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!!!!!