January 26, 2015

helping some chileanos that broke down in the Andes.

towing their car from our mission car

us and Hermana Wright

 

Lake with the bluest water ive ever seen in todo mi vida

Summary:

This week went by really fast. I had the experience of going on exchanges with an hermana who will be leaving the MTC in a few days. It feels like a couple of days ago that I was going on my first exchange in my last week in the MTC. We didn´t have many lessons this week. I´m coming to realize that everyone leaves Santiago in January to get out of the un-air-conditioned heat. The good news, though, is we found a man name Mauricio who is awesome! The bad news is he's leaving Santiago until the end of February. I´ll let you know how that goes a little later. 
Spiritual:

Earlier in the week, we were contacting. I saw a man sitting on a park bench and felt we should go talk to him. It wasn´t until a few minutes into the conversation that I asked him his name, and it wasn´t until after that that I recognized his face as a man that I had met in some of my first days in the field. He´s a less-active member and has lost lots of weight from a sickness and I had only seen him past sundown before so I couldn´t see much of his face. But I remembered his name the whole time, trying to visit his house, but he was never there. We were able to get an appointment with him and talk with him yesterday. I know it´s his time to come back to church. It´s great to know that sometimes the Spirit can give little pushes like this to help out. 
Funny:
Today my companion and I went up into the Andes with my companion from the MTC and her companion and our mission president and his wife. Our mission president said he would give 5mil (like 9 dollars) to anyone who catches a goat up there. Next thing I know I look over and my companion is hold a goat by his hind leg! Hahah. I was very impressed. Now she´s 500 pesos richer. 

chasing some cows.



Todos sitting by a little waterfall that looks like the rock that moses drank and his people drank from in the wilderness

January 19, 2015

We hiked like a million of these to get these pictures

 lucky it was a strangely cloudy day!

Summary:
It's getting very roasty here in Chile! Hotter than St. George even! On Wendesday night I dreamed that everything was shaking and I was clinging to the bar of my bunk bed. Then as I was half-awake I heard a phone ring for some reason. The next day everyone kept talking about the earthquake last night. Haha I had completely slept through it! I then realized that the phone ringing I heard was a lady in the ward calling to see if we were okay because she knows we live on the top floor of the tallest building around. Oh man, la obra misional makes me tired I guess! Also this week we found a new investigator and have been progressing with some of the other ones. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of people we come across that tell us they've been baptised into the church but are no longer active. There is LOTS of reactivation work to do here.

People:

We have been teaching a mother and his son lately that are some of the most intelligent people I've ever met. The son in particular reads a lot and asks questions about doctrine that I have to study before I can answer. I respect so much that he wants to learn before being baptised into the church-but I have been learning more and more that we don't need to know all things to know that God knows all things and to know that this church is true. Like Nephi says in 1 Nephi 11:17 I believe it is.

Spiritual Experience:

This week at a baptism of the other hermanas in our ward, the recently-baptized man was up at the pulpit bearing his testimony. I had no idea what he was saying to be honest, but I felt the Spirit the same way I do when I DO know what people are saying. My eyes welled up with tears because I knew the things he was saying were pure and true. 

Funny:

I can't believe I haven't shared this before now because I think it's so hilarious. So the students here study English in school, and I don't know if it's the tapes they listen to or what but they learn to speak with a British accent. Often times when we start talking to people, they'll realize I'm from the US and start talking to me in English with a British accent! Hahaha it so weird to see coming out of a Chileano. I love it.

January 12, 2015

Today for p-day we went to a place called Pirque up in the mountains with my roommates and companion from the CCM and her companion. It was beauuuutiful up there. 

Summary:

This week we cleared out our carpeta de area from the bottom to the top, searching for ancient investigators and finding who still lives in the adresses we had noted. We also cleaned out the apartment and got it all reorganized and spotless because there was tons of junk in there that old missionaries had left before they flew home. It feels great! The bad news is I just got a notice in the mail that says we have to move because we don't technically live in the boundaries of our sector. I'm still playing a lot of charades to get my point across, but the language is coming along slowly but surely! 

People:

I learn more about my companion every day! She is a convert of about only two years. She is the oldest of 11 children and the only member in her family. She moved out of her house to study and work when she was 13 years old. Living alone! That's where the missionaries found her. She has lots of hope that her family will be converted to this gospel. She's one of the most genuine, loving, gentle people I've ever met, and a very hard worker!

Funny:

One evening I ended up in the house of a less-active member who would not come out of his bedroom to speak to us. His wife insisted that we sit down and have once with her. (a late-evening meal of cake or bread and coffee or juice that everyone has here instead of dinner.) We did not want to just come in and eat without sharing a spiritual message, but the man would not come! Somehow I ended up sitting there at a table eating cake and shouting scriptures and my testimony toward his bedroom door while he grunted things like "si" and "bueno" so we knew he could hear us. haha

Spiritual:

I'd recommend that everyone look up Jeffrey R. Holland's testimony of the Book of Mormon. I watched it in my studies and the Spirit was SO STRONG. 

Love you all!

January 5, 2015

New Years Eve and Day was good! Actually almost exactly the same as other days except for louder on New Years Eve with all the partying and quieter on New Years Day with all the sleeping. haha.

My new companion reminds me of Marissa a lot actually. She´s an angel. But no her family didn´t join the church. She´s the oldest of 11 and still the only member. And yes I'm learning LOTS more Spanish with her. I´m a little embarrassed of the video of my terrible Spanish you took over Skype. It´s already bad enough but especially a lot more bad when I´ve been speaking and thinking in English! haha.

I always hated going back to school after Christmas break. It makes more sense here because it´s the start of Summer and the kids get out of school for summer break a few days before Christmas. Then they start their new school year a couple months into the year and finish at the end. 

I got the package from Grandma and Grandpa Martin and also Carl and Tami! They´re so sweet. I´m still trying to figure out the best way to do mail here. You should be getting a letter from me soon. Next Thursday, or next week. or maybe sometime in November...

Photos: Appreciate these because I have to walk further to get to a cyber hut with camera technology. Haha!

Foto taken by Hermana Claud of me and Hermana Zuniga and one of my favorite little girls, Cata.

My WALL OF INSPIRATION

completo and my little friend marty She knows my name because its almost her name too