Testigos

Alright alright alright, this week was pretty sweet, so let's get into it.

The beginning of the week was pretty normal, we're trying to work harder to get more lessons, contacts, and references in Lamarque, so we just did some work with that. It went alright, but we're going to work harder on that and make sure we're giving our entire effort.

On Friday we had a zone conference with President, and it was super awesome. We traveled to Villa Regina for it, and had our zone and the Roca zone there. There were a couple missionaries from the group I came in with, so it was good to see them again. The focus of the conference was a lot about miracles, and how we need to be worthy for them, and have the faith necessary to allow the Lord to bless us with them. We also talked about the First Vision a lot. We are trying to visit members 3 times a day and share the first vision with them in order to increase the references we get, and we've learned how to share it extremely powerfully in just a short time. There truly is power in the First Vision, and I know that every time it is shared, the Spirit is there. It is an amazing account that I know with all my heart and soul is true.

We were supposed to take a collectivo back that night, but they were all full, so we ended up going out with some other Elders and spending the night in Villa Regina until our collectivo left the next morning. I went out with Elder Rose, who has the same amount of time as I do, so we had a good time trying to figure out Spanish and stuff, but it ended up being pretty fun.

Unfortunately, the next morning our collectivo came three hours late, so we didn't get back to Lamarque till about 1 or so, but such is the life of a missionary in Lamarque.

The rest of the week was good, especially our Sunday Fast and Testimony meeting. We were a little worried because there were only 14 of us there, but it ended up being super powerful. The people here are so humble, but they have such fervent testimonies of this church and of our Savior.


I thought today I'd take a little time to talk about the food we eat here. I love it a lot. Unfortunately I haven't been able to eat with members a ton yet, so I haven't been able to have a ton of good experience, but it's all good. We have had chorizos twice this week, the second time being home-made ones of our recent convert Margarita, which were super good. People eat a ton of meat, as well as pasta, the best of so far being ñoquis (gnocchis in english). Our favorite member Hermana Sandra made them for us a while and there were sooooo good. I'm going to learn how to make them soon. Pastries are also super huge here, which I didn't know. Facturas are like sweet breakfast pastry, like croissants with sugar, sweet dough with dulce de leche and powdered sugar, and other fruit pastries kind of like danishes. They're also super good. Tortas fritas are also super popular, which are basically just fried dough that they dip in salsa that's kind of like Mexican salsa. It's all really good. Also, Milanesas, which come in either carne or pollo, and are just thin pieces of meat that are breaded and then cooked in oil. Good stuff.


The last thing I wanted to talk about is an experience we had Saturday night. We were walking in the street and a man stopped us and wanted to talk to us, so of course we said yes. It turns out he was a Testigo de Jehovah (Jehovah's Witness) and he basically ranted at us for 30 minutes about how "we're young and don't know anything" and that when we get back to the states "and have woken up, talk with some of my brothers." It was frustrating because everytime we tried to say somehting he just wouldn't listen. But instead of getting discouraged or starting to doubt, I thought about the testimony I have of this church, of this gospel, and the joy I've experienced from it. It made me really sad to think this man will probably never accept the gospel because he's so set in his ways, when I know with all my soul, with all my heart, with my might, with all my mind, with all my strength that this is the only true church, that Christ stands at its head, that I'm doing the will of my Father in Heaven, and that He is mindful of and loves me. Joseph Smith had a vision. The Book of Mormon is completely true. I have no doubt. Our church is led by a true prophet of God, and I sustain him with all that I have. This gospel is true, and there is nothing that will ever be able to tear me away from that.


I love you all, thank you for the support I receive from you!
Elder Grondel


ps no pictures this week, my camera still isn't working :(