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