4/18/16 Conversion is Sweet!

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Hola Familia! 

Wow!  We had a great week!  The work of the Lord presses on!

We had a great lesson with La.  E. (who is different than La, and Jn.) this week!  We have been teaching her for about 3 months.   Recently, this week she told us that her and “spouse” separated.  It is quite a difficult situation that she is passing through, and she unloaded her thoughts to us.  Then she told us how she is finding strength through prayer and true conversation with her Father in Heaven.  She told us about repenting and how light she felt after.  She is such an example to me of positivism and RELYING on Heavenly Father.  As we sat and listened, although I felt so sad for her, I had a feeling of overwhelming happiness.  My  joy was great as I witnessed the start of “conversion”.  

We have visited La. and Jn. a couple of times this week, and wow miracles happen!    :)   La. and her daughter Ai. are enjoying praying and reading together.  Jn. seems to be a bit slower to catch on the the spiritual side of things, but as I am with him,  I feel he knows it is true.  I t is just a time of adjustment and he has to CHOOSE to act on what he has been given.   We have placed baptism dates with Ai. and La.  and they are so excited to make this promise with God.  We are expecting progress with all of the family.    :)

So apparently, I just need to find people named La., because those sisters are the prepared!  Well, bueno, we had transfers today, but lucky me,  I am staying here in Corpus and Roca with Hermana Cz!  We are so excited to “¡hacer percha!” 

Funny for the week:  So don't ask how it happened, but we ended up in a house of two drunk men! ha.  We sat down and one of them scooted his chair next to mine and started telling me how much he loved my braids and how he was amazed that I did them by myself.  I just kept telling myself, “You can make it!  Sing a hymn and politely excuse yourself!”  We sang a song, and they started to RAVE over our “angel like voices”.  I stood up to leave and Ruben said wait, “I want to give you something” .  He came out of his house a minute later with oranges.  “Here I want you to be able to remember Rubencito!” (Which is a name for Ruben with a lot of love.)   I was COMPLETELY APPALLED!!!   I'm just a Little mormon girl from Utah!  Give me a break! :)  HAHA!

I love you all! Thank you for everything!

 

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

4/11/16 Hello! Hello! Hello!

Hello!

Well, I hope you all survived the "dinosaur of tomorrow" (Elder Holland)  and have continued pressing forward this week!

As for me, the dinosaur didn't catch me until Thursday. Ha.  We had a great first half of the week.  We met with La. and Jn. and they are just doing so great!  We didn't have much time, but we wanted to pass by and at least bring them the spirit for a short moment.  As we were leaving, I asked her if there was something we could do to help her and she said, "Please pass by more often!"  I smiled and she continued, "I feel so good when you two are here.  There is a peace in my home, and everything seems to go well that day."  We took the opportunity to teach about the spirit that she was feeling and let her know that she can and will be able to always feel the spirit after her baptism and confirmation.  Her face lit up and she asked me, "What do I need to do to get baptized?"    The spirit works miracles and I am so grateful to have Him as a constant companion!  I have never felt Him so much like I do now!  We left her house as happy as 2 lil-girls could be with new toys!  HA HA.

Well, then Thursday came...and then Friday...and let me tell you, NOTHING was happening!  All of our appointments fell through, and we were left with hours of contacting.  Very few people were listening and the ones that were, were drunk or only wanted to talk about our different cultures.  Well, the situation started to get blown up in my head, and on Friday night I just concluded, that I was doing absolutely nothing and that nobody is ready to receive the gospel.  Well, maybe I wasn't quite that distraught, but I was at a moment of VERY little faith.  Saturday I decided to fast.  That is when I took a 180!   We had a great lesson with Lorena and Juan.  We started the Restoration and at the end we invited Juan to say the prayer.   (He is much colder than Lorena and is progressing much slower.)   We had asked him before, but he laughed and said, "No, I just listen."  But this time was different.  We knelt down on the dirt cement floor and he offered a sincere heartfelt prayer.  The spirit was strong!  It was great!  On Sunday, he chickened out, but Lorena and one of their daughters came to church.  We are so excited to continue working with them!    :) 

I had not even finished my fast before the blessings started raining!  I know God is aware of us, and blesses us as we act in faith!   I am so grateful to be a part of God´s army and bring the world His truth!

Funny/Not so funny story of the week:    Well on Thursday night, we went and clapped at a house and the dogs came running  out, which is very normal here. They usually just jump up on us and want to play, but this one charged me and bit my ankle!  WHAT?!  I was shocked!  I screamed like a little girl and then the owner ran out.   He asked me, "Why didn't you kick him?!"   Before my mission I would have looked at him and said, "You are going to blame this on me?  Are you kidding me?!"  But I gave him the best smile I could and said, "I didn't think he would bite me." He laughed at me, and we made a good contact out of it!

No worries.  All is well.  There wasn't too much blood.

I love you all!  

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

 

My address:

Mission Argentina Posadas

Cordoba 1243

Posadas CP-3300

Misiones

Argentina

Pictures:

-I made a really great casserole. It is the first I've had on my mission.   :)  They were small pumpkins filled with meat, egg, and onion, covered in a cheese sauce. YUM! 

-I feel like we are always waiting for buses.

04/04/16 Feliz Abril!

Hello!  How are you all?!  I hope you all enjoyed conference as much as I did.  I truly was inspired and it was exactly what I needed to hear.  I loved the spirit that testified of each of the shared messages! Oh how great is the love of the brethren and of our God.  It truly was His conference. I hope you felt Him, and sought Him as President Eyring invited.

Bueno, it has been an hermosa semana in the work of the Lord!  I got feeling better on Wednesday and we were able to get out working again on Thursday!  I am so blessed to have the health and strength to serve in this great work!  God works miracles each and every day!  We have started teaching a woman named Lorena.  Se is so great and loves listening.  Last week her husband sat in on a lesson and thoroughly enjoyed it!  He opened right up and the spirit was so strong! But he told us that he doesn't usually sit down to talk about God and that we shouldn't expect anything from him. So Friday we were down to the last hour of the night and our last appointment fell through.  :(  I was a bit less than happy, as that is the least effective hour to contact people here.  Who wants two people they don't know knocking on their door at 9:00 at night?!  I don't blame them.  Then we had a thought to pass by Lorena and her family.  We walked across town and when we got there they weren't there!  I may have slumped my shoulders a bit as we started to walk away slowly.  The street was illuminated with some truck lights.  As soon as we turned to look, the truck honked and it was this family returning home!  I straightened up as we turned around and went back to greet the family.  To our surprise we sat down and out came Lorena, and then all of the children, and then her husband! We had one of the greatest conversations with them!  I have never felt the promise that "your mouth shall be filled in the precise moment necessary"!   We sat and talked of Christ, Baptism, Confirmation, and all of the importance. Then Lorena shared her desire to be baptized!  :)   There came a moment when I had no idea what to say.  I sat there and knew I had to say something.  Everyone was looking at me. I felt I needed to ask a question but had no idea what!  We sat for about what felt like an eternity waiting for the thought with my mouth open.  I knew He would fill my mouth, but I was completely BLANK! So with my open mouth I  started to form a question , but had absolute NO idea where I was going with it.  "Que es lo que....no...como podemos...no...Porque piense...no...??"  Then finally one of those starts took off, my mouth was filled and it led to a discussion where we learned more of the desires and concerns of Him.  I have no idea what I said, but I know it was directly from the Lord.  But he can not say anything until we open our mouths and start talking!  I am so grateful for this promise and know that this work is NOTHING without him!

I love Him.  I love the Holy Ghost.  I love our Prophet and know He is called of God.  I BELIEVE in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I BELIEVE with all of my heart that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.  I invite you to come to know and to believe! 

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

 

Pics:

-In front of one of our pensions (apartment).  We cover two areas, so we have two pensions.

-On the bus to Posadas for the conference.  :)

-Me and Hermana (my comp)!  She is so great!  She has such a great desire to follow the Lord and the Holy Spirit. I am learning so much from her humility and her love for the work!  Buenos Aires just tends to send GREAT misioneras :)

03/28/16 HAPPY EASTER!!!

This was my Happy Easter package from my family with pictures and treats!

Hola mi familia! ¿Como están?  ¡Espero que tuvieron un maravillosa pascua!

Bueno, so I feel like I am starting to sound about like a broken record.   My week was FANTASTIC, but Argentina thought it would be fun to throw another couple of “bugs” my way to try them out on their free American volunteer, being me.   We spent the weekend cooped up in “the cave”, as I regained my strength and health.  As of today the fever is coming down and I am feeling much better and have great outlooks on the coming week!  :) Nonetheless all is well, all is well. President said there is a bacteria going around and other missionaries are sick, too.  A big thanks for cousin Kristen Toone's recipe book. We were able to entertain ourselves and keep from becoming mal-nutrition-ed by making everything we could out of our shortly supplied ingredients. (Flour, eggs, milk, sugar, and a few baking necessities J )  Biscuits, tortillas, and French toast were quite the treat.  Boy it has been a long time since I have even seen or heard of those!

So earlier in the week we were out contacting and we came to house, clapped, and a man came out.  He has happy as could be to see “Servants of the Lord” and invited us in right away! (2 very odd things).  He continued to shock me when I asked him What God meant to him personally? And he answered!  He started talking all about God!  I was literally sitting on his porch AWESTRUCK!  A MALE. WHO TALKS ABOUT GOD. AND WANTS TO TALK WITH US?!?!  

 Merry Christmas!  A couple minutes passed as we listened to him ramble off about God and then, BAM, came my answer.  “Oh ya…I am actually the preacher in my church”….Everything started to make sense.  I laughed a little to myself, but truthfully I was quite intrigued by the man.  He started his church about 8 years ago after leaving the Catholic Church.  He could see that it was in the wrong, and so he started studying the bible and praying and started a church based on the bible and what he knew.  I decided we were going to give him a try, because he is not in fault, because he has not been given the opportunity to know the truth, specifically of the Restoration.   He is doing the BEST he knows how to do!  More time passed and he started to pull out his bible and tell us just about everything he knew.  I started to feel a bit insecure.  Here I am a little 20 year American “senorita”, who is learning Spanish, and who is about to break it to this man that he is in the wrong and he has to change his ways, (obviously in words a little less harsh J ).  Just as I thought that, a thought came to my mind and power filled me.  “You have been set apart to testify of the truth!  You have the authority of God, do not be afraid!”  WOW!  I felt like I had all the confidence in the world and I was ready to testify my little heart out!

Well to make a long story short, we taught him and gave him an opportunity, and the next time we passed, he ever so nicely attacked us with the bible.  We testified, and left the situation.  If people do not want to listen with their ears and hearts we cannot force them.  It is a sad truth and it about breaks my heart, but that is the gift of agency.  Don’t be the child with the hardened heart.  Open it up and allow him to change you and teach you.

I spoke in church yesterday on the Atonement.  I shared about blessings from Christ and his Atonement.  I also shared a personal story about how Christ helped me and comforted me through a very difficult time.  It went well.

This Easter was so wonderful!  I leave you with my testimony and 1 question.

  I love my Savior.  I know He lives.  I know He loves me and you.  I know that one day He will come again to rule and reign! 

 What are you doing in your life to SHOW that you BELIEVE? 

  Enjoy meditating! J

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net                 

03/21/16 Ask, Listen, Act. Watch the miracles!

Hello,

Today is the day! It is officially fall! WAHOO! I didn’t know if it
would ever get here,but oh how time flies! Today we woke up to a
wonderful rain, thunder, and lightning storm. That was a happy
surprise  Not having electricity doesn’t bug me that much.   In fact, I
have learned to enjoy it! :)
So as I shared with you last week, I have a new goal to follow every
prompting and Oh let me tell you! I have a story or two to share with
you!
So everyday we pray for the spirit and the courage to follow it.  Here
are the results.   :)
1. We walked out of a lesson with an investigator, and as we left the
house the daughter of this investigator was walking in. We said Hello
and kept walking. We had just left the gate when I knew I had to talk
to THAT woman. Yes, the one that we had already passed and greeted. I
turned around and hollered back to her. We started talking and in the
end she gave us a referral to her friend who had received lessons
before, and asked when we were going to come to her house!  BAM! Ask.
Listen. Act. Watch the miracle.
2. We went to this referral. Her name is Rita and her daughter is
Gizel. I think that was the most powerful lesson I have had in my
mission! It was incredible. No one could deny what everyone of us
felt. We listened to them explain the feelings that they had in their
heart.     “Its like a fluttering, right here!” “I don’t know how to
explain it, it is something so internal, I don’t know that I have ever
felt this way,”  they said. We are excited to go back and visit them tonight!
Ask. Listen. Act. Watch the miracle.
3. We were walking through the streets of Corpus contacting. We
started speaking to a lady, and there was nothing too different or
special about her. She was closed off and didn’t want to talk to us.
I wanted to give her a pamphlet specifically the “Gospel of Jesus
Christ” I reached in my backpack and the in the last minute I felt I
should give her “The Restoration”.    I pulled it out and gave it to her.
She looked at the picture of Christ holding the lost sheep and started
to cry. “I am that lost sheep, and He is looking for me. I have
pushed away from Him, not Him from me.” How special it was to watch
her heart soften. Ask. Listen. Act. Watch the miracle.
Well the list could go on, but the message is the same. Ask. Listen.
Act. And Watch the miracles!
I know that my Savior lives and loves each of us. I am so grateful to
be a part of His army and defend His name. I am grateful that I can! 

Thanks so much for all of your prayers!  I am very grateful!

Love you all,
Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

03/14/16 Bright is the day, Oh Happy day!

Bright is the day, Oh happy day! ‏

 

 

Hello!  

Well, I know you are all dying to know if I am still alive.  Good news!  Ha,  I actually got back out to work this week!  From the day I met my new companion, Hermana Cruz. We have worked everyday, and oh can I tell you how good that feels!  OH HAPPY DAY, HAPPY DAY,  as Grandma Fox would say!  Speaking of my companion, she is so great!!  She is from Good Air (Buenos Aires), Argentina.  She is 24 and a fireball!  She is way ahead of where I was when I got here!  We are doing well and I feel so blessed to be serving with her!  Its a good thing that she is so great because that was a hard goodbye to Hermana Elhert.  Hermana Elhert is so amazing!  She has been my angel through this rough ride!  I so love her!

Ok, rewind, Wednesday President asked if me and Hermana Ehlert to come to Posadas to welcome the new missionaries and stay the night with them before they met their trainers!  Well of course we jumped for joy at the opportunity! :)  It was a BLAST!  

WORDLY, CARNAL SIDENOTE:  So we got to stay in a hotel, and oh  let me tell you, it was a small piece of America here in Argentina!!!  It was like heaven!  Not that there was a waffle maker, or room service, but Hot water, clean shower, carpet, and continental breakfast just about did me over!  Ha! 

So when all the newbies where just about ready to leave with their trainers, President gave us a last "Pep talk".  He was asking all the "more experienced missionaries" for advice that they could give the newbies.  I had a feeling that I should share something very specific about the atonement of Christ and not ever being left alone.  I got nervous, and well sadly I didn't follow the prompting.  Just as president was closing another Hermana raised her hand and shared the EXACT same thought I had.  I was so grateful that SOMEONE had followed the spirit, but very disappointed in myself that it wasn't me.  I want to be someone that the Lord can trust.  That in whatever moment, He knows that if he gives me a prompting, that I will act on it!  Well, I hope I have learned that lesson for the last time!  Since then it has been a big focus of mine!  I have tried to act on EVERY prompting!  This has led to a couple interesting experiences, but I don't care, because I know that God knows that He can trust me.

 

AHH, there is so much I want to share, but I have to be wrapping up.  Alma 13:12 I love it!  That is the kind of feeling I want to have.  I want to be so clean that I cant even look on sin with out disgust!  Be humble and repent!  Each and every day choose to draw closer to Christ!

Yael, well we got to her house and she was progressing and on fire about 3-4 weeks ago.  Well she dropped us.  She told us that she doesn't want us to pass, she doesn't believe it.  I felt like crying!  I want her to have the happiness of the gospel so much, yet she chose to reject it!  

I am so happy, I am happy serving the Lord.  I love my calling.  I love what I do and I love the people here in Argentina!  I am so grateful for my health, like I never have been before!  I have picked up some new interests.  I love to sing.  I actually shocked myself yesterday in Bishops council, by volunteering my companion and I for a musical number in sacrament meeting!  HAHA!   I love to cook from scratch, with a recipe, just experimenting along the way.  So things are delicious...and some things my comp. eats to be kind, with LOTS of water.   :)

I love you! I am grateful for all of you!  Thank you for your prayers and fasting!!!  Take your heart to Christ and enjoy the Joy, Happiness, and Peace that He offers!

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

 

Mailing Address:

Starlee  Fox

Mission Argentina Posadas

Cordoba 1243

Posadas CP-3300

Misiones

Argentina

My pictures from this week wont load, so here are some from me and Hna Ehlert! :)

3/7/16 Gracias!

 

First of all, I want to thank each one of you!  Thank you for your prayers, for your fasting, and all the love you are sending!  I so appreciate it!  I don't know how else I can express it, but THANK YOU!  Thank you for your faith, diligence, and love for the Savior!  You are all such great examples to me!

Update on this week....as my sister Kelsey, would say it was a bit of a "blah" week, not a bad "blah", just a week where not much happened.   Ha.  I have continued to struggle with my health.  I have still had a  high fever, no energy and intense back, leg and joint pain.  I am every so slowly inching forward and getting better!  We were able to get out and work 1.5 days this week, which after being in an Argentine pension on your mission, is like escaping from an infested cave and finding heaven.   Other than that, I have been to lots of hospitals, LOTS of Doctors, and lots of travel to be told that Im just fine and that it is just Dengue Fever and it's effects.  I have been told that sometimes the illness can linger for one and half months or longer.  It can continue on for quite some time, but I hope to be finishing up here soon! 

I am doing well, just anxious to get back out and do what I came here to do!  We did have transfers today.  My dearest Hermana Ehlert is being taken away.  I will miss her.  I will start training a new sister!  Wahoo and Yikes all in one WAH-KES!  I know the Lord is in control.  He knows what he is doing.   I love my Savior and am grateful for the opportunity to come closer to Him.  

I love you!

See you soon,

Hermana Fox