Trabajemos hoy el la obra del Señor‏

What a great week! We saw many blessings with finding new people to teach and working with members. I know that the Lord has seen our efforts and I know that he always blesses us for trying.

Something cool we got to do this week was help a recent convert get ready for the day. She is in a wheel chair and can do very little on her own. Working with her has really helped me come to realize how many people need us. As missionaries, as members of the church and as children of God. There is ALWAYS someone who needs your help. 

I was reading the women's session of conference once again this week and I was once again impressed with the call to serve our fellow man. Elder Eyring quoted King Benjamin in Mosiah 4:26

 “And now, for the sake of these things which Ihave spoken unto you that is, for the sake of retaining a remissionof your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, everyman according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry,clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief,both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants” 

I know that to retain a remission of our sins it is necessary to serve others. In our quest for perfection and to be constantly improving we can not over look charity. 

I invite you to look around and serve this week.

Love you!

Hermana Saunders

Come what may and and LOVE them.

The first week of this transfer went really fast. I'm praying that the time will slow down before it ends.

We got so. much. rain. It was really incredible I don't think I have ever been in a storm so strong than what we had on Wednesday. It has been relatively dry, but we got soak to out covenants this week. I thought the wind was going to pick us up. We walk out the door to work after lunch and within less then 30 seconds my umbrella had bent into 30 different angles. It was an adventure for sure. I love my mission.

We had leadership council with President Catala this week and lets just say everything is getting flipped up side down... but it is all for the better and we are excited to see the changes. It was really fun to see some mission friends that I haven't seen for sometime.

Friday we had Mini-missionaries come to our sector and work with us. I was in a trio with a Hermana Novoa from Concepcion who is preparing for the mission and a Hermana Medina who just got baptized 3 months ago and is in a small branch in our stake. It was a lot of fun, although I felt bad we didn't get to teach many people and knocked doors all day. Hermana Novoa said it was a little bit out a wake up call to what the mission was really like. I hope it didn't scare her too much. 

Sunday we had a great class in Principios del Evangelio about sacrifice. It was just what I needed to hear. I had a really sweet impression from the spirit that truly the biggest sacrifice that we can make is to love others. Even though no one opened there doors to us in the rain and cold this week I realized the Lord has called me to love them. So that is what I will do. 

We are in the middle of a zone activity. We have been playing games all morning and we are just waiting for the pizza to cook. Better go snag a piece before it is all gone. Sure do love you!

Besitos

Hermana Saunders

Short cuts to cambios

We had transfers this week! But nothing has changed for us. I will be staying with Hermana Dominguez. I am happy.

Well it was a great week with a lots of miracles. First off. We got LOST.

This sector so so small but there is a little forest area in the middle of it all so sometimes we have to walk a while to get around. Well the other day we got really sick of it and decided we were going to find a short cut.... bad idea. basically we barely got out before dark and had to run past a group of drunk men. It was a dumb idea. The Lord is teaching me patients.

BUT the same day we saw a bug miracle...

We told our district leader to fast for us- as a joke- because we haven't been finding progressing investigators. Well, he loves us so much that he really did it and you know what happened? We went to visit some old investigators that stopped progressing and they were begging us to come in and teach them. We taught the restoration and they deeply thanked us as we left. They said they had been waiting to hear it and that they FELT the spirit very strong that they hadn't felt before. It was the most incredible lesson I have had her in 18. We will see if it was enough to have them keep there commitments this week.

It has been very cold here and strangely without rain. We burned our heater into the wall by accident because we have been using it so much... Whoops. We will be calling the office elders about that today. 

I am loving 18 excited to meet the new Hermana that is coming to live with us. 

Have a great week!

Besitos!

Hermana Saunders

Good bye President and Hermana Arrington

So it has been a great and an amazingly fast week. While we are still on the search, we have had a little more luck ;) Heavenly Father sure takes his time but the blessings always come.

We had a really amazing conference on Friday where we said goodbye to President and Sister Arrington :( I have to say it came really 'full circle.'

Because it was one of my last conferences in the mission they made me and the others that are leaving in the next 2 cambios bare their testimony in front of the whole mission. I wanted to die. The funny thing is I have absolutely no shame in teaching angry evangelico preachers but something about speaking in front of other missionaries absolutely terrifies me. Some how the words came out and I sat down. The zone Linares sang a musical number that my first zone sang in my first zone conference. It was really beautiful. President gave his testimony and I cried the whole time. I love the mission so much. It was so awesome to see all my friends that are in far sectors. We had a really powerful moment when, after lunch, one missionary started to sing 'the spirit of God' and than we all came in. I am going to miss the Arringtons so much.

We had a mini-cambio with Frutillares this week and it made me really sad that I am not traninng anymore. I want more hijas. Oh well it was good to see the one I have this week in the conference. She is still killing it in Linares. I am so proud of her.

Well those are the highlights of the week.

Love ya!

Besitos 

Hermana Saunders 

The Battle is Real

Sorry my letter last week was so lame. I was a little distracted but I took better notes to give you an update on other fun events that happened this week.

I got bite by a Dog! not to worry. He bit my boot and hardly even made a scratch but It has put new fear into me and my companion... I am starting to think that Satan travels in the form of a German Shepard. 

We had zone conference. Usually president comes but he is busy tying everything up for the new President to come in a week so we and the zone leaders set everything up. Me and my comp taught a class about Boldness. We used the examples of Peter and Moses and how knowing WHO they were helped them to be bold and successful in bringing people unto Christ. 

We had two ward activities that went really well. They love to feed us here. I really have no faith in the diet I started.

In the ward the sacrament is the last hours so everyone come really late to the classes. Everyone was like- don't fight it Hermanas This is just how we are... NO that is definitely Satan talking. So we have started the war to get people to come on time- starting with handing out candy to all that were punctual. 

I am really sad to say the work has been going really slow. I know we are giving it our all but it is really clear that Satan is too. We know that the miracles are waiting just around the corner. Like the always say the Darkest part of the night passes just before the sun comes up ;)

Something that all of this is teaching me is that we need to continue to be reliant  on the Lord, even if all we can see is one step in front of us. despite it all we are so happy. I know that this work it divine and that all comes in His time. 

Just remember this week that God really does take care of his children.

Besitos

Hermana Saunders

Mini Cambios

Beach

Dogs at church

6/13/16

Well we went to work hard this week. We as newbies in the sector we have been learning the sector a little more together- it is sort of a rule we have to just start knocking doors when we get lost. We are never in a certain place by 'accedent.'

I love Hermana Dominguez more and more everyday. She is hilarious and is a very hard worker. She sure is teaching me a lot. We have had lots of funny run-ins with animals this week. 

There is not so much to report, or much time but we have been on the search this week. Not having to much success in finding but lost of appointments for this coming week. We are working a lot on getting to know the members. 

Love you. Sorry this letter is so lame. 

Besitos

Hermana Saunders

Children of Lucifer

This week has been wonderful. I love Hermana Dominguez. The few first days with a new comp are always a little awkward but it turns out we are really similar and we get a long great. I have been so blessed with my companions.

We had some interesting experiences this week. Being the first week of the transfer we had Hermana Dominguez's leadership training and mission council so we went to Concepcion twice and got really lost on the way coming home (we went to a town called Dichato... it's beautiful). 

We also had a really interesting run in with an evangelico family (I think it Evangelical in English..?) To give you a picture the women all have long hair and wear floor length skirts. They take the bible really literally... They were very friendly but told us we were basically children of Lucifer because we are women trying to teach the word of God and have dominion over men. Oh and because we cut our hair and wear make up... The father gave the opening prayer and blessed us that we would never go into prostitution and all the family was chanting 'amen. si señor. amen' It was kinda scary and really hard not to keep from laughing. It was a very sweet of them to pray for us. They listened as we shared Moroni 10:3-5 and agreed that answers come from the spirit but then began to contradict themselves and say the only real answers and truth came from the Bible and the Book of Mormon wasn't the word of God. There was no fighting with them. We bore our testimonies and invited them to pray about it. They wouldn't let us say the closing prayer because the Father doesn't allow other people (especially women) to pray in his house because he was scared they will bring in a demon. It was an experience I won't forget soon.

We have been fasting and praying to find new people and we know the miracles are right around the corner. Even though it hasn't been that successful recently the blessings are definitely present.

I sure do love you guys!

Besitos

Hermana Saunders