August 11th

I need to get back to ya'll with a longer letter. 

Oh if only Da-Rell from West Haven CT was able to come to Santiago... it would bring a lot more Chile spice to our Zone Classes.. I was able to be a fill-in leader for our zone class because a few of the other Hermanas from the other sector had the chicken pox. We talked about how we could include more inspirational questions we analized a little bit of what Ammon taught King Lamoni in Alma 18 with ways to use the Spirit to ask questions and use scriptures. My comp is one of the other leaders, so I was teaching with her.

We did service in the morning for an investigating family this week. The dad makes bread so they have this giant oven in this small apartment building. The whole house smells like flour, but the house was filled with all sorts of "tresures". We were there all morning scrubbing down the house... really, really, scrubbing. It definitely needed a before/after pic. But the family was really appreciative that we could come and help them. 

 

N____,, the boy I told ya'll about a few emails ago had entered the psychiatric clinic and is now taking medicine. You wouldn't believe the complete turn-around. He is going to church with his mom now (Evangelical church) BUT we are able to come over still and he is reading the Book of Mormon. It is almost unbelievable... anyways, we have grown to care so much for him and know that we can help him make bigger changes in the future. 

The other night we were were walking and trying to find different investigators to teach. Walking at around 8:30 in the evening and no one wants to open the door, both Hermana Veron and I needed to use the bathroom. We went by a member's house. Well, a hard situation to explain, but the husband, an active member who has been a member for years, and also an expert of Biblical topics doesn't have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. His wife who is a less-active, has a pretty strong testimony of the Book of Mormon. It is often the topic we touch on when we go to visit them... 

We converse as we normally do in the beginning and like I mentioned above, we start talking about the need to read the Book of Mormon. The brother is an older gentleman who is pretty set in his ways says that with the few times that he has read the Book of Mormon, he has always had a hard time believing it. and Blah blah blah almost lecturing US for an hour about how no one can prove that these places exist.. Well, my first and natural instincts were "what is the point, why are we here listening to this" but my comp out of no where asks him if he has received his Patriarchal Blessing. And he goes off for a time telling us that the church lost it and he hasn't been able to get it back... more talking on his part.  But after my companion shared with him the need to read his Patriarchal Blessing. How she has seen the need to read the Book of Mormon through her Patriarchal Blessing.

She asked him a question: Do you believe that Satan knows our weaknesses?

After that he got quiet and everything turned around. We both testified the need to read the Book of Mormon has blessed our lives and how we mush put our faith first when we read it. Even he said in the end- two young people could convince me, a 70yr old man, to make changes in my life.

I think re-telling the experience in person would be better... but I know that this question is right. Do we believe that Satan knows our weaknesses?

It got me to ponder a lot in my own life. The things that I look at as my weaknesses and think i cant overcome them, but i know I can through Christ..  Jacob 4:7

I am also praying for the .............. family. I know it is all a part of the plan our our Heavenly Father. 

In response to dad... am also coming back to phoenix if that is okay. Ill have to be set apart by the stake pres in phx. It is decided Dec 29th. I'll be home for a short time and we will see from there. 

love you all and have a good week!!

D&C 101:16

Hola Familia

I don´t really know where to start this week. Just a full week of work I guess. When I get to sitting down at the computer my mind goes completely blank as  to what has happened during these 7 days. To start with the news from the two new missionaries, I cant tell you how proud I am of both of them. The feelings of doubt or nervousness pass after a time and I can totally relate to Elder Hampton. Dinner just doesn't exist. Like I have said before, They usually gather once more in the late afternoon to eat (here it is called once) but yes they load the missionaries up during lunch. Hermana or Elder... it´s practically the same. 

 

This week has been a good week to say the least- Although we didnt celebrate the 4th of July with Fireworks...We have a new investigator named R______. He is about 30, a musician with a few health problems, but he is super receptive and lives right next to the church haha. 

We have also been able to teach Y____ and E____ again. With the situation of the two of them, we have been teaching the plan of salvation.

Yesterday we were teaching N______... The investigator that I took the photo with. A few weeks ago, we were able to teach Daniel, his older brother too, and well we asked if we could come back and teach him some more and so we came over yesterday to teach the both of them-D___ and N_____. Their Mom J_____ is super Evangelica. Yesterday when we came over she got upset when we told her that we were there to teach N_____ and D_____ (really we asked if we could teach the whole family). She had a moment where she went a little crazy telling us that Nacho was the one with the problem and that we were only there to teach N_____ and no one else. And after she stomped up the stairs upset. As we taught the Restoration to both D____ and N_____, we asked if we could show the movie The Restoration, and a good part way into the movie, J____ came down and started to watch from the bottom of the stairs. 

Really, it was such a powerful moment to share testimony with the three that were there. J_____´s face completely changed both Hermana Veron and I shared our testimonies of Joseph Smith and the Restored Gospel. 

I also got a phon ecall yesterday in the middle of 3rd hour at church. There was a boy that I mentioned in a couple of my emails to you guys named J_____. He pretty much came to church by himself for a while. He and his mom and older sister are all converts. And his dad wasn't a member. Hermana Salazar and I taught the whole family for a while, and well, I got the news yesterday from my mission president that his dad, P_____was baptized yesterday. N_____, J___'s sister, also told me that she is planning on serving a mission. The two kids kind of have a relation like Alex and I have. I am so happy for the whole family. That P_____ is now a member and that all are active in the church and I can bet that the next goal (for the family) is to be sealed eternally. The story is better in person, so you might have to wait a while. 

 

Eldr B. Pienso yo que nuestro barrio parece a veces como tuyo con 31 personas que lleguen dia domingo. La cosa que es lo más dificil para nosotros es para llevar nuestros investigadores/Ma a la capilla. A veces no sucede, pero todo es sobre la fe cierto? Te entiendo perfectamente cuan dificil es para encontrar nuevas personas para enseñar y que es muy necesario la idea de las referencias. Sabes que, no recibimos casi nada de referencias. Pero, aun que no es muy efectivo, he visto la necesidad tener fe y confianza en el Señor por trabajar por nuestros propio esfuerzos. No se frustre. De todos modos estás un gran ejemplo para mí.

(Eldr B. I think that our neighborhood sometimes seems like yours with 31 people arriving day Sunday. The thing that is the hardest thing for us is to bring our researchers / Ma to the chapel. Sometimes it happens, but it's all about the true faith? I completely understand how hard it is to find new people to teach and the idea is very necessary references. You know, we get almost no references. But even that is not very effective, I have seen the need to have faith and trust in the Lord to work for our own efforts. Do not get frustrated. Anyway you are a great example for me.)

So I am super grateful for this scripture. We invited everyone to church this Sunday, super frustrating when they don't come, sure. It's actually always like this with commitments, and invitations, etc etc. . But I have to learn time and time again to not get upset with myself if things don't happen like I plan and that the will of Heavenly Father is greater than my own. The agency of another is nothing that I can control, but I just have to have faith and do my part, and the Lord will work in His own time. 

Glad to know everyone is well. sounds like you had a good fourth of July with shrimp and everything!!!!! and fireworks and the sandlot. miss it. 

Lots of love,

Ether 12:4

hola familia. 

lo ha sido una buena semana aqui en JP. Discoursé mi primer Domingo sobre la importancia del ayuno por la obra misional. Y, aparte de esto yo estaba tranquila con hna Veron trabajando y conociendo los miembros y las calles. Los miembros son diferente acá. Menos JAS y mucho más niñitos de la primaria- un buen cambio jaja. Algo diferente es que tenemos algunos conversos recientes, estamos trabajando más con ellos ahora. 

 

(It has been a good week here in JP. My first Sunday I discourse on the importance of fasting for missionary work. And apart from that I was calm and working with Sr. Veron knowing members and streets. Members are different here. Less JAS and more little children of primary-a nice change haha. Something different is that we have some recent converts, we are working more with them now.)

 

I have learned a lot within the last few days. It has been challenging to get to know the sector but Hermana Veron has been helping me a ton. The ward is different. I don't have too much to write on account of only being in my sector for a week. But we have been able to find a few new investigators and like i said above, a few new conversos which we didn't have in el parque. It has been a transition coming to JP, and I am also getting used to the cold weather starting up . que lata. I am also studying a lot more about hope which is my attribute that I am working on this month.- may. hope you like my scripture of hope to go along with it. 

 

 

Ether 12:4

.....

perdon que no tengo mucho para responder. les amo muchisimo y espero que tengan una buena semana. 

(sorry I do not have a lot to answer. I love them very much and I hope you have a good week.)

haciendo comida con hna veron hoy y ayer en la capilla.

 

 

Sr. veron making food with today and yesterday in the chapel.