Jasmine's LAST email

December 22nd

Familia

Wow, I am very excited for Karen`s employee.. I think that is wonderful!! What a great time to share this time of the year. 

So, this is my last family letter.. I feel like it would be a lot better in person and not written. I am not very good at writing, but it is such a blessing that ya'll have been able to read the "blogs" to let others know the life of a missionary. 

This week we were able to go to the temple as a group of us missionaries that are leaving. Maybe you don't know, but I had asked Grandma and Grandpa Paredes  to send me names to be able to do in the temple. I was able to go through for my aunt Juana de Dios Sepulveda Sotomayor. It was a blessing to be able to go through for one of my own family names and to do it in "her" temple. The temple has such a special place in my heart and I am excited to come back home to go through the Phoenix temple.

We also had our baptism yesterday!! M____ M____. A little difficult through it all. The Bishop who was supposed to baptize her got there a little late. but such a wonderful experience through it all.- there it is. A baptism :)

 

I want to leave it all with my testimony knowing that this time is a time to think about our Savior Jesus Christ. He is the reason that we celebrate this time of the year. A scripture that our President mentioned is in 1Nephi 11:16. To think that Christ came down to be born of humble circumstances in His reign is unimaginable. There is no way we will ever understand or know what He had to experience to be born and live as man would live. He did it willingly and we must also do the will of God with a willing heart just as Christ did. I am so blessed to have been among the people of Chile for a time. I will never forget all of the small experience that made up all of my 18 months. What a blessing to come as a representante de Jesucristo. I know that Christ Lives and that His Atonemente and Resurrection is the reason we celebrate His birth. 

 

 

I cant wait to talk to Alex and to see the rest of you real soon. Love you and thank you for it all

FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Sister Jasmine Berthelson

Chile Santiago East Mission

December 15th

There isnt a whole lot to write this week. Thank you dad for finding me a place to live!! looks like everything will be ready when i get back . I am glad that you were able to take Cambria and Hunter to the temple :) they look so cute! 

k.- i am all up for activities.. sure go ahead with the singles activity lol 

i wont be bringing really any clothes home 

wow cant believe martha bale and brian nally are leaving!!!  they are heading on to do great things!!!! 

M_____ is preparing for this upcoming week to be baptized!! please pray a lot!
sorry there is no substance to this email. I love you and hope you are all doing well. 

I will be sending you a longer christmas email next week.. love you!!!

4th Nephi 3

My week has been pretty exciting!! We are doing a lot with the video  "Él es la Dádiva" and we have been assigned to show and keep a count of what is happening with the results of it. I tear up every time I watch it. 

Looking back on this week, it has just been a phenomenal one :) We put a baptismal date with M___ M____l. She will be baptized on the 21st. We had originally had it scheduled in September, but like all of our investigators and one point or another, we can´t find them. She had left for a long time to be with her daughter. A lot of Chilenos have depression and M_____ is one of them. She does the best she can to manage it and we have to teach her really slowly and carefully like a little kid. She is actually a lot better and she is excited to be baptized on the 21st! We are doing something really special on that day.- it will be called a "White Christmas" and we are going to have a baptismal service for the zone with their investigators on that day with us doing a choir number and everything. 

We have another investigator that I have mentioned. R_____--- he is absolutely awesome :) he is reading the Book of Mormon that we gave to him (in English) and says that he has good feelings every time he reads it. I will try and send a picture next week. He dresses in black and looks like a hard core rocker.. He came to church for the first time yesterday dressed in black, but he said he felt great after and that he wanted to make changes in his life..funny story is that we actually contacted his cousin, F____ this week too. We had a lesson with his cousin who we were going to teach for the first time and his mom was there. Apparently his mom was baptized over 20 years ago and we didn't know it until we got to the house. During the lesson, R_____ walks in. The story is crazy and I will have to explain some other time how we met R_____, but we are teaching a part-member family!

This scripture  really touched me this week, I don't know why, but I really love it. 

I am thankful for this time of the year. It is only hitting me now that once the new year starts, I won't be in Chile. I shared my testimony for the last time yesterday. It will be hard, but I am grateful that the mission has strengthened my testimony. Thanks for everything you guys. Have a great week.


4th Nephi 1:3

3nefi 17:20-23

We had a light Thanksgiving this year. I bought turkey laminas for us and we stuck them between chilean bread. It was really dilicious!!

I completely forgot to tell you in your last email that yes i did get Aunt Jessica`s Thanksgiving present. It was so sweet of her... unfortunately the cd/dvd doesn't work so I will have to see about figuring it out when I get home. But the pictures are way cute! 

There isn't a lot to share this week... It looks like it was a pretty eventful week!! ...........

We have been doing a lot of work with less actives. Sad to see that some don't want to come back . We are working a lot with D_____ C____ and R_____ C______. Please keep them in your prayers if you can they are progressing, just don'

t want to put a date to get baptized. 

I am excited to tell you about the stories and everything that is happening here. I am almost done, and there is a lot that hasn't made it to the weekly emails. I am grateful this week for prayer. I think I am a humbler person thanks to the mission. I am reminded daily of God´s love for me and really have seen His divine grace help me do things I couldn't do on my own. I read this passage earlier today and know that my Savior loves me. 

I hope you are all well. The time is flying. Love you :)

less-active E_____ L______.. she is definitely a cat lover-- she is the best :))

3rd Nephi 17: 20-23

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/17.20-23?lang=eng

November 24th

A short and simple email this week. Thank you for all of the updates! I was also cruising around the LDS website and found the dedication for the Phoenix temple. Sweet that President Monson was able to come and dedicate it!! wow, I am so excited to come home and see it! 

 

Dad, I appreciate you figuring out a few of my classes for me and talking to the Bishop! It will be a short time til I get home. Karen... i hope your surgery went well. I had a health scare as well. Some weird rashes started appearing on my stomach. The Mission Doctor told me I had Pityriasis Rosea. He said there is no origin, it is not contagious, and they will go away in about six weeks by themselves because there is no treatment. Weird huh?? they are just really bothering is all

We were able to find a really good investigator named R_____. I am actually really excited to teach him. He came to us wanting practice with English, but wants to learn more about what we teach. The spirit is so important in the lessons. It was incredible to me that he identified something special about us. It was really cool to hear coming from him. 

I hope you look into the HE is the Gift launch that is going on, it sounds really cool. 

 

http://www.mormon.org/christmas

 

I love you and am so grateful for your examples and for the opportunity to serve. Have a great week!

November 17th

Hey.. sorry this email is nothing glamorous. I didn't even bring my camera even after all of your compliments (dad&k) of sending pictures. This week has been pretty mellow and up until yesterday, loaded with craziness. It is so hard to live the law of Chastity in Chile! Well, other than that, it has been a pretty good week. We`ve also had a couple of small earthquakes and the lights were cut in the big city metro. We had our last cambio (transfers). It looks like I will be staying in this sector and am still with Hermana Villalba. I guess it wouldn't make much sense to leave at this point. I can´t lie, at times it is hard to work with the ward, but we have tried to make some changes. Now we are just waiting patiently for the results.

How cool that the temple was finally dedicated! It sure took a good while and a lot of sweat! I can´t wait to see it when I get back.

I appreciate the team effort re-registering me for classes. ........

Also the wedding looks good!! tell Lizzie congrats on my part

 As I was reading one day in Mosiah 3:19 I came across the words "someterse a cuanto el Señor juzgue conveniente imponer sobre él" I was definitely struck by that part. my motto "voluntad del Padre".- I am grateful for every blessing, hardship, sadness, joy, frustration, .... that i have had in the mission thusfar. because i have and am still learning how to apply mosiah 3:19

I hope ya'll have a great week. Take care. hugs and kisses

November 3rd

hola familia...

I received a package from Cindy and Greg. looks like Mr Greg bought a boat and is now going frogging? If you could relay the message back to them telling them not to worry- that I will get my frogging gear ready for when I get back. Tell Ms Cindy that I am trying to collect some box tops for her to send back and that I will try and send in a couple of weeks.- I have collected a couple and I will see if some of the members have so to send so that I can send them. I also got a letter from Hailey Persons... just a few months late it seems like. I also got a Christmas card from the Hampton family. according to the card, Devin will be turning in his papers in the next week or two.. gotta love the mail system in Santiago!
(editor's note: Elder Devin Hampton has been on his mission since May)

sorry for the short email. It was such a good week. Mainly for yesterday with our investigators coming to church. yes! 

Hermana Salazar also surprised my with a small get together. I had no idea she would be celebrating my b-day, but here is a foto. 

thank you for all of the updates. hope to write a little more next week. love  you !!!

November 10th

time gets shorter and shorter lunes. We were able to have a conference with Elder Nelson this Morning. It was phenomenal! He shared with us a lot of what we need to share as missionaries focusing on the Doctrine. His wife also gave a powerful message. 

As far as the rest of the week went, we had a few issues come up in the ward. Let me just say that it is difficult when not everyone does their part. Comparing it to a beehive- There are thousands of worker bees. If none of the bees collect pollen, there is no honey. Maybe I`m not the best at analogies, but our investigators certainly know when the bees don't work together. That is why I am sending you a photo as my blessing of the week. M____ G____. She is the best missionary I have ever known. there are a thousand more blessings that I

see from week to week. they outweigh the negatives. Thank you for all of the birthday wishes. It was a great day. Love you and Looks like the dolphin fountain ones-up the frog. haha. Love you all.

October 27th

A short email this week, there isn't too much to say. We are getting really close to putting a baptisimal date with P________ G______ and with D____ C_______. We also found a guy named P____ from Bolivia.. I think he´s got to be the most receptive investigator that we have had in a while. The only challenge has been finding them when they are home. One of the bigger challenges of the mission is finding them when they are home and having lessons with the members which are incredibly affective. I hope that when you two are not traveling that you go out with the missionaries,, maybe one of the biggest challenges has been to find members and have lessons with investigators. Not just to have a lesson with a member, but remembering the Christ-like example of love and friendship. The member has the biggest influence with the investigator. 

What a cool experience to have been able to work at the temple for a bit. I bet it is booming there on Pinnacle Peak. what a blessing to get to watch, members and non-members go through. Well after more than 5 years of planning and constructing it has got to be wonderful to see the progress and the finished result! Like Alex said, I am also really excited to be able to go through when I get home. 
I am doing well with my companion. I have got a lot of crazy stories.. maybe too much to put into an email, but my companion makes me laugh so much! I am learning that maybe I didn´t have the patience that I had before the mission. I am grateful because I am learning more than she is I think. Makes it a little bitter sweet that I have experiencing this during the last few months that I have left. 

I have a few pics of me and my companion. We also have been "hunting down" some old investigators. We have been trying to get more creative with leaving small gifts for them like the little cactus we bought with scriptures written on the rocks. 

 

I hope that everyone is doing well. I love you and am grateful for the emails that I get from yall every week. Have a good one.

October 20th

Hola 

A pretty good week on this end. It was pretty much a year ago that dad and k went to the Bahamas, i feel like I am re-living last year. I am so excited for the Temple to be dedicated!! I want to go first thing when I get back-

This week was pretty mello... I wasnt able to meet up with Sister Paulus.   Although i was very grateful that i was able to receive the backpack.It didn't work out and my mission president had to remind me about the rules with meeting up with people. It wasnt my intention to break the rules, but i am grateful to remember the part about exact obedience. Hey I got a lot of things about BYUi . I don't know if those were gifts from other people or hints.....

I wish I would have taken a picture of the Completo I ate with one of our investigators, C____. It was Saturday night, and maybe wasn't the best idea because I got sick for the first time in a long time!  but C____ is absolutely hysterical and the nicest guy. I don't want to say that it was worth it, but it sure was an experience. I told Karen that i was able to make it to the toilet every time. We also had a capacitacion the other day and I saw N______ M______ who has decided to serve a mini-mission in the areaa. just a few months ago she was coming back to church with her family and it was such a surprise to see her right along with us as missionaries.

I hope that everyone is doing well. I love you and will also forward the email that says when i will go home.

October 13th

(Hermana B almost wrote her entire email in Spanish - so I left it that way and used google translate to help me translate it for us)

Well, a week of ups and downs. But more ups than downs. Lots of learning, we have had a little trouble contacting all of our investigators this week, for work, time, etc. etc... Y como siempre, el desafío de que ellos progresan. Igual, podemos decir que algunos están progresando y que están leyendo el Libro de Mormón. Tenemos una investigadora se llama V_____ y cuando vamos, enseñamos a ella y su hijito Benjamín. El le gusta cantar los himnos y participa en las lecciones. Está leyendo el Libro de Mormón y es el niño mas capo que yo había conocido. 

And as always, the challenge they progress. Still, we can say that some are progressing and they are reading the Book of Mormon. We have a researcher called V____ and when we go, we taught her and her son Benjamin. He likes to sing hymns and participate in the lessons. You are reading the Book of Mormon is the most child hood I had known.
 

Estamos luchando con el D____. Más que J_____ porque D_____ tiene más interés con el Libro de Mormón. Un proceso lento.

 

We are struggling with D_____. More than J____ because D____ is more interested with the Book of Mormon. A slow process.

 

No estoy segura si he mencionado antes de P_____, pero él también está leyendo. También quiere bautizarse, así que ore por el para que tome la decisión hacerlo. Y a los de mas eran difíciles de encontrar.. Pero bueno, esperamos que nuestras investigadores vengan a la capilla! Aparte de eso, no ha pasado mucho. O quizás si, y no puedo pensar en mucho mas. 

 

I'm not sure if I mentioned before P_____, but he is also reading. He also wants to be baptized, so pray for to take the decision to do so. And the more they were hard to find .. But hey, we expect our researchers to come to the chapel! Other than that, not much has happened. Or maybe, and I can not think of much more.

 

Aparte de eso, esta semana me reflexioné mucho en el plan de Salvación y le Expiación. Con todo lo que pasó por parte de ustedes y el barrio y también aquí, me siento muy agradecido saber estas cosas y también enseñarles. Encontramos muchas cosas en la vida de cada uno, pero es cierto lo que dice José Smith de que la Expiación es el centro de lo que creemos y las otras doctrinas son extras. Pero sea necesario entender la Expiación porque nos da la razón "porque"

Other than that, this week I reflected much in the plan of Salvation and the Atonement. With everything that happened on your part and the neighborhood and here, I am grateful to know these things and teach. We found many things in the life of everyone, but it is true that Joseph Smith said that the Atonement is the center of what we believe and the other doctrines are extras. But it is necessary to understand the Atonement because it gives us the reason "why"

 

Yo recibí un paquete para la conferencia genial (GENIAL) porque fue maravillosa. Pero, no se me alcanzó a tiempo :( gracias igual por las dulces, chicle, marcadores, y notas. Para la próxima digo yo. 

 

I received a great package for the conference (GREAT) because it was wonderful. But I will not be achieved on time thanks :( equally by the candy, gum, markers, and notes. For I say next.

 

Me gustan las fotos. especialmente del cocodrilo porque me acuerdo de LA. (y para que sepan recibí noticias cuando voy a regresar :O) Y me alegro que ustedes (dad y k) estén viajando. K, saque muchas fotos. 

 

I like the pictures. Crocodile especially because I remember LA. (And so you know news when I got back: O) And I'm glad that you (dad yk) are traveling. K, take lots of pictures.

 

Y Alex, espero que estés bien! Sé que tiene mucho trabajo. Sigas fuerte hermano!! 

Que tengan una semana maravillosa! Hope you liked the spanish, Jazzed up my letter a little bit. Take care 

 

And Alex, I hope you're right! I know you have a lot of work. Follow stronger brother !!

Have a wonderful week! Hope you liked the spanish, Jazzed up my letter a little bit. Take care

 

 

 

Sister Jasmine Berthelson

Chile Santiago East Mission

Oct 6th

there is not enough time i am sorry! I sent sarah an email. I was shocked when i heard the news. I am praying for her and her family.. I am thankful for your emails this week . I will write more next week. 

Was also super pumped when President monson mentioned the PHX temple. It was also cool to hear the talks in Spanish.. for real.

Love you and hope yall are well this week. Alma 26:16

September 29th

hey yall

i am so sorry for what happened this week :( that totally stinks. I hope that the bitter feelings have passed. Like Alex said-better that nobody was hurt. So keep your head up and I hope you are able to appreciate the blessings even through the tough event

This week was absolutely incredible. We visited almost all of our contacts again this week. Let me tell you that we definitely had contacts of gold. We set 3 baptismal dates for our new investigators and we hope to set a couple more dates this week. We found 8 new investigators this week, some including families..

One of the days we were on divisions this week and a member was with us. Unfortunately our plans fell through and we weren`t able to visit the person we had planned. We walked by a little food vendor market and this one guy from behind asked me where my companion was and I explained that we have exchanges once in a while. I new he was a foreigner and so I asked him where he was from and he told us he was from the Dominican Republic and his name was J_____. I also asked J____ if he had heard missionaries before and he said no. I asked him if he would like to hear the missionaries and so right then and there he invited us to his house right across the street. Turns out there are seven of them from the DR and we started teaching J_____ and D_____. 

From a few weeks ago, there was a lady that contacted us and said she would like to hear the lessons and that she would like to be baptized, she gave us her address to visit her and unfortunately it was the incorrect address. but we found her again this week and she explained to us how she realized that it was wrong. we set up an appointment with her correct address and she has so many questions about what we are teaching. We have a baptismal date for her and hopefully for her 12 year old son as well. 

R____was one of our contacts during 18.. immediately she told us about her situation that she had a child about 5 years ago that only lived to be 6 months old. Since the time we met her, she has been reading the Book of Mormon and came to church with us for the first time yesterday. She also has a baptismal date for October. 

S____ is a friend of one of the members of our ward. He lives alone and he actually came to church the week before sitting in the front of the chapel and left before we could see an unfamiliar face. He is 70 years old and lives alone. He has severe depression, but has agreed to be Baptized after we explained to him that he wasn`t too "old" to make covenants and we are working patiently to explain to him the blessings of the plan of Salvation and why some sad things have happened in his life. 

 

We also met V____ during 18 when we were looking for a less active. She also has depression, but is a mother of 3 and is a stay at home mom. She and her son want to learn more from us and we were able to teach them this week. 

I got the package from you guys... thank you for the skirt- gave it to my comp who loves clothes. I am winding down.. the package was perfect. it was like you knew i had a headache (motrin) and i needed more laundry detergent,, 

So that is a little about my life at this moment. It was such a good week, but i think what is more important is what i am learning. It is about perseverance and just want to be an instrument in the Lord´s hands (Alma 17:11) I hope you have a good week and if you can pray for these people. I am so grateful for the message of the Restoration. It changes lives. -- 

service project from the other week and us singing"si vas para chile" for 18 at the ward activity 

 

Sister Jasmine Berthelson

Chile Santiago East Mission

September 22nd

Well, I am starting out a good pday. I'm sure K will mention the story. Had a Little scare with my card, but I learned there was nothing to worry about. All is well here! We definitely passed 18 with success!!! I am still full of empanadas and choripán. And we actually had a good week as well with finding new people to teach. The springtime is already here and it is starting to be delightful to work outside again.

So this week we were determined to put baptismal dates. We have another date set with C____, our long time investigator of 10 years, but with all people, there comes a long story- Well, C____ doesn't feel ready, but it is a work in process. It just takes support and a lot of love to help her feel good about her decisión.

We are still working with M_____ all I have to say.

We also have an investigator named M____ with a baptisimal date.

And another 10 year old boy named J____ who practically comes to church by himself.

So with these people, we are working on continuing on with lessons. Maybe a lot of prayers are needed on their behalf (and on ours) to be able to find them and teach them. Sometimes they go MIA and we call and visit with Little results.. but here we are. We were also able to find a ton of people this week which was awesome!!! Well, yesterday our Little investigator J____ might have had a rough time in the primary. He started fighting with some of the kids and the kids got scared. Man, all that babysitting comes in Handy because i had to be pretty stern with him in the hallway of the church and everyone Heard. Just picture me laughing right now, because in the end it was funny. The primary leaders afterwards explained to us that J___ is a kid of the streets and that the primary gets scared when he´s around. Pretty true. We are working with him and his parents. But this was just a Little bit of the crazyness that happened this week-

Glad to hear the Word about our friends k, and dad with Elder Cook, how awesome! I had Heard that statement made before. I think this misión is for me- not because I have had all of the success here, but because I have learned a lot and I might come back a Little more refined- I hope.

Keep sharing the good news and look for ways to strengthen others. Love you!

September 15th

kind of stinks, I have a few more pics to send yall.... but the computer i am at right now is pretty old and there is no where to plug in my camera. I am well!
This week has been full of conferences, service, work... We were able to have a conference with our President Wright and his wife and an area 70, Elder Resek were able to come and speak to us Thursday. It was powerful conference and we were able to focus more on helping South America Statistically. Startaling the challenge there is in South America for the members to 

1. Actively come to church and 

2. Pay tithing and fast offerings.

 

I am so blessed to have learned these commandments at a young age because it is sad to see the numbers in the members who are members and do very little in the building of Zion. There is only RECENTLY a construction of the temple in Concepción and our little temple in Santiago with all of the members in the whole country of Chile. It gave us a clear overview of what we can focus on as far as teaching... We were also cleaning out the area book and we found a name that the elders had been teaching a couple of years ago. We stopped by the house to find the gal they were teaching and another young woman came out. Her name is C_____ and she was an active member of the chuch up until she was 12 years old. She had family problems and her mom stopped taking her to church. She wants us to start coming back to teach her. Difficult because she only remembers a little of wht she was taught 8 years ago. But is was such a blessing to find her because she said she really feels "lost" in this time of her life. We have plans to continue to visit her this week. We are still working hard with our two investigators with baptism dates-. M_____ and M_____. Also C____ G_____ who is the daughter of our convert M___ G_____. 

Sounds like everyone was busy this week. Hope everything turned out for the funeral and it is good to hear that both dad and k were able to help out. It also sounds great that y'all are going to visit the Dodd's this Thanksgiving. And Elder B sounds like he is doing great! like the pics as well. Hope everyone has a good week. I will be sending pics the next week bc we are going to be celebrating a lot of 18 like last year!!! yeahhh

September 8th

Hola

There isnt a lot to report this week. It wasn´t as exciting as the week before. It is exhausting when our investigators dont progress. Not a complaint but I tell my companion that if they aren´t progressing, it just means that the Lord wants me to progress even more. For every person that isn't reading their scriptures or praying, I´m doing it for them. We´ve got some great investigators, I just hope they realize their worth as they come to recognize the value of the atonement. 

Wow, I am glad that both Karen and Dad have been there to support the Christensen family. I was just thinking the other day how much everyone in the NC ward pitched in to help Sister Christensen fight it out when she had first found the cancer. The Christensen's are a very special family and so strong. They are still in my prayers. 

 
I hope yall have a great week. I look forward to the weekly fotos and emails from everyone. 

Sorry there isnt much to this email. The computer that I was at before died and I am out of time.. so I added a few pictures of some of the things we do when we´ve got time to do something fun. Fun fact- the chileans love flying kites. We tried it today and I´m a natural :)

I love you all so much!

 

 

September 1st

Well, it was quite the semana. Even though I am still in J. P. Alessandri, I have a new companiera from Colombia. Her name is Hermana Villalba. It was a pretty crazy week with training, but we were able to have some AWESOME lessons....... more tender blessings than I could imagine. We found a few good investigators this week. We were also able to go to the temple with our Converso hno Jo___ Z_____. He is our convert of 78 years who lives alone. His parents, wife, and only son have passed on to the other side of the veil and we were able to do baptisms and confirmations for all of them- A super humbling experience. Even before going to the temple, we were waiting, the three of us for some members to come by and take us. A lady named C______ came with her 5 year old son and asked us who we were. We explained to her that we were missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ and she told us that she had once attended a baptismal service for a friend and also said that she wanted a change in her life. We were able to teach her a little bit, even with Hermano Z_____ to help us, and she agreed to take lessons from us. How cool is that or what??? I am also learing a lot from my new companion. She comes from very humble circumstances, but she has got a vigor and desire to share the Gospel! I´m so glad to have her as my comp!! 

 

Well I'm sorry this is such a short email. I also forgot my camera.. oops!! I will pray for the Christensen's.. I know it must be hard right now. It was nice to see that everyone is doing well and that Cambria had a good time. I forgot up until i got Dad's email that it was labor day- cool beans!! a day off.

Keep strong, doing what you´re doing, and doing a little bit more because as I reflect back on this week, we really had spiritual moments just going the extra mile. Love you all so much!

August 25th

hola familia! 

My companions always ask me where my parents are this week. They jump from the question of "how is your family" to "where is your family" . Sounds like everyone had a good week despite the accident Elder B had. Good thing that neither of you were hurt. I find it funny that you were sleeping Elder. Is that a Berthelson move or what?.- haha but glad you found the good in it. If it makes any difference, I would love a bike! My calf muscles are huge because we walk everywhere. 

 

Glad that you were able to vaca, Dad!! FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS! I was wondering what you were going to do for your 45th. I did think of you on Saturday.. I hope you had a great day in the baseball weather. I also think of Journey and smile! 

 

Seriously? Sister Bale is going to Africa?? Whoah, is that is awesome or what?? I am super excited for her! I can`t even imagine... dont know where that part even exists on the map- I hope she is excited and prepared! She is going to do great :) I also got a package (apart from the jdrive) with a letter from Dad and a couple of missionary items! Awww I love getting these hand written letters. I loved the account that K also had in Independence, Missouri. Our Pioneer heritage is something that I really want to know more of, especially when I get back. I am trying to see about getting more of my family history work done here. There are some awesome resources that we have as missionaries in our Santiago mission, so I want to take advantage of it right now. 

 

I heard yesterday about the Earthquake in San Francisco. A lot of people have no idea where these places are in the States, so a few families were worried about you guys... I told them not to worry because we are no where near SF, but we did have a 6.4 earthquake here on Saturday (Dad´s Birthday). We were in the house of one of our converts M___ G____ from Colombia and with her three small kids. Right at the end of the lesson, my companion started to feel the floor shake.. We had to run for the door, and Hermana M___ G_____ was the first one to run outside forgetting about her baby sitting next to her.. Hahaha! It was crazy and all over the news. There wasn't much damage, but it was called an earthquake and one of the more noticable ones that I´ve seen in the mission thusfar. 

 

So yes, we did have transfers this week. My companiera left our sector and I will be training a new missionary from the CCM . I should be training her for the next 12 weeks, so it is unlikely that I will change sectors before I leave in December. I don´t know who she is yet, but I will meet her tomorrow in the morning. 

 

The week wasn't exactly what we expected, but we were able to put a date for our investigator, M_____ for the end of September! We are hoping that she will be prepare herself because it is a month away. Also, we were able to contact a lot of people including P___ S_____ who is a new investigator. It is wonderful to see people put their faith in the Lord and act out of knowing that it will help them in the end. 

I hope that yall have a great week- I love you so much!