Hot mama it's finally summer!

soaking up the sun

esta chica

hola familia!

IT IS SO HOT HERE! And the sun is sooo strong. Remember a few years ago when a bunch of people were freaking out because there is a hole in the ozone? Welll.... that hole just so happens to be directly over southern Chile.

I feel like I walk outside and 2 minutes later I’m fried. I’m going to die of skin cancer.

And lung cancer because everyone smokes cigarettes and weed. Second hand smoke is a big problem here.

But, I might actually die first from diabetes or clogged arteries because they put salt and oil on EVERYTHING. But the fun thing about summer is that there are tons of tourista and gringos!!! It’s sooo weird. There was a gringo family from Rancho Cucamonga at church yesterday. The dad served here 40 years ago and came with his family... and it’s cool to because there are tons of street performers now, dancing and doing crazy things for money. I’ll send a video next week.

But on a happier note... I want to share something awesome that happened a couple days ago with our lesson with Virginia and Edward. I talked about them the email last. Anyways, Monday after emailing we went and had FHE with them. They are sooo great!! Edward wants to go back to church and get his life back in order. Virginia never has been religious but has told us that a few things have passed in her life in the past month or two and now she wants to learn.

We taught about the importance of reading the scriptures and praying and going to church. It was great and the Spirit was definitely there. It was awesome. Then on Friday, we went back and taught the Restoration with our ward mission leader. It was awesome because when we talked about the church that Christ set up, we also talked about baptism and the importance of being baptized.

Edward then shared his experience of being baptized and said that it was so beautiful, an experience in which he felt complete and clean and very happy. We then invited Virginia to be baptized and she accepted! We then challenged her for the 25 of February and at first she seemed a little hesitant, but by the end of the lesson, she was beaming and even said that she can’t wait for her baptism!

The moment was mas especial fue cuand ella empezo a compartir su tesimonio con nosotros (more special when she began to share her testimony with us). She told us that from the moment that we walked into her house on Monday, her small one-room home has had a different feeling to it. That every time she reads in the pamphlet or sees us or when we come in, she feels like the room gets brighter.

She then told us that her baby of 11 months has always had trouble sleeping, but when we left on Monday, he slept perfectly through the night and all the nights following.

She then told us that they are really worried because she has tumors in her breasts. They act like cancer but are not and many times during the week she has a lot of pain. On Friday before we came, her chest began to hurt really bad. So bad that she began to cry and Edward said that they should go to the hospital. She said, “no, wait until the hermanas come and share and then we can go.”

Virginia said that when we began to sing Families are Forever, the pain began to ease, and now she has absolutely no pain. Then, the thing that made me get emotional, was when she told us that when we walked in the first time on Monday, she saw two people, me and my comp, but she felt the presence of 3 people. And tonight when we walked in, she saw three people, me, my comp, and our mission leader, but that she felt the presence of someone else as well. 

They came to church on Sunday. Edward said that he finally felt good again, happy, and clean. Virginia said that it was so bright and beautiful. She also asked us if it was okay that she invited her mom to her baptism :D and to church :D

Miracles do exist. People can change.

Edward told us that when he met Virginia for the first time 3 years ago, she didn’t believe in God and wanted nothing to do with religion. With time, trials and a less active, but still spiritual boyfriend, her heart was softened and she began to feel the hunger of her spirit.

This huge change that she went through, so that she would accept to listen to us (the fourth time that missionaries have talked to her) was all thanks to a member.

How great is your calling, member missionary work. Of all the people I’ve seen baptized  and/or accept the Gospel is because they knew someone who was a member who had shared something with them. How great is your call, like it says in Mosiah 18 “…to stay as a witness of God in all times in all things and in all places.”

As the world grows darker and darker, those with the truth in their soul grow brighter and brighter. We are, even as Christ said, a light upon a hill, so let your light so shine before all men, that they might see your good works and glorify your Father which art in Heaven. Oh how awesome it is to be a missionary. How awesome that it is a call for life. 

I love Chile. I love my mission. I love the trials and the tests, the light, and the joy. I’ve never been so happy. I’ve never been so sad. I am eternally grateful for this time that I have to consegrarme al Padre Celestial. Se que Èl vive, que nos ama y que nos da lo que necesitamos para poder progresar y lorgar nuestro potencial divina. ¿Has logrado tu potencial hoy? (Get to Heavenly Father. I know that he lives, that He loves us and that He gives us what we need to progress and to live our divine potential. Have you achieved your potential today?)

Man, I just want to send you a bag full of my joy that I have... you all need to come to Chile, that where the magic happens... 

Oh, and thank you Bennetts!!! I got your Christmas letter!!! Thank you so much! I’m writing one to you guys so you should probably get it in about a month (if it doesn’t get lost in the mail :)

Tell everyone in the ward that I say hi and love them and thank them for being in Church on Sunday.

love you all soo much! les ammmmmoooooo

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we were walking down a hill in centro and  wasn't looking at the ground and my foot got caught in a hole. I messed up my knee and cut up my leg. Luckily it is healing pretty fast and I only had to spend one day in the house icing.

the unlucky hole