Happy Mothers Day

Hello Everybody!

It has been another good week here in Maipu, Argentina.

Thank you all for the emails.

This week has been full of upsets. We have many good investigators that are either really hard to find or are not progressing. We have been working on either dropping them, or just focusing more of our time on people who are ready to receive this message. That is hard to do sometimes, because i just want to help everybody!

I went on exchanges for a day and i went to Colonial Bombal. They had bikes there! that was awesome to have bikes. It was like country and there was only a house here and there.... that was a cool experience.

I have also had a lot of cool experiences this week. I don't like to share to much about them because they are personal to the investigator and to me as well. But I can say that the Savior loves you all, and i have seen his hand change many lives. I have felt his love stronger than every as i have been watching others change their lives for the better. There is no other place i would rather be than here on the mission. My testimony has been strengthened so much with the power of prayer. Heavenly father will always answer your prayers.

Happy mothers day to all you mothers out there! and a special happy mothers day wish to my wonderful mother! thank you for all that you have done for me, and helping me prepare to be here on this mission right now. I love you so much and so very grateful for the wonderful mother that you are!

The members in my ward think that i look like Biff from back to the Future... never heard that one before, what do you think? I thought that was a pretty good complement... ill take that over you look like doc from back to the future any day.

It has been a good week here, and it was awesome to see the family yesterday on skype.

Glad to know that all is good back home.

I love you all

1) Asado of my Zone

2) Elder Sosa... Asado

3) Me on a tiny bike that i didn't break... well its fixed now anyway.

4)Elder Fuentes... my district leader

5)Skype call home for mothers day

Hello family and friends,

This week has been another great week. It really has been a normal week with nothing very special. at the beginning of this week we were losing a bunch of our investigators. But we were able to find Two new families who are amazing! we were also able to find some others who seem to be awesome as well. The funny thing was, almost all of them lived in the same barrio, or block. 

we had a family come to church with us this week, and that was awesome, because we have been working on them for a while now and they are finally starting to progress. 

today is a holiday here, like labor day. so literally everything is closed, that is why i am at the church taking turns with the computers. we also had to do our shopping for the week on saturday, that turned out to be a mistake because we have almost ate it all already! 

Yesterday we had a choir practice that i did not want to go to. It was fun, but i thought it was a waiste of time. we only had about an hour and a half to work yesterday, and i felt bad. 

This week my companion and I have really been working on obedience, and there is definatly a differance in the outcome.

I love this work, and it is really changing my life as i watch others change theirs.

I know with all my heart that this is the True church. That it is the church of Jesus Christ. there is no other place i would rather be. I am proud to be a missionary.

I love you all very much, and pray for you all.

Take care,

Elder Banks

Pictures

1) The zone and I at Burger King

2) The people in my pension

3) the view from my roof

4)when me and my companion are left to cook on our own

5) Me and my companion- Elder Anderson

Happy Pascua!

Hola Everybody!

This week has been a humbling week for sure! we did not have to much success at all. we were able to teach our investigators we already have, but we really struggled finding new ones. we also didnt have anyone attend church with us, for my first time! It was difficult at times to keep pushing forward, but we did it anyways. We tried to use the easter season to our advantage but did not have much success. To everyone that we were able to talk to we tried to show the new easter video Principe de Paz (prince of Peace) If you have not seen it yet, I recommend it. You can find it on Mormon.org

This week we also received two new elders, that have the other half of Maipu. One is from Utah, and one is from Ecuador. They are cool and we get along well. We all share the same House so that is very important. 

I also had my 19th Birthday this week! Thanks so much for all of the Birthday wishes. There is no better way i could of spent my Birthday than sharing The Gospel. 

It has started to get a little colder here, and i am loving it! The bad part is it has rained like everyday this week so far. Mother you were right i should of got the nice umbrella, and not the 3 dollar one. 

This week has really tested my faith, and i love it! I love a challenge, and this has been doing it for me. I have realized that i could be doing even more, and working even harder, and that is just what i will do.

The mission is great, and i am loving it. 

Easter here is big just like back home, it was to bad that it was all rainy and gross, so nobody was out and about. 

I Invite all of you who have not listened to the missionaries from the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, give them a chance. Just listen. so next time they come by your door or your path, listen to what they have to say. It is the Truth and will change your life for ever if you allow it.

I love you all and I love this work. 

The Lord is our loving savior, remember him in everything you do.

Take care everybody.

Elder Banks

2nd transfer

Hola everybody!

This week was awesome! me and my companion were able to have a lot of success this week. we have found a lot of new investigators, but at the same time we have been dropping all of the old ones who are not progressing.

This week the other elders who are here in maipu, had a baptism of Graciela. Graciela was the first door that i knocked here in my mission. Me and my companion had to pass on the reference on to the other missionaries because she lives in their area. That was an awesome experience for me though. I was able to speak during the baptism, about the holy ghost. That was way cool to have that baptism even though she was the other elders.

Me and my companion have found some really good investigators and I am really excited for them... I just hope everything works out.

Yesterday was the end of my First transfer. Me and Elder Anderson my companion are staying here. Although the other two elders are leaving, and we are getting two new elders in there place.

It has been a way good transfer! I have gotten used to this country, and i have built up good habits. Me and my companion are doing well together. I am loving the mission, even more than i expected. The members here are awesome and way loving... we get fed well.

Winter is slowly coming,and i am loving the weather... at night it is little cold because i still haven't bought a blanket. All of the people here have massive coats on and i just have my shirt... haha Lets go Minnesota! OH and every time i say I'm from minnesota everyone thinks i am saying venezuela. It is so annoying, I even say I am from the united states, en la estado Minnesota, and the people still think I say venezuela... i think i might just start saying Utah. Also when i say my name (elder Banks) they give me a weird look so i say elder bancos. hah

This week has been great, and so has the transfer. Here comes the next one!

Take care Everyone, 

Elder Banks

Hey Everybody!

This week flew By like Nothing! This whole week was a bit of a roller coaster. We had days that were just awesome! We also had days where it felt like we were invisible. The work is hard, but It is very rewarding seeing peoples lives change right in front of you. Me and my companion did not let the bad days get to our head, and it really helped us to go extra hard the next day. Then it hit me, Why don't I just work that hard everyday! We then started talking to everyone, and fearing nobody! We also have really focused on our study times and not let ourselves get distracted! Because we have been doing this we have found success and we have been able to enjoy it as well. Man time does fly when you are having fun!

We also had General Conference this week as well! That was awesome, and i was able to get so much out of all of the talks that were given. The best part, I was able to watch it in English in the "Greengo" room! We had one investigator come with us to one of the sessions and he Enjoyed it! Even more than i thought because about 10 minutes ago he called us to tell us how he enjoyed it!

I have found that as we take advantage of every extra minute we have to work, we are blessed! We decided to go out and work in between the sessions of conferences. One day when we did this we taught two lessons and got a new investigator in about 1 hour! The Lord blesses those who give it there all! Now i am working on keeping that motivation and hard work for everyday! It doesn't help when your companion gets sick, but I was able to get some good much needed studying in during that time.

During the Temple announcement in general conference we were really hoping for Argentina Mendoza... Not this time but one day there will be! 

I love it here in Argentina, Mendoza. Life is great down here and I am adapting to it pretty well. Me and my companion are also getting along very well. Its crazy because he is on his end and i am on the beginning, I am learning a lot. Both things that I want to like and things i don't.

Is it already Pday!?

Hello Everyone! 

This week has been great, but full of challenges as well. We started off the week with some of our good investigators dropping us or losing interest... that was a hill to climb. Me and my companion did not lose faith and we were able to bounce back and find other people we could teach.  We have really been working on "Fear no Man"  and that works really well. As we strive to talk with Everyone, we are blessed with success. One thing i also noticed, The smile really does work... when we are happy people are curious, so i never let myself lose that smile.

One of our big investigators we have really  opened up during our last lessons, and he told us everything. This man has been through a lot in his life, and he has  also done a lot of bad in his life as well. Like a crazy amount of things that you only see in the movies. He has really changed his life around though, and is now a owner of an Orphan Home. He also has a desire to be baptized, and has a testimony of the Church. We are doing our best to help him, but he will most definitely have to have an interview with president before he can be baptized.

I Also had Tramites  this week which is the paper work that makes us legal here in Argentina. We went down to the Offices, and i was able to see all of my friends from the Mtc, and other "Greengos" who got here the same day as me. That was way fun to see how my companion from the Mtc is doing and to catch up.

The people here and the members are awesome,  and i am really loving I here in Maipu "El Mejor Lugar Para Vivir"   

We have lots of pasta and bread down here, and lots of it every lunch. We have been fed very well   with lots of different members.

I was also able to have my first day of service this week, and we cut grapes for one of my  favorite people. Santos Celoni! The Goat of References. He lives with his sister and feeds us every tuesday, and always has a reference for us... and we have been able to teach a lot of people because of him. Do not be affraid to give the missionaries References, they are so useful!

The computer i am At does not let me upload pictures but i will try and switch in order to get a couple for all of you wonderful people.

this week has been  wonderful, and I am loving the mission. I am learning a lot and having a great time. I have been striving to give it my all everyday, but i can  always do  better... I am getting better each day. 

I love you all and wish you all a great week!

gotta love the dogs

Hello Everyone!

Thanks much for the emails and prayers. 

This week was a good solid week! i have been having a good steady success rate. It is awesome that my companion loves to work because i do too! We have been striving to use the best of our time always, and we have been blessed with success because of it.

One of the challenges was waking up immediantly exercising... But we found a way to get us motivated. Every morning we wake up and jog about a half mile to the basketball courts and ball for about 20 minutes and then jog back. I am so happy my companion loves basketball too! It reminds me of the many hours i have spent in the church gym with friends and family having a great time.

One of the other challenges has been to just talk to everyone, even though my spanish is at the level of like a 5 year old... sometimes i will say something and they do not understand, and my companion will say the same thing and then they understand... I do my best to not let that get to me, and just try again with the next person. One thing i do know is the power of a testimony is unbelievable. I have been really striving to really listen to the investigators during our lessons, and not think of what i will say next, and The spirit has helped me immensly. A lot of times i will just listen to the spirit and then testify of something, and that always brings the spirit to the lesson.

I have been really growing to love this work. It is not easy, and not always fun, but it is rewarding. There is nothing better than seeing people change there lives around and have joy.

Yesterday i was having luch with this family, and they have a lot of dogs. One dog ran into the room and they told us to not make any sudden movements towards the dog... so we did not move for like 5 minutes! haha, and adventually that dog came over to me and rubbed his head on my leg and just stared at me, so me loving dogs, slowly reached down to pet him. As soon as i got my hand close he attacked and got my pointer finger... for a second i thought i lost it! but luckly it just a couple deap bite marks. I am all good though! a quick little band aid solved the problem.

Never be affraid to share your testimony, the worst thing someone can say is i am not interested... But the best thing that could happen is they are baptised and change there lives for the best and recieve all of the blessings. Dont let fear stop you from helping those you love.

Only if they had peanut butter i would be perfect! They have loads of jelly but i have yet to find peanut butter anywhere!

I love you all, and i am doing great here in Maipu.

take care and have a wonderful week... enjoy the peanut butter for me!

Elder Banks

pictures

Wow, what a week!

Hola Everybody,

Thank you all so much for the emails, and i am sorry if i did not get to yours or if it was a really short reply... my time is limited.

This week has been an awesome week! We have started to have some more success here. We have some dates set for baptism, which is awesome! We also had 4 investigators attend church with us this week. It is awesome to see People come unto Christ, and change there lives!

One of our goals has been to try and meet with as many members as we can, and that has helped us so much with references and with food. The members here are Awesome! I have learned that when you love Everybody, it brings so much happiness.
 One thing we have been telling all members is imagine that we (members) are on the Arc of salvation... like the Arc of noah. Think of all of those people (animals in the story) Who are not on that arc of salvation. Don't you want to save them... if you saw someone in the water you wouldn't hesitate to save them... what is the difference? My challenge for all of you who are currently on the arc is to take two minutes to write as many people you can who are not on the Arc, and who you want to save. Then Pray to Heavenly father, and ask who is there in the water... who is ready to be saved. Then pick a couple of them and Just simply share something.  What do we have to lose.

Today we played alot of soccer, and I've got some work to do to keep up with these latinos. It is still very fun! But man i would love to have a football or a frisbee! Today i also had my first asada... that is when they cook a bunch of meat on a grill... The food here is so good by the way!

The spanish is coming along, I can understand a lot more now than i could that first day. The hard part is talking... I am sure i am absolutely butchering the language everytime i talk, but it works for now.

They have kioskos everywhere here, kioskos are like little stores with snacks and drinks. Which is Awesome, because a coke tastes so good in this hot weather. We do a lot of walking all day, because we do not have bikes... i have many blisters.

I have also been washing my clothes in a bucket... which isn't the best, but its kinda nice! i just put the clothes in a soapy bucket, and then the next day i scrub it a little and leave it to dry.

They also don't have any cookies here! all of there cookies are in packages and hard! that is like the saddest thing. someone needs to open a cookie shop down here because they don't know what they are missing.

 oh and there is pretty much no such thing as a public bathroom here as well... another reason to get into peoples homes. There is also about a million dogs here... pretty much every house has at least one dog, and they all sleep on the sidewalks all day... and bark non stop.

All is going well here, I am loving it.  It is definitely not easy and can be very hard at times but it is rewarding. I am growing to love it. and growing to love this country.

Thank you all for your emails and prayers. 

I love you all,

Elder Banks​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I made it!

Hola everyone,

I have finally made it to Argentina! It is awesome here and i have been loving every minute of it!

I arrived on monday and met the Mission President and his wife, and then we took a tour around Mendoza and had dinner together. After that we stayed in a hotel, (all of us new missionaries) The next day we had training and found out our new companions and Areas.

My First Companions name is Elder Anderson! He is from Utah. he has been here for about 19 months. We get along well! We both enjoy sports, and he is a Vikings Fan! 

We are serving in Maipu; Mendoza (yes you say it like My poo). so Yes i was born in on my mission in Maipu haha. We split the area with another group of missionaries who were already here. So We room with Them as well. (Elder Harrison and Elder Zagal.) Harrison is from South Jordan utah as well as Elder Anderson. Elder Zagal is from Chile and he is really hard to understand, but i love him.

It is a lot different here! Everyone is so happy even though they have like nothing. I love that about here. The people are great, although they are like impossible to understand!

Me and my companion have started to find success here and we have a streak of at least one new legit investigator each day! were gonna keep it going! I also had the opportunity to attend church here for my first time. It was awesome, but very difficult. they have sacrament meeting 3rd hour so everything was backwards... that was really wierd but i actually liked that! It was also fast sunday so i had the opportunity to bare my testimony to the ward. Fasting is really hard to do, because we do a lot of walking here in this mission and it is very hot so  i was dying for a drink!

I have had two meals with members so far, and my calender is full for the days to come! The food here is great, i have really been loving it. Oh but no one here eats dinner, so we eat at 1 and then nothing until like 930 that night. The people also have whats called the siesta here. Which is around 2-5 everyone goes home and sleeps! then they go back to work for a while.

so during that time is when we do most of our studying.

The money here is obviously a lot different its hard to know if the thing i am buying is expensive or not. but today we went shopping at a place just like cosco, and we are set for the month. We spent 1600 pesos which i am not sure what that is in American money.

Today is my first p day here and i am very excited to get wrecked in some soccer!

This up coming week will be great and i am super excited to learn more spanish and help everyone.

Take care everyone and thank you all for your emails and prayers.

I love you all,

Elder Banks

photos

These are some pictures of my zone and one of the Hermanas with one of my teachers.

The one with John Norwick is with one of my buddies here from the Mtc.

I hope all of these Photos work.

Elder Banks

Goodbye MTC

Good morning Everybody,

As many of you know this is my last couple days here in the MTC, I leave on Monday morning heading to Argentina. How crazy is that! Monday will be the last day here in America, and my last day speaking english for the next two years of my life. wow this day came very quick.

This week has been very good! I have felt the spirit so many times while i have been preparing for the field. We had our infield training on Thursday, and that really helped me be more prepared for this coming up first week in the field.

I have had many opportunities to feel the spirit and to learn this week. I have had the best two teachers here. Their testimonies are so strong and they have given much great advice. They have helped me so much and I thanks them.

My experience here at the MTC has been awesome! i love it. I gained many friends and i have had many awesome experiences.

I dont have to much time now because i need to get packing and a bunch of other things done today.

Just know that i love you all!

Dont forget to read your scriptures, It is my favorite part of the day. I am able to learn so much and i am reminded on many things i need to know.

The next time i will be emailing you will be from a place far from here. 

Thank you all for all of you emails and letters.

Take care,

Elder Banks

The day draws near.

Hello Everybody,

This has been a good week! 

We had the opportunity to hear from M Russel Ballard in one of our devotionals! That was an awesome experience! The spirit was very strong there! I am just super happy we got to have an Apostle at least once while i was here.  He talked about missionary work, and how you need to forget your self, and give the Lord your all. Very inspirational.

I Jammed my Hand pretty bad early this week during volleyball! My thumb was huge and purple! That did not stop me from playing though, volleyball is to fun to not play, so i just play through the pain. I am known to be the big smasher on spikes so everyone knows me. Its funny sometimes i will be walking and ill here, hey thats elder banks... he spikes it so hard! Whenever i hear that i feel like i am on top of the world! haha i really need to work on my Pride huh?

Spanish is still coming along, we are really trying to speak it always now, and that has been helping a lot! especially because the person who says the most in English loses, trust me you dont want to lose. For every word you say in English if its a word that everyone knows you get a point. and the person with the most points loses. there punishment is at dinner time we get to make some kind of creation for them to eat or drink. And how ever many points you have is how many things we get to put into this creation. Day one was Milk, gatorade, sprite, and diet coke. Day two was only two points so we had mayo and bananas! I am so glad i have not lost yet! I would of puked. This has been helping me alot though, because it forces me to speak only in spanish.

I have also found that reading in spanish is very helpful as well.

I received my Flight plans for Argentina yesterday! I will be leaving on the 27th, and my visa is good to go! Man its gonna be a smack in the face when i arrive there. My spanish isnt where i want it to be, but that just motivates me to work even harder. I will be flying to Georgia first and then from there i have a 12 hour flight to Buenos Aires. That is gonna be rough! At least it will be through the night, so i could try and sleep for most of it. I am super excited but also very nervous.

I am also now the District leader here, and that has been very fun. I enjoy getting the mail everyday! It also makes me really strive to be 100% obedient. so i can be a good example to everyone.

I had a pretty cool experience with my TRC investigator this week. Yesterday it was our last lesson with her, and she had been progressing all week long! She told us that she Knows the book of mormon is true! and that she know that the church is true. we asked how she knew this, and she said after I continued to read, and then i prayed I felt the spirit. and then i knew that it was true. She is set for baptism in a week. That was a good first experience for me with my first real investigator. I now know that even though my Spanish isnt great i am still able to help people! and that is awesome.

I am doing great here. The MTC is very fun, and i have made many friends.  It will be sad to have to leave everyone, but its all good.

Thank you everyone for your emails and letters. 

I love you all,

Elder Banks​​​​

MTC 2nd P-Day

It has been Amazing here! I have felt the spirit so much in my classes, and especially during the devotionals. I have taught about 4 or 5 lessons in spanish already, and let me tell you the gift of tongues is real. I have had the spirit help me so many times in my lessons, and i found that the harder I work and prepare the more The spirit is with you.  

I am very blessed to have such a great district, we all get along very well, which makes it hard to focus sometimes because we are to busy laughing. but my district is also very good at being obedient and following all of the rules, and we are progressing very fast. 

In the pictures below are my district, and the man in the blue is my companion. I also love to look at the mountains, they are beautiful here! 

That one is the Provo Temple, which is Awesome, and i will be going there again today. We go there every P DAY.

The food here is actually really good! It is hard not to just pig out everyday because we can get as much as we want! 

It has been snowing a lot here recently, but its never cold like in Minnesota. The snow is always perfect for snowballs and that is always super fun! we have lots of snowball fights in between classes. 

Spanish is hard but very interesting, I have been progressing everyday. I cannot wait to be fluent in this language. 

The district that got here before us will be leaving soon, so in about a week my district will be the old ones. That is crazy! Time has been flying by.

It has been wonderful hearing from all of you! 

sorry for my terrible pictures, hopefully ill figure out how to take better ones when i make it to Argentina.

I love you all,

Elder Banks

MTC week one

Hola amigos y familia 

       it has been a wonderful first week here at the MTC. I have Learned so much and it is only day four, which is crazy. I have already given my first lesson in spanish, and I will be giving one again tonight. The language has been a challenge so far, but i know that as I study and pray I will be blessed. 

As you can see Saturday is my pday while i am here in the MTC. so I will be emailing on saturdays.

I love being here in Provo and walking out to huge mountains as my view. It is very Beautiful here. 

The food is not bad and there is lots of it! Although it has been hard to sit all day long during times of study. I have already learned so much spanish in these few days and am working hard to learn lots more. 

my companion is a great guy, and an Amazing artist. and it has been interesting getting to know him and staying with him at all times. 

I will be going to the Provo temple later which is very exciting! but i will be spending the rest of my Pday studying and teaching investigators IN SPANISH! but i know that i will be blessed as i continue to work hard and pray.

I was unable to upload any pictures, i do not know why but i will try again next week.

I hope to hear from you all soon! 

Love Elder Banks