The Party Planning Committee

Email written: 7/25/16

This week started out with interviews with President Smith. He talked to all of us about how we need to forget about numbers and we have to find and help complete families. I liked that a lot and that was our focus this week to find and help families. We didn't find any new families, but we have continued to work with Cecilia and her family. Yesterday was supposed to be the baptism of her niece and another one of her sons, but about 100 different things happened Saturday and they couldn't come. It was really sad (and Satan is a huge jerk) but things look good for this Sunday.

The other big thing this week was the ward activity. 2 weeks ago we started to plan and invite people. It was a multi-culture night where the ward members (and us) brought food and other things from their country and shared it with everyone. The other elder from the US and I made chocolate chip pancakes and french toast and everyone loved it. Then the other part was a talent show. There was plenty of singing and dancing. We also did a little sketch of a normal day as a missionary (it started out with us doing a choreographed exercise routine to Uptown Funk, so yeah it was awesome). All the members thanked us because it had been a long time since they have had a big ward activity. It was cool to see all the members excited and how they all helped out.   -Elder Steele

Elder, Where is Your Faith?

Email written: 7/17/16

This week was the start of a new transfer with a new companion. We had a baptism set for Sunday and a ton of

 references to contact. Then Elder da Silva got sick with strep so we couldn't do much the first few days. 

Time for a new pair of shoes, Elder Steele!

We were going to have a baptism Sunday, but in the morning her parents yelled at us and Cecilia (her aunt) and said that she wasn't going. We filled the font anyway and Elder da Silva told me, Elder I know she will show up later. So the font was filled and we waited. At 11:50 we drained the font and at 12 Macarena, our baptism, showed up with Cecilia and told us that she had a problem in the morning but was all good. We then tried to refill the font and organize everything super fast. We also had a meeting with the ward leaders and it was super crazy. In the end she asked if it would be better to wait next week because she wants to have hot water, people at her baptism, and next week is the baptism of her cousin also.

 It was crazy though because we put our faith and trusted that she would show up. This past transfer I really focused on faith (and the patience, diligence, and hope that come with it) and now we are seeing the fruits. It's not that we do it, but because this is the Lord's work he will help us when we have righteous desires and the vision to do bigger things. One of the blessings besides the baptism is the ward. We started to pray for the ward and plan what to do, and without us saying anything to them, they have taken a ton of initiative and the ward now has a ton of potential. 

-Elder Steele

7-1

Email written: 7/12/16

We´re kind of short on time so I´ll keep it quick:

 So today is transfer day and Elder Vides left so now I´m in Savio with Elder da Silva from Brazil (hence the 7-1 because we can never forget what happened in the World Cup)! His trainer was Elder Troya (my good ol Colombian buddy) and I´m pretty excited to work with him. 

With Elder Vides we were able to finish the transfer in a special way with the baptisms of Cecilia and Jose. They were a miracle that we found them. Basically what had happened was in February an Elder contacted some kids and asked them where they lived and the names of their parents and wrote all of it down on a piece of paper and forgot about it. When he left, he gave it to Elder Vides who also forgot about it. 

3 weeks ago in divisions Elder Vides remembered the paper and went to contact all of the people. the last one was Bety who didn´t want anything either, but at the same time her sister in law Cecilia showed up and the Elders talked to her and she accepted everything. We taught her and she came to churchSunday. Sunday night she sent us a text and said she didn´t know if she was going to be able to go to church or get baptized. We got bummed out but then Elder Vides said "but she never said that we can´t pass by" so we passed by and taught her and 2 weeks later she got baptized. She´s married and has 7 kids and a bunch more family who live close so we have our work cut out for us these next few weeks.   -Elder Steele

Mr. Smith goes to Buenos Aires

Email written: 7/4/16

Well I should say President Smith (but I had to do it for the title)

So this week we had the mission president change. It was really weird not to see President Ayre. We had a meeting on Friday  to get to know President Smith and his family. One of the biggest things that has stuck with me is when he shared that we have to serve the ward more. We have to work with them more and in a better way. It made me think about where we are with our ward right now in Savio. The Elders from the other part complain a lot about the ward and it was getting easier and easier for us to do it too. But then I remember the other wards I had been in and what we did when there was a problem. I started to realize that because I was in Soldati and Parque Avellaneda I learned quite a bit on how to work with a ward and what to do (and not to do) when there is a problem. The thing is, I couldn't really put in to practice anything, but now I feel like there is a great opportunity to apply what I know and have learned to make a better contribution to Savio. We've started to work on a ward mission plan and something that will hopefully help the ward grow not only in the time that we are there, but for the next year also. Because as missionaries we don´t just go around knocking doors and baptizing all day, but we also have the responsibility to help the church where ever we are, and I know that if we work better with the ward, they will be self sufficient in sharing the gospel and we are going to be able to teach more people.

-Elder Steele

Picture is from President´s goodbye