Miracle in Lobos

Dear Everyone,

Just another week here in Argentina. Not much time left so we are working harder. This past week we got cut a lot of time for traveling and meetings but we still managed to pull of some miracles. We had 5 investigators in church and 2 baptismal dates still. We had a surprise from a member when we brought a family of investigators. It was a couple but I say family because they had two little girls. They loved the church. We are having a lot of blessing here in Lobos. We also had 25 people in church. That is the most we have had since I have been here. It looks like all the work we are doing is paying off. We have been working really hard with the members and they are starting to come together. Now every Tuesday we have an activity for the branch. We are hoping to have a lot of success with that. We are so happy with the improvements we are seeing every day. I can’t explain how I feel because it’s so good. I am so happy with how everything is coming together.

It was also a good week with the weather. Except for today. Today it turned ugly. But winter ugly. Black clouds and wind and rain. I went to visit my old area Mariló and it was very short. We live so far away that we got there and we had to leave in 3 hours.




It was really hard to say goodbye to everyone in such a short time. But it was done. I had a great time passing through there and remembering everything that happened there. It was fun. I went to my Mami’s house to go visit the whole family and they were all there! That was so good to see everyone. Then we went to go see Yesica and she about screamed when she saw me. It was funny. I also about scared mami.




Elder Pickett saying "goodbye" to friends in Marilo

We then had to hurry back to Merlo to catch the train. We caught the train and now we are safely in Lobos again. There is a huge difference between the country and city. Haha. I got kind of nervous when I went back to the city. That’s kind of funny. I’m turning into a country boy. I can almost kill my own pig to eat… haha just kidding.

Well, that’s what happened this week. Only 4 weeks left so we are going to put the pedal to the metal and farther. We are going to have a couple of baptisms before I leave this country. We are going to do everything possible to help this area grow. I love you all and I hope everyone had a great Pioneer Day.

Love
Elder Pickett

It's raining...

Dear Everyone,

Another week has gone and we are getting shorter on time. We had a couple of miracles happen this week. First off, we got a reference from a member that recently got baptized. The same member who has a daughter that we are trying to baptize. She took us over to her friend’s house because she said that her friend needed help and so we went. Turns out her friend was really prepared. We taught her the first lesson and she felt great and she really wanted to go to church. We passed by two days later to make plans to go to church. When we got there, she said to us “you won’t believe what has happened to me these past two days!” So she begins to tell us that they had a car they have been trying to sell for the past 6 months and it wouldn’t sell. The couple of days after our visit, they sold the car, she doesn’t say bad words anymore (which is miracle for her), and she has had more time to do things. She has a testimony of doing the things that the Lord wants us to do. During those two days, she read the pamphlet we left like 4 times and prayed after every time and she kept telling us that she felt different. She can’t stop telling us how different she feels. Well, to make a long story short, she came to church with her whole family except for the husband. She isn’t married to him but I just say husband to be quicker at writing. She loved church and so did her daughters that are old enough to get baptized. We hope to have them motivated enough to get baptized soon. Whether I’m here or not. We are still trucking along here trying to figure out a way to get more people to church. It’s hard but we can do it. We had 15 people in church yesterday. 5 of them were from the family we brought. Oh yeah, they came to church by themselves. That was also a miracle. Just little miracles we see.


From last week's service project

I also got the chance to meet my new mission president. He is a great guy. A really great guy. He is just a funny as President Benton. Ok, maybe not as funny but I just have to get used to him. I already have a great love for him. He has a great vision of what he wants and has a lot of energy to do work.

Well, that’s all I have this week. Next week I will be a little late writing because I’m going to be visiting one of my old areas. FUN!!! So, until next week, I love you all and be safe.

Love

Elder Pickett

Feliz 9 de Julio... last week

Dear Everyone,

Another week has gone by. This past week we did a lot of service. We did about 15 hours worth of service and I am really tired. We cleaned the whole back of the church. There were trees everywhere. We cut down about 4 or 5 trees. With just a rusty old saw. That was pretty hard to do. We fell down a couple of times and got scratched a bit but it’s OK. It was a lot of fun. We also have two baptismal dates!!! Oh my goodness!! It’s a miracle! It’s with the daughter of a member and the niece of that same member. We have been having to go out to their house a lot. They live about 2-3 km away and we don’t have bikes so we have to walk a lot. We travel at least 10- 15 km on foot everyday. Then we take the bus to other parts of our area. It’s not anything new but it’s just another thing to talk about.



We had our activity for 9 de Julio. That was a lot of fun. We had ourselves a choriziada. We ate a lot of chorizo. I was so full that I could barely move. We had 21 people show up so that was a success.


Presidente Romero preparing the choripanes



Then we left that and we went to an investigating families house to visit them because they didn’t come to the party. When we got there, they had a pig on a rope. We asked them about the pig and they said that they were going to kill it and eat it. So we decided to stay and watch them kill the pig and skin it and they didn’t cook it until the next day but it was still pretty cool. I’m not going to lie. We didn’t get home until about 930 that night because they live so far away. Sunday we had 14 people in church. So people show up for food but not church. Oh well, that’s how it is. We have been trying to work with the members. This week in priesthood, we put a goal to look for one person on the ward list and start visiting them and helping them to come back to church. All of us (6 men) are really excited to start working like this. We have some mini companionships to go do visits. Kind of pathetic but we gotta start some where. We are really excited to help this branch move forward.

Thanks to all the wrote me. Abuelita y Grandpa, les amo muchisimo. Gracias por siempre estar procupados de mi y también todos en la familia. Tios, Tias, Primos y Primas, Muchas gracias por todo. En serio. Creo q voy a tener q babysit mucho en casa para pay you all back. Jaja. Well, I love you all and have a great week!!!

Love

Elder Pickett

A Short but Happy July

Dear Everyone,

Well, it is the start of my last transfer of the mission. Wow, time has just flown by so fast that I haven’t been able to breathe or enjoy anything. This past week was just full of visiting people and doing service. We have been trying to help the same people with their problems and it seems that we have become really close with these people. They don’t want us to go and I don’t want to go either. I have grown to love this place. With all of its quirks.


Happy Elders, dirty lens

Just looking back on the mission and it is amazing what I have learned. Yesterday we had 16 in church. I had the opportunity again to give my testimony. Oh, so we had to do real fast divisions with the branch president. My comp and him went to go look for a family that had no way of going and I stayed and taught gospel doctrine. The branch president usually teaches gospel doctrine but since I can’t drive and neither can my comp, he had to take one of us to pick up the family and I chose to sit back and teach. I had no idea what the lesson would be on but I knew it was something from the New Testament. Well, I look at the manual and I see that the lesson is on the Atonement. Wow, what a lesson to teach without preparing for it. The branch president marked a lot of things in the manual so I took some of the things in the book and some of my own ideas. It turned out OK. Not too bad for a beginner.


Elder Pickett and crepes

The Copa America started and no one is really that interested in it. At least in my little pueblo, no one is interested. It has been so weird. I was expecting a full out celebration that Argentina is going to win etc, etc, etc. But no. Everyone pretty silent. The streets are getting more empty the more we get into winter. There aren’t very many people that are roaming the streets. I don’t blame them. Ha ha. It’s COLD!! Not much more to say. Just walking and teaching.


More happy Elders, and yes, more dirty lens

Thanks for all the support you all have shown me. Enjoy what little time you have without me because I’m coming hot! Ja ja I love you all.

Love

Elder Pickett