What I wish I knew…….

What I Wish I Knew Before the Mission:

- how to speak Spanish

- how to cook

- the scriptures

- Preach My Gospel

- how to kill spiders in a more effective way

- plumbing

- that English makes absolutely no sense when you try to explain it

- how much I would miss spicy foods

- that cockroaches actually DO die

- that the whole Latin America world loves the movie "Cellular" starring Chris Evans

- that Brazilian soap operas are fantastic

- that I CAN live without a phone

- that I CAN´T live without music

- that I should´ve appreciated removable shower heads, washing machines, and working toilets           more

- how hot the sun really can get

- that missionaries really DO walk all day

- that people really DO yell at you and slam their doors on your face

- how heartbreaking it is to be transfered away from an area

- just how much I would miss my family

- how much I would learn to love the people here 

What I Know Now:

- that I knew absolutely nothing before my mission (and I still know nothing) 

- that I am so, so blessed

- how much of a blessing it is to have the temple so close and available to me

- that the single-most important things to me in my life are the gospel and my family

- how powerful and true the scriptures are 

- that Joseph Smith IS a true prophet and he restored the gospel to the earth

- that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and holds all of the necessary priesthood keys to     direct Christ´s church

- that Christ´s Atonement is real. That He really, truly did suffer and die for every single one of us

- that repentance is real

- that God communicates with His children through prayer

- that God loves me and I am his child. And so are each and every one of you

- I KNOW that this is the true church. Like Joseph Smith, I can say that "I know it, and I know       that God knows it, and I can not deny it."

What I Will Do According to What I Know Now:

- spend less time on my phone and more time with my family

- always study the scriptures and doctrines of the church

- pray on my knees every day, morning and night, and as a family

- HAPPILY take part in Family Home Evening every week

- go to the temple as often as possible. Not everyone has the pleasure of living within 20 minutes   from it. 

- Do family history to help my ancestors who are eagerly waiting on the other side to partake in       sacred covenants

- help the missionaries. Give them referrals, bring my friends to them, accompany them. Be the     kind of member that every missionary so wishes that they had in their ward.

- always look for ways to serve others

- never doubt myself and always trust in the Lord

- be organized and responsible. Make life easy for my family, employers, teachers, and those       around me

- Prioritize better. The gospel ALWAYS comes first. No excuses.

- Be an example of the believers- live the gospel, even when nobody else does

"Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all thy heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day."- D&C 4:2

Con Amor,

 Hermana Edwards

New Year Happenings!

Seeing as I forgot to explain exactly what happened during the
Holidays, here is a brief summary of fun things that went down:

*Christmas P-Day!!!
 -we sang Christmas carols. It was marvelous. Frosty the Snowman and
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer were among them:)
 -I received my first hijita (daughter) in the mission!! Her name is
Hermana Frogget!!! I love training!!:)
 -I sang with the Christmas Choir for our program! We sang Mary´s
Lullaby, If the Savior Stood Beside Me, How Great the Wisdom and the
Love, Silent Night, and more!! It was a very spiritual experience, and
all the P-days practicing in the offices paid off!
 -We watched Ephraim´s Rescue (shout out to my cousin Kelsey Hanks who
is actually Eprhaim Hanks´s great-granddaughter) Amazing movie!

*Christmas Day
 -We ate carne asado. YUM!!!
 -We skyped our families!! (Best part of the day)
 -Fireworks all night long

*New Year´s Eve/Day
 -FIREWORKS (never ending story)

It´s been a busy, wonderful past couple of weeks!! I wish you all a
Happy New Year!!! 2015, I can´t even believe it!! See you this year!!!

Con amor,
Hermana Edwards

Feliz Navidad!

FELIZ NAVIDAD, PROSPERO AÑO Y FELICIDAD. I WANNA WISH YOU A MERRY
CHRISTMAS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.

Hermana Edwards on Skype Christmas day

But really, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas all of you. I
know I did. It was such a blessing to have the opportunity to speak
with my family on Christmas. To hear them and see that all that stuff
at home is REAL. Sometimes it´s hard to imagine it when everything is
behind a computer screen. it was such a special experience, and every
time it happens it is something that I hold closely to my heart.
Christmas in the mission is something very unexplainable. It didn´t
feel like Christmas physically at all. 90 degrees farenheit and 100%
humidity, little to no decorations. Fireworks. It felt more like the
4th of July than Christmas. We did get fruitcake though!!! But the
fact that we were there on the mission in Argentina on Christmas, far
from home, doing the Lord´s work, made this what I am going to
remember as one of the most special Christmas´s in my life. A
Christmas completely centered on Christ and family. I don´t know if I
could say I really had one of those before. My mind always turned
elsewhere in some point of the Christmas day. But this time, when
Christ and family was in the forefront of my mind the entire day, it
felt like Christmas on the inside. It was very special, and definitely
something I will never forget, nor take for granted. I hope that
everyone was able to enjoy their Christmas, near or far from home, and
that you all will have a great, Happy New Year!!! I´ll see you all
this year!!! Just 8 more months!!!!

Con amor,
Hermana Edwards

New companions, Christmas parties and happiness…..

This marks the end of the 7th year of the reign of judges, namely, the
7th transfer of Hermana Edwards in the Mission Buenos Aires West. We
now continue, formally entering into the 8th year of the reign of
judges, which will come to pass this Wednesday.

I can´t think in scriptural terminology anymore. BUT this week is
gonna be a big one!! We have transfers this Wednesday. I said goodbye
to Hermana Henao yesterday:( and she, Hermana Sosa, and Hermana
Parrish go home today! It's insane. I´m with my sister in the mission
for 3 days!! Her name is Hermana Story!! She's just ended training
with Hermana Parrish! We receive our new companions on Wednesday, the
same day as our Christmas P-day. I´m participating in the choir! I´ll
be sure to send pics:) This week we also have our ward Christmas
party!! I love Christmas, even if it feels like a sauna outside.

We´ve found 2 marvellous families who both are super receptive!! One
of the families is married and they and their 12 year old daughter
accepted baptismal dates!! They´ve told us that ever since we began to
pass, they've seen a marked difference in their lives. They've began
to sell more in their business, their relationship as husband and wife
has gotten better and they have more peace in their lives. I love
watching the Gospel change the lives of people here!! I also found out
that 2 of my other investigators in Chivilcoy were baptized!! So much
pure happiness in one week!! I love this sacred work!!!

Have a great pre-Christmas week!!!

Con amor,
Hermana Edwards

He is the Gift!

Thanksgiving week.

There are many things I'm grateful for. I'm grateful for my life. For
music. Food. Clothes. I'm grateful for all of you and your support. I'm
grateful for this chance I have as a missionary. I've been out for 9
months now. Halfway!! I'm grateful to be a member of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm grateful for our beloved
prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I'm grateful for the temple and its binding
ordinances. I'm grateful to know the truth. I'm grateful for my
wonderful, amazing family that's waiting for me at home. I'm grateful
for their love.

I'm also so eternally grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. For His
birth, life, sacrifice, and resurrection. He truly is the Gift.

Temple visit this week!

Come Unto Christ….

This week was a good one!! We were quite sick in the week, with
practically everything you could imagine. About a week ago I couldn´t
hear anything out of my right ear because of liquid or something
weird. It wasn´t fun. But I asked for a priesthood blessing and I feel
SO much better!!! I´ll never doubt the power of the priesthood:)

I also found out that J_________ , the young man who we were working
with for almost 4 months in Chivilcoy, was baptized on Friday!! The
tears just came because after so much work, finally, he was able to
enter the waters of baptism. I love miracles!!!

But the definite stand-out of the week was on Saturday, when we had
the wonderful opportunity to listen to Elder D. Todd Christofferson
speak to us directly. And he spoke to us completely in Spanish!!! His
wife too!!! It was amazing. He spoke to us about the Atonement of
Jesus Christ. How we can apply it to our lives. How the people in this
world need to understand that everything can come into light if we
personally accept the sacrifice that He made for each and everyone of
us.

We should never forget the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is
the very center of everything we believe in. We are members of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The foundation of our
faith is in our very name. I know that this church is the only that
holds the direct authority of God because I have felt it time and time
again. I have felt the Atoning love of our Savior. I know that He
suffered for us, that He knows us by name, and that He knows our
deepest desires and heartaches. No matter who we are, what social
standing, race, ethnic background, religion, He still loves us with an
infinite love. The worth of every soul is great in the sight of God.
We should never, ever judge another, until we have directly felt as
they have felt and experienced as they have experienced. I prefer to
focus on what we as children of God all have in common. Not what makes
us different. Christ is the only One who knows our hearts. It is so
wonderful to me, His love. I love this work because it gives me the
beautiful opportunity to invite others to come unto Christ.

I know that my Redeemer lives.

Con amor,
Hermana Edwards

British, goodbyes and new responsibilities…...

So this was a crazy week of transfers. I was transferred out of
Chivilcoy after 5 months. Lots of hard goodbyes. I love the people
there so much!!

Now I´m in the area of........Hurlingham!!!! (yes it is British-- yes
I sometimes feel like I´m in Europe) We´re in the zone of Caseros.
It´s a HUGE city. A really wealthy area. I´m with Hermana Henao from
COLOMBIA WHAT UP. She goes home this December! With two of my other
companions, Hermana Sosa and Parrish. Hermana Christley went home last
week. I will literally have no companions in the field with me anymore
hahahaha. ALSO I got called as a Sister Training Leader!!!! It was
definitely unexpected but I´m SO excited for this new adventure!!!

This week we get to have a conference with Elder Christofferson!!!! On
the 15th!!! I´m so excited!!! In all of my mission I´ve never had the
chance to listen directly to an Apostle!!!

Super great, super long week of changes. But all for the better!!!

Love you guys!!

Con amor,
Hermana Edwards