Hermana Ball: Halloween in Osorno

¨God our Eternal Father lives and loves us. He is indeed our Father, and He is personal and real. May we realize how close to us He is willing to come, how far He is willing to go to help us, and how much He loves us. ¨ -Presidente Monson

I believe this is one of the themes of my mission. Finding how real Heavenly Father is. How much He loves me and how close He truly is in this work. I know He is giving me so many different daily gem experiences just so I can feel and see His love.

One way He loves this grand mission, Chile Osorno- is He is sending Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the 12 our way! Wooohoo. He will be here in the next couple weeks- we’re so stinking excited. Randomly, we´ll just find ourselves singing a song to the tune of “Santa Claus is coming to town”, but it’s just about Elder Nelson and all this mission stuff. So, SO, SOOOOOOO excited.

Also, something cool we have been working on is helping everyone get a patriarchal blessing. Most people don´t have one- so it’s cool for us to help the members (for example our relief society president) then its very cool to help our inactive- help them with a goal that is personal and real. Then it’s sweeet with our new converts.

What we do is share 1 Nephi 16:28-29. (28: And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them. 29: And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.)

We teach how a blessing is like the liahona. How it is direct revelation from God, how it is writings (that change- not physically but spiritual in different times in our lives) and that it only work according to our faith. It has been really; really successful in helping our inactive families come back. Especially one family- the family G.

I love my blessing and love helping everyone get theirs- to have that personal confirmation that God is my Heavenly Father- that His is personal and real and wants to give me every blessing He can. Just about my entire mission I have read it every week during the sacrament and I LOVE it.

One of my favorite lessons this week was with “A” and “L”- the evangelicals-. He is a professor of the bible and our lesson was on the plan of salvation. It was so spiritual and so doctrinal- we first explained it simply like usual. But then they had really good questions, so we took it to the Book of Mormon and the bible for the next hour. It was amazing. They especially love to hear about the spirit world because it is something their church doesn’t teach about but it is right there in the bible and it just makes sense.

He ended the lesson literally by just testifying of the things we said. He said that we are speaking the truth because he can read it and feel it. Then he held up his bible and explained that the bible has changed his life. How wonderful it is and how by its fruits he has been able to change. To which I then held up my bible and book of Mormon in the same hand- and one- and testified to him, using the same words he has just said. Only this time substituting the bible for the bible and the Book of Mormon. I then bore my testimony of the truthfulness of los dos (the two) and how he can know it’s true for himself. All that good stuff. Oh boy, do I sure love the plan of salvation.

Also, guess what? So you remember “C”? I’ve chatted about her on and off. (She was the one who came out in the lesson with her Book of Mormon, hymnbook and stuff for our first lesson) So we were teaching her before I got really sick and it was great and she was really progressing. Then I got sick so for that time we gave her to the elders to keep teaching. Now it’s kind of weird because we are both teaching her. We teach her and they teach her in the week- just sharing in the saving of souls. But she has really, really progressed. She has the strongest testimony of the prophet José smith. And she has accepted to be baptized!

This week was awesome- also because we got to bus into the city 4 times- crazy. 2 times to the FBI for legal paper stuff and the other 2 for Stake Conference! The photos in the plaza with the rain are of La Union and then the one with us and A and H are for the conference. It was cool we got a bus and went with 13 members from our stake! So fun.

Then this week I got mail. The best surprise from the Pettit’s- soooo goood. Today we made the lemon bar mix with the Elders, A and H and our lider misional (ward missionary) and it was so fun and so tasty. Then I got a letter from Sister Shaelie Wood and Elder Bobby Alger. Aaaaand the Halloween Taiwan postcard from daddy. Such a happy week.

Then something else we are doing right now is we have called ¨ward missionaries¨ who are youth and invited A and H (because they want to be missionaries) and are having little training meetings (pretty much mission prep- helping them learn how to teach the lessons and especially to their friends.) its sweet. Yesterday I taught about the book of Mormon and it was rooooockin. I love it all.

Also with that this week we went out and taught with A. It was so crazy awesome to see her being a little missionary and testifying.

Then Halloween here is interesting. First its funny because they completely copy the states and say they don’t really know what they are doing- that they are just doing what they see on TV. So it’s funny. But we tried knocking doors that day- ha-ha it was sweet but didn´t work out at all because people wouldn´t listen to a thing and would just give us candy. So it was pretty much the same as always only we left with little sweets- ha-ha. If only every rejected door came with candy.

And the photo is with the daughters of our mamita. They are darrrrrrling. “F”- the youngest, was just baptized a bit ago and is so funny. We sing 3 little monkeys jumping on the bed everyday at lunch.

Well family I better wrap up. But first, funny story of the week. hahahah. Yesterday we were teaching with A and it was our first lesson with a new lady, who is catholic. She asked us what we believe about the saints. And I explained the whole thing about how we respect them and all, but that we don´t worship them. Then I meant to say, ¨we only worship Jesus Christ¨ but I slipped up because we were teaching the restoration and said, ¨but we only worship Jesus smith. ¨ Oh boy, it was hilarious my companion just looks at me so scared and I catch myself trying not to laugh so hard. Oh boy.