¡¡Hi Family!!
Well Well Well, I can hardly believe it has been another complete week since I have talked to you last! But, things are still rollin along here in Consti! Seems like there are so many things that I want to do in a week, I just have to find time to do them all. There is always more that you can do, always more that you need to study and know and, of course, always more people that need to here the gospel! :)
Part of the reason I think it felt like such a short week was because we went to Talca (2 hours in bus one way) twice this week. Once for district meeting and another for interviews with President Humphrey. It cut into our work time, big time, but we're plowing ahead! President's interviews went well! He asked how Hna Sieverts and I are getting along, and how the work is going in Consti, and told me that if we are more bold and commit more people to taking the steps to repentance and baptism we'll definitely see the results.
Part of the "vision" that our mission (and it sounds like Mitch's and a lot of other Latin missions) have adopted is the "vision to baptize"....Mitch is that what you call yours? That is, teaching people that the goal of this life is really to obtain eternal life, and the only way to obtain this is by applying the atonement in our lives through the restored gospel. Simple enough!! We teach faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end and invite them to be baptized by someone that has been given the authority of God...whew! It sounds so basic, but really, the only way that we'll be able to be clean from our sins and be worthy to enter into our Heavenly Father's kingdom is to apply what Christ did in our lives. It's not only a beautiful message full of hope, peace and common sense, but it also is something that is SO TRUE! It's only through Christ that we are purified, but we have to do our part! We have to be willing to learn of Him, follow Him, and come to truly know Him! I've had to learn a lot about repentance and baptism in order to start to understand the importance of these actions in our lives. It's been different, being a member my whole life, because I haven't really understood the significance or power that is held by following the example of our Savior by being baptized. I've gained a testimony from building upon that action when I was 8 years old; it's definitely a perspective shift teaching it from the opposite angle.
As for other things that happened this week:
-Cristobal passed the sacrament this past week!! He looked so adorable in his little white shirt and tie!
-Nicko decided to go on vacation this weekend, so his baptism will yet again be pushed back ... but he's now praying and reading the Book of Mormon! YAY!
-I got my Chilean ID card. It's official, I'm legal!
-We had 5 new people show up to our English class! We ran into a less-active in her beauty salon, invited her, and she invited her daughters and friends! - we're excited to be able to teach her and her 12 year old daughter who hasn't yet been baptized. This is the best way to bring people back into activity..YAHOOO
-I survived an earthquake. That was pretty cool. 6.something. It was pretty loud, and the top bunk got a wild ride for a second or two.
-We finally got to see the Vergara family, and we followed up with their commitment to pray to see if Joseph Smith was a prophet. We found out that the Catholic mother was surely praying to John Smith so that he would save her brother from dying from Cancer. Talk about miscommunication. I definitely had to stop the lesson for a minute and looked at my companion and had her translate it into English because I was sure that I had heard wrong! Wooo...so we're hoping we've got quite a few things straightened out! Even with all her anger towards the church and John Smith, she still came to church this past week! We were SO excited! Please pray for us and for them...They are such a put together, beautiful family, they would be such a strength to the ward and to building up the church here!!
As for home, it sounds like you all are doing amazing! I love to hear what's going down in the U-town! I'm going to miss having Jeannie Hansen and Sis. Obrien around, that is for sure.
Congrats to Gary Hogg for the wedding, to Jed for practically having a wedding, and for Sarah Jane who will be getting married!!! YAY!! How incredible!
Mom, I'm sure your lesson went great, the talk was excellent that it was based on, and I'm sure whatever little handout you made was more than worth all the time that you spent on it (Curt, you might just have to zip it). And, no matter what turdy says, you just keep serving. I'm sure the Morris family is more than appreciative :)!!
Dad- Good luck with Youth Conference and the yard! Make it look pretty! Curt- LIVE IT UP! :) best summer of your life. Jed- you're such a little cutie. I'm so proud of you for going on dates and really liking a girl..aww treat her like a princess! - and make sure that you don't eat any cheerios around her just yet - that girl repellant might just scare her off. Clint & Rach, I just really love you. Soak up the sun for me. It's definitely hit the rainy season around here. (Even though in Consti we really are blessed to have a mild winter, but that doesn't really keep us away from the rain and mud---but we surely aren't cookin rice in our living room daily paha)
I love you all very very much!!! !!! Thanks so much for all the support!
HERMANA CHILD
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