December 16

It feels like Christmas!

Whew! What a week. We had our Christmas conference. It’s really funny because we were all preparing the night before like what we're going to wear and trying to find something close to Christmassy and then laughing at ourselves for getting so excited over a conference. lol. But that was our Christmas for us so I guess it's okay. lol. I'm still not sure what we're going to do here for Christmas but it's in the works. So the conference was good. President gave us all pillows... but I already bought my own so. Now I have two! Wahoo! But they have a cute pillowcase with the mission emblem. Every zone put together a thing to present and that was fun to see. Our zone did a dance to the Gloria song that's like instrumental.. Mainly because it's what we had on our phone and also to a song in Spanish for Christmas! It was fun to put together. I'd send you the video but my camera got stolen so... but don't worry about it. I’m already over it. I’ll probably end up buying another one when I feel the need just so that I have some memory of my mission. Speaking of which. Can you make sure that all of the photos I’ve sent you are saved super good. I know there's not a ton but they're all I have so if you could do that that would be very nice of you.

What else this week. I went on an intercambio to maquehue. That was fun. Usually when we do intercambios  I stay in my own sector for some reason and I hate it lol but it was a good day over there in the hills.
We had a little going away party noche de hogar for Hermana Orozco who went home yesterday. It was really good to see her leave happy and with good advice but she was also good to live with. She helped me keep the other missionaries in line. lol. i'm just kidding....
Elder Reyes also went home yesterday. It kind of broke my heart because he has really been a leader that has actually made me a better missionary. I'm convinced that he stayed long enough to be my leader and that the only reason he went home is because he knew what he was doing. And you can't be a missionary if you know what you're doing. But he should be able to get better operations there in the US so hopefully everything will be okay!

So... i may or may not have opened a few things from my packages... hehe.  I just couldn't wait. But I love all of the shoes from Grandma y Grandpa!!! Thanks so much! They are sure to last for the rest of my mission! sin duda! Also I opened a very cute skirt! I love it love it LOVE IT! I've been dying for new skirts! So thank you!! It rides up a little because I think you've forgotten that I told you I’ve gained  just a little weight here on the mission... but I wore it anyway AND today we went to some hill hike thing as a zone AND I wore my jeans! So i think I’m finally leveling out again. Still quite tight but buttoning. You won't even see the difference on navidad!

I sent your Christmas package yay! It’s not as cool as I wish but it's still a little something from my home. The things that aren't wrapped are for sav rich tate y brock. Sorry mom and dad cause i didn't have time to make more. I’m  just kidding I totally didn’t make them. They just didn't have more to buy.  Anyway! Hope you get it in time for Christmas!

I love you all!
Feliz Navidad!
Hermana VandeMerwe

December 9

Well you might have snow over there but we have baptisms over here so. 

Actually we have no one with a date right now but I believe in miracles! 

My new comp, Hermana Godinez is FATASTIC! She is from Guatemala and I know that we are going to see a lot of miracles together. She has about 4 months on the mission but she knows why she is here and has a lot of love for everyone. I'm really excited to learn from her. Plus it will be good to finally be able to practice my Spanish... day and night- lol. 

The whole 5 hermanas in the house is just fine. It’s just funny having all of our suitcases in the kitchen and having to move the fan to get to different places. But really I haven't noticed that it's bad at all. It’s just kind of how we live. Our house is probably about the size of my apartment but with more room in the living room and less room in the bedrooms. 

lol. I haven't have time to read all the letters yet. But sounds like that Tate is quite the popular guy. I hope he settles down a little bit because there is no such thing as popular in the mission. 

Okay that might be a lie... I’m kind of popular too over here in Chile but amongst the common folk is all. 

This week we really worked well. We found lots of new investigators and I really felt my testimony growing as if I could see a little meter that fills up in different areas. My testimony has been strengthened in key areas many through experiences that I’d rather not have but nonetheless, apparently I’m not just here for other people. I've still got a lot to learn myself. 

LIke when we had a golden family that we can't see any more because the dad got mad. Or when the wife of a true potential told us not to come back. I learned that not only is it hard to progress without your family. You literally can't progress without your family. 

I've learned that you're simply happier when you read the scriptures from seeing the miserable state of others when they aren't reading compared to when they are. The happy state of those that keep the commandments.

My testimony of fasting was strengthened yet again as we did a fast with a menos activo so that she could stop smoking. She's been trying to stop smoking for a very long time and her confidence was low that she would ever be able to making her fall into deep depression. We finally did one simple sacrifice one day and she hasn't smoked since. I remember when she opened the door the first day we went to check on her with a huge smile on her face and bright clothes with a yellow headband. Small things bring to pass great things.

I learned that we should all have the hunger and the obedience of a child. We could baptize any kid on the street if we really wanted to. This week we found a menos activo in the street who wanted nothing more to do with the church but her dad told us week could take his grandchild to church (her son) he begged her to let him go and to come with him telling her " please mom, I want to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ" with his hands clasped and his voice sincere. 

Liken yourself unto a child. 

This week we have our mission Christmas conference. YAY! Every once in a while I get that bust of Christmas spirit when I see the trees in the houses or the lights in central Pitrufquen. It feels like when we go to Hawaii for Christmas and it's warm but yet Christmas is in the air. 

Oh Dad, can you send me the recipe for oatmeal cookies that are soft please? They make these oatmeal cookies here that really aren't that good. They’re like making a granola bar and we put it with jam or something. There is a menos activo who wants it and I thought I had it but I don't. So that would be great! 

Well that’s all I’ve got for now! 

Love you!

Merrry Christmas!

December 2

Cambios are here! Hermana Horan is leaving. I'm really bummed about that cause we worked really well together and I learned a lot from her. My new companion is Hermana Godinez or something like that. I'll I've heard about her is that she's from Uruguay and she has a little less time than I do. We are also bringing Hermana Wiegal into the mix. She got her with me and she is going to be in a trio for two weeks until Hermana Orosco goes. So that means 5 Hermanas in the house that should be for 2. Whew that will be fun.  Our landlord  is building a new house. I think she got scared when we told her we were going to leave. But now we just have to wait until supposedly mid- January. 

This week for thanksgiving we got together with the zone and ate a nice dinner of Chicken and potatoes. All for you Brock. We did pretty well I must say. Bought a bunch of rotisserie chickens. Someone made some jello. We had corn and even cheese cake for dessert. Oh and gravy. It was super fun. This has been a really fun zone and at thanksgiving we went around and said what we were thankful for. It was a good way to invite the spirit. I'm very thankful for Thanksgiving. 

Your thanksgiving sounded super great! I'm glad you had fun together as a family and I hope you made a list of all the things you are grateful for.

The next day we had a conference with an Elder from the 70. He talked a lot about repentance and having a testimony for ourselves. That we can't teach it until we know it. It's very true. I'm trying hard to deepen my testimony of all of the principles so I can teach them with more power and have more of a desire for them to know if for themselves. As far as repentance. That is a very hard thing to do but every once in a while we need a self-evaluation to really find what we can do to come unto Christ. 

However you know what conference means? Packages!!!! I received 2 the one from Savannah and Richard and the one from the Family. To be honest I haven't opened them yet cause I was waiting for today and then haven't had the time yet but I’m going right now and I’m excited! Sorry I haven't opened it to tell you how much I love whatever it is but I’m sure I’ll love it and I’ll tell you about it next week! 

How is 3rd Nephi coming along?

So the bad news of the week is that Elder Reyes went back to Santiago and it has been confirmed that he has lost his vision permanently. He's decided to stay on the mission which I’m really happy about. He is a great example of valiance and for putting the Lord before anything else. 

I'm really sad to hear about Aunt Judi. I will for sure be praying and fasting for her. Please keep me updated and keep up the faith. Bring forth actions of your faith and we will see miracles as a family. 

So do we have just 2 elders in our ward now or how many missionaries do we have in the stake? As in serving there? That's pretty cool we even have missionaries in sacrament meeting. We never have missionaries in our meetings! 

Continue reading 3rd Nephi and sharing the gospel with everyone! Go above and beyond what you normally would to bring someone to Christ this Christmas! I love and miss you all! Can't wait to talk with you soon! 

Love, 

Hermana VandeMerwe

November 25

Baptism of Marcelino! He is absolutely adorable. I keep forgetting how much I tell you about him but he is so cute. He has so much trust in us as missionaries and in the people of the branch as they get to know him. He just moved into his home for old people... how do you say that? Old folks home. Oh ya. That's it. One day this week we spent a good 2 hours doing nothing but walking from one old folks home to another trying to find him because he hadn't shown up for his app for 2 days. But we found him thank goodness. Then on the day of his baptism, luckily we went to make sure he was ready to go for that because it was raining and said that he couldn't leave. Whew! Thank heavens we went before so we could tell him we'd take him in a taxi.

The baptism was the best ever! An elder played the piano for the musical number and the talks were great. The font overflew but I didn’t know about that until I walked down to see him.. I was wondering why all the missionaries were suddenly all wet... but all went well. Marcelino very slowly put his hand to his nose and then was very slowly put down into the water.  He wasn't closing his eyes, I think the baptiser just decided to do it really fast in the end. It was a double baptism with a joven from the branch in another sector. They don't have a chapel there so they came to ours. That one was cool because an elder got to do it. We have a rule in the mission that the missionaries can't baptize unless it's their first and I think their last... Afterwards Marcelino got up and bore his testimony and on Sunday received El Don del Espiritu Santos.

 Saturday night we had a talent show. It went well. They had a lot of acts so they ended up cutting ours but it’s okay- we were just going to do a dance with the gringos. Like cotton eye joe or something from efy that we all knew.

 Oh but our district leader made it to the baptism! He’s alive! Just got back from Santiago. But he has to go back next week.

 Went to the campo this week and it was absolutely beautiful. I love my sector right now. We are a cute town surrounded by nothing but fields and trees. But you wouldn't know it unless you left town. There is a member that we went to visit with the elder’s quorum president and they took us around their farm. I loved it. Then we learned how to make sopaipillas.. I don't know how to spell that but they're kind of like scones. The president is really funny. He’s like 80something and when he invited us to go to the campo he asked us last Monday to come to the plaza because he had an invitation for us. He then took us to get ice cream and explained what a great day we could have in the campo.. lol. He reminds me of Grandpa. Mainly because he took us out for ice cream but he's also always explaining some scientifical magic 'amazing' thing.

 Thanks to Sav I now know the word for Turkey. And who would've known that it would show up so many times this week?  I had it for lunch one day and saw one in the campo. So I will try to get some for Thanksgiving. I think we're going to do something as a zone during planning or something.

 To answer some of your questions. They don't really play board games at all.  I haven't seen any. The kids do the same things. Sometimes they watch TV but they are outside playing or on the bikes a lot too. I think everyone has some type of computer I would say... actually I don't know. Maybe not. I don't think they have as big of a use for them. But it's not like a luxury I would say. They just use their iPhones. And it's funny you should ask about the Books of Mormon. We have some now. actually we just ran out... but that's because we haven't ordered them but probably this week cause we have a conference so hopefully we can get some more. And I’m still at the same internet cafe as well. I'll think about the Christmas party.

 I love you! Have a happy Thanksgiving. I am very very grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary and for having the gospel in my life. I'm thankful I was born in the covenant. I'm thankful for my family and for the relationship that we have with one another. I´m thankful that I grew up in a home built on a rock. I'm thankful that our family is and can be founded on Christ because we have lived according to the principles found in A Family Proclamation.  I´m thankful for the amount of support I have from my family because there are too many missionaries that don´t have any. I'm thankful for every hour I have to give to the Lord. I'm thankful that Christ is my best friend. I'm thankful for answers to prayers. I'm thankful that we can change. I'm thankful that I have the power to help others make this change. I'm thankful for prayers on your knees. I'm thankful for the words from God. I'm thankful for order. I'm thankful for responsibility. I'm thankful for the potential we've been given. I'm thankful for understanding. I'm thankful for love. I'm thankful to know that I'm a daughter of God, a representative of Christ. I'm thankful that we can all return to the presence of our Heavenly King.

November 18

Hello Family!

So... Great Week! We should be having the baptism of Marcelino next Saturday and are anxiously awaiting that. He is so awesome. He has no family and never received an education. At the beginning of teaching him. I was concerned he wouldn't remember everything because he told us it was hard to remember everything. But the more we teach him the more he remembers... just waking up the spirit within him. I love it. 

 I’m not sure what we're going to do for the talent show.. really i never know what we're going to do for anything or how they do things until after so I’ll let you know about thanksgiving and Christmas and the talent show after the act. I'm sure I won't know when I'm calling for Christmas until the week before but ya I’ll be skyping. We take it a day at a time to make an inspired week.. Anything beyond that is just crazy. Way too much can change. lol. I don't play the piano. I've always been with someone else who could so I've never had to do that. 

We are extending the rama a challenge that I want to extend to you all as well. To read 3 Nephi in 30 days. It’s only a chapter a day and it's a perfect prep for Christmas time. I know it will increase your desire to share the Book of Mormon with others and bring you closer to Christ. There is really something to be found in every single chapter of the Book of Mormon. I know that it's true and that it has answered my questions many a time. Many that i didn't even know I had. I wish you all the luck with the person you are going to share the gospel with before Christmas and hope I can hear about all of your experiences... even the bad ones, lol. It might happen. Can't lie to ya. I love you all so much! Happy Thanksgiving!

November 11

WAHOO! I just got an email saying that the ground for the Concepcion temple will be broken in the next upcoming months (don't have a date for it yet) YAYA!! That is going to be amazing!! I was hoping that I could be here for that! Sadly I’m not close to Concepcion at the moment but you never know where I might be at the time or if I can travel there. That is really really good good news and real proof that the work is progressing!

So we are teaching Marcelino. He is 75ish and just adorable. He doesn't remember a lot so we have to teach him really slowly but he wants to be baptized so he can follow the Savior and keep coming to church.

We are also teaching Jaquelene who is awesome... she just has to get married. Haha. Classic last words...

We also haven't been able to find Hector again because he travels a lot to family but we'll keep trying. Same with Luis y Lorena.

  We haven't moved yet... The lady was taking too long to get the house ready and so we decided we didn't like it and then the Elders that approved it told us that they didn't really feel good about it... Thank you elders for letting us move into an unsecure area. Anyways. Our landlord is building another apartment thing that is going to be bigger. We just have to wait until January. So. I will be moving in January. ... Hopefully.

 Elder Reyes is doing well. His operation went well and he'll be back in2 weeks but he gets to go to the temple like every day so he's fine.

We want to do a Thanksgiving for the branch... oh. I just remembered we put a talent show for that weekend... i guess i probably won't have turkey. I haven't even seen turkey here... huh. Interesting. I guess I’ll have to look so i can at least have a turkey sandwich. I don't know how to say turkey in Spanish...

Hope all is well!!! I love you all so much! Have a great trip!

Hermana VandeMerwe