Got Me Some Chocolate :-)

Hey PEEPS,

-OK I know you're all DYING to know who my companion is. Well here you go. Her name is Hermana Batista. She's frommmmm........ PANAMA!!! doo doo dooo PANAMA-HA. doo doo doo PANAMA!!! doo dooo PANAMA-HA! (please tell me you're all singing Van Halen right now... dad, are you super proud of me that I knew that Van Halen sings that song?!! ) I really have been singing that song in my head for the past few days. Not good to have an 80´s rock song in your head while trying to preach the gospel. :-)

ANYWAY! She´s 26, and the only member in her family, in fact, her mom didn't even want her to go on a mission. BUT SHE´S HERE! She got baptized 2 years ago. Hna Batista is very sweet and ready to work and study and practice. And that´s really all you can ask for as a trainer. And I'm STOKED to improve my Spanish!
- Speaking of training... HI! I'M A TRAINER NOW:  What the? Everyone says that you really learn so much and you surprise yourself with how much you really do know. And that has happened exactly. I have to explain a lot of things and I surprise myself with my knowledge. I'm like "hey, I can do this. I know how to be a missionary."  We had a capacitación on Wednesday (what's that in English? workshop? English skills= waning) and the A.P.'s (**assistants to the President) talked to us about how great our responsibility is as trainers to help these new missionaries develop the skills necessary to become EXCELLENT missionaries. I was freaking out like almost the whole time. Especially since everyone there had already trained or had a year in the mission. I thought "WAHHH THIS MISSIONARY´S FUTURE IS IN MY HANNNDDDSS!"  Can you tell Presidente to PRAY AGAIN? I think he received the revelation wrong. But all the office Elders were just way nice to me and said, "Hermana, Presidente didn't choose you, GOD DID! You are CAPA! You can DO THIS! You will be FINE!" Ha, so then I calmed down. I wasn't necessarily freaking out but I guess I had a look of terror and stress on my face. BUT I'm doing great now. I love training. And I love that we get this extra time to study and practice. 

-Ok, JTs "Sexy Back" song is now playing in the cyber. Hna Vawdrey and I just exchanged looks and now we can't stop laughing. I love Argentina and their love for American music. They ask me to translate sometimes and I'm like... "Um. No. I'm not translating THAT!"

- Well.  We don´t have any investigators that are progressing. We have a few that need to get married though. We are really struggling finding people that will progress and COME TO THE DANG CHURCH!!! My word. I feel like I have been working really hard and being obedient but I'm not seeing any fruits from my labors. I'm not seeing any baptisms. It's tough when all your leaders are like BAPTIZE! BAPTIZE! BAPTIZE! and you're like what am I doing wrong? It's a little discouraging, but you gotta keep going. Gotta keep knocking on those doors and stopping people in the street, hoping to find the ones who are ready. The ones who have been praying for you to come and help them change their lives. But in the meantime, you gotta take those doors that are shut in your face, people talking to you from their windows, and LOTS of rejections. I was reading in Alma 5 (LOVE THIS CHAPTER) and in verses 

14-15 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? 15 Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?" 

I have realized that is what I need to do. I need to look forward with an eye of faith and keep going, having faith that the Lord will put people in my path that need me.
-Also in that chapter, it talks about humility in vs 26-29 

"26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now? 27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins? 28 Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.29 Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless." 

Being a trainer has made me realize that I have to rely on the Lord more. It was like when I was made trainer, it was the Lord's way of saying, Ok Hermana Squire, enough relying on yourself. It's time to rely on Me. I've spent a lot more time on my knees, praying for help and guidance, and for strength to take on the day. I need the Lord's direction every day, so I can receive the inspiration of where to go and who we should see. Being humble is not a sign of weakness.

-SHOUTOUTS: Adrienne, got your email THANK YOU! LOVE YOU! Fernuiks, thank you for the bday card!! 

HAPPY BDAY TO MY BFF JENNY!!! 

And to Sister Thurman and Brianna Hall this week! 

GRANDPA! QUE BUENO QUE SU OPERACION FUE BUENISIMO!

Love ya! Peeps, next time you get this, I´ll be one year older (and hopefully wiser too). HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND KNOW I LOVE YA!!

Hey. Work hard, and pray harder. P.S. now they are playing Lady Gaga. WOO. 

Hermana Squire

 Dad, can't wait for Mustang Monthly!  Love ya!!!

Mi Nueva Compañera: Hermana Batista de Panama!!

Well, I Got My Giant Bowl of CHOCOLATE Ice Cream!!

Hello all you lovely people,

Name: Hermana Cydnee Squire

Area: Villa Mitre 2

Companion: Unknown

Status: Almost a "mom", aka "pregnant" (in mission lingo)

What that means to all of you....

I´M GOING TO TRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Someone please come pick me up off the ground because I have passed out in disbelief. OH. MY. LANDS. I'm going to TRAIN A BRAND NEW MISSIONARY! What the..?? 

Ok. Story time. So. On Saturday, we got transfer calls in the middle of studies... I was asleep in bed because I'm a lazy missionary... haha NOT!  I got sick the day before with a terrible sinus infection so I was sleeping it off. Elder Araya (our DL--District Leader) called us and we put it on alta voz (speaker) and all four of us were listening in. All he said was "ok hermana, prepare your bags because you're going to Pigüe with Hna Baker! And your companion is going to train!!" But he didn't say any names! So we were like "wait!!"!  "WHO ELDER!!!!!" And he said "Hna Israelsen, you're going to Pigüe! Hna Squire! YOU'RE GOING TO TRAIN!! WAHHHOOOO!!!" All the hermanas flipped out and were jumping on me and hugging me and cheering, and I was like... uggghhh I think I'm going to be even more sick!! I was in such shock! This was my thought process: "Oh my gosh. I have 4 transfers. I've been in Argentina for 5 months. I've only had one companion. I'm not ready for this! I'm not ready to be a 'mom'!!" So went my thoughts. I'm still frazzled and such. 

There are 6 missionaries coming, 3 Hermanas, 3 Elders, ALL LATINOS! WOOOO! I GET MY LATINA COMPANION! But I don't know who she is yet. It's supposed to be a surprise. I'll pick her up on Wednesday. So I've been flippin' out for the past two days. Just feeling way inadequate and things. But if the Lord thinks that I'm ready, then I'm ready. We read 1 Nefi 17 with a menos activo and verses 50 and 51 really helped me. Nefi is explaining to his brothers that if the Lord can work mighty miracles like parting the Red Sea and helping the Children of Israel escape, he can help Nefi build a ship: 

"50:  And I said unto them: ^aIf God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done.

51 "And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot ^ainstruct me, that I should build a ship?" Or how is it that he cannot instruct me to train a new missionary? I'm scared out of my MIND and I know I'm just about to enter into the refiners fire of my mission. That this experience, training AND training in a tough area will shape and mold me into the missionary that the Lord knows I can be. 

I'm scared for it, but I'm happy to know that the Lord thinks I'm ready for the refiners fire.  I have been praying for change and an opportunity to progress, and the Lord has given it to me. Not in the way that I thought, because I was 90% sure I would be leaving. But He is putting his confidence in me to do this. And with his help, I can do it. 

Like the Lord said to Joshua after he was made prophet after Moses, in Joshua 1: 5 and 9 : 5. "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with ^aMoses, so I will be ^bwith thee: I will not fail thee, nor ^cforsake thee.9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the ^aLord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

 Um hello, how great is this promise? I know the Lord will be with me wherever I go. I just hope and pray I can be a great trainer and work for miracles in Villa Mitre 2.

- Ok, so how I got sick. The climate here changed OVERNIGHT, I swear. One day it was normal and dry, the next, HOT and HUMID with 1000000000 mosquitos. If you didn't know, mosquitos LOVE ME. LOVE. ME. I have 32 bites. THIRTY TWO. And they all swell up to the size of silver dollars. OH MY WORD. I've been itching to the point that I have bruises all over my legs. It's getting to the time to ditch the tights... and I have the most unattractive, white, bruised, mosquito bitten legs. Put on your sunglasses Bahia, the white girl is ditchin' the tights!! So because of the change of the climate, I got super sick. As in 101 fever, sore throat and congestion up the wahzoo (haha wahzoo. I like that word). That's why I was in bed for transfer calls. I'm doing better, I still sound like Squidward when I talk. I'm nervous about summer... everyone says it is SUPER HOT AND SUPER HUMID in Bahia. Hope we don't die. Don't worry mom, I'll take water with me.

- Elder Caicedo left! So sad! He said to us in English yesterday at lunch "Seesters. I'm going to miss eating lunch with you. Remember you have to eat more" Definitely won't miss that kid trying to sneak more food on our plates! Little goober. But we will miss our Columbian and all his crazy energy!

Shoutouts! Ashley! Sorry I missed your bday! Hope it was great! Stefan! Happy Birthday!!!! Also to Jake Dunn! LITTLE LACIE WELCH IS SO CUTE! And Rippy family! Congrats on your baby! And congrats to the Thurmans too!! 

Send some extra prayers up for me this week, people. I'm gonna need em. Sorry this email is way unorganized and stuff, but it's all I got! I love you all!

Hermana Squire.... or Mamá Squire

Parents: PLEASE SEND SOMETHING TO REPEL MOSQUITOS TO WEAR ON MYSELF: I don´t want to smell like I'm camping all day!!! THANKS!

MY PRINGLES PEOPLE!!!!!

HOLA MY PEOPLE!!

How are ya? Fall is around the corner for you all and I'm hopping into SPRING!! WAHOO! 

-Well here it is, the last week of the transfer and I'M SO READY FOR SOME CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!!!!!!!! (if you know what I mean).

- I've started noticing more funny things about Argentina that just make me love it more... like during the siesta little camionetas FULL of cartons of eggs pass through the streets and a man on a megaphone yells LE VENDO HUEVOS, HUEVOS BARATOS, BARATOS BARATOS (I'll sell you eggs, cheap eggs, cheap cheap) But its more like LEVENDOHUEVOHUEVOBARATOBARATOBARRRATTTTOOOOOOOO! Jaja, I LOVE IT!! Then there are these little horse drawn carts that go and pickup cardboard boxes that people leave out... just a horse drawn cart in the middle of the city. NBD. (**no big deal)

- So Elder Caicedo will be leaving this week which is way sad. We've grown to be good friends with that little Columbian. He's trying to learn English and works with 3 American missionaries in his area so we always make him practice. He says the funniest things. Last funny thing he said to me: "Hermana Squire you have to eat more cake!" When I didn't finish my postre. We all were dying. He's just as focused as ever and I swear he wont get trunky until his plane ride home. We'll miss our little Columbian!!

- We have a microwave!!!!! Oh MY!!  We are now getting up to date on things here!! We got it and we were like... "ok, now what do we do?" I've been warming up my oatmeal on the stove still because I keep forgetting we have it!! Wonder how things will be like when I get home, when I have a stove that is electric, a dishwasher, A DRYER, and carpet. I won´t know what to do with myself!!!!!

- So I had the wonderful experience of seeing Amanda TWO TIMES this week. On Thursday, she came for a doctor's appointment and she came to see us! It was the best! She is now COUNSELOR IN THE RELIEF SOCIETY! Ahhh nothing is better than to see your converts progress after baptism... getting callings and preparing for the temple. I got to see her AGAIN on SUNDAY along with all my PRINGLES FAMILY! Gigi and Melisa, my YW, came running up to us yelling HERMANASSS!! AHHH! I just hugged everyone so tight! I´ve missed everyone SO MUCH! Amanda has her temple reccomend too! AHH! Presidente Wilt was like "how are my dear angels??"  Oh my. I miss little Pringles.

- The temple rededication was so great. On Saturday, we got to see the celebration and see all the traditional dress and dances. I LOVED IT! I just was grinning like a goon for love of these people and this culture and this country. I really think I got a little peek into the love that our Heavenly Father has for them. I got tears in my eyes thinking how much I love them. I felt a little bit of pride too like, "I love my country." Then I was like, "wait, I´m American... then I said "NO IMPORTA! SOY ARGENTINA EN MI CORAZON!" (***NO MATTER! I'M ARGENTINIAN IN MY HEART!")  I also saw Elise Leavitt with the missionaries!!! Ah! Sunday was great too! So spiritual and I love President Eyring. Elder Christofferson did the dedicatory prayer in Spanish. Loved it!! Such a great weekend!!

- We also had our mini missionary with us on Sat, Yanet. She's 16 and super cool! She loved being with us and loved living a day in the life of a missionary. We had studies in the morning and left like normal! We didn't have tons of success, but she loved the experience. 

- Quote from Elder Oaks: Testimony is to know and to feel, conversion is to do and to become." My dear friends and family, are we truly converted? We may have testimonies, but what are you doing about it? What are you doing to become better disciples of Christ?

- I have another quote for yall. It's by Bruce R. McConkie: "I am called of God. My authority is above that of the kings of the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my master and He has chosen me to represent Him. To stand in His place, to say and do what He himself would say and do if He personally were ministering to the very people to whom He has sent me. My voice is His voice, and my acts are His acts, my words are His words and my doctrine is His doctrine. my commission is to do what He wants done. To say what He wants said. To be a living modern witness in word and deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous latter-day work."  How great is my calling!!!!  I love being a missionary!!! We all know the calling process... the apostles sit in a room and a picture of the missionary comes up and by pure revelation, we are assigned. I have no doubt whatsoever of where I have been called. God knew I needed to be here, with these people, loving them and teaching them. There isn't one day that I am not proud of my calling. I am so proud to be a missionary and a representative for our Savior.

.
Shoutouts! KELSEY OH MY GOSH YOURE GETTING MARRIED!!! AHHH!!!!!! I'm way stoked for you and your ring is GORGEOUS! My word... will I EVER EVER, be a bridesmaid!??? Sheesh. 

Jk!!! I am BEYOND happy for you! 

Happy Birthday to TYTY!!!!!!!!!!!!

And Sister Wooden! Hope your day was great!! 

Happy Birthday to Mikael too!! 15... oh my, I'm so old. I remember watching you learn how to walk. Love ya kid. 

Jenny! Thanks for the message! I miss ya! 

SANDII! Thanks for writing, glad that Elly is finally outta diapers!! 

Serna's in VIRGINIA! I sure love getting letters from my little monkeys! I love you kiddos! Love you too Robert and Julie :). 

Abuelo Serna! Espero que todo salga bien con su gallbladder. Estaré orando para usted.

LISTEN YOU PEOPLE! I LOVE YOU! I hope you have a great week and know a little sister missionary in Argentina loves you and prays for you! 

Hermana Squire

Foto 1: Us and our PRINGLES PEOPLE at the stake center for the rededication!!!
Foto 2: For the love of ARGENTINA!!! (the INSIDE of one of my shoes....)
Foto 3: The dogs in Argentina are either 1. really ugly. or 2. really fat. This one we affectionately named Jefe---Chief. 

7 months!

Hey people!

My word. 7 months. What the crap. Sometimes I´m like, WHERE DID THE
TIME GOOO? Like this week for instance. Flew by. And now it´s
September. And I´ll be 22 next month. Ewwwwwwwwww.

- So right now I´m listening to rolling thunder outside the cyber.
Like I said before, rain and missionary work do NOT go together. BOO. The
weather is so finicky. I dress in a sweater and I´m dying of heat,
carrying my jacket with sleeves rolled up. The next day, I go out in
lighter clothes and I freeze. BAH! I hear summer is a peach though...
we´ll see!

-This week is the Buenos Aires Temple rededication! We don´t get to see it in real
life in Buenos Aires, but we get to bring investigators to an activity
where we get to see the youth dancing for the dedication and such. Then
Sunday we get to watch one of the three sessions. I'm STOKED! I love the temple!
If you can, go for me this week! Also on Saturday, we´re
doing an activity with one of the office Elder´s wards. We will be
taking one of the young women with us to work all day in our area! It
will be so great for the youth to see what we do as missionaries! I´m
so excited!!!

-So Tuesday Hna. Israelsen got sick with what I had. Poor thing. Not
fun. So we stayed in the crackerbox for the day.

- This Sunday we had 3 menos activos come to church! We have been
working with them and THEY CAME! It´s so nice seeing the fruits of your
labors. Rosa, our bajita hermana que es el más dulce mujer JÁMAS, **(short sister who is the
sweetest woman EVER**) came and she looked so cute! She was so happy to be there!!!

- We haven´t been able to find Jesica and Fernando, or when we set
citas they aren´t there. I´m getting frustrated with the finicky
people here. They never do what they say they will. I´m just like,
"please don´t lie to me! Just say, "no, actually we won´t go to church
this week. Or "no, we don´t want to listen to you," SO I CAN GET ON WITH
MY LIFE AND FIND PEOPLE WHO DO WANT TO LISTEN! I´m praying that things
just came up with those two. We have such great lady investigators,
but guess what??!!  FOUR OF THEM need to get married! It takes like 2
months to get married in Argentina!! My stars!! Just keep the law of
chastity,  people!!!

-I swear, Satan knows when we are fasting. We started our fast after
lunch with a member (we each take a 'bathroom break' and pray in
there) and we come out and she´s like "I´m making dessert!" Crap. SO
we´re like "we have a cita! Sorry hermana!" So what does she do? Sends us
with an apple!! So I've got that in my pocket! Then we go to a member that
owns a quiosco (stand) to ask about some menos activos. What does she do? Gives
us an alfajor (**sweet biscuit filled with filling**) and a cereal bar. So I´m like thanks Hermana! And put it in my pocket. So we come back that night, HUNGRY and with pockets full
of food. Satan is an evil man.

- This Sunday we had PRESIDENTE and HERMANA PARREÑO in our ward! I was
like wah! They´re here! La hermana is the sweetest lady and just gave
us the biggest hugs. She just talked and talked with us and you could
tell pres needed to leave so he was gently leading her out the
door and she was just talking and talking to us with her cute pencil
skirt, red lipstick, and bun on top of her head. I LOVE THAT WOMAN!

That night we had a meeting and we already had missed our collectivo back
to centro (we have to travel to our area) and it wouldn´t come until
another half hour. So, the Elders, being the angels that they are to
us, called the other asistentes (*assistants) and they brought us home in the
mission convi. Elder Costanzi was driving (native Argentine) and I
thought it might be my last day on earth. I just kept thinking, "good
thing I took the sacrament today." But as you can see, I´m still alive. The Elders
are SO GOOD to us. So grateful for them.

- Ok, I´m going to do a little analogy here. So you go to Coldstone.
And they give you an offer... 6 months of vanilla ice cream for free.
But only vanilla. SO you go every day and get your vanilla ice cream.
Well after 3 months, you get a little tired of vanilla. You want
chocolate or mint. But no, you gotta stick with vanilla because that´s
what was chosen for you. By the time you get to five months, you
REALLY want chocolate. Don´t get me wrong. Vanilla is super great. A
great missionary... I mean flavor...., and you like it. But it´s time
for a change. You want to try out chocolate for a transfer or two... I
mean... a few months. Then everything about vanilla gets a little
annoying. STILL LOVE THE VANILLA but it´s like... everything about
vanilla kinda bugs you a teensy bit. But you go on and eat it
anyway... are you catching my drift here? Hermana Squire LOVES vanilla
because it´s nice and sincere and a great missionary... but she´s
ready for some chocolate. Ok, now I have successfully achieved in making
you all think that I´m very weird. Good.

- I read a super great talk bout The Love of God by Presidente
Uchtdorf. READ IT. I loved this part:
"Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now
multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s
love for you. God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe
that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if
we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we
are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He
loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s
love encompasses us completely.He loves us because He is filled with an
infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love.
We are important to God not because of
our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us,
even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken.
God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the
arrogant, and the wicked.
What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is
hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter
our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires
that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us."
LOVE IT!
God loves each of his children so much and I get to have a taste of
that love here. I LOVE the people here. So much. I want to bop them on
the head sometimes, but I STILL LOVE THEM. I can´t even imagine the
love that God has for them.

- Shoutouts: Elder Kelly! Got your letter! You have one on the way!
GRANDPA SERNA! Feliz cumpleaños! Le extraño y espero que su día fue
BUENISIMO. Lo quiero! Happy birthday to MATTHEW Serna! I love you
little monkey! Happy birthday to IZABELLE! I love you cutie pie!
I HAVE A SECOND COUSIN/NIECE LIKE BABY!! (might as well be niece) EVELYN
DUNN IS SO GORGEOUS! CONGRATS ANNA AND DAVE! LOVE YOU BOTH!!!!!
Listen. I love you all. Have a great week!!!!!!!

Hermana Squire