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
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)