Baptism With No Water!?!? - Be Positive It's A Choice! - Dahiana's Mother Finally Asks To Be Baptized! - Answered Prayers/Teaching The Gamarra Family - Taylor Teaches In Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina!

This week really has been incredible. We were able to be a part of the baptism of Dahiana Mendez, (we recently just baptized her older brother Marcos). 

As always, there was a really really big trial before the baptism. We arranged the baptism, well before. We had our Ward Mission Leader go to the church and fill the font. Everything was ready to go. We were so sure that everything was going to be good to go, that we even scheduled an appointment 45 minutes before the baptism! We finished our lesson, got the church, about 10 minutes before the baptism was supposed to start, and that's when our Ward Mission Leader told us there was no water in the font! I almost said..."well... wasn't that supposed to be your job?" but then he went on to explain to us that their literally was NO WATER in the whole plumbing system of the church. So, we didn't know what to do.

As we thought of what a disaster this could turn out to be, I realized there was no need to be down. If a missionary looks down, then everyone notices, and it makes them sad too, so I decided to just talk to everyone and smile and get to meet all the members in the ward that came. Soon, surely by the hand of God, the water came back, and they filled the font to a very shallow quantity of water. All in all, the baptism turned out, and everyone was happy.

The amazing thing was the day of the confirmation of Dahiana. Her mom came. She has actually been coming to the church, for a very long time with her son and daughter, but really only doing it to show them support. We always knew as missionaries, that she didn't want to talk to the missionaries about baptism or anything like that, so we always gave her her space. However, I noticed a special light in her eye as she listened intently during one of the Sunday school classes, and went up to her and said, "Sister Mendez, it seems to me that you really enjoyed the class. I am glad to see you so happy" She said to me, "Elder, I enjoy this church just too much. I also want to be baptized. Can you come to my family's home this Tuesday?" Wow. Talk about goosebumps.

 

The two boys above are from the Gamarra family. They absolutely love Church, as does their father. Their story is an interesting one. He came to church and we found him and asked him where he lived. He expressed to us that he lived close to a family of this ward, and we quickly got an appointment to visit him. He loved it from the beginning and couldn't get enough of it, although, he was nervous about if this was the true church. We told him that he must do as Moroni exhorts, and ask God if the words of the Book of Mormon are true, and he will be answered. With faith he did so.

In most of my experience, the answers don't come in this way, but I think this time was very special, and I believe that this man, Julian Gamarra has a special gift. He asked God that very night if it was true, the night before going to the baptism of Sonia, and said that he saw in a dream the baptism of sonia, exactly as it was going to happen, and in the end of the dream, he woke up to a voice saying to him "Tu tambien tienes que bautizarte" or, You also must be baptized.  His daughter Sara, within the following week had a similar dream, after saying a similar prayer, asking if the Book of Mormon was true, and whether or not she should be baptized. She told me that as she slept, she was shown her very baptism. She said that during the dream her greatest desire was to know who baptized her, so as she looked up to see who it was, the dream ended.

I know that this is not a very common way to receive answers to our prayers, and we should never need to go through anything like this to be able to cultivate the faith to act, but it is interesting, how God does sometimes allow us to experience small miracles like this. Revelation comes in the way we understand best. These people, are a very visual people. I am a person who loves reading, and language, as are many of you.

I love that God has allowed us the ability to receive revelation in our own personal ways and allows us to find the closeness to him that we all need.

We went to what I think is the biggest dam in South America, and it was incredible. I dont have much time to write about it, but I will just share my favorite experience of the trip.

We were with 2 other Zone Leaders, Elder Thorpe and my old MTC roommate Elder Winston. While riding in the bus to get to the destination, I had found a young man, who looked like he liked to read. I had a Book of Mormon, and decided to show it to him. He was amazed, and thought it was incredible that Christ also visited this side of the world, he was in shock that I would give him the book for free, and anxiously started reading. I took out his information, and will be sending it to the mission so that other missionaries can visit his family. What was maybe the coolest about that experiance was the following: Elder Thorpe said to me, "Elder! While you were contacting that man, the driver announced that we had crossed into brazil! You have officially preached the gospel in the USA Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil!" Wow! 

Haha well thanks for reading everyone. Love you all :)

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

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Physical Mailing Address:

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

Major Accident - Opposition In All Things - Elder Choez Finished Strong - Sonia, Sixto & Laticia Baptized - Training A New Zone Leader - Elder Hawk Is Engaged!

This Saturday was one of the hardest as well as most interesting days of my mission. It was also the last day of the mission of my companion, Elder Choez. He served a great mission and I am very proud of him. Like I said 6 weeks ago when I got here, we put a goal to "sprint to the finish" together, well... to his finish, I just picked up the pace a little bit ;)

Now I will be training a new zone leader! He is actually an Elder who I watched and helped start his mission, while I was in Garupa! He is going to be a Zone leader with only 4 months in the mission and I am super excited to see how I can help him become a great leader. His name is Elder Cancino and is from Chile and his trainer was one of my greatest friends Elder Hawk. Speaking of Elder Hawk, I just got a letter from him saying that he is already engaged! How crazy is that! It seems like yesterday we were walking the streets together, and now he is getting married. I am really proud of him and wish him the best.

As I was saying, Saturday was an incredibly difficult as well as wonderful day for a number of reasons. I sent the story to my Dad in form of a picture, so I hope he will be able to type it out. 

Here is the story/journal entry Taylor was talking about...typed up and italicized below:

19 de Septiembre Todaywas so crazy.  I can't even believe it.  All I know is that there is opposition in all things, especially when it comes to baptisms.  Today was the baptism day of the Hermana Sonia Martinez as well as Sixto Gauto and Laticia.  We had to be at the church at 5 to get everything ready.  So, after doing a few quick visits, we started making our way back to the church.  The day was sunny and WAY TOO HOT.  When all of a sudden a huge cloud came bursting in out of nowhere!  Thunder, lightning, hailstones, you name it!  We found a tiny little roof to hide under, but the wind was so strong that we were being drenched anyway.  It was raining sideways.  We noticed that someone still had there garage door open, so we got up to go and take refuge in there - when the family inside started to close the door.  We were scared and stuck in a huge storm.  Finally, someone from the distance called us over to come in their house.  We hurriedly made our way.  After entering the house, we thought for sure the baptism would be canceled.  But, only about 10 minutes after it started, it stopped completely (which is not something that usually happens here.  Normally, it just rains forever).  So, we didn't get to teach the family, because we were so hurried, but were very blessed with the fact that we could go to get to the baptism.  So we went on our way, to make our 30 minute walk to the church. 

Now, I am going to take a step back in the story.  This morning I was praying.  I prayed and realized that I used to get emotional with spiritual things in lessons, in baptisms, etc, but recently it had not been like that.  So, I pleaded to God that he would help me to be brave enough to have emotion.  Well, I think I got my answer today.  We were making our 30 minute walk to the church.  Now with the sun shining very bright again, when all of a sudden we heard a loud crash.  We looked behind us and flying in the air was a man who had just wrecked his motorcycle.  He skidded in a huge puddle of water in the road (which saved his skin) for about 25 more feet.  I ran in to the middle of the road to help him.  Two other men got to him first (by the way we are on a highway of about 55 mph) and I decided to gather all the broken pieces of his bike and helmet (that flew off his head) and all of his possessions.  I brought them to the side of the road where the on coming cars wouldn't run into them.  Two men helped him (carried him) to the side of the road.  He couldn't move and was drastically injured.  I wanted to offer him a blessing so bad, but soon after the crash, hundreds of people gathered around him.  Elder Choez and I decided to say our own prayer and plead that he would be okay.  The ambulance came and I still don't know if he lived or not.  We were in shock and I couldn't talk.  We walked the 30 minutes in silence.  I felt like throwing up.  We got to the church and I sat down and cried.  Then I prayed and cried some more.  I had never seen anything like that in my life, more importantly, I had never felt so helpless and useless. 

The baptism would start in a half hour.  We got everything ready.  The baptism was about to start.  The talks happened.  My companion entered the water and took Sonia Martinez by the hand and baptized her.  There was peace.  Peace in my heart.  I remembered that as we die with Christ in this symbol, we are resurrected new and pure as he was lifted from the grave.  2 Nefi 2:11-12  There must be opposition in all things.

With opposition that day, the peace that I felt was ever so powerful because of the uneasiness that was about me beforehand.  I don't know if that man lived or not, but I do know that he will have a chance to meet the missionaries (whether its during or after this life). 

I am so proud of Sonia and her decision to be baptized. 

It was the most amazing way to end the mission of my companion.  

I love this gospel.

Also, just so my parents know, I traded cameras with my companion. His, now my, camera has wifi capabilities so I can now send photos without any danger of getting a virus! Woo hoo!

Thank you all for all your love and support and I hope you all have a great Pday ;)

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

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Physical Mailing Address:

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

Taylor Has A Referral For Tanner In Ohio! - Praying/Fasting For Josh Hinton - Multiple Baptisms - Great Sister Missionaries Remind Taylor Of His Sisters Amber & Shauna - Interviews/A Great Honor

 
Well I don't think this letter will be particularly long, I do, however, want to share a few things with you all this week.

Sonia is doing great. She will be baptized this Saturday and I really hope that many of you can have her in your prayers, as our goals for her extend much further than this Saturday. She will be baptized along with 3 others from our zone! We are very happy with the sister missionaries in this zone, really learning to work hard. Of the 4 Sisters who have baptisms this week the most experienced has 4 months. Wow! They amaze me that even though they are new, they don't let that get in the way of the Lord's work! They honestly make me think about my sisters Amber and Shauna. They are so determined to do what's right, and hope to always do what the Lord would have them do. I hope my sisters know that I love them a whole lot.

One of the baptisms this week will be of Laticia. I had the opportunity to do the interview, and I felt a great humbling as she truly sought guidance from me as she is trying to start this spiritual journey in her life. I remember when I was younger, (and even frequently now in interviews with the president of the mission) I would be spiritually uplifted and was often in awe of how they could speak with such power. In no way can I say that I speak with such power as they did for me, but I do feel a great honor, that someone like Laticia would seek guidance from someone so insignificant as me.

Quick update on the Garcia family... they weren't in there cliff house! We had an appointment, but they weren't there, and it is quite difficult to get there, so we will see if we can go find them later on this week. But with the fact that they weren't there, we took advantage and took some pictures of me walking on water... 

 

(dad put the picture upside down and have the water facing up, it looks sooooooo cooooool!!!)

Last little bit of news, we found a Peruvian family! We started teaching them and they even came to church this week and decided that they wanted to treat us to dinner! IT was the MOST AMAZING FOOD EVER. We will be teaching them this week and Ill let ya know how they are doing next week. The most crazy thing about them is that they have family in OHIO... yeah. They live in the very mission that my best friend just started serving his mission, and of course they speak more Spanish than English, and Tanner just happens to be one of 6 missionaries out of 200, in that mission who is in charge of the Spanish speaking investigators. Coincidence? I don't think so. He will be getting me the reference this coming week, so I will send Tanner the reference this coming Monday.

I am still blown away by the many ways that God is bringing to pass this work. It is spreading like wild fire, because it is the truth. Tanner was sent to Ohio, for MANY reasons, I was sent here for MANY reasons, but it would make me SO happy if I could somehow "tag-team" an investigator with my buddy Elder Vario.

I love you all and hope you all know that I am with you in your frequent prayers and fasting for my good friend Josh Hinton.

#TeamHintonallthewayfromParaguay

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

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Physical Mailing Address:

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

Team Teaching Marcos - Marcos Baptized By Best Friend - Teaching The Garcia Family - Sonia Baptism Set For 9/19/15 - Lost Pictures Again :-( Trying To Recover

It has been a great week, and we are really seeing the hand of the Lord push forward the work here in Ciudad del Este. Our zone last month (given that it is a very small zone) suffered a bit of a "drought" and did not have any baptisms. Although this is always tough, we still are working hard. The Elders and Sisters here, are doing great, and we have 7 (and possibly more) baptisms planned for this coming 19 of September as a zone in all.

We, along with sisters of another area in our zone, had the privilege to "co teach" a joven... still don't know how to say that in English (joven = young man)... named Marcos David. He lives in the Area of the Sisters, but has lots of friends and family in our ward, so we both got to help him out towards his baptism. 

It was such a great experience to get to know him, and help him and I know I will keep in contact with him after my mission. This experience really made me think a lot about the experience that I had with Tanner, because the best friend of Marcos was able to baptize him, just like I had the privilege of doing with Tanner. It really gave me flash backs as I watched them grow together, and grow in the gospel, like Tanner and I did together. Now we are both on missions. I told Marcos how I felt, and gave him the watch that I had been using for my whole mission, and said, bud, this is the watch I have used for my whole mission. Its been with me every step of the way. Wear it and remember the great opportunity that you can have to take this watch on your own mission.

 

We have found quite a number of new investigators, one is a family who lives right next to a huge river that I didn't even know existed. The son is 10 and blind, and the mom is very pregnant, and there are 4 other children always running around being crazy ;) The only way to get to their house is descending several hundred feet going down what is basically a cliff and trying not to fall. They all have desires of possibly being baptized, but have yet to put a date. They are named the family Garcia.

Sonia Martinez had her birthday this Sunday, and I gave her one of my name tags. She was very happy with her gift. She is still baffled about what happened that late night on the bus when she saw us sleeping on the bus, as a direct answer to her prayer. She is doing great and will be baptized also on the 19th.

Well... as happens quite frequently, all my fotos just got erased... again. but my companion says he knows how to recover them, so I will send them in a few hours I think! 

 

This is Taylor's Dad,

As you can see, there are pictures in this blog post, so I am assuming that he recovered the pictures that were lost.  The e-mail that I got with the pictures did not contain any explanations or further information, just the pictures so I put them where I thought they fit best in his letter, though I am not 100% sure of the people, places, experience...he may correct me later :-) 

 

 

Picture above looks like a service project, but Taylor didn't tell us about this one, so...here's the picture of him painting.  Not sure what he is painting, but I am sure that someone is grateful for the help :-)

 

Back to Taylor's letter,

It is amazing how quickly the time seems to be going. I feel like just yesterday I arrived in Carlos a. Lopez, and was a lost little boy wondering how I was ever going to understand anyone, how I would get over missing my family, and how I could ever learn to become a good teacher. All I can say is that with time, as I have obeyed God's will for me, He has helped me develop into who I am today, and I know that none of this could have ever happened without the trials of this great mission.

 

I love you all,

 

Elder Graves

Argentina Posadas Mission

LA IGLESIA DE

JESUCRISTO

DE LOS SANTOS

DE LOS ÚLTIMOS DÍAS 

 

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

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

Write to Elder Graves in 1 of 3 ways  :

1. E-mail -  tgraves@myldsmail.net

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Physical Mailing Address:

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

 

Taylor's New Zone Is Almost All Sisters! (Only 4 Elders) - Visited Temple Grounds - Two Youth To Be Baptized - FHE With 35 People! - Listening To 2 Apostles Via Satellite - Sonia Martinez To Be Baptized!

Well last week I couldn't send very many pictures, but this week my goal will be to send more. It looks like this computer is also very slow, so we will see how it goes. We unfortunately did not get to go in the temple, but I loved every moment being close to it. We just took a little time to breath some fresh air and feel the spirit that is on the temple grounds.


 I dont know if I told you or not yet, but the zone that I am in is VERY different from the old one. My old zone had 25 missionaries. 17 of them being Elders. So basically we just dealt with the Elders and the Sister missionary leaders worked with the sisters. My new zone, has only these 4 good looking preachers :) The rest of the zone is sisters... you might as well call my the relief society president.

Here is a good view from the balcony of the house of a members home. They are so generous and always give us to eat every Wednesday. (They are from Brazil so their food is incredible).

This is a group of very strong members of the Church here in Ciudad del Este. We were planning on teaching David Marcos (the joven... how do you say that in English Dad???... in blue)  Added by Taylor's Dad - Joven means "youth or young man". He is living in another part of the city but has been coming to our ward because his friends are going to that ward. He will be baptized this Saturday! He is awesome. It is a really interesting situation, and really makes me think about the time when I was helping Tanner with the missionaries. (Or really he was helping me). His sister will soon be baptized also, and the parents are both investigating the church as well. This Family Home Evening was supposed to be with about 10 people, but in the end we ended up explaining the importance of baptism and our testimony of the restoration of the true church in front of about 35 people.

I think the greatest part of this week was when we got to hear from 2 apostoles. They spoke to this part of the world via satellite, and translators. One of the great things that they really focused in on was the importance of the young men of this generation. The importance that they have, especially those who are getting ready to go on a mission. They quoted president Gordon B. Hinckley saying (this is from my memory and not an exact quote) "Every great moment that has happened to me in my life has happened because of the incredible trials that I passed through on my mission. I would not be who I am if I had not served a full time mission."
Looking back now I am amazed what I have become, although I can not boast of myself, because truly I am week, (as it says in my home ward on my mission plaque but in God I have found my strength. I am such a different person than who I was going to become if I had not served a mission.
I love you all!

Also, I cant believe I forgot to tell you all, Sonia Martinez, will be baptized on the 19th of September, (the day before my companion goes home to Ecuador!!!) and we are super happy for her! We have a family home evening with her and a less active family tonight, so pray for us!

Elder Graves

Argentina Posadas Mission

LA IGLESIA DE

JESUCRISTO

DE LOS SANTOS

DE LOS ÚLTIMOS DÍAS 

 

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

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

Write to Elder Graves in 1 of 3 ways  :

1. E-mail -  tgraves@myldsmail.net

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Physical Mailing Address:

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