LAST WEEK (16 May 2011)

Hello all!!

well i just have to say this has been a wonderful experience! Words cant even decribe it and i will really miss this Argentine land...but im sure excited to see all of you!!! so i just wanted to tell you a little bit about my week, well sunday...then share my testimony.

we had a really good week finding new people to teach..there just in the beginning stage so thats all good. we worked hard and saw lots of success. so friday there was a conference for some other missionaries in other areas and so we stopped by so i could say good bye to some people when i got there the assistants said...umm we have been trying to get ahold of you all day! President wants to have is last interview with you. is that all good...i was like awww....sure...so i had my last interview with him. we talked about what i´ve learned and just the things that i need to continue to do in my life. it was very good! it was a SUPER rainy day. like crazy! we got soaked that day. then sunday i gave my last talk. we had a few in church. one is named Alexis. he is a friend of cesar who we reciently baptized and well we´ve been teahing him. he is really starting to progress. but he came to listen. (we are hoping he will accept to get baptized this weekend) and this other lady that we have reciently found came Ofelia. she was so cute. anyways the talk went well...it was really hard at the end to give my testimony....i have really felt lots of emotions as im sure it will continue this week. but i sure am grateful for being here. it was a very spiritual sacrament meeting. then that night we watched a movie about Joseph smith with alexis. he REALLY liked it. he said...today i have really felt some strange feelings...they feel good..but just really strange. i explained to him that that was the holy ghost testifying that these things are true!! anyways now here i am...with one week left. we will be working hard...and we also have a conference! that should be interesting.

i want to write my testimony, that i Know that this is the TRUE chruch of Jesus Christ. that it was restored through Joseph Smith. that the authority is on the earth today so that we can have ordinances to live with God again. God lives and LOVEs us. I have learned that and felt it!!! I know that the book of MOrmon is true. it is so powerful and it really does have all the answers in life that some one could need!! I love and have loved every moment on the mission. Argentina is the Place i needed to go and i know that i have eternal friends that I will NEVER forget.!! I love you all and i thank you for supporting me every step of the way!!

2 Timothy 4:7

"I have fought a good Fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the Faith"

may you all remember that God loves you and wants to bless you in every way!! See you all soon!!!

CON TODO MI AMOR

Hna Kusilek

*Note from the editor: Maddy's mom flies out to pick her up on wednesday. They return to the states (Minnesota) June 1st. Maddy will be back in Utah a week or 2 thereafter. We can't wait to see her!!

Happy Mothers Day! (9 May 2011)

hello all!!!

this is a picture that says HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!! for you mom and ali and grandma!! Hope that you all had a wonderful day!!

i just have to say it was super great to hear from you all!! im really excited to see your faces. Im not going to say much cause well...we talked yesterday...but i just wanted you guys to know that im so grateful for this past year and a half to be able to serve here in argentina...to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ...and just to find out who i really am!! i really have loved every moment...even the bad cause i am not better from the bad experiences. I look forward to the new stage in my life..to start school again...and to see family and friends...to find work etc. it will be another world!!

this morning we went and did a service project. we painted at a park and it was so fun! i love doing things like that...serving people really makes a big change. well i hope that you all have a wonderful week. i am thinking of you always!! i cant wait to hear that hopefully wade has come this week!!! and well!!! get really for some fun times when i get home!!! LOVE YOU ALL....

1 oh and these pictures are one of collins and i makin some good faces.

2 so there is certain terms in the mish and so when someone finishes the mission we say "they´re dying" so this is a picture of collins "killing me" in a cemetery...like it! it was pretty intense!

3 the last one is a little part of the park that we painted...ill show you the rest when i get home! hope you like!

con todo mi corazon

Maddy

2 May 2011

Gosh...i cant believe its already May!! i literally have days left on the mission! that is the craziest thing ever!

this week was a crazy stressful week....I just have to say. remember in my first area Ester y Rolando. they were eternal investigators who needed to get married. we ALWAYS went there to teach them....THEY got baptized this weekend!!! i just found out! my gosh i was like crying inside cause i remember before i left pergamino...i said to them. before i go home Promise me that you will have your names on the list of people getting baptized...they said ok!! they finally did!! I am soooo happy for them!

ok back to the week. so we have something called the standards. we have to meet all our goals of getting contacts, lessons with members, other lessons, referals, ect....anyways you have to have a baptism to get them and since we were having a baptism we wanted to work EXTRA hard to get them all met. well it was stressful. i actually got sick...but still worked anyways. I even made the goal with the assisant that we would accomplish this. so we had everything good....and sat comes we go to pick up Maria de Los Angeles and she sits us down and begins to tell us that he is sick..(had some girl problems...so couldnt go into the water) and that she has a headache...etc...i told her that all of that can be fixed..that she doesnt need to worry but that she needs to get baptized. she said ill just wait til next week...i said...God doesnt want you to wait anylonger he wants you to do it today!!! she begain to talk and give lots excuses...i said....Maria...stop talking! we got on our knees offered a prayer and sat in silence for like 5 min. after that i looked up at her and said were here every step of the way and were going to help you!! you ready to go....she said....Hna im not leaving my house, im sorry!!! GOsh i was soooooo Sad...i just held in my tears. but we left. started walking back to the church and by this time it was already 6 when the baptism was suppose to start. Our mission leader Mauro called us to see where we were and we told him we were on our with without Maria. so we got there...everyone was still there...but we were just crying....i have never felt so sad in my life!!! I know she can still get baptized this coming week...and thats fine..i think it was just the fact of trying to make this goal for the whole week. i wanted to prove to myself that i am working as hard as i can...and i know i am..but i couldnt show it with a win! after that experience we were pretty upset and it was hard to go to church on sun too..(maria and Marcos didnt come) but were going to see whats up this week! sunday was a REALLY cold day so that was rough...but the bishop talked to us and then gave us a blessing. it was VERY powerful...and i know that my faith in the Lord hasnt changed. i know that he loves me and i have and am doing all i can to help people come to christ! i really am grateful everyday now that i have such little time to just be here and do all that im doing.

the members were really nice to just try and tell us everything will be ok. i feel better now..still a little sad...but one day they will get baptized if its not while im here..thats ok!

as far as the calling home next week. i will be calling from the church around 6 my time...so utah time i think thats 3. i think ill call mom per and ali...then call dad and beau if thats cool. so around that time expect a call!

im glad to hear all is well!! it was really nice to read your words today!! have a great week..and i look forward to hearing on sun that wade came and just to hear from your voices!!! seems like i just talked to you all at christmas!!! LOVE YOU ALL TONS

con todo mi amor

Maddy

Week 3 April 25, 2011

well...it was a good easter weekend. we actually had a really good day at church. we have 5 investigators come to church and really we found these 2 people Maria de los Angeles and her brother marcos 2 weeks ago. well they have been to chruch 2 times now they love it!!! and maria is getting baptized this weekend. Pedro hector was suppose to but didnt show up to chruch so we see what happens. Marcos were thinking in a couple of weeks will be ready! they really were miracles and they just are understanding so well!! i have really seen the lords hands in the work the past few months. really we are contunally having success...i guess thats a good way to end the mish right!

so it was a beautiful eaters day as well...it was kind of a weird weekend cause people were constantally going to chruch...i think EVERYONE went...but we also made a goal to only speak in spanish all this week to help out Hna Collins. it went well..i think her spanish is getting better. but she had her moments. its really helping me to be more humble and patient. we are enjoying our time together...and im just trying to make the most of everyday...cause its just ending to fast. but it was a good week. sounds like everyone else had a good easter and that all went well. there could be a little guy coming this week...but im pretty sure wader is coming the 4th of may...thats my guess...thats so crazy that theres a new member in the family real soon!!!

well i dont have much else to say. things are good. im excited for this baptism this weekend...and well im excited to talk to you all in 2 weeks...oh and then soon after by face!!! hahahahahaha

love you all and think of you every day!! hope you have a wonderful week

todo mi amor.

Maddy

Week 2 April 18 2011

hello all!

how is everyone doing? Man this week was pretty good for me! we have just been finding some great people and we now have 10 people who have accepeted to be baptized. this week we dont have anyone getting baptized...but the 30th. we found this lady her name is maria de los angeles. she is like 45 and single...well she is really awesome. her and her brother came to church on sunday and they really liked it! the only problem that she has is she talks A LOT!!!! like its hard to teach cause she just wants to talk the whole time. but she accepted and her brother a baptism for the 30th and there lookin pretty good. we have also been working with this family theres like 10 in the family. the youngest is 8 yrs old and up. a few went to an activity that we have on friday nights its dodge ball...we get people from the ward and then the investigators and play with the elders....its really fun!!! and it has been really successful....every baptism that we have had here first went to dodgeball...and well some of the kids from this family came. Angel and Pricila...there last name is Acosta. they are awesome they really liked it...we had some really good plans for sunday to pick them up...but when we got there in the morning we knocked for like 10 min....no one came to the door. i was sad...they slept instead. but were going to work extra hard this week!!! so i just have to say the ward i am in is awesome. i have never seen such faithful youth. theres a group`of like 10 youth who just have the strongest testimonies ever!!! really its amazing. Mauro who is our mision leader he is waiting for his papers to get here...hes way cool...then theres this guy Juan Pablo who is the son of Maria who we were teaching a while ago. hes the only member in is family..and he i think just turned his papers in. then theres this family, Escaladas. they are like my so great!!! they all LOVE basketball!! so cool...we had a lesson with them on sat night. it was super spiritual. we watched the joseph smith movie and they all shared their testimonies. it was awesome. but the bishop keeps saying to us...you guys cant leave this ward...not for another 3 months at least!! hahaha...i just laugh. but i am really grateful to be here and to have the support and friends here. also the investigators are doing awesome. i feel proud of myself for being diligent to continue working. almost every missionary that i have met are done by now...but i just feel so happy to be here as a missionary and i know it wont be long until i cant be one anymore!!

well today we played basketball again as a zone...we play on a wood court...thats not normal here in argentina...but im getting pretty good...im preparing myself for when i get home!!! hahaha

i hope you all have a wonderful eater...eat lots of yummy treats. i gave a talk this last sun...about the atonement. i feel so happy to know that we have the atonement in our lives to be able to be more like christ everyday! man i feel like my testimony has grown so much since ive been here and i am very greatful for that! Easter means so much more to me now...and i know its cause i have come closer to christ and realized that everyday we should give thanks to him that he died and suffered for each and every one of us! I love you all...i wont have to many letters after this!! but know that i think of you all everyday and i cant wait to see all your wonderful faces!!!!

Todo mi amor

Maddy

LAST TRANSFER BEGINS 12 April 2011

well.....

heres the scoop for transfers....im staying here in Paraná with.........Hna Collins. hahaha...3 transfers together. Man there actually werent a lot of changes here in my zone...so it should be a good one! i was excited to stay here and finish with my hija! she is really happy too! this week was very good. its always crazy how slow the last week of the transfer goes...but we finished it well. we have been finding a lot of great people asking them to be baptized and accepting...but there have been some that have also decided to tell us they love us and we can come over whenever we want but they dont want to get baptized...so thats always hard.

Pedro Hector who we have been teaching for a while he is 84 yrs old. hes awesome he came to church 1 time...well he didnt show up to church and we were really disappointed so we are going to have to drop him. hopefully one day he will get baptized. also we were teaching this man who was a reference from a member and he was pretty sick. we would go over to his house as he layed in bed and teach him. he had accepted a baptism date for the 30th of this month but we found out on sunday that he passed away...that was really sad and hard. I guess his work will just have to be done in the temple. I feel really good about this transfer. i still cant believe that i have 6 weeks left...and just how fast time has flown. the changes at home and just the things i will be experiencing.....im so excited to meet wade and just see all of you! i am really excited to finish my mission here in Paraná the ward is awesome and i really feel the love of the members.

man i hope all is going well, that the weather is treating you all well...its still warm here...thats very rare because its usually pretty cold by now...but i dont know whats going on....i definately feel the fall weather and i love it!!! welll i hope you all have a wonderful week...that you look for the miracles everyday...and that you think of HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU!!!! take care and see ya soon!

todo mi amor

Maddy

April 4/4/11

Hello all

alright...well this week was another fast week. it was actually a warmer week not a lot of rain! We really tried our hardest to work to invite everyone to conference! well last mon night we found a family of 10!! we were so excited. we acutally only met 4 on mon..then went back a couple of days later and meet 3 more. still theres a few more to meet. but some of them accepted a baptism. and well the youngest is 8 and it just gets older. so were really excited to work with them and try to get them baptized. the rest of the week went well. we just worked a lot. then it was conference. we didnt have permission to go on sat. that was a hard day to do anything cause all i wanted to do was listen to the talks. but sunday was beautiful. we did have a few investigators...but not of the ones we invited. still awesome...but were really sad cause pedro hector was planning to get baptized this sat...and he didnt show up so he cant get baptized anymore the end of this week. were going to see whats going on with him! I Loved what everyone said. talked a lot about revelation and marriage. that makes me excited to one day have an eternal marriage. the talk by elder scott was my favorite. and i hope to be able to have a relationship like that with someone! ONE DAY

last night there was an INTENSE lightening storm...like for a good hour...just lightening lighting up the sky...finally the storm came and it started hailing...it was crazy...i dont even think people realized it...but there was hail here....i think thats a first in argentina. i felt really happy to work this week. we almost met all of our goals for the week. it felt good. and i am really grateful everyday for the time i have had here. i was just thinking the time left is going to seem like a week.

next week we have transfers so i wont be writing until tuesday. its my last transfer...have NO idea what will happen. i would love to stay here...but really it will be a big suprise to me!! i guess we´ll find out soon. i hope you guys all have a wonderful week as will i! it was really good to hear from you all!! the time is coming soon that i will actually be able to talk in person!! that is so STICKIN crazy!!! welp love ya lots!!! miss ya too

todo mi amor

Maddy