Sister Alvey & Sister Shelley finally meet!  Their relatives live close to each other, but these two went to Argentina to meet!

Hola!!!

 

Hey everyone!! New transfer, new experiences, new work. So me and Hermana Milmont are together for another transfer. Hermana Renteria is going to an area called Nuñez, and Hermana Salva is going to Tigre. Vicente Lopez is now one area again with only two missionaries. I will have six months in Vicente Lopez by the end of the transfer. It is an amazing ward and I am very happy to be here. The work is going to explode this transfer. I just know it.

 

I absolutely loved General Conference. I especially loved Elder Hadleck (sp?). I have heard a similar talk many times from my own mission president many times. The vision truly is important. If you don´t know where your goal is, you won´t know how to work for it. I am still working on obtaining the vision. I have not fasted over it yet, but I know that I need to and will do so this sunday. Elder Holland´s talk of course, was straight to the point and awesome as usual. I wish I had time to talk about all of them, but I´m cut short again due to transfers. We had two sisters sleep in our apartment with us. One went to the south at 3:30 am and we took the other to the office to pick up her new companion.

 

Thank you soooooooo much for the packages. Hermana Milmont said that the brand ¨George¨ nylons saved her in the south. I appreciate everything in the packages. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

 

It sounds like life there is busy and moving along. I hope you are enjoying spring break and have a wonderful easter. Remember the true reason for easter. I love Elder Worthlin´s talk in General Conference of 2006 ¨Sunday Will Come¨. No matter how bleak the Friday or how lonely the Saturday, Sunday will come. That is the promise of the Atonement.

 

We have an amazing ward. They are catching on to the vision of the missionary work. It really is all about the members. Talking with their friends, helping their families, and doing their best to share their joy and their lives. I wish I could remember who said it, but they said ¨Preach the Gospel and if needed use words.¨ I love that. We often think that everything is up to the full time missionaries. It is true that they have a special calling to go out into all the world to teach. We are set apart to teach the Gospel and have His Spirit to guide us. Nothing can happen without the members though. Retention, finding, and supporting will not happen without the members. It is impossible. I know this now. It´s not easy, but the prophets have said:¨Every member a missionary.¨ What the sister in the philippines said is true. It´s truer than you know.

 

I love you all so much. I am sorry that I am not able to tell you everything that has happened this week. I will try really hard to tell you everything next week. Now is the time to work.

 

¨Firm as the mountains around us¨

¨I´ll never no never no never forsake¨

 

I´ll talk to you soon.

 

Hermana Alvey

 

P.S. Good luck with the garden. I pray for all of you individually by name. I love you

Hermanas Renteria & Alvey chillin' with some brownies

waiting at the bus stop L-R Hermana Renteria, Hermana Milmont, Hermana Salva, Hermana Alvey

                                          RS b-day celebration - picture painted by member
                                          L-R Cecilia, Hermana Salva, Hermana Alvey,
                                          Hermana Milmont, front - Hermana Renteria

                                          Relief Society birthday party celebration

                                          Hermanas Alvey & Renteria

                                          Fountain in Villa Ballester

Hola!!!

 

So I really hope that you got all the pictures I sent. I know you wanted to see some more of what was going on here. The Relief Society activity was amazing. They did such a good job and we were so happy to be a part of it. They reenacted what happened when the Relief Society was first organized. We had a couple of non memebers there and a couple menos activos. It was really nice for them to see this part of the church. The sisters went all out with the activity. There was tons of food, the decorations were gorgeous, the costumes were superb, and the Spirit was there. I really do love the sisters in my ward. The men are pretty fun too. ^_^

 

So I am going to answer the questions right off the bat so I don´t forget.  The area is combined again, but we are still in seperate apartments and working mostly in different areas, but we are needing to communicate more and be more familiar with the entire area. It looks like Hermana Renteria will be my companion until the end of the transfer. Transfers are sunday night right after Conference.

 

I am sooooo excited for General Conference. I love General Conference and several of our recent converts and investigators have shown interest in going. Here in Buenos Aires it´s not broadcasted over television so we go to the stake center to watch General Conference. They also have a special room for all the english speakers to listen to Conference. I know that I am going to love this weekend.

 

Back to answering questions. I have not gotten any packages yet, because we don´t get mail until transfers and only if your companion is leaving. Other than that we get mail when we have interviews or zone conferences. On average we get mail about every six weeks no matter when it actually arrives. Letters still take six weeks anyway. I am still working on letters for people, but it will most likely be the beginning of next transfer when I send them all out.

 

We do not really have any investigators right now. The other Hermanas found 5 investigators in 1 day. It was an entire family and they were so happy. We were happy for them as well. Finding is the most difficult thing in our District. Our mission president has said that street contacting and door knocking are the last things you try. You are going to have the most success in contacting references, talking with menos activos, recent converts, and 5-5-5. We are still learning how to effectively do that.

 

The biggest emphasis in our mission is the vision. The Lord has a vision for each individual area and when we have that vision we will do what the Lord wants and have the greatest success. I believe that I am starting to get it, but I have always been thick headed. Part of receiving the vision (in my case) is understanding that I am in my area for a reason. The Lord wants to use me and my talents for the people here specifically. I now understand that and can go from there. Another part of the vision for everyone is to understand and believe with all their heart that in reality ¨the field is white already to harvest¨ now! A lot of missionaries have a hard time believing that the field is white in their area. They can see it in other areas, but often fail to see it in their own. President Gulbrandsen related it all to the story of Nephi in 1 Nephi 10-11. Nephi wanted to know and understand the vision his father had. He showed us how we can receive the vision and the understanding. I am still putting that into practice. I love that President Gulbrandsen sends out quotes every week from people´s letters about receiving the vision. It´s inspiring.

 

This last sunday we had 5 menos activos at church. Four of them were an entire family that had been inactive for 5 years and they wanted to come back. They had told us several times (as missionaries) that they felt special and wanted because we kept stopping by. I cannot  stress enough the importance of visiting teaching and home teaching. It is to go after the one who is sick or lost or lonely. It is to let them know they have a brother or a sister who will listen and spend time with them. My words through letters are not enough to express what I know and feel about this. There cannot be retention and love without visiting and home teaching. We are told that we will not be saved without our dead and they cannot be saved without us. It is true in this life as well. Everyone is a brother and sister and they cannot be saved without us and we cannot be saved without them. The Lord has condemned those who do not take care of their brother and had pleaded that we do so. I don´t want to sound condemning or preaching, but please know that I say this will all the love I possess. These people need you so much. I know that I will have to account for the visiting teaching that I did not do. I also know that there is great joy and wonderful friendships to be found in fulfilling this call. I wish that you could see the faces of these people when they see that someone loves them enough to come find them. It´s not always easy. But they need you.

 

I have run out of time. I love you all sooooo much and wish that I could express that in my letters, but I feel like Nephi when he says that ¨the Holy Ghost makes a man mighty in word, but not in writing¨. I know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ. I will talk to you all soon.

 

Love

Hermana Alvey

Hola!!!

 

So another week has gone by. Wednesday, the doctor said I could work a half schedule. We have visited a lot of people, but nobody was home. We had stake conference this last sunday and it was amazing. It was all about missionary work. President and Sister Gulbrandsen even talked. There is a phrase here that I am in love with and say all the time. It´s ¨Bajar la cañe¨. Basically it means ¨crack the whip¨ or tell it how it is. Anyway, President bajó la cañe with the stake about having a current temple recommend and sharing the gospel with their friends.

 

I remembered one of the questions was if I had had any dreams in spanish. The first time there was any spanish in my dreams was when I was still with Hermana Reed about a month and a half ago. A couple weeks ago there was a lot of spanish in my dream. Everyone tells me that my spanish is really good and they are surprised when I tell them that I have only been in Argentina for 4 months. It seems like just yesterday I was telling them that I had only been in Argentina for 2 weeks. Time flies. I can´t believe that I´ve been on the mission for 6 months already, but at the same time, I can´t believe that I´ve only been on the mission for 6 months. There truly have been a lot of ups and downs and a lot of experiences. At this point I really need to learn a lot of vocabulary. It´s frustrating for both sides, when someone has to repeat themselves so many times and I still don´t understand. It is progressing though.

 

Several people have told me that they keep senior companions in areas for 3-4 transfers and junior companions move around a lot. I have been in Vicente López for 3 transfers or 4 months almost 4 1/2. I also don´t have the feeling that I will be transferred next transfer. I don´t know what the Lord has in store, but I am curious to see what happens. Hermana Milmont thinks that I will be training soon. What an experience that will be.

 

Our english classes are still coming good. We are finally getting some invitations and pamphlets out for it.

 

Because I have been inside for so long and still can´t work a full schedule, they have put me and Hermana Renteria together and Hermana Milmont and Hermana Salva together. The area is now back to one area and it´s huge. We pretty much redid everything, maps and all. We are still not done.

 

Well, my time is almost up. I love you all so much I hope all is well. I pray for you everyday that you may be safe and happy. I´ll talk to you soon.

 

Love

Hermana Alvey

Hola!!!

 

So another week has gone by. Wow, time sure moves fast. So here are some pictures that I promised to send. The first is of a baptism from the other Hermanas. On the left is our ward mission leader: Hermano Hales. Next to him is Angel; he was so excited. Last is his little sister who was there to support him. It really was an amazing experience. The next picture is of me and Hermana Milmont. Yes, I did cut my hair. I like it, and it helps in this weather. It´s also more healthy.

 

It was a nice simple week. We started an English class for saturdays in the church and I think it went great. We had 1 investigator, 1 menos activo, 1 recent convert, and 1 missionary all learning. We are so worried that we won´t be good teachers, but we saw the Lord make up the difference. We will see what happens next week. The investigator actually had questions about the Book of Mormon that he will talk to us about next week.

 

In church yesterday, we had 4 menos activos and 2 investigators. Now all we have to do is get the investigators to come to sacrament meeting instead of just the classes. We were so happy, though, to see all those menos activos. One of them even got up and bore his testimony. It was amazing. Bishop interviewed all of them right on the spot, and two of them will be receiving the priesthood next week.

 

Things here have truly been moving forward. We need new investigators, but the work is moving forward here and I know that God is pleased. I am so excited for everyone who is preparing or thinking about going on a mission. I´m not going to lie and say it´s easy, but it is worth it. You work hard for an entire week for that one moment that brings greater joy than you can ever imagine. My heart wanted to burst when I saw our menos activo stand up and bear his testimony even though he was scared and had doubts. When I realized this last week that I was a mouthpiece for the Lord. I did not have the words, but He put them into my mouth and I felt the Spirit stronger than I ever have before. Will there be disappointments? Yes. Will you want to give up and cry? Yes. The thing is that all those things are drowned out by the joy you feel in the Lord´s work. I know it´s cliche and I´m not trying to discourage anyone, but you could not feel this much joy without knowing it´s opposite. It truly is the hardest and the best two years (or 18 months) of your life.

 

I love you all so much. Your letters mean so much to me and help me a lot. Keep moving forward. Go to the temple. I cannot stress that enough. Go together and the blessing will overflow. With all the love I posess, I invite you to go, because I want you to feel the joy I know is there. I will talk to you soon. Stay strong, stay safe.

 

Hermana Alvey