Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Fifteen



This week lots of this happened.

Yes we did experience a 6.4 terremoto.  Story.  This night was a huge ward activity.  The activity was about different countries (colombia, peru, guatamala, y mexico).  Different foods to try, dances, and facts/history about the countries.  Tanto divertido.  Before the activity the whole chapel started to shake.  By now I am use to the temblores (small quakes) but this one was different.  There could not have been a better place to be than the chapel right...except for the temple.  Everyone handeled the situation well and the night went on.  Another story to write in my mission diary!  

The ward that I am serving in is one of the biggest ones in the area...so many lovely people!  Hna S and I are going to focus more on working with the members of the ward.  By teaching others about the importance of missionary work and how to go about it hopefully we will be able to open more doors.  

Had an intercambio this week with a fantastic Hna.  I love doing intercambios because I always learn so much.  There is no one type of a perfect missionary.  I love to witness as missionaries use their strengths and personalities to share the evangelio.  This is not our work but the Lord´s, and as we give it our all He will make up for our weaknesses.  

Hna S shared an analogy conmigo which me encantó.  Sometimes in our lives we are waiting for the Lord to build us our perfect house that we have imagined for ourselves..and we are so focused on this that we do not see the mansion that He is building for us.  We must accept Him as our Salvador, to accept who He is and what He did.  

This week we had a super Bakán experience with a couple who is menos activo.  We traveled to the Santiago temple and participated with them in a tour of the temple.  We were able to enter the front part of the temple with them.  Temples are the houses of the Lord.  What a difference we could feel through the doors of the temple.  I loved seeing the faces of this couple change as they pondered on the temple and the goal it is in the life of their family.  Everyone is invited to enter the temple, but we must first do our part and be worthy and prepared to enter.

Disfruten su semana.

mucho amor desde Chile.

Hermana Duffy

Oh today for our pday we are going to learn how to make empanadas chileno style with the wife of the couple I just talked about.  So stoked!

Friday, August 22, 2014

Fourteen

Another week has flown by..

This week I had the opportunity to present health topics to the new missionaries that arrived in our mission.  Everything from not eating homemade mayo to athletes foot.  During this reunion which was basically all day, during the breaks people would come up to me with questions...everything from creaky knees, a cut on the hand, to fungal infections.  I love working with the missionaries!  Being a nurse is basically being a listener.  I little compassion goes a long way.  I am already preparing in my mind my next topic I want to talk with the missionaries entitled ..Por favor, dont use the left over antibiotics from members!  I will let you know how it goes:)

So much potential in this sector.  We had a really neat experience.  Ferias are super popular here...think outdoor market stands with super rica comida!  There is one in our sector every thursday.  We felt like we should ask the supervisor if we could participate in the feria with a stand.  I know the Spirit led us to this idea, because we have been thinking how to find more people to teach.  The supervisor gave us permiso (he said he has a relative who is a member).  Doors open if we act and listen to the spirit.  I will let you know how it goes!

Thought of the week.  Christ can calm the waves and change the water into wine.  Christ can calm our spirits and change our hearts.

I had a really special experience with a lady who is a menos activa.  She had married a returned missionary, sealed in the temple, has a daughter, and their life was happy.  But do to things that happened, she now is sola con her daughter, working constantly (including sundays) to provide, and has kind of given up on a future in the church.  We were able to share a short clip about temples with her.  She started to cry and said that she has a desire to enter the temple again, but feels like it is too late, and she has too many things to change.  We were able to talk about the atonement, that it is never too late to change, and that if she focuses on one goal at a time (start reading the scriptures etc) her can become digna again to enter the temple.  I felt that I needed to share the experience about Lillian/Nanna and her conversion process. I know this lovely woman can change and can once again feel the joy within the walls of the temple.

Families are eternal

mucho amor

Hna Duffy

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Thirteen









This week was different....tons of meetings.  I was able to attend a meeting with the doctors and nurses that are serving in Chile.  We received training on how to support missionaries who are experiencing stress and also how to triage abdominal pain over the phone.  I am sooo stoked to apply the things I learned.  I feel so blessed to rub shoulders with amazing dedicated physicians and nurses who are striving to support the missionaries so they can continue to work.  I am learning so much, it is like going through nursing school another time.  In the next month I will have a smart phone so I will have access to an app to look up medications for the missionaries which will be a blessing.

I had the privelege to do an intercambio with 2 wonderful sisters.  The sector was very much downtown...flashbacks of downtown Salt Lake City.  I felt out of place for the first little bit, because it is very different from my sector.  One of the Hermanas I did an intercambio is ending her mission today.  I was able to talk to her about her mission which was a neat opportunity.  I have been thinking how I do not want any regrets at the end of my mission.  Her advice...do all you can in a day, and pray for support and perdon every day.  This is not my work...it is the work of the Lord.  I feel so much peace in my life, as I know I am where I am suppose to be.  I love the schedule of the mission.  Every minute is important...it is not my time but the Lord¨s.  

The mission had cambios today......and......I get to stay with my companion and my sector for another cambio!!!!  My comp. only has one cambio left before she goes home to Argentina.  We have set goals and are going to work work work.  I am so excited to serve with her again.  She is so patient with my language...and has been a huge blessing helping me with the medical calls.  Our goal this cambio is to work on the our mission theme of ¨Servir con gozo¨Serve with joy.  

We can know we are progressing in our testimonies when our desire to share the gospel with others increases.  The reason we attend church is to renew our convenants...and that is why it is important to attend church EVERY week!

Thanks for your love and support

Hermana Duffy
 

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Twelve

Another Super Bakán week here in Chile

This week was full of miracles...I learned that obedience leads to miracles.  With the new mission schedule we have less time for contacts and lessons.  We were nervous about this decrease in time (more time studying now) but our numbers in lessons increased this week, and I know it is because we decided to be obedient with the schedule.  When we trust the revelation of church leaders, we are trusting in the Restoration...the sacerdocio or the priesthood, the power of God. Moroni 7:33 was our go to scripture this week.  Simple but strong...all things are possible...maybe not easy..but with this kind of faith, miracles come forth.  

 I have been studying the talk "Becoming Perfect in Christ" by Elder Gerrit W. Gongon this week...and seriously probably could focus 18 months of study on this talk.  A quote that really called my attention was ¨Fully accepting our Saviour´s Atonement can increase our faith and give us courage to let go of constraining expectations that we are somehow required to be or to make things perfect.¨ As long as I do my part, the Atonement will sanctify my efforts.  

Sorry if I get too preachy in this letter but I have had sooo many thoughts and lessons this week!  My companion and I talked about how Laman, Lemuel, and Nephi all had the same journey to travel...but Nephi made the most of his time and truely changed from this experience.  We can go through the actions but if we dont truely change our hearts, we will slide back to our natural state.  A mission is a time of changes, and I have been thinking of things I want to change in my life after the mission.  I need to have a true change of heart in the mission in order to perseverar hasta al fin despues the mission.

This week we helped with 2 noches de hogar (FHE).  It has been fun teaching people here games that they have never played before jaja.  The chilean culture is super divertido.  I feel blessed to serve amoung people who are so loving and giving.  Yesterday, a family (recent converts) told us they want to almorzar (to lunch) with us.  This family last week only had enough food for 2 of their 3 kids.  They have been blessed with the support of the ward and the bishop storehouse, but the thought of them sharing with us what they have is a really humbling experience.  Truely the widows mite.  Most of the time I feel like I am getting served more then I am serving others...what great people!  

Funny story of the week...we were singing a hymn with a family when their relatives came in.  They relatives joined us for a prayer..and after the Father opened the door, and I thought earlier they referenced to ending it after the prayers.  So after the prayer I gathered my things and stood up to leave.  But nobody else moved..I looked back and my companion had her scriptures open to share a message...Lets just say I was able to break the ice...jaja.  We are really close with this family so I am sure they are never going to let me forget this :)  They are menos activos and they have a wall in their house where all the missionaries sign.

El evangelio de Jesucristo es perfecto...we have a Salvador we can confide in and through Him be saved.  The Atonement needs to be part of our lives every day.

mucho amor

gracias for your examples, support, and love

Hna Duffy