Semana Veinte

Well.  I counted how many semanas I have in my mission and I only have 80 semanas! (week)  How crazy is that?!? That´s super short and I have already done 20 semanas!  Que loco!

This week was Christmas and I honestly think it was really hard for a lot of the missionaries.  It´s a time that is beautiful and wonderful becasue it is the birthday of Christ.  But at the same time it was a little hard because we aren´t with our families.  There were a lot of people that were in the mood of going home.  Wanting to be home and everything.  It was kind of sad but everything is good now. :P I think we are all back in the mood of missionaries :P  One week of missing home like crazy. Only Christmas day was hard for me.

So a funny thing happened.  When I was skyping with my family, they told me that my kitty passed away.  Really sad yes, but I knew that she wouldn´t be there when I returned from my mission.  She was really old and getting really sick.  Like everytime she would eat she would just throw it up..... Really sad to watch her.

But the funny thing is I didn´t cry that she died. Until Yesterday.  lol I don´t even know why I started to cry about her.  Yea I´ll miss her, but everything is okay. I can see my kitty again.  Just like I can see my Grandpa again :)  And my whole family after this life. 

Todo Bien! All Good!

Espeically because!!!! I had someone tell me that my accent in Spanish is really good. XD She was a latina! Which means a lot to me! Meaning my Spanish is great!!! XD  She also told me that my Spanish is better than some of the other missionaries that have been in the field for a lot longer than me 0_0 WOOHOOO!!!!!

I know this church is true. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and through Him we are all saved.  We can live with our families forever as long as we are trying to do everything to follow the plan of God.  We need to follow the words of God and His instructions.  

I love you!

--

Con amor,

Hermana Bastian

Searching for Stars among the Fish :)

SisterBastian.blogspot.com

Chelsea.Bastian@myldsmail.net

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to Dance in the Rain. 

Hermana Chelsea Bastian

Argentina Neuquén Mission

Casilla de Correro 321

8300 Neuquén

Neuquén Argentina

DO NOT SEND PACKAGES PLEASE!

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Semana Decinueve

¡¡¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!

Can you believe that it is already Christmas?¿?  I can´t because it is SUPER HOT here! :P  haha But there is something that I would love to talk about and that is the Spirit of Christmas.  For about 3 years now I have been struggling with feeling the Spirit of Chirstmas.  When I was around my family and doing things with them, yes, I could feel it and I loved ever moment.  But when I was alone and trying to think of things and why we celebrated Christmas. It was dificult.

The song from the Polar Express. That says: Where are you Christmas? Why can´t I find you?..... Is the song that I felt was my song everytime that Christmas came around the corner.  But this year.  Is a little different.

Okay a lot different.

It´s super hot.  I´m in another country.  I´m not even close to anyone that belongs to my family.  I´m a missionary.  And other things like that.

But the thing that is the most different is that fact that I have found the Spirit of Christmas.  I have found the reason why we celebrate it.  I understand it now.

Christmas, believe it or not, is in Jesus. :)

His Atonement.  His love.  His service.  His life.  

When we think of Christ we think of the miracles He has done.  The fact that He is the only perfect person that has lived on this earth. 

We think of His birth and how many people went to find Him because of the bright new star that was found in the sky.  

We think of His life and the joy that other people felt because of the things that He did.  His pacience for everyone that He came in contact with.  The fact that He allowed the children to come to Him.  He talked to everyone and He showed His love for everyone. 

We think of His death and the reason why He died.  We think of the sufferings in the Garden and upon the cross.

And most importantly we think of His Resurection.  When he broke the bonds of death and made it possible for all of us to be resurrected like Him.  He made it possible to live with God again.  He has saved us from the bonds of death and if we are faithful to Him, He will save us from the bonds of Hell.

I am so grateful for everything I have in this life. I know that everything that I have is from God.  I love my family and for this chance to be in Argentina with this part of the Children of God.  I love learning more about the Gospel and the blessings that God has in store for everyone of His children.  I love talking about the Gospel and sharing the happiness that it brings to my life with the people that live in this area.

I love Christmas and the reason that we celebrate it.

Remember Jesus Christ this year and remember His life.  Remember the reason for Christmas.

God loves you!

Christ loves you!

I love you!

--

Con amor,

Hermana Bastian

Searching for Stars among the Fish :)

SisterBastian.blogspot.com

Chelsea.Bastian@myldsmail.net

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to Dance in the Rain. 

Hermana Chelsea Bastian

Argentina Neuquén Mission

Casilla de Correro 321

8300 Neuquén

Neuquén Argentina

DO NOT SEND PACKAGES PLEASE!

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FOOD!!!

Here are a few pictures of the food for my Grandma B XD

They cook really good!!!! I love their food!!!! There is a lot of pasta and a TON of meat!!!! xD Which is perfectly okay with me xD

With every meal there is salud.  We don´t eat ranch.  Usually it is with vegetable oil and lemon juice! XD It´s really good! Definitely something that I will be bringing home with me XD

 

Ummmmm..... yea OH!!! and dessert! Most of the time is a fruit! XD So great! Sometimes they have something else that is really good and fattening! But most of the time is a fruit XD

--

Con amor,

Hermana Bastian

Searching for Stars among the Fish :)

SisterBastian.blogspot.com

Chelsea.Bastian@myldsmail.net

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to Dance in the Rain. 

Hermana Chelsea Bastian

Argentina Neuquén Mission

Casilla de Correro 321

8300 Neuquén

Neuquén Argentina

DO NOT SEND PACKAGES PLEASE!

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Semana Dieciocho :)

Hola un otra semana ha pasado! Que loco es el tiempo! Es muy rápido!

Pero las cosas que me encanta es la oportunidad servir mi misión en Argentina Neuquén. :) Estoy muy agradecida por las bendiciones en mi vida especialmente mi familia. La amo mi familia muchísimo! Y espero que todas las personas en mi familia saben eso.

Le amo el Señor y estoy animada aprender mas sobre el Evangelio de Jesucristo! Me encanta aprender mas sobre el propósito de la vida de mi hermano mayor, Jesucristo.  

Esta Iglesia es verdadera, sé que este.

Sé que por medio de Jesucristo, podemos vivir con Dios otra vez, y con nuestraa familias para siempre.

Having the chance to see the hand of the Lord in my life every day is a huge blessing and I know that Heavenly Father is helping you in your life too.  

Learn about God and understand all that you can about His plan for you.  He wants you to return to live with Him again.  He doesn´t want to lose you, but He isn´t going to force you to Heaven.  He has given you the gift of agency and He wants you to choose for yourself.  To choose happiness and eternal life, or  to choose pain and eternal misery.  IT IS UP TO YOU!

The Lord has given you a family so that you can have the most happiness in this world.  You are here to learn and to grow.  To understand how to become like God.  God loves you and will give you everything that you need in this life.  He wants to bless you, but He can´t do anything unless you ask Him and trust in Him.  Have the faith of God with you always and remember that He is always here to help you.  All you have to do is ask and He will give you the blesses that are waiting for you.

All He asks is for you to follow the example of Christ and try to do everything you can to follow Him and His teachings. Have Faith and Act according!

I love you all XD 

Hasta luego :)

Tengan buena semana!

--

Con amor,

Hermana Bastian

Searching for Stars among the Fish :)

SisterBastian.blogspot.com

Chelsea.Bastian@myldsmail.net

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to Dance in the Rain. 

Hermana Chelsea Bastian

Argentina Neuquén Mission

Casilla de Correro 321

8300 Neuquén

Neuquén Argentina

DO NOT SEND PACKAGES PLEASE!

ONLY LETTERS

Hermano Travis Stevenson's Life Advice

*Never eat the 20 piece Mcnugget in one sitting

* Don´t drink chocolate milk then ride your bike to work

* Don´t mix 3 spices at one time

*Elders are cacti. "Fun to look at but you don´t want to touch them"

--

Con amor,

Hermana Bastian

Searching for Stars among the Fish :)

SisterBastian.blogspot.com

Chelsea.Bastian@myldsmail.net

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to Dance in the Rain.

Semana 16

My grandma asked me last week to talk about the culture and so this week´s post will be about the culture of Argentina :)

First off.  When you greet someone, you always give a kiss on the cheek.  So this means that every day I get kissed by tons of people :)  I really like this, I think it brings people closer together than a handshake.  But because I am a missionary, I am only allowed to kiss the cheeks of the females. :) Handshakes for the males, which I am completely okay with.  But I will defintiely be bringing this part of the culture home with me.  I want my family to have this culture, though in the States it will probably only be within my little family. :P

Second The members of the church, call us. the missionaries, angels.  It is so sweet and it makes me smile everytime that a members says it.  I never really thought that I could be an angel.  

But at this time I would like to invite all of you to try to be an angel in the life of someone that you know.  Do something help them.  Talk to them.  Make them smile.  Do something nice for them.  Be there angel for this moment in time.

Third.  Pedestrians DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT AWAY :P haha we are careful and watch for cars everytime that we cross the street.

Fourth. If the auto has 2 wheels or more and can go faster than a bike.  It can be on the road. :P

Anything else that you want to know about my experience.  The area.  The people. Let me know :)

Now something Spiritual :)  

We have had prophets in the past and each of them have had an apostacy because the people didn´t believe in their words.  The people didn´t believe in God and the possibility of having a God.

After a few prophets and when the time was right. God sent His son Jesus Christ to the earth.  1 to fullfill the Plan of Salvation so that we may be saved and 2 to spread the word of God and establish the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth. In the manner that God wanted the church to be.  But also.... the people didn´t believe Christ and He was killed along with the apostles of Christ.  Thus, once again sending the world into a state of apostacy. 

This is called the Great Apostacy because there was a great space of time without the knowledge of God and the plan He has for us. There were many churches created and started.  But they were made by man, not by the Living God.

Now.... what do you think God would do?  God loves us and wants us to know the truth.  He wants us to be happy and to have everything chance to be able to return to live with Him once again.

God would call another prophet to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

But not only that,  this time God came Himself.  God and Jesus Christ came to the earth, to call a prophet.  They came to tell a young boy, who wanted to know which church was the right one and which one he should join.  God and Christ, came to answer his prayer and now we have the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth once again.  We have the fullness of the Gospel of Christ.  We have the way to return to God.  We have the instructions of the best way to live this life to have happiness, joy, and the manner in which we are return to live with God the Father and His son Jesus Christ.  

Sé que esta iglesia es la iglesia de Jesucristo y por medio de esta iglesia podemos vivir con Dios y nuestras familias para siempre.  Sé que Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial y Él quiere ayudarnos en cada cosa en nuestras vidas.  Dios nos ama.  Sé que Cristo es mi Salvador!  Y que mediante Él y El Plan de Salvación puedo estar perdonado por todo de mis pecados.

La amo esta iglesia y seguiré el ejemplo de Jesucristo en mi vida para siempre.

--

Con amor,

Hermana Bastian

Searching for Stars among the Fish :)

SisterBastian.blogspot.com

Chelsea.Bastian@myldsmail.net

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to Dance in the Rain. 

Hermana Chelsea Bastian

Argentina Neuquén Mission

Casilla de Correro 321

8300 Neuquén

Neuquén Argentina

DO NOT SEND PACKAGES PLEASE!

ONLY LETTERS

Semana Quince

CLAUDIA SE BAUTIZO!!! XD 30 de Noviembre XD

Everything is going great.

Sorry for the short post, but I really don´t know what to write this time.

I love you all. I love the Lord and am excited to continue learning more about the Gospel and more of Spanish!

This is an amazing oportunidad en mi vida!  Estoy animada venir mas cerca a Dios y Jesucristo.  Espero que todo está bien con ustedes.  Yo sé que Dios nos ama y por medio El Plan de Salvación podemos volver y vivir con Dios otra vez.  Todas las cosas que tenemos en esta vida es de Dios.  Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial y Él queire lo mejor por nosotros.

Esté feliz! y Siempre tengan una sonrisa!

Los amo!

--

Con amor,

Hermana Bastian

Searching for Stars among the Fish :)

SisterBastian.blogspot.com

Chelsea.Bastian@myldsmail.net

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to Dance in the Rain. 

Hermana Chelsea Bastian

Argentina Neuquén Mission

Casilla de Correro 321

8300 Neuquén

Neuquén Argentina

DO NOT SEND PACKAGES PLEASE!

ONLY LETTERS