HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

So we had a pretty hot awesome Christmas here in Argentina. Alright, so the way they celebrate here is nowhere near how awesome it is in the States but it is alright. Basically Fourth of July kind of with barbecue and then fireworks at midnight. A few gifts too. The fireworks went on for a while and my companion tells me it will be worse on New Years so wish me luck. 

Ezequiel, who got baptized last week, got confirmed yesterday so that was pretty good. 

Yesterday we went to got pick up our lunch because they didn´t have time for us to eat with them so we walked to their house, which is probably a little over a mile and then back. We got home completely drenched in sweat it was really gross but pretty funny also. 

Something I learned in this last week is that the Gospel is easy. I was testifying of the Gospel and this came into my mind and I realized how true it was. I already had heard it but not sure if I really understood it. The decision to leave behind our old life is what is difficult. When we give up everything and give it to the Lord, He makes it a lot easier for us. 

There is a quote from C.S. Lewis that I heard lately and really liked. Something about how the Lord doesn´t want to bind or subdue the natural man, but has come to kill him. If we can take off the natural man or kill him, then the Gospel life is easy to live. Not really sure if this makes sense to anyone else but me but I liked it. 

Thank you all for being such an amazing family. Christmas away from your family is not the most fun thing in the world but I know that I am where I am supposed to be and that makes me happy :) 

Happy New Year! Take a bunch of pictures and send them on down here! 

Love,

Hot in Buenos Aires

Hey everybody!!

So, Elder Walker left yesterday and it was kind of weird to send him off to his house. He didn´t really want to leave either but his two years ended so I guess it was his time. 

Found out last night that Elder LeBaron from Arizona is my new companion, and I was super stoked. I already knew him because we have sung together a few times and we met when I first got here, so we are pretty excited. 

So it has gotten pretty hot here in the last few weeks and I am afraid I am going to melt but if you don´t really think about it it isn´t that bad. I learned that eating a ton of meat (a LOT of meat) and then walking fast in the hotness is not healthy for your body. We´ve got a few investigators that are progressing for their baptisms so that should be good. 

We´ve realized that the zone has been a bit disobedient lately so we need a lot of help from the Lord to help us out with that. On Friday we went to the temple with all the other Elders that are going home so that was pretty sweet. 

We did not get to sleep that much this weekend just because a bunch of things happened as Elder Walker was finishing up packing and things like that. So grateful that I got to serve with him. He taught me a lot of what it means to be a leader and how to lead as Christ would. 

I´ve learned a lot more about patience this transfer and I know it is something I need to keep working on. Alright we´ve got to go but you guys are awesome. Keep the faith!

Love,

Elder Wardle

Hot in Argentina

Hey fam!

We´re had a super hot week here in the country side of Buenos Aires. We have a ceiling fan in our room that kind of works but not super well and so we just sweat all night. Hopefully that means we´re just losing a ton of weight every night. 

We´ve got a few solid investigators that are progressing nicely and we are about to finish this transfer up and send my companion packing to go start working and looking for a wife. Pretty crazy. The zone is struggling a bit and so we´re responsible to help them so we need to lift them up a bit more. 

As the Christmas season starts coming in we know that a ton of people are going to be more receptive to the message and that we just have to be diligent in order to help them. 

Sounds like you guys are freezing over there. haha your turn :) 

We had a really cool lesson yesterday in the house of a member with her friend. We realized that you don´t have to teach anything in a fancy way or for super long to have a powerful lesson. We spoke with them for about 15 minutes about basic faith and the Spirit was felt very strongly and the friend is now preparing to be baptized. 

I know that God just wants to give us so many blessings and that if we are faithful that He will give us everything. Love you guys so much

Elder Wardle

November pics 2013 - Zone meeting and Baptism

Summer has Arrived!

Hola Familia!

So we had a pretty solid week here in La Zona Escobar, the zone numbers are improving so we´re happy about that. Tuesday we had a Leader Council meeting that was super cool just because we learned a ton from President and he fed us, pulled pork, which was suuuper good. Then Wednesday we had a zone meeting where we had to teach the zone what we learned and I realized I talk a lot sometimes haha. 

We had a baptism yesterday of an 11 year old kid, Santiago, and he was super prepared. His parents are less actives and got offended a few years ago so they stopped going to church. The dad used to be in the bishopric so it was a big stir in the ward of them coming back. A ton of gossip for sure. 

Oh and another fun fact, since I played the piano last week for the Primary Program they unofficially have made me the ward pianist and so I get to play the hymns  EVERY sacrament meeting, lucky me right? I mess up a ton but I don´t think they mind too much, hope not. 

Heard it was Thanksgiving last week, hope you guys ate some turkey for me! Turkey is not ever eaten here in Argentina, kinda weird. Really thankful for my family and the Gospel. The ability to feel and recognize the Spirit and know that I´m a member of the only Church that has the authority to act in Christ´s name here on the earth. Don´t forget it! Praying that all is well with you all. 

Love,

Elder Wardle