Trekking in the rain....

¨Being a disciple of Jesús Christ is not an effort for once a week or once in a day. It is an effort of once and for all. ¨ -Elder Uchtdorf

I love this. I love being a missionary because I really am only learning the ways that I can be the best daughter of God and disciple possible.

We talked about this yesterday in my bible class. We talked about what it means to be a disciple and what we need to do daily. I love it.

Oh my gosh, I love Sundays. Ok let me tell you. So first of all it was just so cute because everyone was sure that I was going to have cambios (transfers) right? Prayers were said and answered. :) Ha-ha, yesterday during announcements in sacrament, President Ancamil spoke about how happy they were I don’t have cambios and that hopefully I will be here for much longer. It was fast Sunday and because there are only about 30 of us in the branch we always get to bare our testimonies. I just stood up and opened my mouth and started crying a little. Just looking at them and serving with them and being so full of so much love. I love this branch so much. I just feel it in their hugs and see it and everything. I love, love, love Puerto Cisnes.

Ok, remember how I said they were all convinced I was going to have cambio?  (transfers)  I´m not even kidding. Last Monday one of the members, the cutest Hermana Teresa called us and said we had to be at her house at 6pm sharp for the clothes. Well we get there and she had prepared a little surprise going away treat and tea for me. Ha-ha. I told her that I wasn´t leaving and she just started smiling sooo big and was all no? No. Noooo? noo!  And then it turned into a little treat and tea celebration. Ha-ha.

Then we stop by our branch president house for keys and they are just staring at me and I’m all--- nope! And I can´t even explain how much love and how happy I felt just to see how happy they were. Then Hermana Verónica comes over with a big huge bowl of cookies she had made me for the bus ride and airplane. I don´t know why I am so lucky to be one of the few with so much time here.:)

Oh, I sent home a photo of our whole relief society and the primary teachers. How cute are they? (And we have new news. we have a new mamita. Boo, but yay. She is the little cutie who I am hugging in the photo and her name is Hermana Bernarda and she cooks the beeeeest food. Seriously. It’s sad to leave our other papitos. We ate like kings. But this is going to be so good.)

Ok favorite lessons of the week.

- F. I talked about her when I was comps with Hna Segura-- we found her had a crazy 2 lessons and then couldn’t find her again because of her work. Well we have been trying to find her now for 7 weeks and woohooo! We had a lesson. It was so good. Then we had a second lesson 2 days later and she has accepted to be baptized! She wants to learn more but said she remembers how she felt with us and feels it again. Only thing is they aren’t married and it’s going to be a little rough. But she is wonderful. We taught about the restoration and even though she doesn’t have a religious background or knowledge it just makes sense to her and she feels good. Love.

Also we have been teaching our branch president sister. She is awesome. Super cool and down to earth. I send home a picture of the service of the week... gutting fish! So fun. But she is great. We have taught her 2 lessons this last week and have another with her tonight; I have lots of faith for her. However, it seems she really isn’t big into commitments. ... But we´re going to change that!

With all the success we´ve seen with these two. It’s hard to say- but S had completely stopped progressing. Shoot. Its hard to see someone progress so much then for algunos razones (some reason)- nope. But we are going to take a little break and see what happened. Shoot. It’s sure hard.

Also, we had an awesome lesson with our new mamitas daughter who is less active. I am excited that we are going to be able to eat there and hopefully gain a closer relationship with her. We taught about faith, repentance, baptism, (and the Santa cena sacrament) the spirit and enduring to the end and it was soooo good. Seriously. So what I did with Hna Parkinson is we came up with ways to teach didácticas (education lesson) for her to not have to rely completely on Spanish and to also help the people learn more hands on. 

And one was where we wrote each of these words on a little paper that was cut out in the shape of a footprint. Then we have a photo of Jesucristo and show that the photo is the goal. Then we have the steps to get to be like Him and to live with Him. We go through all the steps but then there is still a lot of space between where we are when we do the steps once and where we want to be. So then we read mosiah 2:41 and talk about enduring to the end and marching forward and all that good stuff. So then we do the step a second time. Because after baptism it isn’t all.  And after going through the steps (with baptism the 2nd time as the Santa cena sacrament) that’s how we truly become like Christ. Not one time, but time and time again.

Well we did this with her to show there is still hope. That the steps are there time and time again. It was so good. So stinking good. She wants to study about repentance then we are going to head back over and teach each part, each step in detail. Love.

We had a couple other sweet lessons but "ain´t no body got time for that."

I sent home a photo of our zone mtg. love Puerto Cisnes. Ha-ha good ole Skype. 

Also, we found out that the mail is super sketchy here and I have been sending home little love notes. So let me know if they make it. (And it’s only sketchy out not for you all to come in so no stress.)

Hmmm. what else? Oh, the rain has returned and we have had 2 days straight of torrential rain. Crazy. Like shake the roofs and when we prayed this morning I was almost yelling so that Hna C could here me. Ha-ha.

Well family. I love you. So, so much.

ps. we were out trekking in the street and I ramndomly started humming "handcarts rolling west heading for the mountains" and just busted up. hahahahah