From Buenos Aires August 20, 2012

We had some really great experiences in the temple this last week. We were able to talk with so many people and feel the Spirit so strongly every time. We aren´t there to proselyte, but the Spirit does its job and works in the hearts of the people. Hermana Rojas was able to help two people set a baptismal date. It was an amazing experience to take a step back and remember why we do missionary work. None of the people we talked to live in our area, but we were able to help them come unto Christ and learn more about His restored gospel. We don´t do what we do just to meet a goal or increase church attendence. We do what we do to help these people build their faith and strengthen the relationship they have with God through the covenants we make.

I really like teaching with Hermana Rojas. I really feel like we´re helping the people we teach experience a lasting conversion and really be prepared for baptism. Agustín is excited for his baptism on Sunday. His mom wasn´t feeling well yesterday, so he and his brother came to church all by themselves. We´ve been able to see and feel the change in their family since he´s been preparing to be baptized. His dad is a lot happier and talks with us a lot more than he used to. We´re praying that he can have a spiritual experience during his son´s baptism and have the desire to learn more about the gospel.

Evelyn is doing well. She told her mom she wants to get baptized and her mom said no. She wasn´t able to explain to her why she wants to or how she feels, but we invited her to pray and ask God to help her know what to say. We took her home after church and she was all ready to delete her inappropriate music after the lesson in Young Women´s. She´s going to be an example for so many people and influence them for good. She even helped Ezequiel know where to go for Sunday School. We´ve invited her to Agustín´s baptism and she´s going to the temple with our ward on Saturday.

Ezequiel really enjoyed church yesterday. They talked about the 2,000 stripling warriors and really enjoyed the story and example of faith they exemplified. They gave him a Duty to God manual, too, and he´s excited to start working on it and learning what he "has to do to be a good Mormon." Those were his own words. :) He´s helping his mom quit smoking, too. They´re the first family I´ve taught here that is poor enough to not have enough chairs to sit in. They´re poor as far as money goes, but rich in their faith and desires to follow Christ.

I haven´t been in very many poor areas (they usually put the elders in the poorer areas because they´re more dangerous), but it´s definitely a lot poorer here than what I´ve seen in the United States. We´ve always had it really good and I´m so grateful for the temporal blessings we´ve been given and the comfortable life we have.

Thanks for everything, your prayers, words, love, support....everything. I love you all.

Love, Erin