First Email from Argentina!

Heidi is now serving in Argentina.  Letters will take about 5 weeks to get to her when you mail them, so be patient for your response :) But she loves getting letters! Here is the address where you can send your letters for Heidi from now on:

Hermana Heidi Albright

Mision Argentina Neuqun

Zapla N 24 - Casilla de Correo 321

8300 Neuquen

Neuquen Argentina

Merry Christmas and  A Happy New Year!!!

As they say around here, Feliz Fiestas! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas, and will have a fun and safe New Year! 

So for us, we went to a member´s home to eat dinner Christmas Eve. It was a very good dinner, and I quite enjoyed but oh buddy was I stuffed!!!! We had seven plates of food, six plates full of meat. WHOO! We had to leave because of curfew before we could enjoy dessert, but that was a-ok with my stomach!  We got to stay up till 12:30 because they celebrate Christmas here with fireworks at midnight! So that was fun. And the next day we got to sleep in till 8. Mmmmm sleep :)  As for missionary work, we sang carols to anyone awake! (the people here are ALWAYS sleeping! Stinkin siestas) Lots of fun. And the next day, we got to skype!!! HI FAMILY! LOVE YOU! 

The best part of the week was definitely Saturday though. We had a Christmas Conference as a zone with Presidente and Hermana Lovell!!! It was seriously the BEST! We had a great training from President Lovell, and a wonderful slideshow of Christ and of the mission, and a gift exchange, and then TESTIMONY MEETING! Man I love testimony meetings! This one was so great too. Definitely something that I needed. Because not gonna lie, it´s been a hard transition to leave Virginia. My heart never really arrived in Argentina. But during this meeting, I rededicated myself to the Lord and to this mission, and now I can honestly say that Hermana Albright is serving a mission in Argentina! Look out everyone! <haha

Also, everything shuts down for holidays here. Let´s be honest, everything shuts down every day here because of siestas. Haha but because of this, transfers have been pushed back! Since nothing and no one will be working on new years. So Wednesday now is when I find out where I´m going to serve, and Thursday I go to Presidente´s house for training and intro to the mission and all that jazz. 

Ok final thing! on Sunday, I was asked to bare my testimony to the ward and introduce myself in sacrament meeting. At first, I didn´t really see the point of doing so, since I´m most likely leaving this week anyway, but I cheerfullly did so and testified to the ward of this work.  Later, the final speaker in the meeting pulled out his notebook during his talk to quote me word for word. I´m pretty sure that´s the first and last time anyone´s ever quoted me! But it definitely made me realize 1-the power of a missionary´s calling and 2-the great impact that our little actions have.

Ok So first, being a missionary is amazing!!!! If you are thinking about going on a mission, do it! It´s probably definitely the best thing you could do in your life because it´ll affect you and others forever.  And for those of you preparing, study lots! What you say is taken as truth, so make sure you know what you´re talking about. And for those of you home, take some time to reflect on your mission and what you learned in that time. Always live worthy of the trust of the Lord and of the people you served. You were a beacon of light to them, never forget it and never lose that light. If your light has dimmed, don´t worry! The Atonement is real and you can shine brightly once again.

Second, all of our actions have a ripple effect. Many of your actions may not seem that important, but they really are way more important than you know. You make a difference in every single person´s life that you come in contact with. It is up to you to make sure that the effect you leave is a good one. Never think that you are unimportant. More people treause your words and your love than you know. And never think that what you do doesn´t matter, because it does.

Always remember, you are loved! 

Hermana Albright

Church in Roca