Hola! 11.16.2009 (Email)

My Family,

Hello! How are you all doing? I hope that you are all doing really well. Sorry I am sending the emails to different addresses, and not to Aaron. The computer is having small issues, and I am having to copy your addresses and paste them in from your last emails you sent me. So anyway... sorry about that.

Well, we have had a good week! We have worked hard, and it feels really good. My favorite part of the week is... we did a lot of contacts! I always struggle doing lots of contacts. But, we decided that we were going to do it. The mission goal is 154 per week, and we did 156! Yay! So that was exciting.

We also had some good lessons with members this week. There is a member named Melisa Ganga in our ward. She is 21. Anyway, she is serving in YW, and we asked her to help us out with a few girls we are teaching - investigators or less-active members. So we went and invited Karen Ñancufil and her family. Their less-active. We invited her and her friend, Daiana. They seemed excited, and they went to the YW activity on Saturday! And something else interesting... we had knocked Daianas door the other day, and we talked with her Dad. He really didnt have much interest in listening, but was nice enough. Anyway, he drove Daiana and Karen to the activity Saturday, and we were able to give him a little tour of the church. It went well, and I think he has a little better idea of the church now. :D Hopefully Daiana will be able to keep participating.

Yesterday Mariahelem, Eduardo, Angelica and her daughter Pamela, and Pablo went to church. Pretty good, but we should have a lot more there. Slowly but surely.

Pablo needs a wedding date!!! Im pretty ready for him to get baptized. Hes so ready! The mission definitely teaches patience. ;)

Mariahelem and Eduardo are thinking that maybe they want to get married, so thats good. A good step.

We went with Melisa Ganga to invite two of Angelicas daughters as well. Antonela is 15, and Yamila is 13. I think if we can get their daughters involved the family will progress faster. It should be good.

Were working on deciding who is progressing and who really has serious intentions, and spending time with them. Those who arent progressing... we have to let go. Its so hard for me to stop visiting people because I have so much hope that it will click for them. But my job is to find and teach those who are prepared. Maybe their time is in the future.

Oh, we had a great lesson with Carlos and Ashelen the other day. Carlos always says that he's looking for the true church of Jesus Christ. We talked to them again about the church of Jesus Christ - that He orgainzed in His earthly life. We talked about authority, etc... We got him thinking. He agreed that we need a prophet today, but he doesnt know who it is. We explained the importance of the Book of Mormon, and that its the only way that he can know if this is the true church of Jesus Christ, and to know if Joseph Smith was a true prophet. He admitted that in the past when he saw the Book of Mormon, he had already decided that its bad. But he promised us that he will read it with an open heart, really wanting to know if its true. :D Im so excited for him. Thats a huge step for him. We saw him later that night as he was walking to work and he had his Book of Mormon with him that he would read during the night at work. :o)

I'm excited about Ashelen as well. She is reading more in the Book of Mormon. We asked them at the beginning of the lesson if we need prophets, who can give us more of Gods word. Carlos said no. Ashelen said yes. She said that Nephi had written the plates, and that if he was a prophet, who wrote more, that the same thing can happen today. We testified that we have a living prophet today. Ashelen believes. I'm so excited for her.

Hna. Makelani received a letter today that she has a meeting the 19th in the mission home - the meeting with the trainers and new missionaries. So it seems to me that I'm headed to Neuquen. I'm sure we will hear for sure, and with more details, but I think my time in Bariloche is coming to an end. :o( But its okay! I have loved my time here, and I have seen lots of miracles. I know that things happen the way they do for a reason.

I have been thoroughly enjoying food with flour. Although I was eating flour before, not so much because Hna. Porter couldnt eat it. Yummy Argentine foods with flour. Oh, speaking of flour. Here they have a thing called facturas. They are like little rolls that have dulce de leche inside, or chocholate on top... like dessert rolls. Anyway, they are absolutely delicious, and everytime we walk by a bakery, you can smell facturas. Thats something I will miss. :D

Have you received a letter giving details about when Im flying home? Just wondering, because Hna. Makelani said that Hna. Schafers family got flight details. As for me, I have no idea. I know I leave the mission the 15th. Thats about it. I realized the other day that I won't be going to the Buenos Aires temple, because its closed. It's tradition that the missionaries go to the temple before flying home. But... the temple is closed for like a year and a half for repairs/changes. So anyway, thats a bummer. But its okay, there are temples in Idaho and Utah as well. I hope that a temple trip is in the plans for one of the first days that Im home. :D Oh how I miss going to the temple!

Well, I think thats it. I love being a missionary. I feel so blessed. I'm constantly learning and I always try to improve. I know that the church is true. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live and that Jesus Christ is guiding His church. I know that Thomas S. Monson is His prophet today. Be careful, take care of yourselves, and I will write again next week. I love you!

Love Always,
Hermana Jana Banana Pincock