The Post-Mission Six Month Report

So it’s been 6 months since I can home from my mission and some of you may be wondering 'what happened to the girl we used to follow on her mission blog?' This is my attempt to help satisfy that curiosity.

The best way is to start from the beginning. I came home and walked off the plane to friends and family waiting to welcome me home. I overheard a little girl walking in front of me say “ Why are all those people there? Are they waiting for someone?” Yes, indeed they were. It was amazing after 19 months being away from my family. I can’t express how amazing it was to see them. It’s what I always imagine life after this to be like as we greet those that we love again.

It was great and crazy at first but honestly felt like a dream. I didn’t feel like I was going to stay. As if I would only visit and leave again and go back to the people I loved in Argentina. Then reality started to sink in. I didn’t even know how to greet someone. I had to force my legs to stop from approaching people and kissing them on the cheek. I stumbled through backwards English because I couldn’t remember how to say things. I felt like I had become someone who just didn’t fit in this western civilization. I realized at the same time how blessed and grateful I was for all the little things. For example the washer and dryer, couches, pants, and cars only to name a few.

As time went on, I realized more and more how much I missed being a missionary and doing something meaningful everyday. I’m not talking about just getting everything on the to do list done. I’m talking about really feeling like today I made a difference in someone’s life. Or, I’m working and progressing and becoming a better person. I feel like the mission changed me so much but I didn’t realize it until I came home. In so many ways from how I reacted, to having a stronger belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ, to helping around at home, listening and talking to people, taking the initiative to start conversations, changes in what movies I wanted to watch or music I wanted to listen to. I’m not saying I listened only to classical and church songs when I got home, but I realized how much music influences me and that spending time watching something that wasn’t in line with my standards just wasn’t worth it.

A few weeks after being home I came back to school at BYU Idaho and started working on getting my bachelors in nursing. The structure was great but I felt lost. I would find myself talking to others who had gone through the same thing and all they could do was listen and tell me that it just takes time. All I wanted to think about was the people that I loved and cared for in Argentina, but I had to learn to remember that they were, and are loved and cared for by God. I know that if he cared enough to send me to them at such crutial times in their lives, that he would continue to watch over them. Nothing brings me more happiness now then to hear that they are okay and still living the things that we taught them and enjoying the blessings that go with those teachings.

Now it’s been 6 months and I think I’ve learned how to move on without forgetting. Remembering that it’s okay to miss the amazing people of Argentina and to miss being a missionary, but it’s what I do with those feelings that matter. I pray for them, write them, but I carry on and look for those around me that maybe need a little help today. I remember to share my beliefs with those around me and to be the person that God changed me into in those amazing 19 months. I will never be the same, but I would never want to go back to who I was. I love that my mission will always be huge part of who I am and more importantly, my Savior will always be a bigger part of who I am. He was with me through it all and after it all. He was the reason that I went and the reason I keep going forward and have continued to find happiness everyday.

So to sum it up, post mission life is different, but they say change is good and helps us grow, and I would have to agree it seems I always have room to grow and become more like the person the Lord would have me be.

Week Seventy-Nine

Hola!

 

It's still been so hot here but I think it might just rain tonight. But don't worry, we just eat ice cream and drink lots of water. Also, we found a pomegranate tree the other day and asked to have a couple and they were pretty good.

 

But anyways last week I kinda of freaked out because I just felt so much pressure to get numbers and even when we were able to stretch and make the numbers, it just didn't make me happy. But then we had this fireside thing and he reminded us to love the people because if we don't love them and do this work with our heart it doesn't have a real effect. So this week I tried to remeber that the worth of souls is great in the sight of God and didn't focus on the numbers just to have numbers rather to help the people. Because in the end of it all after this life Heavenly Father isn't going to ask how many lessons I had, he's going to ask if I took care of His children, if I loved them and helped them come unto Him. I think in a bigger thought we can apply that to sharing the gospel and serving in the church. Heavenly Father wants us not just to do home teaching and visiting teaching because we were asked to, He wants us to do it because we love them and want to help these people. Why do we live and share the gospel? Because we love it, we're thankful for it, and because we love our Heavenly Father and His children. If we forget that and do it only because our leaders ask or becuase we feel guilty - maybe we aren't doing it in the best way. I love this gospel and how it makes me grow and change.

 

We've also had the chance to teach Angel this week. He is a sweet heart. He has some learning challenges but we are teaching in a very simple form and he just wants to learn all about it. I love his simple heartfelt prayers. He is just like a little child but I know that God loves him and I believe that through him we can help his family as well. We've still be teaching Santiago and he brought his friend Gabby to a lesson. He is so awesome and they have started reading the Book of Mormon together. I love this work!

 

Take care - I love you all so much! More than words could ever express. 

 

Con Amor, Hermana Potrie

 

Week Seventy-Eight!

Hola!

Alright so this week we were working like crazy to have the members help us with the lessons and it was way good. The best was lunch on Sunday. Marysol had invited Santiago a guy from work for lunch and to talk with us. It was so awesome! Santiago is amazing and he is so ready for the gospel. He told us that he had never heard of mormons before and then within one week he meet four. Hahahahaha but seriously he told us how he is just looking for peace in this life and we told him how the gospel can help him. It was awesome.

Also in church, Evangelina blessed her two youngest babies. It was so amazing to hear the blessings and see Evangelina keep progressing. We're really trying to help them as a family to all come to church because some of her sisters have stopped coming. The interesting thing though is that both of their boyfriends are interested. So we're teaching them all together again the lessons that they learned. I love the example of their mother though that is always reading the scriptures of the Liahona to them. She truly is an amazing example to me.

I love the story you shared about Tacey asking Kesler if he knows God loves him. And how he knew it. It sounds like they've both grown so much physically and spiritually. They are so adorable and I know that Ammon and Tyanna are doing a great job teaching them. I love the children here, especially of Natalia and her two year old twins and her baby girl Uma that just turned one on Saturday. We made her a cake and got to sing to her. It reminded me of Kesler. I just love that little girl she is so full of smiles. It never stops to surprise me how little children will be playing and screaming and then we stop to say a prayer and they just stop and calm down, then carry on playing. I can't explain it but it's so powerful to me.

I love you all so much and hope you have a fantastic week. Keep smiling and keep sharing this amazing gospel because it truly is the key to happiness.

Con Amor Hna Potrie 

Week Seventy-Seven

Hola,

 

So this week I learned that an old dog can learn new tricks. We got a new ward mission leader and he helped me understand that there is a better way to do some things. So as much as it's hard to change, I'm learning that an old missionary can change her ways. It's about helping the people come to their own conclusions about the gospel and that really, it makes the most sense to just live the gospel and recieve the blessings - but it has to come from them. We teach and they want to change. We worked with the Elders and I saw how it worked and it just clicked and I thought why didn't someone teach me this before. Bahhhhhh but I'm grateful for this time that I have to apply it and see the difference we can make here in Nueva Cordoba. It goes hand in hand with last week I was asking and looking for help of how to do the work in a different way and then this week the answer came. I love prayer and that God answers and blesses us. It's amazing. 

 

This week we worked more at getting to know the members so they can help us more in the work. We're really trying to start off on the right foot with the new bishop and help this ward. I love this time that I have to learn and grow in the gospel and as a person. It's really incredible how the Lord can help us over come the things that challenge us and how we can truly change. 

 

I hope you all have a wonderful week and remember Heavenly Father is always only a prayer away.

 

 

Love Hna Potrie

Week Seventy-Six

Hey,

 

Well this week we've had the amazing adventure of backpacking through Argentina. Okay, not really but I feel like all my camping skills have come in handy this week. Sunday morning we woke up and there was no power and as far as I know we still don't have power, which means we get our daily exercise going up and down 11 flights of stairs. Hahahahahah right. When we came back in the afternoon on Sunday to do studies we also didn't have water. Hahahaha so not light no water. Luckily we had some water in the fridge that was stored. And the miracle is it's been a lot cooler the last few days, so we we're okay. It just cracks me up. Who know all my camping skills of brushing your teeth with a little water and how to making popcorn over a gas flame would come in handy.

 

This week we got to work with another missionary, Hna Willson in our area. It was way good to have her help with our investigators. We found a couple of really great new investigators and are trying to help them receive a testimony from our Heavenly Father that the things we teach are true and about the Book of Mormon. I love the Book of Mormon - this week I was reading in Alma in the war chapters, and I know you might think 'weirdo, why would you like that?' Here's why. They used strategies and plans to protect their liberty and families. And I thought well maybe I need to just think of a different strategies to help our investigators keep their commitments, like come to church. Or how someone the other day pointed out that Nephi, when the first few plans didn't work to get the plates, he didn't give up, he just changed his strategy until he got it. And I imagine if it didn't work he would have tried again until He completed the will of the Lord. Sometimes it won't work out the first time but that doesn't mean we give up it means we try again with more prayer, and more faith. I know He will help us complete the tasks we have.

 

I love you all so much. If there's one thing I've learned it's just how much I love and appreciate all of you. You all mean so much to me and I know that the Lord is watching over you.

 

 

Con Amor Siempre, (with love always)

 

        Hna Potrie

 

 

Week Seventy-Five

Familia!!!!

 

Alright, so today we recieved transfers and it's official - my last 6 weeks of the mission I will be here in Nueva Cordoba finishing training Hna Rios. I'm excited to just give it everything I have till the end. It's surreal because right now we're working with people to be baptised in March and then the work I do will be a lot of planting seeds so that others can see the end result. I can't believe how the time goes. Oh well, this week we're going to find families. We're looking for the families that the Lord has prepared here. Natalia is doing great. She is so sweet and wants to change her life. Her little girl Uma is so cute. I just eat her to pieces everytime we are there. We really just need to help her come to church. The ward had some exciting news here. They got a new bishop. So it'll be interesting to work with a new bishop. I'm excited and know it'll will bring great changes.

 

This week we went out and did visiting teaching. It was so great to go and work with the Hna Maria. She is such a great example she is really trying to help her family. I talked with her as we walked about the importance of her example and if she wants her family to be eternal and her children to change she needs to be the best example she can. She is amazing. I respect her for everything that she has changed and overcome in her life.

 

With Roxanna, we are still doing all that we can to help her. I think I've learned alot about how blessed we are and how often we take advantage of the basic things. I know that the Lord will bless her and take care of her if she will keep turning to Him and put Him first in her life.

 

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Love you all so much and thank you for everything!

 

Love Hna Potrie

 

Week Seventy-Four!

Hola!

The time is really just flying by. I can't  believe it. This week we were running all over the place trying to help Roxana and her family find a new place to live. We still couldn't get them to church but this week hopefully. We found a place really close to the church and I hope she accepts it, but we're still waiting to see. We also found a new lady, Natalia. She has twins and a baby girl and a single mom. We taught her and she has such a desire to be baptized. We've also been working a lot with the members and trying to all get on the same page in how can we help them. Or really how we can help each other achieve the work of God.

As a mission we are focusing on the families and so I started studying the Book of Mormon, looking for scriptures to help the family. I love one in 1 Nephi 8: 36-37 It talks about Lehi teaching his children and desiring to help them. We are sharing it with the members and asking them to pray for a family that they can invite to listen to this message. We'll see how it goes.

There was also a crazy hail storm again with hail the size of eggs almost and they weren't round so they were a little dangerous but don't worry we were in the apartment when it happened.

I hope everything is going well with all of you. I think of you and pray for you always.


Love Hna Potrie

Week Seventy-Three!

Hola Familia!!!

 

Sometimes I feel like there are weeks that I grow a lot on the mission and I feel that this was one of those. Everytime it seems the Lord gives us new challenges as we have learned to overcome the other things. We were planning the baptism of Berenice all week and it required talking to a lot of the leaders and a lot of prayer and guidance but in the end she got baptized. She is a sweetheart. She has been wanting to be baptized for over 2 years. She was so happy. It really was amazing to see the Lord guide me in the chocies I had to make. And more than anything to feel the confidence he has in us as His children and He wants us to learn to make our own decisions. I love the power of prayer and of the priesthood. It's amazing to hear words from my Heavenly Father that only He knows.

 

This week I was also able to go back to Ayacucho for an couple days on an exchange. It was super awesome. I go to see the members and some of the converts there. I love that area.

 

We're still working with Roxana and her family. It's a crazy situation because she is in and out of the hospital a lot. I hope this week we can help them more and that she can have the strength she needs to go to church. We also had an amazing lesson of the plan of Salvation with the son and a less active member Florencia. It's amazing how much it helps the members to go and teach and testify. I love this work and know that it is the Lords work.

 

I love you all as my family and friends and am so grateful everyday for your love and prayers. I know that the Lord is watching over all of you.

 

All my love and prayers,
Hna Potrie

Week Seventy-Two

Hey Fam Jam!!!!

 

This week was good, we spent most of it running to and from Berenices house to the other area where we can work. It's because she lives in an area of apartment buildings that is harder to work and all the rest are in like a subburb for lack of a better word. So we've been walking like crazy and trying to talk with everyone. We were walking the other day and this family passed us just staring at our name tags and then said "Elders mujers" ( or women elders) hahahahaha. Apparently they had been listening to the Elders, but got kicked out of their place and couldn't communicate to the Elders and hadn't seen any since like a year ago. It's a mother Roxanna, and her three children. We went and visited them and she is suffering a lot from her health to her living situation to still mourning the loss of her Husband who was a member. We testified of the plan of salvation and that it's possible that she can be with her husband for ever. She really needs the gospel in her life. They started praying together as a family again. I love this gospel.

 

Also I've been studying the Spirit world a lot and been learning so much. This plan is perfect also the scripture in Mosiah 18 the verse of the baptismal covenant and how doing all those things and being a witness of God at all times is a pre requiste to gain eternal life. Crazy right?  Read it and dig into it. I love the Book of Mormon and it has truly been answering my prayers lately. I read it everyday and I love how it is so clear and direct. It's amazing. Read it, apply it, love it.

 

Time travel: Remeber back at conference the baptism of a girl named Neyara? Well the Elders were teaching her cousins and I got to see her again! She has chnaged so much. She helped her cousin pray to recieve an answer and she just beams with happiness I wish I had a photo that you could see and compare. It's incredible. A young girl that was so sad is now happy and enjoys life. This gospel is amazing. 

 

Hahahaha alright so here in Argentina there are different soccer teams that play. One of them is called Belgrano. Yesterday we were contacting with the people in a plaza and we went to this one cute little family. And as were talking to him a guy comes up and asks to take a photo with him. hahahahaha so we ask and apparantly he's a famous soccer play,er Manzanelli. Hahahahaha Had no idea only that they were a cute family and that I wanted them to hear this message. Hahahah it was cute though because he talked about how much he missed his family and was happy to be spending time with them. 

 

Anyways I gotta run but hope you all have a fabulous week. Keep on keeping on! Love you all!

 

Love Hna Potrie 

Wwek Seventy-One!

Hola Familia!!!!

 

So sadly, I didn't get a photo of the crazy raccon eyes - but my face is getting better and I bought sun screen. This week was great. We kept working with Berenice, the little girl and we explained to her about the restoration and why she needs to pray and ask if it's true so that her baptism can be done with the authority of God. She is so cute. We also got to help the Elders from our district with a family they are teaching. We got to teach the two little kids about baptism and then we explained the holy ghost by drawing a simple squiggle of a maze and asking them to do it blind folded then we had them do it with the holy ghost and I would take their hand and guide them. It's just like like we're in a maze, and even though we knew it before when were here on the earth we forget and the holy ghost helps guide us. It's been a huge learning experience teaching children to do it in a way simple so that they can understand. I've really felt the Lord guide and help me as I've been in lessons and random new ideas come in of how to explain something or I remember something that I saw someone do. He truly has been answering my prayers and the prayers of all of you. Thank you so much.

 

I've never felt so much the importance of following the Spirit. There have been many situations that I don't know what to do or say but then I offer a prayer and the way to go or the words to say are always there. I love my Father in Heaven I know He loves me and that He loves each and everyone of us. I know that He put us here to find happiness through following His commandments and to learn how to return to Him and how to be like Him. I tried explaining that to a couple of kids the other day about what kind of men they want to be when they are older. And how Heavenly Fahter wants to help them become kings not just men that live on the streets. I also thought of the scripture in Ether 12:6 I think that talks about how our hope through Christ gives us hope in a better world. And I thought about if we could really think of every person as a child of God with infinite potential, how would we help them and how would that chage the world if we shared that with them? All men have the chance to change through the power of Christ and He can help them. We know that and we can help and share that with them.

 

I love this gospel and know that it is true. It brings me so much joy, peace and comfort in my life. I love sharing it with people and even though my body is exhausted, I still strive to give everything I have to till the end.

 

Love you all and pray for you all siempre (always)
Love Hna Potrie

Week Seventy!

Hola Familia!

 

It's been a crazy week. So we stayed here in Cordoba for new years with the hnas from oncativo and it was super fun. We made pizza, ate ice cream and watched the fireworks from our balcony of the apartment. Then on Tuesday we had P day so we got together with the elders in the zone and played all day, soccer, frizbee, basketball. It was so fun. However I forgot to put sunscreen on. It was a hot day but it wasn't humid so I didn't feel it as much But I got FRIED. My eyes my face just burnt, but don't worry then it all peeled off and I had this weird raccon look going on. The members noticed too. hahahaha oops.

 

Anyways so then on wensday we had transfers. Like I said, crazy week. My new comp is nuevita, (new) her name is Hna Rios, she's from Buenos Aires and drum roll please....... she's the first 19 year old hna in South America! Ya super fast. I thought I wouldn't see any in the time left I had in the mission but here she is as my comp. She is awesome - super full excitment and just bitting at the bit to get going and working all the time. I'll be honest, I still think pres is crazy for putting her with me but I know the Lord will help us.

 

She also got to extend her first baptism invitation on Saturday to a little girl we're teaching, Berenice. She is the daughter of a less active and we are working with her and her mom Liliana to help them all be an eternal family. We had an awesome lesson with them. We taught them the principles of the gospel: faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the holy ghost and endure to the end. We did it interactivly with the little girl. She had a backpack and we started putting really heavy things in it. Then explained that to take the back pack off there was someone who could help her. So I stood at the other end of the room and told her that I coud help her all she had to do was walk to me. As she walked each step we related to the other things faith.... It was awesome because she got to me and I took off the backpack and asked how she felt she said "better - free". Thats what the gospel does for us - it helps us remove the burdens that we have not just our sins, but our pains, our aches, everything. The Savior is always there for us all we have to do is walk to Him. I love this gospel, I love how simple it can be and the peace we can find as we give everything to the Lord. He loves us and wants to help us. May we seek to let Him.

 

I hope you all have a fantastic week. I love you all and know that the Lord is with you. Take care!

 

Lots of Love,

Hna Potrie

Week Sixty-Nine!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

 

Alright so just in case for all the people that didn't hear, Christmas was awesome. I went to Onactivo to spend it with the Hnas there and the whole branch pretty much cause they are all one family. It was awesome they had this huge long table and just a ton of asado meat, chicken, pig, beef, all of it. It was way fun. Oh, and before that we went to a huge plaza (park) in the middle of the city Cordoba and we sang Christmas carols with the Elders from our zone and talked with all the people there. I loved it. We all got fried too. It was so hot like 50 C  with the humidity factor. Like usual in Argentina there were lots of fireworks it just feels like the 4th of July more than anything but I love it all the same. 

 

I gotta run but Happy New Year!!!!!

 

Love Hna Potrie