November 17, 2014

Dear Family,

It was a crazy week because my dear Argentinean companion finishes her mission, today! So, we had a lot of meetings and I wasn't in my area very much. However, I do have some stories to share. Some funny, some not so funny. So, here theys ares.

THE PROMPTING.

We were in the house of some members that are returning to activity. We are teaching them the lessons again. This day we had planned a good lesson about how Jesus Christ established his church on the earth when he was here.

While we were in their house sharing, I felt like nothing was coming out right. I was teaching the lesson and so was my companion, but I felt like a robot reciting what I had studied for the last 20 years of my life. I said a silent prayer while my companion was speaking to know how we could help the couple to keep progressing. I began to speak, and went CLEAR off of where we had planned to go. It all flowed, but it was a little impromptu. I shared the story that mom wrote a few weeks ago in her letter about how she received her testimony that the stake president and bishop were men called of God and testified about the importance of gaining a testimony of supporting our leaders. The invitation we left them with was to think about the council that our branch president had given them, pray about it, and ask if he is a man called of God. We left the house…and get this; I even apologized to my companion for having gone so far off the goal! I felt like I had just changed topics, bore my testimony, and we finished with the invitation.

Well, here is the back story. Today I was talking to the wife in church. She tells me this…

¨Hermanita. The other day when you came to our house, my husband had been complaining the day before about a few things that President Rivera had told him. Then you taught us that lesson. After you left, my husband asked me if I had mentioned anything to you and I told him that I hadn’t had time to speak to you! He then told me that you sure hit the nail on the head with that lesson and he felt like you had chewed him out. I told him that you were representatives of Jesus Christ, so it was really HIM that was chewing you out! Jajajaja.¨

After she told me this, I KNEW KNEW KNEW that I am a servant of the Lord. I was SO humbled to know that I was completely guided, even though I didn’t understand or know what was going on in their lives. The moral of the story is what it says in Doctrine and Covenants 100: 5-6.

¨Lift up your voices unto this people; speak that thoughts that I shall put into your hearts…for it shall be given you in the very hour, yeah, in the very moment what ye shall say.¨

The Piano Story.

The fact that I can hack out a few simplified hymns makes me a professional pianist in the eyes of my fellow Chileans. We were at a stake relief society activity this last Saturday. There we are, sitting in the back of chapel, as the meeting starts. They announce the opening hymn and this lady from the stake who doesn’t even know me announces that I will be playing ``I Stand All Amazed¨ on the piano for the opening hymn. I go into shock because OF COURSE I don’t have my simplified hymn book with me and OF COURSE the song has to be a difficult one top lay even the top hand. So, all embarrassed I whisper loudly to the Hermana over the heads of about 100 hermanas that I have no idea how top lay that song. Thankfully she kept the flow and said it was ok to sing without piano. Ah, I just kick myself every time I think of how much Netflix I watched instead of practicing the piano… but in 42 more days I am SOOOOO excited to watch Netflix again!

The marathon.

One of the days that my companion was in a meeting I was here with Hermana Volkert in the other half of our branch. We had to cover the two areas and ended up walking about 2º something miles in the sun. The next day we had to stand in lines at the registro civil to get our visa stuff figured out for a few hours. When we got home, our knees were KNOCKING together. We about died. The moral of the story is that we walk a ton but I still don’t lose weight because everything we make is FRIED IN OIL! Lame. The end.

Well folks. Its nice chatting with you every Monday. We only have 5 more Mondays after today to catch up for the last year and a half of not writing me, so don’t be shy with the emails! Haha, just teasing. But really, write me.

I am staying here in Pirque to speed train a new missionary who I´ll meet tomorrow. I won’t have ANY time to think about home, which is a blessing. No offense. Wish me luck!

See you soon! Have a great week. If you feel sad or depressed from the cold weather, serve someone!

Pictures...

My comp seeing her mom for the first time today!

Hermana Runnells. She goes home today! I am going to miss her!

Hermana Talbot (the mission nurse), Me, and Hermana Tingey. These girls are a hoot. I will for sure be their BFF after the mission.