11 Months in and I'm out of Subject Lines....

...But it was a good week! Maira is progressing a ton and got baptized and confirmed this week! She is so tierna [sweet & tender]. She thought she had overslept and missed her confirmation on Sunday when she woke up and was so sad she started crying. But don't worry, she hadn't actually overslept! About 40 members went to her baptism and they are super welcoming and supportive! Diego, a guy in the branch who just got his mission call to Chile, got to baptize her. Hermana Ostler, Hermana Christensen, Hermana Quiceno and I sang ¨Cuando Me Bautice¨ in her baptism, and the members brought food and Maira's family came so it was a good time overall!

[English words to "When I Am Baptized":

1.  I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain
   And ponder on the beauty of an earth made clean again.
   I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.

   I want to be the best I can and live with God again.

    
2.  I know when I am baptized my wrongs are washed away,
   And I can be forgiven and improve myself each day.
   I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.
   I want to be the best I can and live with God again.]
    

   

   Maira's Baptism day! (with Hna Ostler and Hna Hooke)

    

   

   Baptism of Maira with Diego who baptized her

 Also this week we got to do divisiones with our líderes capacitadoras [training leaders] and I got to spend the day with good ole Hermana Jones (I lived with her for 3 transfers [about 4 1/2 months] in Jujuy.) At one point we were looking for a referral out in the middle of nowhere in the campo [country] and we taught a lesson to a really old couple and their chickens and horses and dogs and it struck me, If this is not the gospel being preached "to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people", I don't know what is [Revelation 14:6]. So that's pretty cool that every missionary is contributing to the fulfillment of that prophecy!

 

Today to enjoy P-Day we had a picnic in a little plaza, complete with Mennonite cupcakes (they have a baked goods store in centro [downtown] and they have the best things I have ever tasted) and ukulele and painting. We made a painting to hang in our pension that is pretty "swag" in the words of Hermana Christensen. Haha. It was a fun day and finally a little bit relaxing!

 

 

Our Mennonite friends in their baked goods store

 Hermana Christensen and Hermana Quiceno painting today on P-day

 

My shoes that used to be mint colored, then Hermana Quiceno wore them on the hike and they were brown, then she bleached them and they were white, so I figured I would paint an Argentine flag on them. Pretty sweet, huh?

This week we are going to look for new investigators like craazzy and see lots of miracles! And that's about it! Sounds like you guys are having lots of fun, hope you all have a great week! 

 

Love you all!

Con amor,

Hermana Hooke

Happy Bday Cath n Lib!!!

Hola!

Hope all is well! 

Well this week was good, we are working with some really great people, both members and non members. Maira is all set for baptism this week! Unfortunately her mom had to go out of town and didn't go to church so we will work with her for a later date. But Maira is so sweet and she's really excited. 

Also we are working with a man named Oscar Eduardo who is super capo (that means top notch or something like that...) and he went to church for the first time here yesterday. He was interested in the church because his brother got baptized a few years ago and he saw a huge change for the better in his brother and he wants that too. Pretty cool huh?

We had interviews with Presidente Chaparro yesterday and it really helped me to realize what things I need to improve in. The only way to do missionary work in the Lord's way is through the Spirit. When we are obedient, when we study well, when we get along with our companion, everything is important in our worthiness for the companionship of the Spirit. And when we have the Spirit everything else will come - the gift of tongues [being able to communicate well and understand others in their language], more investigators, more people in church, more happiness, etc. There is a scripture that I really like in 3 Nephi 19:9. I don't know it in English but basically it says that the disciples of Jesus were praying for what they most desired, and their desire was that they be given the Holy Ghost. I learned a lesson from their example. What is what I most desire? To be worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost? I know that I am in the Lord's work and that in order to do it in His way, it is essential to have His help through the Spirit. I know that in our lives every day we can feel the Spirit's influence when we live worthily and seek it. 

Well that's enough for today, ¡hasta la próxima semana! 

PS Happy Friend Day. (there is an Argentine holiday for everything.)

Love

Hermana Hooke

PSS I have de ja vu every time I write, I do apologize if I say the same things every week...

Miracles, Hikes, and Stray Dogs. [Hike photos!]

Hello!!!!

This week was pretty much de diez [must mean 10 out of 10??]!  Maira and her mom Beatriz went to church again and are both preparing to get baptized on July 25th! They are so great. Maira is 13 and is already working on Personal Progress and even knows how to pray in English and always thanks God for her ¨cool hair.¨ haha. :) 

Today we got to go on a hike to a hill called Media Luna, it was a lot more intense than we were expecting but it was absolutely beautiful! Before leaving civilization a stray dog (Hermana Ostler fondly named it Llama) decided to follow us--it made it all the way up the mountain and back, waited for us as we ate and studied, and I think its still waiting for us outside the cyber where we are using the computers, haha. 

Please keep family Ruíz in your prayers.

What else has happened....nothing too exciting. I am learning lots and loving lots. Something beautiful about the mission is that I was happy before the mission but the happiness I feel now as a missionary is different. It's more sweet and pure because it is focused on the happiness of others. I know this happiness comes from the Lord's Spirit and that every person can find it when they focus on serving others and doing God's will instead of their own. I know the message I am sharing is true and that it blesses the lives of the people it touches. 

I love you all very much! Have a great week!!! 

Con amor,

Hermana Hooke

Happy 4th of Julyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!

Yes, you bet we celebrated! 

This week was really good. Hermana Ostler and I get along really well. We have a ridiculous amount in common! 

Its been sooo cold lately! I feel like I'm turning into Mom because I am wearing this full length Russian parka we found in the pension because I am always cold! haha.  

Well there is good news and bad news. The good news is that Jesús Funes (the gypsy miracle from last week) and also a 13 yr old girl Maira and her mom Beatríz went to church yesterday!!!! And also this guy that we talked to in a store like a month ago and said we would go back (and we never did)... He said You guys never came back, so I came to you! Pretty crazy, right? But turns out he lives in the area of the other hermanas [which means the other sister missionaries are the ones designated to teach him]. And just kidding, there is no bad news. haha We are doing really well. 

With more and more time on the mission I am seeing more clearly how the Lord's hand has molded me through my experiences and the people I meet. I know that he is a very personal God who knows exactly what we need to grow and improve, and he will mold our lives if we let him. 

Love you all very much! Hope you have a fantastic week.

Con cariño,

Hermana Hooke :)

Gypsy Miracle...

Heyyy!!

Well I have literally 4 minutes to write this.......

 

My new comp is Hermana Ostler from Oregon, she has 5 months in the mission. We have a lot in common and she's super sweet, so it should be a good transfer (6 weeks)!

 

We had a really neat experience where we really saw the hand of the Lord and I felt just a little bit of how big this work really is and that we are only little pieces to bring about God's eternal purposes. We went to visit the Funes family (gitanos [Gypsies]) and for the first time we met the dad. Not gonna lie we were really scared of him. But he started to ask us lots of questions, and a member that was with us helped a lot to answer them and then the dad told us that he has been looking for the truth in a lot of churches but not finding it. And that VERY DAY he had prayed to God asking for a sign. And we showed up. He was very resolved to attend church with us on Sunday. I've been told that hips don't lie [I had to look that one up on Wikipedia: "Hips Don't Lie" is the name of  "a salsa and worldbeat song"--you'll have to look up "worldbeat" on your own!], but also gypsies don't lie when they say they will do something. Unfortunately he got called in to work at 4:30 am so he could not go to church, but he is for sure going to go next week. So that is your gypsy miracle for the week. 

 

Love you all immensely! And always remember that when things go wrong and life doesn't make sense, someone is actually in charge and helping to mold us into something much better than we ever imagined. 

 

Love you! 

Best, Hermana HOookeee

¡Feliz Día Papá! (ayer)

Heyyy there!

Hope all is well! This week was pretty good here in Metán! I was on divisiones for 2 days. I stayed here and Hermana Castillo went to Bella Vista in Tucumán. For one day I was with Hermana Moss who is going home in 1 week and the next day I was with Hermana Christensen who lives with us and has 8 months here. It was really great and we saw a lot of small miracles. Especially that we have 2 families that are progressing a lot! Please keep them in your prayers - family Caliuolo (Dad, they said there last name is from Sicily [where Chris served his mission], cool huh?) and family Núñez Angelicola. They are seriously the best. We are gonna work a lot with them so they can go to church this week! Thanks for the prayers, after the tribulations always come the blessings!

The picture is us with Reina, a blind lady who is really cute. The other is at lunch with a member who cooks realllly well and her 99-year-old dad. Also Agustín is doing a lot better than the last couple weeks!

I was reading the talk from the last conference by Elder Causse (I think thats how its spelled) about how so many times we have marvelous things in front of our faces and are just so accustomed that we stop noticing them, like little miracles and blessings, the doctrines of the gospel, especially the atonement. But when we have the company of the Spirit, he brings all things to our remembrance, including the miracles we have seen and don't want to forget! I thought that was pretty cool.

Well have a great week! Most likely my last week with Hermana Castillo....we shall see. 

Love you!

Hermana Hooke

There is something good in every day (or week)

Well, time is flying by. Can't believe its Monday, of week 5. Wat. This week was not the best because after working for 4 weeks to find new people to teach, none of them are progressing or coming to church. (when I got here we really didn't have any investigators). Also we couldn't even see Agustin once all week. But all is well. We are just going to keep working and we are going to see miracles this week, I just know it! As a líder capacitadora once taught me, ¨Every day (or week) might not be a good one, but there is something good in every day (or week).¨

This week we traveled to Tucumán to go to zone conference and it was the best! We talked a lot about following the Spirit and even planning by the Spirit but not being so caught up in our plans to not follow the Spirit in unforeseen ways, because sometimes when we have ¨perfect¨ plans, God has other plans for the day! I don't know if that made sense haha but it was cool. AND we got to eat good food and see the proverbial "Meet the Mormons" movie! Also taught piano and it is soooo much better when my alumni are older, better behaved, and actually want to learn to play the piano. haha

Wellllll I don't really remember anything else interesting that happened this week, so I'll sign off...love you all! Hope you have an amazingly wonderful week!

Best, Hermana Hooke