Week #24

Hey Everyone,

Okay so this week has just flown by but it has been a great week. We were not able to work in my sector very much this week and at the start of the week it was a little rough as we were basically in the streets all day, but the last day in the sector I was able to see some miracles.

First of all I received a whole bunch of referrals,  one of which is named Javier who is 16 years old and has been attending church with a friend where my new companion is coming from.  I am so excited to teach him as he wants to start going to his own ward and receive the missionaries.  We haven’t been able to teach him yet, but as I have gotten to talk to him on the phone. He is really excited to receive the missionaries and we are so excited to start teaching him.

The second thing that happened is we were able to find one of the people that we had found before Christmas, but with the holidays and all we could never find her again.  We were able to watch the restoration with her and the spirit was so strong and she had a lot of interest, but then she accidentally hit the remote right before the part of the first vision (something always happens at this part of the lesson) and we couldn’t get it to fast forward to this part.  She is evangelical (evangelist) I am not sure how that is in English, but there is a lot of that here in Chile and she assists a church 3 times a week and so initially I didn’t really think that she would be that interested. But she told us that she has had the same question as Joseph Smith, because she always worries for her children and if she is really going down the right path and the things she believes are really true.  We left her with our testimonies and she said that she was going to finish the video and then pray after we left.  I felt the spirit so strong and I am so excited to teach her this week. Her name is Claudia.

One of the other blessing is that we were able to go with one of the young men who used to live in our sector and wanted to take us to teach his old friends and neighbors. We weren’t able to teach anyone, but we were able to receive some great references and we are so exited to head back to them in the week.  I know that this is really how missionary work should be together with the members.  I have been able to feel the Lords love for me a lot this week and see his hand in my life as has blessed me with so many miracles.

My new companion comes tomorrow her name is Hermana Makin and she arrived to the mission the same day as me.  She is another gringa from Utah!.  I was so surprised to have another gringa companion, but she is awesome and I am so excited to work with her. I can’t wait to see what this week has to bring.  I loved something that the President said this week that really helped me.  He said that time is never lost when missionaries are stuck in the street all day, if they have the spirit with them.  I know that is true.  Sometimes we forget that there are a lot of people watching us as missionaries and members back home.  We need to remember to always have the Spirit to be with us and to smile because other will see and feel it!

Answers to our questions:

*How is your Spanish going:

Spanish is going good. I feel comfortable in Spanish right now and I even struggle with English sometimes now, or really both sometimes. There are always things that I can do better with the language, but at least I feel comfortable and I  don’t have any problems communicating. It has been a really blessing The gift of tongues is definitely real, because I know that I couldn’t do this on my own.

How is Victor doing:

With Victor, he didn’t go to church and I have been praying and I feel like we need to stop teaching him for a while and give him a chance to act for himself.  It is hard but in the end he has to make the decision. Maybe it wont be with us right now, but with other missionaries in the future after he moves, but I am still praying about it and maybe I will pass by with my new companion.

How do transfers work?  It seems like you have had some odd changes.

Transfers are every 6 weeks. What happened is that with Hermana Butler, she went home mid transfer because all those that were going to go home the transfer just after Christmas had the option to go home a couple weeks early to be home for Christmas. That’s why it has been weird.  Also transfers are every 6 weeks, but we don’t always change. I was with Hermana Nokes for 2 transfers.  I am still in the same area, which is really surprising, as people usually change more. I guess this is were I need to be.

It has been so interesting to see, because this transfer was a little harder, as my two companions were struggling and fighting a little. I felt like I was in the middle playing counselor, but I know that is where I needed to be and I learned so much from this time.  Now as this transfer is ended we have been able to start to receive referencias and find people.  I have learned that there are some moments like this transfer in the mission that aren’t always for the investigators sometimes they are to help your companion or a member. Now as I am about to receive my new companion, who is awesome. I am so excited I have been able to see the Lord preparing the area with referrals. Now we have a new bishop, as our old one was in the stake presidency as well, and a new teacher for the class of our investigators because they old one was way intimidating.  I know that they Lord has a plan for this area and I cant wait to see what it is.

I love you so much.  I love you all and cant wait to talk to ya next week!

Hermana Stringham