¡Feliz semana de Independencia!‏

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What a week! Well it started out wonderful with a great package from my beautiful Grandmother. In it she set lots of goodies and some band aids- to which I thought, ‘‘She must think I have blisters, luckily I don't, I won't really need these'' (foreshadowing) but all the same I enjoyed the package.

We had a good first half of the week, finding a few new people to start teaching and helping the members prepare for 18th- Chile's independence day. It is bigger than Christmas here. We spent 2 mornings baking empanadas with an Hermana for her business. We made something like 70 of them. They are time consuming little things. But SO good.

In the streets we saw lots of kids playing with these wooden dradel type toys called Trumpos. We ask a few what they were and they told us they are traditional toys that they play with around the 18th. Me and my comp bought some to give them a try and they are so hard! You wind them up with a string and throw them at the ground and they spin...well that is what they are meant to do, but all the little kids are pros. We need some practice.
On Thursday we had an earthquake here in Chile! No worries it was very far from me. About 400 miles or so. The craziness is that we felt it here. It did no damage but it shook us up a little. I think the most annoying thing about it was that is distracted our investigators and they wouldn't focus after that. We were actually giving them the 'kill' speech during it (that we aren't going to keep visiting them) I thought it was ironic that it happened during the earthquake.
On the 18th it was a pretty good day. No one let us in. But we expected that with the holiday. We were allowed 2 hours at the church activity and that was really cool to go and see all the youth dance the traditional dances of Chile. They are really serious about that here. We also went to the Plaza, which was set up just like the fair. It was really neat.

The 19th was probably the most boring day of my mission. No one let us in again and we walked all day. Holidays have their ups and downs.

We were walking past a park and I had the great idea to go down the slide (to break up the walking) it was one of those really old metal steep and tall ones. It was a lot of fun until I fell at the end and ripped up my tights and my knees. I put those band aids to use from my Gram. That is what I get.

Well I think that is just about all you want to know about my week.

Love ya!

Besos

Hermana Saunders

Lucky month 7- Letter

Long week, but a good one! We continue to teach Fabian and he is progressing so much. This week we taught him the Word of wisdom  in a  game of basketball. It was a blast. He is just like a regular youth in the ward. We are still working on his mom. She is busy and not making time for us, but praying for an opportunity to teach her.

Last changes we had the sector in deviations with the other Hermanas, but this week we opened it up. We did a lot of walking and knocking to get to know the new sectors but I really think it will be for the best. We were lucky enough to find o lot of less actives this week that are ready to progress, which is exciting.

 Sad news is that we have in our plans to 'kill' our family of investigators this week. It has been 2 weeks without seeing them at church and we have prayed and feel it is time to let them go. I am sad. I am really going to miss them. Well, we will let go with faith. that is all you can do, right?

 We were put to shame this week when a member made fun of how tall our grass was at our house, so this week we took a morning to pull it all up. We couldn't locate any clippers and scissors just wouldn't cut it so we did things the Chilean way and we pulled every bit of it up. It was quite the adventure. Now we have to huge trash bags full of grass that the garbage men won't take... figuring out what to do with it will be our next adventure I guess.

Saturday we had a mission wide service day. In the morning all of the sectors near Concepcion came in and we cleaned a bunch of the streets. We played 'what are the odds' (sort of like truth or dare) with the Elders in our zone and Elder Meza from Peru had to buy me an ice cream. It was a good day.

 This week everyone is preparing for the 18th. It is Chile's Independence Day and they go crazy from what I hear. I am so pumped.

 The weather is really warming up and it is really nice not to lug around out water gear.

 I am doing great. Happy and healthy

Besos,

Hermana Saunders

 

 

 

Lucky 7 months

Hualqui B- Here to stay :)

¡CAMBIOS! Don't worry I am staying in Hualqui with Hermana Prettyman. I was praying for that, so I am happy. It is the most wonderful place in the mission. I am sure of it. There are so many incredible members that just love the missionaries. They have a rule that they can only sign up to give us lunch once a month because they are just so loving and giving and would do it every day if they could. What is even more incredible is that so many of them don't have work and are still so giving and firm in the Gospel. They are such examples to me. I am so grateful.

 It was a balancing act working with Hermana Heaton again this week but we did it, again with the help of the members. We will be having Hermana Pullson coming in to be her new companion this week so things will be back to normal :)

 We had an activity on Friday night- Noche de Country. We taught them all how to dance the cotton eyed joe and made fried oreos. It was a great time. We all really enjoyed ourselves.

 This week we taught a Jovencito Flabian. Our first lesson I was very skeptical about teaching a youth, but I was very pleasantly surprised about how prepared he is for the gospel. His questions are inspired. It was one of the most incredible lessons I have taught on my mission.

He told us he had deja vu, like he already knew us and he was coming home. I just wanted to scream to him: "You are home, the church is true and God loves you and you are his son and you are our brother!" But I kept my head on and continued to teach the Plan of Salvation. We got permission from his mother to continue teaching him and hopefully we can get her in on a lesson this week because the spirit was incredible.

 I am always running out of time but those are the highlights.

Love you!

Besos

 Hermana Saunders

Chinese/ Chilean Food

I just can't get enough of these trios.....‏

Well this week has been loco! I am (technically) in a trio again! WOHO! Don't listen to that anyone says, trios are the best. Hermana Heaton is finishing up her training with me and Hermana Prettyman and her trainer left to be an Hermana Leader in another Sector. So for this next week until cambios we will be together again. With the challenge of managing both her investigators, and ours we have been running around all over the place this week. It has been such a blur I really can't remember half of what happened. It has been a challenge to make time to find new people. Hopefully in a weeks we will have 4 of us again in Hualqui and all will be restored to a normal amount of crazy.Yesterday, as usual we saw so many miracles. Sundays are the most incredible days of the week. A less active that has not been to church in 30 years came! She told us that she wants her life to change and she has come back to be active again. Let me tell you this is not something that happens every day. I am so excited to visit her this week. Without fail you can find a miracles everyday on the mission- but Sundays somehow the blessings are multiplied.

I have learned a lot in this companionship. It is something that I just can't rap my mind around some days, but you are ALWAYS learning on the mission. There really is never a dull moment. You think once you can communicate with people all challenges will vanish you will suddenly be the perfect missionary. I am learning that it doesn't matter how much time I am going to have- I will never be the perfect missionary. And that is okay :) The most important thing I have learned is that you are always trying your best and trying to please the Lord. He is always happy if you are doing your best.

Besos

Hermana Saunders

Exito en Hualqui

The week in Fast-forward

We had a killer Family home evening with our investigators. It was so fun! We watched a little video about the church and our beliefs, then played games and ate. We brought brownies and they were a hit. (They don’t have a lot of stuff like that here) We have a lot more confidence with them now and the mother and daughter came to church again. We will be inviting them to baptism again this week. I think they are ready to accept this time.
Went to the doctor on Friday (calm down mom) my feet have been bugging me and my companion dragged me there to get them checked out. It was a good idea. My arches aren’t doing to good and the doctor says I have the feet of an old lady. He said if we didn’t get them fixed up I would need surgery in the next 10 years. But we are good now. We will be going in another time this week so he can mold some inserts to my feet and then they should be fine.
The other Hermanas in our ward had a baptism and our other investigators, 2 children of a less active, came and saw it. It was great. We will be inviting them again to baptism this week. We are really seeing progress.
We had interviews with President this week and it was so good to chat with him. I am so blessed to have him and Hermana Arrington as my leaders. He gave me some really great advice about not being so hard on myself and about how we can apply the Atonement in all aspects of our lives. It helped a whole lot.
Well some crazy stuff is happening in our house. Hermana Lance, another Hermana in Hualqui is leaving early this cambio to go be an Hermana leader in another sector. She is leaving behind her 'daughter' in the mission, Hermana Heaton, to be alone for 2 weeks. Everyday she has to leave with members in the ward to work! The craziest part is that she is still in her training. When she can’t get a member to come out with her she will be coming out with Hermana Prettyman and I in a trio. The poor girl. But I have so much faith in her and her Spanish is incredible for how little time she has.

So those are the most exciting this happening around hualqui. I am still in love with the sector.

le quiero

Besos

Hermana Saunders