Rivadavia Week 11

Hermana Bonner didn't feel well enough to write anything today.  She has spent the last week with the amazing Mission nurse, Hermana Kathy Ashby.

Hermanas Ashby, Cuellar, Ferrel & Bonner

President and Hermana Goates, Office Elders and Hermanas Ashby and Bonner

Hermanas Cuellar, Bonner, Ferrell

Rivadavia Week 10: Como le va Familia?

Hello There Everyone!

I hope everyone had a great week and everything is going good!   This week was a little slow not a lot going on.  We worked as much as we could and we just keep pushing :) 

 First off I got my first letters after being out for almost 3 months and it was better than Christmas! I was just crying and it was the best day ever.  It's amazing what a piece of paper can do in the Mission.

 My girl Dom decided to serve a Mission and I'm so stoked for her!  Hearing of others desire to serve is so amazing and it strengthens us Missionaries. 

This week I got a PB and J and it was the best day of my life!!  Yay for AMERICAN food. 

We also have Elder D. Todd Christofferson coming on November 8th and that's super awesome!  There are mysteries of God and also Mission mysteries........ So I was thinking how is it possible that we walk ALL day long yet we still get fat?   It doesn't make sense. My belief is that it's just evidence of how much the poeple of Argentina love me.  My little belly just shows how amazing the people are and their love for the Gospel :)

This week was another hard week... I feel like I'm always saying that!   I'm sorry I'm not a baby I promise!  I was reading some talks trying to strengthen my testimony and looking for some anwsers and I was reading a talk from Jeffery R. Holland.  I love his words!  And I wanted to share something I learned... 

We all come down here to this earth to learn, and to have experiences and most of all to become like Christ.  We go through hard times, and have bad days. We also suffer.  It's not easy sometimes.  But we are here to learn and grow and become more like Him.  Sometimes it is nessacary for us to go through a SMALL portion of what He went through to understand just how much He loves us and how much He really understand us.  We all might have to suffer for a minute or two just like Christ suffered in Gethsemane.  When we suffer is when we are most Christlike or closest to Christ. I want to know and I always ask  "Why is it so hard?"  It wasn't ever easy for Jesus so the same is for us. Hard times are nessacary.  And that's something we have to expect.   But Christ understands us and will always be there with us.  He has walked with me and some times even held my hand throughout my Mission. 

I love my Mission as hard as it is.  It has been one big adventure but it's the time when I have grown the most!   Thank you all for your support.  I love you all and miss you!  My family is so amazing.  Mom youre a BA . Mountain biking with mountain lions and dad and Rhett shooting deer and Addee just killing it in school.   Love you all!!

My stitched finger!

The lake in Rivadavia

P-Day  and we're going to the Lake!

One of the Fiat cars here

Hermana Bonner and her little baby, Nawell

Feliz Dia de la Madre  (Happy Mother's Day in Argentina 10/19/14)
Hermana Bonner with the Mission Nurse, Hermana Ashby ( in white)

Rivadavia Week 9: The Argentine Hospital Experience!

Well this week was just crazy.  Yesterday we decided to cook breakfast for a family before church cause we want them to come to church.  So I was super excited and just cooking away and I decided to cut open something with an old pocket knife.  Well I cut my finger instead haha.  Blood was everywhere and my comp was dying.   The members put salt on it to stop the blooding and that was so painful and they were like we need to go to the hospital and I was like no its fine!   They came to church with us so YAY!!  But during church my finger would not stop bleeding so we went to the hospital.  They opened it up and could see my little tendons and so they started operating.  They were talking to me in Spanish thinking I can talk back when they are jabbing needles in me. But in the end everything was good and it was a fun adventure!  We don't really do to many exciting things on the mission so I needed that little adrenaline rush! 

Also this week... I FOUND PEANUT BUTTER!  I was crying it was the best day ever!   Prayers are answered haha.

We have been working really hard this week and I decided I would have been a really good pioneer cause I can walk forever and ever.  I also have a watch tan line so I guess you could say I'm a legit missionary now.  

Also one day we were teaching a lady named Ellie who is amazing and so sweet. Well someone knocked at the door and it was a Jehovah Witness.  WOW.  I froze up.  She started drilling us on everything we believe.  We responded with scriptures and then we realized we weren't getting anywhere.  She tried to tell us we need to drink to have fun in this life and God wants us to be happy.  We remembered the conference talk of respecting other religions and we told her we wanted to sing her a song.  So we sang a hymn and left.  We were dying after but we realized we handled it well and we were respectful.  We did all that we could and the Lord will now do his part!  

This week was filled with more hard trials.  But I was on the bus one day thinking, and it hit me.  Missionary Work will ALWAYS be hard.  But when am I ever going to experience this again?  It's like anything else.......Being a mom, going to school, having a church calling, going through hard times at work, when will we ever experience this again?  We only have limited time here on the earth and everything we go through is part of a plan. So that's the best thing is we only get certain experiences one time.  So we need to live them up!  We all have hard trials and go through hard things but every single one of us has amazing talents and abilities to make it through these hard times.  I'm grateful for all your support!  Love you all and have an amazing week! 

Hermana Bonner

Hermana's with the Alanez family

Hermana Bonner with my Zone wishing "Mom" a Happy Birthday!

Hermana Sorenson and I finally found PEANUT BUTTER!!

Flowers for "Merm's " Birthday!

 An old train station in Rivadavia!

I cut my finger with a pocket knife!

I might need stitches!  There's a first time for everything!

Rivadavia Week 8: General Conference Weekend!!

Wow what a week........... Haha let's start out with the best stuff first. So we got back to the pench and I was laying in my bed that night.  Well my comp was showering and I kept hearing noises so I look down and there was like an inch of water on the floor.. .....And it was grey.  Wow it was so terrible it was just water coming out of all of our drains.  So I yell, "HERMANA HAY MUCHO AGUA," and she runs out of the shower and it was actually pretty funny.  We just swept all the water outside and it took us about an hour.  So we get done and we are just laughing.  And we are getting in bed and we are hearing water dripping...... So we go in the bathrooom and the toilet is overflowing........... With sewage! Yes that was my breaking point.  I was done!  So we start cleaning up again and I look at my comp and I just had to laugh cause what else can I do?  Haha so we laid in bed that night and cried a little and laughed a lot.  But other than that it was a really awesome week!   

Conference in the Mission is so amazing.  I LOVED it!  Every talk was amazing, but for me, one of my most favorite parts was when the man who offered the opening prayer, prayed for the missionaries.  And then he said, ¨bless their families and their grandparents."   I just started crying cause everyone always blesses the missionaires but to have my family blessed was amazing!   

Conference was hard cause I had to watch it in a dress. I was dying!   I wanted my sweats!  I was in the bathroom and 2 little girls came in.  I went in the stall and then I heard one of the girls say,   ¨There is a REAL missionary here in the bathroom with us.¨    It was the sweetest thing I've ever heard.  I walked out and talked to them and they told me they loved me.   A reminder of the kind of missionary I need to be!  

 I watched conference in a little church on this little TV.   It was very humbling.  The white kids watch it in ¨the Gringo room¨ and it was way fun cause we all bring American food and we get to hear it in English. I really loved this conference and learning so much!   The thing I got most from it was Kindness.  We need to preach the Gospel at all times and when nessacary we need to use words. The way we can do that is by kindness and service.  

 As we were leaving to get on the bus to come back home after conference, an Elder jumped on the bus and helped every person off.  That right there is preaching the Gospel.  That's ALL we have to do! We need to serve and to love.  It was something so small but who knows the impact it had on the people and the people watching.  With kindess comes respect.  I learned from one of the talks we need to respect other Religions and people.  They have a love and a faith also and we can preach to them the Gospel with love, kindess and service.  We can bear our testimonies without words.  And that's why the Gospel is SO great!!  

I love you all and I hope everyone is doing great!  Mom Happy Birthdayyyy!!  I love you so so much. Grandpa, Kade and Jack Happy Birthday also!!  Everyone have a great week and I will be praying for you all :)

Hermanas y los niños 

Investigators

Hermanas Martinez and Bonner with an Investigator

Sewage coming up out of the toilet!

Cool wall mural

Rivadavia Week 7: Two Months!!

Wow time actually goes on haha. Just kidding!  But those first 2 months really took their time. So I'm glad to have them behind and I'm ready for more to come! 

This week was another week of "seriously".   It started out with bed bugs......YES me and my comp have bed bugs. I woke up with bites all over my eyes and my neck, well basically my body.  So we just walked and itched and laughed all day.  It was pretty funny. 

We worked super hard this week and we have more new investigators so yayay!!  That's always great. For those who are wondering, Yes I am a legit Argentine now.  EVERY house we go in I drink Mate. They drink Mate all day.  I mean it's like hey let's drink Mate and eat bread all day.  That's what I feel like they do here sometimes.  I love my Argentines! 

We had a special Stake Conference yesterday and I got my picture taken so I just might be famous in the Ensign!  Haha I'm being serious mom look for me :)  But it was awesome cause they opened another Stake here!   Which means the Gospel is growing.  President Goates came and spoke and I really loved his words.  He said we need to have faith and patience with everything.  He really loves us and is a great man! 

This week I really focused on my vision of others.  Whenever we knock on doors you never know whats's going to come out and talk to you.  But I always just love and accept them!  This week I focused on what people can be, not what they are right now.  Every single one of us is working to be a better person each day, maybe to be more fit, maybe to be more spiritual, everyone has something to work on. So let us look at people for what they CAN BE.  Each day my comp says, "Hermana I see your potential!"   And I wanna cry cause she believes in me. That's what we need to do is see the potential in others and love them for what they can be!  When we are loving them, supporting them, and not judging them it allows them to grow stronger and quicker.  So basically everyone love everyone!  Cause we are all doing our best :)  

I love being a missionary.  Even when people think I'm a nun or when drunk men follow me down the streets telling me I'm beautiful haha.  I always smile each day when I get to put my name tag on. It's THE hardest thing I've ever done but it's the least I can do for my Savior. 

 I love you all and have a great week!  Mom and dad HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!  I love you guys so much. Keep looking great cause you guys are killing it. 

 Con Mucho Amor,

 Hermana Bonner!

Hermana Bonner celebrating 2 months playing dress up!

A cheesy message for her "El Novio"

Hermana Bonner skating at a skate park

Hermana Bonner and a "cool" tree that she liked!

Rivadavia Week 6: Every Week is a New Adventure!

Hello Everyone!!

This week was another week of hard work. We traveled to Mendoza for some training from President Goates which was awesome!  Then we gave more service!  I made brownies and banana bread for investigators and memebers and they all loved it!  So today I have to cook more.  American food tastes so good somedays.

We teach a fam that lives really far away.  So we take the bus and always catch it on the way back.. Well this week we missed it.  And it was 12 which means its the SIESTA freakin siesta I hate it so everyone is sleeping.  So we did all that we could and we started walking.  And I was so grumpy and I didn't want to be grumpy so I decided to think positively like ¨hey i'm burning calories or hey i'm exploring Argentina or it could be super hot"  but that helped only a little.  We walked form 12:40 to 3:15 haha  I'm not lying!  My legs were dying.

So then I had to go to the bathroom... So I had to pee in grape fields out in the open and my comp thought I was crazy. But when I have to go I go!  So we made it made to the pench and we ate like crazy. I have never been so physically tired. That was a real test of my faith.

Then the next day we did service for a lady with cancer. Then she fed us after and it was basically oil. Noodles with oil, tomatoes with oil.  It was pretty bad.  We got back to the pension and my comp started throwing up cause the oil made us so sick.  But we laughed it out in our beds and it was pretty funny. 

We have a new investigator Elisa. Her son was shot by police officers for a reason i don't know.  He was addicted to drugs and lived a rough life.  We were walking one day and we had been trying to teach and no one wanted to listen.  It was rough, And my comp goes Hermana knock on that door, we need to talk to them.  We knocked and Elisa answered the door crying.  She told us the story of her son and she said she had lost her faith.  We are now teaching her and she loves the lessons. We tell her she will see her son again and to have faith cause God loves her so much. It was amazing to me the spirit that testified to comp to knock on her door.  We were lead to her cause of hard work and faith.  I love her and I love teaching her.  The work isn't easy but its worth it.  I SUFFER WITH JOY!  Cause that's what missionary work is.

 I am really grateful to be here.  I was talking with a family in our ward and they are thinking about selling their car in order to go to the Temple.  How amazing is their faith and desire?  May we all have more faith and suffer with joy!  Heavenly will bless us but sometimes suffering is part of life to only make us stronger.  So take on the hard days with a smile. :)   I love you all and I'm so grateful for your support!  Te amo mucho!

Mission Training in Mendoza

Hermana Bonner in Rivadavia

Pigs and grape fields!  

Argentine Pizza w/ ham, mozzarella cheese, eggs and olives

Hermanas Bonner y Martinez

Rivadavia Week 5: One Transfer Down!

Hello everyone!

This week was another hard but great week in the mission. We gave a lot of service this week which I really liked, cause for one second I wasn't thinking of myself or how I was homesick. We painted a members house and that was super fun!  And then we weeded a ladies garden.  And not like pulling weeds.. we had this big tool and had to just sit and hit the ground with it.  I was dying it was so hard. Haha  but she fed us after and it was pretty good.  My comp used her bathroom and the water was broken.. so we were in the bathroom forever trying to figure something out and I was just laughing. Haha. 

Then me being Jamee.. Lost the keys to our pench so we were climbing walls and crying and got bit by bugs but we got in and then I found the keys in my pocket so there is another mission adventure. 

We got to go to the city and we had to do Visa paper work and it was a busy day.. so for lunch the elders bought us McDonalds and I was a little angry haha. Then I ate it and I secretly loved it!  Cause it was finally something AMERICAN.

 I gave one of our investigators a massage cause my comp said i would.. it was so awkward!  Haha but she loved it and we are teaching her again today.  So whatever I can do to get investigators I will!   This week I learned so much and I was talking with another Hermana from Utah and she was just crying cause she can't speak spanish or teach lessons. And I felt the need to talk to her. So i just said Hermana are you treating yourself the way Heavenly Father would want you to? And she said no.. That is something I have learned.  We all need to love ourselves.  We all are doing our best and trying to get through the hard days.  So be patient and loving and kind towards yourself.  Treat yourself the way you Heavenly Father would treat you.  Remember we all make mistakes but we can get through those and become better.  So this week everyone love yourself!!   Then go and love others :) 

I met the fam Marua and I couldn't handle them at first.  There house smells, and there kids are out of control and the husband smokes will we teach.  Last night we did a lesson with them and we walked in the house and I felt so much love. I LOVE that family so much now.  One of there sons is actually my boyfriend... He is 2,  yes I'm so lucky..  And the husband has a testimony that makes me cry.  I was patient with myself and know I love them.

Im so blessed to be here learning.  Even on the hard days when I cry I know the lord is blessing me and he is blessing all of you.  Love you all!!   Thanks for much for your letters or emails.  All your supportive words keep me going!  

Love Hermana Bonner

Hermanas Martinez y Bonner

Hermana Martinez fixing the toilet!

Companions--Hermanas Martinez y Bonner

Conferencias de Zona--Valle de Uco, San Martin, Godoy Cruz y Las Oficinas