October 16, 2012 Talcahuano

Hey family!!!! 

So this last week Satan was like trying to kill us and I know why. Lupe is a miracle for us. The impression that we got when we first saw and taught them has proven to be true. She is one who God has been preparing for us. We have taught her and her sister and her daughter, of course, almost every day. They came to church and loved it and are very excited. We have their baptism dates for the tenth of November. I can’t believe her faith. She is so humble and full of the light of Christ that she just knows what we say is true. The spirit just testifies to her and she accepts. Yesterday we taught her the word of wisdom and she accepted it and the law of tithing and even though it will be hard for her to give up coffee she is just willing to do it. 

Also, Miguel, the husband of a member accepted baptism and is preparing. Hopefully he can get baptized here soon too. We have another lady we found who loves the Book of Mormon and wants to go to church and is very interested. And another family of three that we found that we are going to teach again tonight. They all have quite a bit of interest in the gospel. We are going to go for 8 baptisms in November. 

Mom thanks for all that service you are doing and I hope this news helps. We could baptize 8 people so please everybody pray for these people especially Lupe and Rayen and Elda. I don’t know if I have ever felt the love of God so strong for anybody besides my family. Marcos is having a little bit of a hard time but we are trying to keep helping him. He will walk with faith. He is cool. 

Today will be interesting I am going to work with president… He wants to work with me to visit a less active member and then I think we are going to take him to meet Lupe. I love our president. He is soo loving and so powerful and I love him a lot. So the adversary is trying to kill us right now cause we are going to at least bring 8 of God’s children back to him. I am so grateful for this gospel and I am glad everything is good back home!! I love you all!

October 8, 2016 Talcahuano

Well family this last week has been a great week. We had conference which was so incredible. I am so excited that Jess can leave on a mission soon. She will be such a light to the world!! She is right now but as a missionary? Cool beans!! There is no other word for it. 

This week we had some miracles happen. We have been struggling with helping investigators progress but this week we contacted a family. It was a mom with two daughters. When I saw her something was trying to tell me not to talk to her. So I did. And she and her family just glowed with the light of Christ. And when we asked if we could pass by and share a message with her she accepted right away. I assumed she was a member or something. But no. We got to the first lesson and she has never shared with missionaries. She said she had been to some other churches but she did not like it. Well, we taught her about prophets and apostasy. She understood and knew what we said was true because the spirit touched the Light of Christ that she has. Then she told us a story that shocked me. When she was just a little girl both of her parents died at the same time from cancer. She said that she would like to know why and where they are. Well that put tears into my eyes knowing that we have the answer that she has been searching for her whole life. We testified that God does have a plan. We have another lesson with her today. Her name is Lupe and she has two daughters - one who is ten, Rayen, and one who is like three or four. Her husband left her and she just lives with her sisters and some of them also are interested. I have never seen someone so humble and loving. She just beams with light and I know she will be able to recognize the truthfulness of this message. I love them so much and all the hard times and failure in the work and in my own life have paid off to be able to finally be guided to people who really need the gospel in their lives. 

Also, the husband of a member finally let us teach him and he is progressing very well. We are happy and I hope sooo much that Lupe and her daughter get baptized. Please pray for them!! Thanks for your prayers. I am so grateful for the atonement, that even me, one of the most imperfect things on this planet can receive forgiveness to be able to help others with the gospel. 

I love you all and Jess turn in your papers and come on down to Chile to the mission celestial!!! Tee hee!!

October 1, 2012 Talcahuano

Sorry we had a conference for the leaders today so I didn’t have p-day and no time to write. But two things that happened; One we baptized a girl with nine years. Her dad got baptized like four months ago and so he got to do the baptism. It was great!

The other is that we are teaching more and well that feeling that God gave me and my comp in the house of Marcos was a message to perform a miracle in his life. We went to his house and just about three weeks ago I gave him a blessing that his brain would be able to work so that he could learn to walk again. Well we got to his house and the first time we lifted him up and he walked good. But we had to basically carry him still. The second time he walked with us hardly holding him up. The third time he stood up by himself grabbed the hand of his sister and walked without my help or hers. Just his hand clasped tight for comfort. He looked up with a smile and we all clapped for him. And then he said. OK! Now when are we going to the states?!!! haha I hope somehow we can get him a ticket to the states one day. So, just as God has said, miracles have not ceased among the children of men.

I have to go run to work now but I testify that when I first met Marcos he could barely take two steps with us using all our force but after the blessing he is walking. God lives and he loves all of us. I love you all and have a good week!

September 24, 2012 Talcahuano

This last week has been good, just working like crazy. I am trying and a lot of times I feel really small and not able to do the work in the right way but I am trusting that God will teach me how to be better. We have a baptism on Saturday of a girl named Belen. Her dad got baptized about five months ago and he will be baptizing her. It was great to be able to teach her. We are trying hard to help people progress but it has been a challenge. The work is not easy!! but it is moving forward and it’s so amazing to be a part of it!!

My kid is doing well. He is learning. It’s interesting cause I feel like I have spoken Spanish my whole life when in reality I couldn’t speak either 8 months ago… Actually, when I was really struggling in the mtc with Spanish a district president there made me a promise. He said to me If you push through the hard and leave on your mission you will not only speak good Spanish but you will speak perfect Spanish. That promise is coming true. I can speak and without an accent haha. So I know that God will help Elder Durrant as well and help me to not feel so insufficient for the work because it is His work, not mine. So we are doing well.

I felt frustrated yesterday because we were really trying to get an investigator to church and they didn’t come. I started to wonder if I was not doing well or working bad. Well after church we went to Marcos, our friend who has multiple sclerosis, and we were doing exercises with him, throwing a ball and talking to him. We asked him if he wanted to meet our families and he said very firmly yes!! And then he stuttered out can I go to the United States with you and your companion? And we told him if he does his exercises and gets better and walks we will find a way to bring him to the states. And then he said really loud "¡Vamos!” which is let’s go!!! In that moment the Spirit came down upon me and my companion. I literally felt the love that God has for Marcos and for the service that we could do for him. It was such a strong feeling of peace and comfort that I knew that it was God telling me that He is happy with our hard work even if there are challenges and not a ton of baptisms. Even if I don’t baptize one more person in my mission I know that at least I could help Marcos progress and feel happy and most importantly feel the love that God has for him. I really love Marcos and that was a very sacred and touching experience. The feeling and power we felt were NOT from this world. It was the love of God. 

Thanks for all your prayers and support. I love you all!!

Chile National Holiday! September 18, 2012

Well I gave birth to an elder from Utah!! from Milfred Utah! His name is Elder Durrant! He is a very cool kid and we had a good first week together. We were supposed to have two baptisms this week but they couldn’t make it to church so now we are waiting for the 29^th. But it is interesting being a trainer! I didn’t even notice but I speak fluent Spanish!! It is interesting to see my comp cause he is just starting to learn. It is a pretty hard experience but it is worth it. They also put another sector in my district so I am really busy and I got a little overwhelmed and scared but I realized once again that I just need to trust in the Lord and do the very best that I can to help him my district and my sector. 

We are looking for people to teach. It’s pretty hard because the people are really hard these days but we have found a lot of people to teach before. We just have to find them again. Sometimes I feel like I am not good enough or something because I don’t have a ton of success but then I remember what our beloved prophet said, "Do your duty that is best leave unto the Lord the rest." I am constantly trying to do better for him and teach him all that I know and leave the rest unto the Lord. In the end even if I only baptize the six that I have and nobody else, as long as I worked my best with what I have I am ok. Because the Lord will never take away the agency of someone to give me and my comp a baptism. So we are doing really well, working hard, and loving it. 

So something really funny about Elder Durrant is that his first and middle names are Nathan Allen.... and at home everyone calls him Nate. So I am pretty sure President  just looked at our names and said "well that was the easiest revelation I have ever received!" and put us together, haha. So we are doing good, working hard, and trying and trying to find those that need this gospel in their lives. That is our goal and my goal for the mission is to find at least one family that will make it to the temple one day.

I have grown to love the scriptures even more ( if you can believe that...) and I have a goal to memorize about four hundred and thirty scriptures by the time I get home. That will help me a lot with my teaching for seminary later on if I get to do that. I have about thirty five so far so that’s pretty fun!

And today is the national holiday here in Chile so for that reason I am writing today and we have a big activity with the whole stake today so that will be fun!!! We are going to eat a lot... I love you family and I hope all is well!!!