Week 65, Las Delicias, Rosario, Argentina

hey family! 

This week flew by!

We found a new, part-member, family this week and we’re super excited to help them come back to church and get baptized. We met one of the sons, Juan Carlos, that’s 22 years old and used to be in the drugs and stuff but stopped because he saw how much it was hurting his family. We taught him about repentance and baptism, the pure doctrine of Christ. The truth is that I’m going crazy because we haven’t helped anybody get baptized in way too long. We’re really excited for him and the progress of our other investigators.

I love being a missionary because we’re always on our feet, literally and spiritually. We have to try and take advantage of every situation and show people how they can receive more of God’s blessings in their lives. It’s not easy. And it never was easy. Christ was the Son of God and he still had to pass through the biggest trial in the world’s history. When He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, He bled from every pore and literally felt every pain, sickness, and sin that ever existed, or will exist. It was harder than we can ever imagine. But He did one thing different that made Him the Savior. He submitted to God’s will and did it. He didn’t give up. We must not give up but lean on Christ and his strength. He’s always willing to help. He loves us. I know that we can do anything through Christ, who strengths us.

Philippians 4:13 

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

I love you guys!

Elder Hjelmstad

Week 64, Las Delicias, Rosario, Argentina

                    

Elder Haderlie and Hjelmstad ... Ready for the rain

Cockroach... HUGE!

Today for P-Day (personal day) we played ping pong and Pool at the institute buliding.

ping pong with Elder Butler

Elder Hjelmstad with Elder CLUBB

HOLA!!

This week was good! It rained every other day and was hot on the days it wasn’t raining. Super bi-polar weather. I do not like the rain. We don’t have umbrellas, so we always get soaked. haha but you’re only a wet missionary once in your life right? 

So we’re teaching a girl, Guliana, that’s 13 years old and loves going to church and activities but her Dad wont let her get baptized yet. Super big bummer but were trying to help out. We were sitting in our weekly planning when we thought...."hey lets take them some banana bread! for them" We didn’t really think it through and made the banana bread the next morning and covered it with a grocery bag because it was raining. We walked all the way down there to their house, like 30 min, then realized... "What are we going to say? We’ve never been there and we have a loaf of banana bread. NOBODY gives anybody anything! They’re not used to people giving cookies or Jello! They’re going think we’re creeps and “like” Guliana!" We stood there for like 10 min thinking of how we were going to do it. Anyways, so we went to her house and her Brother answered the door and looked at us like freaks. haha freaks soaking wet with a loaf of banana bread. We talked to him for a minute and then Guliana came to the door. The parents were sleeping, so we left it with them and felt good! haha We'll see if it helps out. Guliana said her Dad really liked it! Now this week.....APPLE PIE. haha 

So the Bible reading is going great. It’s helping me understand more because the Old Testament was always a little boring to me when I was in seminary. I always loved the New Testament more. Speaking about the Bible, a lot of people we talk to think that we don’t believe in the Bible, which is kind of a bummer that they think this, because without the Bible, our religion and church isn’t complete. We wouldn’t know of the prophets of old that made and fulfilled prophecies. We wouldn’t know the details of Christ’s birth, ministry, and atoning sacrifice. Lots of people think we have our "own" bible in the Book of Mormon, but no. The Book of Mormon is not a bible, but a companion and a support to the Bible! Neither is it "The book of the Mormons." Mormon was a prophet of the Book of Mormon, like Moses was a prophet in the Bible. He was one of the last prophets and compiled all the writings that all the other prophets wrote before him. At the end, with a few words of his son Moroni, came the final product, The Book of Mormon. This book is incomplete without the Bible. Through a modern day prophet, God brought forth the Book of Mormon. Everyone and anyone can read it and ask God if it’s true. If you ask with faith, you will know that it’s true by the Holy Ghost (like impressions, feelings, and thoughts). I KNOW it’s true and answers many questions that we wonder at times. 

I love being a missionary!

LOVE YOU!

Elder Hjelmstad

Mom, Can you tell Lexi thank you for the bookmark,
and tell Addison thanks for the pictures
and Alyssa Blackburn for writin!!!

Thank you all soooo much! 

Week 63, Las Delicias, Rosario, Argentina

Zone conference
(Elder Hjelmstad is on the front right and his companion, Elder Haderlie,
is to the right of him)

Family!

This week was short!

On Wednesday, we were in the bus terminal all morning waiting for missionaries getting here to Rosario. We finally left there at about 3:00pm and went to work! We met some really great people and were really excited to teach them and see them progress in the gospel. About 2 weeks ago we passed by a members house and Jeni, a member, had a friend over, Nicolas. We asked if he went to a church and he said, “no” so we gave him a pamphlet and a Book of Mormon. He was excited and accepted it. We tried taking down his address but he didn’t know exactly how to describe it. Anyways, the whole week we wanted to find him again and teach him! We went to where we thought he lived and knocked until we found the house! His mom answered and we were scared that she was going to run us off the porch and tell us to never come back. BUT.... instead she looked at us and said "Is there anyway you can come back another time?" with a face like pleasseeee. We said FOR SURE and she said, "You know, I’ve been reading the book of the Mormon you guys, and I’m really interested. What is it a bible? Or something apart? My son came home from his friends house and put it on the table and I picked it up and read." We were soooo excited! Her name’s Graciela and today we have an appt at 6:00pm. We’re stoked!

So I’ve started reading the Bible from the Beginning and am reading 10 pages a day so I can finish before I go home. I’m learning a ton and I love trying to get something out of every page. Something I liked was in Exodus 3:7. 

And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

I love it because it says that Christ KNOWS us. He KNOWS our afflictions and problems and ALWAYS hears our prayers. Jen, that was so cool how you prayed fervently, with real intent and saw the fruits of that prayer. I really know that God loves us and knows us personally and individually. Most of the time we don’t realize that relationship. He is literally our Father. One day I was kind of homesick and was thinking about Dad and then a thought came to my mind like "wow, Dad would do anything for me. Seriously, anything. Even run out barefoot in the snow to pick up his son, that ran into a tree sledding." haha then I thought, "wow, my Heavenly Father loves me just as much and more. He would do anything for me. Even let his Son die for me." I hope we can all realize this relationship and TALK with God when we pray. He listens and will help us according to his will.

I love you guys so much! Thanks for everything!

Love,

Elder Hjelmstad   

Week 62, Las Delicias, Rosario, Argentina

Look at this spider we found in our apartment!!!

 Zone Conference:

(a meeting where a group of missionaries get together for training)

Elder Hull giving a thumbs-up!!!
(He is also one of my best friends on the mission)

Elder Hull and Elder Hjelmstad

Well... how awesome was General Conference? I loved it! After I listened to it, I felt super uplifted and excited to share the gospel with everybody! I feel like, what I got out of conference was, that I need to give more of myself. I've kinda been feeling weird lately, like off-track or something and I didn't know why. I now realize it was because I was thinking too much of myself and not opening my mouth and inviting EVERYBODY to come unto Christ. I think we can all do a better job at forgetting ourselves and getting to work.

This week wasn't the best week, but it was at the end, thanks to conference! We had TONS of appointments that failed and walked more than I've walked in my whole mission! That day really made me think of what we were doing right and what we were doing wrong. Because obviously we were doing something that we shouldn't have been doing, because the Lord has promised that He will put people in our path for us to help. I found out it was because my mind wasn't focused. I was thinking about other things and my priorities weren't where they were supposed to be. 

Something that I read this morning and I wanted to share with you guys, was how we must keep the eternal perspective and forget about worldy materials. 

Alma 39:14 says:

 "Seek not after riches nor the vain things of this world; for behold, you cannot carry them with you." 

We cannot take "things" with us to heaven. ONLY OURSELVES. We will all die and it is up to us to determine what we will receive in the world to come,(Heaven). 

3 Nephi 13:19-21 says:

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." 

Where is our heart? I have really pondered and learned this on my mission. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS but where our heart is. 

Finally, in Helaman 5:8-9 it says:

"And now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire is, that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of eternal life, which we have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers.  O remember, yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world." 

Only through Christ we will be able to inherit eternal life. We will all die and we will all be resurrected. It is up to us individually, to determine how we will live after this life. Whether we will be comfortable in the presence of God or not? We are here to prepare for Heaven, to learn how to Love like God does, to learn how to LIVE like God does. Christ showed us the way! We must follow His example by having faith in Him, repenting of our mistakes, and being baptized like HE was with the Authority of God. We then must receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands and endure until the end. Without these key steps performed by the proper authority, we will not attain the fullness of Joy that God has in store for us. We must have Faith! I know this is true. This may sound a little harsh, but I'm in the same boat as all of you. I'm just a messenger on the Lord's errand, and I do have a message to share.  Heavenly Father Loves ALL of his children and wants us all to return home to live with him in Heaven as families, having a fullness of Joy!

I love you guys! 

SO, ask yourself,...what really matters?

Love, Elder Hjelmstad 

Week 61, Las Delicias, Rosario, Argentina

Hey!

This week was pretty good and we had 3 people at church so we were pretty happy! I was so happy to hear that 11 people went to your ward on Sunday! That’s really, really great! I can’t wait to get back and help out the missionaries!

So... MIRACLES HAPPEN! hahah On Tuesday, we went to the district meeting in Villa Galvez, that’s outside of Rosario and had to take a bus there. We went to bus stop and I forgot which bus we had to take but I was PRETTY sure that the 103 got us there, so we got on. The bus kept going, and then kept going through some ghetto, and then.... Stopped and the bus driver said it was the end of the route and we had to get off. We got off, having no clue where we were and had no money for a taxi. Just so you get the picture... Dirt road, houses made out of scrap wood and whatever they can find, and LOST. We started walking and were scared for our lives because I had my backpack and we stood out like crazy. I totally thought we were going to get robbed again. We walked and said a little prayer that SOMEHOW we would get a ride to Main Street. We walked about 15 blocks when we saw a huge water tank truck on the side of the road. Two guys were there standing and one started walking toward us. (By the way were scared of everybody now, so when somebody walks up to us, they’re DEFINATELY going to rob us. haha) So he’s walking up and we quickly try to cross the street and then so does he. (I’m thinking we’re totally done for) Then he says "hey can I get some help pushing the truck so it starts up?" and right when he says that I look at him and realize... He’s a less active guy from another ward in Rosario. I did divisions there ONCE and met him. Way cool guy. So for those of you who don’t know, by pushing a car you can make it start. Seriously. We do it at least once a week. So it started up and then he said what are you doing out here?! It’s super dangerous! We told him we took the wrong bus and were lost. He asked where we were going and offered us a ride. WOOHOO! We got in and he said that they were waiting there for like 10 min trying to get it the truck started but it just wouldn’t start. haha soo..... If anyone doesn’t believe in God, I will tell you that GOD LIVES AND LOVES US. Coincidence is God’s way of staying unanimous.

Were teaching a great lady named Maria that really wants to change and wants the best for her family. She received an answer and now is trying to come to church! She’s excited and so are we! Well see what happens! 

Alrighty, I don’t have that much time! I love you tons and hope you all have a great week!

Elder Hjelmstad