Rain, Rain, Rain...

Hey everyone! I hope your week was very dry, mine sure wasn't! ··· 3 nonstop days of rain and more is coming this week. I currently have wet socks as I am writing to you. But as President Hinckley said, "Every day in the mission field should be a good day." 
We had a great week of finding new people to teach. I can see that the Lord is blessing the faith of S, our mini missionary. I have learned a lot from him. We returned home after a particularly rainy day (not many people let us in their house either) and S. said, "The Lord really tried us today, but I think we showed him our diligence!" I kept thinking about that. Sometimes the opposition is great because it gives us a chance to show the Lord our faith. If we prove faithful, the blessings will come.

Sincerely,
Elder Gygì

Found a military museum

Divisions in Paso del Rey

Jared's Famous!

​Hey family! 

Elder McDonald, Bro. Estche, Elder Gygi

We had a ton of surprises this week! ​On Monday night last week, we got a call from President Robertson informing us that we were going to receive a mini missionary. (That is when a young man is preparing to go on a mission so he comes with us for some time to learn about the mission, but he doesn't have a missionary badge or anything.) We were very excited because there hasn't been a mini missionary in the mission for a few years! We picked him up on Wednesday and he will be living with us for two weeks. His names is Bro. Esteche, he's an Argentine/Italian. He is from a ward like 20 minutes away from our area. It's so fun to have him, it's like training a new missionary. He is very prepared to go on the mission. He works in the temple at BA and loves to talk to everyone about the gospel. I have learned a lot from being with him. 
Something very sad happened this past week. Bishop Cabral, the bishop of the Trujui Ward (another ward in the stake of Moreno where I am serving) was shot and killed. Some men assaulted and shot him and his nephew and robbed their car. The nephew is alive and in the hospital but the bishop passed away. He was called to serve as bishop just three weeks ago. Keep his family in your prayers.
Also attached is a picture of me in the news of the Church! Apparently the picture of our baptism of V. and F. in San Justo got sent to one of the church news writers who put it up on the South America LDS page. All of the members are telling me that I'm famous hahaha.
There is also a picture of me and S. eating pancakes with maple syrup (thanks mom for the maple extract). He had never eaten pancakes before. He liked them, obviously! 
Hope all is well back home! The work keeps going strong down here, there is a lot of work still left to do. I know that many blessing are waiting for all of us.

Elder Gygi

Agency to Choose

Empañadas!!

I am sweating as I am writing this! it is so unbelievably hot here. I do not remember last summer being this hot. But as a missionary who brings the Lord's restored gospel to people living in darkness, of what do I have to complain? We have a lot of changes this past week. If you haven't heard, the apostles and prophet have changed the daily schedule for missionaries depending on the culture where you are serving. Our schedule stayed mostly the same but with a few changes. We now do planning in the morning and not in the night (which means we come home at 9, write in journal, eat, and go to bed early!) We have an extra half an hour in the morning to get ready (that's more for the sisters haha) We can choose at what time to do companionship and language study (we will normally put it during the siesta when everyone is sleeping) And we have an extra 2 hours on p-day to do everything! (Before p-day started at 10:30, now at 8:00.) We also do not report as many numbers to church HQ. I know that these changes were inspired to help us work more effectively and be more healthy. Like Pres. Uchtdorf says, simplicity is key.

We have not gotten lost this week, which either means we are improving in our directions or the spirit is leading us more. I think both are true. The hard part about opening a new area is just finding people to teach. When we do not know anyone, it is essential to get rid of fear and open our mouths to talk to absolutely everyone. I have no idea how many cards, pamphlets and Book of Mormons we have given out this week. We have had considerable success. If we want many people to teach, we need to talk to many people too. I was reading about the role of the spirit in finding in Preach My Gospel. I think many missionaries (me included) have felt that in order to speak to someone, the spirit needs to tell us. Many time it is not like that. There are no flashing signs and lights telling us to stop and talk to someone. Many times, the Lord allows us to use our agency to choose. In DyC 58:26 it says:

26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

The Lord does not command in all things, that is why we have agency. As my companion and I have used our agency to stop someone on the street and offer them a card, we have seen miracles. 3 days ago, we saw a young couple sitting in chairs outside of their house just talking. There were 2 empty chairs next to them. I said to Elder McDonald "Look they already have chairs waiting for us!" And we went over and offered to share a short message about how God loves us. They let us sit down and talk. It turns out that the man was not very believing in God but wants to build his faith and learn more. They both accepted a Book of Mormon with an invitation to read and pray about it. If we had not stopped to talk to them, he would still be waiting for the next missionaries to come by. It is by little things that the Lord accomplishes His work.

Sincerely,
Elder Gygí

PS I come home in 6 months... I hope to go to Disneyland when I arrive please ºoº