Christmas 2014

Not much of a letter to post this week, however, we did find these photos from a zone conference/Christmas Party which Nico attended. It is good to see that the mission agrees with him. We were able to speak with him on Christmas day and he is doing great! 

His new area is quite rural and many of the homes are shacks built with wood walls and no indoor plumbing. He did say they are blessed to have a toilet in their apartment.  Christmas can be pretty crazy. In fact they have had members walk them home to make sure they arrived safely with all the drunks in the street celebrating the holiday. 

He thinks it is beautiful in the pueblo of Pichanal. There are dogs everywhere. One funny story he told us was when they were teaching a discussion. Nico looked outside to see an older man walking down the road. As he passed the dogs started barking at him. The old man reached into his pocket and pulled out a large  knife. He began swinging the knife at the dogs and threatening them. Then he grabbed some sticks and started jabbing at the dogs as if they were spears. Needless to say it was hard to feel the spirit with all that going on outside. 

December 15 2014

First of all don´t be worried about me! I´ll admit the last few weeks were a little hard for me, but as Nephi says "I know in whom I have trusted"! I feel a lot better. Fasting this week really helped me feel a lot better!! And I feel a lot more hope for this week!!

I also want to tell you how much I love you guys and how much I am learning to love the Lord! I know I could feel you fasting for me! Now I feel new desires and energy to go and share and "work with total diligence"! I know because the Lord promises in the scriptures in Jacob that when we follow the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard and we work with all of our energy, the Lord will help us, guide us and WORK with us! I also love how the scriptures say "seek first the kingdom of God, and the rest will be added unto you"!

Now is the Season of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ who always has his hand out stretched for us, but in order to use his help we have to have the faith. Faith brings action and when we use our agency to follow the commandments and try to serve as Jesus did, he promises to bless us (D&C 82:10)!  But more than that we draw closer to our Heavenly Father and His Son! Together, let’s remember this Christmas that God loved the world so much that he would give his son to die for everyone in this world, that they might have the chance to live again with him!(John 3:16)

Now let me tell you a little about the area and my companion for the last couple minutes I have left. It’s called Pichanal you can find it on google maps but it does not have any paved roads. Most of the houses here are made out of wood with cement and bricks at the bottom and sheet metal for a roof! its been raining the past couple of days and the street is mud! The church is located on the corner of this plaza. It’s small and has some cockroaches, and there are about 20 members at the moment and they are great!! My companion is Elder Arcos he has 4 weeks left in the mission. He is from Buenos Aires and he is great. He can be a little sarcastic at times but he still has somewhat of a desire to go and work so I am thankful for that!! 

All in all I am very thankful for this area and I hope that I can help grow and fortify this ward in any way that I can. I know that the Lord can help us overcome our challenges and become the Men and Women He wants us to be.

I love you with all my heart. I will keep you up to date on the Skype and about the package. They advise us not to receive packages, because we will have to pay money! and quite a bit! But tell Mikey’s dad thanks a lot for the money.  That’s like 200 pesos down here!! :)

(Nico has not sent any pictures so we borrowed some from google maps.)

Love you lots,

Your Son and Brother

Elder Sandberg

Second week in new area!

I only have 3 min to write but I promise to get more to you next week. I’m doing alright. I like my new area and I am learning so many things about life and about, most importantly, the gospel. This week I am going to make it the best!!  

I love you all and I can't wait to chat soon. 

Also the song "In the hollow of thy hand" reminds me of you mom. I love you a ton!!!!

I love you Kaden, Brennen, and Daddy! You are all so special to me!!

I know that our Savior lives and that He truly suffered for us! I know that every pain, sickness and temptation we have, and will ever have, He knows. I know that He truly loves all of us!

I also know that He desires that every person is saved, and lives the best life they can! I have seen how the gospel changes families. A once broken home can become whole again! People who lack direction and purpose can find hope! And, the sinners can find everlasting change, love and forgiveness!  The gospel can make weak men strong

I know that my Redeemer lives and He is only as far away as we push him!

I will send you more next week 

Love, 

Elder Sandberg

First transfer in the Argentina!

Today we had transfers, and now instead of being in central Salta in the nice touristy part, I am living in a small pueblo north called Pichanal y a Mi me encata(and I love it)!! As I look around I am the only white person! I just arrived this morning and I really don’t know a lot so far about the town but I am excited to get to know it better!! :) I am now with an Elder Arcos De Buenos Aires, and he is great so far!! We live in an apartment that is about the size of our living room!! and my companion was saying that the temperature gets to about 40 degrees celsius or more thats like around 1104 degrees.

I am very excited to work hard and to get to know the area!! We will go out and visit some families tonight so I will have to let you know how everything is, and how it compares!! It really is just fun!! the food is great and the country is beautiful!

To my family I love you and I am glad you had such an amazing Thanksgiving, and I am stoked to talk to you guys in a few of days!! :) I am about out of time now but I will update you more next week!!

Ustedes son De Diez!! (You are of Ten)

Elder Sandberg

Short Message!

So this week was kinda interesting to start it off we had two baptisms!! Natalia and Jesús! It was awesome!! We saw a miracle with Jesús we went to fill up the baptismal font and it is super slow, in an hour it was about up to the knee of my companion and the baptism was to start then. So we said a prayer that everything would run smoothly and we left and started to meeting and the first part takes about 15 min. After 15 min we returned and all of the sudden it was up to our waist and there is no possible way that could have happened but the Lord was watching out for his son Jesús!

Sorry I don't have more time this week but that was the highlight!! :)

Family and Friends

I am so glad to hear you are all doing well!! Know that I am also doing well here!! We are about to go and buy our cereal for the week, that’s what I live on now days, milk cereal and bananas! Life really is great! I am learning how to devote all my time thought and energy to the Lord little by little!! 

There is a quote I love "There are three types of people in this world, those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who say, “What just happened?”!!

For Danielle and Micheala who are about to leave for the mission my only advice is this, enjoy every moment, do your best and trust the Lord to carry you the rest of the way! You will absolutely love it! It really is amazing!

My companero and I are excited for 2 more baptisms this week, they are really great Natalia and Jesus. They are both so prepared and super excited for their baptisms!!

I just have one more thing to say in "the book of mormon will tell you all things which ye should do" 

Love you all,

Mom, Dad, Kaden, Brennen, you guys are the best!! 

Please send banana bread instructions and also the rules for dippy dippy dip! 

Until next week!! :)

Elder Sandberg

First Baptism!

Thank you for all of your love and support!! Truly, I can feel your prayers as I walk through the streets and as we try to find and teach people! I am so blessed and I thank my God often, because of the many mercies I see every day!! I am so glad you are all so involved in so many good things It brings me joy to hear this!! I know It sounds cheesy but really you are all so special!! You are all so strong and such good examples to me!

This week was really good, and really hard, and difficult at the same time. But this week has taught me a lot! So let me tell you some of the things I learned that helped me personally:

1. You have the ability to change your attitude immediately you can choose to be happy excited, to have energy, and even to try your best in any moment! You just simply say ok I'm ready and Im going to give it my all!

2.You can get along with anybody. All you have to do is look for the good cause you can truly learn something from everyone. If they refuse to get along with you just look at them as God would, compliment them, serve them!

3. Really the harder you work, and the more sacrifices you make, for the people the more the Lord sees this and the more blessings you will see.

4. Be grateful there are always blessings :)!

5. 3 Nephi 13:33

On the bright side of this week we got to see the baptism of Nancy!!! She is awesome and she Is truly setting an example for her family! Also Jesus her 8 year old son  is a kappo (stud) he wants to be baptized as well!

I want to end with my testimony, that I know with out a doubt that this church is true, I know that Jose Smith was a prophet and that Thomas S. Monson is our living Prophet, I am so grateful for the mission and everything that came with it. I love the scriptures and I know that they were written by inspired men of God, I have a special testimony of prayer and a testimony of the power of the Atonement!

I hope you all have a wonderful week, until next week 

Elder Sandberg