Mon, 29 Dec 2008
The first day I was in Chile I went straight to work! As all the missionaries were standing around trying to figure out the bus situation. I looked at my companion and said ‘Contactos?’, she said ‘ok.’ So we contacted people at the bus station and it was great. Even though I didn’t understand everything I could understand there body language. I’m glad I had a companion that spoke the language. I was just so excited to be doing real missionary work, because I had been working and praying for these people for 3 months that I just wanted to be with them and hear them talk. When we got home we went to work again and we contacted the people on the street. It was great! I knew I wouldn’t know what they were saying, but I knew that if I put my effort in and worked, the Lord would bless me and the people we taught.
When we got home my companion was talking to me about what I needed to do better the next day and I just started crying because I just wanted to do my best and teach, but I could hardly talk because I couldn’t understand what anyone was saying unless they did pictionary and acted it out which also makes me feel like a child. So I just broke down and cried. She would say words that I didn’t know, so she would repeat her self louder and that didn’t help. I’m so thankful when she is patient with me. I’m thankful that she is my companion because she knows the language and she has great faith. When I was crying she told me to have patience and that we were going to start a fast tomorrow for me to understand the language fast. Her faith touched me deeply and it was a very successful fast because the next day I could understand everything she said in the companion prayer. I know it was an answer to prayer and I consider it as a great blessing!
The first change for me to adjust to is the language then of course it is the culture. I love how nice the people are and how they give kisses on the check and they are very welcoming in the home and give you food. One difficult time was when I was walking down the street after a lesson and I heard some men yelling about Soccer, which I heard was a huge sport. So I was looking and smiling out of interest, but my companion jumped in front of me and yelled ‘Don’t smile! They want to rape you! Listen!’ This took me by great surprise that the men in the culture would do that just by me smiling. It was also very embarrassing because it was in front of a member of the ward. I tried to explain the difference in culture and how I always smile because I’m a happy person, but I guess i just need to change that while I’m here.
I’m so thankful for the prophet Joseph Smith. My testimony of him grows everyday. Whenever we teach about the prophet Joseph Smith I feel the Holy Ghost so strong my body quakes inside even to my very core that he was a Prophet of God! So I know that everything else is true especially the Book of Mormon and I know that I need to follow all the commandments. : D
How are you? I hope you had a great Christmas holiday with your family. It is a great time of year to be with family, give service, and reflect about our Savior Jesus Christ. My Christmas was Chilean! I asked everyone what there Christmas traditions were and they said just be with there family. I was able to have a very nice Christmas dinner on the 24th that was picture perfect! Hermana Claudia and her daughter, and Hermana Veronica and her little son, and my companion and I ate a delicious feast. We ate in the living room of Claudia’s log cabin home around a circle table. Everyones faces glowed as we laughed from the glow of the candles on the table and the light of the Christmas tree. It was a spectacular moment filled with love and service that I will never forget.
I’m so glad that I have this opportunity to serve a mission for the Lord at this time in my life to learn and grow. I know that I’m going to serve missions with my future husband, but I wanted to experience it on my own first so that I can become that person I want to marry. I also wanted to learn more about the scriptures so that I can be well versed by reading and applying. It’s very important to me to know the Lord’s purpose for me specifically is. I also wanted to give Heavenly Father 18 months of my life to Him because he blesses me so much. I’m a very loving and service oriented person and I wanted to share that love by working hard for others.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
9th week/ last week at the MTC
December 11, 2008
I have seen many times this week where the Lord has shown His love by answering my prayers and giving me a lot of comfort by sending angels my way. In the R.C. (Referral Center) where people around the world can call and ask for free Bibles, Book of Mormons, and Church videos and we call to make sure they get them. People can also go onto www.mormon.org and ask us missionaries questions about the church. It is a great learning experience.
This week my companions were not with me because they were sick so I went with the rest of the Elders in my district and my teacher Hermano Gillis, there was a sister that was in charge of the RC that I sat by during my chats but it was difficult to answer these questions with no companion. During one of the phone calls in it was so bad I couldn't understand her Alabama accent and I was stumbling over my words because I didn't want to sound rude by asking her to repeat herself over and over again. So all of a sudden I heard a voice as if from heaven say "bare your testimony"...I was like WOW! So I stopped everything and I bore my testimony! Then the women said to me that she didn't want to be disrespectful but her ride just came to pick her up. So then I was at a loss of words again, so the voice told me this time "end the conversation"...so I stopped and told her to have a great day and ended the conversation. Ha ha ha! Later I found out that it was my Hermano Gillis listening in on the conversation. We talked about it and I re-listened to it to do better next time.
Then I received a call that was completely different. This woman called me and bore her testimony to me that the church is true and that she lost the church once, and she said the people are so nice that she would never turn her back on the church again, so I just thanked her for her testimony and committed her to share it with her family and friends so that they could be as happy as she was.
Then I got a call from a woman and she said that she had a question about Joseph Smith and I was so excited because I received my own personal testimony of Joseph Smith when I went on a family trip back East. But then she asked me "If Joseph Smith was a prophet of God then why did we break Gods commandment of not having multiple wives? She told me that he had 36 wives!!! I had never heard this before so I told her that I didn't know and that, I only knew of Emma. She told me that I had bad resources and that I needed to talk to my supervisor. So I was irritated and felt worthless not being able to answer the question. So all I could do is bare my testimony that I know that he was a prophet of God and that he followed his commandments.
My companion Hermana Griffiths was able to help me feel better by sharing the scripture of Nephi sharing Laban and how that was a commandment that we're not supposed to kill yet this was a commandment from God. Then Hermano Jensen bore his testimony about Joseph Smith, not even knowing my situation. Then Nathan sent me a letter bearing his testimony about prophets. What a great blessing!
I love you all! Have a great day!
I have seen many times this week where the Lord has shown His love by answering my prayers and giving me a lot of comfort by sending angels my way. In the R.C. (Referral Center) where people around the world can call and ask for free Bibles, Book of Mormons, and Church videos and we call to make sure they get them. People can also go onto www.mormon.org and ask us missionaries questions about the church. It is a great learning experience.
This week my companions were not with me because they were sick so I went with the rest of the Elders in my district and my teacher Hermano Gillis, there was a sister that was in charge of the RC that I sat by during my chats but it was difficult to answer these questions with no companion. During one of the phone calls in it was so bad I couldn't understand her Alabama accent and I was stumbling over my words because I didn't want to sound rude by asking her to repeat herself over and over again. So all of a sudden I heard a voice as if from heaven say "bare your testimony"...I was like WOW! So I stopped everything and I bore my testimony! Then the women said to me that she didn't want to be disrespectful but her ride just came to pick her up. So then I was at a loss of words again, so the voice told me this time "end the conversation"...so I stopped and told her to have a great day and ended the conversation. Ha ha ha! Later I found out that it was my Hermano Gillis listening in on the conversation. We talked about it and I re-listened to it to do better next time.
Then I received a call that was completely different. This woman called me and bore her testimony to me that the church is true and that she lost the church once, and she said the people are so nice that she would never turn her back on the church again, so I just thanked her for her testimony and committed her to share it with her family and friends so that they could be as happy as she was.
Then I got a call from a woman and she said that she had a question about Joseph Smith and I was so excited because I received my own personal testimony of Joseph Smith when I went on a family trip back East. But then she asked me "If Joseph Smith was a prophet of God then why did we break Gods commandment of not having multiple wives? She told me that he had 36 wives!!! I had never heard this before so I told her that I didn't know and that, I only knew of Emma. She told me that I had bad resources and that I needed to talk to my supervisor. So I was irritated and felt worthless not being able to answer the question. So all I could do is bare my testimony that I know that he was a prophet of God and that he followed his commandments.
My companion Hermana Griffiths was able to help me feel better by sharing the scripture of Nephi sharing Laban and how that was a commandment that we're not supposed to kill yet this was a commandment from God. Then Hermano Jensen bore his testimony about Joseph Smith, not even knowing my situation. Then Nathan sent me a letter bearing his testimony about prophets. What a great blessing!
I love you all! Have a great day!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
6th Week at the CCM
I cried last night because I'm worried about all of my family back home around the holiday times. I prayed to bless my family and that the Lord would give me comfort because I had not heard from a couple of you for awhile, and since my roommates and companions are so intuned with the spirit they knew that I wasn't myself and they're arms around me. And talked to me and gave me comfort. I know that the lord will bless my family as I'm gone on a mission. Elder Pili shared a special scripture with me D&C 31 which gave me great comfort.
Me gustaria compartir mi testimonio,Yo se que vivimos con dios antes la tierra. Yo se que Jesucristo fue unperfecto ejemplo por ustedes. El Senor sufrio por nuestro pecados. Yo seque Las familias pueden eternas vidas. El libro de Mormon la palabras dedios y orto testamento de Jesucristo. Estoy gracais por la sacederciodel evangelio. Estoy gracias por opurtunidad servio en mision y el ccm.Gracias por el templo y trabajar en el templo cada semana. Gracias pormis companeras y mis maetros. Yo amo ustedes mucho. Digo estas coasa enel nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.
~Hermana Wade~
P.S. HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING! TE AMO SIEMPRE!
Me gustaria compartir mi testimonio,Yo se que vivimos con dios antes la tierra. Yo se que Jesucristo fue unperfecto ejemplo por ustedes. El Senor sufrio por nuestro pecados. Yo seque Las familias pueden eternas vidas. El libro de Mormon la palabras dedios y orto testamento de Jesucristo. Estoy gracais por la sacederciodel evangelio. Estoy gracias por opurtunidad servio en mision y el ccm.Gracias por el templo y trabajar en el templo cada semana. Gracias pormis companeras y mis maetros. Yo amo ustedes mucho. Digo estas coasa enel nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.
~Hermana Wade~
P.S. HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING! TE AMO SIEMPRE!
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