companion #2

Day 104 of the mish... when did that happen?‏

Things have been better this week. The language... is still kinda depends on the day. It is a lot like tuning your radio. You are so close to the station you want, fiddling and fiddling- you can hear bits and pieces and can pick out the general melody and at times it seems super clear but then at others all you can really hear is static. Everyone says that the first 6 months in Chile is like that. Well I guess I only have 4 more months of that :) Having a comp from Argentina is really speeding up the processes though (which is really nice)

Can I just brag for a minute about how awesome my comp is? She is incredible! She is a great teacher first of all, so obedient, so sweet and so funny! She is always serving me too. She cooks the most RICO food too. so yummy. (and then there is me... 'um I could make some hot water for you...') I am so lucky.

Our teaching pool is dwindling again, last week we had high hopes for some people but unfortunately it is becoming clear pretty fast that they are not going to be keeping their commitments so... Chouu! ('But you are always welcome!') We have been exercising a lot of faith in finding the elect.

Another bummer was church yesterday. Our ward is struggling with coming to church... sad fact. We have a lot more work to do with less actives. It is proving to be a challenge. If anything it is teaching me that when I am no longer a full time missionary I will still be needed as a ward missionary, and a ward friend. I am promising here and now (on the internet where it can never be erased) that I will do my visiting teaching- because everyone needs to feel they have friends at church and someone to visit them.

The amount of less actives here has really surprised me. It is so s so sad. It is such a balancing act, but in the end with investigators and less actives- they have their agency. Something I have been learning is that you can visit someone every day, call them every night and carry them to the church but they still might not accept the gospel. And we just have to respect that. You can bring a horse to the water but you can't make it drink. (Literally the living water- that if you drink you will never be thirsty again!!!)

Pero bueno. I am learning to be brave. I am learning that numbers don’t always measure work. I am praying really hard. I am starting to understand.

Besos

Hermana Saunders

Not Ashamed

Not ashamed

I know we must be so close to finding people who are ready because this week it has been a challenge for me to contact. It has been really hard to pluck up the bravery to talk to people this week. I hate feeling like I am bugging people, and often I know I do bug people because it takes so much time to say the things I want to say. I also worry about offending people too- telling them what they are doing is wrong (that their church is not correct or that their pervious baptism really won’t help them on their road to Eternity). I have been praying for strength with that. Yesterday I was reading in the New Testament when Christ set apart his apostles to go out and teach people. In it, it talked about how it is our job (as disciples of Christ) to call people to repentance and that when people do reject our message or our offended, they are not only rejecting us but they are rejecting Christ... and really we can’t change that once someone has made that decision. All we can do is warn people of the danger of sin and invite them to come unto their Savior. So yes, we might bug a few people and yes not everyone is going to like what we are here to say but that does not mean we shouldn’t say the things we have been called to preach. It is not in ANY way easy to talk to strangers or invite people to change but it is what I signed up for. Even more it is what I have been called to do. I have to love and fear the Lord more than I fear these Chilenos.

We have been promised that the field is white and ready to harvest. Sometimes it just takes some strength and faith to put the sikel to work.

Que ley via bien!

Love you!

Cheek kiss

Chou!

Barrio Norte and New Companion

Well got to talk to the fam yesterday which was awesome! It was so great to hear from them and get some wonderful council.

Week one in this Cambio- AMAZING! But really so great, I love my comp. She is from Argentina and doesn't speak  English, but she is so willing to help me with my Spanish.I have already learned so much. We are kindred spirit- both of us are the calm type- work hard, do our best, no need to stress. All the members in Barrio Notre already love her.

We are working hard to find new people to teach- not much luck in finding yet, but we have a lot of faith that things will change soon!

Not much else to report except for a very interesting contact we made last night... We were talking to this women who was trying to give us the brush off when this barracho (drunk guy) walks up and starts talking our ear off about how we never called him. It was extremely awkward. He kept dancing around us and singing and talking really loud. I felt so bad for the other woman. We had almost shaken him when we were walking away and he comes running back trying to hug us... oh my goodness I don't think I have ever laughed so hard. It was crazy- It was an adventure for sure. Welcome to Barrio Norte Hermana Ormeño!

I am happy healthy and safe!

Cheek kiss Chou!

Cambios

Things are loco here in the Concepción missions with tranfers tomorrow. My Companion is headed out to Calcenes (I don’t know how to spell that) to train another newbie, Hermana Torres. I am going to miss her so much! She has taught me so much seriously she is incredible. She will do awesome things in her new area. My new companion is Hermana Ormeña, and she is from Argentina. I have yet to meet her, but from what I hear she sounds awesome. I am excited to have a Latina. It should help a lot with the language. This week has been a little slow as far as teaching, we have been looking for new investigators. I am learning about what real courage is. Time is going so fast. I am enjoying every day. This week I felt Heavenly Father has blessing me immensely with my Spanish. Speaking is still extremely difficult, but I am understanding so much more. It is incredible how helpful having the spirit with us helps with the language.

Thanks for the concern sent my way after hearing about the Hermana's in Concepcion South. There is no need to worry. It is sad what happened and I really don’t understand how it all went down, but I promise I am safe where I am and continually trying to be exactly obedient in following safely guidelines.

In other news an old man proposed to my comp this week.  Barrio Norte seems to be filled with many elderly men and women who just love us. (I feel right at home- shout out to those Country Pine days)

Lovin Life. Things are great, might be gaining weight from all this pan... but I am happy. They spoil us here.

 

Cheek kiss

Hermana Saunders

 

 

 

 

Pictures from my first area!

Pictures at Stake Conference with the Bishop's daughters

Lunch with some awesome members



Noche de Hogar with these sweet chicas in my ward



Leotina with her Temple recommend



Mini exchanges with Hermanss

Hermana Fisher

Newbies Conference

So this week we had a conference for all the newbies that came in with me. It was amazing I learned so so much about teaching, finding, obedience etc. Along with the conference I went on a mini cambio (exchanges) with an hermana leader in another sector, Hermana Fisher. I went to Tome, it is so beautiful there. From area you can see over the whole city and out to the Ocean. Hermana Fisher was in a trio with, and helped train Hermana Howe when she was a newbie, I met her few weeks ago at the zone activity when we went to the beach and so I was so happy I got paired up with her. She has taught me so much. She has incredible energy. I love her.

Spanish is coming. Very... very.... slowly. It really depends on the day and the person, but I am doing my best to improve always. It seems like I will never really be fluent, but right now I would just be satisfied to say more in the lessons.

In other news my ward went to the temple this week and Leontina went through the temple!!! Yes! She is so strong. I only wish a few more of the cute little ladies in our ward would catch her spirit.

Not to much else is happening. Next week is Cambios and there is a good chance Hna Howe will be leaving me (she has 6 months in Barrio Norte), but life is great here. 

Cheek kisses, chow

Hermana Saunders