We Wish(ed) You a Merry Christmas

This week was great! Mostly because I got to talk with my family, but it was just a good week. I love Christmas.

I feel like I just saw you guys so I don't really have much to say, but I do want to say that Christmas is an amazing time of year, and we should truly treasure it, using it as a time to remember our Savior, and everything that He has done, and continues to do for us. He is always there, waiting for us to come back to Him time and time again. And I am incredibly grateful for that. I hope all of you had a great week with your families.

Not much to update here. We had a couple really good lessons this week and found some new investigators, so we're excited about that. Also, la familia Ledesma got baptized on Saturday! They're investigators of the zone leaders, but we have all been over there a lot for intercambios, baptismal interviews, and we spent Christmas Eve with them, so we've all gotten super close with them. It was so great to see them making this step.

Love you all!
Elder Grondel

¡Feliz Navidad!

Hooooooooooola mis queridos, como están?

This week was really good. Out of nowhere on Tuesday, President called one of our zone leaders Elder Moser and asked him to help the new financiero in the office this week so he can feel more prepared, and so his companion Elder Kauffman was with either Elder Sorenson and I or Elder McNeil and Elder Pineda all week. Because of that, we didn't have much time at all to work in our area, but it was still a great week. The point is I still filled my purpose as a missionary, even if it wasn't in my area. But we did make some good contacts in our area and are excited to go back this week and teach them in this Christmas season.

On Saturday we also did a big Christmas activity in one of the big parks here. We got a projector and a screen (my comp's sheets tied to a chalkboard) and showed a bunch of Christmas videos, contacting all around and trying to bring people in to get more investigators, and just bring the Christmas spirit. It was really cool and a lot of fun. But it definitely does not feel anything like Christmsa still. I can't believe that time has gone by this fast that Christmas is already here, and the fact that it's like blazing outside everyday doesn't help at all, but I'm excited nonetheless.

Elder Pineda (Elder McNeil's new comp) is fitting in nicely in our crazy pensh, and we're becoming good friends. He's a super nice guy and really funny too. The new people in our district are also getting comfortable, it's gonna be a great transfer.

I've had kind of a shift of mind this week that's really helped me to enjoy being a missionary more. I've been really worried about my performance as a missionary in terms of numbers, and tangible statistics you can read, especially as a district leader, where I'm expected to set the example for my district. But I've come to understand that yes, numbers and goals are important, extremely important, and help us to complete our purpose as missionaries, and become more effective, but the more important thing is that I'm being a respresentative of the Lord. I'm doing the things he would do, and loving the people as He does. If I try my best to love the people and be a good missionary and we didn't teach any lessons that day, that doesn't mean I failed. If I feel like I really loved the people, and tried to follow the Spirit, then I'm satisfied. I'm still figuring out this whole life/mission thing, but that's something that I realized this week that's helped me a ton.

I am incredibly grateful for the sacred opportunity I have to serve as a true respresentative of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ here in Roca, to dedicate this time to help His children in this area. At this special Christmas season, I want to bear my testimony of Him. A savior has been born. He lived, He suffered for every each and last one of your sins and shortcomings, He died, and now He lives again. He's calling your name, extending His hand, waiting for you at every moment to come unto Him. His love is inifinite and unfailing, and I have felt it countless times in my life, especially on the missionary. "For unto us a child is born, a son is given: and the Government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6) The first gift of Christmas. Remember Him.

I love you all dearly, and hope you have the merriest of Christmas!

Elder Grondel

https://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HP_SU_11-29-2015_dMIS_fSPC_xLIDyL1-A_

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-00-1460-he-is-the-gift?lang=eng


1. This is a bus that we take sometimes, the dude has it all pimped out because it's his bus haha. Kind of blurry, but you can still see it

2-3. nativity that we went to for a little while at the other chapel

Christmas in Roca

Hey everybody! How are you doing? Everything's great here.

First of all, we had our baptism this Saturday! Carla finally got baptized, and her husband Eduardo was able to do the baptism and the confirmation, and it was beautiful. She is so ready, and they are going to continue to be amazing members. I wish there was a temple here so I could see them be sealed, but I'm just glad that they made this step together. We're gonna work super hard this transfer to baptize more too, we're excited.

That means that yes I'll be staying in Roca for the next transfer, with Elder Sorenson! We're both excited to stay and work together, we are going to see so many miracles I know it. One of our zone leaders Elder McCarlie left to Neuquén though, which is sad. He became a really close friend these past few weeks, but I know he'll do great. Our zone is awesome, we have some different changes, but it will still be awesome. Elder Moser is the other zone leader here, and this is his last transfer before he goes home! We've gotten really close too and are excited to alll have fun before he goes, and more importantly baptize.

This week we ended up having to do a lot of tramites and things, so we didn't get to teach as much in our power trio, but it was fun. I got to go to Neuquén to do immigration stuff on Thursday and ate at Subway for lunch. It was amazing. I miss American food soooooooo much it is ridiculous. We talk about it almost everyday.

We found two new investigators, Junior and his brother whose name I could not understand when he told us, and they are fantastic. Neither of them have a Christian background, which makes things interesting, but they're both super sincere and really just want to learn more. I could easily see them being baptized this transfer.

Also, I bought a guitar! Just something simple to have here with me to do talent shows and have fun, but it's awesome. It's so great to have something to unwind with at the end of the day at the pension. My comp and another missionary we live with just bought ukes too, and we're gonna do something for an upcoming ward activity, should be fun.

Well that's about it for this week! Everything is great and I'm just loving life. Can't wait to see what this transfer holds. Love you all so much!

elder grondel

Steak we bought for like a $1.50 each

Subway

Baptism!

Our zone leaders with their tennis shoes and their suits because Elder McCarlie's shoes broke

My Father's Return

Hey hey hey everybody how's it going? Todo piola acá.

This week was pretty crazy, a loooot of stuff happened. First of all, we had our interviews with president this week, and it was great. President Casariego is a truly inspired man, I feel uplifted literally every single time that I talk to him. He told a great story about when we whitewashed in his mission and baptized 20 people that transfer, so I hope that he won't put me to whitewash next transfer and have that as his expectation hahaha but we'll see. He's great.

We also had Stkae Conference, which means I got to see a couple members from Choele Choel and Lamarque this Sunday, like Hermana Sandra! It was so great to see them again! The conference was really good, but very different than Stake Conferences in the states, everything is just different here.

Our investigator Carla finished all the discussions this week, and will be interviewed and hopefully baptized this week! We're just waiting on an interview that her husband has with the Bishop this week to check for worthiness stuff, but I think it should still work out! We're super excited.

On a sadder note, our beloved Elder Blanco went home this week. He has been talking with President a bit the past couple weeks, and he had to go home, at least for a little while, which was really sad. But I know he'll be back soon. But that means that now Elder McNeil is my companion again in a trio with Elder Sorenson and I! It's really fun to be with him again, and we all get along really well. They give me a lot of crap, but it's all in good spirit. We're hoping to get a ton done this week since we'll have three in two areas. But all is great! Transfers are next week, and I hope that I stay here in Roca for Christmas, I love it so much here, but we'll see what happens. Christmas is an amazing time, even if it's the middle of summer right now.

Love you all and hope all is well with you all!

Elder Grondel

Pics

1. Last pic with Elder Blanco

2. Sunscreen protection

3. Huge spider