Letter #13 argentine missionaries talk as they walk, and walk, and walk, and walk...

HOLA MI FAMILIA!!!

hopefully you began to sing the primary song as you read the heading above... ha ha. cuz... thats my life. we walk, and walk, and walk, and walk... all over this city of provencia!! dang!! is it so incredibly beautiful though!! sometimes i have to stop myself and remind myself i´m not in italia!!! seriously... its gorgeous!! this is a hispanic italia!!! no doubt about that!!! even in how everyone talks... sounds like italian!!! thats been a struggle for me though... can´t understand anyone. blah. la lucha es real. ha ha.

any who... i have survived my first week in MY mission... woohoo!! i am learning so much every single day about myself, my strengths and my weaknesses, this amazing gospel, this amazing country, etc, etc!! at the end of the day i´m exhausted!! like real talk - fall on my bed and instantly pass out exhausted!!! ha ha. but its so amazing!! 

me and my comp having personal study... ha ha.

this area is definitely a whole new world compared to colorado though... a WHOLE new world. new rules, new language, new cultural norms, new environment. its definitely been a whirlwind!! especially the no car situation - so we basically walk all day errrrday. in fact, so much walking, my feet are blistered and swollen. ha ha. i feel like such a baby!!! oh man... i can do this though!!! i finally bought sunscreen because my chest got heat rash... oops!! ha ha. i also had to buy bug spray becuase my legs are covered in mosquito bites!! ha ha. oh yeah.... and our apartment has a many friends and daily visitors... snails slash slug type creatures, cockroaches and a adore-able crumb- eating mouse. PSYCH!!! ewe. we keep trying to catch the little bugger... no luck though!! ha ha.

the language is a daily struggle too... my companion hermana cipriano from mexico speaks less english then i speak spanish. so... our daily communication is spanglish baby talk... however. it is getting better and better each day!! i have no doubt that i am on the lord´s errand because i understand more and more every hour of each day!!! :) the locals however... no such luck!! ha!! its so hard because they speak like a italian sing-songy spanish. but the members are so sweet and patient with me. its been so awesome!! one family the simone family are SO amazing!!! they are from brazil and are HILARIOUS to say the least... they make me feel so loved and welcomed and they try to speak whatever english they can muster... ha ha. he also would constantly volunteer me to read in gospel principles on sunday... no me gusta. ha ha.

but yeah. all is well in argentina!!! thank you for all your prayers, love and support.... it definitely helps get me through the hard times!!!

i love you! i love you! i love you!! like so much!!!

never forget how much i love and miss you!!!

xoxoxox.

love,

hermana forte

Letter #12 that one time i had 24 hours to leave the country... ha!!

so... guess who got her visa after one transfer!? THIS MISSIONARY!!! :)

ahhhh!!!! i'm seriously freaking out and feeling every emotion possible... scared, nervous, excited, sad, shocked, overwhelmed... etc, etc!! bah!!! i just can't believe this is real life!!!

so... long long long stressful story short: i got the call saturday night that my visa came in and that i had to be at the mission home sunday night. ha ha. so... i literally had 24 hours to leave the country!! bah!! seriously its been SO stressful!! i was planning on being here in denver for at least 6 months!! so this came as quite the surpirse... i think my jaw hit the floor when the assistants to the presdients called!! ha ha. but yeah. the aggrivating thing is... they have had my visa for 2 weeks!!! bah!!! those crazy ap's!!! but yeah. its been quite the whirlwind thats for sure!!!

AFTER THE LONGEST FLIGHT OF MY LIFE...

like no joke. THE LONGEST!!! especially cuz i couldn´t watch a movie!! i wanted to SO bad too!! but i knew i would feel guilty the whole time and wouldn´t even be able to enjoy it ya know!? but yeah... don´t worry. a crying baby was next to me the entire flight... so... lets just say i´m one tired missionary. ha ha. but... i made it!!! and thats all that matters!! ah!! like i´m for reals... i´m here in argentina!!! ah!!!! can you believe it!? cuz i sure can´t!! ha ha. its SO hot here too!! i´m dying!! especially cuz all my clothes are basically winter... ha!! thats a joke!! but yeah. wow. LOVE my mission president and his wife though!! i told them doug peterson (my bishop at home) said hi and they were trippin out!! it was funny!! i guess they use to work together!! :) anywho... such amazing people though!! already love them so much!! :)

but yeah... so i´m here in a cafe with my new companion!! her name is hermana cipriano and she´s from mexico... and just like i thought... she speaks no english. so president said i need to teach her english and she needs to teach me spanish... goodness gracious this shall be an interesting first transfer!! ha ha.

so... yeah. not to freak you out mom... but... crime is kinda a big deal here... ha ha. but no worries. the sisters aren´t allowed in the ´REAL GHETTO´areas... ha ha. but still i have to be cautious. so... basically they gave me a new bag to carry around and they told me i´m not allowed to have more than 30 pesos on me... basically nothing of value on me... ever. including my camera!! which stinks. but its cool. special occassion p days i´ll just have to over kill!! which won´t be hard to do for me... lezzzbehonest. ha ha ha.

but yes. wow. i seriously love it so far though!! the language is a struggle... obviously. but i just know it will come. i have faith!! especially cuz i have no choice!! i´m on the lord´s errand!! he needs me to be a fluent speaker!! he needs me to change lives here!! ahh!!! i´m just so excited!! its crazy with as much as i LOVED dencer and was SO sad to leave... here is just a different feel. like i KNOW this is where i have been called. its crazy!!! but it makes me so happy!! its only my first day... but still!! defitnitely off to a good start!!! :) :) :)

anywho... love you all SO much!!! sorry i wasn´t able to call back in atlanta either family... my flight leaving denver got delayed... so... lets just say i was running through the atlanta airport for my flight... SO stressful. but estay bien!! all is well!! i was just bummed i couldn´t hear your amazing voices one more  time... blah. at least domi finally answered so that i could!! even if it was for a short time!! :)

but... si!!! i love and miss you SO much!! and feel so grateful to have such an amazing support system rooting me on from home!!! :) i am seriously so so SO incredibly blessed and i thank my heavenly father every. single. day!!! :)

thank you!! thank you!! thank you!! for being more than amazing!!! :)

i love you. i love you. i love you.

like SOOO much!!! never ever forget that!!! :)

keep smiling my lovelies!!!

&& my hawaiian familia: don´t have too much fun in paradise you lucky bums!!! ha ha.

xoxoxoxo.

love YOUR argentine missionary,

hermana forte

Letter #11 && this is what it is all about...

HOLA MI FAMILIA!!!

this week was... MMMMAZING!!! :)

ahh!! just thinking about it brings a HUMUNGO smile to my face... ah!!!

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!

whew. okay. so yesterday... I HAD MY FIRST BAPTISM!!! ah!!! it was seriously the bestest beyond bestest feeling in the entire world!! i have no doubt that marissa is why i'm here in denver... NO DOUBT!! i seriously love that girl SO much!!! ah!! && to see the happiness on her face, as she followed the example of her Savior and made sacred covenants with her Heavenly Father and entered into the waters of baptism... bah!! && even though no one (family and friends) came to support her, she didn't care!! she knew why she was there!! && she wasn't gonna let any lack of support keep her from being "brand new"... it was so cute!! she kept saying that... "i'm brand new!!" ah!!! so presh!! love her so much!! anyways... a bunch of ward members came to support her, so that was OSUM!!! woohoo!! such a beautiful day yesterday!! it was a trio-baptism!! so all the people in white was such a beautiful sight!! ah!! seriously... MISSION. COMPLETE.

one of the best day of my life!!! :)

like seriously... i love my life!! end of story.

another amazing moment from this week... we were teaching a new investigator named maria. and it was really hard to understand her spanish as she had an accent i wasn't used to... anyway, it was my turn to testify about joseph smith, and next thing i know i'm testifying about prayer and how our Heavenly Father knows us individually... and wow. the spirit was SO strong!! and she just started balling!! it broke my heart!! but... it was so amazing to know that my simple spanish words could have that effect on someone!! :) it made me so happy!! :) i guess her husband just got deported, so shes been really feeling alone... so to know that her Heavenly Father loves her and want to hear from her made quite the impact on her!! :)

anywho... as you probs already know... the broncos won. woohoo!! SUPER BOWL HERE WE COME!!! :) just so you know... its cuz i'm here. ha ha. and i'm so stoked about it!! :) oh yeah!! and funny story: the way i found out the broncos won... while driving to our next lesson, we saw people driving down federal hanging out their cars sunroofs screaming and dancing!! ha ha. it was OSUM!!! gotta love dedicated denver fans!! ha!! real story though... there was definitely a few broncos jerseys yesterday in church... no joke. ha ha.

but... yeah. i love you all so so SO much!! && i miss you like curazzzy!!!

Broncos fans... DENVER PRIDE BABY!!! :)

hope all is well in the great SLC, 808, && ALBARNO-town!! ha ha.

remember to keep smiling!!!

xoxoxo.

love always,

hermana jordan ashley forte

Letter #10 GO BRONCOS!!! :)

so... the word on the streets is that the broncos beat the san diego chargers and now are going to the super bowl!! woohoo!! (my apologies to adrian and his precious baby blue's.... ha!!)

too much service fun at the action center!! 

its like a food bank kinda... its awesome!! i love service.

 i love my mission. && i love hermana flores

but seriously... SO much excitement over here!! and lezzzzbehonest. its because i'm here!! ha!! just playin... but seriously, i hope the broncos take the whole thing!!  it would be SUCH a party here!! ha ha. seriously though... over here the broncos are life. its so funny!! in church the other day we were going around introducing ourselves and saying one thing were grateful for and... no joke. this one guy stood up and said: "i'm grateful for the broncos!!" ha ha ha. i died. it was so funny!! welcome to denver!! :) ha ha.

anyways... this week has been SO amazing!! seriously every day i just love missionary work more and more!! and every day i'm just more and more grateful for all the boundless blessings in my life!! especially my amazing family!! there are so many of our youth that don't have the support and love in their life that i so ignorantly took for granted my whole entire life!! goodness, it seriously just breaks my heart so much!! i just feel so blessed to have the opportunity to bring them the plan of happiness which can ultimately fill those empty places in their hearts!! :) bah!! i just love missionary work SO MUCH!!!

   the B-E-A-U-tiful colorado mountains!!! :)

anywho, so we had three youth on date for next sunday to get baptized, but one of them didn't come to church, so he unfortunately can't get baptized as soon as we had planned... but... we still have TWO youth getting baptized on sunday!! woohoo!! i'm seriously SO. FREAKING. EXCITED!!! marissa and yareli. seriously... i love both of these girls SO MUCH!!! and i have no doubt in my mind that these two girls are the reason why i'm here in denver... NO DOUBT. its crazy how you can connect with certain people and you just know that you knew them in the pre-exsistence... bah!! i have no doubt that i'm suppose to be here in denver. right here. right now. i have no doubt that

i was suppose to go through certain challenges and trials in my own life to make me stronger, so that i could one day meet these people and relate to them and their own personal struggles!! bah!!! i love missionary work so much!! i seriously LOVE being a missionary SO MUCH!!!! :)

ummm... weed. welcome to colorado. ha ha ha.

i love this gospel and the endless amounts of blessings it can bring into our lives... my favorite family here in denver is the luna family. they seriously are like my family. josue was in the mafia back in mexico back in the day. (yes, the one that reminds me of you dad!! ha!!) and he has 3 beautiful sons and a gorgeous daughter!! anywho, long story short, he had to go to jail for a couple years, then he came back to america. and that is when his whole life fell apart!! he lost everything... all his money, status, and pride. his wife left him for another man. and yeah. wow. breaks my heart. anyways, thats when he moved in with his mom with he four beautiful chidren. and seriously, when i say beautiful... i mean BEAUTIFUL!!! anyways, thats when he started coming back to church and slowly one by one the missionaries have baptized all of his four beautiful kids!! and now... he's the ward mission leader, and his two oldest sons are the ward missionaries!! bah. and now we are helping them prepare for their own missions!! :) its so amazing!! oh my goodness!! anyways... so this sunday, josue's youngest son, johnathan, got his patriarchal blessing... and he was telling us about the experience and wow. that boy is SO incredibly special!! i swear he's gonna be a prophet or something one day!! anyways. i had such a cool moment with their dad josue, cuz i was just telling him, "think about if you had never come back to church. think about how much your faith and the gospel has blessed your family's life. think about where your life and your kids life would be... just think about it!!" and it was so cool cuz he just got silent. and was like, "wow. you're so right." bah... kills me!! i love this gospel. i love the happiness and the change it brings not only into my own life but the life of the members and our investigators!! :) ahhh!! i just love the atonement and our savior so much!! i'm so grateful for his unselfish love and sacrifice on our behalf!!! bah!!! okay... calm down hermana forte. ha ha.

i seriously LOVE Denver!!!!

whew. okay... i'm back. ha!! anyways... i love you all SO much!!! thank you so so so SO much for all your love and support!! it seriously means the world to me and then some!!! :)

hope you have a fantastic week and keep a humungo smile on your face!!

love you all!!!

xoxoxoxo.

love your missionary,

hermana jordan ashley forte

Letter #9 A New Year. A New Life. A New Perspective.

FELIZ ANO NUEVO!!!

(translation: happy new year. ha ha.)

wow... hola! hola! hola my beautiful familia!! happy 2014!! ah!! that is SO crazy to type out...

but wow. my new years was OSUM!!! we got to spend the evening at the ward new years party. but... it was torture. cuz as missionaries we aren't allowed to dance. torrr-ture. lemmmme tell ya. but yeah. my lovely new years eve ended at 9:20... as we had to be home and in bed by 10:30... so no fireworks or count down... but it was still an amazing evening with the ward members!! gotta love the hispanic party life!!! :) woohoo!! ha ha. but yeah... we were definitely tempted to stay later... but... exact obedience brings miracles. and we need ALL the miracles we can get!!! :) thats all i'm sayin!! ha ha. :)

but yeah. as i was thinking back on this past year and all that i experienced and accomplished... my mind was blown. 2013 was definietly a year i will never ever forget:

teaching 4th grade at laie elementary... graduating from byu hawaii... thailand adventures... falling in love... && last by not least: turning in my papers. mtc. and now denver.

oh. my. goodness. freaking. gracious. the lord has blessed me SO freaking much this past year... and to think of the blessings that i'm about to experience in this new 2014 year makes me giddy!! ah!! this is definitely gonna be a new year. a year unlike any year i have ever had!! ahh!! i love my life!! and i love being a missionary!!! :)

 but yeah... this week has been one of miracles!! seriously... SO much progress in our investigators!! there is seriously SO much work to be done here in denver it boggles my mind!! and the Lord strategically places people in our lives every. single. day. it brings me SO much happiness!! this really is the Lord's work. yesterday we fasted for new investigators and for our progressing investigators... and lo and behold. just yesterday we got 2 new investigators!! it was amazing!!! one of the sweetest ladies we saw in the lobby and helped her with her groceries to her apartment on the 10th.. next thing i know were giving her the second lesson on the plan of salvation and she started to cry when we told her that Heavenly Father loves her so much and know her personally!! it broke my heart. she has been feeling like no one cares about her and that she doesn't have a need here on this earth... bah!!! i about died!! she had the cutest 3 year old daughter and her husband was still in the picture!!! bah!! anyways... the Lord really does know our needs and i feel so honored to be a tool in his hands to bring hope and peace to those suffering in this dark world!!! :)

i also had my first exchange this week with Hermana Smith. she's from cali.. and is OSUM!!! it was so wonderful. we went and visited one of her new investigators and her son Abel was there... he was standoffish and seemed kinda in his own world. well long story short. i had a feeling that he didn't really speak spanish as well as his mom and so when we told the story of Joseph Smith he had no idea what was going on... so... i kinda just followed the spirit and took control. summarizing the story of the first vision to Abel in english. next thing i know i'm testifying (almost in tears) about the power of prayer and how Heavenly Father loves us, knows us, and wants to help us in this life. the spirit was SO strong!! i can't even tell you!! bah... but at the same time i didn't think anything of it... well... i was very very wrong. in the mom's prayer at the end of the end of the lesson she thanked Heavenly Father for her son and that he is doing better and is finally back home and all this stuff... aka... her son is or was in a dark place. and for whatever reason i needed to "remind" him of his Heavenly Father who is always there for him no matter what!! :) it was such a testimony builder for me and reminded me of the importance of following the promptings of the spirit!! :)

ahhh!!! i just love missionary work!! and i'm so grateful for this opportunity i have to be a missionary of the Lord as i bring the world His truth!! :)

i hope you all had a FANTASTIC new years!!!! and that 2014 is the bestest year you have ever had!!! :)

i la la la love you alll SOOO much!! and think and pray for you every single day!!! :)

xoxoxoxo.

love YOUR missionary,

Hermana Jordan Ashley Forte