Deme Una Tarjeta! Wed Aug 12 letter

Hello my amazing family. I love this time that I get to write to you. It's fun to be pen pals in a way- except Curtis, I'm still waiting to hear from you :).
Ok so this last week was another great week. Each week I am growing closer to the Lord, to the teachings of the gospel and to the amazing people in my zone!
Last week we finally auditioned to perform for a large meeting and she said she will definitely use us and that I was a great accompianest (sp?) anyway that made me feel awesome, she kind of went on about it! haha. But the sisters are so wonderful we have truly become SO close. I love having so many close friends where we all work hard to bulid our relationships with Christ and learn to become the best servants that we can be.
In order to start making Spanish more prevalent before it is the only language, we started playing a game in our district called Deme Una Tarjeta! it means give me a card. We all started with 15 cards and when we hear someone speaking in English we say that and then whoever has the most cards wins. The first day was brutal but it was almost literally in all Spanish- so neat to see how much it helped. However since more time has passed and we do have to speak English for some things, we have been a little more lacksidaisical with the rules. But when we remember to speak in Spanish is really helps.
We have been teaching so much lately! It really helps to teach and bring the Spirit and try and address the investigator's needs even if they aren't really investigators. The scenario for this week's TRC is a blank teaching record so we don't know anything about them, except that they aren't supposed to have a Christian background. So we have taught 3 Buddhists and one Muslim. It is crazy to try and explain God so we really don't. We want them to have their own spiritual experience. With one investigator we kept insisting that he prayed because it was so important. He could tell from our boldness that it was something really important he should try. Anyway he finally agreed to pray and ask if he was a son of God. It was a neat esperience. Tonight we have the TRC where we teach a volunteer not a teacher. So far every time the TRC experiences have been phenomenal. We always get golden investigators because they agree to all the committments and the Spirit is truly so strong. I hope tonight we get another Golden. It is nice after all the pretty tough teaching all the teachers who want to make it as hard for us as possible.
Another thing we learned was how when we felt like we didn't know where to go next with the lesson to always fall back on the Book of Mormon. Every lesson it's a new experience, because when we focus really hard on one thing we forget to incorporate another. However,I know the Spirit helps us to remember all things we need to say so the investigator hears what they need to.
Last friday I had to go do fingerprints so that I could get my Visa for Argentina. Also today the consul came and we had a meeting so that he could meet all of us and clear us for entrnace to the country. It was neat to hear more about the country. He talked a lot about the cow, and said that every grade in school from 1-7 he had to write a report about the cow. It is what made the country more open to the rest of the world. Anyway he was very nice, and about half of the missionaries there are leaving tomorrow because now they will finally be cleared! I'm excited for them but also a little sad because some of them are my good friends and I will really miss them.
Last night Elder Lowell M. Snow of the 70 came and spoke to us. What a great man. He gave us what he is learning currently, and said better learn it now before you're past your prime. So he has a check list of things he strives for everyday. Here they are: I will choose Him (Every decision we make shows that we choose the Lord or ourselves) I will help HIm do HIs work (The Lord is out there laboring and we can help Him or not) I will take His spirit for my guide (I must have the spirit of prophecy and revelation for me- WOW) I will become His true disciple ( I must not only be unified with the church by attending and going to meetings but I must be converted to the Lord which is an individual intent and effort) I will seek to have His image in my countenance (Some missionaires a long time ago in Germany that couldn't speak any German, were let into a house and had a baptism because "of the virtue in their faces") I will exercise His power (Jaocb 4:6, and God is anxious to give me His power and He will if I will choose Him). I thought that was a great checklist we can all work on, and it will be great for me to help others also become converted to the Lord by choosing Him.
I challenge us all to choose Him every day. We can either go to sleep for ourselves or we can chooose Him and read and study the scriptures. We can watch a movie that we maybe shouldn't, for us, or we can choose Him and spend time doing service. We are either for the Lord or we aren't. Every day I am striving to make every decision for the Lord. We are here to help build His kingdom; no matter what the work of the Lord will go forward yet we can decide now what our part will be in helping it along.
I love you so much. Good luck with everything- I'm glad Dad and Mary you had good birthdays. Good luck Nelson with Law School! ooh new adventures are always so exciting. Curtis good luck with football- show them all you've got! and Lauren good luck in the final weeks of your pregnancy. Mom good luck with all the work you do! I love you all so much and am truly very grateful whenever i receive a letter. It's always a little something extra to brighten my day.
Love Hermana Carmen Dunford

MOM- ONCE AGAIN THE SKIRTS ARE FANTASTIC. THANKS FOR PASSING ALONG OTHER'S WORDS. IT IS SO NICE TO HEAR EVERYTHING. I MIGHT EMAIL AGAIN A LITTLE LATER IF I CAN THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE TO SAY. NO NAMES YET FOR THE NEW CAR. CARLOS...HMMM NOT FEELING IT . LOVE YOU!!! :)