things i love lately:
- it´s SPRING in chile! ok so not really...we still have a lot of cold days, and spring doesn´t officially start for another couple of months i think, but the flowers have started to bud, and the rain is a LOT less frequent, which makes me quite happy
- i hit my 9 month mark! ok so i don´t really love that all that much becuase it means that the time is going by WAY too fast, but it also helps me look back and see how much i´ve learned and the changes i´ve been able to make as i try and better myself every day
- every time one of our investigators mentions joseph smith, he refers to him as "señor smith" which is kind of strange and makes me giggle a little every time
- our recent convert, eduardo, received the priesthood this sunday! that was SUCH a fulfilling experience. he´s now a priest and will be able to help bless the sacrament! super excited for him
- our newest investigator, paulo (17 year old nephew of a member), is progressing VERy well. he loves coming to church, he loves when we come and teach him, he quit drinking coffee the day we taught him about the word of wisdom, and he expressed how much he´s come to love reading the book of mormon, becuase of the calm, warm feeling it gives him when he reads. as we talked about the story of joseph smith, we asked him if he believed it was true, and he said that he´d prayed to know, and that he´d received his answer that it was. he is so grateful to have found the truth, and expressed to us that he wants to be like us and share with others what he has learned and what has brought him so much joy. we read with him alma 29:9-10, and he said that was EXACTLY how he felt. HE SAID THAT HE WANTS TO BE A MISSIONARY once he gets baptized and has the holy ghost!!! sooooo exciting. also, he bore his testimony on sunday (yes, 2 weeks BEFORE his baptism) and it was one of the most sincere, powerful testimonies that i have heard from anyone his age. it really has been such a miracle to find someone truly prepared to accept the gospel.
- paulo´s fav scripture:
- 9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do anot bglory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember awhat the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.
- our mission leader leaves this week for his mission!
things i don´t love quite so much:
- our mission leader leaves this week...not sure how we´ll get by without him!
- i lost one of my nametags! that one was a major bummer because i had some stickers from the mtc and that some chilean friends had given me, so it was kind of sad to lose, but i´ve ordered a replacement at least and i should get it in a few weeks
- i´ve probably eaten about 8 hot dogs in the last week. i definitely didn´t picture hot dogs when i imagined how the food in south america would be! they chop them up and put them in spaghetti, serve them plain with mashed potatoes, and make them into completos...aparently they´re a staple to the diet! who knew!
- while hna and i were doind a street contact, we literally watched a cat die in the middle of the street. apparently it had just been hit by a car, and we were there to see it take it´s last breaths. for those of you who know me well, as one who can´t even watch the nature channel because i get sad when i see animals chasing other animals to eat them, you understand just how traumatizing this experience was. blech. not fun. especially because we had to just keep talking and stay focused on what we were doing.
that´s all i have time for today, but know that i´m happy and healthy, and learning like crazy every day. something that´s stood out to me is the importance of obedience. it really makes all the difference in whether or not we succeed in life: whether or not we obey god´s commandments so he can bless us with what HE knows we really need to be happy. also, of the importance of the family. i get more and more excited to have my own as i meet and help other families to grow in the gospel. also, i am reminded of the family that i have now, and how blessed i am to have a family that loves and supports me, and that is so firm in the gospel. thank you for being such great examples. i love you!
take care!
la guagua ("the baby")
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