Week 8 in San Fernando: Mini Mission teacher and Cordoba Temple dedication

Talk about a ton of stuff to cover and never sufficient time to do so! This last week I reached my 10 month mark in the mission! How the time flies! Hopefully this weekly letter will be enjoyable, spiritual, and inspiring:)

Ausi and I at the Despedida a few weeks back!

So, without further adieu, let´s get started!

11 Lunes: Alma 22:4

A peaceful Pday:) The real beauty of the day was when we called President to ask him if we could continue teaching Lilian. There had been a couple questions regarding whether we could teach her, but after talking with President we were told that we could continue to teach her, and help her take the steps to be baptized and confirmed. My companion and I were absolutely thrilled! 

12 Martes: Doctrine and Covenants 123:16 "You know that a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the wind and the waves."

A wonderful District Meeting! I actually shared a lot during the meeting. I shared regarding the chip metaphor Hermano Roberts had shared in the MTC (That we have to let people TASTE the gospel, versus showing them the bag and telling them how tasty it is. They have to EXPERIENCE it.) My companion talked about the lesson we had with the Chavez family and how we had followed the spirit. I also shared how the spirit truly was the key to everything, and that we needed to do more teaching and less scheduling for the next appointment. We were all able to learn from each other and left with a competition in the works, to see which companionship could find the most new investigators throughout the week. My companion and I excitedly accepted. (Having already lived the week, I can state proudly that Hermana Riquelme and I won! The most important result was that every one found many new investigators, and every companionship has at least one person progressing toward baptism!)

13 Miércoles: Helaman 5:12 "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

We were headlong into the "new" competition by now! Elder Miles and Elder Rios had found 3 new investigators, which put them up to 4 for the week. Elder Roberts and Elder Bonilla had found 4! We had found one, putting us up to 5:) We were already feeling more united as a district:) Also, had the opportunity to talk to Lilian on the phone and check up with her. She's so amazing! She already knows So much. She was reading the pamphlet about the plan of salvation after reading the one over the gospel of Christ three or four times! She's also starting at the beginning of the Book of Mormon and is doing everything she can to understand it and apply it. She truly wants her own testimony of these things and my companion and I couldn't be more happy to be teaching her and to see the progress she is making! 

14 Jueves: Matthew 28:19-20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and , lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

We got to go to Zulma's to teach Lilian! She taught Us lesson 2 and 3, and all we had to do was testify of the truthfulness. We also went over the plan of salvation briefly, although she didn't really need it. Her testimony is so strong already! She will be baptized this upcoming Saturday (23) and confirmed on the 24th so that she can go to the temple with the other sisters on the 30th! How marvelous is this work!

15 Viernes: Alma 32:1 "And it came to pass that they did go forth, and began to preach the word of God unto the people, entering into their synagogues, and into their houses; yea, and even they did preach the word in their streets."

We went to see Raquel, a woman we had met the day before who was mourning the loss of her husband. We managed to find her house, although we had no direct address, and stopped by EXACTLY when she was home. We came in and began sharing our message with her. At one point the spirit testified to me, strongly, that the spirit of her husband was With us. With his wife. I shared such with her, testifying that the spirit of her husband was present. As I did so tears fell down my cheeks. My companion was crying as well. The spirit hit us like a wall, overwhelming the three of us- When we left the house Hermana Riquelme turned to me and told me that she was going to say the same thing that I had said, and that the spirit had testified of such to her as well. As she shared this we both felt the tears coming back. I'll never be able to deny that feeling in her house. How close and Present her husband was. It was extremely powerful and spiritual. 

16 Sabado: Alma 17:17-18 (Scripture summary: They headed off to preach the word of God.)

10 months! 

An AMAZING day! After studying Hermana Riquelme and I went to the church to help with the Mini MTC that would be taking place. When we arrived we were greeted by a host of "mini" missionaries. The other missionaries, or members of our zone, however, weren't anywhere to be found yet. Hermana Riquelme and I helped one of the sisters prepare a gigantic, bath-tub sized vat of hot chocolate before the rest showed up. (It's starting to get cold down there as it warms up in the United States.) We were later split into 4 "missions". Hermana Riquelme and I headed off Rancagua, Chile, where my cousin Dominique is serving right now! Right before entering the classroom we were told that we would be teaching the plan of salvation, and that we had 25 minutes to do so. I was a little nervous, not going to lie, as we had nothing prepared. But, as the spirit seems to do for me lately, I was provided with the direction needed to pull something together. It actually went really well and I loved it!

Later that night we headed to the cultural event for the Cordoba temple. I'd never seen one, so I was super pumped! We watched it with Lilian on our left, and Leo (a new investigator we found during the week) on our right. Literally surrounded by investigators: what a beautiful feeling! I loved the presentation. Lots of dancing and bright colors. At the end, white strips of banner that formed a screen on which to project the temple. All around the temple thousands of flashing lights, each light a person, a soul, a Latter-day Saint. And as I came close to tears I thought, "Did Joseph Smith know how great the church would become?" I know he did.  During one of the short videos at the beginning it showed an acorn sprouting. At first it was a little leafy plant thing. But then it suddenly became an enormous tree with branches strong and sure, stretching out in every direction. It was a metaphor for how the church in South America would grow. It was a Powerful sight , to see the huge tree spring forth from almost nothing. It was just like any other acorn perhaps, but inside something GREAT: President Uchtdorf and Elder Christofferson were the authorities of the church present. Pres Uchtdorf talked about allowing this weekend to be a new beginning, a fresh slate. To start from this weekend to create your own legacy.

Cordoba Temple

17 Domingo: 3rd Nephi 11:1 "And now it came to pass that there were a great multitude gathered together, of the people of Nephi, round about the temple which was in the land Bountiful; and they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one to another the great and marvelous change which had taken place."

Let me attempt to describe the temple dedication of Cordoba. Everything about the dedication was simple and beautiful. I had brought along my notebook and as the various speakers shared was able to take notes, writing down both phrases heard and impressions received. There was much shared concerning the family and its importance. President Uchtdorf invited us to record this day for our own purposes and said that we must have open hearts, willing to receive the promptings and company of the Holy Ghost. He said this was a day to be remembered forever.

All I can say is this: As President Uchtdorf so appropriately stated, "This is a day to be remembered, forever."

Hermana Dickson

Week 7 in San Fernando : Got to Skype with my family for Mother's Day ;D

Man was this week wonderful! It might have been a little rough at times, as we tried to find people to teach or members to accompany us, but the miracles have come, the spirit has been present, and I got to finish off the week talking to my beloved family!

(Reed, excited to skype with his sister, Mallory)

(The blessings of technology)

(The first thing we saw when we turned on skype)

My companion and I started picking a scripture to go with every day, so enjoy the scriptures, and look them up, as we go through a quick run down of May 6th to May 10th:)

Wednesday: Alma 17:11 "And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls."

After weekly planning and lunch we headed out to work:) Out of the three members that said they could accompany us all fell through, leaving us a little lonely and feeling a little stranded in the calle, or street. As the day progressed and we just couldn't seem to find anyone, whether in their houses or on the street, I was getting a little frustrated. I wanted nothing more than to teach, to work, to help others. Out of our 5 scheduled appointments almost All of them fell through.

The view from my "backyard"

As the day started winding down I asked my companion if she wanted to visit the familia Chavez. They weren't written down in our plans, but regardless I felt that we should visit them. She agree, and off we went. To our great surprise and happiness they were actually home and had time to let us visit! We came in without a clue as to what we would share or teach. I didn't want to just share a scripture and skip out of their house. I had brought a block game for a different appointment that had fell through, so I decided to make it useful. I had found the blocks laying around the apartment and had decided they might be fun to use. Without a clue as to how I wanted to use the blocks, I told the family that I had a game for them.

Teaching the familia Chavez can be a little complicated, as it consists of active members, less active members, and non members. At the table with us was Sara Chavez (member), her husband (not a member), her daughter Claudia (less active), and the daughter of Claudia, Dana (not a member either). I poured the blocks out on the table and told each person in the family, including my comp and I, to take a block. Written on the blocks were different words, like scriptures, family, faith, priesthood, etc. As soon as each person had a block I told the family that we would be building a tower out of the blocks and that each block would be essential in building a strong and sturdy tower. I invited each person in the family to explain to the group of us why their block, the topic written on it, was important before adding it to our tower.

At Camila's Baptism

Hermana Yancey

Camila and I

Mis hijas y Camila :)

We talked of prophets, baptism, the sacrament, etc. The members bore testimony, and those who weren't members really enjoyed the game and were asking lot of questions. It was such a good way of bringing up a little bit of everything we believe in as members of the church! After the tower was built I asked 13 year old Dana to take out one of the blocks without making the tower fall. Due to how the tower was built she was unable to do so, and the tower fell. I then asked her to set it back up. Maybe it was just that particular block, and if we took out a different block we would get different results. Sara's husband tried next. He really took his time, trying to get the tower to stay upright, but had the same luck as his granddaughter. We then talked of how every block, or every thing, was essential, and that we had to have all or the tower would fall, and we wouldn't have the strength that we needed to carry on.

We then read Alma 38:2 which reads:

"And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end."

We then talked about the strength of keeping the commandments and Claudia bore her testimony. We then asked each member of the family to take one of the blocks. Based on their topic we assigned each one of them a reading assignment with one of the three missionary pamphlets. They accepted the "homework" and we scheduled to meet with them on Tuesday. It was an AMAZING lesson! The spirit was present and everyone in the family was edified. And yet, I had gone into the lesson with no idea of what we would be presenting. It was truly completely led by the spirit. I had had the opportunity to teach and to bring the spirit. God truly had heard my prayers.

Cool statue in the park

As we were heading over to a different appointment we ran into the primary president, who accompanied us and thanked us for all of the help we'd provided for Camila. What a miracle!

Thursday: Alma 26:31 "Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few?  I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us."

The morning started out with a great Zone meeting! I learned that no matter what the spirit tells me, I Have to act on it and Do what it tells me to do. That we teach and find whether or not we have a member to accompany us. That after many no's we'll have a yes.

We got to teach Lilian! She had gone to church the Sunday before and seemed very eager to learn more:) We stopped by Zulma's house, her friend, and were able to teach her the Restoration. I loved how excited Lilian was to learn. We invited her to be baptized the 24th and she accepted. We love her so much! We also visited with Estephanie and her family and talked about the mission, Walter and his little son and reminded him that his family is more important to him than money (Alma 39:14) "seek not after riches nor the vain things of the world; for behold, you cannot carry them with you.", as well as Carmen about family history. It was almost the opposite of the day before, when we spent almost the whole day on the street! It was a great blessing:)

Beautiful sunset here

Friday: Ether 10:34 "Now Com did fight against them much; nevertheless, he did not prevail against them."

What a struggle! Lunch went really well, and we ran into President and his wife on the train back, no big deal. Great to see them:) We spent the rest of the day trying to invite people to the Noche de Barrio. We got there early to help set up. At first there really weren't very many people, but as the night progressed we had a better sized group. It was quite fun:) Despite our best efforts we were not able to have lessons with a member, leaving us with 5 lessons in total for the entire week. Needless to say, I was pretty stressed!

Saturday: 1 Nephi 4:6 "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do."

A day of miracles and lessons with a member! We found two new investigators and were about to help Jorge Luis. We passed by the house to see if he was home. He actually was! We were able to talk to him and see how he was doing. By following the impressions of the spirit I was able to share an experience which got him to open up to us, and was able to share a scripture with him: Doctrine and Covenants 6:10,11, 15, 16.
 10 Behold thou hast a gift, and blessed art thou because of thy gift. Remember it is sacred and cometh from above—
 11 And if thou wilt inquire, thou shalt know mysteries which are great and marvelous; therefore thou shalt exercise thy gift, that thou mayest find out mysteries, that thou mayest bring many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, convince them of the error of their ways.
 15 Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth;
 16 Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart.

Domingo: 2 Nephi 5:27 "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."

We ended the week with style! With Saturday and Sunday we were able to have 14 lessons, bringing us close to our goal of 20! Camila was confirmed, and I got to sykpe with my family!!!!!!! I love them so much, each and every one of them! Mom, Dad, Reed, Hyrum, and Emilie! (Yes Emilie, Charli too). It was an amazing week!

I love all of you and am praying for you! Keep pressing forward and relying on your Savior. He truly does know, so much better than we do.

Hermana Dickson

We don't take a lot of pictures while we are out working so here is a "taste" of Argentine culture ;).

Remember Amigo Pancho:)

Flan from Jorge Luis

Grabbing Hamburgers for lunch before P-day at the mission home last week.

Making french toast

Week 6 in San Fernando: Our miracle baptism :) and transfers

How is everyone doing? Happy Mother's Day early! (And for those of you who aren't mothers, tell your mothers happy mother's day.) Lots of changes, little and big miracles, and, as always, lots to write about!

First off, we had transfers today. Hermana Yancey, my first daughter of the mission, is now serving in Urquiza (part of my old zone Belgrano) with Hermana Bustos. She was an amazing companion in every aspect and Hermana Riquelme and I are really feeling her absence, but are also really excited for her and all of the miracles she's going to bring to her new area! In fact, as Hermana Riquelme and I were kneeling down to pray before leaving our apartment, the fact that we were now just down to two hit me. I had to wait a couple minutes to say the prayer, as tears started falling. I'll tell you what, the mission turns you into such a big baby. But it's fine.

On our last night with the 3 of us, we had morroc ice cream (kind of like mouse tracks in the US with vanilla, and dulce de leche granizado (with chocolate chips).

Hermana Yancey, yo, Hermana Riquelme

On Monday we had a wonderful Pday in the mission house:) We made cookies, played Uno (appropriate given that we're in a Spanish speaking country...), and played ping-pong:) We took the train back home and got changed just in time to go out and work:)

At the mission home last P-day

On Tuesday we had divisions with Hermana Hawkins:) Hermana Riquelme went with Hermana Duràn to Tigre as Hermana Yancey and I stayed in San Fernando. It was a spectacular day. We found new people to teach, and had 7 citas fijas, or scheduled appointments. Of the 7, 4 were there. We were able to teach almost the entire day straight! 

On Wednesday the rain hit! It was freezing cold, but we bundled up and went off to our zone meeting! As a zone we had 15 baptisms this last month:) It was truly a miracle and a blessing! 

On Friday Hermana Yancey hit her four month mark! It's crazy to think that she already has 4 months in the mission!

Picture of my "baby" as promised last week.

Hermana Riquelme

On Sunday we had a miracle of a baptism! 

At the beginning of the week we went by Camila's to ask for permission to teach her. We had actually brought her to church with us the Sunday before, but had been told that she was a baptism of the ward and not of us. Later, while talking with our mission leader, we were told that it was a baptism of the mission, and that as soon as we had the permission of her parents that we could teach her. We stopped by on Tuesday while in divisions with Hermana Hawkins and got the permission from Juliana, Camila's mom. From there we taught her all of the lessons, she had her interview with our district leader on Saturday, and was baptized on Sunday.

 It was such a beautiful experience! Her mom came, as well as her brother who is already a member. One of the young men baptized her. She had already been going to church alone for months, if not years. She is truly an example of strength, of truly trying to follow the Savior. To get up at 8 every Sunday, at the age of 8 and younger, and walk with her 11 year old brother to the church is incredible. We didn't have to do much to help such an incredible girl get baptized. When we asked her on Tuesday when she wanted to be baptized she told us "this Sunday!" We obviously did everything we could to make such a reality.

Baptism of Camila

Yancey, yo, Riquelme

We also had the Despida, or the missionary farewell, on Sunday. I was singing with Hermana Hawkins, Elder Wilhelm, and Elder Thurgood (Hermana Durán on flute with Hermana Lines on piano). I was a little nervous, as I'm not big on singing in front of a couple hundred people, but I was told that it didn't go too badly, so I guess there's that;) It was truly a beautiful experience to be able to sing and share my testimony in such a way with so many. We sang, Yo sè que vive mi Señor, or, I know that my Redeemer lives. At the Despida I got to see Ausi, Brenda and Fatima Pucheta, and Hermana Weitl. It was so amazing to see all of them. It was goodbye for now with Brenda and Fatima, as the two of them will be leaving for their respective missions in four short weeks: Columbia and Bolivia. They're going to do amazing things! I also got to hear from Hermana Olmedo. Ausi had me do a voice recording for Hermana Olmedo before the Despida started, and at the end I got to hear the response. It was great to hear from her!   

I love you all and am so glad to be out here serving in Buenos Aires. It is a place of miracles. It is a place of love. It is a place of second chances. To get to know God. Nothing has compared with this time thus far in my life. I have never been so full of love. Seeing Brenda and Fatima heading off on the mission. Seeing Ausi and hearing from Hermana Olmedo. Hearing from Hermana Weitl that Emanuel received the Aaronic Priesthood. Hearing from the sisters of Parque Patricios that Domingo received the Aaronic Priesthood as well. Simply having the privilege of being the "mom" of two beautiful and talented daughters. I've never loved more than I do now.

Con todo mi amor,

Hermana Dickson

(Mallory was assigned the same computer as last week that won't send pictures.  So a huge thank you to Hermanas Yancey and Riquelme who forwarded their photos!)

My Argentine Surprise and Waiting Out the Miracles!

First of all, I thought I'd share that on Tuesday I became a mom for the second time in the mission! How quick! We received a call on Monday night from President, in which he told me I would be training Hermana Riquelme,from Buenos Aires, who was waiting for her visa to serve in Mexico. She is brand new in the mission:) She spent 2 weeks in the MTC in Argentina. On top of that, I am still with the wonderful Hermana Yancey, making us a trio! I have to say, I was a little overwhelmed, but so happy for the opportunity to serve in such a capacity! We have spent a wonderful week together, the three of us, and I feel so humbled to be training the two of them. It truly feels as though they are training me, helping me to stretch and become the missionary I've been called to be since day one.

My computer didn't work for pictures so today will include pictures from last week.

So lucky to be with Hawkins again:

On P-day last week: me, Hermana Hawkins, Duran, and Yancey

This Sunday, Hawkins and I will be singing with 2 elders accompanied by Hermana Duran (from Honduras) on the flute at the Despedida in San Fernando.

 In the train station:

This week we searched high and low for investigators, for people who truly have a hunger and thirst for the restored gospel of Christ. Throughout the process we were humbled, and were able to grow closer to Christ. Up until Sunday night we had yet to find one new person. We had made several plans Sunday morning to bring various people to church, but no one was there when we passed by. We had also sent out two different members to help us search out two investigators, but they had the same luck as us. All I knew was that we had done our part. As we were out on Sunday night, with Franklin accompanying us, he told us he had a friend that we could visit. He usually has people we can visit, but often they are old investigators from missionaries before or less active members. Regardless, we always try to visit them. 

This time, as we met the friend of Franklin I could quickly feel that he was an escogido, or someone ready and prepared to hear of the gospel. We invited him to church, gave him the pamphlet over the Restoration, and then I invited him to be baptized. He accepted for the date of the 17 of May. What a powerful blessing and sign of God's presence in the work after a week of searching! Often times, after all we can do, God seems to bless us, putting something or someone in our path that we never saw coming. It is such a testimony builder for me. 

More views of San Fernando

One of the biggest miracles of the week is watching my two hijas progress so quickly! They work together very well. Hermana Yancey has a great knowledge of this area, and Hermana Riquelme is very straight-forward and bold. The three of us truly make a powerful team. 

Some of our Zone:

The sister leaders and I

What a blessing to work with the best the mission has to offer! 

I love all of you:) Take care, and remember, the work isn't ours. 

It's His.

Hermana Dickson

Hopefully, the pictures of my "hija" come through next week!

One of my favorite talks from the most recent General Conference: Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

 "Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet"

                                 Referring to Easter:

"Without safety ropes, harnesses, or climbing gear of any kind, two brothers—Jimmy, age 14, and John, age 19 (though those aren’t their real names)—attempted to scale a sheer canyon wall in Snow Canyon State Park in my native southern Utah. Near the top of their laborious climb, they discovered that a protruding ledge denied them their final few feet of ascent. They could not get over it, but neither could they now retreat from it. They were stranded. After careful maneuvering, John found enough footing to boost his younger brother to safety on top of the ledge. But there was no way to lift himself. The more he strained to find finger or foot leverage, the more his muscles began to cramp. Panic started to sweep over him, and he began to fear for his life.

Unable to hold on much longer, John decided his only option was to try to jump vertically in an effort to grab the top of the overhanging ledge. If successful, he might, by his considerable arm strength, pull himself to safety.

In his own words, he said:

“Prior to my jump I told Jimmy to go search for a tree branch strong enough to extend down to me, although I knew there was nothing of the kind on this rocky summit. It was only a desperate ruse. If my jump failed, the least I could do was make certain my little brother did not see me falling to my death.

“Giving him enough time to be out of sight, I said my last prayer—that I wanted my family to know I loved them and that Jimmy could make it home safely on his own—then I leapt. There was enough adrenaline in my spring that the jump extended my arms above the ledge almost to my elbows. But as I slapped my hands down on the surface, I felt nothing but loose sand on flat stone. I can still remember the gritty sensation of hanging there with nothing to hold on to—no lip, no ridge, nothing to grab or grasp. I felt my fingers begin to recede slowly over the sandy surface. I knew my life was over.

“But then suddenly, like a lightning strike in a summer storm, two hands shot out from somewhere above the edge of the cliff, grabbing my wrists with a strength and determination that belied their size. My faithful little brother had not gone looking for any fictitious tree branch. Guessing exactly what I was planning to do, he had never moved an inch. He had simply waited—silently, almost breathlessly—knowing full well I would be foolish enough to try to make that jump. When I did, he grabbed me, held me, and refused to let me fall. Those strong brotherly arms saved my life that day as I dangled helplessly above what would surely have been certain death.”¹

My beloved brothers and sisters, today is Easter Sunday. Although we should always remember (we promise in our weekly sacramental prayers that we will), nevertheless this is the most sacred day of the year for special remembrance of brotherly hands and determined arms that reached into the abyss of death to save us from our fallings and our failings, from our sorrows and our sins. Against the background of this story reported by John and Jimmy’s family, I express my gratitude for the Atonement and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and acknowledge events in the divine plan of God that led up to and give meaning to “the love Jesus offers [us].”²

In our increasingly secular society, it is as uncommon as it is unfashionable to speak of Adam and Eve or the Garden of Eden or of a “fortunate fall” into mortality. Nevertheless, the simple truth is that we cannot fully comprehend the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ and we will not adequately appreciate the unique purpose of His birth or His death—in other words, there is no way to truly celebrate Christmas or Easter—without understanding that there was an actual Adam and Eve who fell from an actual Eden, with all the consequences that fall carried with it.

I do not know the details of what happened on this planet before that, but I do know these two were created under the divine hand of God, that for a time they lived alone in a paradisaical setting where there was neither human death nor future family, and that through a sequence of choices they transgressed a commandment of God which required that they leave their garden setting but which allowed them to have children before facing physical death.³ To add further sorrow and complexity to their circumstance, their transgression had spiritual consequences as well, cutting them off from the presence of God forever. Because we were then born into that fallen world and because we too would transgress the laws of God, we also were sentenced to the same penalties that Adam and Eve faced.

What a plight! The entire human race in free fall—every man, woman, and child in it physically tumbling toward permanent death, spiritually plunging toward eternal anguish. Is that what life was meant to be? Is this the grand finale of the human experience? Are we all just hanging in a cold canyon somewhere in an indifferent universe, each of us searching for a toehold, each of us seeking for something to grip—with nothing but the feeling of sand sliding under our fingers, nothing to save us, nothing to hold on to, much less anything to hold on to us? Is our only purpose in life an empty existential exercise—simply to leap as high as we can, hang on for our prescribed three score years and ten, then fail and fall, and keep falling forever?

The answer to those questions is an unequivocal and eternal no! With prophets ancient and modern, I testify that “all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.”⁴ Thus, from the moment those first parents stepped out of the Garden of Eden, the God and Father of us all, anticipating Adam and Eve’s decision, dispatched the very angels of heaven to declare to them—and down through time to us—that this entire sequence was designed for our eternal happiness. It was part of His divine plan, which provided for a Savior, the very Son of God Himself—another “Adam,” the Apostle Paul would call Him⁵—who would come in the meridian of time to atone for the first Adam’s transgression. That Atonement would achieve complete victory over physical death, unconditionally granting resurrection to every person who has been born or ever will be born into this world. Mercifully it would also provide forgiveness for the personal sins of all, from Adam to the end of the world, conditioned upon repentance and obedience to divine commandments.

As one of His ordained witnesses, I declare this Easter morning that Jesus of Nazareth was and is that Savior of the world, the “last Adam,”⁶ the Author and Finisher of our faith, the Alpha and Omega of eternal life. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive,”⁷ Paul declared. And from the prophet-patriarch Lehi: “Adam fell that men might be. … And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall.”⁸ Most thoroughly of all, the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob taught as part of a two-day sermon on the Atonement of Jesus Christ that “the resurrection must … come … by reason of the fall.”⁹

So today we celebrate the gift of victory over every fall we have ever experienced, every sorrow we have ever known, every discouragement we have ever had, every fear we have ever faced—to say nothing of our resurrection from death and forgiveness for our sins. That victory is available to us because of events that transpired on a weekend precisely like this nearly two millennia ago in Jerusalem.

Beginning in the spiritual anguish of the Garden of Gethsemane, moving to the Crucifixion on a cross at Calvary, and concluding on a beautiful Sunday morning inside a donated tomb, a sinless, pure, and holy man, the very Son of God Himself, did what no other deceased person had ever done nor ever could do. Under His own power, He rose from death, never to have His body separated from His spirit again. Of His own volition, He shed the burial linen with which He had been bound, carefully putting the burial napkin that had been placed over His face “in a place by itself,”¹⁰ the scripture says.

That first Easter sequence of Atonement and Resurrection constitutes the most consequential moment, the most generous gift, the most excruciating pain, and the most majestic manifestation of pure love ever to be demonstrated in the history of this world. Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from death in order that He could, like lightning in a summer storm, grasp us as we fall, hold us with His might, and through our obedience to His commandments, lift us to eternal life.

This Easter I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that Jesus still stands triumphant over death, although He stands on wounded feet. This Easter I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that He still extends unending grace, although He extends it with pierced palms and scarred wrists. This Easter I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that we can sing before a sweat-stained garden, a nail-driven cross, and a gloriously empty tomb:

How great, how glorious, how complete

Redemption’s grand design,

Where justice, love, and mercy meet

In harmony divine!¹¹

In the sacred name of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, amen."

 

The Official HalfWay Mark in the 18 month adventure series: Argentina!

On Thursday, the 16th of April, I celebrated my illustrious 9 month mark in the mission. This signifies that I am now halfway done with my mission, and everything is down hill and racing from here! In the very beginning of the mission President Ayre shared with my district regarding a certain mountain, the mountain of the mission. He drew it on the board, telling us that the first 9 months were all uphill, steep and rugged, without the ability to see the top or over to the other side. He then drew the second half, a sharp downward decline to the other side. He told us that as soon as we hit the halfway mark we were a blink from home, and would be fighting to keep up with the pace of the time. Let me tell you, at the beginning of the mission we all laughed/inwardly cried, thinking that such a day would Never come, as every day seemed to stretch into a month! And yet, having reached that top of the hill, I can safely say that President was completely right. The first 9 months were quite the climb. I couldn't see the top of the mountain, and the other side seemed impossibly far away. And now, hanging out on the top and looking down at the 9 months I have left, I can say beforehand that it's going to FLY by. I have been so blessed to have been sent to the best mission in the world, Buenos Aires Norte, Argentina. My other friends on missions may contest such, but it's an undisputed fact. ;)

 Hermana Hawkins and I, now in the same zone! (She's a sister training leader.)

 This is us after 9 months in the mission.

 Hermana Hawkins and I at the MTC together, in the beginning!

As for the week, Hermana Yancey and I have been working extremely hard to find escogidos, or people that truly are prepared and waiting to find the gospel. We made tons of plans, walked until my feet gave up, and talked with tons of people. And yet, we didn't end up finding anyone this week. I have to say, as yesterday rolled around and we didn't have anyone at church I was feeling pretty frustrated. On Saturday night I'd been pleased with the work we'd put in, and was sort of banking on the fact that the Lord would help us get someone to church. 

We didn't have anyone at church as an investigator. 

 

But, as we went through the rest of the day and I gave it more thought I couldn't help but see all the little miracles my companion and I had witnessed throughout the week. All the people we had touched in little ways. All of the effort we had put in. We hadn't been able to bring an investigator to church, but we had brought a young girl and her cousin to church. The young girl, Carmela, isn't baptized yet, although she has turned 8. The cousin was attending regularly, but always went at 9:30, missing the sacrament every week. We had gone to the house at 8:30 in the morning with the intent of bringing Juliana, Carmela's mom who isn't a member. She wasn't there, but we did bring the two girls to church. We brought two more souls to the sacrament. As I contemplated on the little act I couldn't help but Feel that we had done what we could do. That the Lord was pleased with our work, and that we Would find. 

 My view of San Fernando

from our porch/laundry room

 

 This is my 'washer and dryer'! It's outside on the balcony.

 

We saw many little miracles as we helped less active members feel the spirit. We didn't do anything out of the ordinary, or anything that hasn't been done before, but we brought the spirit. We shared from the scriptures, we prayed with them, we built them up spiritually and then asked for referrals. And we received quite a few referrals this week. I have realized that I need to do less "scheduling for the next appointment", and more acting in the moment. Sharing the scripture NOW, not setting another day to do it. Saying the prayer now, or inviting them to do so. Because these people need to feel the spirit Now. That is what is going to make the change in these people. In this work. I can't stress that enough. If we are not bringing the spirit to Every person we speak to we are Not succeeding. As missionaries. And also as members. 

 

In the train station of Tigre, waiting for our zone activity to start.

 

 train station

 

 Attempting to eat a cookie with no hands, fun p-day activity with the zone:

As we worked this week we brought the spirit, not only to those around us, but to each other. How I love the work. 

Letters to all my dear converts.

 

Turns out my current companion is an amazing artist and was studying art at BYU-I before the mission!

 

 

9 months to go! 

 With my current companion, Herman Yancey.

 

Hermana Dickson. 

 

(Thank you to all who prayed for and continue to pray for Mallory!  She had been quite sick for 3 weeks but is finally well.)

Week 3 in San Fernando

"You are having much more influence than it may feel like sometimes."

This comment shared with me this last week sums up this last week of missionary service. I feel that oftentimes we do not see the influence, the light that we are casting on those around us. It's hard to see a light that's within us, but very easy for those around us to see, to feel. This week consisted of overcoming sickness, district meetings, avoiding fish, working on the mission history, going to the doctor, interviews with President, avoiding facturas (the Argentine equivalent of a donut), going to the doctor again, Fasting for the Cordoba temple, receiving a blessing of health, and sneaking a little bit of fish (cerviche, a Peruvian dish consisting of raw fish).

So let's get to it!

There is art everywhere in Argentina!

 On April 6th my companion and I enjoyed a very relaxing Pday. We ordered a pizza, drew, and told stories, and went window shopping in search of Aladdin pants. However, as 5 o'clock drew near I started feeling sick and asked my companion if we could run back to the house. As it turned 6, I was laying in bed calling the nurse and Hermana Ayre. With their help I got an appointment scheduled with Hermana Ayre's children's doctor. We couldn't go out and work the usual 3 hours that we work on Monday, as I felt too sick to leave.

On the 7th we had a District meeting, the first we've actually had this transfer. We talked all about the Book of Mormon, of its power and the influence it has in the conversion process. It made me think of the powerful Book of Mormon experiences I'd had in the MTC. It turns out that Elder Roberts is not only my zone leader, but in my district as well! (the brother of my MTC teacher Hermano Roberts) It was a very spiritual experience. 

On the 8th we were given fish for lunch. I can't eat lunch due to my face treatment, but thankfully it was a vianda, meaning a meal we take home to eat in the house.  We also had the opportunity to help Hermana Lines with the mission history, finally! From there off we went to the doctor in Olivos, about 40 minutes away in train. On our walk over we saw a beautiful old church covered in ivy. "Majestic!" As Hermana Yancey would say;) When we got there the doctor, who actually speaks English, Spanish, and German, helped me out and gave me a diet as to what I could and couldn't eat. Turns out I wasn't allowed to eat anything sweet... talk about a nightmare! 

Pictures of my last day in Caballito

On the 9th we had interviews with President, as well as visiting with his wife and talking to the assistants: Elder Stout, Fabila, and Periera. We talked with Elder Stout first. He talked about us as beacons of light, lighting up our area. How every member was a working light bulb, casting light around them. The less active members were unlit light bulbs that we had to try to turn on, with some of the them casting a brilliant array of light. He told us how we needed to strengthen the members, to turn them from simple light bulbs to lighthouses of light and strength. It was an amazing mental image, to see the light absolutely flooding our area. We then talked with Elder Fabila, who talked to us about the definition of escogidos, or the elect. As he did so he told my companion and I that we had been specifically chosen by the Lord to come to this area at this time and to work with these people. As he shared such the spirit hit me hard and I started to cry. I apologized for doing so, to which he quickly responded that he cried all the time in the mission as well. From there I talked with President. I always cry with President, so that wasn't a surprise. He told me I was doing a great job and that he was very pleased with me, which meant a lot. From there I spoke with  Hermana Ayre, our "mission mom", who got to hear all about my interesting state of health. And then Elder Periera, who talked about improving our teaching skills. It was a very wonderful experience, even though I kept on being offered facturas I couldn't eat... Talk about tribulation! Good thing I'm good at resisting temptation... 

We also found Isabela while trying to visit some old investigators. She received us very well and we set up a return appointment. 

On the 10th we went to do my face treatment, for the last time! Yay! 

On the 11th we began our 24 hour fast after lunch with the Rejas, a wonderful family:) We were asked to fast for the dedication of the Cordoba temple, that is coming right up! 

The Argentina Cordoba Temple

On the 12th we headed off to church. The night before I had had a dream about Maria, that she had wanted to go to church. I found that interesting, as we had seen her the day before and she had told us that she wouldn't be going to church the next day. Something seemed to be going wrong, but we didn't know how to help her. After the dream I felt prompted to go see if she wanted to go to church after all. She lives far away from the church, so we would be spending a good 20 minutes walking there, and back, without any way of knowing if she would be there or would even talk to us. However, the prompting was strong, and I followed it. I'm sure Hermana Yancey thought I was a little crazy, but she went with me. We got to her house at about 8:30 and rang the doorbell a few times. Someone finally came to the door, but it was Maria's dad, who said that she was sleeping and that we could come back the next day at 6. As we took the train back in order to make it to church on time I couldn't help but feel a little confused and frustrated. Why had I received a prompting that hadn't resulted in anything that I could see? 

The chapel in San Fernando

 

At church I still wasn't feeling good, as had been the story of the week. I had called Elder Fabila on Friday night to ask him if he and his companions could give me a blessing. He'd offered to give it immediately, but I assured him we'd be just fine to wait until Sunday. I apologized for taking up his time, but he very quickly let me know that I was Not taking up their time, and that they wanted to serve us and help us in any way possible. After the different church meetings, I was given the blessing. Elder Fabila offered it. All I'll share is that the spirit was very strong, and I know without a doubt that these 3 elders, the assistants to the president, were called by God. That God was truly speaking to me personally through the blessing. That the power of the priesthood is very real, and extremely powerful.

That night when we went to visit Oscar, a recent convert, he gave us a little bit of cerviche, a Peruvian fish dish that I actually like quite a bit. I got to steal a bite of it, and man was it good! Hermana Yancey had the honors of trying it for the first time. However, this was unlike any Cerviche I'VE ever seen, as it consisted of tentacles as well! The brave girl ate them all, what a trooper!  

Things are finally cooling down in San Fernando, although in an interesting way. It's hot for most of the day, especially in the sun, and then as the sun leaves it gets really cold. The wind is cold and the shade as well, so we don't have any idea what to wear! 

This week I felt as though we did everything we could to have people at church, and that regardless we had "failed" in some way, by not having investigators in church. And yet, it's about More than that. It's about our influence. The little things we do every day just to do Good. I know that this work is of God. I have no doubt. I am working among some of the greatest the world has to offer! As I have heard many times and can easily testify, I am in the best mission there is in the world;) 

I love all of you and am praying for you. Remember, follow the promptings. Even if they don't make sense. Because God still speaks to us in these days. He has not ceased to be a God of miracles, and if we do not see the miracles, it is because of our lack of faith, not His lack of power.

Hermana Dickson