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

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

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

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

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

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

Twenty-seven

I realized that today is exactly one year from the day that I will

 board a plane to return to Los Estados Unidos.  Wow 6 months 

has flown by...I seriously feel like I still am just starting the 

mission.  These last 6 months have changed my life, changed

 my heart, and changed my future.  It is interesting to reflect on 

the things that lead up to making the decision to serve a mission.  

Because seriously the mission was never in ¨MY¨plan.  Heavenly 

Father Knew and Knows how much I need this experience.  

Each day is a day to learn how much more I need to accept the 

Atonement in my life.  I love Chile, I love the mission.  

Experiences of this week...

_presented an overview of health with the new missionaries

_today we traveled to ¨La Vega¨ which was super fun.  My 

companion loved it because she is from Peru and there was 

tons of food (fruits and vegetables) that are from Peru there.  

Seriously the food here is really cheap especially the produce..

tan tan rico.

-cool experience.  So we were walking in the street and this 

woman ran up to us and asked us if there was a drug rehabilitation 

program with the church because her husband if struggling with an 

addiction.  We were able to talk to her about this and set up a time

 to visit them.  The lección con ellos was really powerful, and she 

talked to us that when she was a girl she participated in the

 ¨mormon¨activities.  It is cool to see how seeds are planted in 

peoples lives to later open up doors to the Evangelio de Jesucristo.

-another cool experience.  We were taking a taxi and almost always

 we are able to share a good message or contact about the church 

with the drivers.  But this time was a lot different.  When we arrived 

to our destination he turned off his car and we were able to give 

most of the 1st lección with him (The restoration).  I love to see  how 

the Spirit touches the hearts of people and to see when people have 

been prepared to accept the message into their lives.

-seriously I need to learn french...there are so many people from 

Haiti here.  The people from Haiti are the most loving, giving,

 selfless people I have ever had the chance to know in my life.  

It is really funny to talk with them.  Because my spanish is not 

perfect and they are learning spanish too...which leads to lots of 

confusion at times.  For example..yes I have a story to back this 

statement up.  We were teaching un hombre se llama, Djery.  I asked 

Djery what I could ask (pedir) in my prayer for him.  He understood 

my question as (perder) ...¨What am I going to lose if I pray to Dios?¨ 

He was very surprised by this and ended up giving my a power talk 

about the importance of prayer and my relationship with Dios.  

Lets just say my companion couldnt help but laugh.

This week I studied some about how Christ accepted the will

 of the Father.  In everything He accepted the will of Heavenly 

Father.  Before the mission I had a hard time to distinguish the 

differences in the roles of Christ and Heavenly Father.  I am 

grateful for the ability to work on strengthening my relationship 

and understanding with my Heavenly Father and also my 

Salvador y Redentor Jesucristo.  

They are very aware of our needs. 

Prayers are conversations with our padre celestial.

We receive blessings each day

mucho amor

Hna Duffy

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