I cannot say the smallest part which I feel

Familia y Amigitos,

I feel like Alma did in the Book of Mormon when he said: "I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." This past week was by far one of the best weeks I have had during my mission. So many miracles happened and I don't think it´s possible to love being a missionary more than I do right now in this moment.

Earlier this week we had divisions again. Hermana Carson went to Barrio Villa Floresta, and Hermana McWhorter came here to be with me in Barrio Pueyrredón. Hermana McWhorter and I were so excited to be companions again, because we were companions in the MTC! We were only companions back then for two days because she moved up to the advanced class. We laugh now because even though we were able to be companions again...once again it was only for two days! Yet. They were two days of miracles!

It all started last Monday right after we left Internet. V, an X-investigator, called us and told us that we were welcome to come by her house whenever. On Tuesday when I was with Hermana McWhorter, we decided to drop by. For those of you that don't remember, she's the one that almost got baptized last month. Due to a couple heath problems she wasn't feeling well the day of her baptism and we had to cancel it all the day of.

Well, on Tuesday we went by her house and she was a completely different person! We asked her how she is doing with her prayers and if she's been reading in the Book of Mormon. She responded and said that she prays every day and she is now in Mosiah chapter 15 in the Book of Mormon! She also read up to chapter 7 in the Principles of the Gospel book. ...Umm...what?! Incredible. She told us how that last time when she was going to get baptized she had a lot of pain in her spine and in her leg. Hermana Carson told her that she could pray to ask God to take the pain away. V told us, "But I didn't believe her. I didn't have the faith. But this morning I woke up with a lot of pain in my leg and I decided to try it. I asked God to take away the pain, and He DID! It left! Before I didn't have the faith, but now I do. I know that God answers prayers and I know that I need to use my faith and get baptized."

Hermana McWhorter, V y Yo

It was all such a miracle. We started asking her when she would like to get baptized, and she basically said as soon as possible. This past Saturday an 8-year-old girl in the ward also got baptized, so there was already a baptismal service planned. We were able to plan everything for that day and V got baptized 4 days later.

"I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." It was such a beautiful baptismal service. It was absolutely perfect. There weren't any hiccups or missing keys..it was absolutely perfect. The spirit was so strong and V was so happy! When she got out of the water she told us, "This is the best afternoon I have ever had in my life. I am so happy!"

I truly got to watch the conversion of V. It took a little while for her to be ready, but when her time came the Lord put everything into place. I feel so grateful that He trusts me to be his servant and His hands in this part of the world. I feel so privileged to help these people reach the waters of baptism and have a restoration of their spirit.

I know this church is true. I know it is the only true church on this Earth. It's Jesus Christ's church, and it's absolutely perfect.

I hope you are all well, happy and healthy! Les quiero!
-Hermana Vawdrey

Other updates:

• We received transfer calls, and Hermana Carson and I will be staying together for another transfer. We were a little surprised, but the Lord knows what He's doing. Obviously there are still things that He needs us to do together.
• Hermana Squire and Hermana Batista moved out of our house and into their own. Our little apartment feels sooooooooooo big now. We miss them GREATLY, but we're glad to have a little bit more space.
• I finished the Libro de Mormón for the second time in my mission!!
• Our elevator plays old 80's ballads. haha Mom and Dad, it makes me think or you every time because it's basically like our own personal FM 100 in Argentina! Woot!

V!

Two baptisms this past week!

Mickey Ds!

Hey Fam,

ALOHA! I mean...hola. :) Here we are again, another week! Weird. It's also the last week of the transfer already. Hermana Carson and I are feeling that she is going to get transfered, but we`ll find out for sure this weekend.

This week was absolutely incredible! I don't really even understand what or how it happened, but we found at least one investigator almost every day this week! And we found a family!! I'm speechless and feel so overwhelmingly grateful that the Lord has helped us find these people that are willing to listen. We had many very powerful lessons this week when the spirit was very strong. At the end of the very day we were absolutely exhausted. FATIGUED! Yet I believe it was because we gave absolutely everything to the Lord, and He has been blessing us so much for it.

We started teaching a recent convert's daughter. We originally went to teach her mom one of the recent convert lessons, but she ended up being there too. When we got there she told us, "I want to get baptized! I know that I need to. I live with my dad in another town, but when I come to live with my mom for Christmas break I want to get baptized." Hermana Carson and I both looked at each other and were like "Uhhh....what? Did she really just say that?!" Awesome. She is such a sweetheart, and we are really excited to teach her.

Yesterday was Mother's Day here in Argentina. And I tell you what, Mom, it made me miss you and love you! I am so lucky! You are a wonderful mom! May the whole world know it!! I hope you know that I am one of your greatest fans, and I can't wait to come home and hang out with you in a couple months.

Other Random news:

• I cut my hair! Don't worry, Dad, it's just a trim!
• We ate at McDonalds ("Mac Donalds") as a district today :)
• Hermana Squire and Hermana Batista may be moving to their own house this week. We'll miss them SO much, but it'll be nice to have a little bit more room in our little casita!

All right, my time is up. Family, I love you! Have a great week!!
-Hermana Vawdrey

RESPONSIBILITY!

FAMILIAAA!!!

Hola from Argentina! Thank you so much for your letters. They all made me especially happy today, I'm not really sure why. :) I am so blessed! You are the greatest family anyone could ever ask for!

This past week was a little different than most weeks because we spent most of it preparing for a multi-ward activity we had. Some of the Elders in our district had the idea to have a little show/play to act out some of the stories in the Book of Mormon. During the week we all met up at the church and painted the back drops, made costumes out of the random clothes we had in our apartments, and set up the cultural hall to look like Book of Mormon times. Wow, it turned out so great! It was a great success. I attached several pictures.

I love the Book of Mormon. I always have, but on my mission I have gained an even greater, even DEEPER love for it. I know it is true. I know every verse is written for our benefit, and it is simply up for us to accept the invitation to use it to apply and improve our lives.

So I was studying my Patriarchal Blessing the other day. It never ceases to blow me away how much potential every child of God has. He sent us here with strengths...and weaknesses igual, so that we can learn and grow and reach our full potential. But what stood out the most to me was the word RESPONSIBILITY. It shows up twice in my patriarchal blessing, and I don't think I will read it again without that word standing out to me. The Lord has given us so much, but in return He expects us to do our part. He has more blessings for us than we can even imagine, yet we need to show that we want them. We need to be faithful, diligent, and obedient and He will give them to us! It's like the principle of tithing: We pay Him 10%, but really He is paying us 90%.

I love my Heavenly Father. I know I am a daughter of God, and I am greatful to be one of His full-time missionaries.

I love all you hooligins back at home! Have a great week!
-Hermana Vawdrey

"Ask the missionaries...they can help you!"

Family and Friends,

We had a good week. Barrio Pueyrredón is a good place to work. A hard place to work, and I can see it molding me into the potential that the Lord has for me as his daughter. Unfortunately, I also believe that Barrio Pueyrredón is "Miscommunication City." About every other day we run in to a situation with the ward members where they had someone be in charge of doing something...yet they never told the said person that they were in charge. Bah. I've never been so grateful for all of the Crucial Conversations training that I had while working at VitalSmarts. Here's a shout out to all of you at VitalSmarts!! Thanks for all that you do. You really are changing the world!

Wasn't conference just awesome! I always leave thinking "this conference is the BEST conference there ever was!" Yet I think that's just because all of the talks are directed by divine revelation so that we can hear exactly what we need to hear. :) I feel so blessed that the Lord loves us so much to give us such a wonderful opportunity to have General Conference every six months.

On Saturday we actually ended up watching General Conference in Spanish because there was a problem with the satellite. At first I was a little bummed because I wasn't able to hear the actual voices of the prophet and apostles. But it was so cool to see how my Spanish has improved! I listened to 4 hours of meetings in another language and I still understood! I am so grateful that I get to serve Spanish-speaking. I love this language. It's beautiful.

There were so many great conference talks! I think my favorites were Elders Uchtdorf, Bednar, Nelson, and Holland. Wow, does Elder Holland have a gift of teaching and speaking, or what?! I love how he leaves you speechless when he finishes his talk. "Do you love the Lord?" ¡Qué pregunta! (What a question!) Or how about the new age for missionaries! We were freakin'out!! The youth these days really are an incredible generation. And they are ready to leave and serve the Lord earlier now! I am so excited for the amount of church growth that we will be able to see now.

One of my favorite moments however was during Elder Russell M. Nelson's talk. "Ask the missionaries...they can help you." To be completely honest, that talk was a little bit intimidating to think of all of the questions that people have, and the responsibility I have to help them. Yet I feel so privileged that I am called and commissioned to be a representative of Jesus Christ. I feel His presence every day and I can sense Him qualifying me to do His work. I am on His errand, and it is such a wonderful privilege.

I love this gospel. I know it's true. I'm a Mormon. I know it. I live it. And I love it.
-Hermana Vawdrey

Our District

A bunch of missionaries at General Conference

Celebrating Hermana Squire's birthday a week later with lunch at "Big Six."
Thanks Mom and Dad Squire!

Zona Bahia Blanca - Octubre 2012

Virtue

Umm...what? It's October? When did that happen?! That's just weird.

Today has been a great day. We're starting a new month, a new week, and we have the chance to start over and be better than we were before. This morning we had a Zone Conference with Presidente Parreño, and it was so awesome! We all left very inspired and so excited to get back to our areas to work. He told us that so far this year we have had over 700 baptisms in our mission, but we have the goal to reach 1,000 by the end of the year! It's very reachable, but it will also require us to give everything that we have to the Lord so that he can qualify us to receive the blessings.

Speaking of baptisms…we almost had one on Saturday. V! She has a lot of health problems, bipolar depression being one of them :( and was too sick to get out of bed to go to her baptism. When all of the members still showed up it was unfortunate to tell them that the baptism wouldn't be happening, but I was so humbled by how they handled it. They were all so supportive and understanding. Since everyone was there, we decided to still eat all of the desserts together to have a little activity together. Cute Hermano Ortiz (Counselor in the bishopric) said a prayer on the food and specifically asked the Lord what they could do as a ward to help V. It was so sweet! I was really humbled by his example to be patient and to continue looking for ways to serve. :)

I kinda feel like I'm going through the refiner's fire right now. But it's good. I am learning so much, and the little miracles and the tender mercies that happen each day are even bigger than they used to be because I have to work harder for them. Recently I've been studying a lot in Preach My Gospel about the Christlike attributes. It's crazy to me how closely related they are. Not only that, but when you work on one, you find yourself working on another as well. :) It's cool how that works.

This week I picked to work on virtue, and I absolutely loved it! It's more than just a pretty word, the new young women's value, or an aspiration of the kind of person you want to become one day. It's your character! It's who you are or who you aren't. It's who you are on the inside--that part that most people can't see. It's what you do or what you choose not to do...especially when no on is watching.

For example: Are you the kind of person that really cleans your room when your mom tells you to? Or, do you shove everything under the bed or in the closet so it can´t be seen?

Virtue is the key to obtaining the true gift of the Atonement. If we really garnish our thoughts with virtue, the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion. With virtue we will have the courage and strength to overcome even our greatest feared challenges.

I love this church. It is my purpose, my life, and my passion. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ, and I know He lives.

I hope all is well! I´ll be thinking of you all during General Conference!
Les amo!

-Hermana “Patri” I mean...Hermana “Barbie” I mean...Hermana Vawdrey

Hahahaha Who knew "Vawdrey" would be such a hard name to pronounce for Latinos?!

Cute Hermana Squire's 22nd birthday and 8th Mission Month is today!
We celebrated with all the decorations her mom sent. Thanks Momma Squire!!

Hermanas Baker y McWhorter. I got to see them at Zone Conference today!
It was the first time we've been together since last December!!