para siempre Dios esté con vos (God be with you)

hola familia,

Well as you know, Presidente Obeso is going home this week. He has cancer. Luckily they caught it early on. He is going back to Mexico and then to San Diego to have an operation. After that, he´ll be in his house disfrutando (enjoying) time with his grandchildren.

I love my mission president and his wife. They are people called of God. He is such a great example of trusting in the Lord. He told us many times that he has no fear. That we need not be sad because the new mission president is better than he is. Presidente Obeso left us with the parting advice of ¨rompe sus cielos¨ and ¨Hay que hacer cosas¨ jaja

Oh something that I forgot to mention.... Alejandro wasn’t baptized this week because Maria is separated from her husband not legally divorced. The divorce was supposed to be finalized last week and then they would get married and then that Saturday he would be baptized. The witnesses didn’t show up to sign the divorce doc. so the divorce didn’t go through. Which means that now we have a law of chastity violation. We talked with him, and I really felt the power and authoridad of my calling when I told him that he needed to separate and live alone until they got married. Alejandro told us, with pain in his eyes, “Hermanas, I’ve stopped smoking, I’ve stopped drinking. I’m sorry. I can’t do that. We’ve been living together for 4 years. I can’t.”

The day of his baptism passed and yesterday he went to talk to the bishop to see if there was any way he could be baptized and still live with Maria. It’s sad, but also really cool to see that not only does he have a testimony, he is feeling the need to be baptized.

They have another date with the judge Oct. 15 and now by law the witnesses have to come or they will be arrested. But it really stinks because then they have to wait another 9 months until she can legally get married to prove that Maria isn’t pregnant by her first husband (so she doesn’t try and get child support saying that the dad walked out on her and left her) There are a ton of Chilean laws that are super old and really dumb. This just happens to be one of them....

BUT we found a super awesome girl who accepted baptism for the 24th of this month. She’s gone to church 2 times and is progressing sooo fast. It’s a funny story how we found her. I’ll tell it another time because we don’t have a lot of time... but yeah! Her name is Veronica. She prayed for the first time out loud this past week and it was such a tender spiritual experience. There is so much power in prayer.

love you all! Tenga una buena semana (Have a nice week)! Jake, Joey, write me!

Last photo with Presidente and Hermana Obeso

Yep...

hola familia,

I’m running out of interesting titles... but anyways... haha, Mom and Dad, you both started your emails with "I’m sorry but this one is going to be short…" 

…Like father like daughter ;)

I’m sorry but this one is going to be short…

We are working hard and feeling tired. But good :) Lots of stuff happened this week with lessons and investigators. The only thing I’ll say is that I wish Satan had a body so I could slap him in the face and tell him to leave my investigators alone. 

But with that said, life is great. There are a lot of changes going on with our mission. Some for good... others... we have a conference with our mission pres. tonight, which is really strange. Hopefully it’s all good news. He is really sick and just found out that he has cancer. We are all praying for him.

I love my presidente de mision. He is a man called of God to labor with us in the gran pais de Chile (great country of Chile).

Read your scriptures, pray, and when you go to church, be there both physically spiritually and mentally. (Which means LEAVE YOUR PHONE IN THE HOUSE!)

Have a great week! Love ya!

Hurrah por Israel 

making apple empenadas

cat had babies 4 days ago

I know I'm allergic to cats, but...

proud mama

¿¡DO YOU FEEL PRETTY YET!?

hola familia! 

This week (haha as all are) was fantastic and very hard. First off, to describe the title, about 4 days ago, Hna Cookson started crying after comp study out of frustration with the schedule. In the morning we only have an hour for both people to shower, get ready for the day and eat breakfast. It has never been a problem for me because I shower quick, eat oatmeal, and only spend like 5 minutes for make-up and maybe 3 for my hair. For La Hermana however, it is really hard because she is used to two and half hours of showering and getting ready with makeup and hair... she told me that she doesn’t feel pretty anymore and feels really ugly because she doesn’t have enough time to do everything.

"I just want to feel pretty again," she said.

Hahaha well Padre Celestial heard that and that day was probably the funnest day in the mission. We got sooo many cat calls, guys trying to ask us out, one guy asked me to marry him and when I said no, he turned to La Hermana and asked her to marry him. As we shook hands goodbye, another guy kissed our hands. Others commented on our beautiful eyes and we received many other comments from practically every single guy in Rio de la Mano.

Every time a guy said something, I turned to Hna Cookson and asked ¿do you feel pretty yet? 

Pretty Girls!

We were knocking doors and ran into my new best friend. Her name is Sara. She’s from Chicago and lives here in Punta Arenas. She teaches English and is also a tour guide in Torres del Pine. We are teaching her and its weird because we are teaching in English... but!!! Haha it’s also really hard because we talk a lot about climbing and being in the back country. She offered me a job for after the mission on her guiding crew....  plus she said that when I come back she’ll take me into the park for free and show me around since we can’t go in right now... 

Now on a more spiritual note... this week I had one of the most spiritual moments yet on my mission. It was in a very messy house with a single mother whose young kids have a lot of attention problems (along with Aspergers) that I felt the reality of my call. I could feel the same power and authority that I received when I was set apart. I could feel an overwhelming feeling of the love that God has for her. It was sooo cool to teach her and help her and testify and promise blessings to her.

When we first entered, her house was a disaster. she looked really tired and depressed. There was no hope or happiness in her eyes. When we left, her hope was restored.

When we went back 3 days later, we found her cleaning her house with a new light in her eyes. She was smiling and looked really peaceful with a new confidence and peace around her. She told us that she had been praying many times during the day. That was the compromiso we left with her because she told us she hasn’t prayed since her mom died 5 years ago and that’s when her life became really difficult. Her house is completely turned around. She said it was a miracle. She feels happy and confident in her trials, she wants to get things done and she has a new attitude about everything. It was incredible to see this huge change in her and I know it is because now she is inviting the Holy Ghost into her life and asking for the divine help of God. 

I also want to share another personal experience I had. I’m not going to go into details (sorry mom) but I testify of the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

I know when we hear “Atonement,” we think only of sinning and asking for forgiveness. That is only one part of the Atonement. Another part is using the Atonement to make up for what we lack. For the past couple weeks, I have been tried sooo much in my patience and love in a way that I never have had to deal with. Last week I was thinking that I could not last any more. Every night and morning I prayed for love and patience. I pled that He would bless me with His love and patience that He has for His children (that I sometimes lack), but I felt nothing. Then on my worst day, I felt a small prompting to do serve.

My first response was no! I don’t want to!

It came again and I decided to follow. Again, I testify of the power of the Atonement. Afterward, I felt an overwhelming feeling of God’s love that He has for His children. His has blessed me with so much patience and love for those that I lacked and I am seeing miracles. I am becoming a new person and it hurts a lot, but I know that it is who God wants me to be.

I hope you all are using the Atonement every day in repenting and asking for the strength you need to overcome your trials and shortcomings. I love my Savior. I know He lives and I will stand by Him forever.

love you lots!!!

yeah... flash back to OVER A FREAKING YEAR AGO!!!!!! I cannot believe it. I thought of it like 2 days ago at like midnight. I cannot believe it.

I love Punta Arenas!

I thought I got sent to Chile...?

hola familia!

This week was epic! Highs and lows, everything. Sometimes I feel like I’m going insane. Haha especially when Hna Cookson asks me about what I to like to do in my free time (what’s “free time?”) or what I want in my future husband (I have no idea anymore haha haven’t thought about that in a while...) I don’t know what "normal life" is anymore... 

This week we had a lesson with a family that we are teaching, Cristian and Natali. We taught about priesthood authority and living profetas (prophets). Cristian has a lot of doubts but is willing to learn and pray. I love teaching him. When we taught him about the Libro de Mormon (Book of Mormon), he told us that he didn’t believe us that it was the "most correct book" and that by reading it we will get closer to God. We offered him a copy and told him the only way for him to know for sure is if he read it. He told us, “Give me a month,” and took the book. This week was about profets and he again told us that he has never heard anyone say that there is a living profet and doesn’t believe. I had the oportunidad to testify of Thomas S. Monson as profet, seer and revelador de Dios. I love testifying to the people about him, and José Smith (Joseph Smith). I LOVE it! So many people have never heard the words "there is a living profet today!" I love teaching about it and testifying. I know that Presidente Monson is a profet of God. I know that he was called like Moises (Moses) to lead God’s people and like Aaron has the power and authority to do so. Cristian wants to read gen conf talks by Presidente Monson to form his own opinion. He is so good.

Alejandro is progressing great. We taught Word of Wisdom. He told us he will need some time to stop drinking coffee and tea and smoking but he knows that José Smith is a profet of God and if this is the revelation that he received then he will obey. Alejandro is GOLD!!!! I also love teaching him. Those both are so prepared and will be great leaders here in the church in punta.

We had the baptism of Marta and Dennis. Korin’s dad got angry so she couldn’t get baptized... :( but he said she could still participate in church and everything. It was such a neat spiritual experience. I’m running out of time so I will send you what I wrote to Pres. Obeso about an experience.

Marta  (mama) dennis (hijo) 

Jaja I just think it’s funny that I got sent to Chile and first real converts are Colombian. No doubt sent here for better opportunity and religious freedom because en Colombia it is really dangerous for the missionaries. They are not allowed to do any street contacting for safety. Here in Chile, people have so many more opportunities for life and religion. 

Presidente,

Esta semana, tuvimos la oprotunidad a ver dos de nuestros investigadores, una mama y su hijo, entrar en las aguas del bautismo. Mi experiencia no fue lo que pensé. Pensé que despues del bautismo, estaría lleno del espiritu santo y mi gozo sería completo, con dice en la escritura en DyC 18. Yo sentí muy feliz y sentí el espiritu allí. Pero no era hasta que ellos recibieron el don del espiritu santo que allí mi gozo estuvo grande. Para mi, fue un otro testimento que bautismo no es completo sin el don del espiritu santo. Era una experiencia muy linda y vale la pena, todo.

Muchas gracias por todo lo que esta haciendo 

Hermana Hess

(Presidente,

This week we had the opportunity to see two of our investigators, a mom and her son, enter the waters of baptism. My experience was not what I thought it would be. I thought that after their baptism, I would be filled with the Holy Spirit and my joy would be complete as the scriptures say in D&C 18. I was very happy and felt the spirit there, but it was not until they received the gift of the Holy Ghost that I felt great joy. For me, it was another testament that baptism is not complete without the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was a very lovely experience and it is all worth it.

Thank you very much for everything you are doing.

Hermana Hess)

It’s been really windy here... I thought there was an earthquake at first because our house started shaking and all the street lights and buildings but nope, it’s just the wind... 

We have cambios this wed. I think I’ll be staying here with la hna and finishing her training!!

Life is hard but that’s what makes it so great!

love you all les quiero!

have a great last week of summer, enjoy the sun for me!

awaiting interviews with presidente obeso with la hermana obeso

free art

it snowed, so i did the only logical thing...

 i cant remember who i am!

I love Punta Arenas!

beach and snow, what more do you need?

Everyday's an Adventure!

hola familia! ¿como estan?

This week was super cool! We had a visit from a General Authority, Elder Packer of the Seventy. He is the son of President Packer. Four other missionaries and I were able to have an interview with him. It was a neat experience. Jaja he wanted me to tell you thank you for raising great children, Mom and Dad! After that we had an interview with President Obeso. Can I just say that I love my mission president? He is a man inspired by God and I sustain him as my President. He has blessed my mission with so much advice and love. I know he is called of God. 

And now, what you’ve all be waiting for... this week!

Hna Cookson got sick, really sick, so we spent a day in the house (probably one of the worst things in a mission, besides daylight savings, which we had Saturday night—one less hour of sleep! Wahoo). I was able to leave with a member for two lecciones that we had. Another member stayed with Hna.

The next day she felt better so we left the house and about 2 days later she was worse. I called the nurse and we had to spend a day in the clinica (ER) waiting to be seen. I learned a lot of new Spanish medical words and haha it was a bit stressful but we made it out alive. I think the funniest part was when she had to get a shot... on her tush. The nurse told her to turn on her stomach and pull down her pants. Hna didn’t understand so I told her in English trying not to laugh too much. Her eyes got wide and she said, “Noooo!! not again!” (She was really sick in the CCM and had to get a shot in the tush there too :) She is feeling a lot better now, but now my throat is starting to hurt...

Dennis, Marta and Korin came to church this week!! Which means that this Saturday they are going to get baptized! It is so fun planning for the baptism. I know they are ready. They have strong testimonies. I just hope that they will continue to progress and grow in the Gospel and in their conversion. I don’t want any of the people I help to baptism become less active...

We are also teaching Alejandro... who is an investigator of gold!! Literally. This is the story:

We were on exchanges with the sister leaders. I was in my sector with Hna Bernal and we were walking to a menos active (a person who hasn’t been to church in a while). All of a sudden, I decided we were going to pass by the menos active and instead visit a member that hadn’t been at church for 3 weeks and see what’s up (looking back now, that was totally the Holy Ghost guiding me). The member wasn’t there but her less active daughter was. We shared a message with her and were getting ready to leave when her boyfriend entered the house. We began talking to him and the conversation led to the Church. We asked him if he wanted to learn more about what his girlfriend believes in. He said sure and we made an appointment for 2 days later. He had great questions and wanted to read the Book of Mormon. After that lesson, he told us that the morning of the first day we came over to talk with his girlfriend they had been talking about the Church. She told him that she wanted to start coming back. He said that he wanted to learn more about the Church and everything. She said, “Great! There are missionaries here but I have no idea how to get in contact with them.”

That night we knocked on their door. 

Fast forward 2 weeks and Alejandro has a baptism date set for Sept. 17. He is literally the best! He reads the Book of Mormon every night and is asking great questions... it’s awesome, he always has a note book where he writes what he learned in his reading and his questions. He has never once has missed doing the homework we leave for him and is always ready when we come for the lessons. 

He told us a lesson ago "Hermanas, I have a confession."

“Uh oh,” I thought.

"I don’t know what it is, but every time I read and every time I pray and when you guys come over to teach me, I can feel something inside of me changing. I don’t know what exactly it is, but I’m changing for the better. I have more patience and I feel more relaxed and secure."

Music to our ears! I testify that that is true! If you let them, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ will change you. You will begin to develop more attributos de El (attributes of Him) that will bless your life and the lives of all those that know you forever.

And the happiest news of all!!!!!! So Alejandro and Maria are not married. Since day one, we focused on the temple and temple marriage and have told him that they need to get married or live separately before his baptism.  

MARIA TOLD US 3 DAYS AGO THAT THEY ARE PLANNIG THE WEDDING FOR SEPT. 3 :DDDDDDDDDDD THEY ARE GOING TO GET MARRIED! And Alejandro was asking us the rules for going to the temple and getting sealed for eternity after his baptism. para que sepa, you know where I’ll be in a year after his baptism! In the Templo en Santiago!!! I can’t tell you how happy I am for these two people.

The gospel is so true!! I love my Savior and everything that has happened on my mission. Best choice ever!  

les quiero mucho!

hurrah por israel!

Scripture Power

Hola Familia!

Can I just tell you how much patience Padre Celestial has for us! I am so imperfect. I have so many faults. I am so weak and yet He trusts me to carry forth His work and help Him bring souls back into His reino (kingdom). It’s like the scripture in Ether 12:27, 

“If men come unto me I will show unto them their weaknesses. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble and if they humble themselves, I will make weak things become strong.” 

This week was really hard and stressful. Our investigadores with fech (baptism date) for the next week had a few problems come up and we pushed the date to the 20 of agosto. When we were at their house and talking to them, we were asking them some questions and Marta, the mom, told us that she had received an answer to her prayers and cannot deny it. She knows that the only thing now that she needs to do is be baptized and prepare to go to the temple. When she said that, I felt so happy and again (as it happens every day), the Spirit confirmed to me that this church is true, that lives can change, hearts can be softened.

"How great shall be your joy if you bring one soul unto me" (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10-15)

I love the scriptures!! Yesterday was really difficult with ward problems, investigator problems and the stress of training and I exploded into tears during our ward council. Afterward, one of the best family friends that we have here in the ward told me to read Alma 26. I testify of the truth of that chapter. Sometimes we work and work and work and will never see the fruits of our labors. But God knows and we can never rejoice too much in Him. He will never give us what we cannot handle.

Right when I felt that I just wanted a hug from Dad and to talk to Mom, one of our other investigadores, Alejandro, who is soooo good, passed by us in his car honking and smiling, on his way to the church. I’ll tell you more about him next week, but he is golden!!! God will give us exactly what we need. He is so kind, truly our loving Father. 

The scriptures and the Book of Mormon!! Literally I love reading them and finding new ways to strengthen myself, my hope and teachings. READ YOUR SCRIPTURES, ponder them. For truly they are the words of eternal life.

Oh and thank the Carliles for their card! It was just what I needed this week!

haha remember when we were little and we would ask why wasn’t there a kid’s day if there was a Mother’s day and Father’s day?? Well we’ve all be living in a lie. Yesterday 7 de agosto is el día del niño. Hahaha! I feel 19 years ripped off :)

Love you all!! Hope everything is great! Kyle, Jake, write to me! Thanks Joey for your emails! Be safe and remember:

Serve God

Family first

Be kind

Tell the truth

Be adventurous!!!

¡¡¡hurrah por israel!!!

Love you lots!!! Miss talking with you but I wouldn’t change this for the world!

From the run last week

Gearing up for the storm!

Up and Down and Side to Side

Hola familia!

It’s funny how sometimes time feels like its flying by and other days it feels like it never moves... this week was like that. One day I wake up and then it feels like in 10 minutes we are back at the house planning for mañana and then the next day it feels like the sun never sets... haha who am I kidding, there’s no sun here. But I think you get the message. :) 

This week I had two really spiritual experiences. 

1. We are teaching a Colombiano se llama Mario. The first leccion he accepted bautismo. Saturday we had the second lession with him about the plan of salvacion. We began explaining about our purpose here on earth and that we need to make certain covenants with God, like baptism. He then asked so, what do I need to do to be baptized? I can’t tell you how happy I felt to hear this! He is one of gold. He then shared with us that he feels this need to be baptized and that he knows that this is the church to do it. (Haha hopefully he still feels that way after some of the commandment leccions :) he then asked us how we knew and got our testimonies about the Church of Jesus Christ. Our lesson turned into a really spiritual powerful testimony meeting with me, my comp, Mario and a member that we brought. Otra vez the Spirit confirmed to me that the Church is true and that everything we are teaching, the investigators can feel the spirit testify of the truth.

2. We had a first lesson with Alejandro. His girlfriend is a less active and it was sooo cool. This is how it happened:

We had entercambios (splits) this week. I was with Hna Bernal. She is amazing and is from Colombia. We were walking down a street and had planned to visit a different less active, but when we passed the street of Maria, I don’t know why, I just turned down her street and in a split second, changed my mind that we are going visit Maria instead. At the time I didn’t recognize it as anything. Maria was home and invited us in. We talked and shared a message. Right as we were ending, her pareja (boyfriend that she lives with) got home. We said hi and began to talk with him, casual conversations. We then explained that we are the missionaries from the church of his girlfriend and wondered if he was interested in learning more about the church. He told us sure and we set a leccion por friday.

That Friday was sooooo good!!!! The Spirit was so strong in the leccion and Maria was there and another member convert. They both shared their testimonies and I could tell Maria felt the Spirit for the first time in a while. At the end, they shared with us that on Wednesday (before we came by), they had had a deep conversation about the Church of Jesus Christ and the beliefs and everything. Alejandro told Maria that he wanted to learn more and she said, "I know there are missionaries here but I don’t know how we’ll find them."

That night, we were impressed to knock on her door.

MIRACLES ARE REAL!!! God is soo good. Ahh so many other experiences this week that just testified to me ultra vez que Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial y nos ama tanto!!! yo testifico de eso!!! (God is our Heavenly Father and loves us so much!!! I testify of that!!)

Marta, Dennis and Korin weren’t baptized this week because Korin (9 years old) left for Santiago to spend 2 weeks with her dad, and they want to be baptized together. Their new fech (date) is 13 de agost because Korin still needs to come to church one more time.

The mission is great. It’s hard but spectacular. I now understand a bit how sad Padre Celestial feels when we deliberately make bad choices because we are stubborn. He is so great to us. Man, I can’t wait to talk to you guys and tell you everything!!! Hahah Kyle, Jake, Russell, Joey, it’s the best decision up to this point in your life that you will ever make. Be worthy to go. Prepare to go.

les quiero! hasta la proxima semana! Cuidense! lea sus escrituras :D (I love you all! Until next week! Take care! Read His writings!)

You know you're a missionary when you try and feel bad that your comp has a migraine but it means that you have 3 hours to do personal study!!

Welcome to Chile!

Hermana Bernal

dessert de papas

we went for a run today!! so great to finally go with someone who can keep a pace... there's a nice wilderness park just outside of our sector that we could go to. felt so good to hit the trails again

Look what we found ("No Riding")