Monday, December 29, 2014

Thirty



How is my family doing?.....tranquila ?;) I didn´t realize how often we use that word here until I talked with you guys. My comp. told me that I was talking a lot in Spanglish with you guys...sorry jaja. It was SOOOO good to see your lovely faces. This week was a little different with the feriado (holiday) but we learned a lot. Christmas eve we had lunch and dinner with a family from the ward which was awesome. Then Christmas morning my comp and I had our little celebration together (thanks sooo much for the packages) and then had an asado (BBQ) while we took turns talking with our families. After that we visited some investigadores y miembros in our sector. The night finished with a call from obispo that he was outside our apartment with his wife with treats for us (best bishop ever!). Did you know that here in chile people open their presents at midnight instead of in the morning? There is this bread that everyone eats...I do not know why because it is pretty hmm what is the word...it is called pan de pascua...fruitcake but super dry. This week has been interesting because a lot of people have left for vacation. I am learning more and more patience with myself and others ;) We have been doing a lot more contacts and have some awesome potential in this sector. Little miracles every day. For example we had basically finished all our plans for the day and we were without a lead on what to do next. Prayed and felt that we should pass by this lady we contacted the other week that lived far away. So we went and nobody answered the door. But a group of kids who lived next door approached us and started talking with us. In the end we talked with the abuela of these kids and found out that she had visited with missionaries before, and we have an appointment to visit them this week. There is no such thing as luck or chance...but the spirit and the hand of God in our lives! I have been receiving tons of calls from missionaries this week after navidad (christmas). A lot of heat plus a lot of food equals GI problems. I can basically give my speech about what someone needs to do for diarrea in record time ;) Thanks so much for your love and support. Hna Duffy

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Twenty-nine



HOLA!!!!!

Sí pues vamos a conversar esta navidad!  We have everything planned out
 to use a computer in the home of a miembro.  There are 4 hermanas that 
will be having Christmas dinner with this family so I am not entirely sure 
what time...but if possible probably Christmas day is the best for me...if not..
let me know and I will work on something else.  But if you assign me a time 
I can work with that too;)  SOOOOO  excited to see your beautiful faces in Skype.  


This week was the last week of the cambio.  It is a time to reflect on what went well this cambia 
and what we need to work on the next cambio.  I love that in the mission we are always reevaluated 
our progress and goals.  There is always something we can work on.  

CAMBIOS:::::::::the suspense.


I am staying in my sector.  I will be a hermana trainer again..and my comp nueva is a very 
cute hermanita se llama Hna Henry.  The first time I will have to have a compañera gringita 
en el campo.  She is from California and I am sooo excited to serve with her.  We have a lot 
to do in this sector.  Vivaceta es la máximo.  We have tons of support from the ward which has 
been a great blessing.

One thing that I have been thinking a lot about is the many ways we do missionary work.  
For example this last cambio, nobody was baptized in our ward.  It would be easy to think 
that this was a ¨failure¨but what I have learned is there are many ways to have success in a 
cambio.  And furthermore it is not our success but it is the spirit.  Our job is to remain 
worthy to have the companionship of the spirit, and in the end people have the opportunity to decide.  

A couple experiences from this week.

We contacted a lady in the street who said she is atea...atheist.  We asked her if she had
 something happen in her life that basically shook her faith.  She responded that there were 
a lot of reasons..but we could pass by her house one day and maybe she would be there.  
So of course we went.  A miracle happened and she came out of her house and talked with us.  
She told us about her experiences with missionaries, with churches, with God.  It was super 
interesting to listen to her.  One thing that happened with missionaries in the past she said was 
that the missionaries just talked and did not listen to her.  And as soon as the missionaries 
stopped talking they tried to push her to commit (missionaries from lots of different churches). 
 I learned  a lot about the importance of being a good listener.  Often it is more easy to enter 
a home, give a spiritual lesson, and to leave, and then expect changes.  But each person is 
different, and at times we just need to listen.

I have been thinking a lot about this because in the mission I have had the opportunity to meet
 a lot of people in really poor conditions-physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Sometimes in my
 mind..I am wanting to teach a family ¨without¨any huge problems.  That would not have to give up 
addictions, etc. to progress in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I read a talk in the Liahona this week 
where Elder Uchdorf stated that if Christ was living in the earth again He would be found amoung 
the meek, humble, and poor in heart.  This was a answer to my prayers that it is not up to me to decide 
who would best fit to progress in the gospel of Christ, but I need to seek out those who need this 
message of hope, love, and purpose.  

I know that lives change when we accept the Atonement of Christ more into our lives.  We accept that 
we are not perfect, that we need help, and that even when we try with all our might to do what is right 
we can confide in Christ to make up the difference.  

Christ was born in lowly circumstances.  Lived a humble life.  And in the end of His mortal life, 
He was still focused in the needs of others.  I know Christ lived and lives.  That He already suffered 
for all that I will do in this life.  And that this gift, the greatest gift of this season, is the mercy He offers
 us to return with Him to live with our Heavenly Father.  

I love you guys so much

Hna Duffy

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Twenty-eight

Hope you guys passed Thanksgiving wonderfully with mucha comida....I was able to eat pavo (turkey) this week for the first time in the mission which was awesome that it happened the week of thanksgiving.

en serio I am soo sorry my spanglish is getting worse every week....

Oh there is a niño en my ward here who wanted me to write to you guys to tell you that he thinks we look like the creatures from Avitar jajajaja.  

Update on the dog whistle...it works.  It was the best thing ever.  We passed by some dogs that we dont have the best relations with this week..and the sound that the whistle makes..causes them to run away.  Thank you Presidente Videla for the gift!  But we found out if the dog is old it does not affect them.  We were in a house and my companion used it and the dog didnt react at all.. it´s old ears did not pick up the sounds oh well.

This last sunday...Una jovencita se llama Mitxi and I sung in the sacrament meeting.  We sang the song, A Child´s Prayer..pero por supuesto en español.

We live right next door to the Hipodromo en Santiago (horse races)..and there was a huge race this week..fireworks and everything..whoot whoot.  There is an investigador en our ward right now who is a jockey and races in the Hipodromo.

Awesome experience this week.  We are teaching this jovencita se llama Berta.  We had been teaching her mom (who is through o through evangelica) but in the end she stopped progressing and in the end we are now teaching her daughter.  We introduced her to the Book of Mormon..and basically in 3 days she read up to 1 Nefi 10.  This was the first time in my mission where someone has really ¨feasted on the words¨in the scriptures.  She said she loved the vision of Lehi and felt like she was a part of this vision when she was reading it.  Please keep her in your prayers!

We had another milagro/miracle this week.  We are teaching a menos activo hombre and his wife.  They just had their first baby and are super bueno.  Are sacrament meeting is the last meeting of the 3 hour block.  We had invited them to attend the church Saturday night and they said they would.  During the last talk of the sacrament meeting...they walked in holding their baby!  There is such a joy to see someone that was baptized years ago but has been inactivo for mucho tiempo to enter the chapel again.  The ward was awesome to befriend them...always helps when a couple has a cute newborn too ;)  If you can put M en your prayers too (the wife) the next step they need to take is matrimonio.  I love the mission!!!!!! I love the opportunity to see people use their agency to make changes in their lives.

My comp and I have started studying Doctrina and Convenios.  Read Section 6. Especially verses 14-15. 29-30.

I have been thinking a lot about what is my purpose as a missionary..what does Heavenly Father desire of me in my time in Chile.D and C 1:24....we are called as representatives of Christ..but still have weaknesses.  With these weaknesses it forces us to trust more in Him...to Repent each day..and realize that the Atonement is a gift we need to utilize every day in our lives.

Christ lived and lives.  He fulfilled His mission in the earth to carry about the plan of God our Father.  He did it out of love and he was perfectly humilde en everything.

Con cariño y amor

Hna Duffy

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Twenty-seven


Saturday, November 15, 2014

Twenty-six



There is a reason why I am writing today and not yesterday......ready....

Elder Russell M Nelson of the 12 apóstoles came to Chile.  My mission (Santiago North) and another mission, Santiago East had the awesome opportunity to join together for a conference with him.  I will never forget this conference.  A couple points that really struck me was from the talk that Sister Nelson gave.  She talked about pondering and reflecting about our ¨premortal selves.¨ That she wishes everyone could have a DVD player that would allow them to watch 10 minutes of their premortal life when we lived with our Heavenly Father, when we accepted to follow His plan, the moment we left before we were born.  That we were born with a ¨list¨of things that we were to do in this life.  She said that she knows one thing on this list for each of us as missionaries was that we was to serve a mission here in Chile.  When she said this I felt a confirmation of this truth.  That part of Heavenly Father´s plan for me was to serve 18 months here in the beautiful country of Chile.  She also talked about our relationships with others in the premortal life.  How there are times in our life when we meet someone and it feels like we have known each other before or for a long time.  Premortal Friends. How true is this.  

Elder Nelson gave a blessing as an apostle for us.  In the blessing he included a great part for the families of the missionaries.  I want you to know that many people, including leaders of the church are praying for you.  He talked about certain things we should concentrate in our studies.  In the spanish scriptures there is a extra guide to the scriptures which is fantastic which we studied with him in the conference.  He said that with investigadores, we as missionaries need to be able to see them dressed in white in the temple.  The temple is the goal.

Funny story of the week.  My companion had a appointment so I was seated outside the office waiting for her.  I was studying my spanish/english dictionary..when this mother and son entered and sat down close to where I was sitting.  I also had my Book of Mormon in my lap during this time.  This mother and son were conversing and I am guessing they thought I did not speak spanish ...so I would not understand their conversation.  They started talking about the Book of Mormon..how many times they have read it, their thoughts etc.  I decided I would make a medical call to check up on one of the Hermanas in the mission.  The moment I started talking in spanish in this phone call, their faces were priceless jaja.  After the call I talked with them.  They are members ( menos activos I believe) but it was one of the funniest experiences I have had in the mission.


Mucho amor y cariño

Hna Duffy

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Twenty-five

Twenty-four

EN SERIO

no way....that is so exciting that Caden will be serving as the medico in his mission also.
I just sent him a list of medications with the names in spanish and english, and tips on how to treat the exciting things in the mission...diarrhea, dog bites, gastritis, inflammed knees.  He is going to be fantastico.  Maybe he will be inspired to change his major when he gets back home jaja

So I realized this week I might need to learn some french.  There are tons of people from Haiti in this sector.  The people from Haiti are super receptive and open.  We are teaching a man from Haiti named A.  A and his family attended church this sunday which was awesome.  His wife only speaks french but hopefully the spirit was able to carry the message to her heart.  It has been really fun to serve in the city because like any city there are people from all over.  We have a street in our sector which basically only has people from Peru.  It is really funny because people often will think my compañion is american because she is with me.  We are practicing on helping her with her english.

Wow it gets hot here.  Maybe it is because I had two winter in a row, and so my body is not use to the heat.  I am SOOO happy to feel the sun once again.  I am going to have Christmas in the Summer.  Sorry Frosty the Snowman.

The medical problems have changed since the weather has changed.  Now we are dealing with allergies, bloody noses, heat exhaustion, dehydration, and food poisoning.  Hna V, the mission president's wife has done tons for the mission in regard to the health of the mission.  My role really is to help with the calls from the missionaries right now and to translate the needs to the Doctor that is supervising the missions in Chile.  Hna V was so kind the other day.  We were communicating a lot about a missionary in the mission who was experiencing some problems.  She was using a lot of medical words in spanish that I had no idea what the meaning were.  So the next day she got up early and translated and practiced everything in english for me, so she could explain it more profoundly to me in english.  I know that the ability to work with her is a blessing and a grand part in my mission.

I had my 1st completo...the hotdog of chile....with members this week. They made them especially for my comp and I because both of us had not tasted them.

There were emergency cambios in our zone, so we were given the sector of the elderes for the rest of the cambio.  We are focusing on contacting and visiting the members of the ward in the sector for the time we have the whole ward as our sector.  I love the ward...VIVACETA.  There is soo much support and love from this ward.

One lesson that I keep on learning in the mission is that I am NOTHING..without the Spirit and without the Atonement of Christ.  Everyday you can try to accomplish everything and give all...but still you will fall short.  Everyday we need to ask for perdon and to ask for the strength to try a little bit harder the next day.  I love the experiences in the mission when both my comp and I feel the same prompting to do something at the same time...la obra misional es la obra de missionaries...it is the work of our Heavenly Father.

Mucho mucho mucho amor

Hna Duffy

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Twenty-three

Twenty-two

Monday, October 13, 2014

Twenty-one

MUCHO CARIÑO

What a great weekend..cierto?  This week was a week to find new investigadores, and it is very humbleing to see the hand of Heavenly Father in this work.  Also we have been able to work with a TON of menos activos.  Some of them have already rededicated themselves to the gospel and are preparing to once again renew their convenios.  It is NEVER too late to change.

I loved conference!  For me all the talks bascially were the Plan of Salvation.  Teach your children to confide in Christ by doing the essencial things every day, through a prophet we can know the will of God, and there are hard times but Christ suffered all.  I loved when the speakers spoke in their native tongues.  I was really hoping Pres. Uchdorf was going to give his talk in German:)

This church is the church of Christ.  

Pres. Monson is the prophet living in the earth.

Mucho amor,

Hna duffy

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Twenty

Monday, September 22, 2014

Nineteen

Eighteen









I love being a missionary!  It was an interesting week because we had many things to do outside of our sector, but there are so many ways to serve!

I was able to present the new plan of salud in the Zone Conference!  And it went super well, and it was greatly received by the missionaries!  It was interesting because when the different zones were talking about their numbers muchas veces they noted that some of their missoneries had been sick.  I am stoked to work on this project to empower the missionaries with the knowledge to prevent problems of salud from happening so they can spend more time working.  The name is T.A.C (templo a cuidar).  Hna V and I are going to work on the goals to impliment.  

A dream came true!!!! I got to wear a Mormon Helping Hands bib, during a service project Whoot Whoot.  This Saturday was a worldwide day of service.  Half of our mission traveled to the campo (country) south of Santiago for the project.  The country is sooo beautiful in our mision.  Check out Los Andes y Curacavid.  We painted along the main street, walls, houses, etc.  It was a miracle because it was raining in the beginning of the project but stopped, and then rained again after we finished.  My comp and I were painting this wall and a abuelito passed us to buy groceries.  When he passed us again, he gave us each a chocolate bar and his thanks.  Tan lindo!

Other highlights of this week:
-a new convert whom we have been working a lot with gave his first talk in the sacrament meeting.  So proud of him.  The topic was the Abrahamic Covenant (a poco difícil por su primera vez cierto??)  
-the wife (of the couple we visited the templo with earlier) attended sacrament meeting this week!!!! so so so happy.  The ward was awesome and gave her mucho support.

Durante the Zone conference, I learned so much.  The misioneros that are leaving after this cambio..including my comp...bore their testimonios.  I realized that en the end, we as misioneros are not going to be perfect...but that is not the point of a mission.  A change of heart is the clave.  To accept Christ as the Salvador, to dedicate the rest of your life to the work, and to confide en the Atonement, because we need His mercy every day in our lives. 

Mucho amor,

Hna Duffy

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Seventeen





(Found a book of mormon at the top of the tower someone left :)


¿Cómo están po?  I am pretty sure I say this every week but this week literally flew by! 

Everything from planning a new health program in the mission, to running around in the rain to lessons, to an intercambio I am loving being a missionary.

So the other day Hna S and I were brainstorming what we could do to improve the health of the missionaries.  It is one thing to respond to the calls after the problem, but it is another thing to prevent problems...and CLICK.  I love the mission because I am learning to recognize the Spirit as my guide.  I am praying that this program will help our mission a little more with the health of our missionaries!!!  Basically every 3 weeks (half way through a cambio) the mission will have a new goal.  Por ejemplo to drink more water ( a specific amount every day ).  Every compañerismo will receive points por every day that they complete this goal.  But to make it more intisive we are making it a competition between zones.  And yes there will be prizes...whoot whoot!  Hna V (mp wife) is super excited about the plan and we are going to present it this next week at the zone conferences.  I will let you know how it goes!

Cool experience this week.  We were invited by one of our investigadores to tomar once (basically a small dinner) with her, her son and his wife.  The whole time the daughter in law and son basically throw out questions at us.  By the end of the hour I think we hit almost every point in all the lessons.  They do not live in our sector but hopefully we were able to set a foundation for them in the future.

Lesson learned about speaking spanish this week...the accent over a letter is super important.  
During my intercambio I will helping to teach a man from Colombia.  I asked a question but since I didnt stress the accent he thought it was a statement ...porque vs-por qué.  The joke know is that I am going to carry a sign with a question mark on it and flash the sign at the person before I ask a question ;)

Chile continues to prepare for the feriado 18th of this month.  It is basically a rule that each house needs to hang a flag. RED WHITE and BLUE same colors

Today we went to Santa Lucia ....google it...super pretty.  

I have been thinking a lot about why do hard/bad things happen to good people.  We get asked this question all the time by people.  My thoughts on this are, we accepted this plan knowing that it would not be easy, but we knew that it would be possible through Christ.  Salvación is not a ¨cheap opportunity¨(Pres. Holland).  Our lives are times to learn and progress.  How would we learn to rely and confide in God and Christ if everything was perfect in our lives.  Christ is always ready to help pull our burdens with us.  He is ready to stand by our side in the yoke and pull with us.  His strength is more than we can do by ourselves.  But as we give our all, He makes up all the difference.  I read the Prodical Son passage this week.  I love that the Father ran to the son while the son was still far away.  As we turn to the Lord, our path still might have mountains to climb, but we will have a guide and all the things we need to preseverar.  

Thank you for your love, your examples, and your faith.

Hermana Duffy