Hermana Canal with President and Sister Gillespie
In front of the clock in Vina del Mar
Monday, November 29, 2010
Well, I thought we weren't going to be able to write today, but turns out president said we could write our family.
This past week we had two baptisms. Arlette and Veronica were baptized together. It was absolutely beautiful. They both had their fair share of trials throughout the week but made it through with flying colors. It always seems like the week before a baptism is the hardest.
Arlette invited 3 nonmember friends and they all enjoyed the baptism. They had lots of questions too. I loved listening to Arlette bare her testimony to her friends. She did so with great confidence and love for the gospel. I am excited to watch her grow and learn more and more. She was just baptized Saturday and has already invited us and the Donoso family over to her house tonight for Family Home Evening. I am so glad that she is putting into practice all that she had learned. Family home evening is one way that she will be able to help her daughter, Cloe, siempre learn and grow in the gospel, although she can not be baptized right now.
Veronica invited friends and family too but they didn't show up... this young woman has been though so much. She is such an example to me. She invited us to have lunch with her Friday although she is not working and barely has the means necessary to feed her four children, but when someone invites you can't say no. We ate a very humble but delicious lunch and being with her and her family is always a treat. I love her kids. They are wild and drive their mom crazy, but I love them.
This week we are practicing Silent Night in parts with the relief society because Friday we are having a ward activity and we are going to sing! I am so excited. Hermana Jones is going to teach the alto part and I am going to teach the soprano part. I love the women in our ward. they are absolutely wonderful. Pray that all goes well in the activity and that lots of nonmembers come! We are going to watch a Christmas video and have hot chocolate and sing. It is going to be lots of fun!
So if you want better health go on visits with the missionaries! Hemana Mirtha was having bad back pain all day the other day when we stopped by her house on the way to teach Arlette and Cloe to see if she and her daughter could accompany us. When we found out she was having back pain we of course said that if she didn't feel up to it she should stay home and rest, but she wouldn't hear it. She and her daughter went with us to make the visit. When we got in the house and started to teach she bore her testimony of the church and the miracles that happen when we serve...turns out that she stopped having back pains when we got to Arlettes house and felt wonderful all through the evening. Miracles. I love them. Hang out with the missionaries!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, November 22,2010
I hope that everyone is eating lots of pumpkin pie for me this week. Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, we will be eating with Hermana Ameyer, which is actually quite funny because she is the Hermana in our ward that always feeds us until we are about to explode!...Chileans show their love in food quantities. haha.
This past week was awesome! My favorite part of the entire week was Sunday because we had the primary program. It was wonderful. I cried...of course. haha. What you have to understand is that for the past month I have been working with the 15 kids that make up our primary, teaching them the three songs that they sang. It was not easy...but so worth it! In church this past Sunday I directed the music of the program. It was beautiful... The best part of the entire program was not the music though. The most special part for me was when Joshua, the son of our convert Luisa, a little boy of only 5 years bore his testimony of the gospel. Thank goodness Hermana Donoso carries tissues in her purse! Everyone loved the program and everyone was so touched spiritually. It was testimony to me that we should all try to be more like little children.
So I know have evidence that I am dreaming in Spanish! Well, at least half way. haha. This past week Hermana Barre and Hermana Jones heard me talking in my sleep in Spanish and English! The best part of all is that I invited someone to be baptised in Spanish. Woohoo! I hope they accepted the invitation but I have no idea who it was!
This coming week I am super excited because we are going to start doing tours of the chapel in a very different way. We are going to be able to teach lesson one and give a tour of the chapel at the same time. We are decorating three rooms with the prophets Adam, Noah, and Moses. We will walk from room to room. When the light is on it is the dispensation of that prophet. when the light is off it is super dark and without the prophet the people are lost and confused (the apostasy), but because God loves us he always sends another prophet(as we walk into the next room to do the same). We will then end up in the room with the baptismal font to talk about the life of Jesus Christ and how he was baptised by immersion at an age of accountability by John the Baptist, someone with the authority of God to baptise him. There will be 13 seats set up with the name of each apostle and one for Jesus Christ at the head. We will then be in another room super dark for the great apostasy that happened after the death of Jesus Christ and his disciples when the authority to direct the church of Jesus Christ and to baptize was taken from the earth. There will be chairs grouped to represent all the different churches that are in the earth right now. Then we will open the partition in between the overflow and the room where we have sacrament and as light floods in there will be a picture of Joseph Smith and the first vision. We will talk about how he restored the gospel and was given the authority to baptize and direct the church as a prophet with 12 apostles. We will have 13 seats in this room also, but the with prophet Thomas S. Monson and the 12 apostles as they are today because the Church of Jesus Christ continues the same even today. We will then talk about the Book of Mormon and the Bible with a map representation to explain that they were written in different places and to talk about the coming of Jesus Christ in both places. It is going to be so awesome!
Sadly you will all have to wait two weeks to here how the tours go because next week my pday will be Friday and I am going to the temple in Santiago! WooHOO!
This past week was awesome! My favorite part of the entire week was Sunday because we had the primary program. It was wonderful. I cried...of course. haha. What you have to understand is that for the past month I have been working with the 15 kids that make up our primary, teaching them the three songs that they sang. It was not easy...but so worth it! In church this past Sunday I directed the music of the program. It was beautiful... The best part of the entire program was not the music though. The most special part for me was when Joshua, the son of our convert Luisa, a little boy of only 5 years bore his testimony of the gospel. Thank goodness Hermana Donoso carries tissues in her purse! Everyone loved the program and everyone was so touched spiritually. It was testimony to me that we should all try to be more like little children.
So I know have evidence that I am dreaming in Spanish! Well, at least half way. haha. This past week Hermana Barre and Hermana Jones heard me talking in my sleep in Spanish and English! The best part of all is that I invited someone to be baptised in Spanish. Woohoo! I hope they accepted the invitation but I have no idea who it was!
This coming week I am super excited because we are going to start doing tours of the chapel in a very different way. We are going to be able to teach lesson one and give a tour of the chapel at the same time. We are decorating three rooms with the prophets Adam, Noah, and Moses. We will walk from room to room. When the light is on it is the dispensation of that prophet. when the light is off it is super dark and without the prophet the people are lost and confused (the apostasy), but because God loves us he always sends another prophet(as we walk into the next room to do the same). We will then end up in the room with the baptismal font to talk about the life of Jesus Christ and how he was baptised by immersion at an age of accountability by John the Baptist, someone with the authority of God to baptise him. There will be 13 seats set up with the name of each apostle and one for Jesus Christ at the head. We will then be in another room super dark for the great apostasy that happened after the death of Jesus Christ and his disciples when the authority to direct the church of Jesus Christ and to baptize was taken from the earth. There will be chairs grouped to represent all the different churches that are in the earth right now. Then we will open the partition in between the overflow and the room where we have sacrament and as light floods in there will be a picture of Joseph Smith and the first vision. We will talk about how he restored the gospel and was given the authority to baptize and direct the church as a prophet with 12 apostles. We will have 13 seats in this room also, but the with prophet Thomas S. Monson and the 12 apostles as they are today because the Church of Jesus Christ continues the same even today. We will then talk about the Book of Mormon and the Bible with a map representation to explain that they were written in different places and to talk about the coming of Jesus Christ in both places. It is going to be so awesome!
Sadly you will all have to wait two weeks to here how the tours go because next week my pday will be Friday and I am going to the temple in Santiago! WooHOO!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
This week has been SO good! I have so much I want to write and I know I am not going to have the time to write it all, but I will try!
Friday we had an awesome activity in the chapel for Relief Society. Luisa, our recent convert, taught a class on mosaics. The turn out was amazing. Half of the class was investigators! It was so good that they are going to continue the class next Friday. This is so good for Luisa, who has depression, because it gives her something productive to do and she feels so usful and loved. She has been having a hard time this week...her kids have been sick and she hit a bit of a low point. I would really appreciate prayers in her behalf.
After the activity Friday we gave a tour of the chapel to one of our investigators, Anna Castillo. Anna is very special. She is a mother of 4 boys. One of them, Carlos, is mentally and physically handicapped. Another of her sons killed himself last year because of a bad breakup. Another of her sons is a worlkaholic and alcoholic. The last of the four is somewhat responsible and lives on his own. He drives his mother to the cemetery every Sunday morning to visit her son that passed away...a bit of a hard life. We have been teaching her for about two months now. The tour of the chapel was wonderful. She loved it and felt the peace and trenquility that is inside a house of the Lord.
The best news is that the next day we taught her The Plan of Salvation, the plan that God created for us so that we can find true joy in this life and in the life to come, the plan whereby our families can be together forever. We taught her about the missionaries that are in the spirit world teaching her son the way we are teaching her. We taught her about the reserection, and how when that day comes her son, carlos, will have a body and mind that is perfect. We taught her what she needs to do in this life to be with her family forever afterwards. Part of that, of course, is baptism. As we taught the Holy Ghost bore whitness of the truthfulness of what we were teaching. Anna Castilla will be baptised the 25th of december, a white Christmas! She is going to talk to her son this week to change her schedule so that she can start assisting every Sunday at church. This is a miracle and I am so happy for her. I feel such joy becasue I know she is finding greater happiness every day in the gospel. She has hope in her eyes.
Sunday we had an awesome sacrament meeting. There are now 4 sister missionaries in my ward and this Sunday we all spoke. It was a Sunday of pure missionary power. I spoke about charity, the pure love of Christ, and how if we really care for someone we show them our love by sharing with them what has made us the happiest in this life, the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it is hard. Before my mission I didnt share the gospel as much as I should have. I was scared. I didnt know how to start talking about religion with people, and I didnt want to loose friendships. Now that I am on the other side of the equator and I have had the practice of teaching and sharing the gospel my fear is gone and I am left feeling so stupid for the way a behaved before. I am not going to say that I regret my past because I have learned so much. My priorities have changes so much. I can now say that I will forever be a missionary. I will talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone that can enter the waters of baptism. I will never loose another opportunity to share what I know and believe with all my heart, mind and soul. There is temporary happiness in this life that we get from a slice of cake of a new car. This happiness is fleeting. There is everlasting joy that we get from the gospel of Jesus Christ. This joy lasts forever. Dont hold back the knowledge that you have. Sing it from the housetops. Show your charity for others and share the gospel. Ever member is a missionary. We are building Gods kingdom on earth. Do your part. Every family should have a Preach My Gospel in their house. This book was written by apostles of God and can help members in so many ways be prepared to share the gospel. You can use it in your personal study and family home evenings to help your familty prepare to be missionaries every day in every moment. It is awesome!
Well, I am done preaching for the day. haha. Sorry if I bored anyone. I love you all so much. If you are a nonmember reading this find the missionaries and make them teach you the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You will not regret it. I promise.
Love,
Hermana Canal
Friday we had an awesome activity in the chapel for Relief Society. Luisa, our recent convert, taught a class on mosaics. The turn out was amazing. Half of the class was investigators! It was so good that they are going to continue the class next Friday. This is so good for Luisa, who has depression, because it gives her something productive to do and she feels so usful and loved. She has been having a hard time this week...her kids have been sick and she hit a bit of a low point. I would really appreciate prayers in her behalf.
After the activity Friday we gave a tour of the chapel to one of our investigators, Anna Castillo. Anna is very special. She is a mother of 4 boys. One of them, Carlos, is mentally and physically handicapped. Another of her sons killed himself last year because of a bad breakup. Another of her sons is a worlkaholic and alcoholic. The last of the four is somewhat responsible and lives on his own. He drives his mother to the cemetery every Sunday morning to visit her son that passed away...a bit of a hard life. We have been teaching her for about two months now. The tour of the chapel was wonderful. She loved it and felt the peace and trenquility that is inside a house of the Lord.
The best news is that the next day we taught her The Plan of Salvation, the plan that God created for us so that we can find true joy in this life and in the life to come, the plan whereby our families can be together forever. We taught her about the missionaries that are in the spirit world teaching her son the way we are teaching her. We taught her about the reserection, and how when that day comes her son, carlos, will have a body and mind that is perfect. We taught her what she needs to do in this life to be with her family forever afterwards. Part of that, of course, is baptism. As we taught the Holy Ghost bore whitness of the truthfulness of what we were teaching. Anna Castilla will be baptised the 25th of december, a white Christmas! She is going to talk to her son this week to change her schedule so that she can start assisting every Sunday at church. This is a miracle and I am so happy for her. I feel such joy becasue I know she is finding greater happiness every day in the gospel. She has hope in her eyes.
Sunday we had an awesome sacrament meeting. There are now 4 sister missionaries in my ward and this Sunday we all spoke. It was a Sunday of pure missionary power. I spoke about charity, the pure love of Christ, and how if we really care for someone we show them our love by sharing with them what has made us the happiest in this life, the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it is hard. Before my mission I didnt share the gospel as much as I should have. I was scared. I didnt know how to start talking about religion with people, and I didnt want to loose friendships. Now that I am on the other side of the equator and I have had the practice of teaching and sharing the gospel my fear is gone and I am left feeling so stupid for the way a behaved before. I am not going to say that I regret my past because I have learned so much. My priorities have changes so much. I can now say that I will forever be a missionary. I will talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone that can enter the waters of baptism. I will never loose another opportunity to share what I know and believe with all my heart, mind and soul. There is temporary happiness in this life that we get from a slice of cake of a new car. This happiness is fleeting. There is everlasting joy that we get from the gospel of Jesus Christ. This joy lasts forever. Dont hold back the knowledge that you have. Sing it from the housetops. Show your charity for others and share the gospel. Ever member is a missionary. We are building Gods kingdom on earth. Do your part. Every family should have a Preach My Gospel in their house. This book was written by apostles of God and can help members in so many ways be prepared to share the gospel. You can use it in your personal study and family home evenings to help your familty prepare to be missionaries every day in every moment. It is awesome!
Well, I am done preaching for the day. haha. Sorry if I bored anyone. I love you all so much. If you are a nonmember reading this find the missionaries and make them teach you the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You will not regret it. I promise.
Love,
Hermana Canal
Monday, November 8, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Halloween sure was different here in Chile. Every year they celebrate here a little more and more, but the people here are much more superstitious than the people in the states and there are tons of people completely against Halloween. Those that do try to celebrate don't really know how because it is suck a new thing still. It was weird not to see any houses decorated. There were hardly any decorations in the stores and very little Halloween candy in the supermarket too. Of course, i had to buy candy for the few trick or treaters that we did have. They trick or treat super late here though. The kids start at like 9 PM! I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween and that you got lots of good candy or at least gave lots of good candy!
Monday you did not receive an "hola from chile" email because i was in the process of climbing a gigantic mountain...LA CAMPANA! This mountain is 2000 meters high! We started climbing at 730 am and reached the bottom again at 330 pm. I just about died keeping up with twelve 20 year old elder missionaries. I fell 5 times, got sunburned (although i did use sunblock dad!), was dying of hunger and thirst (i didn't want to have to use the bathroom while climbing...), and am still feeling the pain 2 days later, but when we got to the top the view was worth it all. It was amazing! We could see the Andes mountain range from the top. I am sending pictures. There are a few of my companion and I at the top and one of all the missionaries that went.
This week we had 9 nonmembers assist! It was amazing! We also had a super awesome "Festival de Postres" last weekend and we had 11 families from the ward participate. Every family brought a dessert and set up a table to serve. All the tables were in a square and the 7 nonmembers that assisted tried every dessert and judged which was the best. Guess who won...Our recently baptised convert, Luisa! She made a super yummy corn cake. I even liked it and i don't even like corn cake! haha. There were like 45 people in total. That is like as many people that show up in a Sunday. WOW! WOOhoo! Heavenly Father works miracles. I love my mission!
Monday you did not receive an "hola from chile" email because i was in the process of climbing a gigantic mountain...LA CAMPANA! This mountain is 2000 meters high! We started climbing at 730 am and reached the bottom again at 330 pm. I just about died keeping up with twelve 20 year old elder missionaries. I fell 5 times, got sunburned (although i did use sunblock dad!), was dying of hunger and thirst (i didn't want to have to use the bathroom while climbing...), and am still feeling the pain 2 days later, but when we got to the top the view was worth it all. It was amazing! We could see the Andes mountain range from the top. I am sending pictures. There are a few of my companion and I at the top and one of all the missionaries that went.
This week we had 9 nonmembers assist! It was amazing! We also had a super awesome "Festival de Postres" last weekend and we had 11 families from the ward participate. Every family brought a dessert and set up a table to serve. All the tables were in a square and the 7 nonmembers that assisted tried every dessert and judged which was the best. Guess who won...Our recently baptised convert, Luisa! She made a super yummy corn cake. I even liked it and i don't even like corn cake! haha. There were like 45 people in total. That is like as many people that show up in a Sunday. WOW! WOOhoo! Heavenly Father works miracles. I love my mission!
We had changes again today and I am staying with Hermana Barre here in San Francisco! I am both excited and sad. We get along super well and she is helping me to learn and grow so much, but I know that this will be our last change together because this is her last change in the mission. It is going to be hard to watch her go home to Ecuador... We did have a bit of a surprise though that will make her leaving a little less painful... We are getting 2 more hermanas in our ward and we are all going to live together! But that's not all... the biggest surprise is that Hermana Jones, my first companion, will be one of them and she will be training a new hermana. I don't know how we are all going to fit in our little house, but all I can say is we will be feeling a lot of love all squished together! haha. For a couple of nights we will all four be sleeping on twin mattresses on the floor until their mattresses and bunk beds arrive! Sleepover! WOoHoo!
So miracle of the week... Veronica. This mother of 4 (three boys and one girl) recently moved into our town and stopped us in the street the other day to ask about church services. We told her all she needed to know and of course were anxious to talk more but she was in a rush to get somewhere so we didn't have time to even write down her information, much less fix a time to pass by her house. To our surprise and great joy the next Sunday she showed up at church and we learned that she has been assisting for 3 YEARS and still has not been baptised. Two of her children, the two oldest boys are baptised though. Well, we set up a time to talk, Friday, and when the day and time arrived we met up in the chapel. All I can say is this woman has suffered so much in her life and I feel grateful to have the chance to know her. She, like all others in this world, has made mistakes. She feels horrible guilt and pain because of her past life and has not been able to be baptised because of the way she was living. I watched Veronica shed more tears during the hour that we talked then I ever thought possible. We talked about her goals in life, for herself and her family. We talked about the happiness that families find when they are united in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We talked about eternal families and the choices she needs to make now to be with her children forever. It was heart wrenching, and in the end she had to decide to make the changes she needs to in her life to be baptised or not. We decided to start a fast with her so that the Lord would show her the way. When we ended the fast Sunday after church we received a wonderful response. Veronica has decided to leave her old life behind and start anew. She now has a baptismal date and a light in her eyes that sings "hope"! I am so excited for her and her family. Her children are wonderful and I know they will be so blessed to have their mother be the example that they need in the church of Jesus Christ.
I know my Savior lives. I know he loves me and every single person on this earth. He made sacrifices I can not even begin to imagine so that we can all return to live with Him, our Heavenly Father, and our families FOREVER. He wants us all to come unto Him, but like Veronica, it is OUR choice. It is hard to change, but I know that after the trial of our faith the blessings are innumerable. Test it out! I know you wont be disappointed. Give your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ the time of day in prayer, church, and scripture study and you will feel for JOY than in any other way. I PROMISE!
The scriptures say it all better than I can,
Mosiah 2:41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and ahappy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are bblessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out cfaithful to the end they are received into dheaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.
Love You all tons and bunches!
So miracle of the week... Veronica. This mother of 4 (three boys and one girl) recently moved into our town and stopped us in the street the other day to ask about church services. We told her all she needed to know and of course were anxious to talk more but she was in a rush to get somewhere so we didn't have time to even write down her information, much less fix a time to pass by her house. To our surprise and great joy the next Sunday she showed up at church and we learned that she has been assisting for 3 YEARS and still has not been baptised. Two of her children, the two oldest boys are baptised though. Well, we set up a time to talk, Friday, and when the day and time arrived we met up in the chapel. All I can say is this woman has suffered so much in her life and I feel grateful to have the chance to know her. She, like all others in this world, has made mistakes. She feels horrible guilt and pain because of her past life and has not been able to be baptised because of the way she was living. I watched Veronica shed more tears during the hour that we talked then I ever thought possible. We talked about her goals in life, for herself and her family. We talked about the happiness that families find when they are united in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We talked about eternal families and the choices she needs to make now to be with her children forever. It was heart wrenching, and in the end she had to decide to make the changes she needs to in her life to be baptised or not. We decided to start a fast with her so that the Lord would show her the way. When we ended the fast Sunday after church we received a wonderful response. Veronica has decided to leave her old life behind and start anew. She now has a baptismal date and a light in her eyes that sings "hope"! I am so excited for her and her family. Her children are wonderful and I know they will be so blessed to have their mother be the example that they need in the church of Jesus Christ.
I know my Savior lives. I know he loves me and every single person on this earth. He made sacrifices I can not even begin to imagine so that we can all return to live with Him, our Heavenly Father, and our families FOREVER. He wants us all to come unto Him, but like Veronica, it is OUR choice. It is hard to change, but I know that after the trial of our faith the blessings are innumerable. Test it out! I know you wont be disappointed. Give your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ the time of day in prayer, church, and scripture study and you will feel for JOY than in any other way. I PROMISE!
The scriptures say it all better than I can,
Mosiah 2:41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and ahappy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are bblessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out cfaithful to the end they are received into dheaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.
Love You all tons and bunches!
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