The Adventures of Hermana Mute

Dear Family: 

Well, goodbye my hondureña, hello brasilera! I was sad to see Hermana Matamoros go, but that`s just how things go on the mission. Things are always changing! 

Speaking of changes, the weather has been changing lots, and I got sick again. :( Just got a bad sore throat. I called the mission nurse just to ask if she had any suggestions, and she sent me to the doctor. The doctor took a look, and said nothing out of the ordinary. Just keep drinking lemon tea, citrus juice, and ibuprofen. Sooooo that`s what I`ve been doing! Mostly I don`t want it to stick around long, so I`ve been doing everything possible to get better. And it`s been working! I can talk again, at least there`s that. :)

So anyway, we stayed inside for a few days to try and get me better, and also because I couldn`t talk, so teaching lessons wasn`t really an option. The good news is that Hermana Dutra`s mom is deaf, so her first language is sign language! The bad news is that it`s neither my first nor second, so we just reverted to using the whiteboard. Because she`s new to the area I had to tell her about all the members and investigators so we could do our weekly planning, so that explains the photo. "Weekly planning for mutes". It was fun haha. 

Hermana Dutra is great, although it`s been a little challenging, just with the language. I`m used to having companions with spanish as their first language, who kind of make up for the spanish that I don`t know. But with hermana Dutra, she`s still learning the language just as much as I am, so we`ve pulled out our dictionaries again, and use a lot of sound effects and hand motions to explain things. I think I probably will learn sign language by the end of this transfer! :) 

Well, that`s about it for this week. This coming week I should have a little more to say, in hopes that we`ll be able to leave the pench a little more often. :) 

have a great week! 

Hermana Cannon

Let it snow, let it snow, let it...rain.

3rd picture

Let it snow, let it snow, let it...rain.

Hola Familia! 

Whel, this week was quite interesting. First of all, CAMBIOS!!!!!! We`ve got changes here in Tupungato! Actually, every single companionship changed here in the Zona Valle de Uco. Crazy! My hijita Hermana Matamoros is going to Balloffet, San Rafael! My birthplace! I`m so excited. I`ll be revising my old agendas and finding tons of names and tips for her. I`m so excited! And what happens with yours truly? I`ll be staying here in Tupungato, with Hermana Dutra! I don`t know if I`ve shared any pictures or anything about her, but we both started in San Rafael together, and then both went to Quaymallèn, and then both became sister training leaders. Basically, we`ve always been together the whole mission, just never companions. I couldn`t believe it when they told me what was happening. Mi Brasilera Favorita!!!! I`m so excited. 

Anyway, so how was this week? Pretty crazy. I`m sending some pictures from last p-day and the snow that we found. Also, there`s a picture of me with a bunch of clouds behind me. That`s what Zonda looks like before it passes through. Zonda, which is basically just lots and lots of wind and dust and trees falling and the like. But we heard from the members that after Zonda comes through, the next couple days it always rains or snows. So we were all rooting for snow, cuz I really want to see some Argentine snowflakes...  buuuuuuuuuuut, rain won. :( Still fun, but well, rain. :( 

This week we finished off our Tres a La Vez en Cada Pueblo activities. The activities we`ve been doing in each area with the Talent Show and Gracias a que Èl Vive. This week we did two back to back, and everyone stayed overnight in appartments of other missionaries. Hermana Matamoros and I stayed with the senior couple, which was great. Elder and Sister Maseda. They`re so great. I felt like I was staying over at my grandparent`s house. So grandmas and grandpas, I was thinking of all you guys this week! :)

Let`s see...what else can I tell you about. Ah. When we were in Tunuyan, doing the Gracias a Que El Vive whiteboard activity, some girls stopped by to write something on the board. We asked if she had met with the missionaries before, and she said yes. For ten years. I kept talking to her, because I was so intrigued, and she told me her story. She said that her birthday was in three days, and she was going to turn 18, so she could get baptized at the end of the year. Because her parents are really closed and really didn`t want her to take the lessons or get baptized. She said they wouldn`t let her go to chruch either, so instead she had just been reading the book of mormon and the liahonas. She had also been to EFY, and had helped out the missionaries a lot, and helped two of their investigators get baptized. I wanted to cry, I was so inspired. I took a picture with her, because I want to always remember her example. When she left I just had this overwhelming feeling of how blessed I was, and how easy I had it sometimes. Anyway, I just was really touched by her example, and her undying faith and perseverance. An example to everyone. Her name is Tamara if you want to send some prayers her way.

Welp, I guess that`s about it for this week. Thanks for tuning in! Love you all! 

Hermana Cannon

Just a little slow

Mis Queridos: 

Hey! Iiiiiiiiiiiit`s pday! Today we went to Manzano, which is just like a camping place up in the mountains. We went with all the missionaries in the district, our misson leader and one of the ward missionaries, cooked up some asado, hiked a little bit, and threw a ball around. It was super great. But the best part is that there was SNOW! ...okay so just like a tiny bit by the side of the creek, and it was kind of more like just ice, but we had fun throwing it around. And I can die happy now, cuz I`ve been really wanting to see snow here in Argentina. I miss my Utah snow. So, anyway it was great. I took some pictures, but forgot my camera cord, and although my comp sent me some pictures, I still haven`t gotten the email, so we`ll see if I can send or not. Yay pdays! 

So, there`s this thing that happens when you`re a sister training leader called responsibilities. (I have no idea if I spelled the right. please don`t judge. English isn`t a thing for me these days. ...make that months.) Anyway, so I don`t really have a lot to do as sister training leader, but it just so happens that this week we had our Mission Counsil meeting in Mendoza on Tuesday, so we traveled last monday night, and didn`t get back to work until wednesday afternoon because we also had our district meeting. But Wednesday I had to do exchanges with the Hermanas in Tunuyan until thursday when I got back with my companion and we did our weekly planning, which with the travel time it took from Tunuyan, we didn`t leave the appartment at all that day. Then friday we had our Tres a La Ves en Cordon de Plata activity (remember the activity we had in Tupungato the other week? we did the same thing in another area, Cordon, and we`re going to do it in the other two areas, Tunuyan and Consulta this week. Good fun! And lots of good new investigators and member participation too. Manso.) So anyway, then saturday there was the soccer tournament with Argentina and Chile so we couldn`t leave the appartment after 4:30. 

Anyway, I guess you get the picture. Moral of the story is, even though I was doing lots of things, I wasn`t really in my area, which is a bummer. But, I was talking with the zone leaders about it today, who were feeling the same way, and we came to the conclusion that a lot of the work that we do, we do so that the other missionaries can spend their time not worrying about those things, and working in their areas. And it`s true! Somtimes it`s little discouraging because I kind of just want a regular day with a regular schedule, and regular investigator visits. BUT, it`s all good. I`ve made a goal this week to really take advantage of the little things I can do to share the gospel, even when I`m not in my own area, or when I`m traveling or things like that. For example, this week I talked to a lady on the bus, and another lady cleaning in front of her store, and I`ve found that it`s those little things, where I can share a little of my testimony with people that make me feel a little more like a regular missionary. 

So, sorry I don`t have much news about our investigators or less actives or anything. But that`s just kind of how this week went. 

Thanks for tuning in! haha Love you all! Have a great week! 

Hermana Cannon

una semana de locuras!

Hola familia!

my companion`s computer isn`t working, so i`m going to let her use
this one, so it`s just gonna be a quick email.

so this week was great! we had our zone activity this friday, which
consisted of a morning where all the missionaries in the zone (18
missionaries, including the senior couple) in different parts of the
area knocking doors and talking to people on the street, then we ate
lunch and prepared the chapel for the talent show we would have that
night, then we went for a couple hours to do another finding activity
in the plaza. we asked people to write on the whiteboards, and finish
the sentance. "because he lives..." i can be with my family forever.
stuff like that. it went really well! and it was really fun. then we
had our talent show. and lots of members came and participated, and we
even had some investigators there too! it went over really well.

oh, just kidding. my comp`s comp is working now, so it`s all good.
chill out everyone.

A really special experience happened yesterday. We were walking home
after a great visit with a new investigator, and this soccer ball
comes flying out in the street. so i go after it and return it to the
family who was playing soccer in their yard, a couple kids and their
grandpa. I felt like i should talk to them, so we start up a
conversation, and it turns out basically their whole family are
members, but havn`t been to church in ten years or so. we started
sharing the regular stuff like how we would like to help them
strengthen their faith in christ, and how we have to continue
following god`s plan for us and endure to the end, and then i get this
feeling that i should talk about my family. Well that`s easy! i love
talking about you guys. :) i shared about how i come from a big
family, with lots of girls, and a couple brothers. and then i
mentioned how jorge and alicia are adopted from ecuador. I went on to
explain how we all dressed in white and were sealed together in the
temple, and shared how beautiful the experience was. then the question
came to mind. "did you ever have the opportunity to go to the temple?"
he said no. so we started talking about temples and how blessed we are
to have them here on earth and be able to make those special covenants
inside both for ourselves and our ancestors. and his heart really
opened! he started talking about how it says in the bible the work we
have to do in the temples and those things, and in the end we shared a
family history pamphlet with him, and he told us we could come back
another night. It was so great! I love miracles like that.

Well, not a whole lot more happened this week because when we weren`t
planning for the activity, or activity-ing, we were cleaning up. so we
didn`t meet with as many people as we would have liked. but the
activity went really well! for reals. it was great.

Oh! and for the activity we finally bought a chord for the keyboard!
so yesterday i played the piano in sacrament meeting! the only thing
is that one of the keys doesn`t work. guess which one? just take a
wild guess. yep, middle c. I dare you to try and play "I stand all
amazed" without middle C and make it sound good. anyway, so it was
fun.

Welp, i guess that`s everything. you guys are the best! thanks for
everything! have a great week!

hermana cannon

p.s. sorry, the camera`s not connecting today. :(

Fwd: Foto

Hey family! The senior couple in our zone took a picture of our Valle
de Uco finding activity, so I thought I`d forward it along. Enjoy!

Nada Nada Empanada

Dear Framily: 

We had another meeting yesterday, sorry I forgot to tell you! But next week everything´s back to normal again, I promise. :) 

Well this week started out pretty slow. I did intercambios with the other hermanas in the ward, Hermana Sahleen from Idaho (boise I think? or near there...) which was great, cuz she´s pretty great. Then thursday and friday we spent basically all day planning for the talent show we´ll have this friday, and making seven million empanadas for the father´s day activity we had this friday. It was super fun. And right around the three millionth empanada, Hermana Cannon became a professional empanada maker, so don´t you worry kids. We´ll be emanada-ing it up for years to come. 

Other than that, not a whole lot happened. One thing really special is that one day we had two church tours planned with different investigators, and before they called and canceled (sob) we were preparing the chapel, and practicing how to give the tour. Hermana Matamoros hasn´t ever given one before, so she was practicing with me acting as investigator. The first thing you do when you get to the door is take them to the picture of Jesus Christ, and talk about how our savior is the center of everything we do. Before she even got a phrase out, she started tearing up. You guessed it. That familiar special feeling. Never fails. It was really sweet, because even though we were just practicing, the gospel is always true, and the spirit always testifies of that.  

And we finally met with Janet and Diego again! God is really looking out for them, because the day we were able to find them both together, we "just so happened" to be with a member, Hermana Vargas. They shared with us that they had both talked and prayed about their decision as to the law of chastity, but still hadn´t been able to make one. Janet wants to get married, but something´s holding Diego back. It was great because Hermana Matamoros and I started re-teaching the concept and helping him understand the importance of keeping the law of chastity, but nothing was getting to him. We think he´s a little timid and scared, and probably felt a little pressured too. Having Hermana Vargas there with us was a huge blessing, because she imediately became friends with both Janet and Diego, and when she talked to them, they really listened and understood. She was able to give them some great advice and council about marriage, and bear testimony of the blessings she had seen in her own marriage, although her husband is less active. It was so crucial to have her there, because honestly, I know next to nothing about marriage, and she was really able to relate to them and help them understand what it really means for them, and for God. I know it was no coincidence that the only two times we were able to find both Janet and Diego were when we had a member with us, and I can truly testify of the importance of members in missionary work! 

Hey, all you members, you´re so important! Missionary work is much less effective when it´s just the missionaries. We need you! There are so many of your friends, neighbors, acquaintances that need you. And most of all, God needs you. You can befriend and touch the hearts of people in a way the missionaries can´t do, and it´s so important in the progression of new members to have someone "normal" there in the lesson, who they can relate to. Just be your normal selves with your normal testimonies, because that´s what makes you so extraordinary!  

Also this week we had a surprise Word of Wisdom lesson. We´re working with a less active who has a smoking addiction, and this week we were planning on talking about the love that God has for her, and the importance she has as a daughter of God, because she also has depression. But as we started to give the lesson, it didn´t really feel right. This happens a lot actually. The stupor of taught, I like to call it. (actually I´ve never called it that, I just made it up right now. hah. pun.)  You start teaching, but you kind of forget everything, and the words don´t come, and you forget your spanish, and you feel like no one is listening to you. And that´s when you just kind of stop, and listen for the lesson that the holy ghost wants you to teach. And it just so happens, that the spirit wanted us to help her with her smoking problem. We talked with her, and helped her set some goals, and it went over really well! We´re excited to keep working with her. 

Anyway, that´s about it for this week. The gospel is true. Taste it. Love it. Share it. 

Love you all! Have a great week! 

Hermana Cannon

p.s. some pictures of empanada making, me and my comp in mendoza for the meeting, and the picture of us at the all you can eat restaurant in mendoza. Funny story. Chao!