got no idea for this one

Heeeeeello erybody, how ya doin? This week was alright, but enough small talk, let's just get into it.

We didn't get to talk with our investigator Keila this week because she was working a ton, but we're working on that right now. The week was kind of rough, a bit of the opposite of last week, but that's alright, we're learning a lot of humility and how to rely on the Lord right now.

One day when all of our plans fell through within an hour, we decided to tract this big hill/mount we'd never been to, and it was fun! There were only a couple people that actually gave us the light of day, but it was really pretty and had an awesome view at the top. We've decided to name it cheto hill, because everybody that lives on it has a loooooot of money.

On Wednesday we had an amazing tramission from Elder Bednar for all the missionaries in the South America South area, and it was spectacular. He is such an inspired man, there is no doubt in my mind that he is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He let the missionaries in Buenos Aires ask questions and he talked about a lot of different things, but the thing that stuck with me was that he said to an Elder that asked how we could hasten the work in Argentina that the missionaries doesn't hasten the work, the Lord does. We can't change His will, and just make things happen. Yes we can work miracles if we're following what he wants to be done, but that also doesn't mean it's completely our fault if we're trying and working hard and not having good results. That stuck with me, it's something I'm working on applying right now.

The week was hard, but last night we were talking with a lot that used to be Jehovah's Witness, and she asked how we knew that Joseph Smith had his vision, that God and Jesus Christ really appeared to him, and it wasn't just an illusion from Satan or fake. I was able to testify directly to her of the testimony that I have received through my personal study and prayer, that he had his vision, and that he was able to restore that same church of Jesus Christ through the power of the Priesthood and everything. After a hard week of not talking to a lot of people, it was a good way to end the week.

But anyway, everything's fine, I'm loving it here! I love you all and hope you're doing well!

Elder Grondel

Turning Point

Well hello there everybody, how art thou fairing this fine morn? Everything is just fantastic here in the wonderful mountains of San Martín.

This week was really great, we had a lot of the success we've been looking for, and just overall we felt really good. The first thing is we had another great lesson with our investigator Keila! We taught almost all of the commandments, and she accepted all of them! Although she did say she likes drinking coffee and tea, it isn't really an addiction, so that's good. Everything was perfect and so we invited her to be baptized on the 5th of March, and she said, "I think that's a little too quick." Something you never want to hear an investigator say hahaha. And so we asked her when she thought a good time would be, and she said in July! Sooooooooooooooooo yeah we'll be working on that with her, because she's already super ready and willing. But for now, her baptismal date is for the 1st of June (at least we convinced her to drop a month).

Just before that, we went and clapped on a random house based on... I don't know what (Spirit) and met this guy named Tomás. He was super awesome, and accepted everything including a baptismal date for the 12th in a matter of 15 minutes of meeting him, it was awesome! So we're gonna be working with him and his family a lot.

On Friday, President and his wife and the assistants came up to San Martín for interviews, and it was great. I had about a 4-minute interview, which I guess is a good thing because it means everything's fine. But President's great, and that night the assistants stayed in my pensh, and so we had a fun little time with them as well.

We also finally a found menos activa recién conversa that we've been looking for since we got here, and were able to go see her and visit a little with her and her daughter that's not a member and was listening to the missionaries before we got here, and so that is also very exciting!

Overall, everything is just great. This week has finally kind of like the turning point, everything's finally starting to work our way here, and it's awesome. I love you all and hope you're doing great!!!

Elder Grondel

Pics


1. Something funny about Argentines, they believe the Malvinas are theirs, and they always talk about it.

2-3. Horse behind our pensh that went rabid

4. View from a house we clapped

5. Yuuup

6. I do not like the cone of shame.

7. When it's cold in the morning for studies

Compa with matching ties

Back in Barilo

Heeeeeeeey erybody, what up.

This week was pretty great! So I'll get into it. Now that I think about it, there wasn't that much that happened, but it was good. The main thing was that on Wednesday the zone leaders called me in the morning, and said that President just called them and said that we were going to have a conference in Bariloche with him and the new senior couple of the mission the next day. Sooooooo, we went to Bariloche al toque, and had a really good conference. The new missionary couple is going to be in Travelin, a tiny town outside of Esquel, the zone furthest south o the mission up in la cordillera. They're the US, and this is their third mission! It was really cool to see them and know that we'll have them here helping us, it's gonna be great.

Our investigator Kayla is progressing veeeeery well! We had a lesson with her on Friday, and she told us that she read and prayed, and felt good, and knew that this gospel is the truth! It was amazing! Unfortunately, she was sick on Sunday and didn't make it to church, but she already told us she's coming next week! And we're going to teach her tonight so everything should work out great there.

Another funny thing that happened. During weekly planning, we called everyone in our phone under investigator to try to find more people to teach, and this guy Damian called us back and said we could visit him the next day. He lives in the other Elders' area, but we couldn' get ahold of him, so we went and taught him. And he was like a crazy hippie/mountain man/slight pharisee. Haha it was crazy. We met him, and he said let's go to my house, and proceeded to lead us up to the top of a mountain in about 5 minutes flat. He's just like running up this hill while we're dying saying "this week tires you, but it's good for the heart" with his big thick hippie beard. Then we started teaching him, and he went of or 30 minutes about the 613 commandments that are found in the Tora, and how 327 of them can't be followed because it's only allowed in the temple and there aren't temples, and then talked about buddhism, toaism, islam, and some other Inidan religion. He was a bit crazy and I don't think we're going back to him, but yeah, that was fun.

I love you all and hope you're all doing well!!

Elder Grondel

Los Siete Lagos

Hoooooooooooooooola familia como andan?

Todo está buenísimo acá en San Martín. I really am just loving it. This week went by really quick, but I'll explain a little more about my area ahora. I am in San Martin de los Andes, one of the three main areas in la cordillera (mountains) in our mission. I believe it is by far the prettiest of the three, and it is treating me veeeery well. We live in like a little cabin in the chacra, and it is awesome. My comp is Elder Andrew Nevins from Dansville, Alabama, is 21 years old, and is just a happy guy. We have fun. Everywhere I look we are just surrounded by green mountains, it is soooooo beautiful. Downtown is very parecido of a mountain town in Europe, probably Switzerland or something. The center of town is like 100 yards from a huge lake, one of the seven that are on the way from here to Bariloche.

This week we went to Bariloche, one of the other three mountain areas for a zone training and intercambios with the zone leaders, and it was awesome! We rode the highway through a pathway called the seven lakes that goes through seven lakes obviously, and it was awesome. Bariloche is really pretty too, and we got a really awesome new plan to involve the members a ton more, and we're really excited to see it work out. I got to do intercambios with Elder Stoddard, the companion of Elder McNeil before he trained me, and we got along really well, so it was a lot of fun. We ate some reaaaally good chocolate that was mango flavored it was great.

The rest of the week was pretty normal, nothing super special really happened, but we're loving it here. We have an investigator that is pretty interested that we taught and had a really good lesson with a member named Jose Di Stefano, but she didn't come to church yesterday so we'll have to work on that. But she is great! Really smart, is reading and praying ton, so we're hoping for the best!

Life is great, everything is coming along pretty well! Love you all and hope everything is well!

Just some of the photos from los siete lagos and other stuff

Sunny San Martín

Hey guys, I don't really have any time, but let it be known that I am safe here in San Martin with my newbie Elder Nevins from Alabama! Things are kind of crazy doing a double white wash and everything, but we're loving every minute of it! Trying to figure what's going on is great, but the ward here is amaaaaazing, so that helps a ton.

The Lord is so merciful and always helps us, and I testify of that. I have seen that so far. I can't believe it's been 7 months since I left home to come on the mission, I'm just loving it so much I never want to leave! But everything's great

Love you all,

Elder Grondel