4/14/2014

A whole lot has happened this week that I am not even sure where to
start. My new companion arrived Tuesday. Her name is Hermana Tumbaico
and she is from Quito, Ecuador. She lives 4 blocks from the orphanage
where I worked! Her last companion was my buddy Hermana Heath form the
MTC and she is really great :). The day she arrived it rained so much
that everything was flooding, including tons of houses. Luckily, our
apartment didn´t flood but water seaped in through the walls and they
are still soaked to today (which makes the apartment really cold at
night...already). Despite the weather, we put on our coats, our boots
and we got to work. It was great!

I feel for the first time that I am helping the people, not just my
companion, although she is definitely helping them. But I am
contributing and seeing all types of miracles. I am learning too how
to work together in a team. In the past when my companions would tell
me what to do, I would just do it. But I started to realize recently
that that was damaging my relationships because I would resent getting
told what to do. So with my current companion I have decided to let
her know when I feel like I am being bossed around (lovingly of
course) so that I don´t have any negative feelings toward her. A few
times she has really, really surprised me with how direct she is (but
I am glad she is so direct. It is easier when we know what one another
are thinking and she is helping me be more direct too. I am realizing
more and more with each companion that you cannot communicate too
much.) and even a little bit bossy-- jst straight up telling me what
to do. This week I said, ¨Hermana, I want to work together in unity
and I want to apply your ideas but I am stubborn and when you just
tell me to do something I am not going to want to do it. But if you
suggest something, then it is easier for me.¨ Something along those
lines. I think that she was offended a little because she made some
comments about my ability to accept others´ ideas (and I am sure she
had a point) but all in all I felt so much better-- like I am finally
being completely open with my companion and working with her not under
her. We had a bit of a bump yesterday too. She didn´t want to do
something with the zone today because she said she thought it would be
a ¨waste of money¨. I just went with what she wanted but was a little
bit upset because I wanted to go. Later that night I decided to ask
her a little bit more about herself to try and understand her a little
better and where she was coming from more. (my last 2 companions had
some major unconfidence in relationships because their parents argue a
ton or are divorced) She told me about the extreme poverty that her
family has experienced and the rough times her family had with an
abusive father growing up and all kinds of things that I never would
have known. I felt so humbled. I realized that too often we just don´t
understand before we act or get angry and that we could all do a whole
lot more listening. I am really excited to work with Hermana Tumbaico.
She wants to be here, she is excited to work and she truly loves the
Lord. She is direct and willing to work together as a team. There is a
certain Spirit that comes with being someone who feels that way and it
makes the work that much more enjoyable. We are working hard and doing
great! We have district meeting, lunch, and 7 appointments for
tomorrow and a bunch throughout this coming week. We are excited to
see how that goes! (we may have to do divisions for tomorrow).

We have had a great week here in Puerto Madryn. I love the people so
much! And that love was renewed this week in seeing Hermana Tumbaico
come to love the people here too. They are just so friendly and good
here! I love it :). It is a great environment for feeling the Spirit
and we are eating it up, feeling the Spirit in all types of lessons.
Gladys is still progressing towards baptism the 26th of this month and
she is doing awesome! She is una capa! (Argentine for ¨stud¨) We were
teaching her this week about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We asked her
why she thinks we partake of the sacrament. And she said, ¨well, I
suppose we renew the covenants that we make when we are baptized¨. I
thought, ¨what?! Wow, how did she know that?¨ We had never taught her
that or used the word renew (renovar) ever before. Wow. The Lord
prepares His children.

This week I saw miracle after miracle one day this week when we
thought we should stop by certain houses and every where we stopped
the people were ready for us. We even just ran into a few people in
the street too with whom we have citas this coming week. Like I said
before, the Lord prepares His children and helps us in every phase of
the work!

I love you all! Have a great week!
Hermana Kuhn