Week

This was John's favorite drink when he served in Brazil. 

so this week was good. hard but good!!! we had a meeting with president for all of the missionarys that are going home with in a few months. and they talked about finishing strong!! im stoked!! my comp and i are doing great!! we are getting along well. working hard and killing it!! ready to finish strong!!

this week was hard becasue we worked all week long with fabiola getting her ready for her baptisim!! she was excited and seemed very prepared!! on saturday the day of the baptisim her boyfriend who is a member was take into the hospital for some reason in critical condition. we couldnt get a hold of her the whole day. and finaly 40 minutes before the baptisim we found her. she was frantic about her boy friend so we sat down with her and she just started of talking about all that was going on. we tried to calm her down. we walk to the church with her. all the members were in the chaple and we went up stairs with her and said a prayer and gave her a blessing. in the end she didnt feel alright and didnt feel up to getting baptised. so she left. we made the best out of the situation and had a big family night with the ward. after she told us that she was moving to a different city... we were devistated. but if there is one thing that i have learned on my mission is that we cant get down on our selvs. so i said to my comp. well lets go find some news. so we went and found a new that night!! the week ended up being one of the best in a while  teaching wise!! im greatful to a lord and god that know me and want the best for me. i know they are with me and give me the stregnth to continue in the hard times!! 

love elder groen!

New Comp!!

My new comp is from california he is named Elder Mcdonald. he has 6 months on the mission and is a hard worker!! every time people see or hear his name they say "like the burgers right?" or something like that!! its quite amusing to hear 100 times every day!! haha some people go as far as to ask if his first name is ronald! haha very clever!!!

We had a few lessons with fabiola. she is the one from peru here as a visitor!! she has now come to church 4 times and really wants to be baptised. we are a little hesitant about doing it because we dont want here to go back to peru and just go in-active so we have been praying alot! last night we asked the zone leaders what they thought and they said they felt alright and they asked the assistants who also said that it was alright!! so we are going to have a baptism this saturday!! we are very excited!! fabiola is going to be a great convert to the church!! 

Love you all

Elder groen

Wet week!

So I dont have much time but this week we found a new investigator working through the members! she moved from preu last week and is living with a less active! we went by and were able to teach them both. fabiola the peruvian accepted a baptismal invitation for the 7th of may!! we are super excited for her! she came to church and loved it!! 

Love Elder Groen!!

What a week!!

I had a Great week!! 

Stories! 

We were walking down the street and two poliece stopped us and we knew one of them from before so we started to chat and it came up that i have a girl friend and so they started asking questions about that. we were able to talk a little about our beliefs about not having sexual realtions before marriage. they started say that was so bad. they said we could get hit by a car and die that day and not have lived anything. but we were able to testify about the after life and how if we dont obey here we will suffer there! it was very spirtual and turned out to be great!! they then recieved a call about a calling and had to go!

We were teaching our recent convert matias about temples and my comp with his limited spanish tryed to explain that we get baptised in behalf of the dead and matias said ok but i dont want to die yet. haha very funny! a little bit of a misunderstanding!! after the lesson he expressed his feelings toward us of gratitude. he is so so so so so so shy... but the gosple is changing him!! he said that he is so much happier now!! 

Last night we had dinner i the house of a very humble family. They made burgers for us!! they are so awesome!! people like them have changed me!! The walls in their house are ply wood nailed together in a random pattern to make it fit. the floor is dirt. they have one hall way and one room. and an out house. in the hall way is the kitchen. the four of them 2 daughter sleep on two beds!! and yet they give to us all that they can!! with a good attitude!! How christ like! what an example!!

Love Elder Groen

Sick day!

Ive had a pretty hard core cold this week. my comp had to go to capital to do his document stuff and i went to the offices of the mission and got to sleep on the couch of president robertsen the whole time!! pictures included!! last monday the two elders in the picture showed up in our area so incredibly lost!! the are in the mission my grandson and great grand son. or in other words the blond one is training the other and the blond one was trained by the elder that i trained!! haha 

this week i played nearer my god to thee, in sacrament meeting on the piano!! i was so nervous bucause i never have before but it turned out great!! 

Our main investigator is named alejandro he is 20 years old and has quite a story! his sister was shot a little while ago and lived! he freacked out quite a bit and went to get revenge. he found the guy and shot out both of his knees leaving him unable to walk. he has made quite a few changes in his life! he is living with members and going to church every week! 

my comp was sick yesterday and while he was resting i read 30 pages of the book of mormon! so good!! 

Elder Groen 

Misc.

*Note from Mom:

Dalton did some email chatting this week and didn't have time for a family email.   So I'l posting a few tidbits from him:

- He hasn't heard from Mario - that's all in the past.

- President Hymas served in Dalton's area twice and gave Dalton a long list of people he'd like contacted.   Dalton LOVES these warm referrals.

- They have some investigators but "nothing serious enough to write about".  (He still doesn't understand how we love to hear anything!

Parque San Martin

Matias

So i like it here!! its a good place!! we had a baptisim yesterday!! his name is matias and he is i think a little autistic. but a great guy!! 

my comp is from ogden and brand new in the mission! he played lacross at bonaville high! 

Left to Right:  Elder Wiggins, Elder Lindquist, Elder Vicente (formerly Elder Silva - his mother's last name)

this week is transfers and we are getting a new elder in the appartment in the other companionship and i lived with him at the start of my mish!! so cool!! the elder on the right of the picture! (the pic is from 2014)

Elder D Groen 

"Flashed" missionary style

Well this week was good but finished crazy!! so after church this sunday mario followed the sister missionarys home and he told one of the sisters in my district the story of judas and how they ended up hanging him and he said that i better be careful because something really bad is going to happen to me. so i got flashed... (Emergency Change) im now in an area  called parque san martin!! today we had lunch with a member that used to live in my second area!! so that was cool!!

love elder groen

*Parque San Martin

Week! Road Rash

So this week was good! but also sad! 

On saturday we were looking for a reference and we asked and asked and asked and couldnt find it... but we felt to keep asking. so we did and finally someone knew the guy and pointed his house out to us!! so we went up and knocked and who comes out? our convert diego and he was so drunk... we were so sad! he told us that he needed to repent. we offered to walk with him to his house right then but he wouldnt leave... he didnt come to church either.

Yesterday sister mickelsen from my mtc district was visiting argentina and she came to our branch for church! that was great to see her and get to know her parrents!! her dad shared his testimony and it was super cool! 

so this week we were riding really fast and we were on gravle and i turned but the bike decieded that it didnt want to... so... i fell... but no worries im ok!!

Love Elder Groen

*Note from Mom.   I asked about Mario.   Dalton said he's still mad at Dalton but still attending church.  He won't look at Dalton or shake his hand but Dalton will gladly take that if Mario will still come to church and has joined for the right reasons. 

Argentine sunset from the top of the pench roof

So to start off this email i would like to tell about the amazing experience that we were able to have as elder bednar came to buenos aires to speak with all of the missionaries all over the south america south area!! we were spiritually edified as he talked alot about the spirit! i liked one thing that he said at the very start and that was that in meetings we need not to take notes of what the people say becuase then we loose them and dont look back at them. he related it to writing on the large plates. but if we take notes of what the spirit says then we will tresure what it says to us!! thats like writing on small plates!!

On saturday Diego was baptised a member of la iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de los últimos días!!  (Dont worry, This is our church just written in spanish!) it was a great day and he loved it!! his Conversion Story: The sisters were passing by his house one day and they say the sign on the gate that says family rojas. so the stoped and started teaching the family diego showed the most intrest as he started reading the book of mormon alot! well after some inconvinences the sisters had to pass him to us and so we started teaching him!! he had a long road ahead of him seeing that he need to drop a major drinking problem. but he did!! he also finished the book of mormon 1 week before his baptisim!! 

Now the sad part. my convert from december who is so awesome. last week in church he asked the hermana gull to marry him. so the president asked us to talk to him and teach him that that wasnt ok. so we did and now he hates me. yesterday he asked to talk to me and the branch president so we did and we got in the presidents office and he just started yelling at me... saying that im pridefull and arogant and a dishonor to my family and ansestors. i learned that in times like these we just need to humble our selfs and listen. so i did. thanking him for the advice. sad but good that he's only mad at me and not the church.

Love Elder Groen

Don't you hate it when your tractor breaks down?

What a week!!

so what a great week with a bad end! So this week was good!! we got some exciting news that elder bednar is comming to our missoin!! #soexcited!! so we will have the privlage to listen to him this wednesday!! 

Diego is our investigator. he was the investigator of the hermanas (sisters) but he had a crush on one of them and so shen had to get transfered and the passed him over to us! he is progressing great!! he already finished reading the book of mormon. and he passed his baptismal interview. he will be baptised this saturdayand mario my convert from december is going to baptise him!!

but yester day mario proposed, yes Proposed to one of the sisters in my district... so... more details next week if you would like... love Elder Groen

Mark 5:19

Argentine brownies (looks just like Bountiful brownies)

Companion's broken bike

Elder Petersen, me and teresa, our Japanese investigator!!

First time companion made empanadas

Yes, please do!

Messy Elder / Clean Elder (Dalton)

Last month at Jonathan's baptism

Off schedule report

(We received this message from the Mission Home " Regards from the Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission. We send you this letter to let you know that due to Argentina’s national holiday “Carnaval” (8^thand 9^th of February), your missionaries may not be able to send their weekly letter today. At the latest, you will receive an email from your missionary on Wednesday, the 10^th of February.")

Sorry for the wait!!! im on tho!! with some news!! we had transfers!! my companion elder petersen was transfered... :( i liked him alot!! he was great!! we have some killer plans for after the mish!! he was called to be the secretary to president robertson!! so thats pretty cool!! and i recieved a new elder!! im Training!!!!! his name is elder McCollum! he is from tucson arizona!! he is almost 20 and very new in the mission!!

Love Elder Groen 

So this week was fast!! we are in the last week of this transfer!! and it flew by... what is happening with the time!! every day is one day more not one day less!! i love my mission!! it has changed my for the better!! yesterday we had interviews with president! they were great!! he invited me to focuse more on what i do good then what i do bad!! and make my good things excelent!! and i would like to invite you all to do the same!! if you make your bad things average you will be average people. but if you make you good things outstanding then you will be out standing people!!

I love this gosple and am so blessed to have been born in it. I realize that more and more every day!! I know that jesus christ is our SAVIOR. I think we say that word to causually. READ your scriptures! PRAY sincerely!! and CONSECRATE your sundays!!

Love, Elder Groen

I wanted to share with you a thought that came to me in my personal study this morning. as i was reading some of the isaiah chapters in 2 nephi i was carried away in a thought. i thought what if we got a call from the zone leaders telling us that the faithful saints in the costal areas were instructed to build boats for the same reason noah was. and that we had to get on the boats in 2 weeks time so that we didnt drown. and we were instructed to informe everyone that would listen to us. i started thinking about the urgencey of the work. i think the very first thing we would do is we would contact all of the people that we love most and start telling them all what we know and what they need to do. and if the didnt believe us we would be very sad for them but we wouldnt waste time with them. we would go to the next person that we know and we would try and save them. after all of the people that we know and love we would start talking to every person that we saw on the street and tell them of the news. i could sence the urgency that would be in our attitudes. now the second comming isnt 2 weeks out. (at least i dont think it is) but it isnt far either and this should be the urgence that we have with us every day. we need to warn the people and help them to repent and then to be baptised! the work we do is the most important. it is urgent. 

The work here is alright we had two baptisims the saturday in the branch. i baptised one of them whose name is jonathan! he is 9 and full of enegry!! he was the baptisim of the sisters!! as well as carmen also age 9 but the other sisters. sorry the pictures wont work... i try to get them to you next week!!

Love, Elder Groen

Week

So this week was good!! we went and contacted the guy that drives our bus!! he was there and we taught him and his wife!! the have three young kids all under 5 years old. they Accepted the message very well and they read and prayed!! we havnt been able to see them again because he left on a trip... that is going to be a hard part! he always has to travle for work... 

Then we also taught lucas and leticia who are 2 new investigators also and the lesson went well aswell and were going by again tonight!! the didnt come to church tho...

MARIO Blessed the sacrament on sunday!! i was so happy for him!!! he did a great job!! he is progressing so well! 

all of the sisters in the district are going to baptise the week!! go them!! one of the little kids asked me to baptise him!! so im getting wett!!!!!!!! yes!!!!!! haha

This week my comp and i went by a less active member who has been strugling with his health. he had kimo. and he was just laying in bed because he didnt have stregnth to stand up!! and i shared my new favorite scripture with him!! 2 nefi 9:18 I love it for the promise at the end!! Thats awesome!!

and their joy shall be full forever.

Love,Elder Groen

This Week!!

So this week was really good!! i am consecreating my self more and
more every day and i am finding more and more joy ever day!! im not
saying im perfect because im very far from it but i can feel that the
lord is pleased with what im doing and changing!

This week we had rocio come out to church!! she is a young mother with
2 young children simon 3 and siro 1 year old. she is making the
changes in her life that she needs to!! she came to church walking in
the rain!! so awesome!!

Tonight we are going to visit carlos who is the micro driver that we
alwayse get when we go to zone meeting. he loves to sing and we were
singing hymns in the micro on the way to zone meeting and he
recognized some of the hymns!! we offered to bring him a hymn book and
he accepted!! so tonight we are going to bring that to him and teach
him the restoration!!

my comps handelbars broke in half... haha!! he rode for like 3 day
with one hand so that it wouldnt break off all the way but it ended up
breaking off!! so we got a knew on put on!!

Mario Bondanza our recent convert is doing great!! he has the aaronic
priesthood!! he has a home teaching companion!! and the have a temple
trip planned for the 30th of the month!! he has a lot of friends in
the branch!!

Love, Elder Groen

Happy New Year!! 

This week has been awesome!! we worked quite a bit and it felt so good! my comp is such a stud! he has 4 and a half months in the mish and talks as if he had been here for a year!! he learned spanish so well!! he has so much enegry to serve and he loves the people and country so much! he is such a great example for me!!  we have been working hard this week and were excited for the transfer together! were going to see many miricles!! 

as we start a new year lets all resolve to give our selfs more fully to the lord! i know that as we give of our selfs and we consecreat our selfs. the lord blesses us!!

Love, Elder Groen

**For the local Bountiful/Centerville folks, Dalton's companion is a cousin-in-law to Matt Stringham, a good buddy on the Viewmont soccer team.    That, my friends, is another example of a small world.