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