Volcanos, futbal and RAIN

This week was crazy good. My favorite part was R's baptism! Woohoo! She called us the morning of, explaining how excited and nervous she was- but how excited s

he was to fiiiiiinally be Mormon! 

BEST:
The baptismal service was beautiful and my favorite part was seeing her in the water all in white, with her son, J, who got to baptized 2 months ago. To see my J, and my R- truly the best part of my mission so far. I love seeing the love that has strengthened their relationship through this gospel. I love the joy of seeing a family completed in Christ. After the baptism we were waiting for R at the door of the font and she and J were just smiling, and hugging and he was giving her a little kiss on the head and it was so darling. 

The next day was fast Sunday and after she received the spirit she was so excited to bare her testimony- she got up twice to go then finally she just charged right on up to the pulpit and it was so wonderful. She simply explained how she knew she was a daughter of God, how she knows of His love and the love she feels in the church- with the services and the people. 

I am so grateful for R- to be able to go through this journey with her- as we have taught her; I truly feel I have learned more than she has. She was ready for this- and I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for giving me this dear experience. 

I love this gospel and I love how it changes people, and families. 

And right now she is reading the entire Book of Mormon. The amount of love I feel from her and from the spirit as she reads the words of the Book of Mormon, of the prophets and of Jesus Christ himself is amazing. 

This week we also left for citas (appointments) with one of the young women in our ward-Y- who is preparing for a mission right now. While we were walking we gave her one of our rain jackets and an extra name badge and it was so cute to see how excited she was to have the badge- to ¨be a real missionary¨ I love working with the youth. The beeeest. 

One of my favorite ¨different¨ lessons was one with Y. We were visiting a youth and we couldn't go in the house, so she just opened the window and talked to us from there. We ended up using the cell phone light to read the scriptures and the spirit was so strong as we talked about difficulties in life- and Heavenly Fathers love. I loved this lesson- standing on the porch and the dark with tears and the spirit- as I just felt again that this truly is His work. And sometimes things don’t work out how I expect it- I would have expected this lesson to be much different. But it’s His work and this lesson was perfect for her.

 

Hermana's in the District

WONDERFUL:

Then today, soooo good. We went to the volcano Osorno (the most famous volcano in Chile) except the bummer was we weren’t actually able to see anything or really do anything because the rain and the crazy fog and different complications. But I got to see this crazy thing that shoots out the lava. So that was cool and super adventurous. 

Then we went to ¨los cascadas¨ so cool. They are waterfalls. So we went to the biggest first and I hiked up to the top with one other Hermana. So good. To hike and breathe. It reminded me of you all soooo much. Then while all the other girls did photo-shoots (por faaavor!) I went on splits with one other Hermana and we found 5 more waterfalls. To hike in the mud and rain and sweat and drink from the waterfall. It was home. Seriously.  My spirit and soul are so happy. 

CRAZY:

Then futbol is in full swing- and it is crazy here. Seriously. Chile stuffs everywhere. Chile people everywhere. Futbol stuff everywhere. Crazy people in the streets. Crazy. And I love it. The photo of me, Hna R and Hna C is of us planning the futbol activity for the ward- I’m so excited. 

Ok, then the rain this week. Can we just talk about it for just a minute? Rain rain rain. The only thing

I can compare it to is in "parent trap".  (When it’s the crazy rain in the middle end part and it’s so sad because they are separating the twins.)  Well that’s how it is here. So much rain. I think we are officially in winter and everyone explains it just gets worst. UGH!

This week I had a little but of a cold- I think from just being cold and wet a lot. But I am much better- keeping warm, building "Lyle Ball" fires all day and all night, changing my clothes half way through the day and all so don’t fret. All is well. Just a little crazy. But the streets have been flooding just a bit- nothing bad where I am. But 15 min away- crazy. Look up the you tube video- "creciden y desborde del iorranhue en rio negro." Ha-ha the pigs. But this is where C works and its crazy. 

Oh, also to keep warm we moved our beds downstairs next to the fire and all week it has been the coziest ever. 

RANDOM:

Oh, then I got a special little treat from a drunk this week. It’s usually a little adventure- but this week it was a ride to church in his carriage. Ha-ha! I didn't let him really drive it because I am a missionary and that would probably be inappropriate. But, it was funny for a couple minutes. And he is going off about the Mormon plague and that José smeeeeth. 

Yay for mail this week. 2 from grandma ball and 1 from Emily Jorgensen in Taiwan. (Did she ever get your package?) And also just all the news that you are in Ireland. What? Anyways, I expect a grand letter with all the adventures. 

Well family I got to run- we´ve got a Family Home evening tonight with a family that is gooold and I have got to change outta these wet clothes. Yay Chile. 

Keep praying, singing, loving, laughing, hiking, n´reading and I'll do the same. 

I love you more than all the volcano’s, waterfalls, baptisms (maybe this one not sure), rabid dogs and crazy Chilean futbol fans!

xoxo if yer had the chance to change yer fate, woodcha? xoxox

Hna Ball