The last melon

Well, it's hard to believe that this day has already come, but this week is my last full week as a full-time missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As I contemplate all of the things that have happened this week and in all of my mission, I have had so many wonderful and amazing experiences, and the truth is I can't believe that it's coming to an end. I have so mucho love for this people, this gospel, My Savior, and am extremely grateful for all of the experiences and knowledge I have gained through my mission. I love my mission. I didn't always have the success I had desired, nor could I be a perfect missionary, but I know that the Lord has been with me, that He is proud of my efforts, and have a better idea of what he wants me to be. I know that Jesus is the Christ, that His sacrifice has changed who I am, and the lives of so many people.

I love you all and am very grateful for your support throughout these two years. I would love to see you at my homecoming on June 18th at the church in Wigwam and Pebble Henderson, NV 89074 where I will try to explain a little better everything I've experienced.

Elder Grondel

1. Drawings from the primary of our ward

2-3 The asado we're currently making

Hello

Hi there family and friends, everything's great here in Trevelin. This week went by pretty quickly, but to be honest it was kind of hard. We had some trouble finding new people and finding the investigators that we are teaching, but I'm sure that this week will go well. We're trying to put in our best effort, and just trust in the Lord.

We saw Antonela this week, but for a very brief moment. She didn't come to church, and when we went by later, her brother told us she felt a little sick and couldn't talk to us. Then he usked that if someone wants to get baptized, do they have to go to church. We said of course, and he said, because my sister said that she didn't have to or something like that. Sooooooooooooooooo we're not quite sure what's going on there, but we're trying to figure it out.

My companion and I are doing well, we get along well and are working hard. This morning we went and bought some knives, that was really cool.

I love you all!!!

Elder Grondel

A picture of the district Trevelin

Museum in Trevelin

And a mountain

Baptizing in the snow

Hello family!!!

We had an amazing week, truly saw a lot of miracles and were greatly blessed. We were able to find a couple new people, which was good. We're working hard, and having a great time here with Elder Hardy. I'm still getting used to being in a branch, but the members that we do have are truly converted, and excited to work and help us.

The miracle of the week happened on Wednesday. The zone leaders came to our district meeting, and afterwards we did intercambios (exchanges) with them. The zone leaders used to be here in Trevelin about 3 transfers ago, so one of the zone leaders that came used to be here as well. He went with my companion, and I went with Elder Toledo from Uruguay. We had a good time and found a couple new people, but didn't have anything too exciting happen. When we got back to the pension, the other missionaries told us that they had stopped by a less-active home to ask to use the bathroom, and of the daughter who is not a member was there. She's heard the missionaries quite a few times before, and used to go to church before and knows a lot already. She told them that she had been thinking a lot and looking at the pictures of her mom's baptism, and said that she just felt like she wanted to be baptized! We went back the next day to talk a little more with her, and she confirmed those desires! Her name is Antonela, pray for her! We had put a date for this weekend, but she wasn't able to come to church this week, so we'll have to change that. But the amazing thing is that we found someone to be baptized this transfer! The truth is I had heard a lot of things about this area, that it was hard, that there are little members, that it hasn't progressed in years, but when I got here I talked with my companion when we got here, and committed ourselves to work and trust that the Lord would provide, and we already found someone! It's amazing to be a missionary and participate in this great work.

Also, yesterday it snowed. Yayyyyyyy

Other than that, the week passed by pretty quickly, I can't believe that it's going by so quickly! I'm just trying to enjoy every second. I love you all so much, this is the true church, share it with your friends!!

Elder Grondel
Pics

1 Every says Elder Hardy is a carrot, and Elder Johnson (my MTC comp that was a zone leader in Esquel last transfer) told him that I wasn't so much a carrot, but more of a tomato. So when we were cooking lunch this week....

2 Trevelin

3 Celebrating for Antonela

4 Snow

Hello again

Hello there!

Everything's going great here. Not much has happened, we're working hard and trying to find the people that are ready to be baptized in our area. My companion's great, and we get along well, trying to help him reach his potential everyday.

Yesterday we did a musical number in church, it was fun. My guitar doesn't have a strap, neither does it have a place to put one in, so my companion and I improvised with some paracord and tape. Haha I'll send some pictures. We practiced a lot and got the song sounding really good, but I'm not quite sure what happened at church when we performed...haha. To put in the words of the 11-year-old member we ate lunch with it was "humilliating." But it was a good experience.

I love you all so much, have a fantastic week!!!

Elder Grondel

Elder Hardy

Hey there family!!!

Everything is great here in Trevelin. This week we had a lot of stuff to do, but we had a good time.

Most of the week I was getting to know the area, meeting the few members that are here, and seeing what potential the investigators have. We talked to a lot of new people and are working with the members to find new people. There are quite a few people with potential that have already come to church, and few others that are there close. We're going to work as hard as we can this transfer to baptize someone. The branch has about 25 active members and needs a lot of help, but the leaders want to change, and are willing to put in the necessary effort, so we're hoping for the best.

My companion is great, he's got about 6 months, and he's excited for the work, so we should get along great. I'm trying to teach him everything I can so he can be a great missionary, I think that's a big part of the reason why I was sent here.

Yesterday we had zone conference with President, and it was prettty great. We talked about following the Spirit and getting better at following him. It was really good.

Other than that, not a lot happened, we are working hard, and excited to see what can happen this transfer. I love you all, have a great week!

Pics.

1 Elder Hardy

2 Esquel

3 4 Trevelin

5 The chapel (currently under construction for renovations, that's why it doesn't have the sign put up)

6 Writing in the church

Trevelin

Hi family!! I hope you all got the recording that my companion sent yesterday, and as I said there, I was transferred to a new area called Trevelin! It's thye farthest point in the entire mission, so yesterday I was in a bus for almost 12 hours- it was a great time.

Last night we stayed in the zone leaders' pension, and so I got here to Trevelin about 2 hours ago haha, it's a very small town, but a beautiful place, I'm excited to see what we can do this transfer.

My companion is Elder Hardy, he's from St. George, and he's a great guy, we're going to have a lot of fun this transfer.

Other than that, I don't have a whole lot to say! Have a great week!

Elder Grondel

Pics

District Cipolletti 1 Pioneer Style

Dia de Ñoquis

Élder Grondel

Hola, Élder Grondel me pidió que enviara esto a ustedes (soy Élder Medina su compañero). :)

Hi, Elder Grondel asked me to send this to you (I am his companion Elder Medina) :)​

Hi

Hola family!!

This week was pretty great. We had some success, and a lot of different things happened, and it went by waaaaayy too fast as always, pero así es la vida, ¿Qué se le va a hacer?

Anywhooo, the week was good, I was able to festejar mi cumpleaños with a member family because we had an fhe that same night with a new investigator! Family home evenings are the best- good times with members, new investigators that already have friends in the church and therefore have more probability to progress, and there's always food. Also some missionaries made me a cake for my birthday and we ate in in district meeting, I'll try to send the video we took.
A ver.....we also went to a house that we were going to give a blessing because the famil was seeing things there, pero they wern't home soo nothing happened.
We did intercambios with the elders of Fernandez Oro, the small town about 10 km outisde of Cipolletti that corresponds to our ward, that was a fun time, I went with Elder Damico, from Brazil. He's a chill guy, we had a fun time and taught some sweet lessons.

Also, this Sunday we got to church, and one by one, 5 stake presidente, our mission president, and Elder Batalla from the Area Seventy entered into our sacrament meeting. They had a meeting that morning about new plans from the area, and they had chosen the chapel of cipo 2 to do it haha. President Cardenas from San Martín spoke, and it was very nice to see him again. It was a very nice Sunday.

Other than that, not much else happened. This week we have traslados, so we'll see it my comp leaves or stays, I don't think I'll be going anywhere, but you never know.

Les quiero mucho!!!

elder grondel

Cake

An elder made mini-Elder Rodriguezes

Happy Easter!!!

Hello everyone!!!

This week was very special and a lot of things happened, I'm going to write you guys about a few of them.

The best part of these week was definitely this Saturday and Sunday. We had President Nelson come to our mission, and had a special meeting with all the missionaries from the entire mission and him Saturday morning. It was a fantastic experience. On Friday night, I went to Neuquén to practice with the mission choir the arrangement of Asombro me da"(I stand all amazed) that we sang, which was fantastic if I say so myself. It turned out very nice, and I got to stay in a hotel with all the other missionaries from the mission that night which was fun. On Saturday morning, We woke up early to practice a little, and then waited for President Nelson. He came in, and shook each of our hands, and we had a great experience. President Nelson is 92 years old, but he got up and down, spoke with energy and did everything without a problem. He and his wife along with a couple other Area authorities spoke, and it was a very nice meeting. I loved his message because he talked about examples of a couple of the leaders that were there with him, that talked about how their missions meant everything to them. The translator (hno Aguero) learned english oin his mission in France because his mission president told him he would need it to be able to serve in the important callings and assignments he would have, and presidente Texeira also talked about how all the happiness he has had in life came because of his mission and the decisions he made while he was on it. It was very special and helped realize and the numerous things I've learned and gained from my mission, and how grateful I am to the Lord for giving me this opportunity to serve Him and His children in Argentina.

On Sunday we had Stake conference for our stake with President Nelson again. A member picked us up at 7:20 am to get to the stake center early (the conference started at 10). We got some good seats, and the conference was just as special. A lot of beautiful messages, especially from Sister Nelson, when she talked about being able to use Christ's atonement to rise above our sins and weaknesses. Just as the angels said to the women when the came to look for the body of Jesus, we too can say that we aren't in the tomb of those old habits or attitudes, but that we have "risen" above them, and those moments have disappeared. I liked it a lot.

President Nelson also gave a very good talk, spoke about the recorded events of the Resurrected Christ appearing to the people. He spoke of many things, and it was good, but the most amazing part was at the end when he said "Now I feel that I must speak to you in your own language. Thank you Hno Agüero." His translator sat down, and he started speaking in perfect spanish. As someone that has been learning and trying to perfect my spanish for the past 21 months of my life, I can testify that he was speaking by the Spirit. He conjugated everything correctly, he didn't hestitate or pause, he never said one of the male or female articles incorrectly. It was the gift of tongues working within him as the ordained and aparted Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ that he is. The Spirit that I felt in that moment testified the same thing to my heart that I was being amazed by in my mind, it was an incredible experience. I know that President Nelson is truly an apostle, that this is the restored Church of Jesus Christ on the earth today, and that the Lord gives us these experiences to be able to believe more firmly in Him. It wasn't a very long testimony and blessing that he gave, but it was amazing.

Overall, it was a fantastic week, and celebrating my birthday is a great way to end it. Thank you all for your loving support and prayers, havea great week!!

elder grondel

Pictures

Playing "padel" pickleball

Intercambios

A store with my name

When you are cold in the morning

The hotel, and Elder Magaña

My posterity! (The two missionaries I trained, who they trained, and so on)

Elder Bra-Silva feat. empanadas

My group

Our zone

When you're waiting for Pres Nelson to come to your stake conference and your missionaries still haven't gotten there

My comp is great