OC Takes Puerto Montt

hola familia!!

como estan??? So.... one of my best friends now is in her country with her family and its really depressing... but my new companion is AWESOME!!!!! Her name is hermana Adams. We met one time before the mission in Brother Greiner’s mission prep class. We left for the CCM at the same time but she had to go to Provo because her visa didn’t come in time. Then we met up with each other in the airport in Santiago 6 weeks later when we first arrived in Chile. We were in the same district our first two cambios and we go home together. Same day. Same airport. She lives in Laguna Beach, near the high school and church. She’s awesome.

I am so grateful for the mission for many reasons. One of them is all of the amazing strong people that I get to meet. There are so many people and missionaries here that are truly my heroes.

Hna Adams is a convert of 2 years. At her year mark in the church she left on the mission and when she completed a year in the mission (same day as me) she completed 2 years in the church. She is amazing. She is the most obedient companion that I have had. We are going to see so many miracles together.

It’s funny because usually the first week is a little awkward. New comp with different habits, way of living attitudes, character. The first week we are always trying to get used to each other and the way one teaches and todo (all). haha but with hna Adams it was like coming home. We have the same habits and the same jokes and everything. The only hard thing is speaking 100 % in Spanish. She also is an amazing teacher and I have learned a lot from her. I am so grateful she is my companion. Padre is so good. 

This week was a week without any sleep. We went to bed really late the last two days leading up the when hna Cordoba left, helping her pack and crying. It was really sad. I’m traumatized. I’m never leaving Chile.

Then Wed night some hnas that got transferred from Punta Arenas to farther north stayed in our house and had to catch their bus at 7 am so we had to go down to centro with them at 6:30.

And then Friday night the hnas going to Punta Arenas stayed in our house and had to catch their 8 am flight the next day so we had to leave at 5 am.

Saturday there were problems with some of the hnas in our zone and Sunday night we stayed up talking about what we could do to help another companionship of hnas that are also having problems. 

One thing of many things that I have learned in my mission is the importance of COMMUNICATION. Without it we have nothing. If we don’t talk and share how we feel, no matter how harsh it might be, we will eventually explode and end up destroying more than if we had only opened our month the first or second time that we were annoyed.

I am so grateful for the mission in teaching me this. Really, any type of broken relationships can be fixed if the two WANT to fix it and WORK to fix it (by exercising and developing Christ-like attributes…see Preach my Gospel, chapter 6).

We were listening to the Priesthood session of the April 2016 General Conference this morning while we were cleaning the house (fun p day activities:) and one talk really stuck out to me. I testify that it is true and that it works because it saved the companionship of me and hna Cordoba. It’s the talk by President Uchtdorf "In Praise of Those Who Save." They are words of wisdom.

Here is another talk by President Uchtdorf that talks about being grateful in any circumstance (“Grateful in any Circumstances,” April 2014 General Conference). That too is another thing that I have learned in the mission. It is so easy to get discouraged.

Elder Holland said that it is okay to be sad, it is okay to sometimes feel frustrated, but we should never get discouraged because discouragement weakens our faith. Think about that!! When we are discouraged, whether on the mission or in life, as a member in the church, and we don’t want to continue pressing forward, we are basically telling Padre Celestial that we don’t have the faith sufficient to believe that good things will come. That we don’t have faith sufficient in the Atonement of Christ and His resurreccion.  

Do you have sufficient faith? We are just as happy as we make our minds up to be. haha you all know that I have foot problems or arch problems. Every morning when I get out of bed, my feet hurt so much. It hurts to walk in the beginning. When I’m walking to the house at 9:30 at night my feet ache. But one thing that I learned from hna Braithwaite is that we need to suffer with joy. I think of the scripture 

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" (Isaiah 52:7)

I think of my ancestors who left bloody footprints in the snow on their way to Zion. I think of the homes that they left behind, the friends, the family. I am so grateful for the early members of the church and for everything that they gave so that we can have this gospel in our comfortable homes. I think of the young men who crossed the Sweetwater River time and time again to carry across many of the tired, dying saints. The young men’s service affected them for life. Mine will only affect me until I get home.

There are so many other people who have given so much more than I have. I am surrounded by missionaries, members, converts and investigadors who have given literally everything to come unto Christ and am truly humbled to be considered their friend. Yes at times our lives may seem really hard. And it is ok to take a 5 min pity party.

But after looking down and moping, we need to look up and thank Padre Celestial for His eternal love for us, for Christ, for the gospel, for our testimonies. Happiness is a decision. And decisions determine our destiny. I want to be eternally happy in the Celestial Kingdom with Russell. Who’s with me?

I love you guys so much. Thank you for all of your support and love and prayers for me. Remember that every day is a new day. DECIDE TODAY to be happy. To fix broken relationships. To develop charity, see others as Christ sees them and YOU. 

les amo mucho! disfruten esta semana y no se olviden de SONREIR (Enjoy this week and do not forget to SMILE) :D