¿Como se dice "miércoles" en ingles?

Queridos amigos,

What a crazy week!

Tuesday we had zone conference with 4 other zones and afterwards we played soccer. My team won! We ended up having a blast and I got to see Hermana Johnson. It was a great reunion!

Wednesday we had exchanges planned. I ended up going to Ezeiza around 5pm, when my companion, Hermana Santos, called me saying that all of Argentina was going on strike the next day and that we wouldn´t be able to end exchanges until Friday. So, we taught a lesson and then took the train back to Monte Grande so that I could be back in my area.

Thursday everyone did go on strike. Not a single bus or train was running. All the stores were closed and nobody was outside. It was crazy. But, when Friday rolled around, everything was back to normal. I´m not so sure that the strike was super effective but.....

This week a woman walked into the church wanting to baptize her baby. A member told her that we don´t baptized babies and then told her that the missionaries could explain why. So, the member gave us the info from the woman and we went to visit her. Her name is Yaquelin and is amazing! She has 6 children and is super sweet. We taught her about the Restoration and baptism. We read Moroni 8 together and after reading she said, "wow, so I was wrong. My baby doesn´t need baptism, but I do." It was incredible! She accepted to be baptized and we will visit her later this week. The work is great here!

I´m so grateful for the opportunity that I have to get to know a few of God´s children. Each one is unique and important. That includes you. Yes you! You reading this. You are important! Don´t forget that.

I love you all! Have a fantastic week and a wonderful Easter! Remember why we celebrate this holiday. Please take 4 minutes of your day to watch the following video:

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2017-02-1000-the-prince-of-peace-find-lasting-peace-through-jesus-christ?lang=spa

Escuchen las Voces

Queridos amigos,

Another amazing week has come and gone. I can´t believe how fast the time is passing. It seems like just yesterday I left my family in the Great Falls airport. Now, I´m more than halfway through and I´ve learned so much.

I´m incredibly grateful for the opportunity that I have to me a missionary. It is an honor to be the Lord´s representative here in Argentina.

I´ve met some amazing people and I´ve come to know and love many of God´s special chidren.

This week I had my first exchange. I learned a lot from Hermana Hinrichs and I enjoyed being with her for 24 hours.

I´m coming to see that we all have individual talents that we must share. Someone needs YOUR talents, YOUR testimony, and YOUR love. Don´t be afraid to share what talents you have.

Saturday and Sunday we had the opportunity to listen to General Conference. Last conference, I had the blessing of listening to it in english. Unfortunately, I´m the only American sister in our zone and I can´t be without a companion, so I listened in spanish. The messages were amazing and I learned a lot. But, it´s just not the same listening in spanish. I could hear snippets of the apostle´s voices when the translator would pause, and I missed hearing the sweet voices of those men. My whole life I´ve heard those voices and learned from them, and for a moment I wished that I could just hear their voices without someone talking over them in spanish. The next speaker was D. Todd Christofferson (who by the way, served a mission in Argentina). As I waited for the translator to begin speaking, to my surprise I heard the familiar voice of Elder Christofferson. He had recorded his talk in spanish in advance! Even though it was in spanish, I got to hear it from his mouth! I was so grateful in that moment for the tender mercies of God.

The words of those men and women are truly inspired by our Heavenly Father, and we would benefit a lot from them. I hope to continue studying their words throughout the following months and I encourage each of you to learn from them as well. If you didn´t watch, go to lds.org and watch them! Let their words change you. Don´t just listen and then continue on with life as normal. Be the person God knows that you can be! He wants you to be that person, but it all depends on you!

I know with all my heart that this is the true church of Jesus Christ restored on the earth through His prophet Joseph Smith. I know that we are God´s children and that He loves us. Read the Book of Mormon! It answers your questions of the soul. It will guide you to where you need to go. Trust in the Lord and love Him.

I love you all so much! Keep fighting the good fight, victory will be yours one day if you continue with faith.

Con amor,

Hermana Chaffin

"A candle that lights another loses no light itself." -Anonymous

Sonrisas

Queridos Amigos,

What a week!

In the mission we have 2 sets of sisters that don´t have an area. They just travel and visit other areas for one week at a time aiding in the work.

My second to last week in San Vicente we had them, and then this past week we had them here in Monte Grande, and this week we will have the second set. So, I have been with one of these other sisters during the week and not with my actual companion. So, I don´t know Hermana Santos super well, but the few moments that I´ve had with her have been amazing.

She is super sweet and sincere. She likes to work hard and have fun. Her spanish is amazing and she has a love for the gospel.

This week was amazing. We ended up handing out A TON of Books of Mormon. We gave away all but 8 books and we started out with 3 boxes!

I´ve truly come to love the Book of Mormon. Our mission is still doing the challenge of reading it in 3 months (in spanish of course) and I´m learning more than I ever did. There is always something new to learn.

I also had a leadership meeting with all the leaders in the mission along with Presidente y Hermana Calquin. I got to see some old friends in the mission and I learned so much. I´m grateful for the chance that I have to help others.

This weekend we have the wonderful opportunity to listen to General Conference! I´m so excited to hear from the prophet and the apostles. I invite you all to take the time to watch or listen to it. If you´re not sure how, please visit lds.org Saturday and Sunday (at 10 am and 2 pm). I promise that you will receive the answers to prayers and invite the spirit into your hearts.

Thank you all for your sweet emails and letters.

con amor,

Hermana Chaffin

Monte Grande

Queridos amigos,

First off, I´m so sorry that I´ve been falling short in the email department. Things have been so crazy busy that I haven´t had time. Thank  you for your patience and love.

A lot has happened since I last wrote, and seeing as I only have about 5 minutes left, I´ll do a few points:

-I had my first embarassing spanish error where I asked for diapers instead of tissues....

-We had a week with two sisters that don´t have an area but visit the hermanas to help them out for a week.

-We found a few new investigators that have a lot of potential.

-Hermana Johnson and I ate peanut butter!!!!!

-We made no bake cookies with the peanut butter!

-I got transferred to Monte Grande yesterday and I´m now with Hermana Santos who is from Brazil

-I am now a sister training leader, which means I´ll be having a lot of exchanges with other hermanas in the mission

I´m so incredibly grateful for the time that I had in San Vicente. It will always have a piece of my heart. I met the most amazing people and I grew so much in so many ways.

I´m also grateful for my time with Hermana Johnson. She is the most amazing person ever. I will miss her so so so much. She was a true companion and friend.

I´m excited for this new change and I hope that I can achieve a lot in my new area.

I love you all!

con amor,

Hermana Chaffin

¡Bautismo!

Queridos amigos,

This week was absolutely amazing! It was busy and crazy and I loved every moment of it.

Monday we had a lesson with Victoria and she said that she felt ready to be baptized this week! So, we left that lesson trying hard not to shout for happiness.

Tuesday we had district meeting and then we were in charge of a ward activity. We basically had a free yard sale. We had a bunch of donations of clothing, and we organized it and then gave it away to those that need it. We had a great turn out and we really enjoyed ourselves.

Wednesday Victoria had her baptismal interview, and it went amazing! She was so happy and seemed so at peace with her decision. We also celebrated my halfway mark by buying icecream and wearing pants!

Thursday we had a bunch of amazing lessons with investigators and we just had a fantastic day.

Friday was the day of the baptism!!! It was absolutely amazing! All of Victoria`s family came to support her and it was simply beautiful. The spirit was so incredibly strong. I love her so much and it will be so hard to leave her and her family. They are a huge part of my life that I will never forget.

Saturday we had a normal day teaching and testifying.

Sunday Victoria was confirmed, and her family also came to support her in that. It was so wonderful to see that whole family sitting on the bench in front of me and my companion. One day I hope to see that as a regular thing with all of them baptized. They`re all getting there, some just slower than others.

I`m so grateful for this blessing that I have to serve a mission and get to know some of God`s wonderful children. I could never learn what I´ve learned here in any other place. I`m truly humbled to be a small part in the Lord`s work here.

Thank you all for supporting me in this decision. I love you all so much! Keep smiling!

Con amor,

Hermana Chaffin

"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph" -Thomas Paine