One Month in BsAs

April 20, 2015

Sorry, I can´t send any pictures this week. the computers aren´t so good. this is like the one we had before the DELL and fat mac. haha. 

I can´t believe i´ve been in Argentina for a basically a month. I feel like i have changed more this past week than my entire 19 years of life. On the mission you really learn a lot about yourself, I don´t know why maybe because we have more time to reflect. But I am so grateful for a patient and loving companion. I´m trying to teach her english too. little by little. I taught her how to say "NAAAAAILED IT!" haha, I don´t know if I ever told you but one of the members and I were on a split and she told me to say "che que lindo moco" to my companions when we met back up. she told me moco meant face, ahahhah but later I found out it means BOOGER! translation: "hey what a beautiful booger". So many argentine´s wear shirts with english words on them, and I always ask if they know what it means, and they never do. OH also, I heard one direction playing when we met up with a member at McDonalds. A glorious and savored moment :)

De verdad (means really/truthfully and is probably my favorite thing to say), this week contained the highest highs and the lowest lows. First off, we had no one to teach, which makes for long, unsatisfying days. And you also think "what am I doing wrong?" But this is God´s work. and there is a strategically organized plan that we are fulfilling everyday. I just love reading about Joseph and the early saints in Our Heritage and I imagine all the little tiny things that I would be complaining about if I were in there place. But they were still so happy and kept the faith and perservered. and i think "dang. okay. i can do better!"  

And we saw miracles. Literally no one would talk to us or even accept our little cards. no quierria nada! And one day I knelt down while my companion was in the shower and prayed. For forgiveness for being so prideful. and thinking that I´m the best and I can convince anyone of this gospel. And that next day, every single person we talked to wanted to go to church and wanted to learn more. It was crazy! Even when we would go to a house and they weren´t home, we would talk to someone outside or a neighbor, and wow. We would ask if they knew anyone else interested and they would give us referals. One person even came up to us and said "are you missionaries?" and wanted to talk. It was a day of fuego! gracias a Señor.

two killer people;

CINDY-- 22 moved to BsAs to study and lives with a girl who is a member but hasn´t been active in yearsssssss. And they both are so interested in connecting/reconnecting with God. and they read the BoM together and are in Mosiah already. They have such good questions about understanding what are the small plates and plates of brass. We only just met them yesterday but we were in the plaza and there was a big political campaign -- stuff going on, so we called the bishop (who lived just around the corner) and actually taught the first lesson in his house with his wife and family. It was so great! and so great for the family to see the missionary work, and I think they´ll be so much more excited to give us referencias!

&& Yuli. wow. Yuli and her husband have two sons 13 and 4. and I just love their family so much. More than anyone I have met in the mission. They are such good people and really want to change. Her husband is really involved in the family too which is beautiful to see. They are worried about their teenager feeling like he belongs without getting into trouble. And they said on Sunday bryan was like "We need to go to church!! come on!" and that he has been read the BoM we gave them. and asking questions about why are we called Mormons. and there is just such a beautiful spirit in their home and I know they can be even happier with this Gospel.

We were so blessed this week. and learned a good lesson about patience. Keep up the good work back home! Oh, and if you have any good ideas for FHE games and lessons let me know :) I´m thinking we´re going to make titles of liberty tonight.

CHAU <3

Hermana Haight

Hermana Downs

Hola Familia Haight!

Im Hermana Downs! I'm one of the Hermanas serving in Congreso with your daughter! Wow, let me tell you, she is INCREDIBLE!!! She´s got such a strong testimony and such a sweet spirit about her! She´s a great Missionary and is always looking for opportunities to serve and do more! And on top of it all, her spanish is awesome! Hermana Haight´s new companion is Hermana Lopez and she´s amazing; I´ve known her for quite some time and know that they´ll be a great team! Don´t worry, your daughter´s in good hands! 

We are all sooo excited and lucky to serve side-by-side with your daughter in Congreso! We are excited to see miracles unfold as we work in La Viña del Señor! Hope you all have a great week!

Con Mucho Amor,

Hermana Downs 

Congreso

SURPRISE, we had a flash transfer thursday morning, and now i´m in Congreso with Hermana Lopez!! It is very different from La Boca, much more city and less dogs! but it is still close and i´m in the same zone, and hna Forte y Espinosa are my sister training leaders so I´ll still get to see them. We had church yesterday and I got to meet the ward and WOW, they are FANTASTIC!!!!! I think that was the best fast and testimony meeting of my entire life. There is such power here in the members and I am so excited to work with them!

But wow. mission life is not easy. In the new apartment all the running water is based off one knob, and so if we want to have water in the kitchen you have to go to the bathroom and turn it on. Also our shower doesn´t work, and I want to challenge you guys to try out bathing with a bucket so you can live the mission experience with me :). haha. but i actually really want jordan to try it! (it´s kind of fun..)

We had another baptism Sunday, a little boy named Mauro (his parents aren´t members). The ward mission leader is fantastic, he teaches at the MTC in Buenos Aires, and my companion had him as her teacher!! how funny.

This week we had a great lesson with Augusto! He is 35 years old and we met him on the street my first day in Congreso. We set up an appt to talk to him later, and we came back to teach the Restauracion. It was a powerful lesson! and the member we had with us bore such a great testimony!! she is 19 years old and a convert of only 4 months! She testified of the first vision and after that we committed him to baptism!! wooooooooooo. and we made plans to meet for church and go together. 

When Sunday morning rolled around we called him about 4 times and he never answered and he wasn´t at the meeting spot, so we thought ok chau. and went to the capilla con with our other investagator (i don´t even know how to spell in english anymore) who we committed to baptism since I got here too! and after sacrament meeting WE SEE AUGUSTO!! he came to church by himself. wow. and he stayed for Sunday school and Priesthood. It is so beautiful to see people who really want to change their lives and when they know how to do it, they do it!! As a missionary we don´t even do anything! God has prepared them so well to recieve the gospel, it´s amazing!

The mission is not easy. One of the hermanas that came with my group has gone home. There are times when you are so dang tired. And there is so much expected of you. But I just pray so hard and think of when Jesus had just finished suffering in the Garden He probably felt so done and didn´t want to talk to anyone, or complain or take a nap or just focus on Himself after suffering for all the sins of the entire world and bleeding from every pore. But even then He had the compassion to think of others and heal the ear of the soldier that was there to take Him away. Yes, when it is tough I think of the Savior, and then it is possible.

Thank you for all your letters of support, it is so fun to hear what´s going on back home. Happy spring break! Keep up the good work! you are such great examples. And be nice to the missionaries at home!

Love you so much!

Hermana Haight

First Baptism

FIRST BAPTISM!!! We met her my first friday in Argentina and she was baptized yesterday. 

It was a miracle she was so prepared by God and willing to accept the gospel in her life. 

This is me converting the pope! 

Caminito, part of town with lots of colores, a big tourist attraction 

PB&J a once in a lifetime opportunity, because hna espinosa got PB

from her old companion´s parents who came to pick her up

Easter

Okay. WOW. what a week.

Conference was fantastic! Saturday we watched in Spanish which is a bit difficult because I feel like I´m focusing more on the words they are saying than the actual mensaje. But sounds like Jordan knows how that feels like! And we had a beautiful baptism in between sessions on Easter Sunday. Could it get any more perfect? In the MTC one of my teachers said "God saves a special joy for those who share the gospel." Oh how true that is. As she entered the waters of baptism I just wanted to cry. Here this young girl of 17 was humbling herself to make convenios con Dios. I just felt that this decision is going to have an impact on the rest of her life, and those around her. The ordenanzas de gospel performed by the priesthood is the only way people can access the power of Atonement; to heal, to be forgiven, to progress and to be saved! No other source on Earth could give Melanie this of help and blessing to have peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come.

Ever since we met Melanie she has been a powerful example of Faith. She would read and pray and do absolutely everything we challenged her to. That just makes me so happy because she really wants this relationship with God and to follow the Savior, It is not because the missionaries are pounding on her window every week to get out of bed and come to church (which we have to do for others). She came and stayed for every session of conference (sat and sun) and has been such a fantastic example to the rest of her family. We have started teaching her brother too. He is REALLY UN CAPO. (argentine word for like an awesome person). Alessandro is 13 years old (and in the picture of the baptism) and is the most spiritually minded teenager I know. He said that he has seen a change in his sister and he wants the same thing.

 

This week and during conference I have really been impressed in my mind that God has a plan and it is way better than ours. But a lot of times I forget that and try to do what I think is the best, without even trying to look for God´s plan. Like the stories of the less active memebers that everyone would try to bring back to church. Their family was probably worried and trying to get them back as soon as possible. but God knows they will come back eventually, and that this journey will make their testimonies stronger and better prepare them to live happily in the eternities. 

 

Another example is Melanie´s interview for bautismo. I was looking forward to it all day long, and 5 minutes before the scheduled time we get a text saying that she can´t make it. and I thought "grr Satan!!" We called her and she was going to a birthday party of one of the members (the one who gave her as a referral). In my mind i thought NO she needs to be interviewed right now. that´s the only way!!! now she´s not going to get baptized and she´ll forget everything, and etc. So we decided to still go to her house and try to talk with her brother. As we walked we talked about what we could share with him and decided since he kind of came in in the middle we´ll teach the restauracion. We got to the part of Jose Smith´s first vision and when he saw the picture he said "oh, I saw that last night in my dream". we said WHAAAAT. and he explained that he was wondering how God is and prayed about it, and then had a dream that he went into the woods and saw God and Jesus, THE DAY BEFORE WE TAUGHT HIM. it never would have happened if we were doing the interview with his sister and we wouldn´t have even talked about it. WOW. 

 

obviously I am not in charge of the universe. thank goodness. This week I am going to try a lot harder to focus on seeing God´s plan for people instead of focusing on my own. It is kind of the difference between good and best. average and excellence. God let Melanie cancel her interview at that time because there was a greater work for us to do. ANYWAY lots of preaching. sorry andrew. But it is important. I am so grateful for Christ. I don´t think I even knew anything about Him before my mission. And I cannot wait to learn even more.

 

Happy Easter, and ustedes son los mejores. A lot of talk about family this conference, and I´m just lucky that I have the best one :)

 

kay Adios, 

Hermana Haight

 

p.s. (haight is the hardest name in the world for spanish speakers, so one member said I can go by hermana hi, and then she started calling me hermana hola!) <3

 

Photos from the MTC

Hola Todos!

We hope that you were able to travel to your destinations safely. We know that you have found wonderful new companions who will train and love you. What an adventure you have embarked upon. You are dearly missed here at the MTC but our 5 remaining Elders have been able to welcome  4 new Elders and 4 new Sisters this week. We are excited to meet them tonight. Please know that we love you! You have blessed our lives and we thank you for your goodness and willingness to serve the Lord.

WE send our prayers and many hugs to you,

McCrackens 

Photos

The Atiba of the MTC 

Good-bye to Provo

MADE IT TO BSAS 

lunch is the biggest meal of the day, we eat with members usually 

ward activity of tug-o-war. it was sooo funny!! 

First Week in Argentina

March 30, 2015

WOOOO I´M IN ARGENTINA! viva la boca! honestly, a lot of things are different but I feel like I don´t even notice how weird things are. My companions are always the ones to be like ´that was really weird" First of all, there are dogs. everywhere. they don´t really bother you, but it´s just so different to be walking down a street and pass like 10 dogs in two minutes. Second of all the drivers are CRAZY! and people cross the street whenever they feel like it, so they just dodge the cars and the cars dodge people. And i´m always scared i´m going to die everytime we cross. Also, there are like no vegetables. But the bread y facturas (donuts/churros/pastries) are so dang good. way better than estados unidos (US). Dulce de leche is way good too. And the meat. Honestly the food is fantastic.

In Argentina I just feel free. Like you can just do whatever you want. The United States I just feel like we are bound by unspoken rules of how to act and people are very aware of how they are being perceived by others, but here you just do what you gotta do. People are hanging out outside or walking around town all the time, which is great for missionary work. Oh, but there are quiet a few cat callers. At first I was so excited that someone wanted to talk to me, and I thought it was because they were just feeling the Spirit draw them to the truth! But nah. Sometimes they can say like "i love you"  or "beautiful" in english. haha. it´s whatever.

I just love it here! La Boca especially is amazing. Very beautiful! and the ward is HUGE and the members are absolutely fabulous. We go out with a member every single day! and this week one of the members that was with us said she had a friend we could talk to! so we went over and Melanie is her name, and boy is she FANTASTIC. she is 17 years old and very receptive! she reads Everything we give her, and understands it too, when we come back and ask questions she always knows the answers! and she came to church sunday. WOO church was crazy, ahhahah. a lot like the El Camino Ward, but with more people so it´s louder. and they were having problems with the microphone and so every once in a while it would shriek and everyone in the congregation would scream. I just loved it and thought it was hilarious. They´re trying their best. My companions said it is usually more reverant.

Oh side note, on the plane ride over we sat next to an 8 year old boy named griffin. There was only the three of us in our row and we had plenty of time, so we taught him the Restoration.

The Spanish is coming. It really is. con tiempo. But I can communicate alright. mas o menos. But still I definitely feel like I´m not contributing evenly to the companionship, but of course, what can you expect when you´ve been here for 4 days. a veces I feel like it doesn´t matter who does the missionary work and worry if I (Hermana Haight) am really making a difference. Which is silly I know. It hasn´t even been a week. HOWEVER, one person I am really proud of is Alberto! We passed him on our way to teach Lara, a young girl who got confirmed yesterday in church. And we have to teach Lara outside because her parents, and I said to my companion "do we just want to invite him to come listen?" because I just felt like he would really pay attention because he wasn´t in a rush to go anywhere. So we did! and he was eating it up!! every word! and when we talked about how Jose Smith was confused and didn´t know which church is true he was like "YEAH HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH ONE IS?! there´s so many!" And I recited the first vision (booyaa) and he just really loved the message. and we taught him he could pray to know if it was real. And I asked him if he wanted to pray right now. and he said something is spanish, and asked my companion "huh¨" and she said that he said no, that he wants to pray but is embarrassed. But I said "no you can do it alberto!! God loves you and wants to hear from you! c´mon!" SO HE DID. And he was so happy afterwards, and I asked how he felt and he said good! He doesn´t live in our area, but we got the address and sent in a referencia. but wow. ya. How great. The first time that I felt "wow. I, ME, Hermana Haight as an individual, just helped someone come unto Christ. and it probably wouldn´t have happened at that time if I wasn´t here" Que copado. (how cool)

Anyway love you all. I can´t send all the pictures because it will take too long, but i´ll just send my card home later. And my shoes aren´t even hurting my feet! I was kind of worried about that, but it´s been fine!

 

Hope all is well <3

HH