09.15.2008 (Email)

Hola Mi Familia! Como estan? I hope you´re all great. Well, another week has passed! The time goes pretty fast. :) I was going to send pictures this week, but it´s looking like it won´t happy today because at this internet cafe it isn´t quite as easy. Hopefully one of these first few weeks I´ll get them sent to you.

First off, it sounds like Denver was great for mom and dad, and I´m sure Ak, Ryan, and Nyah as well. So fun when we can get together as a family! Swimming, the zoo... all kinds of fun things. I don´t know that there are many things better than being together with family - a forever family!

As for my week, lets see...

The uncle of Gabriela and Adrian, who were just baptized, was in a terrible motorcycle accident and he wasn´t wearing a helmet. It happened last Sunday, so just over a week ago. As you can imagine, the family is struggling with it. Hermana Celis and I did go over there one night this week, and we were able to watch the video ¨together forever¨ with Adrian´s Dad and aunt (sister of the uncle who was in the accident) along with Gabriela and Adrian. I hope it brought some peace to their hearts. I did feel lucky to be there at their house talking about how families can be together forever. As of yesterday, they´re kindof just waiting... how sad.

We made peanut butter candy for their family, and I think it turned out pretty well! Not quite the same... but fairly close. Rice Krispies were nowhere to be found so we crushed up corn flakes. It works! I wasn´t sure what they´d think since peanut butter isn´t a common thing by any means, but I think they liked it.

I wasn´t able to send a letter home to the family this last week because I´m out of stamps, and the other ones I ordered through the mission office haven´t gotten here yet. So one week you won´t get one, and another week you´ll get two. Hopefully the stamps will be here in time for me to mail this weeks letter. We´ll see...

We´re working on teaching a woman named Monica Troncoso. She has accepted a baptismal date for October 11, so we just need to get her to church! Her husband isn´t interested in the church, so it´s hard when she has to do it on her own. However, she has a lot of faith, and I´m confident that she´ll do what she needs to.

Good news... Andres has a baptismal date for October 11th! He has said before that he has a desire to be baptized. But in a river! He said he wants to be baptized just like Jesus Christ was. We talked to him the other day how that´s great, but if he has a desire to be baptized, he shouldn´t be putting it off until the water is warmer! It talks a little bit about that in Mosiah 18 so we shared that. He agreed, so we´re working towards helping him to prepare for that date. Now we just need to find the right river . . . :D

I´m working on reading ¨Our Heritage¨ and I´m really enjoying that. It´s always very comforting and reassuring to me to read about what the early saints went through for the church - for us really, so we can have the Gospel today.

I read a quote the other day that I really like. It´s Edward Partridge talking, and it´s talking about when the saints were in Missouri. A mob had just seized him and another man, Charles Allen. They refused to renounce the Book of Mormon and leave county. Edward Partridge refused saying that saints had suffered persecution in all ages of the world and that he had done nothing to offend anyone. If they hurt him, they would hurt an innocent person. That he would suffer for Christ´s sake. With this, the mob covered him with tar and feathers.

Now for the quote... ¨I bore my abuse with so much resignation and meekness, that it appeared to astound the multitude, who permitted me to retire in silence, many looking very solemn, their sympathies having been touched as I thought; and as to myself, I was so filled with the Spirit and love of God, that I had no hatred towards my persecutors or anyone else.¨

I thought that was so amazing. Wow. I wondered if I would be able to do the same thing. I would like to be like that. What an amazing attitude and outlook - all for the cause of the work of the Lord.

I also read Jacob 4:10 this morning and really enjoyed that. It´s talking about how we shouldn´t counsel the Lord, but instead be willing to receive Counsel from Him. I think I´ve been guilty of this many times in my life - thinking I know best what I need in my life. However, I know that only Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ really know what I need in my life - the people I meet, the experiences I have in general - that will help me to become a better person. I´m working on it. :)

Oh, our ward mission leader, Remundo Beltran, just received his mission call! He is great - very enthusiastic about the work. Visits the people, meets with us every week... great. I think he´s like 20, 22ish or so. But, he has only been a member for 10 months! He got his mission call to the Buenos Aires South mission, and he leaves December 3rd! He has been waiting for his call for quite a while now. I was feeling a little guilty that I received my call in like 2 or 3 weeks for when I turned in my papers. Anyway, I´m very excited for him.

His whole family is amazing. His parents have been members for 2 years. They´re from Chile. His sister was just baptized like a year ago as well. But they already have such a knowledge of the Gospel, and are so involved in everything. Including missionary work! The Dad was just called as the Sunday School President in the ward yesterday. Wow, talk about responsibility fast! It made me think of the quote by President Monson, ¨He whom the Lord calls, He qualifies.¨

It sounds like you are all busy. I think the mail is a little backed up through Dear Elder or somewhere in between. But it´s okay! We´ll just appreciate our fast communication even more when we have it again. :D

AK, what words are Nyah saying now? Lisa and Jordan, is Hallie walking now? It´s almost her birthday! Wow!

Aaron, Shari and Orrin, how are you all doing? Thanks for your love, support, and prayers. I know I couldn´t do this work here in Argentina without the prayers of everyone. The church is true. I love you all so much, and your always in my prayers.

Con Muchisimo Amor :D
Hermana Pincock