Floresta - Post 2

Week of January 5, 2015

O-L-D-M-A-N You're just an old man. Hitting on me. WHAT?!? You need a cat scan!

Hermana Downs and I with our Hand Sanitizer Dolls :)

Yes I did just put an old Ke$ha song as my title but it totally fits how our week ended.  Let me tell you a little bit about it :)

Tuesday: We had transfers!  Like i told you guys I am in Floresta with Hermana Downs from Gilbert, Arizona. Whoo Capital!

Wednesday:  We planned and worked.  Don't really remember much. My companion only has 1 transfer in the area and the last 2 weeks they were in the apartment because her companion had a foot problem. So she doesn't know the area or members very well so we are learning together.  It has been interesting.  

Thursday:  We met Venigna.  We were going to try to find some less active members when we saw a lady trying to round up 2 dogs. So with my love of dogs decided to help her.  She told us that she found the dogs on the street.  She also works feeding poor people.  So we talked to her about the Gospel and she said she wanted to go to church.  She accepted the baptismal invite.  It was good :)  We met a little old lady member that night named Justa and she is a DIE-HARD River Fan.  She kept talking about how river plays sunday and she is praying a lt so that they win.

We drew each other at District Meeting -
This was the drawings the Elders drew of Hermana Downs and I

Friday:  We met Ines.  We were looking for a Former Investigator.  Turns out that she moved.  but we talked to the lady that came out.  said she wanted to go to church and find the true church.  She also accepted the baptismal invite.  So we were happy-  We also visited a recent convert and talked about the 3 degrees of glory because he was confused.  He is a little older also.  OH!  That morning we were looking for another former investigator and i saw LA FAMILIA TACHILE AND THEIR BABY!  They are a family from my first area, congreso.  When i was there she told us she was pregnant and we were the first ones she told!  They were in Floresta to do some shopping and the husband said "Hey, isn't that the hermana flaquita?"  (They call me that because the wife thought i was too skinny and gave me a ton of food to eat while i was in congreso) SO they came and said hi and i got to see their baby girl.  It was so nice to see them :) 

Saturday: In the morning we had our zone meeting.  I am really excited for my new zone.  It needs a bit of a boost because they didn't have a lot of baptisms last month but we are super excited to work hard and help a lot of people come unto christ!  That afternoon We met Hector Pites.  He is a less-active who is into Budhism. But he is seriously the nicest and kindest and happy-go-lucky person ever.  He reminds me a lot of aunt pat, but the mae-argentine version.  After we met Angela Perez and her family.  I LOVE HER KIDS!! THEY ARE SOOOOO CUTE!!!! She s reactivating but her husband isn't a member.  When we came he said hey then hid in his room.  We have plans to gain his confidence and teach him.  But seriously their kids are the cutest things ever.  Her son Kevin is 10 and her son Andy is 8 and her daughter clarita is 4.  Andy and Kevin kinda remind me of me and sara.  They are super crazy together.  And Andy just has the cutest little face and hair.  Seriously every time i see them my heart just smiles!   I have decided that i want little dark-skinned kids cause they are SO CUTE!!!!!!!  Also, that day I talked to a black guy from nigeria in english!  I was so happy i was on the verge of tears!  I miss the black people from back home.  Seriously I love diversity.  

Sunday:  Neither Venigna nor Ines came to church.  We were sad.  But we at least gave them the chance.  That afternoon we went with the elders to give the Sacrament to an elderly member in a nursing home.  It was fun cause we got there before the elders and the nurse brought the old people outside.  we were chatting with them when the elders showed up.  When they came in one of the little old ladies looked at elder davidson and started saying "What a handsome young man" Then she looked at me and was like "Is he one of your boyfriends?"  HOW AWKWARD! I just said "No, we are friends from church"  She was content to hear that he was single!  So we took natividad inside and the elders blessed and gave her the sacrament then the little old ladies came inside.  We chatted a while and the little old lady started to yell "MUCHACHO!"  So edler davidsons companion was going to see what she needed when she said "No the other one! The muchacho lindo!"  It was so funny!  We then left.  Also that afternoon we were walking when a tall old skinny black guy with a short plumper white guy called us over and started asking us about the church. So we gladly talked to them and shared with them the book of mormon.  They seemed nice. Then they started to ask us if they could take out to eat asado.  What we were going to do AFTER the mission.  If they could give us dancing classes.  It got a little uncomfortable so we left.  

Also some other random things:  at one point we realized that we had the same hand-sanitizer bottles so we decided to turn them into dolls.  We hand-sewed them clothes and this afternoon we are going to do their faces :)  Also we have started a Missionary parody of Maroon 5s song Payphone.  It is pretty epic.  Its about all the things a missionary thinks when they are in the airport leaving the MTC to go to the campo misional.  We are basically best friends already.  Yesterday we starting singing the peanut butter and jelly song outside the house of a recent converts house.  Later I started dancing in the street to that song because i thought there was nobody around but i turn around and there was a whole cycling team behind me.  QUE VERGUENZA!  We laugh a lot!  So yeah all is good.  Working hard. trying to learn the members the area and everything!

I love you ALL!

Hermana Allison Scarlett

Our Hand Sanitizer Dolls!!

Last Pictures from San Fernando :)

Cute little Guinea Pigs at a member's house.
Than night we had salad with little meat nuggets with the family.
It was the Guinea Pigs - and it was actually good!

Sparkling Cider on Christmas Eve

TRANSFERS!! Floresta - Post 1

Week of December 30

Well don{t know what to say really.  It's been a while :)  Today we had Transfers (that's why I{m writing so late) And I am back in Capital! I´m in an area called Floresta.  But it's not too bad.  It will take some getting used to capital again but I actually kinda like it.  I'm with Hermana Downs.  She has 5 months in the mission and is from Arizona.  I am her first american companion.  Her other companions were from Mexico.  She's super  sweet and fun and actually reminds me a lot of Sara Carter (Sorry I forgot your new last name!)  I really don't know what else to say.  Christmas was nice :)  I t was great to talk to my family.  It was hard to talk about church and gospel stuff in inglish but it was good :)It was sad to say goodbye to san fernando.  They did a little farewell for me at Jorge{s house.  It was sweet.  And one sister gifted me an ornament off of her christmas tree :) I'm going to miss san fernando a bunch but i'll see them again at the despedidas :)  Not sure what else to say.  Love the work, don't want it to end!  I'll attach some pictures :) LOVE YOU!

Hermana Allison Scarlett

People from San Fernando I love and will miss dearly!

 

San Fernando - Post 17

Week of December 22, 2014

Sorry. Today we don´t have much time to write. We had been teaching Roberto and had a baptismal date for the 28th but he fell through BAD Sunday.  We´re dropping him.  As for Dianna She´s so awesome! Her problem is her Job.  She wasn´t supposed to work This SUnday but they called her in.  SHe worked it out so she could come to church for the last hour and stay to see a baptism. Friday night She went to the ward Christmas DInner and had a great time.  The only problem is she never showed up Sunday.  We were worried.  We called and sent messages but nothing.  so we went by and saw her neighbor/friend and asked her if she had seen dianna.  She said no and was surprised that she hadn´t gone to church.  SHe said Dianna left the house super excited to go and see the baptism.  So we passed by a couple times and kept calling but nothing.  So Weñre going to keep trying today. Pray for her please!  SHe´s SO GREAT!  

As for other things.  Not really sure what to say with so little time. People have been stopping us in the streets and asking us if we´re mormons and telling us that they know the church or went once or twice about 10-15 years ago.  SO we´re going to be working with those people.  Well that´s about it.  Love you all and wish you a VERYY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hermana Allison Scarlett

San Fernando - Post 16

He is the Gift cards with slightly burnt brownies -
Hermanas spreading Christmas cheer!

Week of December 15, 2014

This has been a GREAT WEEK!  THe Lord has truly blessed us for our diligence, faith, and hard work :) 

Monday: We had the great busqueda looking for an internet place.  We ended up in a super sketchy place but we got to write!  After most of our plans fell through so we stopped by a recent convert who is this cute little old lady.  We shared a christmas message and helped her decorate her little christmas tree.  It was so cute!

Tuesday:  We had district meeting.  It was good :)   Afterwards we were able to talk to a lot of people and invite them to se the video "Él es la Dádiva" and invite them to church. We saw roberto again (referral from a part-member family) real fast but he had just come home from work so we set up another appointment. We visited a family in the ward.  We got there and chatted a little bit.  Then the wife said "My neighbors are downstairs doing pedicures.  Would you like to visit and carol to them?"  We were in shock a bit.  THis member had told us before she was going to present us to her neighbor downstairs but decided not to so this was way out of the blue but we happily accepted.  So we went and sang to them and invited them to see the video and asked if we could come back and share a message with them.  THey were grateful but weren´t really interested but we were so happy that the members took the initiative to present us! WAY TO GO MEMBERS!  

Wednesday:  We visited a less-active member and shared a message of Christmas and asked him who we could share this message with. He told us that he knew a lady that had gone to church before and so we went with him to visit her.  She wasn´t there but on the way we met 2 little old ladies that he knew so we talked to them and invited them.  We were able to talk to a lot of people about Christmas and invite people to church.  

Goofy picture with Jorge and Hermana Gomez

Thursday:  We had divisions!  Our STL´s are in "La Boca"  which is a 2 hour trip.  So they came here and we met with them and I went to La Boca with Hermana Rogerson and Hermana Gómez stayed here in San Fernando  with Hermana Matamoros.  So we took a 2 hour trip to La Boca.  We got there at 2:00 and they had a meeting at 3:00 so we had a 30 minute lunch and rushed to the church. Had the meeting then started to work.  It was a good day :) There was a YSA activity in the church so we went by to see if one of their investigators was there.  SHe was in camino and we were waiting for some members to come and accompany us so we decided to invite someone to the activity.  We saw a kid with his bike so we started to talk to them.  We invited him to church and to the activity.  He said he was about to go to classes de bachata and it just so happened that they were going to do classes de bachata in the actividad!  So we invited him and he said sure.  THen his brother came over and we were like "Yeah, we were just inviting your brother to clases de bachata in the church, wanna come to?"  He looked at his brother and said "Sure, why not?"  SO we walked them to the church and chatted a bit about going to church sunday.  We got there and they dropped off their bikes.  While they were dropping off their bikes I was thinking "Wow, they seemed really eager to go dance bachata in a church" Then i had a lightbulb moment!  I looked at Hermana Rogerson and said "Hermana, they think we invited them to dance the bachata WITH US!" She looked at me and we both started to laugh!  SO we brought them upstairs with the YSA and found out they live in another area.  But that area shares the chapel of la boca and the elders were there, so we found the elders, told them they had 2 investigators upstairs, and left!  IT was pretty funny :)  So we finished with a good lesson with some of their investigators.

With some members :)

Friday:  We had to get up a little early because we had a surprise Zone meeting at 9 in San Fernando.  So we had to get up early, and head out of the house at 7.  We got there just in time. IT was more like a missionary testimony meeting and we all headed out full of the spirit!  While Hermana Gómez and Hermana Matamoros were in San Fernando they found an investigator who was SUPER prepared! ANd it turns out that I had already met her!  When I first came here they had an investigator named Helen.  Her sister was usually there and listened but didn´t really have a strong desire to go to church.  The Sister´s  name is dianna.  We saw her teaching record various times and I always thought, no She´s not going to progress.  So we never went by.  But they went by to visit a less-active and she came out and told my companion that she was having a hard time raising her 5 year old daughter and wanted to go to church. SO we went by to see her Friday.  She changed so much and was really interested and really wants to get baptized.  THe problem is that she works every other Sunday.  But This weekend we had the Stake Conference and so she decided to go to the Saturday night session.  We also visited Roberto and he was so funny.  he was a bit nervous but he´s just a funny outgoing guy.  we taught him Lesson 1 and invited him to be baptized.  He said yes and he said he would go to church!  It was a good day :)

Ward Missionary Open House

Saturday:  The Bishop´s son got baptized and his wife asked us to go because she has family members who arenñt members and wanted us to talk to them.  So we did.  They were super nice.  They belong to the next barrio over but we invited the to the Stake COnference and gave them the "Él es la Dádiva" Pass-along card.  Afterwards we went to work but couldn´t find ANYONE!  We were with a Recent COnvert and we were in the train station waiting when someone walked by and said hey to him.  So we asked him who it was and told him to invite him to the conference.  He was a little nervous but he did!  We were so proud of him  and he felt good afterwards.  So we tried to visit some people and then we went by for Dianna to go to the Stake Conference.  SHe had to bring the 1 year old son of her friend and her daughter and it was interesting going back and forth from the provided daycare but it was good and she liked it :)

Just before a storm - we're singing in the rain!

Sunday:  We got up and went to go find investigators to go to church.  We called Roberto and he didnñt answer so we went by and knocked and yelled to wake him up, but nothing.  So we went to find someone else with a member and we called him again.  He said he woke up with some really bad back pain and couldn´t walk (he is 60 years old) but he REALLY wanted to go to church.  He felt so bad.  But those things happen.  SO we went to church.  The conference was good.  That afternoon we went by and talked with him about going to church and baptism.  We explained baptism and he said he liked it and wanted to be baptized.  

Cat with a cone - made me laugh!

IT was so great to be able to Help DIana and Roberto.  Seriously the Lord has prepared them to receive the Gospel at this moment.  ANd we have an appointment with a member who said she had a friend who went when Elder Christofferson came and wants to share with him.  SO we are excited to be able to keep on working with the members and find those people who are ready to accept the GOspel! I am so grateful to be here and to do the Lord´s Work. I LOVE THE MISSION!  I wouldn´t want to be anywhere else.  

Love you all and wish you a very merry Christmas!

Bakery with my last name!

My new shoes

Hermana Allison Scarlett

San Fernando - Post 15

Week of December 8, 2014

El es la Dadiva! (He is the GIft)

This week has also had it´s ups and downs but that just seems to be the story of my mission :)  Let me tell you a little about it.

Monday:  I bought some pretty sweet shoes!  Other than that not much really happened. Just a normal P-day.

Tuesday:  ALso a normal day. 

Wednesday: We had weekly planning.  I put on Some Josh Groban Christmas music and while we were planning the song "I´ll be home for Christmas" Where the soldiers in Iraq send Christmas greetings to their families.  I just looked up at my companion and said "Hermana, It´s Christmas time!" And I started crying for joy. SHe started to tear up too. IT was such a special moment and we were filled with the Christmas Spirit.  So we made some plans to spread The Christmas Spirit.  I was inspired with Buddy the Elf´s Statement "The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is by singing loud for all to hear."  SO we finished planning and went out to work with the Spirit of Christmas burning in our hearts.  We visited a less-active member and he gave us 3 referrals.  We were really pumped to put our CHristmas plans in action.

Thursday:  WE had Zone meeting and it was GREAT!  WE talked about the  importance of working with the members and how to find people to teach through the members (Because as Gordon B. Hinckley said it´s the most effective way to do missionary work).  THen we talked about the new iniciative that the Church is doing this Christmas.  It´s Called "He is the Gift"  ANd it´s really awesome! Check out Christmas.mormon.org.  There is a video there.  CHare it with EVERYONE YOU KNOW!  The first time I saw it was struggling not to cry (I´m about to shed a tear or two right now thinking about it.) ANd we got 250 pass-along cards to use to invite people to come unto CHrist and learn more about Him.  SO WE FINISHED THE MEETING REAlly excited.  THen we went back to the house to make lunch and start our Christmas plans.  WE were going to make brownies and go around to the members and carol to them and help them to invite their friends to hear the message.  So I start on the brownie mix and my companion starts on our lunch (hamburgers)  While I´m at the table in the living room mixing the brownie mix I heard my companion yell "FIRE! FIRE!" So I run into the kitchen and she´s holding the pan with the hamburger with a huge flame.  SHe looks at me and starts yelling "What do i do?!?" So I start yelling, " TAKE ITOUTSIDE!" THen all of the sudden the flame goes out and she just stands there looking at me and asked me to finish the hamburgers.  We laughed so much!  SO then we stink the brownies in the oven.  The ovens here are not as nice as the ones at home.  It had a flame at the bottom so as the brownies cooked the bottom cooked way faster than the top did.  SO we left it in a b it longer, but the bottom was BURNED, but bad.  We could hardly get the brownies out.SO we get what we can out and wrap them in tinfoil and head out with our hymnals and our santa hats ready to spread some Christmas sheer. Just to let you know, Caroling or anything of the sort is NOT common around here but the members enjoyed it and even though the brownies weren´t very good they were grateful for the thought.  And i think they took some pity on us because they gave us a lot of referrals!  

Friday: Friday was a really short day.  Friday morning they cut off the water at 5 am because they had to change the water tank in the building.  Luckily they let us know beforehand so we showered THursday night.  We had lunch a little far away so we had to travel and it took up a bit of time.  BUt is saw so yummy!  BUt when we got back we only had a few hours to work because that afternoon we had an activity where the returned missionaries show off the stuff from their missions.  While i LOVE SAn Fernando, planning and announcing activities is NOT their strong point.  IT was supposed to start at 7 and we were suposed to have corelation meeting before.  SO we showed up at 6 and Nobody had set up anthing.  So we set up some tables.  THe WML showed up at 7 and a few other people and set up their stuff. We were supposed to sing a christmas song with the elders and they were supposed to get there early to practice but showed up SUPER late.  ANd then we had to sing and run home to get home on time.  It was a pretty stressful day.  

SAturday: ALso a stressful day.  THe water didn´t come back till 11 in the afternoon so we had to change our study schedule a bit to be able to shower. As for missinoary work, Even though we had recieved and contacted a lot of referrals we hadn´t found any promising people.  SO we were super stressed trying to find people to go to church.  COntacted more referrals but nothing.  The ELders had a baptism that night but we decided it would be better to work than go. We found some possible future investigators but nobody to go to church.  THat night people were literally running away from us.  

Sunday:  We went by to see if we could convince some of the people we had met to come to church but they literally slammed the door in our faces.  SO we went to church.  We had nobody and it was sad.  THe elders had 2 confirmations and i was happy for them but it was also hard because we have been working so hard and nothing.  I was a bit down but one sister in the ward shared her testimony about the importance of navidad.  She talked about all that christ did for us and asked us what we would do for HIM this Christmas.  I teared up a bit and was filled with gratitude that I have the oportunity to give my all to CHrist this Christmas and share this wonderful message.  That evening we visited more members and caroled some more,  We watched the video "He is the Gift" For the first time with a part-member family and it was a struggle not to cry. It´s so beautiful.  And we recieved more referrals.  THat night we counted up our numbers for the week and we were astonished at the number of referrals contacted. 2 weeks ago we contacted 8. Last week we contaced 2. This week we contaced 20!  And they were almost all from members.  WE met our goal for lessons with member.  WE had really worked hard and we felt better.  

WE are really giving our all and doing the best we can and I know that if we keep working diligently the Lord will bless us.  EVen through the hard times I know that the Lord is pleased with what I am doing.  This is HIS work.  This is HIS Gospel.  This is HIS true Church.  He came, he lives, and will come again.  JUst like those who waited for the first coming of Christ, his brith, we are waiting for his second coming. (Alma 7:7)

I love each one of you and hope you can feel the Spirit of Christmas and share it with everyone you know!

Hermana Allison Scarlett

San Fernando - Post 14

Week of December 1, 2014

Well this week has been interesting. Still a bit frustrated with people´s agency but continuing with animos to work hard and help people come unto Christ! 

Here´s how my week went

2nd Broken Umbrella :(

Monday: We went to puerto de frutos.  You could say it´s like a big flea market outdoor shopping kind of thing.  And I got a RIVER JERSEY!! AGUANTE RIVER (Alec knows what i´m talking about !) It was a lot of fun :)  Also that afternoon we contacted a referral that a member gave us.  His name is Maxi.  He came out and we taught him about the book of mormon, said he wanted to read it and learn more about Joseph Smith and accepted the baptismal invitation.  We were really stoked :) He asked us where we were from and we told him to guess.  He guessed my companion right off the bat for her accent but had a harder time.  At first he thought i was from brasil, then he said mexico, then he said colombia.  When I told him i was from the USA he didn´t believe me.  Made me happy :)

Tuesday:  We had District meeting.  It was good :) We went by Maxi again, but he was a little weird.  He seemed really nervous and said he didn´t have any time and we were super confused.  We thought that maybe someone in his house said something.  But other than that nothing really exciting happened.  WAIT!  We had cumple mes!  SO we bought ice cream to selebrate :)  I now have 14 months in the mission and my hija has 2 months.  And the icecream was SO YUMMY!

Wednesday: We had a really great lesson with one of the recent converts who has been struggling a bit.  He had a really cool dream and spiritual experience the weekend before and shared it with us.  

Thanksgiving Asado!

Thursday:  Thanksgiving!  Here they don´t celebrate it but we had a really yummy asado with A family of recent converts! THey are super awesome and we ate so much meat!!! It was yummy :) And then we shared a scripture about blessings and talked about the blessings we have and what a blessing it is to have the Gospel.  It was sweet. Later we saw Maxi again.  He told us that he got a job and told us that we wouldn´t be able to see him anymore.  He was still acting a little weird.  

Friday: So in the plaza by our apartment there was a festival thing going on. It started Thursday i think and ended last night.  THey had tents with food from different countries around the world (EXCEPT the USA).  We were walking to go to visit someone and there was a black guy standing on the corner looking around.  I excitedly pointed him out to my companion because i miss black people!  Then we crossed the street he saw us and came up to us and asked us where the festival was.  I got super excited and told him where it was.  HE said thanks and walked away.  I was on cloud 9 and basically skipped away with joy.  My companion just laughed at me :)  

Argentine Fajitas at the Festival - YUM!

Saturday:  We didnñt have lunch so we decided to go to the Festival and try some food.  It was a bit expensive but there were 3 tents with mexican food! I was super excited!  IT made me laugh because the mexican food reminded me more of home than the food from England!  I bought a fajita and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I just about cried from joy.  I hadn´t realized how much i´ve missed mexican food until that moment :)  We also decided to pass by for maxi again to invite him to church on last time but he told us that he´s the only one who believes in Christ in his house and he didn´t want us to come by anymore and he wouldn´t be able to go to church.  We told him that we could teach him at the church but he said no.  SO it was a bit sad.  But we did all we could.

Sunday:  We went by to take some other people we met to church but nobody came.  It was a bit sad but We are still excited to keep on working and find the people who are ready and willing to accept the Gospel and change their lives. 

Even though it´s been a little rough lately, every day that I share my testimony I know more strongly that what we have is the truth and i´m doing what the Lord wants me to do. I love the mission and I love this Gospel!

Hermana Allison Scarlett

Dogs started following us so I stopped to pet one and got swarmed!

All those dogs made me laughed to hard my sides hurt!