Matias and the branch president
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Matias got baptized!
Wow. Another transfer has come and gone. I can`t belive how fast it went by. This last transfer was like a dream. Matias got baptized!!!! Oh, it was so special. Though kind of sad because his family didn´t come to support him. Though nothing could have wiped away his smiles yesterday. Matias has the purest heart. I have decided that Sundays are the craziest day of the week in the life of a missionary. Actually I decided that clear back in my first transfer. It`s incredible the roller coaster that you ride as a missionary....one second you`re on top of the world, in the very next 20 seconds you`re about as low as ever and then in the same hour something incredible happens and everything hard about the day is made up and life couldn`t get better. Sometimes I feel like I am floating on clouds. It`s incredible.
Have I mentioned Karina y Pablito?? They are a mother and son that are preparing to be baptized. They are incredible, I always leave jaw dropped from the sharing with them. Pablito is 8 years old. He is so cute and the only thing he wants to do is get baptized. We taught them on Saturday about tithing and when we finised Pablo asked if he could pay his tithing. We told him he didn`t need to pay it because he still isn`t a member. But when they got to church he came proudly with his tithing envelope in hand ready to pay his tithing. They stayed for the baptism of Matias (the husband of Karina actually came too!!). Pablito said that when Matias went in the water he felt something in his chest, ¨like happiness!!¨ Oh! He is so incredible. We`ve been teaching Karia for a while and she keeps having crazy cool experiences with the Book of Mormon. It has answered a lot of her questions. Though she has still been looking for a more definite answer. She reads from the beginning of the Book of Mormon with Pablo every night and she said that the other night she wanted to read something that reached her more. So she opened the book and landed in Alma 32....and she LOVED it. It couldn`t have been an answer more obvious to her. She said she read the chapter like 3 times and every time she found something new that she said hit her.
And some new news... Today arrived two elders that will be working in the same sector as Hna. Olson and I. There has been a lot of growth as a branch and the area is HUGE so presidente put two more missionaries here. I`m really excited, but it will be interesting sharing a sector with elders.
Hna. Bonilla left, but came Hna. Pastrana. She was the ¨daughter¨ of Hna. Olson. It`s funny because we live with Hna. Black too and she was my ¨daughter¨ of the mission. It will be fun.
It was GREAT talking to you. It`s true, it seems like you`re just around the corner. I really loved it. It`s good to hear you`re all doing so well. Tell Grandma thanks for the christmas money. I love you all so much. I really really do!!! I hope you have a great new year! !
CHAOOOO!!!
Hna. Jones
Have I mentioned Karina y Pablito?? They are a mother and son that are preparing to be baptized. They are incredible, I always leave jaw dropped from the sharing with them. Pablito is 8 years old. He is so cute and the only thing he wants to do is get baptized. We taught them on Saturday about tithing and when we finised Pablo asked if he could pay his tithing. We told him he didn`t need to pay it because he still isn`t a member. But when they got to church he came proudly with his tithing envelope in hand ready to pay his tithing. They stayed for the baptism of Matias (the husband of Karina actually came too!!). Pablito said that when Matias went in the water he felt something in his chest, ¨like happiness!!¨ Oh! He is so incredible. We`ve been teaching Karia for a while and she keeps having crazy cool experiences with the Book of Mormon. It has answered a lot of her questions. Though she has still been looking for a more definite answer. She reads from the beginning of the Book of Mormon with Pablo every night and she said that the other night she wanted to read something that reached her more. So she opened the book and landed in Alma 32....and she LOVED it. It couldn`t have been an answer more obvious to her. She said she read the chapter like 3 times and every time she found something new that she said hit her.
And some new news... Today arrived two elders that will be working in the same sector as Hna. Olson and I. There has been a lot of growth as a branch and the area is HUGE so presidente put two more missionaries here. I`m really excited, but it will be interesting sharing a sector with elders.
Hna. Bonilla left, but came Hna. Pastrana. She was the ¨daughter¨ of Hna. Olson. It`s funny because we live with Hna. Black too and she was my ¨daughter¨ of the mission. It will be fun.
It was GREAT talking to you. It`s true, it seems like you`re just around the corner. I really loved it. It`s good to hear you`re all doing so well. Tell Grandma thanks for the christmas money. I love you all so much. I really really do!!! I hope you have a great new year! !
CHAOOOO!!!
Hna. Jones
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Okay so this week was CRAZY!!! But it ended. Whew! Just kidding... kind of.... But really. It was crazy. The sad thing is Matías didn´t get baptized. Acutally it`s not too sad because we moved his date to THIS weekend. He should be ready then. We almost didn`t have another baptism, but everything worked out. I`m not exactly sure how but everything always seems to work out in the end! I have really seen the hand of our Heavenly Father in this work. Working miracles! I have been thinking a lot lately about my blessings. I know my Heavenly Father loves me, and I feel this blessing muy grande en mi vida. I know he loves everyone of us. I feel so strongly that this is certain, though sometimes I don`t do well at sharing a love for everyone. What a great time it is to start a new year, with new goals...eh?
Yesterday in church we kind of had an interesting experience. We had a lot of investigators in the sacramental meeting, but one of the members brought her daughter that is about 40 years old and has a mental problem. That`s great that she came, but she got up in the middle of the meeting and started walking even up in on the stage and then started shouting and crying but crying in a really scary way... I felt so bad for her, and for our investigators that went for the first time.
We had a Christmas devotional yesterday...which was incredible!!! It was with the whole district and everyone sang Christmas music (even the missionaries!) A youth orquestra came too, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
I am really enjoying my time with Hna. Olson. I laugh a LOT with her. It`s actually fun knocking doors because... I`m not sure why... But it is. We get a kick out of the crazies (that I love, not judge) and we work well together. Transfers are this next week, so I am praying that we can have another transfer before I leave Guadalupe. Oh! This next week they are going to put a pair of elders in our branch, so we are going to be 4 missionaries here!! I am so excited. Guadalupe has needed more missionaries for a long time because this area is giant and right now we`re on fiiiaaaaaa!!
Well, I hope we can all remember CHRIST in our crazy busy holidays. And that everyone has a sweet-dog Christmas. Speaking of dog, the other day when we got up in the morning we found a dog in our front lawn. Just laying down, being lazy...The thing is we have a fence around our house so I have no idea how how she got in! It was funny.Okay, I`ll be talking to you all in a few days! I love you all so much!!!
Hna. Jones
Yesterday in church we kind of had an interesting experience. We had a lot of investigators in the sacramental meeting, but one of the members brought her daughter that is about 40 years old and has a mental problem. That`s great that she came, but she got up in the middle of the meeting and started walking even up in on the stage and then started shouting and crying but crying in a really scary way... I felt so bad for her, and for our investigators that went for the first time.
We had a Christmas devotional yesterday...which was incredible!!! It was with the whole district and everyone sang Christmas music (even the missionaries!) A youth orquestra came too, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
I am really enjoying my time with Hna. Olson. I laugh a LOT with her. It`s actually fun knocking doors because... I`m not sure why... But it is. We get a kick out of the crazies (that I love, not judge) and we work well together. Transfers are this next week, so I am praying that we can have another transfer before I leave Guadalupe. Oh! This next week they are going to put a pair of elders in our branch, so we are going to be 4 missionaries here!! I am so excited. Guadalupe has needed more missionaries for a long time because this area is giant and right now we`re on fiiiaaaaaa!!
Well, I hope we can all remember CHRIST in our crazy busy holidays. And that everyone has a sweet-dog Christmas. Speaking of dog, the other day when we got up in the morning we found a dog in our front lawn. Just laying down, being lazy...The thing is we have a fence around our house so I have no idea how how she got in! It was funny.Okay, I`ll be talking to you all in a few days! I love you all so much!!!
Hna. Jones
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Actividad de la Navidad
Hola!
I got the package!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I was squealing with joy when I saw the box full of knee highs. I was becoming desparate...hehe. But thanks a lot, and thanks for the CD`s dad... (hehe), and the christmas candy. I am going to share it with my district mañana. I also got the package from Grandma.. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I Love you grandma, and i Love eating christmas fudge and caramel...yumm! Thank you for thinking about me.
Okay. Whew, that was a lot. But I want to talk about what happend this week... Like I said last week Javiera and Valentina had plans to be baptized on Saturday. Right? Everything went so well in their preparations. They had prayed and recieved testimonies, they have felt the spirit and reconized it. They LOVE church and read their scriptures everyday...So Saturday in the morning we went to review the baptismal interview questions before their interviews. Everything went well with Valentina (who`s 10 years old), and then we talked with Javiera (who`s 12 years old). She answered all the questions with confidence and shared her testimony. And then in the last question that asks if they are ready to make this covenant with God, she answered ¨Actually, Hermanas, I want to talk to you about something...¨ And then told us about an experience she had just days earlier when she was visiting her grandma and Dad. Turns out they totally tore her down in her testimony and her desires to be baptised. Told her things about how she`s doing something dumb and doesn`t understand. She told us how she left so confused and had been praying for an answer to her confusion but still didn`t feel anything. But she had her interview with the district leader, though decided that she wasn`t going to be baptized in the end, at least not right now. We felt so sad.. i didn`t know what to do. So we supported her and prayed with her and for her and fasted even and then came the day of her baptism. When she got to the church with all her family she saw us and said, ¨Hermanas, I`m going to get baptized!!!¨ OH! I jumped and squealed and she did too. It was wonderful. She said that she had been praying so much, but right when she got to the church she felt GOOD and she felt like it was right after all. Turns out more than anything she got cold feet... but she was baptised with her little sister and it was beautiful. They were both so happy and explained how they felt so happy and light. She was giddy even. It was awesome (not so awesome leading up to it, but in the end it was sa-weet! I love this family so much.
We are planning a triple baptism this weekend! Three little boys... Well, two 12 year olds, Matias (the friend of Mauricio) and Yoni, the missionaries have taught him since 4 months ago! But now he is ready and his mom is returning to the church too!! And another boy named Christopher, he is 11 years old. His family is returning to the church too. It`s BACAN!!!
I am so happy with Hna. Olson. I feel like we make a great team. She helps me a lot if I worry or get stressed out...(it doesn`t happen too much)
Yesterday we had the actividad de la navidad with the whole mission!!! It was awesome. We just played sports the entire 5 hours together. I got sun burned on my lips. Ouch. That stinks it is so cold there. Did you know it is HOTTTTT here? It doesn`t feel a thing like the Christmas season. Not a thing. But the people seem to be more receptive to the message, to hearing about Jesucristo.
Okay, that`s all for now.
CHAOOO!
Hermana Jones
I got the package!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I was squealing with joy when I saw the box full of knee highs. I was becoming desparate...hehe. But thanks a lot, and thanks for the CD`s dad... (hehe), and the christmas candy. I am going to share it with my district mañana. I also got the package from Grandma.. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I Love you grandma, and i Love eating christmas fudge and caramel...yumm! Thank you for thinking about me.
Okay. Whew, that was a lot. But I want to talk about what happend this week... Like I said last week Javiera and Valentina had plans to be baptized on Saturday. Right? Everything went so well in their preparations. They had prayed and recieved testimonies, they have felt the spirit and reconized it. They LOVE church and read their scriptures everyday...So Saturday in the morning we went to review the baptismal interview questions before their interviews. Everything went well with Valentina (who`s 10 years old), and then we talked with Javiera (who`s 12 years old). She answered all the questions with confidence and shared her testimony. And then in the last question that asks if they are ready to make this covenant with God, she answered ¨Actually, Hermanas, I want to talk to you about something...¨ And then told us about an experience she had just days earlier when she was visiting her grandma and Dad. Turns out they totally tore her down in her testimony and her desires to be baptised. Told her things about how she`s doing something dumb and doesn`t understand. She told us how she left so confused and had been praying for an answer to her confusion but still didn`t feel anything. But she had her interview with the district leader, though decided that she wasn`t going to be baptized in the end, at least not right now. We felt so sad.. i didn`t know what to do. So we supported her and prayed with her and for her and fasted even and then came the day of her baptism. When she got to the church with all her family she saw us and said, ¨Hermanas, I`m going to get baptized!!!¨ OH! I jumped and squealed and she did too. It was wonderful. She said that she had been praying so much, but right when she got to the church she felt GOOD and she felt like it was right after all. Turns out more than anything she got cold feet... but she was baptised with her little sister and it was beautiful. They were both so happy and explained how they felt so happy and light. She was giddy even. It was awesome (not so awesome leading up to it, but in the end it was sa-weet! I love this family so much.
We are planning a triple baptism this weekend! Three little boys... Well, two 12 year olds, Matias (the friend of Mauricio) and Yoni, the missionaries have taught him since 4 months ago! But now he is ready and his mom is returning to the church too!! And another boy named Christopher, he is 11 years old. His family is returning to the church too. It`s BACAN!!!
I am so happy with Hna. Olson. I feel like we make a great team. She helps me a lot if I worry or get stressed out...(it doesn`t happen too much)
Yesterday we had the actividad de la navidad with the whole mission!!! It was awesome. We just played sports the entire 5 hours together. I got sun burned on my lips. Ouch. That stinks it is so cold there. Did you know it is HOTTTTT here? It doesn`t feel a thing like the Christmas season. Not a thing. But the people seem to be more receptive to the message, to hearing about Jesucristo.
Okay, that`s all for now.
CHAOOO!
Hermana Jones
Monday, December 7, 2009
Refreshment
!Hola, todos!
No, I haven`t recieved the Christmas package yet… but I am sure it has arrived. The only ¨down part¨ of being here in the south of the mission is that mail doesn`t come that often. But there is a christmas activity next Monday in Rancagua, so I`ll be hoping to get it there. Woohoo! Is it really Christmas time? It feels like… summer. The hot weather has come and it`s staying…I come home and the only thing I want to do is shower the dirt and sweat off. Nice, huh?
Alrighty then. Last week…is over. It was rather rough (ruff!). Mauricio has had a few things happen in his life this past week that have weighed him down quite a bit. This has weighed us down a bit. He has been suffering too, and it hurts my heart so much. But he is going to get through this trial and thankfully he has a lot of support from the church leaders and the youth. But you know what? Matias, the friend of Mauricio is doing so well! He went to Church for the first time yesterday and is more exicted than ever to be baptized.
AND guess what??! You remember Andres and Gabriella and their hijitos?? Well, the not so great news is that they are not going to get married right away like they planned. But for a handful of reasons that I don`t feel like explaining they will be getting married in a few months. And there Gabriella will be baptized. BUT her two daughters Javiera and Valentina are going to be baptized this weekend!! Oh, they are so special! I feel so good when we teach them. They have taught me so much, they are just little girls but have so much faith, and love and desires to do good. Also Gabriella. She can`t stop talking about the change that the gospel has brought in her life, in all aspects. And Andres and his kids too. I love this family so much! Tonight we are going to have a family home evening, and they have all of the assignments. I love family home evening too. And speaking of family home evening this last Friday we had a ward family home evening and hna olson and I had to do the lesson and I was terrified! But it turned out alright.
Funny story… we are teaching this kid named Oscar. He is actually about 19 years old but has a mental disorder and he acts a lot younger. But he is absolutly hilarious. The other day we went to teach him and when we got there he went to prepare a ¨refreshment¨. With all sincerity in his heart he came back with a bowl of three or 4 pieces of broken bread and a cup of a tiny bit of poured water…. Because that`s how we like our refreshements… I guess you had to be there…
No, I haven`t recieved the Christmas package yet… but I am sure it has arrived. The only ¨down part¨ of being here in the south of the mission is that mail doesn`t come that often. But there is a christmas activity next Monday in Rancagua, so I`ll be hoping to get it there. Woohoo! Is it really Christmas time? It feels like… summer. The hot weather has come and it`s staying…I come home and the only thing I want to do is shower the dirt and sweat off. Nice, huh?
Alrighty then. Last week…is over. It was rather rough (ruff!). Mauricio has had a few things happen in his life this past week that have weighed him down quite a bit. This has weighed us down a bit. He has been suffering too, and it hurts my heart so much. But he is going to get through this trial and thankfully he has a lot of support from the church leaders and the youth. But you know what? Matias, the friend of Mauricio is doing so well! He went to Church for the first time yesterday and is more exicted than ever to be baptized.
AND guess what??! You remember Andres and Gabriella and their hijitos?? Well, the not so great news is that they are not going to get married right away like they planned. But for a handful of reasons that I don`t feel like explaining they will be getting married in a few months. And there Gabriella will be baptized. BUT her two daughters Javiera and Valentina are going to be baptized this weekend!! Oh, they are so special! I feel so good when we teach them. They have taught me so much, they are just little girls but have so much faith, and love and desires to do good. Also Gabriella. She can`t stop talking about the change that the gospel has brought in her life, in all aspects. And Andres and his kids too. I love this family so much! Tonight we are going to have a family home evening, and they have all of the assignments. I love family home evening too. And speaking of family home evening this last Friday we had a ward family home evening and hna olson and I had to do the lesson and I was terrified! But it turned out alright.
Funny story… we are teaching this kid named Oscar. He is actually about 19 years old but has a mental disorder and he acts a lot younger. But he is absolutly hilarious. The other day we went to teach him and when we got there he went to prepare a ¨refreshment¨. With all sincerity in his heart he came back with a bowl of three or 4 pieces of broken bread and a cup of a tiny bit of poured water…. Because that`s how we like our refreshements… I guess you had to be there…
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