Happy New Year!

Dear friends and family,

It was so good to Skype on Christmas--to hear your voices and see your faces.  I love you all so much!! There is really nothing new to tell you since we talked three days ago. I can tell you a little more about the transfers.  On Saturday Hermana Sanchez and I got a call for her to pack her suitcase and bring it to the Christmas p-day because she was being transferred.  She is training one of the new Hermanas, who just got here from Brazil.  She was kind of scared because she has spent her entire mission in 9 de Julio.  She was transferred to Castelar (my first area and where my Sister Nielsen is and some of my other friends.) So I was able to tell her a little about the area and some of the people.  She will be awesome wherever she is! 

A little more about my new companion. Her name is Hermana Cordova, and she is from Arequipa Peru.  (I'll send a picture next week.) We had a mini-transfer meeting after the mission p-day last week.  She is possibly the most humble, Christlike person ever.  So when you spend 24/7 with a person she can start to get on your nerves, but Hermana Cordova is just so nice I can't even get mad at her.  Haha. We share the same fear--phone phobia (you know I don't even like to order pizza).  Only she is worse than me, so I have to do all the talking on the phone. I do it because I have to, but my first language isn't even Spanish, which makes it worse--talk about phone anxiety. Haha. 

I have been soooo tired lately.  My celiacs gives me fatigue, and I have been eating bad lately.  Then combined with the 2 am bus ride for Zone Conference and the long day for the Christmas p-day, I am behind on my sleep.  I hope to get everything back on track this week.

Happy New Year! The gospel brings so much joy and purpose and light into our lives.  It is amazing!  It is everything! Is it the most important thing in our lives?  If not, what can you change to make it the most important thing? Is there something you need to stop doing that is keeping you from having a closer relationship with the Savior?  Is there something you need to start doing? Everyday is a good day to repent, to start over, to commit to being a little more diligent in our service, be a little better.  

I have learned not to worry or think too much about the future on my mission.  I try and focus on making each new day a little better than the last and on loving the people around me a little more.  Be a little kinder. Be a little more generous in how I see people.   I love this church.  It is just so true!  I try and talk to everybody I meet and share this gospel with them.  Everyone needs a little more light in their lives.  Everyone! We can't be afraid to open our mouths.  I was guilty of that in the past.  I didn't share the gospel with some of the people I love the very most back home.  Because I was afraid.  I didn't want to offend.  But I am so blessed and have so much, I should have tried to share. Just before coming in to write I was talking to someone on the street and was rejected.  This year I'm going to open my mouth and share the gospel. No fear. Just faith.

Here are a bunch of pictures--sort of a picture week in review. I love you all.  Thanks for the Christmas letters and all the prayers and support.

xoxo,

Hermana Chloe

 Last Thursday we had zone conference, but because of the bus schedule we had to leave at 2 in the morning, and arrived a little bit early for our 9 am zone conference at 4 in the morning.  So we took pictures in the empty chapel.

  I did a little ballet in the chapel for Hermana Sanchez. Haha.

Me on my bike!

Recent converts, Florentina and Pedro, their neighbor they brought to the Christmas party, and Ines and Jose one day before their baptism.  This was at the Branch Christmas party!

 The Christmas tree!

 Baptism of Ines and Jose :)

On Monday we had a Christmas p-day.  We went to the temple and a Christmas program.  Templo Buenos Aires!

Hermana Bangerter!

Temple!

Last photo con la Hermana Sanchez on Monday before she was transferred  :(

Christmas Skype!

We had a Christmas party in the qincho of Bartolo!  This is me  helping to set up :)

Christmas is Coming!

Hello,

Sorry.  I don't have any time to write a long email.  Sorry, Mom.  I spent my time trying to reply to everyone who sent me a Christmas email.  Thanks everyone!  I didn't even have time to reply to everyone :(

But Mom, I will talk to you in 10 days, so I hope you'll forgive me.  I had a great week.  Next Monday I will not email because I am going to the temple and will be having a Christmas program with the mission!  Should be awesome.  So my phone call will be my only contact next week.

Love you all so much.  Can't wait to talk next week!

xoxo,
Hermana Chloe

I´m Dreaming of a Cold Christmas!

Hello!

As far as missionary work goes this week was probably about as normal as it gets.  We taught lessons,  invited people to church, some people accepted us, some people rejected us. Basically as Camron used to say, we spent our time preaching and teaching and working as missionaries do. It was hot this week (91 with 100% humidity), but yesterday it rained really hard.  The rain was refreshing. I just kept thinking I wish that there was a camera that my family could turn on back home and see where I am right now as we were standing there completely drenched from the rain on a street in Argentina, but smiling even though people wouldn't let us in because it was raining.  The rain felt good because almost no place has air conditioning. We have fan in our apartment that cools things off in the evening, but the days are so hot. The only place I have found with air conditioning is the ice cream shop--just another reason to eat ice cream :) 

Right now we have four people who are progressing toward their baptismal dates for December.  Florentina and Pedro are still walking an hour to get to church every Sunday  and are excited for the trip to the temple in January.  This Friday we are having a special Zone Meeting with president, because we didn't have our usual interviews last transfer.  On Monday, December 23rd, we are having a special p-day.  We will all be going to the Buenos Aires Temple and eating lunch in Ramos, and there will be a special Christmas meeting. Fun! This week I will have been on my mission for 10 months...not okay. Too fast.

Yesterday, I gave a talk in church. My topic was about revelation, but I ended up talking more about what to do before and after receiving revelation   In preparation for receiving personal revelation from Heavenly Father, He must be confident that we will follow what He says.  If He knows we are not going to follow His advice, why would He give it to us?  And then after all, what we need to do is trust in the Lord.  I think I talked about this, because it is still something I struggle with.  I guess it is true that the speaker always learns the most.  

Hope everyone had a great week.  Enjoy the cold because I think I will be sunburned for about another three months.  (However, I just learned that in my mission the hermanas can wear a hat in Dec, Jan, and Feb for protection from the sun.)  So I'm going to buy a hat, and that should help.  Have a great week!  I love you all!

xoxo,
Hermana Chloe

Ines- one of our investigators on date for December.
I colored her hair :) This is a before shot!

And After!!!

 I gave her a rocking cut too :)

Chivicloy Sur Zone!

Beautiful park where we sometimes eat lunch.

Hermana Sanchez y yo

Florentina made us lunch :)

Hermana Borges on the left, and some of our investigators in the middle!
This was after the lesson.

Susana gave us some flowers!

The new decoration in the casa de Florentina y Pedro!

Things to say, but not much time!

Hi everyone!

1-Shout out to Aunt Wendy for all those pictures of Thanksgiving. They are so cute! Thanks for sending them. I love that the Walker family was all together.  Wynn is 40! OLD! All of his children are looking super old, too.  Grandma Leslie sent me a letter and said that Wynn graduated.  I was soo happy for him!!! Congrats Tio! I also love Chelsea and Claire's hair! Super cute, both of you! And Karissa is beautiful and looks like she's older than me. Spencer is way too cute, and I think he's grown a foot since I left. Austin, you are a goof in your crazy hat; love it! Weston, who is that pretty girl sitting next to you? Happy belated birthday, Chelsea! Chris is the man with that beard! Grandma and grandpa, you are cute! Shout out to Claire for her birthday this week; love you girl! I loved seeing everyone's smiling faces. I love you all!

2-Florentina and Pedro got a phone in their house.  We now get to call them.  It makes me so happy!! Just imagine those two cute, old people talking on speaker phone--hilarious.  And Pedro got the priesthood yesterday!! Abuelos!!

3-Hermana Sanchez's birthday was last week, and we went to a bakery to eat some treats.  The bakeries here are beautiful! We just bought some little treats, and each thing was a little work of art. Because Hermana Sanchez and I are both artists, we took pictures of the beautiful pastries. (I'll send them next week.) 10 minutes later this man came up to talk to us and asked the usual where we are from and why we are in Argentina  and why we were taking pictures. We told him we both loved art, and that the pastries were works of art.  Turns out he owned the bakery, and he asked if we wanted a tour.  So for Hermana Sanchez's birthday we went on a tour all through the bakery. We went to the room where the ladies were making chocolate, and the pastries and the big cakes.  It was legit.  And he gave us chocolates and pastries! Fun birthday!

4-No time, so this is a part of my letter to president:
We have 7 fechas as of right now, and 4 people progressing toward toward their baptismal dates in December. One is a couple with the necessidad of the plan of salvation. They can't have children, but it was the sweetest experience ever to teach the plan of salvation and see the tears in the wife's eyes when we promised her that she will have many children in a mansion prepared for her by her Father in Heaven if she follows His plan. We have also seen the blessing of having all of our recent converts here in 9 de Julio active. In church, we always have more investigators/recent converts then active members.

Hermana Sanchez and I had a week of difficulities, but we worked hard and the Lord blessed us in ways we didn't expect. We know that he just wanted us to pray harder, work harder, and trust more. We did this; I opened my mouth and taught; we saw many miracles.

5-Random, but in my tiny branch here we have one missionary out.  She is the sister of Karina, and she is in Lexi's mission! Her name is Sister Borges.  So if Lexi sees her, she can tell her that Im serving in her home town, 9 de Julio.

6-Mom, I forgot to tell you that at our big sisters' conference we sang that song you sent to Sister Carter.  She told me to tell you thank you.

7-It is so hot here.  But we are loving it and having fun! Don't worry mom I am wearing sunscreen.

8-Anna, I can't wait to see Frozen with you when I get home.

Sorry this is letter lame! Love you all!
xoxo,
Hermana Chloe

ps. Please remember to take lots of pictures Christmas Eve.

pss. Thanks for the picture of MarLeice in her wedding dress. MarLeice, you made me cry! SOO beautiful! Congrats my married friend :)


psss. Thanks for the picture of Melanie, Danny and little Dixie.  Dixie is so chubby and perfect.  Melanie looks so beautiful and happy. Congratulations to that little family!

Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Hermana Sanchez and I are NOT being transferred!!!  For the first time in my mission, I am not being transferred!!! AND I get to keep my companion!!!!  Happy Day!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hello!

When you are all getting fat Thursday, I will be walking around in the blazing heat of Argentina saving souls. Ya. Life as a missionary is good.  I have so much to be thankful for: this gospel, this work, my companion, the people of 9 de Julio, my mission president, my awesome friends on missions, my wonderful friends and family back home!  Happy Thanksgiving!!

This week went by super fast as do all of the weeks these days.  The best miracle of all and the thing I am most thankful for is that Florentina and Pedro were baptized on Saturday!  We were almost certain that it wouldn't happen after the Elders called us and said that there was no water in the chapel to fill up the font and that after several hours, the font still only had about a foot of water and the water had quit running.  The Elders left, and when we got there we just knelt down next to the baptismal font and prayed that Heavenly Father would help us find a way to fill that font with enough water that Florentina and Pedro could get baptized.  About an hour later, we turned back on the water, and it just kept runnning until the font was completely filled!  I don't know how it happened, but it was amazing.  Everyone just kept telling us we could do the baptism next week, but we had prayed and received revelation 4 weeks earlier that the 23rd was the day Heavenly Father wanted Florentina and Pedro baptized, and we moved forward with faith in that confirmation.

On Thursday, there was an asado to say goodbye to Karina :( It was super sad.  She left on Friday with her fiancé for SLC, but when they released her in church on Sunday as a ward missionary, Sister Sanchez and I both cried.  Yesterday was an amazing day at church.  We had more recent converents and investigators at church than active members.  In the gospel doctrine class, with all adults and young men and young women we had 8 people.  In the gospel essentials class, we had 10 recent converts and investigators, plus the teacher and the four missionaries.  We talked to the branch president after church about the baptisms for December, and he said, "Sisters, can't we baptize those two investigators on the 7th with the two investigators of the elders?" We said we could, but we have two other people getting baptized on the 14th as well.  He said, "Wow! I guess we will be having a baptismal service almost every Saturday in December." (Obviously, he said it in Spanish and this is a translation. haha.)

I am now going to tell you a story about a conversation that I overheard this week that sounds like a joke but is actually true.  A recent convert and three investigators are talking in the kitchen after church, when the recent convert asks one of the investigators, "When are you getting baptized?"  He responds, "The 14th of December."  The other two investigators say, "No way! Are you serious? That is when we're getting baptized, too!" (Translation again. haha.)  Then, they all proceed to have a conversation about how awesome that is.  AHH! The church is true! 

Other than the few exciting moments, the work just presses on as normal.  My companion who has been sick for weeks is finally getting better. (After I gifted her the Musinex D that I brought from the U.S.)  It is insanely hot here.  Yesterday, it rained so hard that we didn´t even try not to get wet.  We walked around in water up to our ankles and loved every minute of it because it was the first time in a week we haven't been hot, and everybody let us in to teach them! 

Enjoy some good food for me! Love you all!!
xoxo,
Hermana Chloe

ps.  I had to cut bangs to protect my forehead from the sun.  I like the bangs, though!

Elder Holland in Buenos Aires!

Dear family and friends, 

I had an amazing birthday week. I sat on the front row for Elder Holland's talk this last Saturday!  It was the most amazing moment ever!!  I just love Elder Holland!!! And I really love Sister Holland, too!!! First, I am going to tell you about Sister Holland's talk.

She started off talking about a moment about three years ago when she and her husband were having scripture study.  They began to talk about how God would get all the work done in the last days.  She said that she told him,"I just read, I the Lord will hasten the work in my time." She said that standing there looking out at the 900 something missionaries in Buenos Aires, she is seeing the fullfillment of that prophecy.  She said, "If you have ever wondered why you are here, this is why! You are here to be God's miracles.  You were sent to this earth with the predestined purpose to hasten the work." She gave an amazing talk about keeping your eye single to God's glory.  She used DyC 88:63-68 to explain this and said it has been she and Elder Holland's life scripture.  Both she and Elder Holland emphasized that it is not what you say, it is who you are!

When Elder Holland walked up to the pulpit, he had everyone stand for a second.  When I stood my face was about 5 feet away from his.  The spirit was so strong; I got the chills.  Obviously, he said it as only Elder Holland can, but he mostly talked about true conversion,  now and forever.  That the mission of the church right now is to have everyone more converted, and this new era is starting with the missionaries now.  We are to be true now on our missions, and then be true forever.  As he said it, "The Mission is REAL LIFE! When you go home you are not to go back to anything like you were before."  It was great.  He talked about how missionaries are the most loved and prayed for group in the world.  His talk was uplifting, powerful, and just got us all excited for missionary work and the rest of our lives in this gospel.  I had expected to be chastized a little bit, because as a group of missionaries we are always always lectured about obedience, but Elder Holland said, "The most tedious thing I ever have to do is talk to missionaries about obedience," and  then he addressed our mission presidents and said regarding obedience, "But this group looks good, I do not sense much disobedience here at all." The gift of discernment is so cool.  

I mostly just would like to bear my testimony that Elder Holland is truly called of God.  I know that the words our Prophets, seers and revelators are to help us on this journey back through life and with things that we don't completely understand so that we can return to live with our Father in Heaven.  The church is just so true.

Work in our area has been great this week.  Florentina and Pedro will be getting baptized this Saturday! YAY! YAY! YAY! They are so ready and so cute. We also have many other investigators who are progressing.  O. is an investigator who found us.  He is very very educated about the Bible, and the first lesson there was a little contention with conflicting doctrines.  We told him that we love and believe in the Bible like him, but we weren't going to argue.  We just left him a Book of Mormon and asked him to read and pray about it.  When we came back the next time he held his Book of Mormon next to his Bible on his chest and said this is the word of God.  Thank you so much for bringing me the truth!  He is excited to be baptized in December.  We have many other miracles just like this in our area every day.  Our Branch is so so so amazing.  Every organization is always talking about missionary work.  "How are we going to get, more young men, more young women, more priesthood, more relief society sisters?" These are the words we hear often, and this is the topic of every ward council.  Yesterday we had 30 people at church.  And our Branch President along with other leaders of the area have set the goal to have 80 people in church by March.  My companion and I made a joke about how we found some good land for the chapel, and the branch president said back super seriously, "Let me know where it is, because if we find the right palce we should buy it." Our mouths just dropped.  It is so amazing.

Over all here in 9 de Julio it is sunny, blazing hot, but the best place in the world.  I have an amazing companion. (Seriously my companion is amazing, especially amazing.  I love her so much! I have been blessed with many awesome companions.)  We are working so hard, and the Lord is blessing us with being able to teach the elect! 

xoxo,

Hermana Chloe

One of our 5 hour bus rides into Buenos Aires
that we love so much!
I am getting to be a very experienced at riding the bus.
It was worth it, though, to see Elder Holland!

President and Hermana Carter and all the missionaries of the
Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission!

Campo

Okay, I just need to mention something that  I only think about when I send pictures. I have all but quit wearing makeup, and most days I just wear sunscreen.  It is so hot and humid here that I sweat makeup off so why bother.  Like I've said before, being a missionary is not glamorous.  

Birthday Cake!

Asado for my birthday lunch!  It was delicious.

My Christmas presents. You know how impatient I am.
I may or may not have a giant Christmas tree hanging on our wall :)

This is the Week!! My Birthday and much more!

Hello! 

This is the week! 9 months on the mission! 21 years old! And Elder Holland is coming to talk to my mission on Saturday!!! AHH! Is that not the best birthday present ever!?!

This week we found and taught two new families, and next week on the 23rd, Florentina and Pedro take the first step toward returning to their Father in Heaven through the waters of baptism! That means of the small strong group that comes to church, we will have 4 recent converts in about 2 months.  Wahhooo! We have been having success finding families!  As we follow the counsel of Preach my Gospel and search for families, the hard work is so worth it.  The gospel of Jesus Christ has made such a difference in my life and in the lives of my family, that I am so excited to share it with other families.

We had a great District Conference yesterday!  President Carter came, and I had a chance to talk to him after the conference. He was just checking in on how I am doing; I am so blessed that he is my mission president. He is so wise and so kind.

Life is good. Sister Sanchez and I started off this week taking turns being sick, but we still had a great week. I'll admit that sometimes as we are riding our bikes through the city that I catch myself singing Michael Buble.  "It's a beautiful day, and I can't stop myself from smiling." I sing that part of the song over and over sometimes :)  It's been stuck in my head. hahaha. I know that it's not a church song, but I figure that it is okay that part of the song because that is how I feel! 

I got a lot of emails for my birthday, and I am so grateful for all of them!!! I spent a lot of time reading them, so I don't have a lot of time to write a long email. Also, I probably won't be able to get back to everyone, but I wish I had time and love you all!  I also got about 10 letters this week! That is a lot. Thanks for the letter, Marcus! I also received a really cute dearelder from Kenadee Bailey! Tell her that she looked beautiful in my dress; pulled it off just right!  I also got a letter from grandma that she said she wrote the day the sister missionaries moved in, if that helps you figure out how long it takes for me to receive letters. I loved all my letters, thank you everyone! This week is going to be crazy, but I am super excited! Love you! Bye bye!!I 

Think of me on Wednesday for my 9 month mark, and on Friday for my birthday, and on Saturday when I am listening to ELDER HOLLAND!!! Wahooo! I will take notes on Elder Holland's talk! 

xoxoxo,

Hermana Walker 

ps. This is the last entry by the 20 year old Sister Walker! 

One of the many beautiful plazas/parks in 9 de Julio!

Riding my bicycle through the beautiful streets of 9 de Julio!

The ice cream here: to die for! The milk is sooo much better in Argentina,
and thus we have much better ice cream! 

9 de Julio--the Boulder City of Argentina!

Hello all!

This has been one awesome week! First, we had transfers, which were a madhouse because almost everyone in the whole mission got new companions.  I was lucky enough after only one month in Argentina to get a new companion and a new area.  You know me, I just love change!!

I am in Chivicloy Sur Zone working in the 9 de Julio Rama.  We only have about 20 people in the branch who come to church, but it is amazing.  I love this place after less than one week. I have also decided that 9 de Julio is a little slice of heaven.  But seriously, it is so beautiful here.  I have been sent to the closest thing to Boulder City, Nevada, in Argentina possible.  I already love the people, the area, and the rama so much! The branch is great--soooo missionary minded, basically because they have to be.  They need more members.  They need more priesthood.  The sisters had a baptism the Saturday before I got here, and the branch president made sure the man got the priesthood yesterday, and he will have a calling next week.  Then, the elders working in the branch had a baptism on Saturday of a super cute lady.  A less active member of the ward came to the baptism, and after the baptism, the branch president called him into his office and gave him a calling.  Nothing like calling someone to be in the Young Men’s presidency to get them to come to church the next day. hahahahahaha.

My new companion Hermana Sanchez is also amazing; she is beautiful and kind and hard working. She is from Santiago, Chile. Grandma Sue, I also love the Chilean people--everything but the accent! I couldn’t understand a word she said the first few days! Hermana Sanchez has been in this area her whole mission, and she has been out for 5 months! So I have a lot to learn from her because the odds are I will be here for about two transfers with her, and then one or two with someone else.  We are able to teach and work with so much unity after only one week.  I know it is hard for a Latina to get a North American companion, and Hermana Sanchez even told me she thought she would be doing all the work.  So, my goal this week was to share the responsibility.  Deciding where to go and talking to members to come to lessons were things we did together.  The only place were the language is a problem is in lessons, but as we prepare well during studies that will get better, too.  

On Thursday we got to go to the Hermanas meeting! Wow, that Hermanas meeting!  What a treat!  It totally raised my vision to what is possible here.  Lots of work to be done in the next 9 months.  I am so grateful for President Carter and Hermana Carter for all of their hard work to make the meeting so awesome. When I read talks from the apostles they all say that we need to step it up on missionary work.  The church, members, and missionary work are going places they have never gone before with a force of Sister Missionaries like never before!  

I have learned a lot from Hermana Sanchez about working hard and not stressing.  We found some great families this week.  One day when we had no where to go we said a prayer in the street.  As we were walking our bikes along the dirt road I looked down one of the streets and saw a woman sitting on the wall of a house.  We continued walking down our street.  After a couple of minutes, I asked Hermana Sanchez if we could go back but couldn’t really explain why in Spanish.  When we got to the street the woman was gone, but we clapped the house she was sitting in front of anyways.  When a guy came to the door Hermana Sanchez said that she knew him.  They had contacted him in the street but hadn’t talked since.  It turns out one of his good friends is a member of our Branch, and now his whole family is listening to us and he and his mom have accepted baptismal dates.  And then yesterday we had a cute old couple come to church together and accept baptismal dates for this month.  It was great especially after how in the first lesson they tried to convince us of how Catholic there are and how they never want to change.  

We have set a goal to find three more families this week.  And have also set a goal to invite everyone to accept a baptismal date in the first lesson.  For some reason it hasn’t been happening until the second lesson so we are going to change that! I love my area so much, and I know that President Carter is inspired, because only a man of revelation would send me to the countryside, hours away from the mission office. I mean let’s face it, I wasn’t exactly the picture of emotional stability this first month in Argentina :) I was scared last week when I found out how far away I was going, but I just had to have faith that President Carter and the Lord want me to succeed.  And now I couldn't imagine a better place and companion for me.

Also cute story, we were teaching a family with two little girls 5 and 6.  When we started teaching the restoration we showed them a picture of Jesus and asked who he was.  Turns out they didn’t know who he was so we talked about him a little.  They just listened quietly.  We finished by telling them that the bad people didn’t want to do the right thing, and they killed Jesus by hanging him on a cross.  Then after about 5 seconds of silence, the cute little 5 year old looked so sad and said, “Pobre Jesus”-wisdom from the mouth of babes, my friends.  The 5 year old also asked us if we could come to her preschool class to teach her friends about Jesus, too.  So cute! I almost died at this point. I love these little girls! They are so excited for us to come back and teach them more about Jesus.  They also we so happy when we told them that they could keep the pamphlet with the pictures of Jesus.

This week is my one year mark with my mission call.  It is hard to believe that it has been a year, but then I look at pictures of myself from a year ago, and wow it is obvious that I am on a mission. haha.  The month of November has always been one of my favorites and this one is turning out to be no different.  It is going to be so fun! I am going to learn so much Spanish! And I am going to talk to my family in a month and a half!

Marc and Nick look so cute playing soccer! I haven't replied to many people lately, but thanks Nick for the funny Zoolander quotes.  Thanks Marcus for...the email that you are going to send me this week that I promise to write back to. Thanks everyone for all the emails and letters.  I will try to be better at writing back. Thanks dad for the pictures! 

Love you,
Hermana Chloe
xoxoxo

ps. I was really weird, but the first day I was showing Hermana Sanchez pictures, and she said, “We must have friends in common on facebook, because I have seen this exact picture before!”  It was one of Bryce and I.

Hermana Sanchez y yo

 Yes, that is my bike outfit :)

MTC roommates reunited at the Hermanas' Meeting!

Trees and parks and beauty! 
9 de Julio is like the Boulder City of Argentina

Also, if you were wondering if I walk a lot, check this out.

Oh, how I love camping!

Hi all,

So I'm not exactly camping, but I was transferred to "el campo" (the countryside).  That is why I didn't email yesterday.  After transfer meeting we took a bus to the bus terminal and waited for two hours.  Then, we had a 5 hour ride to our area.  We got to our area at 11 at night. Crazy.  We seriously got so many new missionaries that almost everyone was transferred.  It makes me feel better not to be the new kid, but since it is my first full transfer technically, I am a refuerzo, too.  Nothing like being a trainee your whole mission to bring humility.  My companion has been out for 5 months.  She is great. I will send a picture with her after we have had some sleep.

My area is called 9 de Julio. I think that is the name of the town I am in.  In Argentina, they like to name parks, streets, cities after important dates in history.  9 de Julio is Independence Day in Argentina.  So, that would be like living in a town in the U.S. called 4th of July, kinda cool; I wouldn't mind living in a town with that name. There is a small branch here.  My companion said that about 12 people come to church on Sunday.  My companion is Hermana Sanchez from Chile.  Again she doesn´t speak much English at all.  And I still am not speaking much Spanish, so it is interesting. Especially because I cannot understand a word that she says with her accent.  It is not fast, because she talks slowly for me, but even words I know, I don´t understand when she says them.  Yesterday while we were talking, she asked what something was that I was trying to work on.  I told her that I  have been trying my whole mission to be better at taking correction because I am super sensitive and take criticism very personally, which restricts my growth.  She just smiled back and said that is why we are together because I have the same problem. 

So all I really know of my area so far is my pench, which is super beautiful.  I love it.  I am excited to see what missionary life will be here.  I have a feeling I better like it because I think I will be here for a while.  My companion has been her for a long time!  We are on bikes. hahahahahahaha. So ya picture that!  

Just like at the beginning of every big change, I feel super sick to my stomach, but I am a lot better than my first day in Argentina and know things will end up okay. Funny story. Yesterday when we were at transfers, Sisters Nielsen, Bangerter and I walked into the building to go to the bathroom, and the newbies were there. This super, super cute sister came up and gave me a big hug and said it is so great to meet you! And I had absolutely no idea who she was.  But it turns out she is from Henderson and went to Coronado, and her name is Hermana Foutz.  But she was like, I know you don't know me, but I feel like we're friends because I have been following your blog! haha. It was great.  We became great friends in like two minutes of talking.  She is feeling about the same way I was about three weeks ago when I arrived (overwhelmed and scared), and although I couldn't make her feel better from my amazing recovery story (because it is still one day at a time) I was able to tell her that it does get better everyday and that it was just as hard for me in the beginning, too. Sometimes people just need their feelings validated, and I think being scared the first bit in Argentina is okay.

Hey, I am almost out of time because we only have an hour on email today, but more cool stuff! Thursday is an Hermanas Meeting! And we get to go, so that is 10 more hours in a bus! But I am super excited to see my girls again! This month I am just going to keep moving forward.  I can´t believe that I will be 21 in about two weeks.  And that this week, I will have had my mission call for a year! In December we get to go to the temple! Yay! Thanks for the love and the prayers.  

Love you so much, have a great week! 

xoxo,

Hermana Chloe

Leonore.  A super cute recent convert! She is so, so, so cute.

Mimosa, the dog of one of our investigators
in Castelar.

Hermana "Elle" in Argentina
(Trying to fit in by wearing ugly shoes, not an ugly sweater.)

Hermanas in Castelar District!

Martin came to church!

Fleur (like from Harry Potter), the adorable daughter of one of our investigators

Fleur was not happy I was leaving.

Sister Morales and I found tacos!  They weren't great,
but they satisfied the craving.

Spring in Argentina :)

My new pench in 9 de Julio! We have a great view too!

Nice, huh? Another tender mercy ;)