Conference In The Jungle! - Emotional Preparations To Do Baptisms In The Temple For Juliana's Parents! - 1 Year Has Passed 1 More To Go - Loving The Mission!

Every month as a mission, all the zone leaders get together and we have a Mission Council, and we talk about the things that we need to do better as a mission. We identify key points that we need to focus on to get better as a mission as a whole. Every month the meeting takes places in the Stake Center in Posadas. However, when we arrived to the Stake Center this week, Tuesday, there were a couple of Conveys waiting to take us somewhere. We were all so excited! President, after boarding the cars, told us that he had felt that we needed a change of pace, and that we were going to have our Mission Conference in the Santa Ana Cruz. Its this cross, that everyone can see for miles and miles across this part of Argentina, and we got to be there. It was so awesome to get to be there, and to get to feel the peace that was there in that "jungle like" environment.

I love this place! It is so amazingly beautiful and green. Sometimes, we as missionaries don't realize how wonderful this place truly is, because we just get carried away in the work, but when you take a minute to sit back and smell the roses, as my dad has counseled me to do at least every once and a while, I begin to realize how lucky I really am to live in such an amazing place. As I think, that in less than a year, I will no longer be here, I feel a sharp sadness, already knowing that I will deeply miss this place. I wish I could just show all of you the beauty of this country, because the pictures just don't do it justice.

Us four missionaries in the second picture have all worked in Carlos Antonio Lopez! I feel like I share a special bond with each of them, because I still remember something that draws me to one day go back to the place I started my mission. If I could have one wish from my president of the mission, it would be to be able to finish my mission where I started it, Carlos Antonio Lopez, and then I could show them that I can actually speak now! :)

I remember when I got my mission call, and I heard that I was going to Argentina, I figured that I would surely be hiking through the wild jungle, dodging tigers lions and bears... well we can just say that normally, we find ourselves walking through big city streets down here, but when we get lucky, we get to make a trek through jungle type areas, and it is pretty fun. (I have not seen any lions, tigers or bears, but have seen several monkeys, and heard packs, herds, gaggles, of monkeys hooting and hollering in the trees.

Well to keep everyone updated on the investigators, sadly we had rain on Sunday, so Alejandro and Yanina didn't come to church :( They were planning on getting baptized this 27th of June but will now have to postpone a bit. We are still praying that everything will go well and that they will be able to get baptized as quickly as possible.

Juliana, who was recently baptized, is paying tithing, visiting other people, being part of the mission work, and will be having her interview to get her temple recommend, to do baptisms for the dead for her parents. When we taught her about the fact that she could help her Mother and Father enter into Gods kingdom, she was very emotional, and decided she was going to go as soon as possible.

I am loving the mission and feel the love of each of you. 365 days ago I was giving my farewell talk in my hometown ward. I remember, that so many of you were there to support me. I felt the love of you all then, as I do now. Thank you for the continued support. I cant believe the things I have learned, the experiences I have had, and the blessings I have received, in what seems like just a blink of an eye. In another, I will be back with you all, and will have the opportunity to hug each of you, and truly express how grateful I am for the prayers and fasts that are constantly made for me. 

One last foto just for kicks :) My companion found some cool sunglasses, and I decided that its been too long since I participated in #selfiesunday

Love you guys!

Elder Graves

Argentina Posadas Mission

LA IGLESIA DE

JESUCRISTO

DE LOS SANTOS

DE LOS ÚLTIMOS DÍAS

 

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Write to Elder Graves in 1 of 3 ways  :

1. E-mail -  tgraves@myldsmail.net

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2. 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

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3. Physical Mailing Address:

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