Thirty-seven

This cambio has been flying by.  It has been a great blessing to serve with Hna Clark.  I was praying before this cambio that I would have an opportunity to serve with someone with a lot of experience in the mission to learn from and Dios answered my prayer!

Por fin people are returning to their houses.  January and February are their summer vacations and people here know how to take vacations.....literally weeks or months in the country, beach, or a different country.  We were blessed TONS this month that we had plenty of people to teach but we are grateful for this next month when people are going to return to their normal schedules.  

As a mission our focus is Retention, Reactivacion, and Bautism.  Chile is known as a country that had a HUGE wave of baptisms 20 or 30 years back but after that many stoped going to church.  I think por lo menos find  new menos activos every week.  Especially in this sector of Valle Grande.  We do not have a chapel here and so people stop going to church when they move here because they do not know where the church is or do not have the motivacion to travel to the chapel (it is in Batuco which is 20-30 minutes away in auto).  The members here in Valle Grande want a chapel here tanto!  Funny story...so the other week the person who picked us up to drive to the church ended up running really late.  We arrived at church super late and when we entered we saw our mission president sitting up front.  But it was a blessing in disguise, because it showed to our president that a chapel in Valle Grande might be the right direction in the near future:).

Cool experience from this week...we were riding around and we saw this teenager walking in the street, both Hna C and I felt like we should talk to him.   There are always a ton of teenagers walking around but we acted on the prompting.  I started talking with him and I found out that he was baptised about 6 years ago but went inactive a year after his baptism.  He was only in Valle Grande this week to babysit the house of his family.  We set up a visit with him the next day, and it was a really special opportunity to reteach him about the restauraction.  I have a lot of faith that he is going to return to the flock.  

La Nina who was baptized the last week was not able to be confirmed this last domingo because she became super sick.  Keep her in your prayers that she will feel better this next week.  

Today we did a birthday celebration for the girls in our group. We baked chocolate chip cookies..the first time in my mission (was your recipe mom) and they turned out tan YUMMY!!!!!!  

This week we were teaching a family when a temblor happened (earthquake).  I almost feel Chilena ahora because I am really use to feeling earthquakes.  But it is interesting because always after a temblor the temperature drops.  So we enjoyed a few days with menor calor but quickly the wave of heat came back.  You guys NEED to come visit Chile...It is hermoso!!!!!!

This week and this cambio as a compañerismo we have been focusing on service and teaching simply.  My comp shared with me this morning about Ammon.  The first thing he did was to offer to be the servant/to give service to the King.  Through this he was able to open the heart of the King for the spirit to teach him.  At times I want to teach things more profundly or cover a lot of material...but we need to teach with love, serve, and teach with clarity and simply.  

I love the Book of Mormon.  It is the keystone.  It is for our day.

Love ya mucho

Hna Duffy

Thirty-six

What a week....I love Valle Grande tanto!!!!!!!!!  It is a sector de oro (gold) and we are seeing a lot of miracles!

I was able to participate in the baptism of la Nina.  The bautismo was super lindo and she was able to share her testimony after.  Her grandson was baptismed a year ago ...the obra de salvation is more powerful within families.

I was able to do another intercambio in Lampa this week with a hermanita se llama Hna W.  I love doing intercambios because I get to learn tons from the other misioneras.  This week the heat was impresionante. 

C the menos activo that we have been working with...asistió the church again this week.  I love seeing this light and joy that she now has that she is renewing her promises with Dios.  A miracle happened because her spouse is a member who does not want anything with the church anymore,.....but she talked with him this week (he works far away) and he said that he is going to accompany her when he gets back....whoot whoot.

We have found a lot of new people to teach who are super prepared.  Also this last sunday we had this couple assist the iglesia and they are in the process of moving to Valle Grande.  The husband is a member but his spouse is not...but basically she told us she wants to be baptized.  I love being a missionary!! To see people the which the spirit has prepared.  

Funny story of the week....I had three falls from my bicycle this week.  The first one was not funny but I learned that talking on the phone to respond with medical calls and riding my bicycle together=epic fall.  jaja.  The other one was hilarious.  There is a dirt/rocky path that is a short cut between the sectors which we take to save time.  It is super narrow...on one side of the path there is a fence the other side huge plants.  I started down the path and mentioned to my comp...Im a little nervous for some reason so I slowed down ..and in slow motion I wiped out landing in the plants (see pics).  We were laughing so hard it was impossible to untangle myself or my bike for some time.  

Something from my studies that I have been thinking a lot about is in Mark 10. I believe..It is about the rich jovencito that asked Christ what he needed to do to receive salvation.  Christ told him to sell everything, to take up his own cross and to follow him.  I love this because this youth already was obeying the mandamientos but he was living the gospel not with his heart.  To follow Christ it is not a check list but it is a change of heart, it is not the easiest path, but it is the only path that will lead to the greatest gift of all.

Love you tons

Hna Duffy

Thirty-five

This week fue maravillosa.  

As a hermana líder now I get to participate in the leadership councils now and I had my first one this last week.  It was a awesome opportunity to see people who are working so hard to not only support their sectores but also the mission in general.  We had the opportunity to have a capacitación about the gathering of Israel.  My testimony of the recogimiento of Israel has grown a ton.  Before I did not give much attention to this subject but it is a corner stone to everything...  STUDY IT.  We are living in the time of this gathering of Israel.  We are here to help our brothers and sisters remember who they are, why they are here, and what is the way to receive the blessing that our Heavenly Father is ready to give us.  I am SOO grateful for Pres. Videla.  I know without a doubt that I needed him as my mission president.  His enfoque is for us to develope the atributes of Christ to help us govern for ourselves.

Right now we also have a focus in service.  As missionaries we can share the gospel of Jesus Christ not only in lessons but in a lot of ways.  This week we did things such as teaching english, blowing up balloons for a fiesta, etc.  I have been thinking about the way that Christ served His mission.  He did not avoid opportunities to stop...and to help people in the things that THEY needed.  

Love my comp.  She has been soooo patient with me as I am learning the sector.  LOVE Valle Grande mucho mucho mucho.  We are going to have the opportunity to see a baptism this next week with N.  She is super ready and excited to enter this puerta and progress in the gospel of Jesucristo.  Please keep her in your prayers.  

This week there was a womens conference for the women in Argentina and Chile.  Hna Marriott and Hna Burton gave talks.  My comp and I had the opportunity to listen to the broadcast.  Something that called my attention was the talk given by Hna Marriott.  She talked about ways to improve our prayers.  That we should imagine  Heavenly Father in our presence, ask permission to talk with him, share our testimony with him, and to talk with him as we would our earthly father.  I know that He listens to our prayers.

9 months in the mission....no I am not trunkie!  I can not even put in words what the mission has done for me.  I know that I am where my Heavenly Father wants me to be right now in my life.  I know that I am His daughter.  I know that the Holy Ghost talks to our hearts and minds to guide us.  I know that the gospel of Jesus  Christ is the only way to find true peace and purpose in this life.  

I love my brothers and sisters here in Chile.

I love you guys mucho mucho.

Hna Duffy

Thirty-four

This has been an interesting week.  I really feel like I have started a different mission.  Serving in the country is a lot different than what I have been doing for the last 9 months in the city.  I am going to try to describe it....

Valle Grande.  Is basically a sector of pure houses.  It is in the middle of nowhere and it is the ¨new¨place to live.  So this means that Tons of young families are moving here.  The sector is growing every day.  I am trying to memorize the streets etc.  it is crazy because the houses are more cookie cutter houses so I am having to follow behind my companion everywhere...yes I am praying for the gift of orientation!  The chapel is located in a different town which makes it so many people when they arrive here become inactive because they do not know where the chapel is (25 minutes away in auto).  

Riding a bike as a missionary is totally different then walking.  I am learning the way to do contacts and manuvor my bike in a smooth manner to contact people.  My feet are super happy to have a break from the walking!  

The members in the rama (branch) love the sister missionaries which has been awesome to do more lessons with miembros to participate with us.  The presidente of the rama is a gringito who married a chilena and is a great support for this rama.  This last week I had a crash course in Chilenismos.  I am use to talking with people from Peru, colombia, and people of the city.  The people here in Valle Grande talk 100% chileno...love it.....no me caché (didn´t understand everything) they said but hopefully I will develope a better accent;)

1 Nephi 14:14 describes what are familiy is experiencing right now....we are all in whatever corner of the world but the evangelio de Jesucristo is the glue that is keeping us together.  

We have a women named N who is going to be baptized in 2 weeks!! She is so prepared.  She has been receiving the lessons from the missionaries I believe for more than a year and now is her time!  This week we saw a miracle because her spouse did not want anything with the church of the missionaries but this last week he participated in an acitivity with the Elders and is talking with us.  The spirit is softening his heart poco a poco.  

Awesome experience.  My first day in Valle Grande we were waiting for someone to arrive to their house so we decided to knock doors.  The first door that I contacted a woman answered and she was super friendly.  She told me that she is a member but has been inactive for 2 years.  She told us to return the next day to visit with her.  The next day we went and she told us exactly what happened.  That that day she had been talking with a relative (who is a member) and she was telling her that she felt like she had everything in her life (job, car, spouse) but she felt like she lacked something more purpose in her life.  Shortely after is when we knocked on her door...and she knew that it was an answer from her Heavenly Father.  She said that she knows it is her time to return.  LOVE experiences like this.

We are working with a lot of part member families also.  Keep the family G in your prayers also.  The mom is a member but her husband and 2 daughters are receiving the lessons.  They assisted church this last domingo and now they have the goal to be baptized the 1 of march!  

Thanks for all your love and support.

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