Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Thirty-three






What a week it has been....seriously!

This was the last week of the cambio and Hna H and I wanted to finish strong.  Despite the heat and all (lesson learned...even when there are clouds covering the sun, wear sunscreen during a summer in Chile ;) ) we were able to end this cambio feliz.  In the new sector that we received we have received sooo many blessings.  I want to contar una experencia tan bacán.

So we were tocando puertas en one of the new streets that we received and a niña opened the door.  After she answered the door....a young man greeted us.  His arm was totally bandaged up in a sling.  I asked him what happened and he said that 2 days ago he had a accident with his moto to avoid hitting a dog and that he broke his clavicle.  I asked him if there was another time we could come and visit him and his family.  He told us that he was free ahora for a visit (this does not happen very often).  So I called for my comp. to join me and we entered.  His name is V.19 years old.  He is from Colombia.  He moved to chile in Diciembre and him and his mujer and niña live some of their familiares.  He has great faith and a desire to learn more about God.  So we started to teach Lesson one about the restauraction.  Every point we talked about he loved.  When we talked about the Book of Mormon and mentioned that Christ visited our ancestors in the americas his eyes filled with light and he exclaimed that he never knew this happened.  He said that the message was `as clear as water`and that before he was not sure why he felt prompted to leave his great job and country to come to chile but know he knows why and has received his answer about the will of his Father for him.  That maybe the reason he had this accident was for him to be in his house when we passed by.  I felt the Spirit sooooo strong.  We left his house with piel de gallina ¨goosebumps¨.  There are people who are sooo prepared to hear the message.  

A goal I have set is to always carry a Book of Mormon in hand.  I have felt more of the power of this book and I know it is a gift from God to give us a guide and instruction in this life.  

We started doing family home evenings in the capilla every friday.  This last friday was the first time and it turned out super super bien.  The people here LOVE the games.  My companion and I planned a rely game with pictionary, toilet paper, spoons and candy....yah it was pretty fun.  Will send pics;)

Today was cambios..................................................................after 3 cambios in vivaceta me fui.

I am now more in the campo or country. The sector is called Valle Grande  (google map it).  It is basically all new houses in the middle of nowhere....so excited  and I get to ride a bike....in a skirt ( I am sure I will have plenty of stories to share from this)!!!!!!!  The people that live here are basically all young families.  It will be different because I am use to a lot of abuelitos and people from other countries.  I will be serving with Hna C as hermanas lideres.  I am Lider 2 so I have the opportunity to travel to other sectores to do intercambios with other hermanas and to help them in their sectores.  I am soooooo feliz for this opportunity to serve these hermanas.  Hna C is awesome!  Her older sister graduated with me in nursing at BYU...this world is so so small.

It was hard to leave Vivaceta.  Vivaceta will always be my home in chile...but I am excited for the new experiences I will have here in Valle Grande.  I know that the cambios are inspired and I can feel the will of my Heavenly Father guiding me in my mission in the things I need to improve.  This next week I will hit 9 months in the mission which blows my mind.  LOCO.  I am grateful for every day I have in this beautiful country to represent Jesucristo and to strive to serve and bring people to Cristo.

LOVE YOU MUCHO

Hna Duffy

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Thirty-two





This last week my comp and I were thinking about ways to increase the unity in the ward and to find more people to teach.  As two gringitas (north americans) were thinking we came up with the idea to hold ENGLISH CLASSES in the chapel.  We got permission and everything and this last saturday we held the first class....so...much...fun!  We did not have too many people attend, but the bishop anunció about the class this last sunday so we will see what happens this next week.  I tried to give the closing prayer in english....it ended out being more spanglish.  It is a blessing to learn though how to teach a language though.

This week was an opportunity to met a lot of ¨new¨menos activos who are wanting to come back to the fold.  Everyone has a story and it is amazing to see how the Spirit is working to soften the hearts of these people again...reconversion.  The goal is the temple.   I am so grateful for the opportunity to see people and this change of heart.

That is soo funny about the exercise video.  This last week we started a program also to motivate the missionaries to exercise for the whole 30 minutes.  My comp likes to run in the morning so it has been awesome!  Half marathon when I get back dad.....?????;)

With the new sector we have been finding new people to teach.  We have been teaching this woman named L.  She is super Evangelica/christiana.  The first time we had a visit with her, she wanted to offer the first prayer and she did so, making us stand with her in a standing circle.  It has been really touching to see her learn more...now praying with more of her own words, arms crossed, kneeling.  I know that heavenly father listens to our prayers.    I was a little nervous though to kneel in her house because lets just say the first visit there we were a little distracted by the sounds of a rat chewing under her dresser ;)  LOVE THE MISSION

Something that I started to do this week is to walk around with the Book of Mormon in my hand.  The Book of Mormon is the clave..the keystone.  We had a Zone Conference this week and the theme was about the Book of Mormon.  My comp H and I have been trying more to use more scriptures in the lessons and there has been a huge difference.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true.  I know we can receive answers to our prayers in the scriptures.

Families are eternal.

Hna Duffy

Friday, January 9, 2015

Thirty-one







This week was INCREDIBLE.....I need a whole day to write all the experiences, memories, miracles, blessings, todo of this last week.  The mission is the best.  Where to begin:

But first off,....FELIZ AÑO NUEVO...2015.....
This last week we have had to avoid muchos abrazos from people...Here in chile the way that everyone celebrates is by hugging EVERYONE...Not only New Years Eve but for the whole week.  Love the Love, but as a missionary we are learning some quick subtle moves to keep the normas :)
I am going to write spark notes of things that happened:

-miracle....so we were trying to help a new convert travel to the church this last sunday..but everyone with a car in the ward was on vacación...this convert abuelita can´t walk so we were thinking it might be necessary for her to take a taxi.  Right when we were getting ready to flag down a taxi, a car passed us but did a U-y and turned around.  To my surprise it was a couple from my other ward that I served in!  They had been trying to attend a different ward that is close by but the chapel was closed but they remembered that there is a small capilla in Padre Las Casas (my ward in Vivaceta) so they were in camino to find this capilla...and they passed by in front of the house of this abuela (who does not live close to either churches.....MIRACLE.  Seriously the whole day I was in astonishment of how great a blessing this was.  Heavenly Father is SOOO aware of our lives and needs!

-We met this man last week and we set a time to return and met and compartir with him and his wife.  The day of the appointment with him, we passed by the mom of a a young adult who is a menos activo.  We have not had much success in entering this home in MUCHO tiempo...but this morning she let us in and we had a great lección with her.  Directly after our visit with her we went to our appointment with this man and his wife...Umberto y Nora.  Long story short we found out that Nora is the sister of the mom we passed by earlier that morning.  Later in the visit...Nora told us that she had a dream recently where she dreamed that she was in a tunnel and trying to escape out of it.  There was a light that was directing her in this tunnel..but when she reached the light she looked up and there was a person.  She then said ´I believe the two of you are this light¨WOW I love when the spirit works with people.  People here in Chile are super aware and put a lot of attention in the dreams they have.  When she said this I felt an increase in love for her...and it was a opportunity to see how nuestro Padre Celestial prepares his children to receive more luz and knowledge.

-We were walking and this dog came up to us (limping) passed by us and then turned around and literally jumped to attack my companion.  I KNOW that my comp. was protected.  The dog basically got pushed back and left.  I am soooooo grateful for the protection we have as missionaries.  

-My friend M who is a menos activo assisted the Sacrament Meeting after probably a year of inactivity.  She shared her testimony...and I am sooo happy for her!

-The CUTEST VIEJITA ABUELITA in CHILE lives in my ward.  I have not laughed so much in my life.  My favorite thing that she does is her imitation of a old person knitting....enough said.

-LOVE my comp.  I have felt the spirit so strong during this time I have had to serve with her.  Ella es tan capaz.

-Funny quote of this week... A wife told her husband that we the missionaries were going to have lunch this next sunday in their home....His eyes literally lite up and he exclaimed This means we are going to have postre (dessert)!!!!!  Yes Chilenos have a passion for food ;)

I don´t have more time to write everything, but I have felt the spirit and la mano de Dios tan fuertemente in my life this week.  I am eternally grateful for this opportunity I have to serve my brothers and sisters here in Chile.

Love you mucho mucho mucho

Hna Duffy