Serving in mud, jeans and the sun!

¨Think what a blessing it is to be called to give our gift of daily discipleship to the Lord, declaring in word and deed, ¨behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. ¨-Linda Burton (General President of Relief Society)

I loooove being a missionary. And I have loved this week. 

Here´s a little rundown;

We ended my cambio (companionship) with Hermana Latham with an empanada making party. So fun and so yummy. (And I learned real well, so I can make them for you when I get home!) 

Then we had a little goodbye party and our investigators came! It was sweet for them to interact with the members in a chill, fun setting. 

Then, Wednesday we had cambios (companion changes)- I bused off to Osorno real early and I had a really tiny training (they really just throw you into this whole training this... but I love it!) 

But guess who was in the new group? Ally Smoot from Lone Peak! It was sweet to talk to her for a couple seconds. But then I was with my companion- we took pictures and ate lunch then headed off to the mission home to grab some stuff... when I ran into Hermana Johnson. 

Hermana Johnson and Hermana Parkinson

BEST!!!!! I literally just dropped the bag I was holding, ran and gave her a hug and just cried it out. Ooooh best, best, best! How I love that little´ companion of mine. (She’s home now mom and dad- maybe when things settle down you can go to lunch with her and her parents or what ever- or just frozen yogurt because she really is a dear)

Hermana Laytham is off.  How I will miss her.

Then we bused off to the sector and got to work. That night we taught K and A- they are really progressing and really doing well. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE them? I know I was planned to come here and I know we were best friends in the last life- but really? I love, love, love them. And the thing that’s amazing is how natural it is with them- all of it. I´ll just be teaching the lessons but its really easy because I just have to share what I love and know to be true to those I love. It’s the best. 

 

National Service Day

Well, I prepped Hna Parkinson and got her to ask them for a new baptismal date- and they accepted! Still the whole marriage thing is a a bit of a problem. But we´re getting there. It was sooo cute to see Hna Parkinson teach! I love it- she is so willing to try everything and I am so proud of her-. She came into the mission ready and the best, but it’s been crazy cool to see her change just in these couple of days. 

Hna Parkinson

I love being a trainer- even though I’m doing all the learning! :) It’s sweet to re-learn and apply all the basics again. 

Ok- hahah so I had to do one joke, right? 

Soooo what we planned with our mamita was a little ¨Chilean tradition¨ so when it was time to eat mamita asked for prayer and we all stood up and walked over to the top of the refrigerator- where we had a pretty picture of José smith and candles and the mamita is all dramatic lighting the candles and explaining that we love the prophet José and if she would do the honors to pray.

We have the straightest faces and our hands in a prayer thing and I’m just looking at Hna P to pray- and she is like a deer in headlight. Ah-ha so she whispers to me if she is suppose to include him in the prayer and I explain that no- we pray to him. Then we just give her a couple seconds to sit stunned and then bust up laughing explaining it was a joke. 

Ooooh my. Sooo funny! Good things she’s a real good sport ha-ha. Sooo so funny. 

 

Hna Nino

The thing is we are having such a fun time and all- I like making all our studies fun and different. You know the little gems- ¨popcorn planimiento¨  (popcorn planning meetings) where we just do it while eating an American delicacy- the ever-delicious popcorn you know?  The classic mom thing, that she always made the best because it was just fun. mom- thanks for being the coolest. 

But we really have the spirit with us- like crazy. We are really working really well together. 

 

The BYU district (because we all went to BYU)

We taught A and H this week and H committed to a baptismal date goal- but still is just not  fully committing. He is the best and has such a strong testimony. We were able to have Hna P ask him to be baptized (and it was the best) then I was able to testify after to him and the spirit was so strong. I ended up just telling him how it is. And what’s up and H understood. We still have a lot of work- but tears were shed and happiness was crazy tangible. 

He is still looking for a big answer, please pray for him and send good vibes :) because he knows the answer he just isn’t "getting it." You know? 

Ok, this was the cutest experience. 

So we had an appointment with a member and her inactive mom. So we called them to ask if it was still cool for us to stop by and she was out doing errands but explained the afternoon was perfect. 

So we go to the house- teach the lesson (it was golden! and the inactive mom wants to start paying her tithing and have us help her return to the church and the temple for the end of this year!) 

But then they pull out a couple homemade treats for us and the member tells this story: 

She was out paying the bills and buying medical things for her dad and ended with literally 0 money. But she knew we were coming and she wanted to buy a little treat- so she just said a prayer- knowing God would provide. 

She then walked a couple more steps and found 2 mil on the ground (4 dollars) she stopped, picked it up, looked around and saw no one was around who could have dropped it so went and bought the ingredients for a treat. 

 

President, Sister Obeso and Hna Parkinson

She then testified to us that she knows God will provide, but more so because we are His disciples. That we are doing his work and she will always help those who want to help us. I love the members’ here- so strong and so willing to give all to Him. 

Again, ¨Think what a blessing it is to be called to give our gift of daily discipleship to the Lord. ¨ 

All the streets were decorated for a National holiday

This is the mission. It’s serving everyday with people who exemplify this quote. Who declare in word and deed that they are disciples of Him? I love Chile. 

We are also working a lot with V- we have had a couple really sweet lessons with her. I had Hna P also ask her to be baptized (we have been asking and testifying to everyone!) and I am excited to see what happens with her in the future!

Then Saturday, was the church's National Service day. And let me tell you- it was goood to be out in the dirt, in jeans, digging in the mud and sweating it up in the sun for a couple hours. We all went and redid the garden and lawn area of a home of an elder couple. Sun! Dirt! Jeans! Service! Love! Love! Loooove!

Afterword’s we stopped off and treated Hna P to her first empanada. Oh, the joys of Chilean cooking´

This week was so happy and so good. 

I love being a missionary, love working and reapplying everything GOLDEN with Hna Parkinson and love declaring to all of Chile ¨behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. ¨

xoxo Hna Ball