No Sparrow Falls to the Ground Unnoticed

[First, here are Emily's responses to some of my questions:]

About how she eats milanesa (which, according to the 52 things she wrote last week, is "its own food group" learned las(which is breaded meat):

Normally we eat milanesa with rice or mashed potatoes or fideos (noodles.) also milanesa napolitana is really good, it has tomato sauce and cheese on top.

 

About the size of her city and how many missionaries work there:

Metán is pretty small, it is only me and Hermana Ostler and Hermana Quiceno (from Colombia) with a mini misionera (short term companion) from Tucumán (Hermana Medrano). 

 

About how often they get to eat dinner with the members:  

We eat with members every day except P Day, and sometimes Thursdays. The members are buenísimos [WONDERFUL!] 

 

[And now her main email:]

 

Hola! I don't have any time left but I just wanted to share a silly little story with you all. This week I was in Tucumán for 2 days on divisiones with Hermana Castillo (a different Hermana Castillo, from Peru) and one morning we opened the balcony doors because we were hot, and a little baby bird flew in and kept trying to leave though a closed window, and it hurt itself. We made it a little bed and gave it food and water, but I thought maybe it got hurt really bad and would die. I said a little prayer that it could be healed and be okay, and a few minutes later we went out to check on it and it had flown away! I was happy that God hears and answers even the simplest of prayers. 

 

And that is all for today, have a great week! 

 

Love you all.

Hermana Hooke :)

 

 

I Am One Year Old as a Missionary! (well Thursday I will be)

Hola!

This week was a good one, as usual! We got to do some service helping a family paint their house and another family plant a vegetable garden, so that was fun. Also we went to Tucumán for zone conference with President Chaparro and I ate a whole 12 empanadas (I would not recommend it.) I learned a lot and we are super excited to apply it in the branch!

 

Well, even though I feel like I have been gone like 4 months, this week I am going to complete a year in the mission! Que loco, ¿no? [Crazy, right?] So I am going to rob an idea from Hermana Hammond and tell you all 52 things I have learned in these first 52 weeks! Here we go:

1. Spanish
2. that every part of the world and every culture is beautiful in its own way
3. that God is a God of miracles
4. that Argentines literally have a holiday for everything!
5. Don't wait for other people to do things - be proactive
6. how to teach
7. just what a luxury it was when I could sleep without an impending alarm
8. that happiness does not depend on circumstances
9. that I will never stop learning
10. that in Argentina, milanesa is its own food group
11. that keeping the commandments makes life a whole lot easier
12. to be grateful
13. that time is short but we can choose how we use it
14. how to listen to people
15. how to listen to the Spirit
16. the importance of having a good relationship with my companion
17. that heart parasites exist (but don't worry, it's not me that has them) :)
18. how to sight-read hymns (well still working on that.)
19. that the siesta in northwestern Argentina is sacred
20. that maybe every day is not a good day, but there is something good in every day
21. that even when it's 100+ degrees out, the Argentines somehow keep drinking their boiling hot mate
22. to have more faith
23. that one tires very quickly of EFY music and MoTab
24. how to play the harmonica (thanks Mom)
25. how to play the ukulele (thanks Hermana Ostler)
26. that this work really is the work of the members - I'm just here to help
27. that if I want to be the best missionary I can, I have to do it in the Lord's way and not my own
28. that life's all about attitude
29. that washing clothes by hand isn't as bad as I once thought
30. to love the scriptures
31. to count my blessings
32. that the sky in Argentina is somehow much bigger and more beautiful
33. how to make the angry stray dogs go away
34. the more obedient we are to the commandments or the mission rules, the larger portion of the Spirit we will have
35. that diligence starts when I don't want to be diligent anymore
36. Raid is very flammable...
37. that it is never worth it to be stubborn
38. that when you call a plumber in Argentina he will pull out the clog from the toilet with his BARE HAND
39. that lots of material things are not necessary to be happy
40. Time flies when you're having fun, but also when you're not, so why not have fun?
41. how much I miss a reliable water heater
42. that the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families
43. what a good family I have
44. how to have a little more patience
45. in every trial there is something to be learned
46. that I am very imperfect but God loves me perfectly
47. that we all have different trials and problems but the gospel of Jesus Christ is universal
48. to forget myself and get to work
49. God answers prayers in ways we could never imagine
50. the Atonement is real
51. how to love others
52. how to love my Savior Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father.

 I am so grateful for this time I have to serve the people of Argentina and my Heavenly Father. There is nothing better that I could be doing right now, and every day I understand that more and more. The gospel is true and changes lives! Thanks for your examples and your love and support! I love you all so much. ¡Que tengan una semana maravillosa! [Have a marvelous week!]

Best,

Hermana Hooke

Another Week of (Not So) Adventurous Adventures en Metán!

Hola!

​​Hope all is well! This week was pretty tranquila except for some gastronomical distress, haha. 

​​The highlight of our week was definitely finding a family of new investigators. The mom is Noemí and she lives with her father-in-law and 4 kids. Her husband is currently in jail and she has a lot of problems. Our first visit with her she was super sad and stressed and we shared a scripture in Matthew 11: ¨Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.¨ When we returned for the second visit she was like a different person. She was happy and she said she was praying every day and felt so much more calm. She and her family assisted ​[in English that would be "attended" :)] ​an activity we had in the church on Saturday and went to all 3 hours of church Sunday and loved it.

Today Hermana Ostler asked me what is a miracle that I have seen in my life, and I told her that one of the biggest miracles is seeing a change in myself for the better. It is the same change that Noemí is just now starting, a change that is only possible when we live the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today for P-Day we made pizza. Cooking in Argentina is always an adventure! For like 15 whole mins we were just trying to open a jar of ají [chili peppers] (I think it's like pepperchini?) but at least we got to know a lot of our neighbors trying to find someone with a can opener and/or pliers.

Well I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!!!!!

Best,
Hermana Hooke :)

I'm Staying in Metán! :)

Yep we had transfers and Hermana Ostler and I are both staying here! Hermana Christensen went north basically to Bolivia and it will be sad not having her around. Hermana Quicenos new comp is a mini missionary from Orán. 

She received her birthday package!!

A fellow missionary made her this "Emily Piñata" for her birthday

Oscar Eduardo & family members

Oscar Eduardo

Oscar Eduardo's baptism

Eating meatballs and studying:)

Emily loves "Taco Thursdays"

Emily's Zone (Zona Tucumán)

Las Hermanas de Zona Tucumán

Ruiz Family

Emily's buddy Ricardo:)

Well I basically sent this week in pictures so I don't know what else interesting to write...Oscar Eduardo got baptized and confirmed and after his confirmation he even shared his testimony! It was so great. Its always such a happy feeling to be a part of the process of helping someone be converted to our Savior Jesus Christ.

I got to give the Principios del Evangelio lesson in church and it was about charity, and I probably learned more than my students, haha. Something I really liked is the scripture in Matthew 5:44-45: ¨But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.¨
Basically, God loves all his children - even the rebellious ones, even the misbehaved ones, even the ones who don't believe He exists. Every person will receive blessings and trials in their lives regardless, just because He loves us. And if we as His children want to be similar to Him, we too must love everyone, even when it's difficult, and even when they don't love us back. We can let our good works shine on the evil and the good and rain our love on the just and on the unjust. It is not easy but it is something we can improve on every day as we follow the example of Jesus Christ. David O. McKay, one of the presidents of the church, said ¨Nobody can sincerely decide to apply the teachings of Jesus Christ to their daily life and not note a change in their nature.¨ Well I liked it better in Spanish, but it's still true! I invite you to study the attributes of Jesus Christ, our perfect example in everything, and try to put them in practice. And I promise you that you will see a change for better in your very nature. That is the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that we can all be a little bit better today than we were yesterday. 

Well love you all bunches, hope you have a splendid week and remember how much our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ love you!! 
Con amor, 
Hermana Hooke :)

Feliz Agosto!

Helllooooo!

 

This week was good and fast, like the majority of the weeks of the mission. I am now officially old (double digits!) and everyone made my bday really special, it is sufficient to say there were maracas, french toast, and brownie-cake, so I got spoiled! 

 

Today p day was fun, our whole district got together and played a bunch of games (I am the kill champion of my whole district..woohoo!) and ate asado (super good steak) at a member's house. 

 

Hermanas Hooke, Cachi, and Ostler

The pic of us with the little cute lady is Hermana Cachi, who gave us lunch on my birthday. She told us about how about 25 years ago, her family life was a disaster and she felt hopeless. One day she went to take a nap and pulled out a random book to read, that just so happened to be the Book of Mormon that some LDS neighbors had gifted her years before but she had never looked at it. She started to read and thought it was so beautiful that she read 8 chapters and told her husband how beautiful it was. A few minutes later, 2 missionaries knocked on their door. They were fasting because absolutely no one was receiving them. Hermano Cachi answered the door and was surprised they had arrived so soon, and when he told them to come in they started to cry. He told them that his wife had been reading their book, and when they met her the first thing she asked was, "What do I have to do to be a member of your church?" They listened to the missionaries, got baptized, and 2 years later to the day their family got sealed for eternity in the temple. Moral of the story: Heavenly Father prepares His children. We are in His work and it is way bigger and more beautifully orchestrated than we could ever do on our own. It is something I am coming to understand more every day of my mission. 

 

Another example of how God prepares His children to receive His gospel is Oscar Eduardo, our investigator who is a 34 yr old policeman who has some members of his family that are members. He went to church for the 3rd time yesterday and if everything goes well he will be getting baptized this Saturday. He has so much faith and desires to learn and understand and is just super great. So please keep him in your prayers! Love you all! 

 

Thanks for the prayers, birthday wishes, and love. Also thanks in advance for the bday package, it got here [to the mission office?] and I should get it on Friday! 

Love you all! 

Hermana Hooke