May 4, 2015- Novel Status (warning) :)

So the weeks are literally flying by...kinda scarin me...another amazing week! 

I don't really know what to say... other than I am just so grateful for this opportunity to serve.. I am seriously meeting some of the greatest and most faithful people in the world.. This week I had one of those moments where it just really hit me that I would have to say goodbye to these people some day.. and for a couple people in specific I had to say goodbye early.  

Rosa, (literally other than the fam the person I love more than anyone on this earth) moved back to northern Argentina this past friday.. She has a ton of messed up kids with big time problems that she has to try and fix.  Rosa Nelida Corales has forever changed my life.  She came to Puerto Madryn just to visit her son and have an escape of all her problems back where she's from with all her kids that are in their teens and twenties that are not making one good decision.  Her son Pable Leon bought her a bus ticket to come here... She saw the difference in a family that has the gospel and one that doesn't have anything close to it.  She was curious and wanted to have this gospel in her life.. She made a 180 degree change in her life and submitted to the will of our Father in Heaven.  She has taught me so much about how to truly trust in the Lord and think about the bigger picture.  She was baptized and received the Holy Ghost.. She understood the power of the Holy Ghost and understood the importance of the covenant she made with our Father.  She wanted her two youngest daughters to take part of this eternal life changing decision and bought two tickets for her daughters to come to Puerto Madryn as well.  Her daughters instantly felt the impressions and callings of the spirit and also made the decision to be baptized last week with their amazing mother helping every step of the way.  

Rosa's other kids are struggling very badly in their lives and on Friday Rosa and one of her daughters that was here traveled with a one way ticket back to their home in northern Argentina. The truth is they don't even have a home anymore..one of her sons out of drug use and his off mental state burnt her house down with everything in it. Rosa is only grateful.  She doesn't have anything anymore material wise.. but she told me she's leaving with something far greater of value than anything she has ever had..more than her house,, her documents.. her pictures.. furniture.. everything.. she left with the Holy Ghost.. the constant companionship of someone that can help her in every circumstance possible.. the feeling that things will work out.. she wrote me an amazing letter before she left and I am certain that she will remain faithfull forever.. 

My companion and I were the only ones at the terminal saying goodbye to Rosa and her daughter Maria.. Just thinking about when they finally stepped on the bus and waving to them in the window with tears in my eyes gives me chills.. Maria buried her head in her moms arms bawling not wanting to leave.. Rosa knew that if she put her trust in the Lord and now with the conmpanionship of the Holy Ghost anything is possible.. she is going to save her family.  

I have been so beyond blessed in my life and I only want that others can feel the same joy and satisfaction that I have knowing that families are eternal.. knowing that we have a Savior that paid the price for all of us..that suffered so that we would not have to suffer alone. Alma 7:11-12   Jesus can have compassion for every single person that has and will ever live.. 

I can feel sympathy for many people.. like Reegan.. I would do ANYTHING so that she would not have to have shots and that she would not have diabetes.. I would take that pain from her..I hate that I can't take upon myself the burden.. but that's how life is.  

I can't have compassion because I don't have diabetes.. I have never felt that pain... but Jesus Christ does.. He is the only person that can have compassion for all of us.  He took upon himself all the sins, pains, and sicknesses of everyone so that He would know how to comfort us and help us.. only through Him will we receive rest.. peace... happiness. When we say that we are never alone..literally it's true.. Jesus Christ knows EXACTLY how we feel.  Go to him:)

Thank you for everything!! Your prayers are felt! 

Love you all!

Elder Lamb  

Last pic with Rosa and Maria 

April 27, 2015- FLIA LEON!!!

I can't believe it's already monday!! What an amazing week!!! The work is moving forward here in the branch and I'm soooooo grateful to be a part of it.

So remember the amazing Rosa who was baptized a little over a month ago..? Well we had been teaching her two daughters Maria and Nancy who are 14 and 15 years of age.  I LOVE TEACHING!!  These young women truly understood the covenant they were about to make and being able to teach with Rosa helping us was ideal!  As well as the whole Leon Family.  Pablo, Rosa`s son, now has 3 more members of his family that entered through the door of salvation.  

Rosa is now teaching the gospel principles class every week! She has only been a member for a month!! She's SO AMAZING!!! 

The group of teenage boys all showed up to church yesterday with shirt and tie!! These boys are changing their lives!!!!!!!!!!!! They stopped drinking....they stopped smoking...they even stopped cussing!!!!!!!! The gospel changes lives!!! I hope one day my faith can be as great as Rosa's or of these amazing young men.  They boys have there baptismal date set for the 9 of may! 

The missionaries in our little branch are doing amazing! Combined we have 15 baptismal dates for this coming month!! That's the most in the whole mission and it's all because of the members and their willingness work with us!  I LOVE THIS AREA!! I think I only have 5 more weeks here and I'm trying to take advantage of every second before I leave.  It's going to be so hard to leave such amazing people! 

Keep going to the temple...Read the scriptures... Do a family home evening:):) 

Imma keep living the dream:) Thank you for all the support and prayers:)

Elder Lamb

photos.. Pablo Leon..Nancy.. Maria.. Me

She was so happy!

I love this picture of Pablo hugging his little sister right after she was baptized.. this family..no idea how im going to say goodbye to them

fyi mom and dad...ive promised like everyone here that i'll travel back some day so get ready!!! 

April 20, 2015- Los PIVES de la RAMA

Fam bam wazam...whats good?

First of all huge shout out to the G Man for getting the perm in the back!!!! so sick!! This has been another amazing week... :) so remember the pic I sent last week with all the teenage boys and us? well 4 of them c

ame to church yesterday and have a date to be baptized!!! and it's all because one of the youth in the branch asked his friend if he wanted to come to church!  these kids are 16 and 17 years old and they don't have any support in their houses but they wake up early on Sundays so that they can learn more about the love God has for them! That's insane! I try to put myself in their shoes and I'd like to be able to say that I'd do the same when I was 16 if I didn't know the church but I don't know! So much respect for these homies!

We are still teaching the daughters of the amazing Rosa who we just baptized and they are literally fighting over who gets to be baptized first! they have their baptismal service this week:):):):) 

The other elders in the branch had a baptism this past week.  Jeremias was baptized.  He's 16 years old and he was invited to church by his friend from school sebastian.  He loved it and the first day he went to church they were trying to figure out what youth were going to enroll in seminary.. Jeremias raised his hand and wanted to go! He has been waking up at 5:30 every day to go to seminary even before he was baptized!! SUCH A STUD!! and yesterday he received the Holy Ghost and the priesthood....The Lord knows we need more priesthood in the branch and he has blessed this area incredibly!! We had 8 investigators come to church yesterday and a few less active families! And guess what?? Transfers are today and I'm staying another transfer!!!!!!!!!!!:):) 

I've never been so happy and it's all because i can see the children of our Heavenly Father changing and rockognizing that they need Him in their lives just as much as I need him in my life. 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Have a great week and make someones day:)

Elder Corderito 

pics:

Lunch yesterday with family Baeza and the sisters in our branch:)

2-

All the missionaries in the branch!! Everyone is doing so much work!!!!!! 

April 13, 2015- Hermana ABREGU:)

Just another baller week living the dream! How's everyone doing?? 

I am learning so much about the love of our Savior it's unreal... After finishing the Book of Mormon I felt I needed to read the New Testament from start to finish..I can't even explain the happiness I feel after reading the about the life of Christ. Literally everything he did was according to the will of His Father.  And then it makes me think.. Am i doing the same? 

 

Ok we have the most AMAZING people in the WORLD in our branch here in Puerto Madryn Argentina. 

Sister Abregu is the mother of 4.  Her oldest son is on a mission in Brazil. They live a very humble lifestyle.  The dad is lazy and doesn't go to church. But Sister Abregu has taken me in as if I was her child.  She has hundreds of medical problems.. tumors..diabetes..blood problems... but she doesn't want any of her medical problems to be an excuse for her to not be able to go to church to prohibit her from renewing her baptismal covenants.  Two weeks ago she bent down and broke her tail bone due to a stress fracture.  She is demanded to be in rest for 8 months and there's nothing she can do.. But guess who refuses to miss church?  Sister Abregu! She came to church yesterday in unreal amounts of pain.. just sitting down becomes the biggest chore and standing up is almost out of the question. She, extremely carefully and slow, made her way up to the stand yesterday and bore her testimony of trials and how it is our choice on how we are going to take on trials. She is my idol!! She wakes up early every Wednesday morning to start preparing lunch for my companion and I.. we eat like kings in her dirt covered concrete floor. She is now reading the Bible and The Book of Mormon from the beginning at the same time!  She taught us how to knit this past week and she knitted the coolest little mini me for me,, I needed to meet this family.. I needed to serve at the end of the world to meet the most amazing people that have changed my life forever! I have no excuse to not give it my all.. 

I love what i do:):):)Thank you for your prayers and support.. they are felt:):):)   We had 6 investigators come to church yesterday!! The work is moving forward!! It is our choice if we want to be a part of this great work!:):)

Love you all:)

Elder Lamb

foto 1: Sister Abregu and the little "mini-me" she knitted for me.. literally looks just like me! Even has the backpack and little bracelets and keychains that people have gifted me and the Book of Mormon that i always carry in the hand

2: Family home evening with Family Baeza and investigators:):) the older ladies love me here:) haha its the red hair...

3.  Another family home evening we did with 9 non members who are friends of an awesome family that has 3 teenage boys who are awesome examples for their friends! 4 of them are going to be baptized!!!!:):)

April 7, 2015 -FELICES PASCUAS

Another week just flew by...I can't believe conference is already over!! It was soooo amazing!! Good night being a missionary during conference has got to be the greatest blessing ever.. I left with so much animo to work and do it the right way.  

First of all...President Rogers challenged our whole mission to read the Book of Mormon from start to finish starting the first of January and ending yesterday.. I am sooo grateful for this challenge. We had to mark the scriptures that dealt with missionary work in blue and scriptures about Jesus and the atonement in red... literally almost every single scripture has blue, red, or both markings,   The Book of Mormon is TRUE!  It was saved for our days to learn and grow.  The promise is real.. if we give head to the teachings of this great book we will be saved.. salvation is personal.. we will all be accountable for our own actions.. The atonement is REAL,.. The Plan of Salvation is real! 

 Elder Holland made that very clear in his talk! Adam was just as big a part of the plan as was Jesus Christ,  He called Him the second Adam.  1 Corinthians 15 has changed my view on a lot of things.  As in Adam all men will die, in Christ all may live. That is so profound.  Once we realize how important the atonement is our life will find more joy and peace as long as we use it.  As Elder Bednar said The Atonement allows us to reach a potential that we didn't know was possible and we can not and will not be good enough as we rely solely on ourselves.  We know that Jesus Christ lives and has paid for all the sins of the world,,we need to go to him with faith.

Another thing I took away from conference is just how important the families are to God's plan! I am so grateful for my family.. I am so grateful for you mom and dad and the examples you have been.  Like the reminder Larry M. Gibson made "Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary use words." You have been the greatest examples service and love.  You ALWAYS put the family first. I've said it before but the fact that you both went to ALLLLL my games growing up since t-ball to my last travel game for every sport and season in every state even is the greatest demonstration of love.  THANK YOU!!!  I will do the same for my kids because of your examples.  

Great week but if what you did yesterday still looks good today then you haven't done much today- (Coach Homestead)   so Elder Lyman and I are going to make this week even better! 

Con amor,

Elder Lamb

Pics.. We did an emergency natural disaster practice? ya who knows but we had emergency bags with cool stuff in them:)

Yesterday for Pday we went to the beach and had a sweet asado and found some cool caves:) 

March 31, 2015 - AGUANTE SAN MIGUEL Y LA RAMA!!!!!!

What is happenin back in the good ol US of A??

Everything here is sooo amazing.. just another great week! So we had 3 family home evenings this past week and I am now the biggest fan ever of FHE!  We made tacos one night...a peruvian food the next night and then this dope argentine pasta made from potatoes called ñokis! Sooo bomb! 

We were able to teach the plan of salvation a lot this week and every time I teach it I just am so grateful to have this knowledge!! It is truly a plan of happiness that is dependant upon the atonement of our Savior.  

Best feeling ever... when your recent convert is in church teaching classes... already doing her visiting teaching.. and helping us to teach lessons....I LOVE ROSA!!!! I'll send you pics of the baptism.. :):)

On saturday we did service from 9 in the morning till 6 in the afternoon... we just went from house to house for the members in the branch ready to get dirty and work.. then right after Hermano Santana in our branch wanted to take us to visit one of his friends... we ended up visiting 4 families that are inactive that have members that are not members all that night with Hermano Santana and the next sday at church 3 of the families came!!!  We had the highest attendance in months with 91 people! I was toooooo happy to see these families making their way back!! 

Guess what!!! Our mission leader that my old comp and I reactivated just got called to be the 2nd counselor in the Presidency of our branch!!!! 

I LOVE THESE PEOPLE SO MUCH!! I'm already dreading the day when i have to leave!!! 

We get to hear the voice of a prophet of God this week!!!!!! His most trusted messengers are going to help us with all the problems that we are facing!! Go to conference with questions and pray throughout the week to be prepared to apply what we are going to hear in your lives!  

Love you all!

Que tengan una buena semana y no se olviden la importancia de Èl y todo lo que ha hecho por nosotros:)

Elder Lamb

pics!

Rosa and the Leon family.. Her son Pablo was able to baptize her and I will never forget seeing a son baptizing his mother so that she could enter through the door of salvation!

Selfie with Rosa!

Handstands with the little Leon homies after the baptism!! 

More Pictures:

#1 fùtbol with the homies #BOCA

#2 Pizza lunch with flia Leon!

#4 other pizza lunch with lamily Polacios

#somuchfood

March 23, 2015- ESPÍRITU SANTO:):)

Se bautizó!  Sorry for not writing yesterday.. it's another holiday just like every other week... literally these people will celebrate anything to get work off!!

Well this was one of the greatest weeks of my mission.  Rosa was baptized by her son Pablo Leon on saturday.  To see her before the baptism and she see her desire is something I will never forget...she truly understood the promise that she was about to make with our Heavenly Father..I gave the message on the Holy Ghost and I told her that she should have been the one giving the message seeing as she taught about it the week earlier in church.  I absolutely love her and family Leon.  They have changed my life.. 

Being here in Puerto Madryn has been the best for me!! It takes me back to those Austral days when I was in Rio Grande just trying to help out the branch in any way that we could.  We have an amazing relationship with all the members and we've challenged them to invite their friends over for a message...we already have three family home evenings planned this week alone!! Huge fan of the family home evenings...members..investigators...food...fun...just the best of the best!!! / every house we go to just loads us with food...I need to run some laps or something because walking all day doesn't do anything!

Yesterday we got together and had an elders quorum activity..they rented out this all dirt soccer field and we played some legit 11 on 11 soccer...legit has become one of my favorite sports..and i've been really able to expand my spanish vocab playing with random kids and showin them how a white boy can play.. haha

Everything is great...pray for Rosa and her family! She has 11 kids and the majority are not going down a good path. With her example we're sure they will realize it and want to change!! 

Love you all!! I'll send the pics next week! 

KEEP GOING TO THE TEMPLE:):):)

QUE VAYAN A LA CASA DEL SEÑOR!!

con amor,

Elder Lamb