather hard to find, because of her school and work, but we talked with her about the Book of Mormon and she asked us if she could attend church. YES** You Can** She´s so sweet, and I can´t wait to see how the gospel blesses her life.
On sunday, we learned that we´d be having a big open house in the chapel later this month. It´s a beautiful program that was started in Central America and now they´re doing it here --I don´t know if they do it in the USA. I´m excited to help with it, and will send pictures if I can. :D
I was studying the commandments this morning, and found a couple of scriptures. Mosiah 2:36-37, 41. When we´re disobedient we withdraw OURSELVES from the Spirit, but as we live faithfully we are able to be blessed temporally and spiritually and live with God when it´s all through.
I know that that´s true, and that as we live faithful we´re able to see the blessings of God in our lives.
Love you all, have another great week**
Sister Tova S Biesinger
Argentina Buenos Aires South Mission