"Am I Everywhere in Argentina?" "Yes!" "Am I a Dog?"

So much happened this week!!! It felt like the LONGEST week of my life. And I started a new planner today and left my old one so I´m just gonna use the ol´ thinker to tell you about my week. Wednesday- At the Noche de Rama we played that game "who am I?" Where you pick a name or a thing and everyone can see it but you, and then you have to ask "yes" or "no" questions. I was a dog, whatever. But this girl Myra was Beyonce, and I was the only one from the states there so I was super excited because, Beyonce, she´s my girl. But I´m pretty sure I said that she was married to Nick Cannon so I taught false doctrine there, but it was still a really fun night! Thursday- CONSEJO!!! Saw Hermana Allred and Hermana Lund, always a pleasure. They are doing really good! Hermana Allred goes home in like 6 weeks so that sucks but she is really happy. But something big, THEY CANCELED OUR PACKAGES. We can´t get packages anymore in my mission. So, I would just like to thank all of you lovely people who sent me love, but I can´t receive anymore. Trust me, every Hermana almost cried. But other than that, consejo was really great. Pte. Heyman´s brother was there and he did a really great slide show about the conversion of their family. I loved it! Saturday and like Friday- Little Walter got baptized!!! It truly was a miracle. The day of his interview, he was in a bad mood and didn´t want to be baptized again. But we played a game... to teach tithing... it´s possible people. And he loved it! And he did really good in his interview!! That night (friday) his grandma said if there was rain we would have to move the baptism. HECK NO! I was like, "nope, we´ll come and get you." We prayed so hard that Walter would be happy on Saturday, and that it wouldn´t rain. Saturday the rain clouds came and sprinkled a little bit and we thought we were doomed! So we felt like we should go earlier to pick them up, and Walter wasn´t very happy.. Doomed! We talked to him a little bit and then he got himself ready and came out and said "Are we going to do this thing or not?" Miracle people. The baptism of course didn´t start on time, and NO one was there that was supposed to be. But after it got started, it was smooth sailing! He even smiled!!!!!!!!! Sunday- Walter received the Holy Ghost! And he even closed his little eye balls for the prayer and sat very reverently! He´s so cool. AND!!!!! Hermano Nicolas our other convert, said the opening prayer in sacrament! It was a wonderful Easter Sunday. That night we did a Family home evening to celebrate Easter with the Family Rodriguez and it was so great! They are so sweet. Easter, this Easter was a little bit different then others, (no one hides eggs for me here) but it was one very impacting. I am reminded daily of the many blessings that I have in my life. Especially this last week. This is what The Atonement was all about! So that we can all have this knowledge that this life isn´t the end. Christ lives, and we will forever. I am soooo grateful to be here. I love it, and I hope that everyone is healthy and happy and had a wonderful Easter! This Wednesday is transfers... I think I´m staying and Hermana Alvarado is going to leave... but I´ll let you know when I can! All my love, Hermana Courteney Healey

Where´s Waldo? More like Where´s Walter?‏

Lunes We had a Noche de Hogar with the family Rodriguez and with Hermano Leo and Noelia. It was so much fun! I love the family Rodriguez with all of my heart and their willingness to always help everyone and their testimonies. Their family is a family that I will remember for ever. I hope I get to stay for at least one more transfer to spend more time with them. They have the happiest baby boy named Ian and he is my world here. We ate pizza. With fish. Not my favorite. Miercoles We had interviews with Pte and Hermana Heyman. It was really wonderful and sad all at the same time. I can´t believe they are getting ready to leave! We talked a lot about my mission, the good times I have had and the bad times as well. It was really wonderful. Then he started talking about marriage and I said "too far." but it was actually really nice. He truly cares about every single one of us. Of that, I´m very grateful. Jueves You´re girl hit one year!! I celebrated by buying a ice cream cake. Even though it was raining. haha It was well worth it. We went out to work and we met a very sweet family! At first we were visiting with them to get to know them and we shared a message and she brought us mate. We don´t drink mate. She was so surprised. haha I felt so bad. and then her husband and her two kids came in and we talked to them about Noche de hogar and then the daughter made us coffee and brought us coffee. We don´t drink coffee. haha It was really a series of unfortunate events. They were only trying to be super kind and here we are not drinking their kindness. They were really sweet though. The storm got worse and we were trying to get out of there and then it sounded as if lightning hit their tin roof. Their dad dropped their mate cup that was made of metal because he thought he was going to get electricuted, and they refused to let us leave. Ha I didn´t mind. I was terrified. ha But then after they drove us home. So we missed the storm! Viernes On the way to our lunch appointment I we were walking in the rain and I heard this "meow! Meow!" I knew it was a kitten and my heart sank. I practically dived into a bush looking for this poor wet kitten and got all muddy and wet in the process. I wrapped it up in my scarf and we walked the rest of the way to our lunch appointment. I practically begged the member to take her but she didn´t want a cat. AND NO ONE WANTS CATS HERE. And there isn´t like a cute little pet shop to bring it to. No one accepts cats. So I finally called our Presidente of the branch and they accepted Baghira with open arms! Yes it was a black kitten, Baghira from the Jungle Book fit perfectly. Domingo We had a really great fast and testimony meeting this Sunday! Nicolas recieved the priesthood! He truly is "de oro" and he bore his testimony! All by himself! It was a wondeful thing to hear. I bawled all the way through. We had three girls come with us to church this Sunday, Jazmin, her little sister Celeste and her friend Leticia. Jazmin and Celeste we have visited for awhile now but her dad wont give them permission to be baptized. But they LOVE church. and sometimes even go on their own! I thought a lot about them during Sacrament yesterday and it all felt really special to me that they were with us this week. For a long time before I was a member of the church, Ky and I would walk to church and go alone, later on I started dragging Jacqlyn a long with us. We all had the same ages as Jaz, Celeste and Leticia. And I´m just so grateful for them and for their love for the savior to keep going even though their dad doesn´t approve. My mom and I were baptized 17 of April in 2004. And I am so grateful for my little sister who started going to church and started this journey for us. Happy Anniversary mom and dad!!! This week, 20 years! that´s like the diamond anniversary or something right mom ;)? Happy birthday Camille!!! I love you so much! Happy Birthday Saturday Jo! I love you!!! Happy Easter everyone!! Saturday Walter will be baptized! Finally we are able to teach that child. haha And I think he is really excited! I´m so grateful for this gospel in my life and that I can be here right now. Thank you for all of your love and support! All my love, Hermana Healey

Wait...you don't know what a McFlurry is???

That´s right…this girl right here completed her dream and went to McDonalds!!! Tuesday I was in Corrientes doing some paperwork and we had to wait for like 7 hours for our bus! So we did divisions with the Hermanas there in Corrientes capital and they didn´t have lunch that day! What do we do? WE RUN TO MCDONALDS. Which by the way is right next to a LEGIT Wal Mart, and is in a Mall. Saw posters for a new movie named Noah. I thought it was appropriate to note down because it is from the Bible. :) It was really fun! And I loved every second of that Big Mac. A responsibility that we have as Hermana Leaders is we get to do a division with the Hermanas in our zone! Every week we do a division with a companionship and help them out in any way that we can. We had plans for this last week to do divisiones with a different group of sisters, but the other day I had a strong feeling to call Hermana Pipe. It was so strong I called her right before we had to be in bed but she didn’t answer. The next morning we called their leaders and they said it was needed that we did divisiones with them first. They needed help. So, that´s what we did. I went to Las Brenas with my lovely Hermana Pipe. And I knew that Heavenly Father helped us to know that they needed us in this moment. Well, Hermana Pipe did. She was having a really hard time and said that it was an answer to her prayers that I was there with her. It was such a testimony to Hermana Pipe and I that God is mindful of every one of us. He hears us, and he sends help. "..Of this I know, God answers Prayer" President Monson. Conference!! What in the world!! Blew me away! We got the opportunity to watch the young women conference on Saturday morning in Spanish, but then I got to watch the rest of conference in English in the "Gringo room" Filled with like 10 missionaries from the states. I was happy to be able to watch it in there and take notes like it was my job. haha A few of the talks really stuck to me and were answers to many of my prayers… President Uchtdorf! Being grateful always!! He said something of the sort of "Instead of waiting for the rainbow and letting life pass us by, we should be grateful for the rain!" I don´t have my notes and didn´t do that justice but it´s so true! It was really great to hear and be reminded how truly blessed we are. Elder Holland. OF course. You just listen to his words and feel like you can change the world! At least I did! "Defend your religion, with courage and courtesy, but DEFEND IT!" Every day, every hour, we are attacked as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are we brave enough for stand up for what we believe? It definitely helped me to get up and go out for another day of missionary work! Elder Bednar! Talking about the atonement. Always. It helps me to learn more about my savior. And about how important are our burdens that we bare! President Monson, of course always I go into conference with the hope that I will have the help to carry on. If we love God, we love others. I love that. Heavenly Father truly is so mindful of every one of us. I´m so happy to have a loving prophet today. Conference was wonderful and I loved every minute of it! I am so ready for another week. Hopefully it cools off! I love you all and hope all is well! I hit a year on Thursday!!! Eat a ice cream cone for me! Unless it´s snowing there or something… But I´ll be eating Ice cream!! Love you! Hermana Healey

Who Gets a Mosquito Bite on THEIR FACE?!?!?!?!

Yeah that´s right. I have one. On my face. Well this is going to be short but really happy! Friday I got deathly ill. No I´m just kidding but I got a little sick and then Saturday I really couldn´t sit up without wanting to die. So I stayed in bed and we were really nervous because we still had to fill up the font for the baptism for Nicolas and get everything ready and yeah, I couldn´t do it. Luckily we have really amazing zone leaders and hermanas in our district who took care of everything for us! And then the Hermanas bought my medicine and some crackers and soda. So sweet, We are so lucky to have loving missionaries! I got up to go to Nicolas baptism and it was so great! He walked right in all smiles and ready to be a mormon. He was glowing with the spirit and we all knew that nothing was going to tear him down. He just looked so strong and happy! It was a really great service and he was all smiles the entire time!!!! I did divisiones with Hermana Quick this week as well! She is a really amazing missionary with such a strong testimony! She really knows why she is here and I love that she can truly find a way to testify with everything that she has! She and I had a really good time and she blew my mind with the scriptures. I definitely have a lot of "questions of the soul" lets put it that way and I´m so excited when I can briden the variety of the books I can read again about the church and study away! It´s another week! I´m so ready for Conference!! I hope you all are so excited to see our beloved Prophet and the Apostles!! I love you! thank you for all of your love and support!! Love Hermana Healey

"You break our hearts and then want to be baptized?!?!"‏

Another week has flown by. Yesterday was, yet, another holiday here in Argentina. And for some reason it is ALWAYS on Mondays. I don´t get it either. But oh well. Celebrate you Argentines, celebrate. This week I went on divisiones with Hermana Zaneli de Brasil!!! She is one amazing missionary. She just barely hit her 5 months and she is rocking it. She really has a beautiful ability to be able to testify of ANYTHING! And to share the gospel even with those meanies out there. I had so much fun with her. I was dying the first day because I was so sick but she took such good care of me. Friday we knew we had to get our butts in gear and visit Nicolas more often in the week to finish teaching him so he could be baptized the 29th. We called his house (his parents are VERY catholic) and asked to talk to "Senior Nicolas?" and his dad answered saying "There is no senior nicolas here, only el joven nicolas" whatever sir let me talk to your son. We talked to him and he said that he finally found work through the Catholic Church and he doesn´t want to have anything to do with the Mormons anymore. Our hearts sank and we just sat there shocked. Saturday we went to visit Paola. She is so amazing and has a wonderful testimony already. She has 3 kids and lives with their father but they aren´t married. But she wants to go to church and learn more about what we teach. Then we went to see Vanina, she is 19 years old and sooooo shy. I wasn´t really sure if she really has interest or if she just was being nice so we shared something short and invited her to church. She said she would be ready and will wait for us on Sunday. I hate to say I didn´t have much confidence in her.. SUNDAY!!! Best/Worst day ever. "lets start at the very beginning, a very good place to start" That morning we had 5 people promised to go to church with us and all lived in different neighborhoods, so we called up Irina and Marci to go on divisiones with us. I went with Irina to go and get Paola and Vanina, and Hermana Alvarado went to get Jasmin and her little sister. Irina and I showed up for Vanina, and THERE SHE WAS! Dressed in her nice coat (because it is freezing in the mornings and nights now) Ready to go! It was a wonderful surprise. Then we passed by to find Paola, she brought her two sons. I don´t remember their names but lets just call them by their ages, Terrible 3 and FRUSTRATING 4. Thankfully we walked to church in peace. We showed up and Jasmin was there! And Walter, and NICOLAS. With a nice Sunday jacket and his comb over all slicked. Lookin good. We didn´t have time to talk to him before the reunion started. And ALL THROUGH SACRAMENT I was entertaining these two rugrats. With everything I had. Frustrating 4 ate all my cough drops (they eat those things like candy here) and scribbled all over my agenda, tore out my photo album and looked at every book I had in my bag. I didn´t even care because he was silent for at least 30 seconds.. Oh well. I BEGAN to rethink having children. Not gonna lie. So we are about to go to relief society, and all of Sunday school we were running back and forth between primary and the class and the hooligans were insane and there was one moment when I had Frustrating 4 climbing up my body, Terrible 3 pulling on my arms, and Hermana Alvarado just sitting there, and that is when an elder decides to ask me stupid questions just to be a pest. I snapped at the elder, practically threw the kiddles in primary, and hummed I am a Child of God. We talked to Nicolas and he said that he made a mistake and knows that the church was true. And he knows what happens if he knows it is true and denies it, so he said "Baptize me Saturday" And we said "With pleasure." We had a really awesome lesson with him that night and he will be baptized this Saturday! That night we literally got locked out of our apartment. Our lock in our door is so stupid and the key is stupid and it was just all stupid. The key would enter into the door, but wouldn´t turn por nada. We tried everything. And NO ONE was home on our floor, and NO MEMBER answered us. So we called the zone leaders and they came to help. NADA. All I wanted to do was call my brothers. I even tried pulling out my credit card knowing it wouldn´t work but had a hope that I could do the same thing Ty did with his card. But nope. We slept very nice on the floor of the Hermana’s pension that night and paid 100 pesos in the morning for a locksmith to open our door. I was so glad that day was over. Monday we had Noche de Hogar with the familia Ovando. All the grandkids live with grandma and we talked about service and how we can serve grandma. In the end they sang to her I´m Trying to Be Like Jesus. It was so beautiful and the spirit was amazing. And then after we played Ninja and it was literally the most fun I´ve had here in Saenz Peña. I can´t believe Erik will be home next week! Kamie´s wedding is coming up, Ky just left for her new mission. So much stuff is going on at home and the weeks are flying. Everything is going really good right now and I´m so grateful for all of your love. Have a wonderful week!!! Love always, Hermana Healey

Yo tengo gripe. I have a cold. And I sound awesome. This week was a long one! And a lot has happened but not a lot of work unfortunately. Tuesday we went to Corrientes so my companion could do some things for her ID here. Let me tell you all a secret about Corrientes. IT HAS THE ONLY MCDONALDS IN THE MISSION. Well, we were there forever and I told Elder Fiabane that it is my DREAM to go to McDonalds. And he said I couldn´t go. haha I was there with the cutest Hermana Young and Hermana Gonzalez and Hermana Alvarado and we all wanted to go! And it was Hermana Youngs birthday! So we all kept kissing up to elder Fiabane and he said that we could call President. We called and President said he had no problem if we went to McDonalds! He just doesn´t want all 16 of us missionaries Elders and Hermanas in the McDonalds together. So we tried to make a plan and in the end we just went with what Elder Fiabane wanted and went to a hot dog stand. Big dissapointment. But whatever. I´ll make it to McDonalds one day. But we had so much fun with Hermana Gonzalez and Hermana Young. Wednesday! Traslados!!! Yeah I didn´t go anywhere. Still here. haha I knew I wasn´t leaving. And Hermana Alvarado is still here with me! She has SOO much time here. I know that this is her last transfer here and then someone else will come be here with me next transfer. Called it. We will see. ALL DAY WEDNESDAY WE WERE AT THE BUS STATION. Waiting for all of the hermanas and their companions and sending off other hermanas and wait for others. Hermana Alvarado and I had to be there at 5 in the morning, until 6 in the night time. That´s right. I almost died. But we had a good time talking to other people in the terminal and passing out folletos and Books of Mormon! And coloring in my coloring book...Thanks mom! That night we were done at the terminal just in time to go to Noche de Rama! Our Investigator Nicolas was there and he is soooo golden. He knows a lot of the Bible and LOVES learning more. I don´t know If I have written about him yet but he´s the one who had elders 2 years ago and just randomly came to church and has been the past 4 weeks! Yeah he is great. In the Noche de Rama he just raised his hand and bore his testimony about the church to everyone in the room. He says that he believes that this church is true. He talked about how much he is learning from us and that he is so grateful. I about died. He´s wonderful. The only problem is he focuses more on his knowledge and not a lot on his faith or the spirit. We are trying to work on that. Sunday we went and saw Irma, she is just our sweet little grandma here. She loves us so much and we love teaching her. She still hasn´t been to church yet and we are not sure what to do to help her. But we were talking about how Adam and Eve didn´t sin, that it was a transgression and really it is a blessing what they did for us so that we can be here on Earth. And she was like "How do you know that they had children?" and I just wanted to say "Well how do you think you got here?" Crazy woman. But I love her. Yesterday we had consejo de lideres in Resistencia and it was so cold!! But it was really good. I learn so much from these meetings with President and I´m so happy I am able to see Hermana Allred and Hermana Lund there. haha We also had cupcakes. Yeah that´s right. Cupcakes. Well it´s raining and everywhere the water is all the way up to the side walk! It´s crazy. I´m drinking a lot of orange juice and I will get better I promise! I love you and hope you all have a wonderful week! Love Hermana Healey

I Never Know What to Title These!

Today is my 11 months. Yeah. Weird. This week I did Divisiones with Hermana Morris!!! From American Fork Utah! Pretty sure she has to know some of the family, but we don´t remember really. Hermana Morris is probably the most hilarious missionary here in the mission. I had such a good time with her. I laughed so hard and she was just funny the entire time. Love her. This week Facundo was baptized! That´s right. That long haired, bearded child of God did the right thing! This week was filled with trying to teach him everything, get everything ready, and calling everyone to make sure people were there because we didn´t announce it in church on Sunday. Here are the real highlights of this chaos.. Tuesday we had a lesson with him in the chapel with Hermana and Hermano Mesa (Naum). Hermana Mesa has been less active for a little while and recently she is coming back. But I am SO grateful she was there that day. We were all talking about how we can receive answers from our Heavenly Father through prayer. And Facundo started to tell us about how he NEVER dreams, but lately he has been having really bad dreams after he prays before bed. And he told us about some and they were just too weird. It was a moment when I would usually sit there and wait and wait until I had something to say or a scripture to read, but NOTHING. Blank. I looked at Hermana Alvarado and knew the same was happening with her. In DyC we are promised that the Holy Ghost will help us in those times and put the words into our minds, that moment, the Holy Ghost helped Hermana Mesa. She talked about how the exact same thing happened to her right before her baptism and how prayer and scripture reading helped her to know that the church was true. It was so beautiful and powerful. I know that The Holy Ghost is the real teacher, and that sometimes it´s not the missionaries who deliver the message. My testimony grows of working with members every day. Saturday morning we went to clean out the font. It was so filthy I wanted to die. But por suerte, at that time there was a Presidency meeting for the stake and two hermanos from Las Breñas came in and helped us clean it out. I was so happy. We were so grateful for all of their help. The baptism was at 5:00 en punto... Yeah no one here understands that. Everyone started arriving at 5:20 and it started at 5:40. I´m a timely person.. That will never change.. Imagine my stress. haha I almost baptized him myself. Jk Naum was so excited that Facundo asked him to do it. It was his first baptism and he was sooo excited. They had to do it twice because Hermano Naum said his last name wrong. haha but it was great. Facundos brother was baptized in December. And he is really cool! We went to the zoo with him and his family. But he hasn´t been at church for about a month and doesn´t have much motivation to go. But we asked him to talk at the baptism and was scared as to if he would be there or not but he was there! And he bore such a beautiful testimony! It was so great; a perfect ending. This week was just a bunch of stress!!! But it went by so fast so I´m grateful for that. This week is Transfers AGAIN! We´ll see what happens next week... I think that I´m staying here. haha I ain´t goin anywhere for awhile. I love you all! I hope you all have a wonderful week this week! Love Hermana Healey HAPPY BIRTHDAY XANDER MAN!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GABS!!!!!!!