T Minus 6 Days

hola familia! ¿como estai? 

This week fleeeeeewww by! The weather here is really bipolar. One day it is pouring rain and the next it is stinking hot! But I guess that is how the south of Chile is because it’s been like this for my whole mission. And I’ve come to the conclusion that hot showers don’t exist either... oh well at least we aren’t wasting a lot of time and money for water! 

This week I want to share with you two experiences that were awesome. 

We were teaching a woman for the 3rd time. The lesson was The Plan of Salvacion. When we began teaching about the mundo de los espiritus (world of spirits), she began to cry and then began to tell us her story.

About three years her dad passed away and then right after her mom suddenly passed away. She was really angry and fell into a severe depression. She hid herself in her room for months, practically abandoning her children because of the sadness and pain of her parents’ deaths. Her husband and sisters tried to help but she told them that if they ever talked about God again in front of her she will never talk to them again. Her sister sent missionaries of another church to her house and she stopped talking to her sister.

Then one day, three years later, still depressed but doing a little better, we knocked on her door. Her first reaction was to hide and so she did. We knocked one more time. She remained hidden. One more time we knocked, and something deep inside her told her to open the door, so she did.

After we left, she felt at peace for the first time in many years. After the second time we passed by and left, she began to smile. Her kids and husband noticed a difference in her and asked her what was happening. Her youngest son of 3 told them that his mom was receiving two tìas (sisters) that are helping her be happy.

The gospel of Jesucristo is HAPPINESS. It changes peoples’ lives, their perspective, it gives them hope. I love this gospel and I testify that it is true. Miracles happen. They occur according to our faith. We can choose to open our eyes and believe or not.

When she told us this, my comp and I just about cried. It was such a tender moment and to know that we had been guided by the Lord to find one of His daughters that needed help.

But the thing that was the most awesome was the fact that her 3 year old son saw a difference and knew that it was because of us (our message and the Holy Ghost).

The second experience was very similar. We are teaching another woman and she said the closing prayer. In her prayer, she thanked God for sending us, acknowledging that we are His servants. She said that she has been feeling really depressed and alone for the past couple of months and that her fears have overtaken her, but now she feels a new hope and peace about her. 

I know that this church is true. Every single day my faith is strengthened by many awesome people that desire to change their lives and desire to grow closer to Padre Celestial. I testify that it is only by acercandose mas a Cristo que podemos obtener la felicidad que dura por toda la vida (getting closer to Christ that we can obtain the happiness that lasts for the whole life).

Igual, Eduardo got baptized this weekend! It was so awesome! He got really emotional in the beginning and cried a little during the talks. He is awesome and I am so blessed to know him and am grateful for all the other hermanas who have taught him and helped him get to this point. He is such an example of charity and humility. I could go on and on with stories of what he has done for others... but time is always my enemy...

Today we went on a beautiful hike in Puerto Varas... but both of our cameras died early on.... luckily it’s free and we live about 20 minutes away so we are going to go back in two weeks. It reminded me of my high school grad trip/ 20 anniversary trip when we went canyoning. It was super green and forestry and smelled soooo good.

Welp I love you all and can’t wait to talk to you and see you in a few days!  Cuidense mucho!

¡hurrah por israel!

Padre Celestial is so awesome! hna Hoskins was my first comp in the CCM and we were in a district with Elder Feagai and Elder Greenwood. Now one year later we all saw each other for the first time in a year. And hna Hoskins is in my district and Elder Feagai is my district leader. Elder Greenwood is in our zone! And we’re all together for the first time exactly a year later for a zone activity.

Dan Jonesing it!