Week 70

Hey guys!

This week we saw lots of miracles!!  I have really been working on strengthening my faith. As I've made a greater effort and trying to help others have more faith I have seen lots of miracles!!

Here are just 3...

The Hermanas before us were teaching a family who was pretty receptive, but then for some reason stopped answering and meeting with them.  We have been trying to contact them for a long time but nothing.  One day we had the thought to go over there and knock so we did.  Nothing.  But we knew we followed the Spirit.  Then about an hour later we got a call from the mom telling us she misses the missionaries and wanted us to visit them the next day.  She said the whole family would be there ready to listen!!  That was awesome!!  They are great, they just don't have lots of time.  But I know that because we feel like God is telling us to try again with them that they will make progress!!

The other miracle is pretty similar.  There is a young family who has lots of problems and they got mad at the missionaries and stopped answering them.  Same thing.  Out of the blue the woman called us and told us she wanted to talk to us.  We went over right away.  She explained that her daughter has a school project where they have to represent other countries.  They were assigned Brazil.  So she asked my companion for some recipes and for our help with the project.  She told us she also wanted to come to church with us on Sunday but that she doesn't have time to receive the lessons.  That was a huge miracle.  Heavenly Father knows his children and he doesn't ever want to give up on them.  When they are ready again, he sends the missionaries in some way or another.

The third one was this week while we were going to district meeting we contacted two Haitian men and invited them to church.  This Sunday, neither of them showed up.  But at the end of sacrament meeting a Haitian man walked in.  We thought it was one of them but afterward while talking we figured out he was the friend of the two men.  They couldn't go, so they sent their friend.  He explained that he always goes to another church on Sunday, but that he came to our church for today because his friends (who aren't members) asked him to go.  He loved it!  Actually, it turns out our other Haitian friend who always comes to church is one of his best friends already so that was a plus.  He was asking us all about prophets and everything.  That was also really special to see!!

I'm learning a lot still.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a missionary.  I love it!  I know God is still working miracles all day everyday in our lives.  We just have to have eyes to see them(:  Please keep reading your scriptures everyday and saying your prayers! Keep doing what the Savior has asked us to do--learn to receive personal revelation! I love you all!!

-Hermana West

Week 69

Hello Family!!

First of all...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL!!!! 

second of all some random things about the week...

-today we hiked volcan Osorno (a volcano).  IT WAS SO COOL!!  We hiked up, but you can’t get to the tippy top to look in hahah, and then we took out plastic bags and sled down the volcano on the snow.  It was one of my favorite memories of my life hahaha so fun!!!  We also went to a huge waterfall and had to cross a river and got soaked, but it was so worth it!

-We had intercambios with 2 sets of hermanas this week and an emergency with another sector so I didn’t sleep in my house for 4 days.  It’s been good though!

-It’s starting to get warmer and one day I didn’t have to wear tights!  I’m sooo white hahahhaha it’s so bad.

-I learned how to make lemon pie and chocolate pudding from scratch

Ya that’s about all the random stuff that has happened.  This week was good.  A little bit of background...

As a mission we have a promise from the Lord that we can have at least 80 baptisms a month.  We are working really hard at that but still hasn’t happened.  This week I asked for a blessing wanting to know what I needed to do to complete with the goal personally and how I could help other missionaries do the same.  The Lord told me to have the faith to see it in my sector, and look for the miracles that He will work. But that as I love the people and missionaries more, and as I help other missionaries learn to love others more, we WILL reach our goal.  I was trying to think about how I could make that happen.  One morning while I was getting ready I was listening to a conference talk and a line jumped our from me from Elder Uchtdorf.  He said in effect, "as we strive to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, our love for God and others grows and so does our desire to minister to them".  I’m grateful for the Spirit teaching me in that moment.  It’s true, as we try to be more like Christ in every moment, then His love for God and others will fill us.  I still need to seek more revelation on how to help other missionaries learn to take upon them Christ´s name better, so if you have any ideas I’m very open to hearing them!!

Another thing we have been challenged to do as a mission by Hermana Isom is talk to at LEAST 10 new people each day.  It sounds easy but there are some days where its challenging.  But on Monday we tried our best to do so.  None of the people we talked with wanted to meet with us, but right as we were going home late at night a man in his car stopped us.  We were obviously very hesitant but felt like it was ok to let him talk to us.  From a good distanced we talked to him.  He asked us if we were missionaries from "that church" and pointed to the chapel that we had just passed.  We answered yes, and he asked us when we had meetings.  He proceeded to explain that he had never been inside, but that it always called his attention.  We were pretty excited and invited him of course but he was a little hesitant. We wrote down his number and we´ll see if anything comes of that. But the point is, as we show our faith by acting, by looking for those who are ready to receive our message, Heavenly Father guides us to them, or guides THEM to US.  If we act in faith, God will be able to do things that are not presently in our power.

Another sweet experience from this week was in an intercambio.  We went to visit two inactive members.  They are living together but not married.  We had planned to share with them the Family: a proclamation to the world.  Hermana Peterson explained to me that they don’t plan on getting married anytime soon and that they are pretty scared of it.  Well, we talked to them and started teaching, and the whole time I was just listening to the spirit trying to discern their needs.  As I listened, I was prompted to ask them if they had asked God if they should get married.  They replied that no.  Then I was prompted to say a few things and ask a few more questions that were given to me from the spirit.  Anyway, in the end they both committed to read the Book of Mormon together that night and to ask God if they should get married.  They were so excited about it and they even planned a specific time when they would do so.  I know that God knows His children.  As we listen with love and listen more importantly to the Spirit, we will be used as instruments in His hands in helping His children come closer to him.

I love being a missionary!!  This is the best work!!  I’m growing so much and learning a lot!  You are always in my prayers and I invite you to keep following the prophet’s invitations that come from Christ!  As we do that, we are happy and blessed!! I love you!!!!

--Hermana West

Week 68

Hello family!!

This week was great, but different!!  We had zone conference, interviews, district meeting, general conference (which was soooo good!!), and an invasion (where you go help out other missionaries in another sector).  It’s been pretty busy. 

But with not having lots of time to work in our own sector, we have seen how the Lord has magnified our time.  In the hours we were able to work in our sector, we saw sooo many miracles.  The Spirit led us to people who were prepared to listen to our message and despite the lack of time we were able to find 3 new people that are interested in our message and we were able to talk with so many people!  I love how I feel being a missionary.  There is SOOO much joy in serving others.  There is nothing better than being able to help someone with a problem.

Conference was awesome.  I know that the people who spoke are Christ´s servants!!  All of the questions I brought were answered.  I felt like it was all for me!  But I especially loved the women's conference.  We went to the mission home and watched it with Hermana Isom.  She gave us her famous chocolate chip cookies that she gives us after every interview, and we got to sit on a super comfy couch to watch.  It felt like I was back in the states.  All of the talks were so good, but I loved when the prophet spoke.  I know his invitation to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover marking all the references to Christ comes from Jesus Christ himself.  I started immediately and I'm in 1 Nephi 14 now.  Even though I'm just starting, it's already been cool to see how much you start realizing just how aware the Lord is of you.  That since the beginning, Heavenly Father has talked to us and that He continues to do so.  I'm so grateful for prayer.  I'm also so grateful for you guys.  Thanks for being my best friends!!  I'm so blessed with such a good family.  Each person tries to be more like Jesus and it’s such a blessing.  I love you all!!!

I LOVE reading Kevin´s letters.  They make me so happy.  I'm so grateful for such good brothers and sisters who are great examples!  It's kinda funny, but every time I see missionaries out working or pictures of Kevin I want to cry because I'm so happy.  What a privilege we have to be able to serve the Savior!!

Anyway, sorry I feel like my letters get worse and worse as time goes on....anything you want to hear?  Sorry if it's getting old hahah!!  have a great week and apply what you learned in conference!! Love you!!

--Hermana West

Week 67

Hi family!!  Sorry I have zero time to write this week.  But we are working hard and seeing miracles every day! I love you lots!  This week we get to hear what Christ wants to tell us.  Prepare some questions, I promise you will get answers in conference!

Super busy here in Osorno. This last week we had leadership conference, an activity in the ward about the Book of Mormon, and visited and found lots of people.  Blessings! This week we have intercambios, zone conference, interviews, general conference, and lots more!!  Thanks for all your prayers!!  I love you so much!!! Have a great week!!

--Hermana West

Week 66

Hey family!!!

Well, surprise surprise I’m now here in Osorno, sector Rahue Alto!  To be honest, I never wanted to go to Osorno but now that I’m here I absolutely LOVE IT!! This is the best sector I’ve ever been in!! The ward is awesome, and they work super well with the missionaries!! Actually, more than 100 people assist church (that is super rare for here)!  It’s so fun!! My new comp is Hermana Farias from Brazil! She’s so cute. I love her. We are actually from the same group. She has only been here one transfer, and our sector is actually two. But it got combined into one.  So, we have lots of work to do which is awesome and we both get lost hahahah.  I stayed being hermana lider so tomorrow we have the leadership conference which I’m excited for (and I don’t have to fly again, yay).  We are over 10 hermanas.  Still not too many, but a lot more than Coyhaique!  So we will be having intercambios every week now.  It’s going to make the time go by way too fast.  Anyway, I love it here and I’m so excited for this next cambio!!!  WE ARE WORKING SO HARD!! I feel like I’m in my training again!  I LOVE IT!! Honestly at the end of everyday, we crash in bed.  There is so much to do and we are learning a lot!!

This morning in my personal study I was reading a talk and really loved what it said and felt like I should share it in my email to you guys! Its talking to the young women but it applies to everyone!

"Your most important friendships should be with your own brothers and sisters and with your father and mother.  Love your family.  Be loyal to them.  Have a genuine concern for your brothers and sisters.  Help carry their load."--Ezra Taft Benson.  I LOVE YOU FAMILY!!  Thanks for being my best friends.  Keep loving and helping each other!!!  I know God puts us with our families for a reason!

The other thing I loved was this

"Young women, the Book of Mormon will change your life.  It will fortify you against the evils of our day. It will bring a spirituality into your life that no other book will.  It will be the most important book you will read in preparation for life’s challenges.  A young woman who knows and loves the Book of Mormon, who has read it several times, who has an abiding testimony of its truthfulness, and who applies its teachings will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and will be a mighty tool in the hands of the Lord." --Ezra Taft Benson

The Book of Mormon has the words of Christ and helps us know Him!!  Keep reading it, loving it, and learning from it everyday!  Thanks for always holding family scripture study.  I’m so grateful for a family who loves the gospel and tries to follow everything the Savior asks us to do!! I love you!!  Have a great week!!

--Hermana West