Argentina #52

Hello! How is everyone! 

So I will be emailing you next week (24 December) to tell you at what time to call me the 25, and the number. I think the Zone is going to have a party, so I am not sure at what time I will be in the Church awaiting your call. 

This week has been a little tough. It was so so so hard for me to leave Limay. And leaving Hna. Santiago was way hard! we bawled when we said goodbye! And I haven´t cried since Hna Arcos and I parted in Pico Truncado. And heading to my new area I was so nervous!!! More nervous that when I entered the MTC, I think! I just hadn´t changed areas in so long and didn´t know what it was going to be like.

This is what Centenario is like. There are 4 missionaries for the City, and one ward. It is by far the largest area I have ever had. It has a lot of orchards outside of the city. It is famous for its apples, peaches, pears, apricots, and plums. They export apples to all sorts of places. The fruit here is way good! And i don´t really even like fruit! 

The ward is nothing like limay. I expected all of the members to be like ¨Welcome, Hermana! My name is...and this is my family.¨That did not happen. Almost no one even acknowleged our presence. Which is weird because in Argentina every one has to greet ALL of the people in the room with a kiss on the cheek. No one talked to us. Hna Mendieta has only been here for 6 weeks and so she doesn´t know anyone, and there are not really any investigators here. And we heard that the members lost the trust of the missionaries a while back, so we have come here to change that. So Hna. Mendieta and I decided that we are going to win the hearts of the ward, and help them get excited to work with us. We are going to the houses of all of the people in the ward list to sing a christmas song, share a Christmas message, get to know them, offer our help, invite them to the ward activity, and ask for refferrals. It´s going ok. It is just going to take a while to change things. 

So today I was reading the Christmas story in Luke. When the Angel announces the birth of Christ to the shepherds, he uses a few key phrases. ¨Good tidings of great joy¨and ¨On the earth, peace¨I was thinking about how without Christ, we can´t have true joy or peace. He is the source of both. My appreciation for Christmas has changed dramamtically here. Last year, I was so sad and lonely and hated Pico Truncado and thought my heart would break with sadness. I had never been more grateful for the birth of Our Savior more than in that Christmas. This Christmas, I am happy and have seen many miracles, and I also remember what I learned last year, and I am even MORE grateful for Jesus Christ than I was last year. Here, they don´t really do too much to celebrate christmas, so I have really had time to think about the meaning of Christmas. I know Jesus Christ lives, and that He suffered for me so that I can find peace in times of trial, and so that I can repent and change my human nature a little bit every day. I am humbled that He has entrusted me with His brothers and sisters, and has allowed me to represent Him here in Argentina. I can´t think of a better way to be spending this time in my life. 

I love you all and hope that you all have a great holiday. I will let you know next week at what time we´ll be talking! 

You know what I ´ve been singing a lot lately in my head? Christmas Carol, obviously! It´s the only musical that I allow myself to sing in the mission (but obviously only at Christmas time). The message of that story is amazing! it´s what finalized my decision to serve a mission. I hope you all go see Breanna in it! 

God bless us, everyone! 

haha love that show. 

Hna. Bretleigh Sandorf