¿Cambios?

Queridos Amigos,

Another week has come and gone in the glorious work of the Lord.

In our mission, the transfers are always every 6 weeks, but this transfer was 5 weeks because Pte. Calquin has a special seminar when we would be having changes, so we had transfers early. So, I was very nervous this whole week waiting to know what was going to happen to me for my last trasfer. I wanted to know if I was going to have an area and a new companion. Usually missionaries are ETMs for only 3 months and I've had 4 and a half, so I wanted to know what the future had in store. Saturday was the day of "the call", but the call never came. All the other sisters learned about their new areas and companions but we didn't hear anything!!!

I have yet to develop a broad scope of patience, so at 4pm I couldn't take it anymore and called our leaders to know what's up. The answer brought me so much happiness that I literally jumped and shouted for joy! I will end my mission as an ETM! Hermana Rivarola is still my companion!

I am so grateful for this opportunity. I've learned so much from each sister here in the mission and I've grown so much. I absolutely love my companion and she's teaching me so much. She is the most loving and patient person that I know.

This week we were in Alejandro Korn with Hermana Velasquez and Hermana Evangelista. They are so sweet and such hard workers! I had many spiritual experiences and my love for this work grew even more. We worked our hearts out, and ended up finding 15 new investigators!!! It was absolutely incredible! The spirit was so strong in each lesson.

I've been reflecting on what I've learned in my mission and what I would like to learn in this last 7 weeks that I have left. I've learned a lot. How to make rice in different ways, how to run 20 blocks in 8 minutes and arrive at the apartment on time, I've learned how to speak spanish, I've learned how to set goals and achieve them. But, as great as these things are, I've also learned how to see people through God's eyes. I've learned the importance of patience and love when helping someone who feels like there's no hope left. I've learned to suffer with joy and to come closer to God in my sufferings. I've learned that God's plan is PERFECT and that there is always a second chance. The Atonement of Christ makes everything possible. I've learned that this truly is the Lord's work and the only way to do it is His way.

I love the mission and I don't want it to end, but like all good things, it must come to an end. Life is short, so make the most of every moment. Dance in the rain. Share a smile with a stranger. Stop to smell the flowers. This life is meant to be enjoyed.

con amor,

Hermana Chaffin

Live the story you want to tell

¿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

Bautismo!

Queridos amigos,

This week was truly a week of miracles!

Tuesday I had exchanges with Hermana Walker and then we had a lesson with Oscar. He was still struggling with smoking, and we had a great lesson on faith. We discussed showing our faith with actions.

Faith is not waiting for the Lord to help us and then doing something. First, we need to act, showing our faith, and then we receive the Lord´s help.

During this lesson, I received the strongest impression to ask Oscar to be baptized this Saturday. I would have thought I was crazy if I didn´t know that this thought was from the Holy Ghost. I could not deny that the Lord was telling me to invite Oscar to be baptized.

Oscar said that he would pray that night and then let us know the next day.

Wednesday I was reunited with my sweet Hermana Medford and when I told her what happened Tuesday I think she thought I was a little crazy. When we went to talk with Oscar, we could sense that something was different. He told us that he´d gotten his answer and that he wanted to be baptized Saturday! We felt the Spirit confirm that this was the will of the Lord, and we were so grateful that so many prayers had been heard. Oscar quit smoking from that moment on, and we began to set up everything for his baptism.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf said that a sacrifice is when we give up something good for something of far greater worth. I´ve been in the mission for 5 months now, and up until 6 days ago, I was sincerely questioning if the mission was worth it. Not that I wanted to go home, I simply felt like I wasn´t fulfilling the purpose God has for me. I couldn´t see the "far greater worth". I felt stuck. I was obedient and trying to be humble, buty I wasn´t seeing the fruits of my labors.

My experience with Oscar has been nothing short of incredible. The Lord is truly working miracles here, and I´m deeply grateful to be a part of those miracles.

I´ve come to realize my weaknesses and all my falts. I´m quick to doubt but just the same I´m quick to ask the Lord to sustain me and strengthen my faith.

I don´t know what the future holds for me here in Buenos Aires, but I do know that the Lord has great plans and I´m going to do all that I possibly can to help Him fulfill those plans.

This is His work, and I´m going to do it His way because His way is the best - and only way.

I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ and that it was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that we are led today by a prophet of God and I know that the Lord has a plan for each and every one of us. Jesus Christ is our Savior and only through Him and His Atonement can we return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.

I love you all, you are in my prayers.

Con amor,

Hermana Chaffin