August
11th
Yet again, the computer crashed. And yet again I am sitting here
fighting back the tears because this is so frustrating- This week was one of my
very favorite weeks and so full of truly beautiful experience- which I had
written but it looks like one more week of a quick rundown.
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke
and saw that life was service. I awoke and behold, service was joy. ¨-Rabindranath
Tagore
What a dream of a week it was! A week of
service and so much joy.
Favorite things:
- H and F. We taught them about
the Book of Mormon, about how it can answer any questions and all- the spirit was so
strong and when I asked them the baptismal question I thought it was a sure
thing, an easy yes- but she immediately explained no- which was a dagger let me
tell you. But it is because they know they are not ¨good in the eyes of God¨
and need to get married first! (woohoo law of chastity!) But they came to
church and everything was perfect. woohoo. I love H so much.
- Speaking of church, guess who snuck over to
our church building in Sunday- R. The sly dog. She explained how it would
never happen again, but ha-ha I love it. It's so bad and I do not like disobedience
:) ) However, it was so good. How I love this crazy lady. She explained how
even without our reading lessons she has been reading the book of Mormon everyday
day (and showed me with her cute little notes and all) and how she hasn’t
missed a week of church. How she is helping the Young Women and looooves it.
This lady- I love R more than I can even explain. It is amazing to see the
love and joy in her eyes.
2 miracles:
1- the miracle of the inactive who would not
open the door.
We were knocking and knocking and he wouldn’t
answer (which is so opposite of him- he’s the cute little old man who waits at
the door for us to come) so right after knocking and all a lady walked by and we
turned to contact her- we gave her a pass-along card of Jesucristo after the resurrection
and I explained how we were missionaries and all that, then that families can be
forever- to which she started to cry a little and explained she was on the way
to the cemetery because it was the 1 year anniversary of her mothers passing.
It was short and sweet and we were able to explain a little about Gods plan for
her and her mother. She left for the cemetery so full of love and hope and it
was the best thing to see and feel.
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| our tiny barbie house |
Also, the miracle of the forgotten scarf.
Seriously I explained this in the other letter how it was all spiritual and
all- but here it is.
Forgotten scarf (which never happens really.) We were walking away and talked about how we need to leave this family because it is
hard to find the spirit in this house. The next day we realized that we had forgotten a scarf. We went back for the scarf a couple days
later- not only find the scarf but find a gooolden investigator- the
granddaughter who we are now teaching. I'm
telling you- it’s so cool to be a missionary and see these little tender
mercies everyday.
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| My favorite investigators |
This week was so spiritual and I had the best
experience- but don’t have time now- I will go home and write it down and send
it or something. Here are little facts of the week.
I can get mail- and oh boy did I get it!
1- package from gma ball-. With the best
little treats and I looove these little packs of treats in a mug. Gold.
2- letter from mom. Love they made me cry and
laugh and smile so much. Pls send more. (This was with the byu pin-love my pin
collection- and the stickers) send more love notes.
3- notes from gma ball. oh how I love it. She
and grandma simpkins are SO GOOD to write every week. Best grandmas in the
mission.
- And 4. Oh wait no. 8 (oh my) postcards. Hahaha I wanted to kill you but I was laughing too hard. Oh my you kids. You little
buggers. I love you so much.
Cool things about Rio Bueno.
-Its beautiful- my favorite geographical sector
(not sure if that a word- its my favorite stuff about nature and all. You know)
But really, mud trudging all day, sometimes walking
through cow fields, sometimes crawling through barbwire fences, sometimes slugs
chilling in the house (love this. really its so funny), sometimes flashlights because
the fog is so thick.
My sector is about 20 miles long and so cool. We are
focused in one part- but so cool. After lunch the moon is out all day long and
so beautiful. The streets are little rivers in the rain. And it is so green and
beautiful. Also we are somewhat heading into spring- so sunshine-ish. :) Did I
mention I love Rio Bueno...?
Well family (hopefully) more next week. We
never know- but hey that’s the adventure right!
This service is such a joy.
I am literally living a dream and I love it. I
love serving, mud trudging and mostly testifying of Him always! I love
being a missionary! Have a happy last week of summer!
xoxo found bacon for the first time and could
literally taste home xoxo
Hna Ball
August 18th
¨To be humble is to recognize gratefully your dependence
on the Lord. It is an indication that you know where your true strength lies. You
can be both humble and fearless. You can be both humble and courageous.¨ - True
to the faith
When I start out with a quote like this I
think you all can get the feel of how the week was. Wow- what a truly crazy
great, but what a hard week. You know? I learned a lot about my dependence on
the Lord and where my strength truly is. But slowly, with the good, the bad,
the rain, and the sun with it all I am seeing how through Him I am becoming
fearless and courageous. Especially in these experiences where it’s so hard it’s
humbling, or so happy I’m humbled to be a part of it.
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| Our mommasita |
HARD:
The hardest for me is the rejection, the fallen appointments, and getting to know a new sector.
The hardest was how we had 29 appointments this week- super crazy good
appointments- but all fell through except 8, and out of these 8 only 4 were
investigators. We had other lessons where we just stopped by- but oh my, it was
so frustrating.
Especially, because right now I feel I am the most obedient
personally I’ve been the entire mission. But I just feel sometimes I am not
having ¨success" and don’t understand why.
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| Trying to stay warm |
But then I just remember that in the
experience to be humble and fearless and courageous- the humility comes
first.
The good thing is, the things good about this
week- were really good.
GOOD:
First we have a couple of gems that are
progressing. "A" and "H". They
actually contacted us- best. They showed up for English classes and loved it. Afterword’s
we wrote down the direction to their house and have been visiting them. They are brother and
sister, both young adults and so great. We have had crazy lessons with them-
they don’t really want to commit to anything to much (and I think its because
their mom is menos activo (less active) and has a little bit of problems with
the church.)
But she is fine with us visiting and we are slowly cracking the
ice cold wall she’s got built up (oh boy its big one) :) Buuuuuut when we are
with "A" and "H" we can just feel it. The spirit, the understanding when we teach.
All of it. Love. Just in one of our lessons we taught all of the
restoration, the book of Mormon, baptism, and the first part of the plan of salvation.
They are crazy- and I love it.
We are helping a daaarling family prepare to
be sealed in the temple. What gems. The kids were just baptized and we´ve
been working a lot with them. Love.
Then speaking of weddings- remember H and F-
taught them all these good things, they came to church... well they want to get
married- for real! woohooo. I called it. We´ve got some details to figure out, but oh boy I am so excited- and in a year I’m going to be in Santiago for when
they go through the temple- calling it now. (Oh maybe I am getting little
excited. They only came to church one time and still haven’t committed to a
baptismal date hahaha, but I love them.)
Ok, but a cute little story about them. So one
of our appointments fell through so we call them up and they are all, "oh it's
late we are getting ready for bed" all this then we hear them whispering and
they are all. "Come on over!" So we stop by and it’s a full on pj party, they are
making us a fire and pancakes and ready with suuuch good questions. We are
talking about F here, the guy who wasn’t quite sure about God. And now asking
all these questions like ¨but if God loves us and the garden of Eden is perfect
why would he let Satan enter- was it part of God's plan or did it just happen¨
(what? love.)
Dad, I love you. Just wanted to let you
know.
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| Spring has begun to sprung |
Here the idea of the father is different. I don’t
know how to explain it. But that’s why I love being here- I looove, love, love
teaching people that no matter what the circumstance with their father here in
Chile, they have a Heavenly Father who wants to be part of their lives and who
loves them and knows them.
When I explain whom our Heavenly Father is- I
explain him, but a lot of times I explain the love, support and acceptance I
feel from you, pops. And it’s through you and your example I’ve learned how to
feel this love, support and all from my Heavenly Father- because I can
acknowledge it. I sure love you punk.
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| Thanks for the package mom |
The other thing I love here- is kneeling in prayer. A lot of times it is the only time the family is together, kneeling in
prayer and when they are able to hear their father pray.
Ok, more about “F”. What? This kid! We were struggling
one time- every plan had failed- literally plan a, b, c, d, e, f, and up to g. One of those times. So we stop and say a little teary prayer. Then we go and
try more and nothing. Then more and nothing. Then we knock, literally, an entire
street of houses and only 1 house answered (and they only opened the window for
2 seconds. ha-ha) So we are all "ok now what?" So we start walking to a different
part of the sector and we contact him- then found out we had contacted his
grandma earlier in the week. So we set an appointment with him (one of the
appointments that actually worked out) and we taught him the restoration. So
good. Oh, it was a lot of work before we found him but everything afterword’s had
fallen into place. Bummer part- he’s leaving for a week and a half. Super good
part he wants to learn more and has promised to read why he’s gone. So
hopefully news to come.
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| Our friend the goat |
This week was also a week of sun! Oh my love. And
a week of goat chasing in the street. Seriously this goat is just always chilling
in a pack of dogs and I love it. The plan is to train it to follow us- I’m
thinking a breadcrumb trail to start with. Then when he had confidence maybe a
little name badge. Love him.
We also had zone conference this week. Can I just tell
you how much I love zone conference? First, it was about an hour bus ride and we
were smashed in this sketchy bus with all these people- we used the time to have
a little Spanish class for me and taught everyone around us the first lesson. Ha-ha
Also now Hermana Spencer is in my zone and its
giggles and pure joy all day. The new mission president is so good. Him and the Hermana
are a bit... direct. But in the best of ways. They somehow convinced us to wake
up 15 minutes earlier every day to start the work earlier. So yeah, momma and pops
you know how hard the whole alarm thing is for me so it's true love. The conference
was gold and we are applying it and I love it.
(And after because we were in the city we got
to stop off at a super market and buy some gluten free things so I am living
the good life)
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| Rio Bueno |
And zone conference means mail! 3 letters
this week. All three gems, one from gma ball, Ange DeVore (woohoo best surprise
ever) and one from the mama (with the baby pictures. so cute. ha-ha. here
pictures are everything so send more.) Also, I think I say "send more" every
week with what ever you do ha-ha so just keep being the best mom.
Eww, sorry this is gross but really it just
explains the week. So it's so cold- sun is starting but it's still cold. There are frozen RATS, like big rats, in the street because it gets so cold they can’t walk
to keep warm and just freeze. I told you its gross, but really.
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| Rio Bueno |
Ok, the other interesting experience of the week.
We were visiting this inactive who things were going real well with. And were
just chatting and stuff- just about to give her this assignment to come back to
church when her pastor stops by (yeah in this moment we found out she’s visiting
a different church and all these crazy things) but get this, it was so
interesting. First, to just feel the different spirit, he is such a great man.
And he is trying to help and lead, but it was just interesting to see and feel.
Also, the fear in his eyes to talk to us- it was super interesting. A very
pleasant lesson and all, but just interesting.
I love being a missionary. And I love being a
missionary here with Hermana Latham in Rio Bueno (aka beatifulville.) But really, I am learning so much. Learning
how to rely so much on Heavenly Father's strength and how to be courageous and
fearless. I´ve got a way to go- but it's all good!
Well family, this week I celebrated my 6 months
here in Chile. I can’t believe it. Wowzers. What a wonderful, wet, happy, hard,
best 6 months.
I love you.
Keep on keeping on.
xoxo Hna ball; missionary, wedding planner and
mud trudger.
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