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
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 :)
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 :)
October 29, 2012
ok. i had a bit more time this week to think about all of the great things i have to tell you, and i`m not quite as rushed his week to write. but still, the time goes by quick, so here come the well-anticipated bullet points:
like i said, i got to see and talk to yasna and paulo recently, and i also talked on the phone with 2 other converts, eduardo and cristian!! it is so refreshing to hear their vioces and hear of their experiences as they "endure to the end," putting into practice the principles that my companions and i have taught them, and through their own personal study and church attendance!i feel like a proud mom. but it`s seriously the most gratifying feeling i`ve ever had to have played even the smallest part in helping them find and live the gospel. i love seeing them so happy. that`s the whole reason i came here to chile! the best part is that yasna, paulo, and eduardo have all committed to prepare to go to the temple before the end of the year, and are all helping each other with their reading, etc. they`re so great!
because of elections for mayor/consejales (can`t remember how to say that in english...), church was only an hour long this week. but don`t worry, i still got to give a surprise TALK! it was the classic missionary experience, that i had yet to participate in: my comp and i get to church right before the meeting, and we start to greet a few people before escaping to sacrament meeting, because we were right at the hour. when the 1st counselor shook my hand, he asked, "hermana wright, can you do me a big favor?" uh oh... "those that were assigned to give talks today haven`t shown up, can you speak for 10-15 minutes? you choose the topic..." uhhhhh, OK! i was a little overwhelmed, but i pulled out a few notes and scriptures that had stood out to me in general conference, and spoke mostly about the love of god the father, and what he expects of us in return in this life so we can live with him again in the life to come. i was super nervous beforehand, but onece i got to the pulpit, everything calmed down, and i think the talk turned out just fine. i felt the spirit as i spoke at least, which i think is the most important, and a few members commented that it had served them so, mission accomplished. since i`m sure this won`t be the only time this happens, i´m going to do what they suggested to us in the mtc and carry a few pre-written talks in my scriptures at all times. you just never know!
this week we have a conference with the mission president, and also with the area president, presidente arnold! i`m SUPER excited! presidente martinez will also be bringing information from a conference he attended with elder oaks and elder bednar! it should be really inspirational, and i look forward to receiving instruction on what we can improve as a mission, and what i can do personally to be more effective and reach our goals. ALSO, i was asked to organize the special musical number, and i`ll be singing a SOLO! in front of an APOSTLE!!! i`m extremely nervous. but i think it will be ok. you`ll hear about it next week!
lately i`ve been studying and thinking a lot about temples, and i read something that really stood out to me:
"the opportunity to attend the temple and participate in its blessings is within reach of everyone who accepts the Gospel and is baptized. to this end, the church brings to pass such a vast missionary program in the greater part of the world, and will continue to grow as much as possible, because it has the responsibility, given by divine revelation, to teach the gospel to every nation, tribe, language, and people." pres hinckley
as part of the missionary program of the church, i feel so blessed to be able to help others prepare to enter the temple and make everlasting covenants with the lord. this goes for members of the church as well. if we don`t take the opportunity to go to the temple, the lord`s house, we are failing our heavenly father. let us be a people that attends the temple in love and appreciation for the lord and his house.
apocalypsis 7:13-15
3 nefi 27:19-20
overall i`m doing well. i`m happy and having all sorts of adventures :)
all of my love,
hna wright
like i said, i got to see and talk to yasna and paulo recently, and i also talked on the phone with 2 other converts, eduardo and cristian!! it is so refreshing to hear their vioces and hear of their experiences as they "endure to the end," putting into practice the principles that my companions and i have taught them, and through their own personal study and church attendance!i feel like a proud mom. but it`s seriously the most gratifying feeling i`ve ever had to have played even the smallest part in helping them find and live the gospel. i love seeing them so happy. that`s the whole reason i came here to chile! the best part is that yasna, paulo, and eduardo have all committed to prepare to go to the temple before the end of the year, and are all helping each other with their reading, etc. they`re so great!
because of elections for mayor/consejales (can`t remember how to say that in english...), church was only an hour long this week. but don`t worry, i still got to give a surprise TALK! it was the classic missionary experience, that i had yet to participate in: my comp and i get to church right before the meeting, and we start to greet a few people before escaping to sacrament meeting, because we were right at the hour. when the 1st counselor shook my hand, he asked, "hermana wright, can you do me a big favor?" uh oh... "those that were assigned to give talks today haven`t shown up, can you speak for 10-15 minutes? you choose the topic..." uhhhhh, OK! i was a little overwhelmed, but i pulled out a few notes and scriptures that had stood out to me in general conference, and spoke mostly about the love of god the father, and what he expects of us in return in this life so we can live with him again in the life to come. i was super nervous beforehand, but onece i got to the pulpit, everything calmed down, and i think the talk turned out just fine. i felt the spirit as i spoke at least, which i think is the most important, and a few members commented that it had served them so, mission accomplished. since i`m sure this won`t be the only time this happens, i´m going to do what they suggested to us in the mtc and carry a few pre-written talks in my scriptures at all times. you just never know!
this week we have a conference with the mission president, and also with the area president, presidente arnold! i`m SUPER excited! presidente martinez will also be bringing information from a conference he attended with elder oaks and elder bednar! it should be really inspirational, and i look forward to receiving instruction on what we can improve as a mission, and what i can do personally to be more effective and reach our goals. ALSO, i was asked to organize the special musical number, and i`ll be singing a SOLO! in front of an APOSTLE!!! i`m extremely nervous. but i think it will be ok. you`ll hear about it next week!
lately i`ve been studying and thinking a lot about temples, and i read something that really stood out to me:
"the opportunity to attend the temple and participate in its blessings is within reach of everyone who accepts the Gospel and is baptized. to this end, the church brings to pass such a vast missionary program in the greater part of the world, and will continue to grow as much as possible, because it has the responsibility, given by divine revelation, to teach the gospel to every nation, tribe, language, and people." pres hinckley
as part of the missionary program of the church, i feel so blessed to be able to help others prepare to enter the temple and make everlasting covenants with the lord. this goes for members of the church as well. if we don`t take the opportunity to go to the temple, the lord`s house, we are failing our heavenly father. let us be a people that attends the temple in love and appreciation for the lord and his house.
apocalypsis 7:13-15
3 nefi 27:19-20
overall i`m doing well. i`m happy and having all sorts of adventures :)
all of my love,
hna wright
October 16, 2012
what a week. i have no idea how the time goes by so fast. i`m about to hit my 1 YEAR mark! unbelievable. en serio. here`s a quick summary of the past few days at least:
i FINALLY cut my hair! i`m a little stingy with who i trust my hair with, so i have managed to avoid it for the last...11 months. yep, my entire time here in chile. but there`s a member who always cuts the hermana`s hair, and for a reason! it turned out great! the internet here is really slow here, but i`ll send fotos next week.
presidente martinez came down to our sector for a visit! he was present in our district meeting, and afterwords did a few interviews, and hna del castillo and i each got to talk to him one-on-one! i`ve had a few specific questions for him lately, and his advice really was an answer to prayer. i love that the lord puts leaders in our path to help us hear, literally, his voice - what he would say if he were here. i trust 100% in presidente martinez, and i appreciate so much that the lord loves me enough to have sent him right when i was in need of counsel and comfort. i left the interview with a renewed feeling of peace, and goals set in ways that i could improve. it was a much-needed and inspired visit.
we are going to have a miracle baptism this weekend! his name is ricardo, and he`s a 19-yr old younger brother of a recently-reactivating member (did you get all that? haha). we met him a few weeks ago and got his address, but hadn`t made it a goal to visit him because he didn`t show all that much interest. which made us all the more surprised when he showed up with his brother at general conference! we had a short lessing with him between sessions, and set an appointment to visit him the next day. he came to the afternoon session as well, and said that he really enjoyed it! his older brother is a convert as of 6 or 7 years, and was inactive until just a few months ago. ricardo said that he`d been to church before, and has always felt something special, and as we taught him about baptism and the atonement, he decided right away that it was something he wanted to do! the test was when we told him that he could prepare for the following weekend, because he`d already attended church for the required amount of time, and we could teach and prepare him in the following week. he struggled a bit with the idea, but after hearing our testimony and that of a member/friend that was accompanying us, he asked, "so, what time is my baptism on saturday?" ahh! a question every missionary loves to hear. we have seriously been so blessed with ricardo. i`ve never met anyone so prepared to receive and accept the gospel in their lives. he said the other day, "the next time i go to church, i won`t be a guest, but a member!" his excitement is contagious. i love that god is willing to bless us with miracles, even though i feel like we`ve truly done so little in comparison to receive them.
lately i`ve found a special comfort and strength in the songs of the children`s songbook, especially "i feel my savior`s love," and "i`m trying to be like jesus," it has a lot to do with what i shared last week about when we feel the love of the savior, we are more motivated to show love for others, and try to be more and more like christ every day. listen to the song and read the lyrics by clicking the link (if it doesn`t work, luckily you have the benefit of being in the real world where you can look them up on youtube!)
http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=2&searchseqstart=74&searchsubseqstart= &searchseqend=74&searchsubseqend=ZZZ
sending all of my love and prayers from chile.
hermanita wright
i FINALLY cut my hair! i`m a little stingy with who i trust my hair with, so i have managed to avoid it for the last...11 months. yep, my entire time here in chile. but there`s a member who always cuts the hermana`s hair, and for a reason! it turned out great! the internet here is really slow here, but i`ll send fotos next week.
presidente martinez came down to our sector for a visit! he was present in our district meeting, and afterwords did a few interviews, and hna del castillo and i each got to talk to him one-on-one! i`ve had a few specific questions for him lately, and his advice really was an answer to prayer. i love that the lord puts leaders in our path to help us hear, literally, his voice - what he would say if he were here. i trust 100% in presidente martinez, and i appreciate so much that the lord loves me enough to have sent him right when i was in need of counsel and comfort. i left the interview with a renewed feeling of peace, and goals set in ways that i could improve. it was a much-needed and inspired visit.
we are going to have a miracle baptism this weekend! his name is ricardo, and he`s a 19-yr old younger brother of a recently-reactivating member (did you get all that? haha). we met him a few weeks ago and got his address, but hadn`t made it a goal to visit him because he didn`t show all that much interest. which made us all the more surprised when he showed up with his brother at general conference! we had a short lessing with him between sessions, and set an appointment to visit him the next day. he came to the afternoon session as well, and said that he really enjoyed it! his older brother is a convert as of 6 or 7 years, and was inactive until just a few months ago. ricardo said that he`d been to church before, and has always felt something special, and as we taught him about baptism and the atonement, he decided right away that it was something he wanted to do! the test was when we told him that he could prepare for the following weekend, because he`d already attended church for the required amount of time, and we could teach and prepare him in the following week. he struggled a bit with the idea, but after hearing our testimony and that of a member/friend that was accompanying us, he asked, "so, what time is my baptism on saturday?" ahh! a question every missionary loves to hear. we have seriously been so blessed with ricardo. i`ve never met anyone so prepared to receive and accept the gospel in their lives. he said the other day, "the next time i go to church, i won`t be a guest, but a member!" his excitement is contagious. i love that god is willing to bless us with miracles, even though i feel like we`ve truly done so little in comparison to receive them.
lately i`ve found a special comfort and strength in the songs of the children`s songbook, especially "i feel my savior`s love," and "i`m trying to be like jesus," it has a lot to do with what i shared last week about when we feel the love of the savior, we are more motivated to show love for others, and try to be more and more like christ every day. listen to the song and read the lyrics by clicking the link (if it doesn`t work, luckily you have the benefit of being in the real world where you can look them up on youtube!)
http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=2&searchseqstart=74&searchsubseqstart= &searchseqend=74&searchsubseqend=ZZZ
sending all of my love and prayers from chile.
hermanita wright
October 8, 2012
so, once upon a time, aka a week ago sunday, i got bit by a dog (as i had mentioned last week). i went to the hospital and they cleaned it out, but didn´t say anything about getting vaccinated or anything, just to observe the dog and come back if anything strange happened at the site of the wound...uhhh ok thanks...haha. i called hna martinez (wife of the mission president, who is in charge of everything health-related), and she said she´d find out if i´d need to get a rabies vaccine. RABIES!!! i couldn´t believe it. everyone that i talked to told me that i needed to get the vaccine, and couldn´t believe that i hadn´t gone back to the hospital to get treated. i wasn´t all that worried about it at first, but when the whole world tells you that you most likey have a disease, it starts to get to you. i kept trying to get in contact with hna martinez, but she didn´t answer until yesterday, so pretty much i went a whole week wondering whether or not i had rabies...ugh.haha. luckily hna martinez said that if i hadn´t had any symptoms for the first 24 hours, i don´t need the vaccine, which is why she hadn´t called me back. phew. crisis averted. nice to know that i won´t be coming back home as a werewolf or something...
general conference, of course, was AMAZING!!! of course, the big news is that the youth can now leave on missions at 18/19 years old! many of the young single adults here in pitrufquén will now be able to leave within a few months instead of waiting another 1-2 years! also, one of the young women who´d just turned 19 a couple days ago felt the impression to serve a mission, even though she´d never thought about it before! she started balling during the session, and said that she felt a peace knowing that the lord was guiding her to this point, where she could be willing to follow his direction. it was a great experience.
i wish i had time to talk about all of the things i learned and felt from conference, but it´ll have to wait until next week, because i´m almost out of time! also, a miracle of the week, one of the investigators that hna nelson and i had found in caupolicán, shirley (the 20 yr old who is a cashier in a supermarket) got baptized on friday, and paulo baptized her! i was so excited when i heard, because i´d been able to teach and get to know her, and now she´s a member of the church! love it :) scriptures of the week:
john 17:3, john 14:27, john 13:34-35
this life is to get to know christ, our savior, and to follow his example. as we get to know him, we love him. as we grow in our love for him, we want to obey his commandments. his primary commandments are to love him, and LOVE OUR BRETHREN. that is why i´m here on this earth: to be an example of christ in showing love for others as he would.
gotta go
lots of love,
sophia
general conference, of course, was AMAZING!!! of course, the big news is that the youth can now leave on missions at 18/19 years old! many of the young single adults here in pitrufquén will now be able to leave within a few months instead of waiting another 1-2 years! also, one of the young women who´d just turned 19 a couple days ago felt the impression to serve a mission, even though she´d never thought about it before! she started balling during the session, and said that she felt a peace knowing that the lord was guiding her to this point, where she could be willing to follow his direction. it was a great experience.
i wish i had time to talk about all of the things i learned and felt from conference, but it´ll have to wait until next week, because i´m almost out of time! also, a miracle of the week, one of the investigators that hna nelson and i had found in caupolicán, shirley (the 20 yr old who is a cashier in a supermarket) got baptized on friday, and paulo baptized her! i was so excited when i heard, because i´d been able to teach and get to know her, and now she´s a member of the church! love it :) scriptures of the week:
john 17:3, john 14:27, john 13:34-35
this life is to get to know christ, our savior, and to follow his example. as we get to know him, we love him. as we grow in our love for him, we want to obey his commandments. his primary commandments are to love him, and LOVE OUR BRETHREN. that is why i´m here on this earth: to be an example of christ in showing love for others as he would.
gotta go
lots of love,
sophia
October 1, 2012
not much time (surprised?) so here are the hilights:
monday
went to temuco and got to have lunch with hna miller and hna nelson! it was nice to be with my "family" again, and to hear that things are going really well in my former ward
tuesday
found out that my mission credit card will arrive tomorrow, and that i´ll finally have money to buy groceries! that wsa some great news
thursday
had a really sweet lesson with eliana, a progressing investigator who just accepts everything we share with her. she´d shared with missionaries before, and feels that she wsa being prepared to accept the gospel at this point in her life. she committed to be baptized on the 13, and we´re all super excited to see her progress over the next few weeks!
yeferson, a 13 year old that had shared with my companion before i got here, also committed to be baptized the 13th, and he shared that him and his mom have been reading the book of mormon every night, and that they´re already in 3rd nefi! i was so excited for them.
friday
we had an appointment with a less active member named danielle, who´s 18. we shared about prayer and charity, and she shared a quote she´d found that says, "the fruit of prayer is the deepening (not sure of the translation) of faith. the fruit of faith is love." i really liked the imagery and explanation.
sunday
got bit by a dog and had to go to the hospital...haha that was quite the adventure. everything is fine, and i´ll fill you in on the details (with fotos!) next week when i have a bit more time.
from my studies:
read this article! :
http://www.lds.org/liahona/2012/09/sharing-the-gospel-by-sharing-you?lang=eng
that´s all i have time for! love you. you´re in my prayers always.
fifi.
monday
went to temuco and got to have lunch with hna miller and hna nelson! it was nice to be with my "family" again, and to hear that things are going really well in my former ward
tuesday
found out that my mission credit card will arrive tomorrow, and that i´ll finally have money to buy groceries! that wsa some great news
thursday
had a really sweet lesson with eliana, a progressing investigator who just accepts everything we share with her. she´d shared with missionaries before, and feels that she wsa being prepared to accept the gospel at this point in her life. she committed to be baptized on the 13, and we´re all super excited to see her progress over the next few weeks!
yeferson, a 13 year old that had shared with my companion before i got here, also committed to be baptized the 13th, and he shared that him and his mom have been reading the book of mormon every night, and that they´re already in 3rd nefi! i was so excited for them.
friday
we had an appointment with a less active member named danielle, who´s 18. we shared about prayer and charity, and she shared a quote she´d found that says, "the fruit of prayer is the deepening (not sure of the translation) of faith. the fruit of faith is love." i really liked the imagery and explanation.
sunday
got bit by a dog and had to go to the hospital...haha that was quite the adventure. everything is fine, and i´ll fill you in on the details (with fotos!) next week when i have a bit more time.
from my studies:
read this article! :
http://www.lds.org/liahona/2012/09/sharing-the-gospel-by-sharing-you?lang=eng
that´s all i have time for! love you. you´re in my prayers always.
fifi.
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