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

December 29, 2014

Summary:

The best news of late is that the investigator I mentioned that sprinted away when saw us walking in the street one Sunday was baptized yesterday! I can´t send new pictures today because I'm at a ciber shac that doesn´t have a camera plug-in technology, but they are soon to come. Anyways, she loves going to church now and the members love having her there. I have never seen her face light up the way it did after she stepped out of the font. It´s the best feeling ever! The ward also seems to be getting more excited about missionary work too, which makes things so bacan. (Chileano slang for "cool")

Baptism de Andrea 



Hermana Ana, recent convert



More news is that my companion, Hermana Zuniga, went home to Costa Rica this morning. It was actually really weird because when I was on exchanges, I found out from another sister that Hermana Zuniga was going home in a couple weeks. I'd been with her 24/7 for like a month... you´d think that would be something that would come up in conversation at some point. She was SO dedicated to the work, though. She didn´t even want to think about home and was determined to stay focused. When I asked her how long she´s been in the mission she would just say "Mas de un ano." and then change the subject. I learned so much from her and now I want to be as committed to the mission until the end as she was.

My new companion is Hermana Benitez from Buenas Aires, Argentina. She has 25 years and is a convert of two years. She's the only member in her family of 11 kids. I already love her. She´s a Sister Training Leader, just like Hermana Zuniga, and it´s her last change also. It´s pretty rare in this mission that I´ll already be on my 4th companion next change because most of this sisters only have 4 or 5 their whole time. 


Food:

Chileanos know how to party. They just eat and eat and eat to celebrate. Members invited us over for Christmas and they were relentless with how much they would put on my plate. Haha they get a kick out of the "don't say no to food" rule. On Christmas Eve, in one lunch, I ate a steak and a half, 2 potatoes, a drumstick, and 2 hotdogs. I've never been so proud of myself. haha
They start the party for Christmas on Christmas Eve, eat all day, open presents at midnight, and then party all night. Then they sleep all day on Christmas. The only people awake on Christmas were missionaries haha. That´s actually kinda their lifestyle all of the time though--late to bed late to rise. our bedtime is 11:30 in this mission. For New Years I believe they do the same thing. Hopefully I'll see some fireworks from level 18. I live in the tallest building in my area.

 

Funny:

Last night I was teaching a lesson to the recent converts in my ward. It was on family history and temple work and I accidently said "Un cuerpo de carne y juevos" instead of "carne y huesos." That translates to "meat and eggs" instead of "flesh and bones." Haha


Spiritual Experience:

While contacting last week, a man named "Christian Favores" gave us his address and a specific time to come teach him on Monday. We arrived at the house, but a different man answered and came to the gate. He said he has know idea who this Christian guy was but he was baptised into the church years ago and had been praying to find a way to go back. He was moved to tears at us coming and came to the Christmas devotional the next day, and even brought us a Christmas gift. I feel the spirit so strongly when he speaks of his relationship with God.

Roommates on Christmas Morning.  Now it's me and Hermana Valladares next to me in the middle.  (She is awesome and helps me with Spanish a lot.) with our new companions. Love them all+ Plus now there is another white hermana in the area, the companion of Hermana Valladares.

Skyping on Christmas Day 2014

December 22, 2014

Hello my family!

How´s it going?

It´s been a really great week. We found some new investigators, had one baptism, did lots of contacting, and I learn a lot every day.

 

It´s a little hard because it´s my comp´s last change, so we have tons of meetings and thingies to do each morning so a lot of times I don´t get to study and I have to do a lot of intercambios. Doing intercambios with Hermana Bartholomew (Remember when we met her in the St. George Airport?) was so much fun though! She lives in a super richy area which is generally a little harder to contact in, but I was surprised at how patient and nice some of the people were there. Plus Hermana Bartholomew is so so funny and great to be around. It was nice to have someone with the same cultural background as me for a day.

 

 

I got to go on exchanges with Hermana Bartholomew from good old St. George, Utah! (Right) She was the first Hermana that I met at the airport. It was awesome to see how far we´ve come with the language and not being afraid to talk to people in the street, because we literally knew next to nothing when we met. We also share a love for Swig cookies which no one else here really understands, so of course we had to make a quick batch in our hour before bedtime. 

I´m excited to Skype you on Christmas. There will be fun things going on here, but I know that will be the best part of my day. After all, ITS TROOG FRIENDSG ANDG FAMILYG THATG MAKESG THISG THEG BESTG CHRISTMASG OFG ALLLLLLG! Right?

 

How are things? How'd Dad's PA test go? How's the folk dancing? How's Noods? I keep finiding him everywhere and I always say NOODLES and my companion just looks at me. I've tried explaining that noodles is my dog from home.

 

Have you seen the El es la Dadiva video? He is the gift in English I think.

Love you!

 

Here's a couple pics of some Noods

December 14, 2014

Summary

This week we found some excellent souls and one in particular who is very interested in the gospel. I can´t even express how much joy I feel when I see someone grow and change through the gospel. There´s plenty of Christmas spirit here in Chile, even though it´s like 2837092 degrees. I hope you know I love you all and wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

People

Another fun thing about living here in Chile is I´m considered tall and blonde. They always ask me to do the tall people stuff like hanging up decorations and reaching things on high·up shelves. It´s great! Every day I also get something new about what white person I look so much like. Some of my favorites are Wendy from Peter Pan, Laura from Little House on the Prairie, and The girl from Mama Mia I think. (Nonni, that one is for you.)

Spiritual

On Wednesday, I was headed to a house down the road when my companion suddenly stopped a few feet away from a corner to share a pass·along card with a man at a bus stop. I felt we should stop too, even though we were contacting at the moment. It was our first contact of the day. Right after stopping, we saw a man jump out at a woman and yank her by her bag behind a wall. That would have been us at the corner right at that time being robbed had we not stopped. I truly believe that the Spirit guides our every move if we let Him.

Funny

This week, one of my roomates from Argentina sat on the toilet lid to wash her feet and it cracked right down the middle. Haha

December 8, 2015

Summary:

I love the people here in Chile, but it has been a hard week full of lots of rejections and 0 investigators coming to church. I know that some weeks will be better than others as far as numbers go. 

People:

A fun fact about the people here in Chile is that they're into wearing Crocs. Haha. It's a nice throwback to my childhood. 

Spiritual:

One of our investigators this week says that when he reads the scriptures, he feels like God is talking to him. It hit me how pure his statement was. Unlike me, he had not been told his whole life that scriptures are the word of God. It's like that quote that says, "If you want to talk to God, pray. If you want God to talk to you, read." 

Funny:

While teaching a lesson to a family in their kitchen, one of the boys started wiping off the table and cabinets. As he passed me, he also wiped off the bag in my lap and my shoulder... I guess that since I don't really look or speak like the people here I'm just more of a decoration to them sometimes. Haha