Week of Hope/Waiting - Patience/Endure Well - 6 missionaries in one branch! - Protected/There is a brightness about you/I can't touch you

So this title of my email (La Semana de Esperanza) could either be translated to mean, "The Week of Hope" or "The Week of Waiting". Well, while there is always hope... lets just say there was a lot of waiting this week.

We had plans to travel to an area really far away in our area, called the palms, and we had to wait for a bus to get there. We were told that the bus would come at 10 o'clock. So we waited there and waited and waited and waited. Then finally, after lots of contacting in the bus stop, (which isn't the MOST effective way to contact) we got on the bus at 12. That same day, we had an appointment with our prime investigator. His name is Martin and I was suuuuper pumped to teach him because he has a real desire to learn. We waited in the chapel for 2 more hours with a member that night, because he kept telling us that he was on his way... but finally just told us that he didn't think it would be possible for him to make it :( We ended up just teaching him the next day at the Branch Presidents house, but we still waited a lot that day! I will tell you, there was more waiting than just that this week, but I wont go into details because there really were so many experiences this week with waiting. 

 

As I was waiting for something this week, I would think about one of the things my mission president first told me when I had my first interview with him. He said "Elder Graves, if there is one thing you are going to learn here on your mission, it will be PATIENCE. It is so true. And I love that I can see myself improving in this aspect. It really is incredible how many blessings the mission brings.

"Patience is not simply enduring, it is enduring well."

Dieter F Uchtdorf

This too means, that even if we have to wait, we can always be doing something productive, and if we are doing that little productive thing, it really wont seem like we are waiting at all. This brings me to a point that kinda makes me a little sad. There are too many elders that I know that are only "enduring" there missions. To all those who will be leaving soon, or one day hope to serve, I hope you know a mission is much more fun, enjoyable and rewarding if you "endure it well."

This is my district leader Elder Nascimiento and I waiting for a bus to pass by so that we could do an activity with the district. We had to wait a lot, but it turned out to be an AWESOME P-day.

Here is a foto capa (cool picture)! We have been focusing on this little area of the city a lot lately and I thought this was a pretty interesting view with the run down appartments and trees also. It really shows the diversity of Obera.



  This is Taylor's Dad - I can't get this picture to work for some reason.  I'll see if I can get it from Taylor again next week.

 

This is my district! We are quite the team working out here in obera! The branch is really getting stronger having 6 missionaries in one branch. There really is a lot of work to do here. (Even if it is slow work). Today we went to a waterfall (don't worry it wasn't Iguazu Falls I will send much cooler pictures when I get the opportunity to do that! We were going to take a picture by the water fall... but it was full with lots and lots and lots of people (it almost seemed like they were flocking like zombies... I mean the waterfall was cool and all.. but not THAT cool,... ;) Anyway, for that we just took a picture here... I really enjoy this district and hope we get to stay together for awhile!

Well, one last experience. While Elder Smith and I were walking in the street, a man who seemed to be really drunk came up to us. My companion said we needed to just keep going, but  the guy was really insistent about talking to us. He stopped us and told us all about the Book of Mormon (sounds a little backwards right?) and was telling us that it wasn't true and all those things. We bore our testimonies, calmly saying what we KNEW it to be true. He wouldn't let it go. He kept talking to us and wouldn't allow us to keep going to our next appointment (don't worry, it never got dangerous or anything). He then went to touch me, on the shoulder, but said in Spanish "I cant touch you, there is a brightness about you and I cant touch you."

Although, I don't believe that he had plans of doing anything, I know that we are protected as missionaries. I love this gospel and could never express the amount of thanks I have for what it has given me.

Elder Graves

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Write to Elder Graves in 1 of 4 ways:

1. E-mail -  tgraves@myldsmail.net

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Send mail through www.DearElder.com
They will print and mail it for you at no cost (without a stamp).  This is a free service.

www.DearElder.com Instructions:
Select the "Argentina Posadas Mission"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Send letters through the Church Pouch Mail Only postcards or one-page correspondences (no envelopes).

Fold the letter in thirds, secure the long side with tape about one inch in from each end. Do not seal the ends. Stamp and address the blank side as you would an envelope. Use the following mailing address:
Elder Taylor Graves
Argentina Posadas Mission
POB 30150
Salt Lake City, UT
84130-0150

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Physical Mailing Address.
Due to exorbitant costs incurred in the country of Argentina by the church, He can not receive packages :-( - not even a bubble envelope. Please refrain from sending anything other than an envelope/letter - anything else will likely be returned to sender.

Elder Taylor Graves
Córdoba 1243
Posadas, Misiones 3300
Casilla 12
Argentina