Last P-Day at the CCM!

Queridos amigos,

This week has been wonderful! I can´t believe I only have 4 days left! I have no idea what the future holds, but I´m sure it will be great!

Last Saturday we went proselyting in in area called Moron. It is in the Buenos Aires West Mission. It is much nicer than the first area we went to. I had my first empanada! It was so amazing! Words cannot describe how magnificent it was! I can´t wait to get some more this Saturday.

The first two hours it was overcast, but the last three it rained steadily (fear not, for Hermana Chaffin is always prepared with an umbrella and thermal tights). I stayed perfectly toasty and my toes didn´t feel a drop (shout out to the dansko shoe company). Around 3:30 we came across a very frinedly man. He asked us who we were, and we talked to him for a while.  He tolds us that we were too pretty to be missionaries and that it was too bad that we couldn´t have boyfriends (this man was about 50 yrs old).

After about 5 minutes, his friend showed up with 2 teenage boys. All but one boy went inside, and we started talking to him. He told us that his name is Ian (he is 17). We ended up talking to him for almost an hour in the rain. The poor kid was shivering! I offered him my umbrella but he wouldn´t take it. We had a wonderful conversation and he ended up giving us his phone number and address. After talking to him for several more minutes, everyone came out of the house and he left with them (he and another man took a book of mormon and they both promised to read it).

We wandered around our area for about half an hour, clapping doors and talking to people to no avail. Hna. Warnock had to go to the bathroom, so we started heading to a gas station near our drop off spot. We were one block away from the station when we heard someone yelling "chicas!" We turned around to see Ian running after us! He told us that he had been driving around for several minutes looking for us. He asked if we could talk to him longer. We of course said yes, and went into the gas station where there was a dining area to sit down at. When we got inside, all of the Elders from our district were there! It was so strange! Everyone had something to add to the conversation, and we gave a short lesson to Ian.  Elder Bednar was right when he said, " There´s no such thing as a coincidence when you are on the Lord´s errand"

I was seriously smiling for the next two hours after our bus picked us up. The gospel is true! All of it! I can´t wait to go out again on Saturday and then after Tuesday it´s my full-time job!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

No pierda la fe,

Hermana Chaffin

Our only concern should be to do better than we did yesterday. Step by step is the law of growth. God does not expect the acorn to be a mighty oak before it was a sapling. -George E. Carpenter

D&C 64:33

p.s. please enjoy the photos from our rainy Sunday at the temple

I love Thursdays!

Dear friends and families,

How is everything going? Everyone seems to be busy! Today has been crazy! This Tuesday all of the missionaries (except for the americans that arrived with me) left for their missions, and the CCM was empty. It was soooo nice having it to ourselves. Today the new "shipment" arrived. It is super funny to see how confused everyone is 😀 . I cannot believe that I was ever like that. So much has happened these past 3 weeks. I cannot believe that I am halfway through my time here at the CCM.

Buenos Aires Temple

I never fully appreciated Sundays until I came here. I have been in dire need of a day of rest. Our days here are so spiritual, but Sundays seem to be especially motivating spritually. Also, it is really nice that we get cake every Sunday. Haha.... I love the food.

My companions and I the third time we visited the temple

Proselyting on Saturday was AMAZING!!! We had such a great time. Even with our small vocabulary of spanish, my companions and I were able to share a lot of messages. We ended up giving away two Book of Mormons, several pamphlets, and all of our pass along cards. I have no fear when it comes to talking to people, but I am sure that the more I get rejected the more that will change. The gospel is real people! Jesus is the Christ!

My district at the CCM

On Sunday, President and Hermana Benton were visiting the Buenos Aires West Mission for a new stake that was being created, so Elder Hazelgren and I were in charge. Two of President Bentons counselors were here, but we conducted everything. Because of that, I had the opportunity to teach the Relief Society lesson. It was sooo great! I learned so much while I prepared, and I loved every minute of it. It was on the Atonement, and everyone should read Bruce R. McConkie's (YAY I JUST FOUND THE APOSTROPHE KEY!) talk called The Purifying Power of Gethsemane.

My companions and I have been playing volley-ball with the sisters from the other district this week. It has been a blast! I have actually been getting in a lot of spikes! Who knew?

That's it for now. Lots of love,

Hermana Chaffin

"You can live the impossible dream, or you can live an excuse. It's all up to you" -Paul Kane

p.s. Everyone should read Alma 16! It's my favorite!!!

Hermana Chaffin at it again

Hola todos!

This week has gone by soooo much faster than the last one. I feel like I can actually put in everything that has happened this time.

Last Thursday after I email all of you, my district went to the temple. It was a wonderful experience and I am so glad that we get to do that a few more times before we leave.

Friday was pretty mellow, it was hard to focus after having a day off, but it was so nice to have a schedule again.

On Saturday, Hermana Rios (my morning spanish teacher)  took us over to the temple hostel where people stay if they have traveled a long way to go to the temple. Each companionship had to talk to 5 different people and share a short message. It was awesome! We were able to understand so much after just 2 weeks of being here! All of the Latinos (and the one group of norte americanos that has been here for 3 weeks) got to go out proselyting. So, it was just two districts of norte americanos here at the CCM for several hours.

On Sunday, we got to walk around temple grounds again (I did take photos, and I will send them when I am able to).  That evening we had a devotional with the President of the CCM and our district did a musical number. We sang Nearer my God to Thee in Spanish for the 1st and 3rd verse and then Hermana Warnock and I sang the second verse in English.

I did not write down what we did Monday and Tuesday, and I do not remember what happened, so I will move on to Wednesday. The two norte americano districts that arrived June 2nd made a goal to speak only in Spanish on Wednesday, and it was amazing! I could not believe how much everyone has progressed. The Lord is truly blessing our efforts.

Today has been wonderful as well. We went to the temple at 8 this morning and afterwards had lunch. The food here is amazing! I love it so much!!! They leave two bowls out in the cafeteria at all times, one with Argentine rolls and the other with assorted fruits. The bread is soooooo good!

Before I go, here is a quote a fellow sister shared with me last week,

It comes from the Ensign in 1995. A talk given by Harold G. Hillam titled. 'Sacrifice in the Service'. In response to the question why missionaries serve:

"It's because they have a testimony of Jesus Christ. And when they know Him there is no bed too short or too hard, no climate too hot or too cold, no food too different or language so strange that they are unwilling to serve Him. No sacrifice is too great to serve the Master, who sacrificed his all to provide the way for His brothers and sisters to return home to their Heavenly Father. And because they are faithful to their callings thousands will revere their names throughout the eternities."

I know that I am where I am supposed to be.

Love,

Hermana Chaffin

John 16:33

Temple Trip

This weekend was wonderful! We started off leaving Chinook at 4:00pm on Thursday and arriving in Rexburg at 11:00pm that same night. On Friday, my parents and I went to Deseret Book to buy temple stuff. After I had all of the things I needed, we met friends and family at the temple for my endowment. It was such a wonderful experience, and I can't wait to go again.

Here I am with my grandparents

And here I am with two of my "aunts"

Temples really show how important family is, and I'm so glad that I had some of mine with me!

Along with receiving my endowment, I also bought necessary supplies for my mission. Especially clothes! I had a blast picking out blouses, cardigans, and skirts. Doing it all with my sisters and a girlfriend made it even better!

I even got to have lunch with my favorite uncle!

This weekend had the perfect ending-with friends! We had Easter dinner with the Bear family and had a blast! I love hanging out with all of these crazy folks! I'm sure going to miss all of them, but I know that time will pass quickly and I'll be back with them before I know it.