JANUARY 31, 2022 -- ...:)

This week was hard. And awesome. And hard.

It's hard not being able to express yourself! A different language and not being able to say things the way you want them to come out is discouraging. When the people just walk away or abruptly hang up when they hear you speak:) :(

It's hard being so far away from home! A different culture and different people makes it easy to long for what used to be your normal.

It's hard not knowing what's going on! I haven't had to coordinate this many moving parts before or be this (dis)organized. I've felt the dumbest I've ever felt this week.

It's hard seeing yourself fall short! Enough said there. . .

But more than anything its hard seeing people turn away from their Savior. It crushes my heart when people reject Christ. It makes me want to weep  that they don't understand how different their life could be with Him in it.

And yet. . .

The Lord still gives us joy. In the bleakest of moments He sends us rays of light to lead us. 

It's awesome to see a father baptize his oldest daughter and their faces just beam.

It's awesome that we have a goat in our backyard that screams because it made someone come to our door and ask about it . . . and then we got to talk about the gospel!!

It's awesome to pass by the same person four times in a span of four days and then their heart is softened to listen about Jesus and His Restored Gospel.

And It's awesome that Jesus understands the heartache we experience and provides a way out.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says:

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

These hard things of life, everyone feels it. It's common to pass through periods of sadness and heartache and worry, but God knows us. He knows what we can handle but more than that, our Heavenly Father knew that we'd need a Savior to help us overcome. A way to escape and a way to bear it. 

The way the truth and the light is our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. This week has been hard. I felt really alone and down, but the Savior came and lifted me. He will lift you too if you just take His hand.

That being said, have a wonderful week. I love you!

#hermanaamytracy

@amyfaithtracy

JANUARY 24, 2022 — LEAPS AND BOUNDS

this week! my spanish has felt better and worse this week... but this is how i know i'm improving. we talked to a guy with only 2 teeth yesterday and i mostly understood!! blessings from heaven <3

I learned a lot this week. 

Sometimes, you only have one chance! The Lord puts people in our paths and in that moment we have to act. The other day we went to visit our friend and she wasn't home but we saw a man sitting alone and we knew we needed to go talk to him. 

He was alone in every sense imaginable and told us about the things that had happened to him in his life. The amazing thing about being a representative of Jesus Christ is that people open up to you like magic, in just minutes the connection we feel is undeniably a power given from heaven. But we were able to share with him about Jesus Christ. How all pain and sorrow in this life can be washed away in His blood and their IS a chance for new beginnings and there IS redemption waiting for us if we follow Christ and keep His commandments.

We shared this scripture in the Book of Mormon. These are the words of Jesus when he was ministering to the people (3 Nephi 17:7-8),

"Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or bleprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.

For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you."

Christ Himself has said if ye are afflicted in ANY manner!! come unto Him and He will heal you. From any pain you can imagine. Because He understands.

But other fun things!

One of our friends is getting baptized this week!! She is ten and so sweet:)

Zone (ish) p-day today and I got to see Elder Scott! We went to school together at BYU and now we're both here! Also an Elder from my trainer, Sister Palmer <33, hometown and an elder who knows my older brother! Small world!

I received a marriage proposal today while we were walking in the street

Cried while talking to an old man because I felt the love Christ has for him and a desire for him to understand that!!

HAVE A GORGEOUS WEEK

JANUARY 17, 2022 — MY FIRST REAL WEEK!!!

My first real week!!!

A FEW HIGHLIGHTS!!!!

This week I:

-went to church in person! Because covid has been ravaging a bit here in Córdoba its been virtual BUUUUT Barrio Sión was in person! What a beautiful chapel and what beautiful people! I bore my testimony in terrible spanish and hoped that the Spirit communicated what I was trying to say haha.

-was peed on by a dog

-had my first Argentine cheek kiss!! CULTURE!!!

-met another American! I'll attach the picture of my friend Max! 

He's Argentine but was born in Florida so... American!! ****stars and stripes flying proudly****

-was given a spanish class by my wonderful friend Juli and her husband Santiago!! I love them so much!

-was given a beautiful pintura of a mermaid by our friend Brianna! She is 8!

-had WONDERFUL experiences in the scriptures and with hymns!!

"Make a JOYFUL noise unto the Lord all ye lands. SERVE the Lord with GLADNESS: come before His presence with singing" (Psalm 100)

"enter thou into the JOY of the LORD"!!! (Matthew 25)

"We hear the words the prophet declares, 'Let each who's worthy go forth and share" (Army of Helaman)

After a bit of adjusting, I love it here. I love being able to experience a new place and honestly a new kind of missionary work. We go out everyday in the city but the majority of the time we are at home teaching the gospel virtually. Like almost every evening we have video call lessons every thirty minutes bam bam bam bam bam. The thing I loved the absolute MOST about serving at Temple Square was getting to go out and meet so many different people. Here in Argentina at first it was a little difficult for me to adjust to being inside on a screen for a good bit of the day but the interactions we have while we're out become that much more sweet. The urgency I feel to share about Jesus Christ when we leave the house has gone from a 10/10 to a 50/10!! As a result I feel like the Lord is sending us people who are prepared to accept the message.

The people here are so beautiful and ready to accept. When we say we're missionaries and sharing a message about Jesus Christ some reject us but a lot recognize and say "If it's the word of God it's the word of God!"

I'm so grateful that the Lord prepares people's hearts and then gives us opportunities to touch them.  THIS IS WHY I FEEL JOY!! I WANT TO GO FORTH AND SHARE!!!

I love you all! Have an awesome week!! I'm gonna be better and send pictures next week.

#hermanaamytracy

JANUARY 10, 2022 -- GUESS WHERE I'M AT . . .

Day THREE in Argentina!!!! 

After two days of traveling and waiting and riding planes and busses and taxis, I'm FINALLY here in Córdoba. As I write this, I'm at a loss of even where to start. I will just say, I thought I knew Spanish. . . girl -- I was wrong.

BUT my companion is from Misiones, Argentina, and I'm learning very quickly how to talk in circles to communicate ideas or ask questions. We're working on her English too a little so it's just a constant back and forth of learning. My favorite word we've learned is EVIL. O malvado en Español  

But I'm definitely in South America. The culture is different, the animals are different (literally green parrots fly around???) the food is different. Everything is different!! And on top of it all I'm still dead tired from traveling because I'm a baby BUT the people are so kind and I know I'll come to love all the differences. 

Right now, I'm in a suburb of Córdoba, Villa Carlos Paz, and its a big tourist destination. We rent our apartment from the Bishop of our ward (which is 100% virtual right now because of covid) and he has a goat that screams all day and all night. BUT we have a air conditioner AND a water filter so we're living the high life. And it's just gorgeous here. We're in the sierras (big rolling hills) and there are trees with pink and purple flowers that line all the streets.

Our ward is called Sion (Zion) and everybody in the mission says this is the best area so YAY!! 

But I really feel so blessed to be here. I recently have been praying to love the people sincerely and that I can learn the language so I can actually talk to them, haha. Sometimes it's just hard to open your mouth!! But yesterday I asked these two abuelitas for recipes and they were so sweet. They want us to love them so it's our job to try!  

Something that really has stuck with me as I've come down is from the Book of Mormon, in Moroni 8:13. It says "for perfect love casteth out all fear."

If I can love the people, love the work, and most importantly love the Lord, I don't have to be afraid! An understanding that everything is in His hands helps me to put things and perspective and just lay my all on the altar. 

These next TEN months will be different, but will be so sweet and I put my trust in God and just work.

Love you all!! Have an awesome week!!!!

#hermanaamytracy

January 7, 2022 -- SHE FINALLY MADE IT!

This is a post by Amy's mom, Dana Tracy.

We are so happy!!  She finally arrived in Cordoba, Argentina after basically two days of travel!  She began in Salt Lake City, flew to Atlanta, Buenos Aires and ending in Cordoba, Argentina!  Can't wait to hear all of her adventures!

The following are pictures sent by her Mission President in Cordoba, Argentina!