Sunday, May 21, 2017

Week 10

Hola!

This week has definitely turned around in comparison to last week! It has been incredible and the work is finally moving forward! 

My companion and I have created a moto for our time as companions.  Our moto is, "Never Shovel Twice!"  When the bakery/home burnt down a couple weeks ago, we were working hard to shovel the rubble into a wheel barrow and then dump it outside in a big pile.  One man was a little too impatient and wouldn't wait for the wheel barrow to come back, so instead he would shovel the rubble into a pile, then when it came back, we would shovel his pile into the wheel barrow, therefore doing two times as much work as necessary.  I was getting really frustrated at how stupid this system was, so when the wheel barrow came back, I grabbed it and drove it up and over his pile.  When he turned to throw a shovel full he was surprised to see the wheel barrow right in front of him, but started shoveling into it.  This was a lot more productive.  My companion and I thought about how many circles we were going in because of poor planning or wasting 5 minutes here and another 5 minutes there.  We have since been so much more productive with our time, and we're not "Shoveling Twice" or back tracking to get to another house.

On Thursday we taught K-----. We taught her about baptism and about the word of wisdom.  She smokes, a lot.  But she wants to quit and wants to be baptized.  She is a great investigator when we teach her, she keeps all commitments and gives her full focus. However, she owns a business out of her home, so she is crazy busy and half our lessons fall through.  But our lesson went great, and if all we do is leave an impact and help her stop quitting, she will eventually make more time for the missionaries.  Also she is moving next month, so that sucks.

On Friday we taught E-----who is a recent convert, he was baptized 1 month before I got to the sector.  He is an Haitiano and lives in the place with lots of rooms and we teach on the porch.  While teaching him two new people joined the lesson this week, M----- and D-----.  They are refugees from Haiti and are so excited about the gospel.  Their lives are really hard. M----- moved to Chile 9 months ago followed by his wife D----- 3 months later. They have a 4 year old son who is still in Haiti with her mom until they can save the money to bring him to Chile. The Chilean borders are closed, so the only way to come is by flying and it's really expensive.  With Haitianos we've learned that they either progress really fast, or take a lifetime of teaching to get anywhere.  This couple is perfect, if they could be baptized tomorrow, they would.  However, they have to attend church 4 times and that means 4 weeks until they can be baptized.  On Monday, we taught them again, but separate from the others to make the lesson specified to them.  We talked about prophets and baptism.  We asked if they wanted a goal date for baptism.  They said yes, so we let them choose between April 29 or May 6, and they chose May. They are so excited, and so fun to teach! Also M----- came to church on Sunday for sacrament and we were able to give him a tour of the church and show him the baptismal font! He is my first investigator to commit and attend!

Saturday we taught J----- about the plan of salvation.  He is progressing so fast and has such a strong testimony!  In the middle of the lesson I had a really strong impression to share my experience with gma passing and bear testimony of life after death.  By the time I finished arguing with the spirit in my head about not knowing how to say it in Spanish, I had completely lost track of the conversation.  A break came and out of nowhere I said, "Do you believe that there is life after death and you can live with your family forever." J----- said that he hoped in life after death but he didn't know.  I explained that gma had passed away and how it's been hard for me to not be home, but that God created a plan by which I can live with her and see her again.  As I spoke J----- began to cry and explain that both his parents passed away about a year ago, and it was all connecting in his head.  The spirit was so strong!  After the lesson I told my companion I was sorry if my question was off topic and that I had no idea what was going on when I asked it.  She laughed and said, "Really cause it went along perfectly with what we were talking about."  The spirit works in miraculous ways, and I am truly grateful for the knowledge I have of the Plan of Slavation. 

So yesterday my comp and I were making our way to lunch, running about 3 minutes late.  We turn the corner to head down a long street when we see the Elders. We all eat lunch at the same place.  Elder C----- is having problems with his knee and is currently in a groin to ankle knee brace in order to keep it totally straight with no ability to bend, therefore they walk really slow.  They always beat us to lunch, so my companion says, "should we run and try to beat them since Elder C----- can't run?"  I said, "Lets do it!"  So we take off running down the street (Shamelessly in dresses) and we get about 10 feet behind the Elders before they turn around and Elder C----- says, "Oh this is not happening!"  We get about 10 feet in front of them when we hear someone running, thinking it was Elder C----- we start to turn around just as Elder C----- goes running past and says, "Suck it Hermanas!"  In order to run, he had to jump super high so he could swing his straight leg around.  I was dying laughing, I wasn't sure if I should keeping running or try to pull out my camera! Either way, it was super funny! The Elders are super chill and funny, so teasing him about his leg was okay, he cracks jokes about it all the time too!

Today is Day of the Young Fighter here in Chile, basically just a day when people go a little bit crazy.  I live in a super calm area and they don't normally have any problems here but because of it we had to be home by 8 last night, and we have to be in our houses by 3 today.  It's kinda inconvenient that it falls on pday....but we get to just hang out, watch movies, kinda do whatever inside.  I'll be honest, I have been so excited for this day to come since I heard about it in the CCM, I'm gonna take a glorious nap! Don't worry, I'm safe, our house is secure, and we are in super calm area, nothing to worry about!

Ive studied about Christ a ton this week! So a few of my favorite scriptures that I have come across are...
1. Mosiah 26:22 (Christ's Church)
2. Alma 5:27 Christ's mission and our part)
3. 2 Nephi 31:5 (Christ being perfect was also baptized)
4. 3 Nephi 15:9 (Look unto me for I am the light)
5. Ether 4:12 (I am the light of the world)

Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Love,
Hermana Sullivan






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