Cold Showers and living in the 18th Century

ola familia!

como estan? (How are you?) This week was un montaña russio or a russian mountain (roller coaster). The week started off really sad. Our closest investigator to baptism told us that her husband and her got in a fight 2 nights earlier and that he doesn't want her to be baptized into another religion and that her reading the Book of Mormon was causing her to forget her womanly responsibilities, such as cooking.

And its true.

Honestly, I have never felt such joy the week before when she shared with us her testimony of the Book of Mormon and how she cannot deny it.

Every time we visit her, she stops everything she is doing to come and listen, including cooking. It's funny because one time she was in the middle of making a cake and totally stopped all to come and listen.

They have a baby so it is complicated. But yeah, she told us that she was really sorry but we couldn't come and visit her anymore. I've never felt such sadness. She knows.... she knows....

But nevertheless, the work will go on, with or without us.

And that being said, a freaking awesome experience that we had yesterday. Well Friday, we were knocking doors and I saw a lady chopping wood and asked if she needed help. At first she was really cold with us but changed when we told her we were missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ... she told us that her sister and entire family had just joined the church 4 months earlier and that she wanted us to visit her.

Yesterday we went and it honsetly felt like I've known her forever. She's awesome. After getting to know her a little better, we shared a scripture and video "de Jesucristo" and after asked for her thoughts. She began to open up a lot to us and shared some really spiritual experiences she's had. SHE IS SO PREPARED. She then told us that after moving here, she felt so alone because all of her family and kids are far away.

She prayed for the first time in a long time for help and comfort on Thursday, and Friday we met her. she knows a lot about the church already because she lived with her sister while they were talking to lessons. She told us that we were an answer to her prayers and that because of that, she wants to take the lessons and come to church this Sunday. The Spirit was so strong in her one-room tin hut. This definitely was one of the coolest experiences I have had here in Futrono.

Yep, como dice el título... cold showers baby!! Haha its like Das Boot every morning. But hey, could be worse.... on the bright side we are showering really quickly and have more time to prepare for the day!

It is really weird living here. It's like the 18th and 21 century collided. There are smart phones, TVs, cars and such, but every night and morning we have to go out and gather wood and chop it, then start a fire if we want to be warm.

There is a small outbreak of bronchitis in Futrono. About half the kids have it. There's medicine but not like the stuff we have in the states.

Also something interesting... most women here don't know how to drive. Como driving is a man thing. My comp is 27 and has never driven before.... it's a different life here....

Familia, the church is true. The gospel is perfect. I love it here. Every day there is a new challenge. I now understand and know the type of pérson that I want to be in the future. I love my mission! I wouldn't trade it for anything. It is the best choice I've ever made.

Oh, and today is my 5 month mark.... SO CRAZY!

love you lots

les quiero mucho!!!!

It's official---my Chilean Visa Card!

Feliz día de la madre!

Since I talked to you guys yesterday, this week I’m going to send tons of pics instead of write :)

It was soo awesome to see your faces and hear your voices. I love you guys so much and think about you all the time. 

Keep up the great work in the Lord's vineyard in RSM! The Savior is coming soon and everyone deserves the chance to hear the sweet message.I love and miss you lots!

Our Momita

Muchas vacas

Cool graffiti in Valdivia

Me and the Hermana Lideres (leaders) after we dropped Hermana Braithwaite off

This pic pretty much sums up Futrono...

Snow in the mountains of Futrono looking right outside our casa

Hombres (Dudes)

ola familia!

So I’ve been in Futrono now for about 4 months. And throughout this time, I have had so interesting experiences with men. But I don’t know what was up with yesterday... literally every man that we passed by made a kissing sound or whistled at me.

This one guy came up (waaay too close) to me and said ¡convertame convertame mi amor! (convert me, convert me my love).

Another guy asked if he could take me to lunch.

And we were contacting and began talking to a guy. We quickly realized he was drunk, so we tried to end it fast. He wanted to shake our hands as we said goodbye so we did. And as he shook my hand, he took it and began kissing it and begging me to walk him home.

Ahhhhhhhghalksdjfha vnkjathrqertaldfn I’m so fed up with men.

And alcohol.

Seriously it is sooo dumb don’t drink. You look like an idiot and everyone makes fun of you or doesn’t like you.

Our neighbors are partiers and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they are up until 3 in the morning drunk out of their minds, screaming and singing to the radio. And because our walls are so thin, (literally just a slab of wood that separates us) we get to hear them throw up while trying to have companionship and personal study. We don’t know what to do because we don’t have time to try and find another place to live. But... oh well.... that was my rant for the week.

This week was uneventful with lessons, but very stressful. I can now understand why 19-year-old boys leave out on their missions and come back half-balding men.

Many of our less actives are less active because they have a big calling and are new converts and have no idea what to do and there aren't enough members, so they are in their calling alone. We have about 15 members with callings that are inactive because of this.

One such is the Young Women president. She's a new convert and was asked to lead the 12-18 year old girls. It is just her with the 2 active YW we have, but the president is now less active because she was never in Young Women as a girl and doesn't know how it is run and feels guilt for it so it seems better for her to just not come to church.

We started working with her and now we are her YW counselors, aka, in charge until she learns how it's done. But my comp is a convert and was never in YW either, so it's just me. Since we began working with the YW pres, she came to church!! Wa hooo!! But no YW came, so she left after 2 hour...

Oh and we are also in charge of teaching Temple Prep during Sunday School. Any ideas? I seriously haven’t been this stressed ever. I have no idea what I’m doing. So many hard things have happened this week.

Hahahaha youth conference sounded awesome!! I love that there are so many youth there that you guys can do so many fun things. There are 4 active youth here....

A cool experience, during the sacrament, I was sitting by the piano (I play for the branch), thinking about all the members who aren’t here and all the people who want us to do stuff and all the problems of our investigators and sad that none of them were here. I felt so alone and scared and overwhelmed. I began praying, asking Heavenly Father why I’m here. I’m only 19 years old and don’t know how to help an investigator whose marriage is falling apart, and a less active that is struggling with a bad addiction. I don’t know how to comfort a mom whose son is a drug addict. I’m far from perfect and feel so incapable. The Holy Ghost told me, Karissa, you’re not perfect, but I didn’t call you to teach perfect people.

I know that God is mindful of everything and everyone of us. We are given certain experiences to grow and to help because, through His grace and Atonement, we can be His hands and He will help us accomplish all problems.

Dude, I’m like freaking out. I want to talk to you guys sooo much and just see all of you but I’m also super nervous because I know I’ll be crying and it will be hard to refocus after...

I love you guys soo much! and can’t wait to skype y’all on Sunday!

Cambios (Transfers)

 ola familia!
 This week has probably one of the toughest weeks here in Chile. My new comp is Hermana Melendez from San Antonio.... Chile! She’s really quiet but has such a strong testimony and loves to work. I am so blessed to have her as a comp. She’s awesome. I don’t have much time so I want to share an experience that I had this week. Bueno (well), before I met my comp, I was waiting in the terminal with other missionaries and we were talking. A few of the sisters, when they heard who my comp was going to be told me that I can do hard things and I just need to pray for her and pray for love and have patience and everything will be fine. They shared some other things that left me with a bad impression of her.... before I even knew her. I was really worried and all, but after talking with her over the past week, I have come to learn that she and her last comp had a lot of problems and there were problems with her family as well. She said she was angry all the time and didn’t get along with anyone (thus the impression of the other missionaries).

At first I felt so alone because she doesn't speak English and I became the senior comp until she knows the areas and everyone. The first couple days were rough, adapting to a new comp and teaching and the language 24/7, but she told me yesterday that she has never been happier. Honestly I have never been happier either. I'm learning so much about myself an I have never relied so much on Heavenly Father before. He is always there.

And I can feel the difference too from when we first met. Hermana Melendez is awesome. All she wants to do is work and testify. And that is all I want to do as well. 

We never know what other people are going through. Life is already hard. We don’t need to make it harder by judging others. We never know what the other person is going through. We have no right to judge. Everyone is just trying to do their best with what they know.

We speak Chileano all the time jaja not Spanish, but it is great. I can communicate sooo much better and understand as well. It is sunny today but has been raining the past couple of days. There is snow on the hills!!! Unfortunately it only rains snow melt here, it's barely not cold enough for snow. I prefer snow over rain as well.

It would be nice if the weather humbled the people like it's humbled us! But nope, it's an excuse why people can't go to church--because it is raining. And there is no such thing as heaters. Only fire, so the chapel is always freezing.

I had a flea in my socks last night so my feet are torn up... 

 Man, sooo much has happened. Remind me to tell you about Domingo 24 - 4 when we skype because God was truly walking beside us yesterday and guiding our path. Igual (same) with what happened at Hermano Telmos’ house. Those are two stories muy (very) personal that I want to tell you guys face to face. 
I love you all so much and miss you like crazy!  Keep fight the good fight! Hurrah for Israel!

It's Only Fall and I'm Already Freezing!

hola famila,

This week...where to start...I think the theme for this week can be found in the lyrics to the hymn More Holiness Give Me. "More holiness give me, more paciencia y amor (patience and love)...I've learned a lot this week about patience and love with those dang menos activos (less actives). They are great, yet sooo frustrating some times. Pero Bueno... paciencia y amor. Paciencia y amor.

One menos activo we are working with haaha...it's a long story (that I started last week), but she finally has agreed that she needs to stop smoking. She smoked 20 a day, 2 at a time. We went over to her house with a priesthood holder and gave her a blessing of strength. We have been visiting her every day this week, sharing scriptures and 3 minute Mormon messages. AND GUESS WHAT!!! Within the past week she has dropped to 15 a day!!! So awesome!!

And it is freezing cold. Freezing, freezing cold. It's been raining and windy and como (about) 45 degrees out. I'm going to die in June in the dead of winter. I'm healthy, kind of, I have a cold but I've had it for about 2 months and will probably have it for the rest of the winter.

The language is going great, transfers are this week and I think my next comp is Latina!

On a non-missionary note, if you ever need to unclog a toilet and don't have a plunger, boil water and pour it into the toilet. It works like a miracle!

You guys are awesome!!! And Kyle, Jake and Joey....escribame porfa!!!

Les quiero muchooo

Slackin' in Chile

Ola Familia!
This week has been crazy! The mission is literally the best thing ever. I can't even express how much it sucks and how incredible it is.

Accomplishment this week:
I had my first telephone call where I could understand what they were saying and respond to them! Whoop! First tele call with no help! Haha I'm a big girl now.

So this week there was a really big storm over Futrono. I have never felt wind so strong and there was so much rain. It was kind of scary, actually. Especially when the power got cut and we were in complete darkness in the street at 8:45 at night. It was fun though. We were able to pioneer it for daily planning with our candles and little fire. The power was restored later the next day but then got kicked out again...good thing for our 72 hour emergency kits! I guess storms like that are common in the winter and we are going to go without power often. On the bright side, with freezing cold winters...NO FLEAS!

An awesome experience I had this week:
We are working on reactivating a less active. She is progressing REALLY well and has been going to church for a while, but told us just the other night that she has a smoking problem. Yesterday we met with her to make a plan of quitting smoking and brought a priesthood holder to give her a blessing of strength. Her mom (who isn't a member) was there and we were chatting with her (the daughter was out quickly buying some bread). We were still there and I thought, well, might as well make a lesson out of this since we have a nonmember and a member with us. I started flipping through my scriptures to share something and found a verse that I like, Mosiah 4:9.

"Believe in God; believe that he is and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend."

But the scripture just didn't feel right. We have taught the mom before and have invited her to be baptized many times...anyway, I couldn't think of anything else, so I said a prayer and began thinking of scripture masteries and Doctrine and Covenants 18 popped into my head. So I began the lesson and shared that. It turned into a powerful lesson with her mom and the power of the love of God.

"10. Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

11. For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.

12.And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.

13. And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!" 

I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am nothing without his guidance and support. We are so blessed to have him as comfort and help in our daily lives. Never do anything that could impede you from being worthy to have the Holy Ghost with you!

The family we found when we were being chased by a pack of dogs is doing awesome! The mom told us that she probably won't get baptized because she promised her mom that she would stay catholic, but she wants us to work with her husband. He is mad at God because he and his brother got in an accident and he walked away but his brother died. The mom told us that what we have will help her husband. She knows we have something special, she is just confused a little at what she wants. But she told her daughters if they wanted to get baptized, hagalo! (Be my guest!)

Haha for Pday, Hermana B and I made a makeshift slackline and did that in the park. It was AWESOME!! So relaxing and just what I needed after a stressful week. Haha and we attracted a group of little kids. They were too scared to try it, but ahh, it was fun!

Hope all is great! Les quiero MUCHO!!!

 

conferencia general, angeles, y lluvia (General Conference, angels and rain)

¡Familia!

les quiero tanto! (I love you so much!)

We have two investigators who are waiting on their baptism. Their dad is really sick and is going to die soon and they are too preoccupied with that to really think or pray about anything else so... we are still working with them but now isn’t the right time for them.

We have an appointment this week to teach the family I told you about last week. The one with the attacking dogs…

Can I just say, conference weekend is my favorite holiday? We weren’t able to watch it all because the internet is really bad. AND IT CUT OUT RIGHT AS ELDER HOLLAND BEGAN TO SPEAK!! Que fome! (Chilean slang meaning “what dumb!”)

But we downloaded conference onto a pen drive and are going to listen to it later.

Pero bueno (But good)... I learned so many things this conference and have a renewed animo (good spirits)  for the Lord’s work and renewed confidence in myself and what I can accomplish if I put all my trust, troubles, and doubt on the Lord. Here are just a few liners that I loved. Click on the person’s name to see the entire talk.

President Uchtdorf= we were designed to become. Those sheep that wander, those precious sons and daughters of God that fall, they are worthy of His help and love, simply because they are His.

Mervin B. Arnold = GO TO THE RESCUE. Don’t wait, just go. There are people that need your help now. There are souls that only you can touch. Go out, find them, help them, love them. They are in your neighborhoods. They are your old friends. They are your family.

Bonnie L. Oscarson=You are already at the tree. KEEP FEASTING! I feel like this is me now, seriously!! The scriptures have so much power. Study them. Pray for guidance and help. They are the way to happiness.

Cheryl A. Esplin= throw away the mirrors and look through the windows.

Neil L. Anderson= he talked about leaders, and just a shout out to all my amazing Sunday School, Seminary, Primary and YW leaders!! You guys are amazing. Thank you so much for all your help, advice and guidance in my life. I love you guys so much. Keep doing what you are doing. You are my heroes and part of the reason why I am here on a mission. 

yep... the perfect present. I love conference! hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. 

Now we have 6 months to use these talks, study them, and receive more guidance, revelation and help from God and from our trusted leaders. I sustain President Thomas S. Monson as prophet, seer and revelator of our church. I sustain all the men and women in the church. I know they are called of God and worthy of their callings.

les quiero mucho! Review and relisten to all the talks throughout the next 6 months! Disfrutalos! (Enjoy it!)