What the.......

Hey goobers!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! SO, what's new??

-Ours was spent turkey-less in our house. It was weekly planning so we prepared a little lunch with the 6 Hermanas. Guess what we had???!!! TACOS WITH REAL TORTILLAS. I died!!!! WE EVEN HAD GUACAMOLE!! Not as good as yours dad, but we ate it! I was SOOOOOOO happy! So we put our two tables together, made little placemats with turkeys on them (we traced our hands) and ate like queens. I have pictures but this computer is being a real peach so maybe next week! 

-Hermanas McWorter and Marin moved to their new apartment this week so now it's just us and the Hermanas Vawdrey and Carson! We've been enjoying our time. I sure do love my Vawdrey. 

- SO it rained like a lot this week! I HATE RAIN HERE! It's just another excuse for people to say they can't listen to us. "oh chicas, but it's raining" And in my mind I'm  like "NOOOO, REALLY???"  Oh Argentines, you are a funny people. BUT, Hermana Batista and I are on fire right now. Wanna know how many other lessons we taught this week? (other than lessons with members and with menos activos) 18!!!! We teach everyone if they let us. Our DL (**District Leader) actually asked us to do a workshop in meeting tomorrow to teach everyone how we do it. Here's the thing:  Argentines can be a little prideful (ok A LOT prideful), so when you start off talking about THEM and complimenting THEM, then they open up and usually ask US what we're doing. BAM! Then we start teaching and testifying. We may not get into houses and we may not start and end with a prayer (we don't want people to think we're crazy by praying on the porch) but we teach about a 15 minute lesson with a bunch of questions about their beliefs and hopes in life, leave them with a commitment, fijar cita, (**set appointment) BAM! Lesson. 

- We've found our miracle, people. After a long time of struggling with little success, frustrated feelings, desperate prayers... we found them. Tatiana and Erica. Remember Sandra? Well, the poor thing is pretty busy with work and a little uncommitted, but her daughters Tati and Erica (11 and 13) came to church with us this week. Tatiana came last week and was assigned a talk for the primary program and we helped her to prepare it. She did GREAT! She's not even a member yet! Her sister Erica came with us to support her and LOVED young women's. She left with a huge smile on her face!! We committed them BOTH to be baptized on the 9th. They are up for it! And Sandra said it was FINE and she wanted them to keep coming to church! I DIIEEED! They are SO CUTE! I am so thankful that the Lord is blessing me. I know that He needed me to be refined during this hard time. I struggled so I could become stronger. I'm a better teacher and more committed. As Greg said in one of his letters "The harder my path, the stronger I become". I know that's true. I remember talking to Hna Hinze in the MTC and I remember saying, "I WANT my mission to be hard. I WANT to struggle so I can change. I WANT to work hard for every baptism and every miracle we see". And that desire has come true. I was sent to a hard-hearted part of Argentina, where people are a little too relaxed and a little prideful, and it hasn't been a walk in the park for me with baptisms every week. But I'm thankful that the Lord trusts me enough to be here and that I can be molded into the missionary He needs me to be through the struggles I have here. Keep praying for Tatiana and Erica. We all know Satan works really hard, but we can work harder :)

- Quote by Elder Holland about faith and the future to finish: "I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives."

- SHOUTOUTS! Happy Birthday Christina Standifird! Brendi, thank you for the cute pìcs of your kids! MY LANDS THEY ARE SO BIG AND ADORABLE! Serna kids! Thanks for the letters and drawings! Josh-  they don't celebrate Halloween here! I wish they did, that would have been fun! Tay, I got your letter a bit ago, can't remember if I said anything yet, but THANK YOU! 

LINDSEY BROWN! Congrats on your call! 

And Devon Scott, you go in THIS week to the MTC!!!!! Good luck! 

Also, Julina, I got your letter and pics! Thank you! 

Everyone! I sure do love you! I miss you a whole lot, but hey, I'm on a mission and I'm pretty happy. (Even though I smell like I'm camping with all the bug spray I use!! :) 

HEY BE GOOD YALL.

Hermana Skeeray

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

Hello everyone,

What the heck, it`s almost Thanksgiving and I'm sweating to death. Ok, not that bad, but it's pretty hot! I totally forgot Thanksgiving was so close... it's just gonna be another day of work for us! Eat some extra turkey for me, since they don't have it here! :-(

- Let's start with the funny and end with the spiritual, sí? Ok, so a few weeks ago we were eating with the Familia Saghin ( I LOVE THIS FAMILY WITH MY WHOLE HEART) and we were talking how everyone here calls each other "gordo" (fat) and even girls are like, HEY GORDA! And I said "that would get someone a smack across the face in the states." Anyway, they asked what gordo was in English and I told them, "fat".  Then Ayrton (12) said, "yeah, but if you add an "r" it`s a bad word."  And I'm like "what???!!" And he whispers it to me. Then everyone is like "que significa  esa palabra?"  (what does it signify?") And they just kept repeating that word like 50 times and I was dying of laughter!!!  Then I had to explain what it meant. aye aye aye.

- Speaking of the Familia Saghin, that's them in the foto you see. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Even though they aren't old enough to be my parents, they feel like my family. When we eat with them, I feel like I'm at home. That means so much to me as a missionary. They told us yesterday that we're the daughters they never had and that they love us so much. And there I was, just crying my eyes out for the love I have for them. And isn't little Valentino SO CUTE! He's 7! I just love him! He's so polite too!

- I love living in Argentina! I love that when I talk to some ladies they call me "mi vida", "mi cielo", "mi reina", "amor", "corazon" and all that jazz!! (mi vida=my life; mi cielo= my sky; mi reina= my queen; amor=love; corazon=heart)  I love that the mail is delivered by men on bikes, and at 8 in the morning, a man rides by the houses selling newspapers on his bike and yelling DIAAAAAAARIO!!!, and of course the egg trucks...

"LEVENDOHUEVOSHUEVOSBARRATOSHUEVOSHUEVOSHUEVOSBARRRRRATOS!!! I (*I sell eggs, cheap, eggs,eggs, cheap..all run together in one long word) love that it's common to see 5 people on a scooter... the parents, a baby in the lap of the driver, a kid on the very back, and a pobrecito (*poor little one) smushed in the middle of the parents. 

- This week was a week of finding. We've dropped a bunch of investigators because they're not progressing. And our time is too precious to be wasting with people who aren't committed to doing what we ask them to do. We found a very sweet woman whose husband doesn't like religious talk (other than catholicism of course) but we talked to her outside. She has a disease that left her partially paralyzed on one side. Her right arm doesn't work very well and she slurs when she talks. We testified of the resurrection and how we will all receive perfect bodies. I know she was touched by the spirit because she started to cry. We're supposed to pass by tomorrow, and I hope somehow we can touch her husband's heart. I know she would be great. 

- We also found a great woman named Sandra. W'e've passed by a few times and she said we could come back but she was always busy. But we persisted and she finally let us teach her. She has 11 kids! 7 live with her and guess what,???!!! She's JESICA`S mom!!!!!! Remember our one hit wonder golden family from way back???!!!  Jesica and Fernando???!!!!! Yeah. Anyway. She was very attentive and accepted a baptismal date. We chatted some more and found out that some weird things have been happening in her house, shadows, things falling on their own accord, so we came with the bishop the next day to bless the house. She told us that after she read the chapter of the LDM (**Book of Mormon) and prayed, that she slept peacefully for the first night in 2 weeks. WOW. Sunday we went by to get them for church, but Sandra had left to the hospital to get injections in her back for terrible pain, but we brought Tatiana (11) and Favian (9) with us! They are cuties! Tatiana said she wants to be a missionary! Well let's get you baptized first!!!  I'm pretty excited about them!!!! There are 4 kids that are at the age of baptism, WAHOO! I´m trying to have lots of faith and hope for these people and to do my part so the Lord can bless us with a baptism. 

- Scripture time. Alma 7: 11-12  11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and ^aafflictions and ^btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ^ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. 12 And he will take upon him ^adeath, that he may ^bloose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to ^csuccor his people according to their infirmities. Elder Holland said this: "Succor means ´to run to´. Even as Christ calls us to come to Him, He is unfailingly running to help us." I know that is true. He suffered for us INDIVIDUALLY. He KNOWS how we feel, because He has felt it. I know the Savior is always running to help us, active, menos activo, completely inactive, or non member. But WE are the ones that have to ALLOW Him to help us. Like He said in 3 Nefi, won't you come unto me so I can heal you?"  It's an invitation... MORE than an invitation. He is PLEADING for us to come unto Him so He can heal us. 

- At this Thanksgiving time, I wanna write a little list of what I'm thankful for:

My amazing parents who love me and support me. I am the person that I am because of them.
My great friends .
The clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet. No matter how dusty and dirty they get. 

(or 'estinky')
An amazing companion who is a STELLAR missionary.
The opportunity I have to serve the Lord, and labor in His work.
Great extended family. 
People in the mission that feel like my family.
Fun and loving Hermanas in the mission that I get to meet.

And most of all, A Father in Heaven who loves me and knows my needs, and a Savior who loved me enough to die for me. 

Shoutouts: Happy late birthday grandma Squire! And happy birthday to Gavin and Hunter this week! 

DEVON WOO YOU GO TO THE MTC NEXT WEEK!! Have fun, and Tay, try not to miss him too much!! 

Listen, I have a talk for yall to read, it's called "The infinite Power of Hope" by Pres. Uchtdorf. IT IS AMAZING. I've realized that I have been lacking a little bit in the hope section, and that's why I've probably been a little discouraged. He says " Hope is not knowledge, but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God's laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future. It is BELIEVING and EXPECTING that our prayers will be answered". In PMG(*Preach My Gospel) it says that it is BELIEVING and EXPECTING that good things are to come. Now I know what I need to work on :)

I LOVE YOU ALL! 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!

Hermana Squire

Foto: #1 Familia Saghin (holding Dad's Monthly Mustang Magazine...look in background...Brother Saghin restores cars too!!)

Foto: #2 Starting a day of work with my ice block for a water bottle. And yes. I carry my things in a BOX. Very classy I know. Mission rules.

My bed

My picture wall in the bedroom

Missionary Tan Lines

Nickel Sized Hail

Hello People!

Ok, well another week has come and gone and here I am in this smelly game den again with smelly preteen boys playing video games once again. My how time flies.

- So Hermana Carson and Vawdrey are with us once again!! Turns out their neighbor is pretty crazy and yells at them a lot!  I know, I've witnessed it.  She's not all there.... so they're working on moving to another apartment. In the meantime... it's just like old times. WOOO I'm super happy!!!!!

- On Thursday, it rained SO HARD. We were doing weekly planning in the house and it was just SO HOT. Like 95 degrees. So hot, that the power went out. No more sticking my head in the freezer... !!! We were stuck in the house until about 5pm because a guy was putting in more enchufes... plugs. Wait. Is it plugs? I think so... anyway! So he was in and out all day getting stuff,  so we couldn't leave. When we finally did, it had just started raining. By the time we got halfway to our cita, it was POURING super hard. Hna Batista doesn't have an umbrella so we were using mine. We were literally walking in a muddy river. Then it started to hail nickel sized hail thingies. We were walking huddled under the umbrella and Hna Batista was freaking out! Hermana! This is dangerous! Cover your face! And I was just laughing my head off. Saying THIS IS MY LIFE! I´M PROSELYTING IN ARGENTINA IN A HAIL STORM! IS THIS REAL LIFE??? As you can see, I thought it was quite hilarious. We made it to our cita, soaking wet with red marks on our arms, only to have our district leader call us 10 minutes later saying that we need to go back home. Darn! So we did, soaked and muddy. Well, we're alive. 

 The rain brought a swarm of mosquitoes. I can put on all the protector that I want but they still get me. The mosquitoes have been so bad that trucks have been passing through the streets fumigating. It´s quite the adventure contacting when once you stop moving, 10000 mosquitoes start landing on you. On Saturday night, we were talking to this man on his porch and when I wasn't teaching or testifying, my eye was out for mosquitoes.  . My companion was testifying with all her heart and I seriously was slapping myself all over, then THREE landed on my companion's arm, so being the great companion that I am, I slapped them dead. Well, the man started laughing, and so did my companion... and I just stood there feeling dumb. Spirit= gone. BUT, this man has interest... his name is Luis.

- We had a zone conference this week, just a mini one... an emergency one because our numbers have been so low right now  in the mission. It's pretty sad but everyone has been pretty desanimado(**discouraged), including me. We haven't been finding people who want to progress, our investigators are all becoming flojos(**lazy) and it has just been really frustrating. We talked about how we need to be exactly obedient and work a lot harder. I took the info to heart and we were able to find double the investigators that we usually do. We were more focused and unified. We found an x Jehovah's Witness who has a LOT of promise, as well as people who have already been to church a few times that weren't in the area book. We also got a text from Gabriella that destroyed me. She and her very Catholic husband had problems and he doesn't want her to meet with us any more. My heart literally broke. It's so sad when things like this happen and there´s not much I can do about it,  but pray. But I´m thankful for my companion, who is seriously amazing and has so much faith and animo(*encouragement). She doesn't need to be trained! 

- Well, after my soul felt like it was literally destroyed and I wanted to shout to the heavens "how long are you going to try my faith??" I found some really great scriptures that comforted me this week. Funny how that happens. First one is in Alma 26: 27-28 "27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. 28 And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God." THIS IS ME!!  The Lord is telling me to be patient in my afflictions, then he will bless me with success. Next: D y C 31 "1 Thomas (Cydnee) , my son(daughter), blessed are you because of your faith in my work.

 2 Behold, you have had many afflictions because of your family; nevertheless, I will bless you and your family, yea, your little ones; and the day cometh that they will believe and know the truth and be one with you in my church. 3 Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation.4 You shall declare the things which have been revealed to my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun. You shall begin to preach from this time forth, yea, to reap in the field which is white already to be burned. 5 Therefore, athrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back, for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Wherefore, your family shall live. 6 Behold, verily I say unto you, go from them only for a little time, and declare my word, and I will prepare a place for them. 7 Yea, I will open the hearts of the people, and they will receive you. And I will establish a church by your hand;8 And you shall strengthen them and prepare them against the time when they shall be gathered. 9 Be patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile. Govern your house in meekness, and be steadfast.11 Go your way whithersoever I will, and it shall be given you by the Comforter what you shall do and whither you shall go.12 Pray always, lest you enter into temptation and lose your reward. 13 Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you. These words are not of man nor of men, but of me, even Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, by the will of the Father. Amen." There it is again. . Be patient in thine afflictions. I love the promise the Lord gives... that He will open the heart of the people here in Argentina for me. I know if I do my part, He will do the rest. 

-Shoutouts: OK Tyler and Ashley, I was showing a pic of Lucas to my roomies and they said he looks like Jack from The Incredibles. IT'S TRUE!! Love it! 

Happy birthday to Julie and Tia Alice! Hope you have great days this week!

Listen everyone. I LOVE YOU ALL DEARLY. Thank you for your love and support. Don't get too cold this winter :) hee hee hee..

Hermana Squire

And.......it's getting WARM!

Hello people,

Well, another pday has come and gone. I swear, all the days are SO LONG, but pday. Then the weeks go by so fast... weird. 

- SO it's getting really warm here. And it's spring. It's been like 85 degrees. WOW. I don't even carry my jacket around anymore, because it doesn't get dark until about 8, and the sun comes up at around 6. Crazy! I'm a little nervous for summer... they say it gets above 100 degrees, and it's HUMID, and all anyone does around here during the day is SLEEP. The other missionaries have told me it's rough because hardly ANYONE is outside, and hardly ANYONE is awake during the day!! So I guess we'll see how it goes. I come home every day, beat and SO DIRTY. I have to wash my feet every night because we basically work in the SAND DUNES and they get SO DIRTY. Good grief. 

- Well, this week Hermana Batista and I got sick with sinus infections. Fevers, congestion, sinus pressure and I had a super bad cough. So bad I would start gagging because I coughed so hard. So basically Tuesday through Thursday we were quarantined in the house recovering and couldn't do much work. Now the other hermanas are sick... it is a good thing we got sick at the same time! That way we didn't waste too much time :)

- We now have tables! WOO hoo!! We now have a washing machine!!! But we're working out the plugs and such. We are slowly getting stuff for the pension and I'm pretty happy about it. I'm pretty sure we live in the best pension in the mission. It has to be that way because this is where all of the hermanas are going to stay for conferences and such. I feel spoiled :)

- With all this heat there are more men walking around shirtless. And let me tell you, most of them are not very buff. Sometimes I have to fight back the urge to gag when a hairy, chubby man comes to the door all shirtless and I'm like  "ahhhh.... hi, we're missionaries.... " It's an interesting experience. 

- I'm sorry I don't have a bunch to share, we can blame it on me being flat in bed for three days. 

- We had our lesson with Gabriella on Monday. It went VERY WELL: Thanks for praying! She has a lot of desires to learn and told us that when she prayed how we taught her (and not just Padre Nuestro)(**Lord's Prayer) she felt something different, something good. I about died. I know she can get baptized. I know it! We just need to help her get Sundays off!

- I read a talk a while ago about the enabling power of the Atonement. Yes, we all know we can receive perdon(*forgiveness) for our mistakes, but we can also receive STRENGTH to do things that we could not do without the help of the Savior. Scripture examples, when the brothers of Nefi tied him up, this was his prayer: 17 But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me ^astrength that I may ^bburst these bands with which I am bound.

Did he pray that his circumstances would change? No. He prayed that he would have the STRENGTH to CHANGE his circumstances. And that faith was founded in Christ. I have changed my way of praying. I now ask for strength to work the entire day, courage to open my mouth, wisdom to teach people from the scriptures, the Spirit to guide me to "the chosen ones".  By praying this way, I am becoming a missionary who ACTS and is not ACTED UPON. I loved this talk... look it up... It's by Elder Bednar "The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality") Here are some other examples of this enabling power: Mosiah 24: 14-15 and Alma 31 30-38. 

- SHOUTOUTS! Happy birthday to MEGAN DAVIS TODAY!!!! 

And to Tio Hector and IRMA WILDE!!!! Hope yáll have great days!! 

East coasters! Please be safe! Thanks for the email!

TYLER!!! LOVE the pics of little Lucas! SO CUTE! Thanks for the email Tio Hector! Glad all is well! 

Kris, Got your email. I'm glad you're not pregnant. But you now have my permission to get pregnant because I will be home before the baby is born. :-)

Hope I didn't freak you out... but that also goes out to all of you married ladies that I know! 

Listen Peeps. Have an amazing week and don't forget about your sister missionary in Argentina :)

Madre! Send popcorn! We have a microwave!!!!

OKAY!!! 

BYE LOVE YA!

H. Squire

                     Hermanas Vawdrey, Batista, Carson & I before we moved out of the 'cracker box'. :-0

 Backyard of the pension (where I exercise)

Beautiful sunset

Argentine sunset in our area

                                                              Our study/living area

                                         My corner with pictures of my cute family and friends!!

 Kitchen with Hermanas Marin and McWorter. (p.s.  that's our wardrobe against the wall...still needs to be put together for our clothes)