Week 65 - BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SQUAD!!"Ñ%&$"·/$"!!!!%(%&

I apologize for that, it was uncalled for, but I´m just so darn happy right now! So we had another amazing week, we found another 23 new investigators, and Gabriel got baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He had such a long journey to get there, he had a lot of problems. He was a drinker, a smoker, he went to clubs with the ladies, he had 2 kids, and a broken relationship with the mother. When he came to the missionaries he said he had to change to be a better father for his kids. He stopped drinking, smoking, going to the clubs. This experience has strengthened my testimony about the power of the atonement, that no one is truly too far gone. It makes me think of something President Uchtdorf said in a talk he gave a while back, "Just as the Good Shepherd finds His lost sheep, if you will only lift up your heart to the Savior of the world, He will find you." I absolutely love this quote, and it applies to each and every one of us. 

To make this baptism happen was not an easy task. Satan was putting in the work to make it not happen, the hardest part was getting Gabriel to his baptism, sooo it was a few minutes before his baptism was supposed to start, and he still wasn´t there, so we went to look for him. We get to his house, and a river had flooded everywhere, sooo we had to find some higher ground and fight through weeds that were my height, I fell into a ditch, then eventually we see him throwing bricks across the water to make a path to walk, he took a while but eventually we all got out and got to the baptism. We started almost an hour late, but it happened.

So interesting thing happened this week, we meet this guy right, and he showed us a special plant in his house... he grows his own marijuana. Then he explained all the different ways to use it, he said he really likes to make brownies with it, and then explained how one time when he made those weed brownies he left them on the table to cool down, and when he got back little children had eaten half the pan. So that was interesting...

Hey guys next week if things go well we will have another baptism, sooooo we are pretty happy.

I also got to go on exchanges with Elder Thompson, he´s the GOAT. I love that man.

That´s all I got this week! BYE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Keaton Jorgensen

Argentina Mendoza Mission

Description of photos:

Baptism

We made empanadas again, cuz why not, we are really talented

weed guy

Elder Thompson

Week 64 --- What a week!

SQUAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You would not believe the week we had, sooooo much teaching sooooo many people we met. I haven´t had a week like this in a long time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So this week we found 23 new investigators!!!!! Never in one week have I done so much teaching. But I boast not of my own strength but that of my Father in Heaven. Like my boi Ammon says in the Book of Mormon Alma 26:

11 But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

So I´m very grateful for all the help that God gives this companionship every day. Oh also remember Gabriel, that guy that we have helped with his lady problems, well if all goes well this week he will be baptized this coming Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sooo we are pretty darn happy right now!

Also this area has had problems with getting investigators to go to church, but this transfer we have had 1 every week, and yesterday 4 people came. Things are just going so well.

Maria and Mia, the mother daughter combo, came to church, they love us sooo much, they brought cake for us to church, and if they come to church this Sunday, we will have another baptism next week.

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Hey y’all I´m so sorry that this

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wasn’t

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a very long email, and that I don´t have pictures to send, I just kinda goofed off for a while, and now I´m out of time. I´ll try better next week. I love you all!!!!!!!!

---

Elder Keaton Jorgensen

Argentina Mendoza Mission

Note from Mom:

I received a photo from the companion's mother.

Week 63 - Que flippin Milagro!

SQUAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I just love talking to y’all every week, it was a swell week I´m not gonna lie! Soooo I´m gonna just start off talking about Soccer, So I don´t know how many of you are soccer fans, but I now am one, so I´m gonna share a little about my team here in Argentina. They were close to missing the world cup for the first time in like a really long time am I right, but then Messi decided to score 3 goals, and took them to the world cup instead, I may have caught a little of that game it was nuts. Unfortunately our beloved U.S. soccer team did not make it.

But let’s get serious, something super cool happened this last week, so I went on exchanges with ma boi Elder Botelho, from Brazil, and well we started off the exchange losing the phone, and it was late at night, so we couldn´t go look for it, and it might have fallen out in a bus. So we went to bed and all that good stuff, then the next day we spent half the day going to mission offices, twice, to get a new phone. So we were all stressed out and stuff, then all the appointments fell through, but we just kept on working, and at the end of the day an older dude came up to us, and told us to come to his house now. So at first we were a little freaked out, he wouldn´t really tell us why he wanted us to come to his house, we both had a very weird feeling, but we both felt that we should go anyway. So we get to his house, and he just tells us that he needs us to bless him. He told us that he believes we have the power to do so. So I was able to give this man a health blessing, and after, me and Elder Botelho both had a strong impression to invite him to be baptized. Not only did he say yes, but the following Sunday he went to church, and that almost never happens. I feel it was indeed a miracle for us. I believe with all my heart that Elder Botelho and myself were blessed for our diligence. I was very grateful for that.

So this Gabriel guy we have been teaching the past few weeks is a fricking stud, he came to church yesterday for the third week in a row. We´ve become his relationship counselors, it's quite entertaining, but if all goes well, we will have a baptism next week. He also needs to stop smoking, sooooo we´re working with that.

To end this lovely little email I´m gonna share 2 scriptures...

1 Nephi 2:15

15 And my father dwelt in a tent.

2 Nephi 5:27

27 And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.

Now perhaps these 2 scriptures don´t make a lot of sense right now, but if we think about it, Nephi and his family had many riches in Jerusalem, and they left everything behind, and are now living in tents, only because they wanted to be obedient to God, and as it says in the second scripture they lived happily. I testify that as we are obedient to God we will be happy. We may not always have the coolest car, or fanciest clothes, but we will be truly happy.

That´s all I got for today bye!

-- 

Elder Keaton Jorgensen

Argentina Mendoza Mission

Description of Photos:

My comp got a little ill...

Our Pet Lou Lee

The empanadas we made

Week 62 --- It's a trap!

SQUAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow let me tell you, I am such a happy camper right now! Wanna know why? Because I´m a flippin missionary!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOO! So we had an interesting week. The sweetest thing happened the other day, we found this family right, well we went to teach them, they didn't have a lot of time, so we just chatted for a bit, made some jokes, and left.  They invited us back the next day, so we get there, and the 10 year old daughter was waiting for us. This little girl told us that after we had left, that she felt soooo happy, and that the problems in her house just left. Her mom felt the same way. It kinda hit me in that moment that missionaries really do carry a special spirit with them, and I'm just so darn grateful to be able to bring that spirit into the homes of those that I teach.

Other thing that happened! So we met this one guy right, Alejandro, and he told us to come back that Saturday. So we went, and when he opened the door, he introduced us to his pastor, and so I started to think “It’s a trap!" So for the next hour this man insulted us, and even worse the church. That made me kinda sad not gonna lie.

What else happened? Ummmmmmmm... oh yeah, sooooooooo after this pastor thing, we went to visit a couple we had met a few days earlier, and well the guy was leaving, so we couldn´t have a lesson, but we chatted outside with his girlfriend, to invite her to church and what not, but then 2 of her cousins asked if I was single.  It wasn't the first time it had happened, so I didn't think too much of it, but then it got kinda weird. We then invited all of them to church, and one of the cousins looked at me and said “I´ll go if I can be with you" and then winked. At this point I was very uncomfortable. Then they asked for my phone number, obviously I don't have one because I share a phone with my companion, so my comp said that, and wrote down our number and gave it to her, just to make me feel awkward. I was not a fan of this moment.

So recently everyone here has been telling me that I look like the Russian guy from Rocky 4.  if you don´t know who that is, look him up  and tell me if that's true.

Yesterday we didn't have lunch, so Saturday we bought a bunch of stuff, and we made empanadas, alone with no help, from scratch, the dough and everything. They were frickin good too!

Well that´s all I got for this week bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Keaton Jorgensen

Argentina Mendoza Mission

Week 61 --- General Conference!

​SQUAD!!!!!!!!!!! What a pleasure it is to be writing you this fine Monday morning. I hope you are all doing well! I´m doing great just in case you were wondering. So I´m gonna start off talking about General Conference, because I just can´t wait, man you don´t even know, every conference I have watched here in the mission, has made me love Conference more and more each time. It´s just so amazing how inspired the messages are. I would also love to hear some of your thoughts about conference, so if you would send me some of your conference highlights. I would appreciate it a lot. So I´m just gonna share a few of my favorite parts. In Bonnie Oscarson´s talk she talked a lot about service, something she said really hit me, it was something along the lines of, without service our lives are without purpose. She also said the reason we have a church is to form a community of saints. When I think of the word saint, I think of a holy person who is dedicated to blessing the lives of others, and we are saints in these latter days, so we should be devoted to doing exactly that, blessing the lives of others. She also mentioned something like this, that God obviously wants to help, and serve us, but sadly, because of His plan, he can´t come down and help someone every time someone is in need. So we need to do him a favor and do it for him. This reminds me of a few scriptures that I would like to share. 

Mosiah 2:17

17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Matthew 25:35-40

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

So you all gotta serve. I also loved Elder Holland´s talk, he talked about our potential to be perfect even as our Father in Heaven is perfect, but he explained something very important to us. He related it to a primary song, "I´m trying to be like Jesus" the key word there folks is TRYING, we are not perfect, and in this life we will never be perfect, we will always make mistakes, but we need not to feel bad, or discouraged about that, as long as we are trying we are chillin.

I also noticed  that the Book of Mormon was talked about a lot this conference, and I´m not going to share a specific talk about it but I encourage all who have yet to receive a testimony of the church, or who are struggling with their testimony, to read the Book of Mormon, ponder and pray about the book, and I testify unto everyone of you, that you will know as I know that the book is true, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church upon the earth. I invite all of you to accept the Prophet´s invitation to read the Book of Mormon every day. It will change your life, as it has changed mine.

Now I´m gonna share very quickly a few things that went down this week, because I´m out of time.  First, we had a gun fight right outside our apartment; Second, we helped one of our investigators hit on a girl on the bus, he got rejected; Third, we found a guy in the street, and we started talking, and he said the words I feel like there needs to be a restoration of the gospel, because it just isn´t the same anymore. We pulled out the pamphlet that said the Restoration.  His mind was blown. Well I´m out of time, I love you all! BYE!!!!!!!!!​

Elder Keaton Jorgensen

Argentina Mendoza Mission