Week 58

Hello helloooo!!

How is everyone?  This week was super good and so stressful!!  hahahah so much has happend.  We had intercambios with the hermanas from Aysen and then the next day they came to Coyhaique to switch back companions but one of the hermanas got really sick suddenly.  So I ended up going with her to the doctor and lots of stuff happend.  But she's ok for now and we ended up being with them for 3 days!  That was nuts!!!! 

We were able to meet with another investigator a lot too!!  He should be getting baptized on Saturday, but he told us on Friday that he doesn't know if he feels ready.  Please pray for him that he will be able to feel ready!!!!  But I know he will follow the Spirit.  He always does!!

Now for the moment youve all been waiting for...JOHN GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And it was suchhhhh a beautiful experience.  He couldn't stop smiling and he was so happy.  After he got the Holy Ghost he told me that he feels free inside and that he feels like he is in a whole other world.  That was super special.  We gave him a Book of Mormon in Creole to give to his friends.  He is so excited to do that.

I don't remember how much I have told you about him so I'll just start from the beginning.

One day I was walking with Hermana Query and we were going to lunch.  We saw John on the corner talking to someone.  They were looking at us so we decided to cross the street to talk to them.  The other person ended up walking away but John was interested.  We asked him for his name and he said "John Miracle".  We asked him to repeat his last name and he said "Miracle".  haha as we walked away we just kept talking about how he really was going to be a miracle.  We set up a cita with him but when we went we couldnt find his house!!  Bummer.  Later, Hermana Weber's first week here, we were walking early to consejo one morning.  There was a guy walking in front of us and I had the thought to contact him.  We did and lo and behold it was JOHN MIRACLE!!  We invited him to church and he came!!!  From that Sunday until now we have taught him almost everyday and I have never seen someone progress so much.  He was so prepared.  He told us that he had been searching for a church for awhile but didn't know where to go.  The day we couldn't find his house he was waiting for us but we never showed up.  He said he thought to himself, "If I need to meet with them it will work out some other time".  He was so golden.  Everytime we taught him he would smile so big and thank us for teaching him what he didn't know before.  He says that now he has a purpose to his life and he is so much happier.  He wants to share that with everyone!!  His original baptismal date was for August 4th but he told us he couldn't wait till then.  We called President Isom to see if we could have permision to let him be baptized earlier (because you need 3 assistencias en la iglesia before you can get baptized and he didn't) and President told us he felt like it would be fine if we felt like it!  So he got baptized!!  He always thanks us for being there to find and teach him. He is so special!!!!

I never thought that would ever happen in my mission.  Find someone and they get baptized 2 weeks later.  But miracles happen!  I keep thinking though about what wouldve happend if I didn't follow the small prompting to talk to him that first day we found him.  Or what wouldve happend if I didn't follow the prompting the second time?  In the moment they are just small thoughts in your head, but afterward you realized they are the Spirit.  I invite you guys to act on the small, quiet thoughts that invite you to do good in your life and in the lives of those around you.  I promise that if you do you will see miracles and be an instrument in Gods hands!!  Love you guys so much!!  Keep serving each other and loving each other!!  Have a great week!!

--Hermana West

Week 57

16 July 2018

Hello familiy!!  So this week has been absolutely nuts!!!!!!!!!!  John Miracle is getting baptized this week and we got special permision from president to do it because he hasn't been to church three times. I will explain more later....and  our other investigator is going to get baptized next week!!

Basically we have taught John everyday and he knows President Nelson is the prophet, and he knows this is Christs church.  The only thing he wants to do is get baptized.  And he loves the church.  It was so sweet.  The other day he just thanked us so much for teaching him and for helping him know these things.  I'll write more and stuff and send a pic so that I can tell you everything!!  I don't have much time!!  But please pray that he can make it to his baptism on Saturday!!! 

We are seeing so many miracles!!!  Sorry that once again I don't have time!!!  But I'll see you in 5 months(; hahahah Love you lots!!!

I love being a missionary for my Savior!!  Keep reading your scriptures and saying your prayers!!  I love you!!!

--Hermana West

Week 56

Hola!!!  This week was great!!  To start off with a few random things...

1- We had our leadership conference and traveled back from Osorno and it was fun!

2-For the fourth of july we made smores, peach cobbler, burned an ugly dress, danced country, and withing two minutes of waking up sang the national anthem and said the pledge of allegiance hahah.  We had a lot of fun! I love my countryyyyyy.

3-We went to an olympic gymn thing today and I got to play on all their gymnastics equipment (still was able to do a cartwheel on the balance beam by the way hahahahh) and play volleyball!!!  It was soooo fun!!

Ok now to the good stuff...

This week was way too good!!  I cant even begin to describe all of the miracles that we saw but ill explain a few!

About 3 weeks ago when Basilio got confirmed a family of Venezuelans walked into church and the dad isnt a member.  This week we started giving him the lessons!  He is so GOLDEN!!!!  He told us that he wants to get baptized but doesn't feel like he understands the scriptures and that would be the only thing stopping him.  So what we have been doing is stopping by every day and teaching the lessons using only the Book of Mormon.  He has been progressing a ton!!  He has already been to church three times and he is reading the Book of Mormon.  After we taught him the Plan of Salvation things just kind of clicked and he says he believes its all true.  They have really bad living conditions though and want to move up past Santiago August 5th.  Right now his date is for August 4th and we are hoping we will be able to move it up to July 27th but we will see.  If not we will make sure they stay in contact with the missionaries up there.  But he is incredible!! Love that family!!

Another cool miracle we saw this week was with a Haitian man. He literally is a miracle.  About a month ago we were walking from consejo de distrito to lunch and on the other side of the street we saw him talking to a woman.  They were both watching us so we decided to go and talk to them.  The woman ended up walking away but we contacted John and he told us we could pass by.  We were super excited and went to his house but we could never find it.  So nothing happened.  But this week we we had to go to Consejo de Distrito a little bit early and while we were walking guess who we ran into??  John Miracle!!  He told us he had been waiting for us and we explained what had happend.  He told us how to get there and we invited him to church.  HE SHOWED UP TO CHURCH ON HIS OWN AND LOVED IT!!!  It was awesome!!  We passed by his house afterward and taught him the Restoration ( we teach him in english because he understands that better than Spanish).  While we were explaining the Book of Mormon he paused us and asked US how he could get baptized!! HE ASKED US!!!  We were sooo excited!!  We explained we would help him and he also has a baptismal date for August 4th.

The other miracle is with a menos activo whose has had lots of problems with drinking.  When I first got here he was doing well and progressing but then he fell back into it.  His wife was sick of it and wanted to get a divorce.  We talked with the branch president and he went and visited them and they made a plan to help him come back.  His wife doesn't have much faith in him anymore but we were excited.  Anyway, HE SHOWED UP TO CHURCH!!!  And he even came without his family!!!!! That was a huge step for him! He then told us that that morning he had had a super spiritual experience that he wanted to tell us about.  After church we went to visit him and he told us that on Saturday night he had downloaded an app that would allow him to download videos.  He left his phone charging and went to bed.  The next morning when he went to look at his phone there was a video pulled up that he didn't recognize.  He started watching it and it was of God talking to us as his children.  It was basically a video saying that God loved him and wanted him on His side and that he could have a fullfilling life if he followed Him.  He was super emotional and very repentant.  He told us he knew it was miracle sent by God and the Spirit flooded the room.  Everyone there could feel the sweet joy that comes from repentance!!  He was very humble and wants to change especially so he can help his family get back to God.  He began to cry and told us he needs to be involved.  That he wants to leave with the missionaries and serve others or he knows he will fall back into the same thing.  So we immediatly invited him to a lesson we had that night with Carlos and it went SUPER well.  It was perfect because we were teaching the doctrine of Christ.  Those are the joys of the mission.  You just see God working in the lives of His children.  It was also really special because my companion and I had prayed the night before that he could have an experience that would help him wake up and want to change.  I know prayer is real and powerful! 

Anyway, its been a great week and things are booming here!!  We have had so many other experiences like that but I dont have time to write them all!

Anyway I love you all very much and hope you are enjoying life, reading the scriptures, and doing those things that will bring you closer to Christ!!  Love you!!

--Hermana West

Week 55

Hey fam, 

Remember last week when I said I would write more this week?  Hahah so sorry but I forgot about the leadership conference.  We just flew in to puerto montt and I actually dont have much time to write.  SO SORRY!!!

But this week has been awesome!  Hermana Weber came and we have so much fun!!  She works so hard and we get a lot done.  I love having her as my companion.  We also remind each other about experiences weve had in the ccm and things we learned and it helps me focus a lot more in the mission.  Its so nice.  I love her a lot!!!

This week we did a lot of work with the members.  We have been really trying to focusing on strengthening them and getting them more involved so that they can be prepared to recieve more new members. So we spent a lot of the week visiting and serving them.  It has been fun.  My new favorite thing to do is make banana bread and give it to people, they love it here hahaha.

We had another activity where we watched coco and talked about family history.  Never gets old hahah(:  Also we re-organized our house this week because it was super crowded and hadnt had a deep clean for at least 6 months.  You can always feel the spirit and work a lot harder when your house is clean and organized. 

Im just loving life right now.  Thanks for all your prayers and for being the best family ever.  You guys are my best friends and give me energy out here.  I love when people ask me about my family!!!  Love you!!!  Keep enjoying your summer!!!!  (hopefully Ill write more next week....unless I forget something again...)  LOVE YOU!!

--Hermana West