Week 52 (Mar. 31, 2014 Parque Chacabuco, Argentina)

Dear Family and Friends :)

This week we have seen many tender mercies of the Lord in His work and I am so happy to be serving where I am serving! It is a great blessing to be able to be in a ward where the members are so involved in the work and where they are willing to do almost anything to help the Lord´s kingdom grow! I have really seen a difference in the wards that I have been in my mission. They have all been amazing and I have loved all of them and the members so much, but I have noticed that when they are more involved and have a relationship with the investigators and the people that we are working with, that miracles occur and God´s hand is seen more.  Lately we have been really focusing on keeping the recent converts active and helping them receive a true conversion in order to be faithful members of the Church. Throughout my mission, this has been hard at times because Satan attacks them so hard after baptism. But I have noticed that there is a big difference in the converts when the members are working with them as well and when they are helping them with this conversion. Of course there are less active members in this ward, but the recent converts are doing so well because the ward is actively involved in their progress and I love it so much! I think one of the greatest things to see as a missionary is a recent convert staying faithful because the members are helping them when they need it. I know that the members of the church are the miracles! Through the members, the Lord´s work is growing and people are becoming converted to Christ! :) :)

This week we have been trying to find more people to teach! One morning we visited 16 people from the old records in our area book and I think two of them wanted to listen. It has been a bit hard but we are still seeing miracles and I know that the Lord is walking with us. We went to visit an old investigator and he did not live there but a woman named Maria was there and we talked to her. She is from Bolivia and has been here one year. We met with her on Saturday and she accepted to be baptized after we taught the restoration. I love that because people can recognize us as representatives of Christ, that they have confidence in us and tell us things that they wouldn´t tell other people. That shows me that the Spirit is guiding them and helping them feel of God´s love! Maria was going to come yesterday to church but because of her work, she wasn´t able to make it. Yesterday we returned to her home because we wanted to teach her again and have another date for her baptism. She 

wasn´t there but her son Rodrigo was and so we taught him a short lesson and he accepted to be baptized as well! :) They are both planning on coming to General Conference this weekend! I am so thankful for the Spirit and that in just a short amount of minutes, can touch someones heart and help them feel that God is near. I hope that Maria and her son will progress and that they can keep their baptismal dates and become faithful members of the church!!

The Rocha Family is doing well!! Alejandra is progressing the most right now and is going to be baptized this Sunday in between the two sessions!! She is very excited and very prepared and has been reading the Book of Mormon and praying every night and morning. I can´t remember if I mentioned this already but she is pregnant and is 20 years old but doesn´t have her boyfriend anymore. Yesterday we taught the law of chastity and it was a little hard because we did not want her to feel like she was a bad person for what she did. It was a great lesson in the end. She felt the spirit and cried because she wanted to change and also felt God´s love for her. We talked about repentance and Godly sorrow and explained that she was feeling it and for that she wanted to change. She knows that they church is true and is so happy to be baptized on Sunday and change!! She is so special and I love her so much and and feel so blessed to be teaching her about Christ and repentance and forgiveness and faith in Christ! Her brother Roberto is progressing as well but only in some ways. He is coming to church and reading but says that it is hard to remember to pray. He wants to be baptized but not right now. We are praying for him and know that it will come for him as well!! 

I think that is about it for the week. I am sure grateful for all of you and for what you are doing to help God´s kingdom grow! Thank you for your examples and hard work and testimonies! I know that lifes are being touched through what you are doing! Love you all so much and Happy April!! :) Being a missionary is the greatest and it is even better when you have the support of friends and family like you all!

Con Amor, 

Hermana Syphus 

Short little email she sent as well :

Hola!! Man I meant to get right on the comp and write my email but I wrote president first and the letter to him was pretty long and then Clel wrote me so I opened his email and emailed him back quick. And so now I can write you about my week! Thanks for answering the questions! That is so neat about Jordan! Man he is so amazing! I bet his parents are so proud! Tell Nik one more time that I love him and will be in contact with him! I wanted to email him personally but don´t think I will have time. My comp is already ending! And today she wants to go to a Mexican Restaurant in Almagro and do some shopping. So we are trying to hurry. it should be a fun day i hope. Glad to here that gma and gpa received the email!!! :) :) I have noticed that people have stopped emailing me. Did you tell them that I now have less time? If so that is just fine, just wondering if that was the reason. I can still print things off if I don´t have time to read them and hopefully respond the following pday. And Mom, I don´t know why you say that you can´t say things like you want to say them, because every email that you send me helps me so much and you are just so amazing with words! I don´t know what I would do without you helping me and encouraging me each week. Really, sometimes the only words of encouragement and hope and love come from you (besides the scriptures of course :) ) and I appreciate it so much!! Thank you for telling me about Laura! I miss her so much too and am thinking about her often and hope that she will find her way once again to the Gospel and that all will end happily with her. She needs the Gospel in her life and is so ready to receive it! Her family just needs to understand!