Preaching To Goats :-) - Our Greatest Advantages Are Our Disadvantages - Sick Missionaries Still Working - Guided - 5 Investigators & Several Less Active Members In Church!

Well we got to the Cyber, I really don't think there is an English word for Cyber... it would be like computer lab, and it was closed yesterday. So we couldn't write, so we decided to just take a few minutes instead of Language study to write and let everyone know that we are doing well, and we didn't just decide not to write. We almost were going to have to wait to write until Friday because of the scheduling situations, and I could only imagine how my Mom would go crazy if we had to do that! Luckily we were able to find a Cyber early this morning here in another city where we are about to visit other missionaries here in the mission.

Well sometimes when there is lots of rain, and mud and people just want to stay inside, we preach the gospel to the goats. They listen to us usually ;) 

Haha but yes this week has been a very rainy one, but it has been very fun also, full of trials, and blessings. In our zone we have had, in this week, 5 companionships get sick and have to take some time to recover. Unfortunately, one of those being me again... haha! But, me being me, I didn't want to take a break, because staying in the house all day is really boring, and preaching the gospel is really fun! I decided that even though, maybe I was feeling pretty bad I decided to go out. 

Really the reason that I am motivated to keep working even when it gets hard is because of my dad. He recently taught me through a letter about something very important, and now as I am typing I am thinking that I might have already shared this, but oh well. He taught me that the greatest advantages we have are the disadvantages that God gives us. What this is wanting to say is that when God gives us trials, he is only trying to see, that even though the times have gotten tough we still love Him so much to give him our might, mind and strength. How many times did Job, receive trials directly allowed by God, and he continued to serve the Lord, never blaming Him, only giving him thanks for a chance to grow.

So I´m not saying its bad to take a break, a few weeks ago I wrote about the necessity of breaks, but I am saying that sometimes, if the Spirit indicates, we should take the challenge and run with it.

 Alright... well the day after that, my illness intensified, and was only able to go out and work a little bit. We went to visit an investigator named Victor, who is working on putting his baptismal date. But as we walked I began to realize that I wasn't going to make it the whole day. We had to go home and rest. For those who know me, they know that when I don't have much to do for too much time I go crazy. So, what happened is that at 7 o'clock, after resting for about 4 hours, I felt an intense need to go visit 2 investigators. My companion thought I was crazy, but I said that I felt like the spirit had influenced my thoughts too many times to think about them, to not go visit them and invite them to the church. So we got ready, said a prayer, and headed out the door...well almost, as I stepped out the door, I had to make a trip to the bathroom and throw up a little bit of lunch, and my companion continued to think I was crazy to leave and visit these investigators. 

Well we got out to the road, and started walking, and... you guessed it, I threw up in the road... haha. It was embarrassing, but that's okay :) We kept going, and made it to the house.

We made it to their house, and felt a change of environment in there house. They always were very doubtful, but this time understood and accepted out message and decided to come to church. 

As week worked hard through, sickness, poor planning, rain, rain and rain, and hail, and thunder and lightning storms, and fire, and lava etc. we truly recieved many blessings. We had 5 investigators at church (which is REALLY good for this area!) and several inactive members came to church also. 

My testimony is that if we act while its easy we will be blessed, but when we act when its not easy, that is when God can bless us with true miracles. He sees that our will is becoming like His.

This is our investigator Victor, who I mentioned earlier. He is awesome! (I am only holding a smart phone because we had just taken a #selfie with Victor and he later sent it to my Dad via Facebook). Also, I am not sure if this is the first time you all have seen our chappel, but it is pretty big! I love it

I felt like this statue was really funny looking and I had to imitate it. Haha.

Well I better go! Thanks for reading again! Love all of you, and I love this gospel that I get to preach every day.

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