Why I Am Serving In Argentina

Nope, no last minute things that I want. Just make sure you send it to the write address and DO NOT SEND IT through FEDEX!!!!! this is important.  Only through the United States Postal Service. 

But yeah, all is well. 

That's good that my blog gets lots of looks. I suppose that someone out there likes me. 

...I see women here all day everyday that made one bad mistake and it ruined their lives. It's not good, it's quite sad actually. The girls here literally live there lives and yeah... I wont say much more than that but its super not good. There really is safety in listening to the prophets.  

Hopefully Krista's wedding goes good! That will be very fun!   It should be way good!

My week last week was good. We taught a lot and good things are happening! THIS WEEK WE HAVE A BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!! for Viviana!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!! hahaha I'm super stoked! I will send pics of it next week. She's way good and all her family is coming so they will feel the spirit and get baptised as well! haha jk but that's the hope! So we are super stoked for that. This will make baptism number 4.

Oh,  Argentinians steal all packages through ups, but they don't touch the American Postal service one. So yeah... remember that.  And no just some Gatorade or something. IDK! And you cant put peanut butter or beef jerky in the package. Its not allowed in the country. 

My address is:

 

Elder QUINTON Perkins

Mision Argentina Bahía Blanca

Chacabuco 1755

(8000) Bahía Blanca

Buenos Aires

Argentina

I noticed a few days ago I hit the 4 month mark. So I would say that's not to shabby. 

So  yeah haha I'm glad all is well with you guys. The mission is super cool. 

This past week I got to give my comp just a normal blessing and that was super cool. I've never done it before but it was way good!  Very good experience and after that I know that there really is power in blessing.  I mean I knew that before but this one was different. I really did feel like a spokesperson for God.  So, that was great! 

Also, I cook a lot here. I enjoy it!  Today I cooked 50 Torta Fritas (if dad ever ate Argentinian food he will know what they are ha) but they were super good! There like mini little cake thingy, and wow! Super good! hahaha I got the recipe from an Argentine person! 

Ha! the Spanish is good.  I can understand like most of what's going on in lessons.  Everyday talking is still kinda tough but I can for sure tell I'm learning it. So that's good! Yeah, with my comp we talk a lot in English but out in the streets and stuff we try to talk more Spanish and with the Argentine elders and such it's mostly all Spanish. 

ummm I don't remember what else you asked me. But yeah. My computer here isn't very good. Its tough to work. and slow and wastes lots of time ha but anyways....

 

I suppose I'll add why I am serving:

I'm serving because this gospel is true.  Growing up I did whatever the heck I wanted and thought that I was living the life and having fun when really that's not what was happening. Then once I started applying the gospel to my life, and doing things the way that we learn in church and stuff everything started to click. I was more happy and I just felt better. Not sure how to explain it.  But it's just that simple. Living the gospel I found out was just a better lifestyle.  But at this point I still never had a testimony.  Then one day I decided  (After I burned my foot/broke my ribs) that I had a choice.  To go on a mission or go study. So I started actively searching out an answer and in the introduction of the Book of Mormon there is that promise that if you read it and pray about it you will now that it's true and the church is true. So that's what I did. I put it to the test and one day its just hit me and I knew. Not sure how to explain it but I just knew that it was true. And from that point the gospel of Jesus Christ has blessed me in more ways than I can imagine!   I'm serving a mission for the people of Argentina. I wanted to be able to help one of them. That's all. Because the joy the gospel has brought me; I want to give them the same joy. This joy is an eternal joy. A joy that never ends. So that is why I'm serving.

(He burned his foot at work and then his many hospital visits to care for it.  He kept on smiling!)

 

Tell people that I want letters from them! haha all my friends in high school tell them to use 2 dollars of their money and send me a letter! haha I will write them back. So you can add that to my FB. 

But yeah all is well here I like it lots. I'm very content with it. Argentina is super cool!  The people are great!  A guy yesterday called us over and ripped on us for a good 7 minutes hahaha super funny. And he kept asking me why I was so happy lol and smiling and i just kept saying ¨porque me encanta argentina y la gente. Y tambien I quiero compartir un mensaje con usted sobre el amor que Dois tiene para usted¨ needless to say he didn't like it very much haha but It's fun just bearing testimony because they cant argue it. I love it!! haha woot woot. I think I spelled a lot of Spanish wrong but hopefully you get the gist of it! lol So that was good.  Anyway... I have lots of stories but no time to type it all out. Love you all!

Chow!

Quinton

From Quintons Mom:   I put what he told the man into Google Translate and this is what he told him:

"because I love Argentina and the people. And also I want to share a message with you about the love God has for you."

I am so proud of Quinton!!    He said the right thing because isn't that what we all want to know...that God loves us!   

I just LOVE him!

This is what he is referencing in the Book of Mormon Introduction that he read and it changed him and his direction in life:

The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel.

 The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.

 The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after his resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.

 After Mormon completed his writings, he delivered the account to his son Moroni, who added a few words of his own and hid up the plates in the hill Cumorah. On September 21, 1823, the same Moroni, then a glorified, resurrected being, appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and instructed him relative to the ancient record and its destined translation into the English language.

 In due course the plates were delivered to Joseph Smith, who translated them by the gift and power of God. The record is now published in many languages as a new and additional witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that all who will come unto him and obey the laws and ordinances of his gospel may be saved.

 Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

 In addition to Joseph Smith, the Lord provided for eleven others to see the gold plates for themselves and to be special witnesses of the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon. Their written testimonies are included herewith as “The Testimony of Three Witnesses” and “The Testimony of Eight Witnesses.”

 We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)

 Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah.

Peyton Manning and The Need For American Candy

Well my family... hopefully you liked my pictures haha they took forever to send so ill kinda fill you on on life on the other side of the world!   


Well winter is here. Burrrrr... things get down during the day to like 50ish or the lowest during the day has been like 45 with rain.  Haha it's chilly! But most days as of right now are blazing hot and we just sweat a lot.  


I've come to realize that sweating is a part
of missionary work!  Anyway... our family Martin y Antonella aren't progressing and we are not sure if they want to get married!! AHHH!!!  WHY?!?!  
It's stressful so tonight were going to Bajo la canye or in other words drop the cane on them about marriage. So that will be fun.

Out of no where Viviana has come to church twice, has felt the Spirit, and she has a way cool story but that can wait... And yeah, she wants to get baptised and yesterday at church she broke down in tears
thanking me and my comp for knocking her door and helping her!!   WOOT WOOT!  So that was very good. 


Probably the best I've ever felt ever!

Shes 30ih and has a family but the family isn't interested but after her baptism we are gonna see if her family will open up!  So that's good. 


We are having a hard time finding investigators. Everyone wants to talk with us, but they are doing it to talk, not to hear the gospel, so that's tricky trying to find REAL investigators.   


A family trip would be fun.  Maybe Argentina?!? haha jk you don't wanna come here.  At least
not my area lol... umm the food is way good!  


BUT MOTHER, a package with American candy, Gatorade mix, and whatever else would be
much wonderful! haha jk well not really... 












Lots of good is happening here and I'm enjoying it very much.  So I can't complain.  


What's new there? 


That stinks the Rockies aren't good but you have a point dad.  Who cares because now a part of good ole Rocky Top has come to the Mile High City and well lets just say I'm having high hopes for the Broncos
this next year even though I can't watch.





Ummm what else... we get 700
pesos a month. Which is like ummmmmmm 125ish American dollars, which is nothing.  Not sure why but food prices here are way higher than the
states.  So basically at the end of the month we are scrapping for food!  haha but that's always fun.  


all is well 
love y'all!

And Even MORE pictures!

Pictures! Finally!

So this will be a quick email!  Uploading pictures here takes way to long. 

So I'm just gonna send a quick note so I have time to send you pictures. 

I don't have many of the area I'm in but I have some of me and my companions and stuff.  

So hopefully you enjoy... I'll kinda label them for you if I have time. Uploading pictures takes like 20 minutes... so yeah.   

All is well here. This past week has been long. We haven't had much success at all.... way long week but that's okay.  Just means we can improve this week! 

Anyways... Love you all, hope all is well! If there's time I'll send another note. Tell dad to keep me updated with the sports. 

My comp and I are very good. Elder Washburn (my comp) is way cool and we have fun. The Zone Leaders are Elder Scoma (way fun kid) and Elder Sanchez (from Mexico), he's way cool too. 


Anyway, all is well and yeah enjoy the pictures! Send me the link to my blog again thanks :)

Love

Quinton 

Elder Washburn and Elder Perkins

He looks SO HAPPY!!

The Lord Works In Small and Simple Ways

Oh my family, what to tell you.  I'm sure you are waiting to know everything but sadly that can't be done in an email haha but I'll try to fill you in. 

Sounds like all is well there.  This week has been very good.  

We are working with some good people.   First family is Martin y Antonilla.  We are planning a wedding for them now, and then their baptism so thetas very exciting!! WOOT WOOT!  

Jorge is a 60 year old man that will get baptised in about 4 weeks or so, when he arrives home from his trip. And those are the main investigators that we have right now.  

Missionary work is the most stressful hard thing in the world! haha Oh how I wish I could just show people how good the gospel is so they can accept it now rather than waiting FOREVER to accept it.. haha 


Conference was very good!  Actually they had a special room/TV where all the Yanks (that's what Americans are called) got to go watch all of conference in English. So that was very good.  Very good talks this year.  I was surprised that EVERY talk was about families.  SO that was different but still very good. 


The weather here is killer hot!!  I tell you what... I sweat and sweat and sweat lol but its fun.


Yes, I play the piano in sacrament meetings when the lady who normally does it isn't there.  Which is about half the time haha the people here have a very tough time going to church. Not sure why... but they do lol 


Teaching and studying are very good.  I thought I wouldn't like studying the gospel every morning but I do.  It's very good I learn lots!  My scriptures are very marked up lol but no, it's good.  Teaching is good.  I'm starting to understand people better and I can talk.  Not very good structure, but I can get my point across which is good.  


But yeah, this past week I was on a 48 hour division with a Latin (Latin=Native Spanish Speaker) and that was good.  We could communicate just fine and I learned a lot from him.  But now I'm back with my Comp.  Today is day 1 of the new transfer. 


Yes, my foot hurts but it's no biggy. I mean what's a little pain when it comes to saving souls? NOTHING! haha

Cool story:

Argentina is very good.  Me and my comp worked all day one day, and NO ONE would talk to us.  Well, I take that back.  Everyone will talk with us, but when it comes to the gospel they don't do that.  So we walked for a good 5 hours straight in the blazing hot sun.  And I mean it's hot and humid and LOCO!  So we were walking and saw a member watering her plants and we said HI and she looked very sad.  But we didn't say anything and left.  When we past her we were looking for a house number of a potential investigator.  So we left her and walked to the end of the street and came to a dead end and realized the house didn't exist.  So we headed back past the member and this time she called us over and told us how she was praying for us to come back so we could give her mother a blessing. So we went in and gave her mother a blessing, and then she wanted one for her too (she had some bad sickness she told us about for like 3 weeks) and I sealed the oil on their heads and my comp gave the blessings.  But the spirit was so strong!  Like it was the best.  Both the member and the Mom were in tears (from the spirit) and yeah way way way good. Now the mom we are hoping will want to hear the lessons. But the miracle is, is that who ever gave us a false address really turned out to bless the member and her mom.  Because without that false address we wouldn't have ever been on that street.  Just goes to show that the Lord works in small and simple ways :)   


Anyway... all is well here.

Tell Kellie and Conner that if they get their Duty to God Award and Personal Progress they will be in for a very sweet treat from Argentina! haha  Trust me they will like it.  I have found the coolest things in the world down here. They are 100 percent made in Argentina and wow... let me just say haha I've bought a few things for myself to use and wear and such, so when they can send me an email saying they achieved the next rank or finished it I´ll mail them some things.  And I bet right about now, they are staying, "He's lying and doesn't have anything cool".  Well, my brother and sister if you do think that I would encourage you to think again and just do it.  I promise you will not be disappointed.

Love

Elder Perkins