Surprise!

Hey family! Surprise I get to send you one last email home before heading out. My bags are packed and weighed (49.5 pounds and 49.6 pounds) I’ve got my books of Mormon to hand out and I am ready!

One thing! I get to call you! Hooray. We have a 9 hour flight to Santiago then a 4 hour layover- I will call you then- it will be around 3-4 o’clock your time- sorry bout that but its worth it right?! Then we have another 2-hour flight to Osorno then a bus ride! Hooray.

Ok this week: 

SPIRITUAL. 

Ok this was the best!  Elder Oaks came for the dedication! It was amazing to have a true and living apostle with us. In preparation for him coming I have studied a lot about Christ’s ministry and his apostles and it is so amazing. The service for the dedication was beautiful. So good. We were on the 6th row and so close and it was in English and Spanish. The best. Before he walked in we were all singing hymns in Spanish and then we continued to sing as we stood when he walked in and you could literally feel a difference in the spirit of the room. Crazy cool. 

This is one thing he said that I loved- to believe is not enough. You must testify. You must be converted. Then he went on to explain- testify= know and say. Conversion=do and believe. 

Ok we taught a girl, Niada, she is from our teacher’s home ward and such a gem. It was the best. We had 30 minutes with her and at first it was really rough- we chatted for a bit about life and stuff but then didn’t know what to actually teacher her- so I just said a personal ´prayer and looked at my companion- spencer- and just said I don’t know what to teach. Then she was like- just talk. So I did and it was amazing- literally my mind was filled and I was able to talk. Her grandpa is an alcoholic and she has a hard time forgiving him for things he has done and said so I just explained peace and love and all these scriptures just came. It was truly beautiful. There were 2 moments in particular- one was I had my English scriptures and I literally just opened then up looked down and saw a scripture marked in alma- seriously god send. Then the second was when I was just baring my testimony on Christ like attributes and how it is hard but how important it is to have Christ centered in our life- how e saw her personally in gethsemane and knows her- the spirit was so strong. We both just broke down and hugged and it was beaut. 

We got to sing in a special musical number relief society- man hymns bring the spirit so much- loves. 

Oh we had our leadership mtg the morning before elder oaks came and talked to us- power. It was so good as our branch president just bore strong testimony. He also explained some scriptures in 1 Nephi about Nephi’s craftsmanship and art. Then he said; we don’t just preach the gospel because it is our job or duty, we do it because it is an art.  Which i love.

Our entire lesson with Nathan. Elias and Juan Carlos were so good- I don’t have time to explain them- but I love teaching and finding out the individual needs of each person.

Ok so cool- so like an hour ago we were out tracking looking for referrals for the missionaries serving in Mexico city with all the workers and grounds keepers- because a lot of them are non member. So we were chatting with one lady, Ana, who works in a little dry cleaning stand and we just got talking and she accepted the invitation to talk the lessons- she is really excited and was disappointed we wouldn’t be teaching her but I can just see her and her son having the lessons and I love it!

Ok BEST:

So Hermana jones is my favorite person here- she is truly a gem and has become my mama. But she tipped me off and was like hma ball I think you should go to your classroom right now. And I was like whaaat? And then she was winking and then she explained that a certain someone would be walking by. She we go hauling off and sure enough we got to see elder oaks and sister oaks. So I wave at elder oaks and was like "hola elder oaks!" and he was like :hola hermanas: and then was waving and we were waving and it was the best and we had strait up eye contact and he has the cutest smile. Then I saw hma oaks a little later so I just give her a big ole smile and say the same- hola hma oaks. And she was the CUTEST. Then we ran around the building and saw him again and were just a waving and smiling and it was the best. 

Ok then in the dedication we sat by an area 70 who used to be the old ccm president by the temple and he and his wife were so cute. It was the best talking to them- they are like in their mid 70s and soo cute and love missionaries so much- me and wasden were just trying to see who could speak spanish better- but oh man its bad. I’m worried for the field. 

Then oh man this was killer. Hma jones just told me how she loves me like I am her own daughter and I truly love her like she is my second mama. We really really connected and the best thing is she lives right by the timp temple. But it was hard saying goodbye- I felt I was losing my mom again. It’s making my cry right now just thinking about it. But I love her. 

Oh we had a class and when we walked in all the lights were off and they had a projector of the stars and a big fake campfire and sounds of crickets and animals and the mts. oh it was real. Seriously. We were just sitting and chatting and for a minute I forgot I was in a class room.- it was like a little taste of home. Man I miss you guys and I miss all my adventures up the canyon. It’s crazy how much I miss AF canyon. 

Oh so in prep for elder oaks it has been crazy. So hma jones has been running around like crazy. So she told us where elder oaks was living on campus- so I told said we should toilet paper his house- right so, hma jones just jumps in and plays along- talking about how she will supply the toilet paper. The funny thing others totally thought we were serious. Ha-ha.

I am so sunburned but more of a tan than sunburn- but so much so the Latinas come when I am sitting in the sun to tell me my face is burning to be careful. Ha-ha it never gets old- especially for the elders. Thanks to Berger and wasden I am now hma lobster face. Ha-ha

Ok dad you’d be proud. So I made a little cry tie for wasd. So I was sewing the back of 3 of his ties that ripped and on the inside I just embroidered a little smile face thing (mama would be proud of my craftiness) and megs you’d be proud of me being ¨so domestic¨¨ but then this is when the normal ali comes in- so we are just chatting why I’m fixing the back of one of them and the needle got stuck so I wasn’t paying attention but just jam it and stick the needle diagonally through my finger. Oh the pain. But luckily I didn’t get blood on the tie! Hah. 

Oh so the last 2 weeks I haven’t been sleeping- like at all. So my doc and I are now dear friends- his name is elder Christensen. Best best best. But sometimes we all just chat. So we are chatting and he gave me some sleeping stuff- just allergy simple stuff right- but now I am my mamas daughter so I take it and get full on drugged and sleepy for the whole day. Ha-ha I guess I was a gem to be around. But I am way better now. Just took half a dose and now I’m caught up and sleeping. 

But I was tired so I have been going to bed early- like 9:45-10 o’clock and some of our elder pals got in trouble so the two mtc presidents came to our house to find pranksters and knew we were friends with them. Mom I know right now you are like "ail I'm not happy if you were involved" so don’t even fret mama. I have been such a good little missionary- but for real. But so I guess people here just know I like a laugh or something and I’m good friends with the kids- so the two presidents ask for me and my hma tell them I am asleep (its like 9:45-50 at night) so they don’t believe it then when presidents found out I really was just sleeping they just started busting up laughing realizing we had nothing to do with is. Ha-ha

Ok then last night was quite the adventure. I learned when the lord needs his work hastened it doesn’t matter the time- day or night!

First one of our hma in our house left earlier yesterday so her hma was in a 3 companionship with us. Then she was leaving at 2:30 for the airport. So I was going to take her but then I felt really strongly that we should get the other girls who are flying with her to stop by our house to take her. So I was feeling guilty because I thought I was just being selfish because I wanted to sleep. So I didn’t say anything and just went with it. Then felt it again so I just told her and I could tell her feeling were hurt because she thought I didn’t want to take her and I was willing to so I almost backed out of it. But then felt I it again. So we just went and got the other girls. And it was ok but kind of awkward. So then we are up really late packing and cleaning and studying. So I finally got to bed about 2. And everyone else had already gone to bed. 

Then 2:30 comes and I hear a banging on my window so I run outside still awake and it was the girls coming to get hma. But the thing is she had slept through her alarm clock. So they are running late so they go to the bus and I wake her up. We are running getting her stuff- then we get to the van and they are packing up and my hma forgot stuff so I just go hauling to the house find it all run so fast back and they are just finishing loading up. My hma is crying and I was so happy I was there to help her just give her hugs and love and words and stuff. Then we realize our pal and district leader isn’t there. And no one knows where they are so they have to leave so they call their house- no one answers so I take off running again to the other side of campus to wake elder c up. Crazy. Get there he barely made it to the bus. Then at this point I have literally run forever. This took a really long time and both of them just about missed the van to the plane-, which would have been the worst. But I was so grateful for following the spirit- even though at the time I didn’t know why but then the next morning I realized it was because if not hma h would have missed the plane. Crazy,

Well I got to run. I have loved Mexico but cant wait to get to Chile!

xox family. I love this work. I love Mexico. I love tacos and I love you. 

Hma ball.