Dear Everyone,
The week past with a lot of celebrations. One, congrats Dan and Cui with Josef. I have a new cousin!! I am so happy that I have another little tike to babysit… JA!
And I also celebrated something also. I celebrated 13 months in the mission. Hey hey! We are now starting the supposed super rapido downhill side of the mission. I’ll tell you all if it really is true. I can’t believe some days that I have been out here for this long. Kinda of crazy to think about. But anyway, the week. The week was pretty good. We just worked really hard all week. We had transfer meeting Wednesday so it was really weird. We then, as a zone, had a little book fair thing at a Catholic church where we talked about Family History. That was really boring but oh well. We weren’t allowed to preach in the church, obviously. So we just sat there at our booth and when someone came up, we just started talking to them about family history. Good thing I worked in the vaults, eh? We took 4 hour turns and it was boring, like I already said. We had 2 shifts and then we did our work. We had a pretty short week to work so we couldn’t get a lot of stuff done like we wanted.
Today we are going to help with the construction of a house. We love doing construction, my comp and I. We are just working really hard and just doing good work. Like I say every week, everything we do is repetitive. So if I sound really boring, I apologize. So recently I read again Our Search for Happiness. I forgot how good of a book it is. If you have the chance to read it, do it. If you have already read it, do it again. I am also reading Our Heritage which is really good also. Just doing work in Argentina. I am glad everyone is doing well at home. I am doing well here. Physically, Mentally, everything. I’m not getting sick por suerte. I feel great. Just tired because we walk all day in the sun. Yes, I am drinking enough water. I knew you were going to ask that. I wanna see pictures of everyone dressed up for Halloween. I will be the judge to see who has the best costume.
So with all my readings, I have gotten a stronger testimony that the church is true. With all the evidence that proves the church is true, it’s surprising that a lot don’t believe the same. That is why we are here, to try and help people understand. It sometimes is frustrating but with the spirit, all things are possible. If we look to have the spirit in our lives, we can have a strong enough testimony to convince people like Alma and Ammon in the Book of Mormon. We just need to force ourselves to do what is right. Sounds easy but as we all know, it is really hard. Learn humility. I am probably not the greatest example of that but I know the importance of humility. If we can submit ourselves to the will of the Father, he will bless us with blessing that we can’t even comprehend.
Thank you all for your letters. Dad, you can speak Portuguese??? Ha, I’m still learning so maybe when I get back I’ll be able to understand you. Good luck in Brazil and I love you.
Love,
Elder Pickett
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Whistle While you Work...
Dear Everyone,
Another week has passed in the mission and I am still happy and healthy. The weather has gotten really hot and uncomfortable. Today we had ourselves a zone activity because we deserve it. Ha Jk! But we really did work really hard this past transfer so we earned ourselves an activity. We went and played ourselves a mini soccer tournament. Well, it wasn’t a tournament, it was more like first team to score two goals wins and then another team came in the try and beat them. We played that for a good two and a half hours. I am so beat. We then played some football and some rugby and when I say rugby I mean we just passed around the ball. After playing around, we had ourselves some milanesa sandwiches which were really good. We then played a little HORSE and PIG and then we finished. A good zone activity but I feel very exhausted.
This week also we did a lot. We finished 2nd in the zone when our work. We also had ourselves two confirmations to complete our two baptisms. I was so happy that they showed up to church. The two of them showed up on their own and it was a big relief. I had the grand privilege of doing one of the confirmations also so I am very happy. We also did a lot of service this week. We helped construct a roof this week. They construct roofs really funny here. They use concrete poles with Styrofoam in the middle of the poles… weird. We had to put a lot of rocks and sand on the roof and do a lot of lifting. My back hurts a lot now but that’s why they invented ibuprofen. We were building the roof of Karina, the person we baptized. She is building her house behind her mother in laws house. Everyone lives nice and close together. I really like it. I wouldn’t mind living behind my parents…. Jaja jk. We are trying to find more people now to get baptized.
Life is just chill right now. Just in my routine and everything. Wednesday we spent some time at Ysabel’s house for her birthday. She is the mother in law of Karina. We are like her sons. We love them so much. They are the greatest to us. We have merienda with them all the time but we drink malta because we can’t drink maté, which I still don’t know why but I’ll obey anyway. They are like family to me. I have become really close with a lot of people down here and I am glad. Sometimes when I need someone to talk to, they are always there… for now.
I think the concept that a lot of missionaries have trouble with is the loving the people part because they are not used to the culture and everything. I had the luck of already knowing the culture and stuff but still. I love the people of Argentina even though sometimes they are a bit frustrating to work with. They say that when you love the people, the easier it is to teach them the truth. People are willing to listen when you care about them. You listen to them, they listen to you. Easy. I think I have almost mastered that. Jaja jk.
I still have a long ways to go but that is something we can all work on. Whether it is at work, school, or at home. Especially in the home we need to love each other. We are going to be with each other forever and so you better start liking the stuff that bugs you. I challenge everyone to love each other more. Be charitable. Do what Jesus did and forget yourself. Remember the counsel of King Benjamin when he said that when we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God. When we serve one another, we are showing our love for God also.
Hope everyone has a great week!!
Love,
Elder Pickett
Another week has passed in the mission and I am still happy and healthy. The weather has gotten really hot and uncomfortable. Today we had ourselves a zone activity because we deserve it. Ha Jk! But we really did work really hard this past transfer so we earned ourselves an activity. We went and played ourselves a mini soccer tournament. Well, it wasn’t a tournament, it was more like first team to score two goals wins and then another team came in the try and beat them. We played that for a good two and a half hours. I am so beat. We then played some football and some rugby and when I say rugby I mean we just passed around the ball. After playing around, we had ourselves some milanesa sandwiches which were really good. We then played a little HORSE and PIG and then we finished. A good zone activity but I feel very exhausted.
This week also we did a lot. We finished 2nd in the zone when our work. We also had ourselves two confirmations to complete our two baptisms. I was so happy that they showed up to church. The two of them showed up on their own and it was a big relief. I had the grand privilege of doing one of the confirmations also so I am very happy. We also did a lot of service this week. We helped construct a roof this week. They construct roofs really funny here. They use concrete poles with Styrofoam in the middle of the poles… weird. We had to put a lot of rocks and sand on the roof and do a lot of lifting. My back hurts a lot now but that’s why they invented ibuprofen. We were building the roof of Karina, the person we baptized. She is building her house behind her mother in laws house. Everyone lives nice and close together. I really like it. I wouldn’t mind living behind my parents…. Jaja jk. We are trying to find more people now to get baptized.
Life is just chill right now. Just in my routine and everything. Wednesday we spent some time at Ysabel’s house for her birthday. She is the mother in law of Karina. We are like her sons. We love them so much. They are the greatest to us. We have merienda with them all the time but we drink malta because we can’t drink maté, which I still don’t know why but I’ll obey anyway. They are like family to me. I have become really close with a lot of people down here and I am glad. Sometimes when I need someone to talk to, they are always there… for now.
I think the concept that a lot of missionaries have trouble with is the loving the people part because they are not used to the culture and everything. I had the luck of already knowing the culture and stuff but still. I love the people of Argentina even though sometimes they are a bit frustrating to work with. They say that when you love the people, the easier it is to teach them the truth. People are willing to listen when you care about them. You listen to them, they listen to you. Easy. I think I have almost mastered that. Jaja jk.
I still have a long ways to go but that is something we can all work on. Whether it is at work, school, or at home. Especially in the home we need to love each other. We are going to be with each other forever and so you better start liking the stuff that bugs you. I challenge everyone to love each other more. Be charitable. Do what Jesus did and forget yourself. Remember the counsel of King Benjamin when he said that when we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God. When we serve one another, we are showing our love for God also.
Hope everyone has a great week!!
Love,
Elder Pickett
Monday, October 11, 2010
Success!
Dear Everyone,
What a week! That is how I’m going to start every e-mail now. This week was a pretty good week. I’m glad that everyone else had a great week also. So this week was pretty much normal. Until the weekend! This past weekend, we all had the grand opportunity to celebrate the great day of 10/10/10. So we, as missionaries, wanted to celebrate too this great day. So what do missionaries do to celebrate? That’s right, we had BAPTISMS!! Two to be precise. We had the opportunity to baptize Karina Dos Santos and Yesica Perez. I got to baptize Karina and my comp got to baptize Yesica.
[Elder Hart, Yesica Perez, Karina Dos Santos, Elder Pickett]
I wish I could tell you some weird story that happened like the font couldn’t get filled up or there wasn’t hot water or we didn’t have a font but I don’t have a story like that this week. Everything just went perfect. Maybe that is the miracle that happened this week. We really tried this week to be really obedient so that everything came out well in the end. We did a fast for our baptisms too so that everything turned out well and everything did turn out well. So maybe the lesson this week is trust in the Lord by doing all that you can first. That is what was said in Conference. The key is to do your part because the Lord will always complete his part. That has been a lesson that I have learned out here. When I am doing what the Lord wants, he blesses me, and the same concept with the opposite. I love baptizing people because I love seeing the change in people’s lives.
.JPG)
[Ysabel Dos Santos, Elder Pickett, Karina Dos Santos]
Karina didn’t believe in anyone or anything and in 4 weeks we helped her to have faith in Jesus Christ and have faith in the church. It helped a lot that she lived with members also. Yesica is the sister of a member. One day we decided to see if the rest of the family of this member wanted to listen to us and Yesica let us in and 4 weeks later we got her baptized. Just little miracles that happen that I am grateful for. We need to think of the little miracles that happen in our lives and thank our Heavenly Father.
Sorry for the short letter but nothing weird happened this week. I hope to have a new tale for you all next week.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARCOS (yesterday)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you buddy!!!
.JPG)
[Birthday Card for Marcos]
I love you all and thank you for all your support.
Love,
Elder Pickett
What a week! That is how I’m going to start every e-mail now. This week was a pretty good week. I’m glad that everyone else had a great week also. So this week was pretty much normal. Until the weekend! This past weekend, we all had the grand opportunity to celebrate the great day of 10/10/10. So we, as missionaries, wanted to celebrate too this great day. So what do missionaries do to celebrate? That’s right, we had BAPTISMS!! Two to be precise. We had the opportunity to baptize Karina Dos Santos and Yesica Perez. I got to baptize Karina and my comp got to baptize Yesica.
[Elder Hart, Yesica Perez, Karina Dos Santos, Elder Pickett]
I wish I could tell you some weird story that happened like the font couldn’t get filled up or there wasn’t hot water or we didn’t have a font but I don’t have a story like that this week. Everything just went perfect. Maybe that is the miracle that happened this week. We really tried this week to be really obedient so that everything came out well in the end. We did a fast for our baptisms too so that everything turned out well and everything did turn out well. So maybe the lesson this week is trust in the Lord by doing all that you can first. That is what was said in Conference. The key is to do your part because the Lord will always complete his part. That has been a lesson that I have learned out here. When I am doing what the Lord wants, he blesses me, and the same concept with the opposite. I love baptizing people because I love seeing the change in people’s lives.
.JPG)
[Ysabel Dos Santos, Elder Pickett, Karina Dos Santos]
Karina didn’t believe in anyone or anything and in 4 weeks we helped her to have faith in Jesus Christ and have faith in the church. It helped a lot that she lived with members also. Yesica is the sister of a member. One day we decided to see if the rest of the family of this member wanted to listen to us and Yesica let us in and 4 weeks later we got her baptized. Just little miracles that happen that I am grateful for. We need to think of the little miracles that happen in our lives and thank our Heavenly Father.
Sorry for the short letter but nothing weird happened this week. I hope to have a new tale for you all next week.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARCOS (yesterday)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you buddy!!!
.JPG)
[Birthday Card for Marcos]
I love you all and thank you for all your support.
Love,
Elder Pickett
Monday, October 4, 2010
General Conference!
Dear Everyone,
WHAT A CONFERENCE!! A couple of things. First, I think I have now seen Aunt Rachel more times than I have my own parents. Second, Father, what were you doing in the casting commercial?! We were sitting eating some fiambres and such and all of a sudden I see you on the screen for a good minute getting your beard and hair put on. I was just yelling at all the elders “THAT’S MY DAD!!”. They didn’t believe me until I pulled out my photos of the family and then they believed me.
The conference was really neat. What really stayed with me were the topics of choice making and pride. The majority in my opinion were focused on making the right choices. Making the right choice is actually really easy to do but, we don’t like to make the right choices for selfish reasons. We need to put our will in line with the will of the Father. I like the quote that Elder Scott said and I paraphrase because I can’t remember it perfectly. “ We become what we want to be when we be what we want to become.” It’s pretty obvious no? But we sometimes forget that. If we want to be a good example, we need to... act like a good example. What the Prophet and Apostles said this conference were so simple and easy to understand that I think it hit everyone to the very soul. It “pricked” my heart a lot with things that I want to change in my life to be in harmony with God. This conference also helped me with my investigators too.
We had one investigator, Graciela, who didn’t attend any session until the last session. She has a problem with cigarettes. She doesn’t believe in herself that she can stop smoking and she is losing a lot of faith. But, she still came to the last session of conference. She fell asleep for the first hour and a half of the last session and then Elder Ballard got to the pulpit. He started speaking and she woke up when he said the word “ addiction”. She immediately got a piece of paper and pen and began taking notes. She came out of the conference with so much motivation to quit smoking that we are going to try and get here a baptism date and get rid of these cigs. That is just one miracle of conference.
Listening to the prophets voice does something to us. It is probably the fact the we are listening to the Lord’s voice every time we watch conference. The Prophet is the mouth piece of God and with send His message through his prophets to bless his children. He blessed Graciela with the words she needed to hear. I am sure that he blessed you all with the words you needed to hear. I feel richly blessed for the opportunity I had to listen to conference and learn some more stuff. Please follow the words of the prophet and the apostles. You will be happy by being obedient.
Everything is just Hunky Dory here in Argentina. Just enjoying life right now. OH.... ANDI! I am so sorry I forgot your birthday last week so..... HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDI PANDI!!!!! I love you! I can’t believe you are so big now! Until next week, BYE!
Love
Elder Allen Pickett
WHAT A CONFERENCE!! A couple of things. First, I think I have now seen Aunt Rachel more times than I have my own parents. Second, Father, what were you doing in the casting commercial?! We were sitting eating some fiambres and such and all of a sudden I see you on the screen for a good minute getting your beard and hair put on. I was just yelling at all the elders “THAT’S MY DAD!!”. They didn’t believe me until I pulled out my photos of the family and then they believed me.
The conference was really neat. What really stayed with me were the topics of choice making and pride. The majority in my opinion were focused on making the right choices. Making the right choice is actually really easy to do but, we don’t like to make the right choices for selfish reasons. We need to put our will in line with the will of the Father. I like the quote that Elder Scott said and I paraphrase because I can’t remember it perfectly. “ We become what we want to be when we be what we want to become.” It’s pretty obvious no? But we sometimes forget that. If we want to be a good example, we need to... act like a good example. What the Prophet and Apostles said this conference were so simple and easy to understand that I think it hit everyone to the very soul. It “pricked” my heart a lot with things that I want to change in my life to be in harmony with God. This conference also helped me with my investigators too.
We had one investigator, Graciela, who didn’t attend any session until the last session. She has a problem with cigarettes. She doesn’t believe in herself that she can stop smoking and she is losing a lot of faith. But, she still came to the last session of conference. She fell asleep for the first hour and a half of the last session and then Elder Ballard got to the pulpit. He started speaking and she woke up when he said the word “ addiction”. She immediately got a piece of paper and pen and began taking notes. She came out of the conference with so much motivation to quit smoking that we are going to try and get here a baptism date and get rid of these cigs. That is just one miracle of conference.
Listening to the prophets voice does something to us. It is probably the fact the we are listening to the Lord’s voice every time we watch conference. The Prophet is the mouth piece of God and with send His message through his prophets to bless his children. He blessed Graciela with the words she needed to hear. I am sure that he blessed you all with the words you needed to hear. I feel richly blessed for the opportunity I had to listen to conference and learn some more stuff. Please follow the words of the prophet and the apostles. You will be happy by being obedient.
Everything is just Hunky Dory here in Argentina. Just enjoying life right now. OH.... ANDI! I am so sorry I forgot your birthday last week so..... HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDI PANDI!!!!! I love you! I can’t believe you are so big now! Until next week, BYE!
Love
Elder Allen Pickett
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