Navidad in Avillevera

If the title didn´t clue you in, I´m bound for Christmas, but not in Ensenada. Just like I was predicting, I got transferred.

Speaking of Christmas I got the first package today. Props mom on sending it cheap. I don´t know what you did, but you did it right. I only had to pay 4 pesos. To put it into perspective others were paying upwards of 300. The other missionaries were, in book of Mormon terms, "Exceedingly astonished," at my cheap package.

So I was up until 1 30 last night getting my things together. And we were awake at 530 this morning to catch a train to the mission home in Bonfield. I am EXHAUSTED!

So that´s where I am right now, in Bonfield at a random Argentine cyber with a space bar that is making it incredibly difficult to write.

It doesn´t help that I have a TON of things to write about.

I´ve yet to see my new area, and I met my new comp about an hour ago. Elder Valedin. His dad is from Costa Rica, but he grew up in California speaking English in Spanish. So he´s essentially native in both languages. It´s a golden opportunity to really start developing my Castellano. Elder Bushman and I got real lazy with our Spanish speaking.

I´m leaving the stretching fields and tranquil riverbeds of Ensenada for down town Buenos Aires. Our area is HUGE. I´m yet to see it yet, but it is gigantic. It´s going to be a whole new type of adventure. Frankly, I’m a bit nervous. Ensenada was a fairly sheltered tranquil place. Avillevera... well, welcome to the jungle.

Leaving Ensenada was rough. Very rough. I was so content with Elder Bushman. He was a best friend to me, always so easy to get along with. Wonderful members, great atmosphere. I even knew where to buy cheddar cheese!

This week was up and down. At the beginning, we had 3 days straight where all our plans fell through. We still found people to teach, but we were doing a LOT of contacting. It was quite discouraging.

On Monday one of our investigators with a baptismal date, Angela, told us she didn´t want to hear from us anymore and wouldn´t let us in. It turns out her daughter found out about her baptism and went totally crazy. She threatened to not let her Mom see her kids or anything. It hit us pretty hard.

The good news is, we had a baptism, which essentially became our light at the end of the tunnel.

After a few more days, Angela agreed to have us over, and we got back on track. She informed us that she had prayed and was going to get baptized anyway. We told her how happy we were, and then asked her how she was doing with giving up smoking. It turns out that Angela didn´t know that she actually had to be keeping the word of wisdom to be baptized. She just thought it was health advice. One obstacle down, then another rises. It´s quite frustrating.

On Thursday we heard from Elder Bednar. It was an incredible talk. He just answered questions the entire time. I don´t have space for details, but it was amazing.

On Friday, we had the baptism of Karen. She was so ready. Elder Bushman told me it was the first flawless baptism he had ever been to.

Before the service, I had a lot of frustrating things on my mind. The programs weren´t printing. I wasn´t getting help from Elder Bushman. A lot of little things. But once I saw Karen dressed in white, ready to make her first covenant with the Lord, everything fell into perspective.

As we started the service, there was such a distinct spirit, one I hadn´t felt before. We began by singing "A donde me mandes iré" or "I´ll go where you want me to go" I looked down and saw myself dressed in white as we were singing, and thought back to when I quoted that song in my farewell talk. I had no idea how hard it would actually be. I thought of hours of MTC study, and 2 months of confusion in Argentina. I thought of all the heartbreaks in Ensenada. All the frustrating non progressing investigators. All the failed contacts. All the people we had seen flake and fall away from the gospel. And after everything, Karen had persevered through it all. I had never seen such devotion and faith.

I was nervous to actually baptize someone. On top of that Karen had a huge full name. Karen Antonela Predovan Gagnotti. It was hard enough remembering the baptismal prayer. I definitely felt the Lord help me, to make the moment special for her.

I had seen baptisms before. I had seen the 8 year olds go into the font, still innocent, locked to their families and tradition. There was always a sweet spirit there. But to have known Karen before. To see how much she doubted herself, how she couldn´t even believe in God, and now to see her in those waters, words fail me to describe.

A quick plunge, and the sound of rushing waters, a flash of light, and then she emerged. New. Clean. Pure. Should I live a thousand years I will never forget that face. So alive and radiant. The peace of mind that only true repentance brings. Like a thousand pounds had been taken from her back and she now stood relieved. That face that once wept tears of shame and weakness, now stained with tears of joy. That´s the gospel I believe in. That´s the change that you can have. That´s the miracle of peace. Peace of mind that only Christ can bring.

Karen stood and bore a mighty testimony. There was no doubt in my mind that her conversion was real and lasting. That Sunday, she helped teach a gospel principles class. After church, she met with the Bishop, to talk about the mission she was dedicated to serve.

That, my friends, is conversion. That´s a broken heart and a contrite spirit. There is NOTHING the Lord can ask Karen that she won´t do.

My last days in Ensenada were tranquil, and slow. I thought of the growth I had had there. All those that had helped me along. The Angels the Lord had put in my path. This morning, I left. The same way I came. 3 bags, one backpack and a black suit. What changed? It´s not in my luggage, or my worn shoes. It´s in my eyes. And as the bus pulled round the riverbed into the endless green of Argentine fields, I thought of the words to a favorite hymn.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’m come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

The fields stretched for miles and miles, as did my mission before my eyes. I knew that trials and adventures countless in number awaited on the horizon. But I also knew that the Lord had guided my paths in Ensenada. And as Samuel of old, I had transformed the little river town to my own spiritual Ebenezer. Symbol of divine help and strength.

God lives. He loves us, and guides us. And if you´re listening you can always hear his voice. He never fails you. Never.