Prom Queen for Life: The Story of Gaston

Words from the editor: Dear reader's I apologize for the lack of blog posts the last couple of weeks. I misunderstood Hermana Robins' instructions on what she wanted posted on HER blog. She is very sensitive as to what information she wants on her public blog. I for one totally understand. I know a few crazy missionary moms (not you mom, you're perfect) who do whatever they can to try and stay connected to there missionary "children." Heck I even tried to find her companion on Facebook, so you can add me to the list of crazies. I'm not sure all of Hannah's reasons for being so discreet but I DO know she thinks a lot about what she wants to tell all her family and friends and really appreciates the letters that she does get from ya'll. She appreciates your letters, but has very little time to respond to them. Personally the letters she writes me consist of a couple sentences, and then what she writes for the blog. Please be patient with her. The best way to write her is by using a free service called dearelder.com. She receives the letters in a timely fashion and it is free for you to send them. Choose the Argentina Neuquen Mission. Let me know if you have questions. And without further ado our adorable Hannah.

(Hannah's brother Noah started this tradition of brownies on April 20)

I broke the door of our pension so for a few days we had to use the door behind the dresser...real annoying.

Most people have gates around their houses so you don't knock, but rather clap your hands. At first I thought "how do you know which house is being 'clapped'". Then our house got "clapped" and I realized you can really tell...anyway this picture is staged because it is outside our pension. Haha

It rained one morning, but it stopped right when we were packing up and gearing up to endure it. This is outside my apartment. That skirt was given to me by a less active member. It is really ugly, but I like it of course. And you thought I would be giving all my clothes away.

I was thinking one day, "I don't think you can have a nasty cake"...I was wrong. The next day a lady in the ward gave us this cake. It was nasty. Like I can't even describe it!

This chocolate I'm eating is some famously good chocolate Judy told me about. A less active member gave it to us. You can only buy it in two [cities] Badiocele and Neuquen, which are both far far away. So it was quite the treat. And yep it was pretty dang good. But don't get your hopes up because both of those places aren't in my mission.

Letter 5/6/2013

This past Saturday Gaston was baptized. I met Gaston one of my first days here in Argentina. We stopped by to teach his parents, Juan and Teressa, but he answered the door. I was freaked out. He opened it, glared, then grabbed the keys to unlock the screen. He looked not so happy to see us, but then we made alfejors (a cookie treat) and left them all with a spiritual thought. We continued to pass by but there was no progress. They weren't reading or going to church. One day we went over there and I felt prompted to pull a trick I learned in the MTC. I asked "what is stopping you from going to church?" But I didn't want to so I promised God I would try to say it twice. Of course they didn't understand my broken Spanish and my companion had to help me out. Then we taught about the restoration and left 2 Nephi 31 for them to read. I thought for sure they would come to church...they didn't. So we didn't stop by for a week or so because we didn't want to. Bur then we decided we needed to go back to "drop" them. [stop teaching them when a person no longer seems interested ] Right when we sat down Gaston asked, "Do you want me to get baptized?"....Umm yeah. We started teaching him. At first he was really shy and so we tried to teach him when his parents were in the other room. We invited him to church again and on Sunday morning we called to make sure he was coming. He responded by saying, "If I can I will." Which usually means, "no". But I knew he would come and he did. It has been amazing to watch him change. He answers the door with a smile now and is already a great missionary. He picks his mom up for church and his family came to his baptisim and his confirmation. I love being in his presence. He is so patient with my language and probably one of the only people here that talks to me like a person. Listening to him talk about what he has learned from a chapter we left him honestly strengthens my testimony. I love when we ask him, "if he knows the church is true" or something like that and he says, "I don't know." It makes me laugh because that that's just like me (before the mission-when I was allowed to say stuff like that). And then he goes on doing good and righteous things. He is amazing and I know he will be an amazing member and leader in the church.

The Gomez' and the best cake I've ever had.

The whole mission got new pillows this month! So here we are at zone conference with them.

Gaston looking happy, but he is touching us. Which everyone will say is against the "white handbook" but it's not. Hugging ISN'T in the white handbook. FYI