Week 16

Muerto pero vivo en Cristo

Buenos días a todos!!

Another awesome week here in La Florida. I did get sick this week (and that was kind of buns jajaja) BUT we still just saw so many miracles and the Spirit was just so tender the whole week

We're also going to the temple today so I'm HYPEEE!!!!

Scripture of the week

"And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture." 1 Nephi 22:25

Let's get into it!

Lunes ~ Is this a dream???

~ CONTIIIII BABYYYY!!!

It was super fun, and I'm absolutely ZONKED. We camped out in this little cave at the beach and had choripán. One of the elders brought his guitar too, we sat around the campfire and sang together, it was honestly a super unreal, tender moment!

~ I got sooooo carsick on the bus ride back I also don't think I fully recovered from being sick this weekend so I was so tired when we went back to work tonight But we found a super cool JAS! We're gonna go by later this week to teach her whole family!

Martes ~ Cambiando la eternidad

~ Today was so good and just so full of miracles!! Here's two of them:

We met up with this referencia our bishop gave us today, and IT WAS SO COOL! Her name is Sandra. Sandra has a daughter who was baptized when she was a teenager, and for a really long time, she didn't want anything to do with the church. But now, over 8 years later, she asked to meet up with us because she saw the change in her daughter and wants to be baptized SHE'S AWESOME! We put her on Fecha in the first lesson and we're going by on Friday to teach her and her son, who also wants to be baptized! GOD OF MIRACLES!

Today we were walking through this neighborhood knocking doors and decided to move to a different area of our sector. As we were leaving, I asked my companion if we could knock one last door - the white house on the end. Long story short, we met an old couple living in that house, taking care of their son, who has some sort of autoimmune disorder that the doctors can't diagnose and don't have a cure for. They said he was perfectly normal for over 30 years, and then all the sudden he got really really sick and nobody knows why. We prayed for them and are stopping by again to give them a blessing. I promise you all that we need not fear what decisions we make, as long as we have the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit. He will show us what we need to do!

~ I'm gonna be so honest, I thought I was going to die out in the heat today But the best part was getting to kneel down and know that God used me for something good today. Something that involved Jesus. Something that changed eternity. However small, this work is always worth it.

Miércoles ~ Manso y muerto

~ Woke up with a pretty terrible cold this morning. I think I've been pushing myself a little too hard and haven't had the time to really heal After district council and lunch my comp and Hermana Crump made me take the rest of the day off. Honestly I didn't really want to, but I knew it would just get worse if I didn't haha

~ Our whole district was DEAD today I think we all came down with something and aren't feeling super great

~ We were able to make some calls and still had some really good lessons!

Jueves ~ Villages & villagers

~ I woke up with literally no strength - bad cough, achy muscles, pounding head. I had a strong fever for a little bit too. My comp was messaging back and forth with Hermana Crump and the mission nurse - they told me to take the day to rest again and they set up a doctor's appointment for me

~ The members here are so nice One of them, when they found out I was sick, brought me homemade soup and a rice dish for lunch. Nelly drove us to the doctor's office and helped me through the whole process. She also helped me to not get scammed when we were getting my prescriptions from the pharmacy jajaja. To my mom - don't worry, I'm being taken care of!

~ Honestly today was kind of hard for me. Though I knew I needed to rest, I felt like a bad missionary, like I was passing up opportunities to share the gospel by staying in. I think I was also just missing my mom when I was sick lol. But God comforted me several times and has helped me to feel like I'm doing the right thing

Viernes ~ Disfruta hasta el fin

~ POR FINNN we went out and worked today. It honestly knocked me out haha but we had some really good lessons and saw a bunch of miracles, and it was genuinely just so good to be doing the work again. I love being a missionary so so so much.

~ Danae came with us after clase de inglés! She's amazing.

Sábado ~ HAPPY LOVE DAY!!!!

~ INSANELY beautiful sunrise this morning. It was the most Spirit-filled experience getting to roll out of bed, say a prayer, and sit out on the balcony, watching the sunrise and listening to Brandon Lake It felt like a little love letter from God!

~ A member gave us money for almuerzo today so we ordered pizza and took naps during our lunch block haha

~ We gave hearts and flowers to a bunch of people today!!! It was super fun!!

~ So many tender experiences today. I love having the gift of the Holy Ghost. He just guides us to the places we need to be and the people we need to meet, and I can always always always feel Him with me. It's sweet above all that is sweet!

Domingo ~ Days never to be forgotten

~ WE HAD SIX AMIGOS IN CHURCH TODAY!!

~ The Spirit was so tender and so close today. I love being a missionary. With my whole heart. I wouldn't trade this for the whole world - this is everything I've ever wanted. Even in the hard moments, I'm just so grateful to be a full-time servant of the Lord here in Chile! This country is holy ground.

~ We had once with the family of our recent convert to celebrate her sister's birthday! It was really sweet

Lunes ~ Esta es mi gloria, este es mi gozo

~ Normal day today because tomorrow we have our TEMPLE PDAYYYY!!!

~ Got taken out by the church sprinklers while teaching a phone lesson. I was in the middle of bearing my testimony and it took me a good 30 seconds to get off the grass We were laughing so hard

~ Had the most tender lesson with our friend today. He hasn't been coming to church and it's been really hard. But today he asked to meet up in a plaza - we sat down in the grass, and as soon as he sat down, he started crying. He told us about the things he's going through and how he just wants to grow closer to Jesus. Never before have I seen a grown man cry so tenderly in a desperate need for the Savior like he did. We had a sweet conversation and he poured out his heart to us. My companion and I both bore our most sincere testimonies to him, and after a moment of silence, he just looked up at us with the most genuine smile and said, “So I guess I'll see you at church on Sunday then.”

Spiritual Thought

In honor of going to the temple today, I want to share with you all something special! It was a song I wrote the very first time I went to the temple, about a year and 4 months ago. The lyrics read:

"Home away from home, I belong here

Before I even enter in the door

Linger for a while, I am free here

Each time a little stronger than before

Walk the footsteps, they are all laid out here

And watch the fire bring it all to light

Color in the pages of my lifetime

And bring a thousand souls by my side

And oh, how sweet the sound of angels singing, 'Hallelujah we are free!'

And oh, how tender are the mercies of our King

Hallelujah, holy!"

I testify to you all that the temple is the House of the Lord! It really, truly is a home away from home.