Snow in Argentina! Just Kidding, volcano ash!

It has been quite the week here in Chos Malal!  On Wednesday night we traveled 3 hours to Zapala and there had conference with President on Thursday.  As we were getting ready to head back to Chos Malal, outside there was a ton of ash from the volcano that errupted in Chile!  There was so much that it looked like it was snowing and we couldn't see anything that was 100 yards in front of us.  We made it back safely to Chos Malal that night but all day Thursday and Sunday we had to stay inside our pension because President Lovell didn't want us breathing the toxic volcano ash!

The work here has been a little slow but we are doing our very best to find more people to teach!  On Saturday we found a darling mom and daughter and taught them a little bit about Jesus Christ.  We shared the  "Because He Lives" video and the mom, Silvia, started to cry while watching it.  After, Hermana Huisar and I bore our testimonies of Christ and the happiness we have been able to find through His gospel, and the rest of the lesson went really well!  I am excited to teach them more and that Saturday night they even came to our ward activity (group activity since we aren't a ward) to eat waffles with the members and other investigators!

In the conference with President Lovell this week we talked a lot about faith and the story of John and his brother from Elder Holland's talk in General Conference.  In our premortal life, like John in the story, we had the choice to jump or fall to our death.  But because we are here on this earth, we made the choice to jump, the faithful jump to follow Christ.  During our earthly life, we are to re-manifest this faith that we have in order to receive life eternal.  REally faith is central to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and without it, nothing in our church makes sense.  Baptism doesn't make sense, repentance, the commandments, temple sealings, nothing, because we need to believe and have faith that the Lord will keep His promise.  With all of that said, all of this talk about faith got me thinking about my decision to serve a mission because just the day before this conference I had completed six months in the mission field.  I realized how big the leap of faith was, that I took in order to be here in Argentina.  I left my entire life for 18 months to spend every single day serving others.  And now every morning as I put my missionary plaque on and walk out the door, I cnotinue taking leaps of faith that my Heavenly Father will guide me to those that are ready to hear the gospel.  I sure am thankful for this leap of faith I took and the leaps I continue to take each and every day because there is nothing that brings me more joy than sharing this gospel and seeing the miracles wrought by faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

Have an AMAZING week and I love you all!!!!

p.s. Thank you Mimi and Bubba for the sweet card you sent me!!!!!

Quote of the week:

Faith, hope, and charity are active principles, not passive ones.  If we do not do them, we don't have them.

Janet Tanner

xoxo

Hermana Van Boerum