La montana rusa, Nov. 13, 2017

Hola Mamá y familia! 

That`s so crazy that you´re going to Australia already this coming week! I thought there was still a lot more time! Crazy how time goes by. I`m excited to see how the trip goes! You can always send me a letter before heading out on the trip because I won`t read it until next Monday anyways.

As for the animals- ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? Of course they`re real animals!!! They train them to be docile so they you can enter and pet them. Obviously we aren`t just going around doing whatever we want in the cages with the animals- there is staff on hand, but they`re definitely real animals, and we definitely got to pet them. It was an awesome experience.

This week was tough as far as helping one of our investigators- Florencia. However, I know that we were instruments in God`s hands as we helped her. Florencia has accepted a baptismal date for the 26th of November, but has problems of depression and anxiety. This past Friday we had finished with our English Class in the church and we were about to go elsewhere when Florencia arrived. 

Florencia was having a panic attack and had felt ot come to the church. We spoke with her with a member and gave her a blessing of comfort to deal with the panic attack.

After that experience Friday, Florencia arrived by herself to church Sunday morning. She went to Relief Society but was having noticeable anxiety problems, and kept entering and then leaving the building. We talked with her and she said that she felt "enclosed" and that she needed air. 

We decided to sit down with her and one of the sisters from the Relief Society and she seemed to be feeling better. She stayed for all of the second hour of Gospel Principles, but then during sacrament meeting she stayed for the introduction, and right when the first hymn was about to start she got up and left the room.

She had signaled to us as if to say that she was going to go make a call, and I assumed that she would go outside and just come back, but she didn`t. She left. It was tough because of all the efforts we are making to help her receive God´s help in her life. However, the blessing is that she is seeking God´s help. She has been taking action to seek the spirit of God in church, to read in the Book of Mormon, and to pray. 

I know that God loves all of his children. I don`t know how he does all things, but I know that he loves and helps all of us. I hope that we can keep doing our best to help Florencia, and our other investigators to come unto Christ.

I don`t know what will happen with Florencia, but I know that God will always been concerned for his daughter. I know that he is always mindful of us. I love you all. Thank you for all of your love and support.

-Elder Lambert

Nos vemos amigos, y un saludo a seis semanas mas, Nov. 6, 2017

Hola Mamá y familia!

Trick or treating- what a blessing to be able to walk around and ask people for free candy. That´s something we definitely take for granted at times. I´m glad to hear that you were able to have a great week though and are preparing well for the coming trip. I´m really excited for all of you.

The ball kept rolling here for Elder Holmes and I this week. We were really able to be instruments in God´s hands this week.  We had multiple experiences where people began to cry and told us that we were the answer the their prayers. 

We met a woman named Susana, a woman named Paula and her family, and also a woman named Marina. All of them are going to need to exercise their faith unto repentance, but I know that God put us in their paths. All of been facing grand challenges in their families, or have faced grand challenges. 

Paula is facing violence from her ex-husband, Susana has been raising her nieces and nephews because of the choices of her sister, and Marina had to see the lives of her parents ruined by alcohol as a young girl.

All of them, just like all of us as well, are going to need to exercise faith and invite the spirit of God into their lives through repentance. I know that if they are obedient to their Savior, that he can heal the broken hearts, and mend the broken lifes. He truly is the master healer. 

The spiritual challenge this week was that Virginia did not give permission for her four children to be interviewed and baptized. The situation is tough because she doesn´t understand Spanish that well (Her native language is Guaraní). However, we are going to keep working with the family to take the necessary steps towards their Savior.

We start a new transfer this week and I am saying goodbye to three former companions- Elder Salmon, Elder Steenblik, and Elder Atwood. It was a privelege serving with them. I´m extremely grateful for their examples and efforts to be like Jesus Christ. I´m excited to keep working with Elder Holmes here in Francisco Álvarez to help people feel Christ´s love for them and be baptized in his name.

Thank you all for your love and support! I love you all! Let me know how I can help!

-Elder Lambert

Lujan Zoo pictures from last week:

1. Me with the tiger,

2. Me with the lion,

3. Elder Holmes and I with the elephant

3 Attachments

Pon tu hombro a la lid, Oct. 30, 2017

Elder Holmes and I just had a crazy week here in Francisco Álvarez. We had zone conference with a lot of changes, and we had some great progress with some of the investigators. Three of the Barro kids went to church again, and another investigator, Florencia, went to church for the first time!

Sounds like you all had an eventful week! I hope Dad could enjoy his birthday, and that´s good to hear that you could visit with the family at the baby shower! One fun fact- in Argentina they also have baby showers and they call them they same thing "baby shower". It´s really funny sometimes when they use english words mixed in with their spanish. 

As for Enrique, we weren´t able to see him much this week. He has been working downtown, and traveled to see his wife and son again this past weekend. However, we have hopes that he can keep reading, and keep progressing. We´ll see what happens these coming weeks.

The biggest blessing this week was that the Barro kids have been really growing in their testimonies. One of the daughters, Deisy, did a service project with the young women and brough her twin sisters, Marían and Lucía. They really enjoy church, and then they came to church by themselves even though their Mom was out of town! It was awesome to see their dedication and willingness to obey the commandments.

In addition to the Barro family, we have another investigator named Florencia that has begun to progress. She opened up a lot to us in our second visit together, and expressed how she feels like she doesn´t have peace in her life. She struggles with depression, and has suffered with suicidal thoughts. Her family has even sought to use witchcraft to try to help her. 

In her search for peace she has been attending an evangelical church for a year and a half, but she feels like it hasn´t brought her the peace she´s been seeking. When we visited Saturday she said that she feels like she can believe in the Book of Mormon, and then showed her faith by coming to church yesterday! 

I know that Christ lives. I know that there is no other name that has helped me to make the changes that I have made in my life, and that has given me the blessings that I have. I hope that I can be better tool in God´s hands. I hope that you all can continue to be examples of Jesus Christ in your lives as well.

Much love,

Elder Lambert

Photos:

1. Elder Shepherd, Me, Elder Holmes, and Elder Siale after p-day soccer,

2. The sunset in Francisco Álvarez