... I'm training again!

Greetings.

Well this week was crazy. I think I say that a lot. Well, that's because it happens a lot! So just fasten your sea tbelts, it's time to get started on this weeks roller-coaster adventure!

...so are you ready yet? Okay... ¡Vamos!

So we started out the week with exchanges with a companionship from Parque Patricios, the Brazilians, Elders Almeida and Lopes. But it was a weird exchange because all five of us were in the villa! We made two companionships and I was with Elder Sagriptani and Elder Almeida. We got to one of our lessons and met with this lady that is SOOOOO ELEGIDA. Like crazy. We were talking about the restoration and had gotten to the Book of Mormon and she told us that she and her son have been looking for a church for a while but they can't seem to find the right one. We were like WELL THIS IS WHAT YOUR LOOKING FOR. HERE, READ THis BOOK. So yeah. I expect great things from them. =) 

Then Wednesday night we received shocking news. We got a call from Presidente that Elder Sagripanti would be going to the offices, and that I was going to be Elder Justice's new trainer! We were really surprised! That next morning we shipped off Elder Sagripanti in a remis all by himself, and I put my imaginary training boots on again and we got to work! We helped a lady push her salchipapa cart to her house and BOOM. We have another family to teach. 

We also called up an old contact and BOOM. Another family. We are seeing a lot of miracles right now. Elder Justice is a great missionary and we really try to follow the Spirit to know what to do. We have really great unity which helps us be more open to following the Spirit. 

We had another great experience yesterday when we were walking past a park and felt inspired to talk to a lady who was outside with her kids. We got talking and she told us that she thought her husband was cheating on her with another woman and she was waiting in the park because she had just told him to pack up and leave. We were able to give her a Libro de Mormón and testify that it will bring her her more help then anything else, and we are going to meet with her later this week! There are so many blessings waiting for us if we stop and listen.

We were able to participate in the worldwide day of service on Saturday! The stake inside Buenos Aires city went to a Catholic hospital and did some landscaping. We got to wear these jazzy aprons that say Manos Mormones que Ayudan (Mormon Hands that Help) and I helped sand down the fence so they could put on a new coat of paint. I also helped dig a hole. So yeah. Yay for service!

Those are some of the big highlights of the week! Stay tuned for more next week. I hope you all are preparing good questions to go into General Conference with. Take advantage of this great opportunity we have to listen to the prophet's voice! 

Thanks for all your prayers and concerns for us missionaries. We love you guys!

See you all soon enough,

Elder Hardcastle

No photos because I forgot my camera. 

a las corridas

¡Hola a todos! Que semana, ¿verdad? I feel like we have been on the go for the whole thing. And since like Wednesday we don't have hot water (don't worry it's getting fixed...) , so it is back to the good ol' bucket baths! haha 

It was another week here in Soldati. Being in the trio, it really seems like every day brings on a new challenge. No two days are the same. It seemed like this week seemed to pass particularly slow, but we were able to see some miracles by the time Sunday came around (a family in the church and less actives that I have never seen that want to come back). I am trying to keep with the giving 3 LDM a day (the challenge changed to three a day), but it is hard trying to juggle that with all the appointments we have! This Friday we were able to go and do visits with one of our recent converts, Hermana Felicia. You should meet her, she is really one of the greatest people I have ever met. She went to an appointment with us, and then when we were returning to her house she led us to two referrals! One of them is a family where the father is a member but veeeeeeeery inactive. But he has a big family (like seven kids), and we are going to stop by to talk with them this Friday. This lady knows like everyone! 

We also had one day where the whole threesome went to Villa 1-11-14 for divisiones and stayed the night with the zone leaders and the other companionship there. Party for seven in their apartment. Except it's not much of a party when everyone is so tired. Also, I slept on the ground. =)

I have been seeing some blessing of opening my mouth. Last Wednesday we were teaching a man outside of his house and I was thinking 'I need to contact one of his neighbors,' I was pretty sure a couple months ago another elder had gone through the apartment building and contacted the residents, so I wasn't too motivated. But one of them was walking into his house, so I ran over to talk to him and give him a pass along card. He pretty much rejected talking to me, but I felt satisfied from talking to him. Fast forward a couple of minutes. We are still teaching this man and the neighbor came out of his house and asked what church we were from. We got talking and he had met the missionaries years before when he was living in Japan! In the same mission where my brother just got back from. And he wants us to come back so we can teach his whole family! We have an appointment with him later today. One of the greatest parts for me was when he said that he felt bad after closing the door, ''because it's like closing the door on Jesus.'' It was really gratifying to me having this man recognize the the importance of our calling as missionaries. We are truly representatives of our Savior!

The other little miracle I saw was when we were contacting at the house of a lady that we'd given a LDM to, and I asked her sister, who was leaving, if we could give her an invitation to the church (the simple church invite is a great lead into talking about the Book of Mormon I think), she showed quite a bit of interest and was planing on going to church! Until we passed by her house and she was having to take care of her sister's kids. But she had read what we left in her LDM so I think she really has desires to learn more. She has her fair share of trials right now and the Gospel could really help her. 

Those are some of the highlights of this week! I hope you are all preparing for GENERAL CONFERENCE! I was thinking the other day 'hey, conference should be coming up soon,' AND IT'S COMING UP MY FRIENDS. So go and prepare, and watch your questions be answered.  =)

See you all soon enough! 
Elder Hardcastle=)

Photos, 

1.  Fit life. Running in the rain. We ran over to this park I have wanted to visit for a long time
2.  Our post-run lunch. 

Cat Lady for the Win

Hello Family and Friends!

This week was interesting. Last pday Elder Boccazzi got a phone call that he got his flight plans, and would be leaving THE NEXT DAY. Surprise. So Tuesday we took all his stuff to Presidente Smith's house and went with Pte and Hna Smith to lunch. They took us to this fancy American restaurant, called Kansas. It was really good and it was weird seeing a menu in English. Anyways we passed a good moment with the Smiths and Pte. Smith let us in on some mission secrets about some upcoming stuff in the mission. And then it was time to go and I said goodbye to Elder Boccazzi, and said hello to my new companions, Elder Sagripanti and Elder Justice.

Same area, same Elder Hardcastle, different companions. The trio life is back again! The third time is the charm, right?

This week we started with a lot of passion. Elder Sagripanti, a district leader, got us all pumped up and got me out of my comfort zone by doing a Book of Mormon presentation in the train one day, and then singing before the leadership meeting in the subway and train with another companionship of Elders until the security told us to stop. =) He is really good at pushing me to do things that are hard for me. 

This week with this new Book of Mormon initiative we have we started with great fire. Presidente wants us to give away 8 Libros de Mormón as a companionship every day and to use it as our first contact. The first time we did it we gave away 8 books and we had so many appointments to get to the next day! With all the commotion it was hard to find time to do it again,  I am going to get back into the groove this week. I think two factors that are holding us back is organization and time management, But with a little polishing we will be potent forces to be dealt with in good ol' Villa Soldati.

I had a fun experience yesterday with a lady. We were trying to be all multidimensional and so when my companions were talking at one house, I went to contact the neighboring one. I am still trying to figure out a good way to start the contact so it comes more natural, and I saw the house had a cat sticker outside (and I love cats) and when the lady answered the door I hadn't quite prepared myself and was like, ''ummm, hi. I like your cat sticker'' but it seemed to work and we got talking and she seems so prepared! Somehow introducing the LDM food fell on the floor and she was like ''Esto es más importante que torta frita'' (This is more important than the scone). Yeah it is. By the end she was holding the Book of Mormon like it was the most precious thing in the world! We are going to pass by Tuesday, but I am holding for good things! Pray for her! She also has the most gorgeous cat. It is like the one from the grumpy cat memes, but not grumpy. =) 

Well that is about it for this week! I LOVE being a missionary, it is the most difficult thing I have ever done, but I wouldn't change it for the world. 

See you all soon enough!
Elder Hardcastle