Surprise!

Dear Family: 

No, the Tupungato internet didn´t shut down, I didn´t forget to write you, and I wasn´t kidnapped. No interesting storries of the sort to tell you. Just that yesterday we had a zone conference which means P-day Teusday. No worries. It´s weird, and has kind of thrown off the whole week, but it´s all cool. 

So great about the vacation! Thanks for all the photos! Glad you had tons of fun! I´m currently freezing here in my coat and boots in the internet cafe and checking out all your sunny beach photos I think raised the temperature in the room a couple degrees, so thanks for that! :) 

Whell, this week. Not a whole ton happened I guess. The best part was that we were able to finally find Janet again! Janet is our investigator who has a baptisimal date. (which we have to change, but the point is that she´s getting there!) We´ve been trying to find her boyfriend Diego and her together for FOREVER and last monday we were driving around with the Bustamantes (a member couple in the branch) trying to find their uncle to teach him, but he wasn´t home. Neither was anyone else we had plans to meet with. But walking and driving around, we bumped into Janet, Diego, and their son Newel on the street! So we walked to their house, and were able to meet with them both! I was basically partying inside the whole walk to their house. But I was also super nervous becuase we wanted to talk to them about the law of chastity. But it went really well! I´m always nervous that the couples will get mad and kick us out of their house, but the reality is that "wickedness never was happiness". Everyone has the light of christ, and knows what´s right and wrong, even if they chose to deny it. And really, they´re a super young couple, and the best thing that can help them out is the gospel of jesus christ in their home, and in their lives. And that´s what we talked to them about. How they can better follow jesus christ, keep the commandments, and have the gospel in their lives, including the healing power of the atonement. 

The sad thing is that we haven´t been able to meet with them since. :( So we don´t know how things are going. I think that´s the greatest challenge of missionary work. Because when we´re in the home of the investigators, and we´re worthy and teaching with the spirit, they can feel that the message is true, and know what they need to do to apply it. But when we leave, the adversary steps right in and does everything to take away that feeling, to keep them from completing their commitments, and anything else that can help them feel the spirit. And they don´t have the special promise and constant companionship of the holy spirit, because they haven´t yet made that baptisimal covenant, so they´re just that much more distanced from his influence. Sigh. It´s frustrating. 

BUT not impossible. We just have to work a little harder, pray a little more, and find them at home so we can teach them more often. Das jus how it goes. 

So anyway, that´s what´s been on my mind lately. Because it´s not just a problem for Janet and Diego, we´ve been experiencing the same thing with all our investigators. I can truly testify that the gospel is the one true way, and that these are the last days, because Satan´s sure doing all he can to keep this work from moving forward. 

The good thing is that we know who wins in the end. It doesn´t matter what the score is, how far we fall, or how many battles we lose. Because with Jesus Christ, "we are more than conquerors". It´s a beautiful work! A perfect gospel. A loving Heavenly Father. A challenge and a trial, but the reward is priceless. And if that´s not enough, the blessings are strewn along the way. I know this is the true one true church of God on earth. And although God always stands by us, the difference comes in whether or not we turn our back to Him. And things always go better when we keep Him in our sight. 

Love you all! 

Hermana Cannon

p.s. Some pictures of p-day on the tennis court, a beautiful sunrise from the bus to mendoza, and a district selfie. :)