Incredible Experiences and Once-In-A-Lifetime Moments!!

WHAT TO SAY!!?? Seems to be the question for the week...so much to say, but no way to really express everything that has happened, all of the incredible and wild emotions (leave that to the sisters) and incredible experiences and once-in-a-lifetime moments! I love everything that I am learning and all that God is allowing me to experience here!

This morning even has been full of a lot of excitement! Hermana Sieverts ended her mission. Dead. Gone on a bus to the mission office. Went to meet her parents and show them the best parts of Chile for a couple of weeks. (Just a few) Tears. (Quite a bit of) excitement. (Try my best to be cool on the surface and paddle my feet as fast as a) Duck. (As mom would say) It's every emotion. . . .since . . . .

Hna. Bowns and I (who've only been together for one cambio) felt pretty sure we'd be together until the end (of time), but, once again God's got a (much, much, much) bigger plan than we do for ourselves.

I'm going to go sprinting out of this incredible life with an (extremely) new (very green)companion (straight from South America)!!!! WoooOOoo(OOOooOOoOOooOOOOOO). Let's just say the "to-do" list got 5 pages longer, and the stress level went up a few notches...but It's going to be great. (Every single) cambio and companion is inspired!

That's basically the news of the week...a few other notable things:

-Hna. Rojas from Peru cooked up for the Relief Society a typical dish from her country, Aji de Gaillina

-Hna. Sieverts had a farewell/Family night with the wards. People danced the Cueca, a typical dance in Chile, and took time to express their love for her. It helped me see even more into the culture and amazing warmth that Chilean people have. Even though it comes along with being offended easily, the people here treasure the relationships they develop, and deeply love.

Couldn't be more proud of the Family C...producing Baby C's, and Mature C's, Papa C's, Mama C's, Smart/skinny C's, loving C's and (perhaps a little) exhausted C's. I am SO very grateful for the (abundant) blessings that I have inherited because of the faithfulness of you all. There are so many things that I understand, and do, and believe, because of the generations before me. I don't have to contemplate taking away my own life, because I understand that there is ALWAYS light, that there is always a purpose, and that there is much more to come after death. And to a large extent, I don't have to fear being taken over by an evil spirit, having my children raised on the street, losing control of my own decisions, or even losing the joy and happiness and peace that comes by living righteously, according to how God wants us to. I have a great inheritance. I love helping people start that for their own families that are to come. Thanks for the cheer and love and excitement!

I Love you ALL!!! So (completely, very, incredibly) MUCH!

Hermana Chancho - thank you. I think that's the worst one yet.

fotos:

-Hna. Bowns and I with two elders from our zone...not quite sure what happened to the one...I think the story was that he broke through a window (?) Elders...Just count your lucky stars everyone of you, that you don't have to go walking around introducing yourselves to strangers in the street with a patch like that today.

-cueca hat with pj's. What the "huasos" wear.

-making aji de gaillina plates beautiful

-cueca!

-Elder Balkman (zone leader) with the hermanas..Sieverts, Bowns and Rojas (he's going to be the roommate of Kenneth Daines in the Fall at BYU)