You're Not Gonna Believe This One..............

Misioneros Street in Bahia.....gonna miss it.

So here's the DL, the 411, etc....

I got transferred. YES. I know that it was an inspired process for sure, but I think the cookies and brownies I made for the office Elders helped a little... 

maybe a lot :)

- So, we got transfer calls at 1 in the afternoon Saturday, and ALL the office Elders knew what was happening to me before I did. I guess I was the one most anxious to leave that they all wanted to know what happened. BUT, they couldn't tell me! Goobers! So I had to wait 2 hours and I found out I would be going to......

PUERTO MAR DEL PLATA! With... Hermana BATISTA and Hermana MANSILLA!! Yep, I'm in a trio. And YUP with my hija!! I was super surprised and thought it was a joke. But here we are! We are thinking it's because no new hermanas came and that Hna Batista has to train when the 14 new hermanas come next transfer... We'll see! I'm super stoked to be here. I secretly wanted to be companions with Hna Mansilla. She is a super hard worker. She's 24, from Buenos Aires, and we have the same amount of time in the mission. Her mom owns a salon, so she knows a bajillion beauty secrets. Today, they were putting mayonnaise in each others hair... it's supposed to make it way soft... but I'm not convinced, yet. We"ll see if y'all get a pic of me with mayo in my hair!!! She is AMAZING. She said something like this "I think that we were best friends with all of our companions in the Pre-existence. But we all knew that we would be living far away from each other, so we had to come to the mission so that we could find each other again". It's so true! She also told me that they had various people that were close to baptism but things came up and they weren't baptized. She said that maybe the Lord put me here because these people need something more that they couldn't offer them. Yup, I love her already. I know that God has great plans for us! It's not very common that ex-companions return to being companions again! He has great things in store for the three of us. 

- So, I left Bahia yesterday at 5 and got to Mar del Plata at 12:30 at night. I traveled with a few Elders and we chatted for a bit and then it got dark and I thought, "super, I'll rest for a bit." We stopped in Tres Arroyos and a man got on and sat right next to me and SNORED THE WHOLE WAY!!!! Flip. But I got here safe and sound with my GIANT suitcases and Hna Carson, Mansilla and Batista were waiting for me. Hna Carson had to wait for her comp to come, so she stayed with us. We went to bed at like at 2:30 that night, so I'm runnin'  on about 4 hours of sleep!!  WOO! SO, we had to travel to Centro this morning to pick up Hna Carson's comp and leave them to travel to their area but WOW centro is SO BEAUTIFUL! I felt like I was on vacation! Beach, Hotels, Shopping... I was like "you're a MISSIONARY! Not a TOURIST! FOCUS!"  Haha, but one day I'll come back. Puerto is... well a Port. It smells like fish. All of the time. We can see the ocean!! It's so pretty, and our area is like 2 and 1/2 times the size of Villa Mitre. AND IT'S MOSTLY PAVED! No more dirty shoes! No more dirt in the face and mouth! WOOO! AND! It's not as hot! I think the Lord heard my prayers.. or He knew that I would probably DIE in Villa Mitre. I'm super happy!

 - The hardest part was leaving... as we all know. I gave a talk in church about missionary work and I sorta bajar´d the caña... pero bueno. (**lowered the cane, oh well...) Poor Rosita cried! It was so sad! She said, "oh no, don't tell me. I grew to love you so much!" She's the little lady in the pic. Erika cried as she was hugging me and all of my girls were so sad. I didn't expect so many tears! We ate with the Familia Saghin and they told me how special I was to them and how much they thought of me as their own family. It was a very sad day, with lots of tears. I will miss them all very dearly. The best part of the day was when all of my converts came to church in SKIRTS!!!  That was the icing on the cake and made me want to cry. I love these girls, and I will forever be grateful that God put them in my path. They were BEYOND ready to receive the gospel.

-Shoutouts: MIKAYLA MCCHESNEY!!!! I forgot to say in the last email CONGRATULATIONS on getting called to serve in the best country!!! You will love the Argentine people!!!!  You will also be speaking the best form of Spanish there is... Castellano.... so work on your "sha"s!! 

MOM AND DAD!!! New mission prep teachers! I AM SOOOO PROUD!!! WOOOO!!! 

JAKEEE!!!!!! WOOOO! Congrats on your mission call! I'm beyond stoked for you!!! 

VENICE!! I'M DYING! WRITE ME, YOU GOOBER FACE!!!!! AHHHH! Flip, three amigas DOWN.

 OK everyone, really quick, last Sunday we had a lesson, and Cindi Luna (love that girl) challenged us to look for the Lord's hand in our life. I challenge you to do that. Look for the blessings that the Lord gives to you every day. Big and small. For example, that very day, we were walking home in the heat, and some nice lady stopped and said, "I'll take you to your house, it's hot, hop in!"  So we did and she took us to the corner where we live. I'm not sure if that was against the rules or not... but hey, not the point. The point is that the Lord is VERY aware of EACH of His children. Look for His hand in your life and write down what you find. I promise if you start looking, every day,  you will find out that He is very involved in our lives.

I love you all very much. 

Have an amazing week.

Hermana Squire

pics:

#1 My District in Bahia!!!

#2 The "Dream Team"; Elders Cruz & Gravelle; Hermana Gomez

#3 My sweet little Rosita! Love her!

#4 My girls in Bahia; Liz who is a future missionary, in pink; Bella, the little one, a future baptism;  next 3 our converts:Tatiana next to me;.Barbara and Erika

What a great day.

#5 Hermanas Mansilla, Batista and myself (don't know about the mayonnaise....in the hair....:-)

#6 "Misioneros" Street in Bahia..the best.....gonna miss it....not gonna lie.

My district in Bahia

The "Dream Team": Elders Cruz, Gravelle,& Hermana Gomez

Our Rosita

My girls: Liz, Bella(little one), Tatiana, Barbara & Erika

Hermanas Mansilla, Batista, & Squire

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...ha ha..not really!

Hello world!!!!!!!!!!!

I want y'all to put on NSYNC ¨Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays¨ on right now and think of Hermana Vawdrey and I singing at the top of our lungs in the pension at 7 in the morning (especially for you Kris)!!!!

WELL HELLO! I hope all is well in the good old United States. I'm just walking around sweating all the time and then I see a little plastic Christmas tree and I'm like "OH YEAH!!! IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME."  It really is going to be just another day of work for us... BUT I get to talk to my FAMILY!!!! WAHOOO! 

- Ok, so I'm trying to think about what happened this week. We have been practicing singing for our Christmas activity tomorrow. It's going to be half of the mission and we'll be singing 5 Christmas hymns in the plaza en Centro, and in the Hospital! They said we can´t proselyte, but little do they know that when we sing about Christ, it will be proselytizing in a way! Right?! Music can touch hearts, so I'm hoping there will be lots of people there! And I think we're even going to be on TV....so yeah. That will be fun!

-So Barbara. She's progressing really well and really wants to get baptized and do the right things but she slept in for church yesterday!! So now she can't get baptized until next Saturday! BOO! Who needs sleep anyway!!?? Ok, but we are really praying that she can realize how important church is. Maybe we'll buy her an alarm....

- We found PAULA again...!!!! We've started teaching her de nuevo  and she REALLY has a testimony of the LDM.(**Book of Mormon) We're praying she can come to church and feel that is where she needs to be. She's such a sweet woman and I KNOW she could get baptized!!

- Hna Gomez and I have been getting to know each other better this week. She's pretty straightforward and says things how they are but is also SUPER funny. She's so quick and sarcastic, so as you can see, we get along great!  She is also a hard worker and a very good teacher!! We have been working hard all week to find new investigators.!

- On Saturday, we had another missionary day with the jovenes(**youth) in the stake. We went with Mité, a cute and hardworking 15 year old. We found two new investigators with her, and all before lunch! What a miracle! We taught one girl the first lesson and after we taught the First Vision, she said ¨que lindo! genial!¨(**how wonderful and brilliant!) and I was like..." ahhhh!" She accepted a fecha bautismal, (**baptismal date) but might be moving in the next bit. 

-During this Christmas season, I hope you all remember why we celebrate this special time. I am so grateful for my Savior and all He did for me. I have grown closer to Him in these 10 short months as I have labored in His work. President Monson said this ¨There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus Christ.

Because He came to earth, we have a perfect example to follow. As we strive to become more like Him, we will have joy and happiness in our lives and peace each day of the year. It is His example which, if followed, stirs within us more kindness and love, more respect and concern for others.

Because He came, there is meaning to our mortal existence.

Because He came, we know how to reach out to those in trouble or distress, wherever they may be.

Because He came, death has lost its sting, the grave its victory. We will live again because He came.

Because He came and paid for our sins, we have the opportunity to gain eternal life.

Because He came, we are gathered tonight to worship Him, in bonds of brotherhood and love."

- SHOUTOUTS!  MARGIE! Got your pkg this week!!! THANK YOU! 

And thank you Grandpa and Grandma Hobson for the card! Loved it!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday KRISTEN! Yes, I'm one day late and I didn't have time to draw you a hideous self portrait, but don't worry, you'll get one soon!! 

Adrienne! Thanks for the email!!! Good to hear from you!!! (FINALLY.) :-) 

Happy late birthday to Michelle in Idaho! And happy birthday to Susan and Nancy next week! 

Hey....

I love you all. 

Have a great Christmas. 

Hermana Squire