Tansfers video

April Transfers 2014

Click on link  Lauren is about 12:30 minutes in

Transfer day - April 2014 Last day together

12 April 2014

open chapel in parque san martin

In many areas of the mission we have had an “Open Chapel” experience. The chapel is open on a Saturday and/or a Sunday for people to come and visit and learn more about the church. They have been quite successful in helping the local communities learn more about the church and as a means for the members to bring friends to an activity to learn more, as well. Presidente received an email from the missionaries that coordinate the Open Chapel, which I am please to share.
President Carter-
I wanted to report that we had an amazing Open Chapel in Parque San Martin on Saturday.  Thank you for sending us great missionaries.  I attached a photo of them.  Sister E……, with just 4 days under her belt, really dug in and loved the people.  I was so proud of her.  Elder F…….,with just 4 days was amazing!  He was out inviting people inside the chapel with Elder H… and they were so enthusiastic.  Very few people made it past them without coming inside.
We ended up with 26 new referrals for the missionaries and a total of 32 non-members that visited.  They are great…Keep up the good work!

14 April 2014

So the biggest news this week... TRANSFERS. 

And I continue here in Padua B, but this time with Hermana Espinoza.

Transfers can be difficult, and I would be lying if I said that I don`t miss working with Hermana Morales a little bit, but Hermana Espinoza is great.

Hermana Espinoza is 23 years old and joined the church 6 years ago, along with her younger sister.  She`s the first and only missionary in her family.  Her story is very inspirational in that she has really kept firm in the faith and is a great example. I`m learning a lot from her about humility and love, two of the attributes of Christ that I would like to develop more.  So I`m sure there are lots of things we are going to learn together.

Also, this is her first transfer as sister training leader, so I`m also in charge of training her and getting her all ready for our first divisions that should be this week.

In other news, we invited one of our investigators, Silvana, to be baptized this week!  She is super great.  She`s seriously one of the smartest people that I`ve taught and she has been reading the Book of Mormon like crazy.  It was a little bit complicated, because before she wasn`t too interested in baptism, because she felt like it was a very big commitment, but this time around she`s much more prepared and really feels like this is the time for her.

Also, speaking of incredible people, my dear friend, Marco, who got baptized two weeks ago, received the priesthood this weekend!  It`s so great to see the incredible progress that he has had in the time that I`ve known him.  I love seeing his energy and excitement for the gospel.  Oh, and he already wants to receive his patriarchal blessing.. did I mention that?  Receiving the priesthood is one step closer to that for him.  He`s great.

Also, fun fact:  it`s been super cold this week.  I forgot about how bitter the winter here is... I thought I would have some sort of transition between summer and winter, but it`s been pretty abrupt.  And so it begins, my year-long winter.  Woo hoo!

But that`s all for now.  Love you all!

Hermana Walton

7 April 2014

We`re going to try this again....

GENERAL CONFERENCE WEEK IS A WEEK OF MIRACLES.

Okay, now I`ll tell you why.

This week started out a little bit rough because last Monday I got sick.  And I continued sick all week, even until now.  I still have a cough that`s pretty ugly, but I`m surviving.  But Tuesday, I was down for the count.  But the week of conference, we have lots of rules and requirements before we can assist conference.  One of them is that we have to reach our goals for numbers of lessons and contacts and new investigators, etc. before going to conference... so we had four days to finish everything, and I was sick in bed. 

But on Wednesday we went out to work, because the conference is very important!  The day started out slow, but then we found some miracles!

The first was that we found one of our ex-investigators, Silvana.  This woman is seriously incredible. . She received the Book of Mormon in January, and right now she`s reading in Alma 40.  YEAH. She had lots of challenges in her life in the two months that we hadn`t seen her, but when we knocked on her door again, she excitedly welcomed us back in.  And she came to conference!  We`re so excited to be visiting with her again, and the conference helped her a ton.  I think at this time she is much more prepared to make changes in her life.

The second is that we found a family that has parents that are married!  In Argentina, that is quite the phenomenon.

We ended up having 8 investigators come to the conference this weekend, which was just incredible.  They all enjoyed it a ton (okay, other than the 9-year-old that came), and received answers to their own questions.

The last thing I want to say this week is: ELDER BALLARD.  FIrst of all, he talked about my mission!  Woo hooo!  And second of all, I hope everyone is participating in his challenge!

Love you all!

Hermana Walton

Christmas call information from President Carter

information for parents/información para padres

Dear Parents,
At this special time of year we want you to know how much we love your sons and daughters who serve with us here in the Argentina Buenos Aires West mission. We appreciate your loving support and prayers for your missionaries as they seek to serve with all their heart, might, mind and strength.
We remind you that your missionaries will not be using the internet this week to communicate with you. Their call home on Christmas day will replace their weekly letter. We hope all are successful in making a connection on Christmas day as planned. In the event that something fails to allow a conversation with your missionary, please do not fear. We will work with them to connect with you as soon as possible. There are always a few who fail to connect as planned.
We ask that you limit your phone call to 40 minutes. Please speak about things that are supportive of what your missionary is doing here. I'm sure you all realize that spending time speaking of the things he or she is missing by not being home, is not what he or she needs to hear as these things only serve as a distraction from what your missionary has been called to do. Certainly do not speak about problems or issues they can do nothing about. Please do not invite non-family members including boyfriends or girlfriends to participate in the call. Try and spend much of the call asking your missionary to tell you what they have been doing. Ask them to share a spiritual experience with you before ending the call. They have been encouraged to share their testimony with you at the end of the call. Giving time for your missionary to accomplish this will enhance your experience and bless your lives as you continue to give support from home and bless their lives as they continue their sacred service here in the Buenos Aires West Mission.
We wish you and your family all the best at this time of year. Thank you for sharing your beloved children with us and the good people of Argentina. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year!
With love,

Sister Carter's impressions on new Mission President - to come out in July

el presidente y la hermana robertson

Recently, my husband took a phone call in the car on speaker phone. After the call was finished, I looked at him with tears in eyes and asked, “Who will love these missionaries like we do?” Honestly, it troubled me off and on for a few days.
The Robertson family received their call much sooner than we did, so it was a little bit of a surprise when we received an email about their calling. However, when I read that email, in that moment, I had such peace. I truly felt that their family will love missionaries like we do!

President Robertson was born into a large Southern family of 9 children. He served his mission in Recife, Brazil and graduated from BYU where he met his wife, Julie.  Shortly after they met, they were married in the Los Angeles Temple in California, where Julie was born and raised.  He currently works for the Church as an Area Controller in the South America North West Area.  

They have 7 children, three of which are married, and are happily awaiting their 5th grandchild due in July. They will be arriving to the mission with their three youngest, Nicole (17), Dallas (15) and Dallin (9), pictured to the left with their mom. Their daughter Casey, who will be joining them later in Argentina, is serving her mission in Kiev Ukraine, Russian speaking. They have lived in various states in the United States, Brazil, Portugal and Guatemala and currently reside in Lima, Peru.  They enjoyed being session directors for one of the first EFY programs in Peru and have a great love for the youth and young adults of the Church! We have miles to go before we rest, and we are looking forward to the remaining part of our journey. In the meantime, we now know who will take the baton and carry on the tradition of the best mission in the world here in Argentina Buenos Aires Oeste.   Graphic from the Church News today:

picture

Misc Pictures

Resolution is not too good on this one, but cute nonetheless

This day has been prophesied for many generations and

we are in the midst of it.

Missionaries are the voice of the Good Shepherd.

Their voices must be heard.

We need to escalate in our minds the importance of

hastening the work.

We need to feel the urgency and expectation of the Lord.

March 2014 - no more packages

no more packages

We are sorry to say that with new restrictions and fees that are being imposed by the government of Argentina, we are no longer able to accept packages.
We have made this decision in conjunction with President Robertson, who will preside over the mission beginning in July and in conjunction with other missions in Argentina.
Do not use other methods such as FedEx, DHL or UPS as we will not attempt to retrieve those packages.
We recommend sending your missionary a bank card that you can refill from home if they need to purchase items here in Argentina.
We will do our best to obtain those packages that are still in transit, but there is no guarantee that we will be able to get them. Thank you for your understanding cooperation with this issue. 

Blog From Mission President Carter's wife.

As the wife of a Mission President, I watch the weather with more interest than I did before the mission. I think about my missionaries and what it will be like for them on the streets every day. I pray for them specifically to be able to cope with the heat or be safe in the rain or warm in the cold.
In Buenos Aires, we have downpour-style rainstorms. They come on without warning and within seconds you are completely drenched. We had a similar style rainstorm in Florida, however, in Florida they last for about 15 minutes. If you are lucky enough to be inside when it happens, you can quite easily wait it out. It is different here in Buenos Aires. The storms can last with intensity for hours and hours.
One day a missionary said to me that she loves the rain because real missionaries work in the rain. I love that we have valiant missionaries that work in the rain. As a people, the Argentines are a little bit weather-dependent. They don’t go out if it is too hot, too cold or rainy. It makes missionary work challenging because not only do they not go out, they don’t want anyone to come in.
I am remembering another day when we were having a mid-transfer change. The hermanas arrived soaking wet. When we asked the why they didn’t call a remis, they laughed and asked what was the point since they were soaked already. They dried off, picked up their new companions and went back to work.
I have heard countless stories from missionaries standing in the rain or cold or heat being rejected because of the weather. Fortunately, they are good-natured about it. This week began with lots of rain. I have to admit that mom in me was was glad that today they had district meetings during the worst of the storms.

March 5th Missionary Leaders (Hermanas)

We got together this afternoon with most of the Hermana Training Leaders. Their responsibilities are still new enough in the mission that we are working out the kinks of how they work in their own areas and still have time to help others. They have willing hearts and they are going to have a positive impact on the hermanas, no doubt.

March 2014 Mission Picture

Elder M. Russell Ballard: 'Day of the sons, daughters of Lehi is blossoming'

Elder Ballard offers blessing on nation of Argentina

The article is available on the link below.
http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/64501/Elder-M-Russell-Ballard-Day-of-the-sons-daughters-of-Lehi-is-blossoming.html
This dedication actually happened several weeks ago, but we were asked to wait until it was officially announced by the church before we shared the news with others.
Anyone who reads this blog regularly will know what an important place this has been for us as a mission. To be invited to attend this event was an incredible opportunity. The original dedication in Argentina was for the preaching of the gospel in the land of South America. In the intervening years, every country has received its own dedicatory prayer. The news article states:
Elder Ballard dedicated the land of Argentina and promised a blessing on the country. Although there may have been an Apostle’s earlier dedication, there is no record of such in the Church. Elder Ballard said “it was a great honor for me to dedicate and record a blessing for Argentina”.

24 March 2014

Yeah, that`s right.  I`m about to complete one year as a missionary.  And yes, I`m telling alllll of the world.  I can hardly believe that it`s been a year since I was in the great northwest.

To celebrate my year mark, today my companion and I are going to go eat at.... BURGER KING.  Yeah.  The first and only time since I`ve been in Utah.  But I now eat beef, so we`re going to go buy ourselves hamburgers. That`s something that nobody ever expected to hear.

Also, this week we should be having three baptisms, which is a very lovely thing.  My queridos amigos are very excited and we are very excited for them.

This week we had divisions again. They can be a bit complicated.  But it makes me very grateful to be in the situation that I`m in, with the companion that I have. We`re very happy together, Hermana Morales and I.

Hermana Morales and I were talking a good amount this week about how our perspectives as missionaries really are broadened.  So much of the time in our day to day life we have such a narrow perspective of the world around us and are so centered on our own needs and problems.  But as missionaries we enter into the homes and lives of tons of people every week and listen to their problems... then it`s our duty to help them resolve those problems and find comfort through the gospel.  I really am grateful that I have that guidance in my life.  We have a much broader understanding of how life really is and that we`re not the only ones with problems.  But if we can support them well, all will go alright.

Anyways, I think that`s about it for this week.  Sorry if it doesn`t seem very coherent, but those are my thoughts for now.

Love you all!

31 March 2014

03/31/14 - General Email
First things first:  we had three baptisms this week.  Yes, we were very happy!  We had the baptisms of Marco, Elizabeth, and Cecilia this weekend, and they are doing so well.

Marco, especially is doing great.  He is seriously one of my favorite people that I´ve met here in Argentina... and he´s from Bolivia.  But the day of his confirmation, he asked us how he could prepare to receive his patriarchal blessing, and when he could enter into the temple.  He´s a very worthy convert.

In other news, this week we celebrated my year mark!  We ate cake and everything.  It was a very good day.

But all of a sudden it´s like the entire world wants to talk to us about marriage and family and the future.  My companion and I are like, what happened?  We´re missionaries!  But my mission president informed me that I´m going to have at least 6 children, so that´s fun.

Other than that, my companion and I are super excited for this week because it´s general conference!  Woo hoo!  But it´s also a little bit sad because just days after the conference we´re going to have transfers and we don´t want to be separated.  We like working together a lot.

That´s about it for this week!

Oh, but also, my "mommy" of the mission, Hermana Costa, went home this week! I included our last picture together, which includes my "sisters", the other missionaries that she trained.

Love you all!