February 4, 2013

he other day when i told a taxi driver my name, he said, "ALL RIGHT pretty blue eyes!!" and if i hadn`t heard it the first time, he made sure to repeat it at least 7 more times. 

yesterday we greeted a woman that we`d met and shared with at her door for a few minutes the week before. when we asked how she was doing, she first said. "good, good." but immediately admitted "actually, i`m just OK. i have diarrhea." uhhhhh. it was pretty awkward, but things like that have happened so many times here in the mission that i think i`m getting used to it. chileans are just so honest!

on our way to the mall today (where we do internet) an older man approached my companion and i and confessed that he was a less-active member. we talked to him a bit and as we tried to say goodbye, he mentioned that he had a gift for guessing people`s age...in springs...as in, how many springs (yes, the season) they have. he said, because of the beauty of my eyes, i must be 22 years old (good guess!)...but he then added, "that`s a lot of springs for someone like you to still be single!" WHAT? not sure how to react, i smiled, thanked him, and my companion and i continued quickly on our way. i love these priceless experiences i``m having. haha. life as a missionary is great.

speaking of life as a missinary, this last week has been especially strange in the sense that i can really FEEL that things are coming to an end. it`s a terrible, ugly thought, because the last thing i want is to be trunky, but i can actually feel the difference in my body and mind in terms of tiredness. also, my companion and i have the same time in the mission, so we`ll be ending together, and we have to be very careful not to let ourselves get distracted with what is to come after the mission. i haven`t lost in the least bit my drive nor energy for the work, and love what i`m doing more than ever, but i can feel more at this point the opposition working to tire or distract us. this morning, though, i read a couple of scriptures that helped a lot:

2 corintians 4:6, 8-9, 16-17

6 For God, who ^acommanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath ^bshined in our hearts, to give the ^clight of the knowledge of the ^dglory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

 8 We are ^atroubled on every side, yet not distressed; we areperplexed, but not in ^bdespair;

9 ^aPersecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not ^bdestroyed;

 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the ^ainward man is renewed day by day.

 17 For our light ^aaffliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and ^beternal ^cweight of glory;

even though my body may be tired, i experience a renewel EACH DAY as i pray, search the scriptures and preach my gospel, am obedient, share my testimony with others, serve, and repent. i am also reminded that every moment of tribulation will bring a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. i know that this life is my time to prepare to meet god in the heavens, and that he is shaping me into who HE knows and needs me to be. i love my heavenly father for his patience as i make mistakes, and his confidence in me that i can overcome my weaknesses. as it says in MOSIAH 24:14, I know that christ is with me in my afflictions, and will ease the burdens on my shoulders.

i love this gospel. i love you , family, for SO many reasons, and am so grateful to have you. don`t give up. this life is about PERSERVERING and ENJOYING the journey. ¡vamos!

les quiero,

hermana wright

February 11, 2013

this has been a week of self-discovery. i`m not sure if you`ve ever gotten so caught up in a project for school or work, or become obsorbed in something someone asked you to do...i feel like that`s happened to me. don`t get me wrong, i LOVE being a missionary. i truly do. i`ve just had some experiences lately that have made me realize that in all my efforts to obey, to learn, to love, to help, to serve, to progress, i`ve been STRESSING myself out, and have become very impatient with myself. i`ve lost sight of my own potential, and that my father in heaven is helping me get there, but that it`s a PROCESS. 

this morning i read the talk "forget me not" by elder uchtdorf, and was touched once again by these words:

"god wants to help us to eventually turn all of our weaknesses into strengths, but he knows that it is a long-term goal. he wants us to become perfect, and if we stay on the path of discipleship, one day we will. it`s ok that you`re not quite there yet. keep working on it, but stop punishing yourself."

somewhere along the line i forgot that IT`S OK TO MAKE MISTAKES! that`s part of the plan! that`s WHY the savior came to earth, to atone for those mistakes and make it possible to progress and reach my eternal potential. but that`s the thing: i have an eternity to figure this out! my companion remindde me the other day that if i had to fix all of my imperfections here in the mission, what would be the point of life afterwards? i`ve got a lot to fix, but i`m not alone. i`ve got time. the lord is patient. these words were in my head all week: "be still, and know that i am god"

i know that my father loves me, and that he will help me through this process. i love the gospel. the mission truly is fun, when i remember to RELAX and ENJOY it!! DUH! 

family, please find joy in the journey. life`s just too short.

lots of love,

sophia

March 1, 2013

please just imagine more than 200 missionaries set loose in a stadium, left to themselves with a giant rainbow ball, simultaneous soccer and volleyball games, a giant jump-rope, millions of fotos, and much, much more. i felt like a little girl, running in every direction from one game to another, taking advantage of every glorious moment. yes, it was pure chaos, but i absolutely LOVED it. the whole mission was there, enjoying a day of recreation! i would send fotos, but this cyber won´t let me :(

also, some exciting news: i´m training again!!! my new companion is hna león from paraguay!!! she´s super sweet and absolutely loves the gospel. i´m looking forward to seeing many miracles with her. 

ah! no time to write. but i want you to know, i am happy. pretty sure i´ve told you taht a time or two. but it´s true. i love living the gospel. it´s the only way to have peace in my life. obey. receive blessings. be happy. feel loved. what more could i ask.

loved reading mosiah 24:13-15.

chao familia linda. la amo.

hermanita wright

March 25, 2013

well...i`ve got some big news...

this week we have cambios. TWENTY hermanas are coming to the mission. there are currently about 35. yes. this means that he majority of the hermanas will be training. 

and yes. this includes ME! 

i can`t believe it, but i got the news from the assistants on saturday afternoon that i will be TRAINING another sister for my final cambio here in the mission. AH! did they forget that i`m already a "grandma" in the mission? oh and don`t worry, i still haven`t finished training hna leon!! but apparently that doesn`t matter...we`ll be a trio here in los angeles, and i`ll be training both of them at once. not sure how, but should be an adventure!!! naturally, i`m a little overwhelmed, but mostly just excited to receive her and help her enjoy the mission and all it has to offer. i know that alone i`m not capable of this, but that the lord loves and trusts me, so he`s got to help me, right?! haha. no but seriously, i trust that he will guide me and strengthen me to be the kind of missionary that my hijas need to enjoy o the fullest their missions.

these last couple of weeks have been strange, in the sense that i`ve felt like i`m being pulled between two worlds. everyone is asking me how much time i have left. the mission sends me mail of paperwork to fill out, and it`s just not fun. of course, family, i love you. but i`m just not ready to let go of being a missionary. i love too much what i`m doing to say goodbye. the great part is that i still don`t have to, but still, it`s complicated. ugh, hard to explain. but i`m happy here and have set the goal to BE HERE, 100% for the time that i have left. because it`s a long time sill!!!

this scripture hit me hard this week:

ALMA 29:1-3, 6-8

1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the ^atrump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

 2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and ^acome unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.

 3 But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.

 6 Now, seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to ^aperform the work to which I have been called?

 7 Why should I desire that I were an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth?

 8 For behold, the Lord doth ^agrant unto ^ball nations, of their own nation and ^ctongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he^dseeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true.

at this moment, i share the desire of alma...i would LOVE to be an angel, and be able to share with EVERYONE the joy i feel as i get to know the savior better and am obedient to what he teaches me. i also know that when i get home, i`ll want to be a missionary, to continue in this work. the thing is, as it says furher on in verses 6-8, i don`t have to be a missionary to make a difference! i don`t have to be a missionary to share how i feel about god! i don`t have to be a missionary to experience personal growh and help others feel the joy i feel every day. 

we don`t have to have any special calling in the church to be member missionaries. this is something that i didn`t understand AT ALL before the mission. of course, i always heard it, but it just never got to my heart. now i understand that i, as a daughter of god and follower of christ, I can help change the world, one persona  at a time. i know you can do the same. pray to the lord to help you have spiritual experiences. pray for opportunities to share with others. LET`S FILL THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM!!! :)

love you family! until next week, un gran abrazo,

hermana wright

March 18, 2013

well, another p-day with NO time to fill you in on all the juicy details of my missionary life here in chile. some day i`ll have time. i hope. maybe once i get HOME?! 

at least to not leave you hanging on the baptism from last week:

i met daniel when i first got here to los angeles, becuase he`s the nephew of 2 recent converts in the ward, and he`s been living with them, so we see him every time we go. a few months before he`d been receiving the lessons, but by the time i arrived he`d apparently goten bored or lost interest.when we went to visit he would always say hi, but whenever we invited him to stay and talk, he said he was busy and went to his room until we left. this happened for about a month. 

one day our district leader asked about him, becuase he`d attended church several times with his aunt and uncle. long story short...our district leader met with daniel, and daniel decided that he`d give it all one more chance. he began to listen to us, and within a few days he had a baptismal date for march 16th. we didn`t see him for a week or so because i was out of own, but when he got back, he was super excited to listen, and progressed super quickly. he had his interview on friday the 8th for the next weekend, but when he came out of the room, he said, "i`m getting baptized tomorrow!!" it was a surprise, but he was totally ready, and there was no need to wait! it was a little stressful to get things ready, but totally worth it :) 

next week i´ll send fotos.

scripture of the week:

alma 24:14

14 And the great God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our^asouls as well as he loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the ^bplan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations.

con amor,

fifi

April 23, 2013

i love the mission. it`s FULL of adventures!

a few highlights:

• on sunday all of the missionaries in the zone came to our area to visit the entire list of members (everyone on the ward directory that isn`t active) to see if they`re still within the ward bounds, and if they want to receive visits to be able to return to the church. it was such a great experience for all involved. the bishop and several other members attended to be able to go on splits with us, and they all left super motivated to participate in missionary work and help the other members return to the church. it was all such a miracle. a big boost that we really needed.
• yesterday we had return and report in conce for hna horan this time. i have gon to conce so much in these last 2 months, it`s crazy. but it was great to see president and receive some suggestions in ways i can improve as a trainer, and help my hijas prepare themselves to be training in the coming months (on the day i leave, TEN more hermanas will be arriving in the mission!! this place is FILLING with hermanas, and i LOVE it!) it`s such an edifying experience to be with so many of these new missionaries, to feel their excitement for this work, and to know that the lord really does trust us, no matter how little may be our experience, to go out and preach his gospel throughout the world. 
• both of my comps are sick (they had to go to the hospital yesterday) so i`truly do feel like a mom taking care of my 2 daughters, but we`re able to keep working at least for now. with lots of prayers and blessings of health from the elders, i know that we`ll be able to continue in the lord`s work.

from my studies:

i was truly impressed this week by what i learned from the STIPLING WARRIORS:

 alma 53:20 And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for ^acourage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

 21 Yea, they were men of truth and ^asoberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to ^bwalk uprightly before him.

at this point, not only in my mission, but in my LIFE, i am striving to be exceedingly valient, and be true AT ALL TIMES to the covenants i`ve made. i know taht i have been taught the commandments, and i hope every day to be able to walk before god without shame, knowing that i am making my best effort to do his will and happily live his gospel. 

i know that the savior died for me, and that he truly did take on the sins and sufferings of this world. because of this sacrifice, I DON`T NEED TO SUFFER if i TRUST in him, have COURAGE, and REPENT when i make mistakes. 

this plan of salvation is so perfect.

love, 

hermana wright

April 15, 2013

hola familia,

i can`t believe another week has gone by already. the time really is just slipping through my fingers. it`s a pretty unpleasant sensation, but i`m learning to accept it, and enojy every moment for all it has to offer. 

this week has been my week of HUMILITY and PATIENCE. we aren`t seeing all that much progress in the sector, and it`s been pretty rough on the three of us. we keep working just as hard as ever each day, and maintain a positive attitude, because there`s nothing to gain in being grumpy or ungrateful. instead we`ve talked a bunch and have set goals for what we can do better in the coming weeks, and we know the lord will help us find more success in teaching more of his children.

even with the difficulties we`ve been facing, there`s still plenty of experiences that make me smile, and that make me SO grateful to be here, now, as one of the lord`s servants. just a few simple examples:

• one of the less-active members we`ve been teaching expressed her desire to be sealed to her family in the temple! when we asked her what she liked most about being a member of the church, she said "being mormon is being part of an eternal family. it`s what i want more than anything." i was so blown away by the phrase, and was reminded that i too, want to be with you,  my family, for the eternities! 
• D&C 130: 2 And that same ^asociality (the family) which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with ^beternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy.
• i know that an eternal glory awaits our family, if every one of us is willing to do our part and FIGHT against all opposition. i know it will be worth it. 
• this week two young men from the ward, david and felipe, accompanied us in several visits, and in a stake missionary activity, and in a ward mission activity!! they`re only 13 and 16 years old, but they LOVE the church! they seriously cannot wait to be missionaries, and it`s just so inspiring! i was so touched by their enthusiasm and sincere desire to help in the lord`s work.

on thursday we`ll be having am mission conference with the WHOLE mission in concepcion becuase elder zwick of the seventy is coming to speak. apparently he was presidente martinez`s mission president back in the day. i`m super excited to be able to hear what he needs from me in my last few weeks here in chile. there`s still so much to do! so many people to help!

with that said, i`m off to work. love you!

hermana wright

April 29, 2013 - the last letter home

a couple weeks ago my companion (hna horan - the newer of the 2) told me a story about when she was teaching a lesson about tithing with her companion in the mtc. her companion speaks basically NO spanish, and was able to participate very little in the teaching process in general. but in this lesson when hna horan was testifying of the need to pay an honest tithe, her companion chimes in randomly and says "dios nos ama", or "god loves us." it`s a great concept, but it had very little to do with what they were talking about in the moment. i love missionary life. it`s such a humbling adventure...hahah. the point is, i have a million things to say and very little time, so i hope that something comes out making sense...

just in case you were wondering, we experienced another GIANT MIRACLE this weekend. it`s a long story, but to sum it up, here`s what happened:

• on wednesday we received a phone call from the zone leaders informing us that president had prayed and received specific revelation that there was at lease one person prepared in each sector that could be baptized this past weekend...woah! when we got the call, we began to think about who it could be, and almost immediately were led to kathy, a 15-year old who has been investigating for almost 2 months now, but hasn`t been able to get baptized because the mission suggests waiting until they are 16 if their parents aren`t members. we then prayed about it as a companionship and felt very strongly that we needed to help kathy make the decision to be baptized, and that very weekend, becuase she truly was prepared.
• we visited her and taught her about the plan of salvation, and the necessity to be baptized in order to receive the remission of our sins, as well as the gift of the holy ghost. she was a little shocked about the date being so soon, but she prayed and received peace from the lord, and wanted to be baptized on sunday (her mom wouldn`t have been able to attend on saturday)
• we talked to the bishop and the assistants to get everything in order, and spent a ton of time with her over the next few days to help her feel prepared, and to share with the family and help them understand the step she was taking, and want to learn more themselves. her parents are super receptive, and we expect them to progress quickly as well. 
• the service was BEAUTIFUL, and i managed not to cry too much, knowing that it would most likely be the last baptism of my mission. i just felt so much JOY for kathy, and to see the way the ward welcomed and loved her.
• i was reminded that this gospel is truly beautiful. there is so much happiness to be experienced.

my companion (hna leon) shared this with me this week:

 Mosiah 2:41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and ^ahappy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are ^bblessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out ^cfaithful to the end they are received into ^dheaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

president also told me in his weekly email:

hermana wright, BE HAPPY, AND ENJOY what is left of your time here in the mission.

this life is meant to be full of joy. i know that the only way to obtain that joy is through being obedient to the lord`s gospel.

well, time to go. love you lots and we`ll talk more soon :)

hermana wright

January 28, 2013

this week job and yerly were baptized and confirmed!!! it was amazing! job, who was an alcoholic and smoked 10-20 cigarettes as of a month ago, has completely turned his life around, and was able to be baptized on friday, and confirmed on sunday! it was a miracle for many reasons, because he wasn´t able to be at church in the morning because his brother got SUPER sick, and had to be taken to the hospital in another city at one in the morning sunday. job called to let us know, and we were super shocked, but we called the assistants to the mission president and received permission for him to be confirmed later in the afternoon with the bishopric present. there was no way we were going to let him go a whole week after being baptized without the holy ghost, especially because he has a history of addictions. immediately after his confirmation, we invited job to accompany us for a few visits as well...taking advantage of the newest member of the ward right off the bat! it was a great experience. also, yerly, who is 16, said that she is SURE she wants to serve a mission. she has started to share with her family members, and when we challenged her mom and a cousin to be baptized, and they both accepted! we are seeing miracle after miracle here in la. i love it.

we also had a fun "service" opportunity this week: we accompanied a 90-year-old recent convert to eat ice cream with us in the grass next to the little river here in town. we went to his house to visit and teach him a bit, but it was obvious that he was sad and lonely...and being a girl and all, the first thing that came to my mind...ICE CREAM makes everything better! it actually turned out to be quite an inspired idea. juan LOVED the chance to get out of his house and be LISTENED to. he told us all kinds of stories, and we just listened and helped him feel loved and appreciated. it was a super tender moment. made me think of my grandpa, and want to take him out for ice cream. LOVE YOU VITO!!! a big hug from fifi.

also, speaking of being girly and sensitive, i cried in a district meeting this week...ok ok, it really wasn`t all that pathetic or anything i promise. we were doing a demonstration, and read a scripture that just HIT me:

mosiah 27:28-29
28 Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God.
 29 My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was cracked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.

god knows and loves us INDIVIDUALLY. i know, because i´ve felt it. many times. he listens and responds. he waits patiently for us to return to his loving arms, and rest in his presence. the gospel allows to rest from the pains of our souls. the gospel is so perfect, and i feel so blessed to be able to share it with others. i love being a missionary, and am excited to be a member missionary for the rest of my life.
love you all,
sophia esther wright

January 21, 2013

hola world.

just so you know. i`m turing into a real live latina with all of the sun i`ve been soaking up this past week. it`s very, very hot here. supposedly it`s the hottest city in our mission in these the summer months. we`re talking, 90-110 degrees hot. phew. but still, i`m loving being here in los angeles, especially becuase of the great people i`m meeting, and all the adventures hna lissandrello and i have found ourselves in!

for example, day 1:
we saved a dog. as we were making our way to an appointment, we saw a worried old man staring into a canal that runs between the two main streets, that has a good current to it. when we got closer, we realized that he was all stressed because there was a dog swimming back and forth from bank to bank, but who couldn`t get a good grip to be able to escape from the current. but don`t worry, sister missionaries to the rescue: i tore off my shoes so they wouldn`t get soaked, and ran a little bit further down the bank where it was shallower, and waited for him to float my way so i could grab hold of him before he got lost in the upcoming tunnel. hna lissandrello held my left arm so i wouldn`t fall in, and i grabbed the little guy under one of his legs and pulled him out to safety!!! it was really cool. but ironically enough,  when all was said and done, the old man was no where to be found. apparently he wasn`t all that worried about his dog after all...

day 4:
on the way home at the end of the day, we saw a couple of young men with a stalled car, pushing it along to try and start it. we offered our help and they actually accepted (normally their pride at letting 2 mormon girls help them gets in the way, but not this time!) we pushed the car along for a couple of blocks, then it started up no problem. he said, "if it wasn`t for you 2, we wouldn`t have made it home!" not sure how true that really is, but it was a fun experience overall!

so basically, the lesson i feel like the lord wants me to learn at this point in my mission is to SERVE others n every opportunity, and to ENJOY the experiences. i don`t want to look back on my mission and only say, "i worked hard, was obedient, and learned a lot." but that i truly LIVED every moment and had FUN! the mission is part of my life, and i want it to be filled with adventure! i want life after the mission to be the same. i don`t want to get so caught up in being diligent in my studies and my career that i forget to LAUGH, to LIFT ANOTHER, to SERVE, to BE JOYFUL, because that`s what living the gospel is all about.

2 nefi 2:25 Adam fell that men might be; and men care, that they might have joy.

alma 26:11 But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.
 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.
amo este evangelio. sè que es verdadero lo que estoy compartiendo todos los dìas. cristo vive, y espera que ayudemos a nuestros hermanos volver a vivir con el. les echa de menos.

this friday we will have 2 baptisms: yerly and job. yerly is a young woman who, despite opposition from her family and friends, has decided to be baptized because she knows this gospel is true, and it makes her happier. job is in his 40s, and has quit drinking and smoking to be able to be baptized and be part of christ`s church. they are two people truly prepared to receive and live the gospel. what a blessing to have met them and be part of their conversion process! being a missionary really is the best. think they`ll let me stay here another year and a half? ...

well family, that`s all i`ve got. love you mucho mucho, and hope you have a JOYFUL week, as you strive to live the principles of the gospel - the only way to truly be happy.

hermanita wright

January 14, 2013

well, the time has come for me to finally leave the mission chile, concepcion south:south...for the last year i have stayed in three sectors that are within an hour and a half from each other, and are the southern-most sectors in the mission. BUT, tomorrow i´ll be headed to LOS ANGELES!!!! yes, LA chile. the sector is called villa esmeralda. my comp is named hna lissandrello, and she´s from argentina. should be an exciting cambio, seeing as i´ll be leaving all that i´m used to and starting from scratch! should be fun. i´m looking forward to meeting the new ward and seeing what the central part of the mission is like.

i´m loving the mission. it´s hard. i´m stretching and learning, and it hurts sometimes, but that´s just the nature of growing pains, isn´t it?! i love you all for your perseverance and support, and know that i pray always for you. don´t worry about me either. i literally feel the help of the lord, and trust 100% in his protection.

more fotos next week i hope (depends on the computer...)

con cariño,

hermana wright

January 7, 2013

hello family, friends, and random strangers who read my blog!

first of all, a little tale:

once upon a time (also known as "5 minutes ago...") i was in a ciber, writing to my family on a super ghetto computer, when a certain chilean walked in and began to talk to me in english. i was caught off guard, and couldn`t help but respond in spanish. the chilean continued to converse in broken-english, and i managed to get out a few words of what i could remeber of my native tongue. as he left, he expressed, "pleased to meet you" and i exclaimed, "you tambien!!". yes, i responded in full voice, for all in the ciber to hear, in SPANGLISH!!! others laughed. i was super embarrassed. the end.

haha sometimes i get confused. my life is soooo spanish that it really is hard to make the switch to english when i have to. but at least it makes for a good laugh.

speaking of laughs, you`ll be interested to know how i spent my new year (parties, family dinner, staying up past midnight to watch the ball drop...NOPE!):

on new year`s eve we had to be in the house by 8:30, because the businesses closed around 6:30 and the people begin to drink, so it gets pretty dangerous. my comp and i took advantage of working on a few projects that we hadn`t been able to finish during the week, wrote in our journals, worked on a few letters (i only made it half-way through ONE!) then we went to bed at 11. happy new year!!! hhaha

on the 1st, we were told to be at the chapel in our area at 10 for breakfast with the zone, and we were then to spend the ENTIRE DAY LOCKED IN THE CHAPEL with the zone!!!! we had a few break-out meetings, at lunch together, and had our studies. it was fun, true, but strange to be stuck in the building all day long because it was too dangerous to be out in the streets. we had to be in the house at 9, so we once again took advantage to work a bit in the house, then hna rangel taught me how to dance like a latina. yep, we rang in the new year with cumbia, salsa, merengue, and some african-like latin dance that was probably my favorite. now don`t worry, i have no intention of using these acquired skills during the mission, but after...we`ll just have to wait and see... :)

this week i focused  a lot on being a witness of christ at all times, based on a talk i´m reading by d. todd christofferson (it`s attached so you can all read it). some parts that stood out:

People should be able to see in us something of Jesus Christ. The way we act, speak, look, and even think will reflect Him and His ways.

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) wisely counseled patience as well as diligence in this process: “Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible. . . ."
one of the main purposes of this life is to become like christ, and let his   goodness be reflected in our countenance. of course, this is a life-long process, as president benson shared, and requires much patience as well as diligence. i know that as we put forth our best effort, the lord helps make up for our short-comings. i love this concept of grace that the atonement offers us.

i know this is the gospel of christ, because through living what i study in the scriptures and through the words of our modern prophet, i am able to learn HOW to become more like the savior and be a servant in his hands. i know this is his restored church, and i hope to help others know for themselves as they accept the invitation to come unto christ.

con mucho cariño, su media-latina misionera,
hermana wright

December 31, 2012

first of all, this comp won´t let me send photos...one of these days i´ll have a chance to show you what i´m up to...

second of all, FAMILY: IT WAS SO GREAT TO TALK TO YOU!!!! (seth, sorry that we didn´t get to talk, but i got your email and i´ll be responding soon!) it really was a great christmas, my second in the mission, and i was truly able to feel and appreciate the "spirit of christmas" even though it´s summer here! as we shared with everyone the message of christ´s birth, i couldn't help but think of how much i personally have been blessed for this event. i love the savior, and am so grateful that the lord loved me enough to send his son to pay for my sins, pains, afflictions, etc. so that i can have a chance to be with him again.

on christmas eve we visited an investigator named silvia, who we´d been visiting sporadically for the past couple months, and we sang christmas hymns and decorated her tree. we brought her lights because she´d mentioned that she didn´t have a chance to buy them, and when we put them on the tree she couldn´t hold back the tears because she was so grateful. it was such a warm, fulfilling feeling to know that such a small gesture could help someone feel our love, and therefore the love of her heavenly father. also, we saw another miracle that night. we MENTIONED baptism (with the intention to set a baptismal date, but at first we only mentioned it to introduce the theme, bcause it´d been a while since we´d seen her), and she said, "i want to get baptized this saturday." WHAT?? well, she´d been to church several times, and had a sincere desire and understood everything we´d taught to that point, so we set the date! we visited her every day to finish teaching the lessons, and she was baptized on saturday and confirmed on sunday :) such a tender mercy of the lord, because sivia is a little ball of LOVE, and with the gift of the holy ghost, she´ll be such a blessing to all those in her path.

as i look back on 2012, all of which was spent on the mission here in CHILE, i can´t help but feel a great sense of gratitude and happiness for what i have experienced up to this point. i have been tried, i have grown, and i have learned to love and put my trust in the lord. of course, new weaknesses have been revealed, but i am filled with hope and faith that with the lord, i can reach the potential he sees in me. as i look forward to 2013, my feelings are mixed. i am excited to continue as a missionary, and feel somewhat anxious at the thought of returning home. i don´t know what will await me. i don´t know how i will adapt. i don´t know where i will be for the summer. but i DO know that the lord will help me carry over all that i´ve learned, and help me continue growing at home.

well, time´s up. love you all lots and wish you the best in the year to come! be sure to set goals, but not as simple "resolutions", as commitments to the lord of what you´re willing to do, knowing that he will ALWAYS fulfill his part. (d&c 82:10)

LOVES,
hermana wright

December 17, 2012

i am getting a little tired of rushed emails...sorry about that. but at least we´ll get to talk through SKYPE next monday!! woo hoo!!

basically, this week was full of learning opportunities. the training sisters came to our sector, and were with us for 3 days! we went on splits and were able to accomplish SO much! it was truly a week full of miracles. we found three new families to teach, and set up a bunch of visits for the following week. while with the hermanas, i learned some really valuable lessons from my heavenly father:

i need to trust in HIM in all things. i can´t let my happiness depend on anything other than the manner in which i am living the gospel of jesus christ. if i am being obedient to the commandments and to the constant promptings of the spirit, the lord promises JOY. if i am not happy, even though i´m living the gospel, it´s likely becuase i have lost focus, and have begun to les myself STRESS TOO MUCH about details that i can´t control. i have committed to focus more on what the LORD thinks of me and my efforts, and always do my best to love and serve him, and sincerely love those who he puts in my path

i want to live my life in the manner of the savior. i want to serve as he served, love as he loved, teach as he taught, have perfect hope as he did, endure trials without complaint, understand and do the will of the father....i want to follow his example, because the more i am like him, the more i can find happiness, bless others, and when the time comes to end this life, feel one day as enós describes:

 26 And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world.
 27 And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father.

i love this gospel, and i rejoice in being able to testify that the savior was born, that he lives, and continues to bless us every day. i want more than anything to live in peace in his presence after this life, and i KNOW that it is possible through this, and only this gospel, which has the authority to help me get there.

merry christmas, loved ones :) i hope that you all can feel the love that the savior has for each one of us personally.

hasta pronto!
hermana wright

December 10, 212

HIGHLIGHTS:
our investigator, fernanda, is getting baptized this sunday!! she´s already received all of the lessons, and is super excited for the day to finally come! she has a strong testimony of the book of mormon, and has been able to make connections to her personal life from what she reads. she says, "i try to put myself in the place of the person it´s talking about, and it makes it all the more real to me..." how awesome is that! she´s a really sweet, humble person, and i know she´s going to be a great addition to the branch

we have been focusing on miracles lately, and we`ve seen MANY this week! on wednesday every single one of our plans (and back-up plans) failed, and we were left a little confused as to what to do. we stopped for a moment on a street corner and thought about it, when all of a sudden it occurred to us to visit an investigador, silvia, who has had a baptisnal date before, but has been unable to meet with us because of her work schedule. we went to her house without calling or anything, and there she was! she`d asked her boss to be able to go home early because she was super tired, but was super happy to receive us all the same! we reassured her that all was well, and that she could still prepare to be baptized in the coming weeks, and she accepted! it was clearly a miracle that came after MUCH perseverance through trial, and through listening to the spirit. i`m so glad the lord loves us enough to try us and help us grow and depend more on him.
this week we were able to focus a lot on temples and the miracle of eternal families through faith and obedience (see moroni 7:26-29) i love the temple and the blessing to be able to be in the heavens with my family forever and ever. i love this gospel!

read (for the second time!) an excellent talk by elder uchtdorf called ¨the merciful obtain mercy" that i want to share with everyone, and i hope that you will all please read it! i learned about the need to forgive, and that the only way to truly achieve it is through the pure love of christ!

sorry i don`t have time for more! love you lots!
hermana wright :D

December 3, 2012

i feel like it´s been quite a long time since i´ve been able to write calmly and thoroughly about the goings-on of my week...and unfortunately this week will be no different. my comp and i are running behind schedule, so we had to cut our internet time short to be able to get to our first appointment on time...sorry to be so neglectful, loved-ones! the most important thing to know though is that i am happy. i truly love sharing the gospel with others. i love seeing the difference a smile or a relatively short conversation about the savior really can change someone´s day, and lead to even bigger changes further along. i love that the lord is changing ME. i love that i can literally say that i am a different person than who walked into the mtc that first day. i have learned too much to be able to express. and i don´t mean knowledge gained about the church, or the doctrine necessarily, but the kind of learning that come from experiences, that changes on one from the inside out. i´m hopeful that in these 5 months that i have left here as a missionary in chile that i´ll be able to change, through the process of repentance, into the daughter of a heavenly father that i came to earth to be. it´s an awesome process of self-discovery that only comes from submitting yourself to the lord, and letting him refine you in a way that only he can, into the person that he knows you can become. i love it. it hurts sometimes, but i am so grateful that he loves me enough to teach and change me.

also, great news: juan cisterna got baptized and confirmed yesterday! he was SO excited. he was talking all week about how he just wanted sunday to arrive already! the service itself turned out really well, and his mom and cousin were able to attend, and they loved it. we´re excited to be able to teach them more frequently as well. the next step for juan will be to receive the priesthood, but the elders already set an appointment to teach him this week, and he´ll have an appointment with the branch president to be able to receive it on sunday! i´m so excited for him, because i see how happy he is, and how sure he is of his decision. that´s what this work is all about!

we´ve also seen several miracles in the branch itself. the members are more warm in their interactions with us, the sister missionaries, and are more willing to help us overall. as we´ve made a concerted effort to serve and show our love for them, they´ve responded extremely well, and we are able to feel a lot of support. also, as we´ve visited less-actives, many have come back to church, and we are literally starting to fill the sacrament room! the attendance this week was 78, and only 6 weeks ago, it was 50! i´m loving the changes that we´re seeing, and i feel so blessed to be able to play a small part in it.

also, completely un-related, but in case you were wondering, the relief society is basically exactly the same here in chile. it makes me laugh every week. the president is a little chubby, and is the most warm, loving, sweet woman on the face of the earth. but she also has a bit of a mouth, and is good at spreading the word, if you know what i mean. we also have a little table with a tablecloth, and don´t worry, fresh flowers in a vase every week! it´s so great. i love that the church can be so similar anywhere you go, no importa the culture.

i can´t believe that i completed THIRTEEN MONTHS yesterday. i´m officially one of the "oldies" among the hermanas in the mission at this point. speaking of which, my trainer, hna miller, goes home this week! she´s in the mission office in concepción for a few days, but she´ll be in the states on wednesday! how quickly the time goes. i can´t believe it´s been almost a year since i got here in chile. i´m old.

also, i want to share with the world: i´m officially sorry for being so neglectful! i´ve recieved many lovely letters and awesome packages, and i haven´t been able to share my gratitude as i´d like to. honestly, my free time is about 1 hour a day, in which i need to write in my journal and tidy the house. on p-days, we have between 11:30 and 6 to get everything done that we need to, and it´s super hard. sorry for so many excuses, but i just wanted all to know that i truly appreciate the care and concern that you´ve shown for me, and i hope to be able to make time to respond personally. thanks for being so patient :)

bummer, out of time. i didn´t get a chance to load fotos today, but i´ll try next week.

lots of love,
hna wright

November 26, 2012

well family and friends, once again i find myself with too little time to express all that has happened within the last week! but here´s the low-down:

on monday i bought 4 new skirts and a blouse for a total of 12 dollars...i love chile
i´ve been super sick (with a cold/sore throat/) for the last week, but it seems like i might finally be getting better!

our investigator, juan, is 100% sure that he wants to get baptized THIS SUNDAY!!! we are getting everything ready for the service, and are so grateful that he understands the importance, and is eager to make changes in his life, and become a member of the church of jesus-christ. super exciting.

news from the mission: it looks like i´ll be coming home two weeks earlier than planned...the assistants let us know that those in my group will now finish on may 7th instead of the 23rd. i´m not too happy about that. i would love for it to have just been a rumor, but unfortunately i think it´s true.
lesson learned:

Repentance is one of the first principles of the gospel and is essential to our temporal and eternal happiness. It is much more than just acknowledging wrongdoings. It is a change of mind and heart that gives us a fresh view about God, about ourselves, and about the world. It includes turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness. It is motivated by love for God and the sincere desire to obey His commandments.

repentance is the only way to make the changes necessary to enter the celestial kingdom and rest with god in the next life. it´s hard, but SUCH a blessing in my life. i love that he wants to help me be more like his son.

ugh, time´s up. i love you, and promise to write more next week (how many times now have i said that...i´m going to make it happen!)

hermana wright

November 19, 2012

noticias:

the family of our "mamita" is preparing to go to the temple! we´ve made several visits to help them, and it´s really been an incredible experience. it´s helped me remember that this gospel is about progression towards eternal life. i am not here simply to baptize people and make them members of my church...i am here to invite and help others live  the teachings that christ has given us, which includes baptism as an essential step toward the ultimate goal: being able to live in the presence of god, to enjoy all of the eternal blessings that he has prepared for us.

one of our investigators, juan, that we´ve met with only 3 times, has committed to be baptized on dec. 2nd, because he understands this concept. he wants to live in the celestial kingdom. it has been such a joy to teach him. he even said, after teaching the plan of salvation, "so, don´t you think we (us as missionaries, and himself) could have known each other before this life? i think we were friends." it was one of the sweetest things i´ve ever heard. and i feel that it really is true.

presidente made a special trip throughout the mission to visit all of the zones for training. he reviewed what we´d learned from elder arnold, which basically has changed A TON what and how we do things here in the mission. next week hopefully i´ll have more time to explain. but basically it has to do with a focus on MEMBERS, and SERVICE.

my companion and i are starting weekly family history workshops in the chapel! the great part is, i don´t really know what i´m doing, becuase i haven´t used the new website much, but i´m figuring it out as i go along. the important part is, we´re getting the work started here in the district!

from my personal study:
quote from "the fourth missionary" - elder corbridge of the 70
"the purpose and central blessing of this life is change. it is to be changed to become more like jesus christ. it is to incorporate into your character the qualities of His character. it is to move from one degree of intelligence and capacity to the next, and from there to the next, until you see god face to face and know him as He knows you. (redemptive change) only happens if you unconditionally surrender your will to the lord."

i KNOW this is true. i love change, and i hope to be more like the savior every day as i hand my heart over to him. i´m hopeful you´ll all do the same, and feel the difference.
sending lots of love. thank you ALL for your letters (although i don´t always have time to answer...i´m giong to do better with that!), for your prayers, and for caring enough about me to read my ramblings every week :) LOVE YOU!


hermana wright :D

November 12, 2012

hello world. first of all, BIG NEWS:

MY COMPANION AND I HAD "EMERGENCY CAMBIOS!!!" don`t worry, it sounds a lot worse than it really is. basically all it means is that we had a change in the companionship before the actual date of changes. SO, my old companion, hna del castillo, is now 4 hours to the north in concepción, the previous sector of my NEw companion, hna rangel. the whole process was a little crazy, because we had a meeting with the zone wednesday morning, and right after, the assistants called and informed us that there would be a change in our companionship, immediately!  we had to go to the house and pack her bags, and she was to get on a bus to the north as soon as possible. i couldn´t believe it! neither one os us was expecting it at all. of course, my comp was super sad, because she`d been there almost 6 months and wasn´t going to be able to say goodbye to anyone! but really there wasn´t much time to think about it because we had to get to the terminal to pick up my new companion. crazy! we went with the zone leaders to the terminal to send of hna del castillo, and came back to the sector right away. it all happened so fast that i´m still trying to figure out how it all happened! but my new companion is AWESOME, so the adjustment hasn´t been very difficult at all. she´s columbian, and has spent her whole mission (6 months) in the central and northern parts of the mission, meaning we´d never met before because i´ve always been here in the south! but she´s a lot like me in her way of thinking and her work ethic. she is super focused and has a very impressive testimony, and más encima  loves to laugh and enjoy the mission. needless to say, we get along great. in these last few days together, we´ve seen so many miracles! a 17-yr old boy, juan, who we met a few weeks ago, has decided to be baptized, after talking to him twice! he loves the way he feels when he listens to the message we share, and he even came to church yesterday (alone!) and LOVED IT. he said it´s unlike any other church he´s attended, and loves that one can express themselves and interact and learn from others. he´s really sweet and sincere, and very receptive to the spirit. we´re really excited to keep teaching him.

other news from the week:
last monday i learned how to make bread in our mamita´s house! from scratch! like a real chilean! it was so fun. i´ll send pics next week. 
on hna rangel´s second day here, we encountered a few surprises: as we were crossing a field, we found ourselves 3 feet from a huge dairy-cow, a giant slug on the sidewalk, the jaw of a large animal (most likely a cow), and a dog´s leg!!! just in the street...no big deal. welcome to the campo of chile...haha
a nice old lady gave us a dozen eggs, so i walked around a whole day with 12 eggs juggling around in my backpack...made it home safe and sound!
well, i´m out of time, but the scripture of the week, 3 nefi 11. i know that christ will come again, and that he wants us to be prepared, which is why he has given us his gospel. i know, from personal experience, that it is the only way to truly be happy. i love this gospel, and couldn´t be happier to be sharing it with everything here in chile.

un gran abrazo,
hermanita wright

November 5, 2012

wow, what a week. first of all, glad to know that maine still exists after the big storm! everyone was asking me if i was from new york, and when i told them that i was from the atlantic coast, they all started panicking and saying that i might not have a home to go back to. luckily, i know chileans and how they tend to exaggerate...and i also felt a calm reassurance that everything would be ok. glad to know that i was right, and that you are all safe and sound!

on thursday hna del castillo and i went to my old sector in temuco to spend the night, because we had a conference with elder arnold (of the 70/area president!) early friday morning.

on thursday night, i got to direct the choir practice...yep, i was asked to prepare the musical number for an apostle! it was pretty nerve-wracking. not to mention I SANG A SOLO!!! i never thought i would do something like that, but i had to do it...i HAD to overcome the fear. and i did it :) we sang "nearer, my god, to thee" in spanish, but i sang the first verse solo in english. it all turned out really pretty, and brought a great spirit to the meeting.

from the conference, more than anything i felt a great LOVE from my heavenly father. i had come to the conference with several issues that i was unsure of how to resolve. i had prayed to know if i was doing enough, and if the lord was pleased with my effort, and i received a resounding "YES". of course, i have a million things still to work on, and i learned a lot from e. arnold in ways that  i can put into practice to improve, but god knew that, more than anything, i needed reassurance. and because he loves me, i was able to feel it.

in the days that followed, however, i was faced with the greatest trials that i have seen in my mission. i prayed and prayed and prayed for help, and did everything i knew how to try and resolve the situation.i felt alone. i felt rejected. i felt helpless. i felt weak. but of course, god had never left my side. i was reminded of the sacred experience of the prophet, joseph smith::

15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
 16 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
 17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

as i ponder the experience of joseph, it calls my attention that his greatest trial came when he was being the most righteous - he was in the very act of praying to god to know which of all the churches was true, with a sincere desire to do the will of god. as he did so, he was surrounded by affliction, and attacked physically and mentally. next, it stands out to me that it was "in the very moment" when he thought he couldn´t take any more, in the moment of "great alarm" when he was ready to surrender completely to the enemy, it was THEN that the light of god rested upon him-it was until then that he was delivered, and received the glory of god the father and jesus christ.

i don`t mean to say that i went through an experience anywhere near as intense as the prophet, but rather that in reflecting on his experience, i was reminded of a powerful example of patience, perserverance, and faith. recently, when i was going through some of the darkest moments of my mission experience, even at the very moment of throwing in the towel because i´d done everything i was capable of doing, it was then that  the lord made himself known to me, and answered my prayers, not because he´d been neglecting me before, but because i needed to learn. i needed to depend on him. i needed to be humble and accept the help of others. i needed to be vulnerable. and he gave me peace. he put others in my path to console and advise me. he filled my heart with sincere love and the ability to forgive. he changed my heart, and i found myself delivered.
i know from personal experience that, as it says in 2 nephi 26:15," the prayers of the faithful shall be heard" and as in joel 2:32, "whosever shall call on the name of the lord shall be delivered."

i am happy, hopeful, and prepared to face whatever comes along in the next (LAST!) 6 months of my mission. i know that whatever trial i am faced with will help me to be better prepared spiritually for when christ comes once again to the earth. i know that if i submit my will to the father and am obedient in all things, i will be able to have peace in the second coming and in his presence in the eternities: which is my greatest desire for not only myself, but every one that i meet.
i love you all, and hope that we can all trust that the lord is caring for us, and that he loves us individually and unconditionally.


hermana wright :)