Coolest last day ever!

What a crazy week. Seriously.

First of all, everyone here has been reminding me for weeks and weeks that I am "dying" in the mission.... all about how I don´t look to good, you know the jokes? It´s really not funny to joke about- but it's to ironic. My last days in the mission... and we had a full on 3 day funeral. 

Our dear Hna V passed away. It’s been a crazy couple of days. It was really, really beautiful service. They had a 2-day viewing... from 8am to midnight at the church. We were able to have a lot of lessons there with the people about the plan of salvation and we could feel the spirit so strong. We were also able to sing a couple of musical numbers, which were pretty. 

We had a crazy experience with the catholic priest... stories to come.... :) and then the 3rd day we has the funeral. Ohhh my, the church was filled. There literally wasn´t room. It was interesting because it was the first funeral in the church so a lot of people entering had very wrong ideas about the church. With the members, we went all out, everyone explaining what we do, little tours and testifying. A lot of people expressed how wrong they were about their ideas of the Mormons. I think we are going to see a lot of success here thanks to the work of the members this week. 

Well, we went to the cemetery and it couldn’t be in a more beautiful place. They’re on the ocean side with the super green mountains. IT was raining. But one of those Patagonia rains you know? It was crazy - like a movie. But really, really spiritual. 

What else happened this week? Oh we were followed my three men and had to stop to hide in a little shop. They followed us. The guy went to call the police but then they left. So then we ran to our house and locked ourselves in. Said prayers and all was well... well the next night we were getting ready for bed and saw that our gate was opened and we heard noises outside of the house. We freaked a little and called a member... thinking maybe it was the guys. 

Well long story short, the member came with his flashlight and found all these footprints and we got pretty scared because our windows don´t lock. So we went and had a sleep over in the relief societies house. It was honestly really, really crazy. Now all is well and safe and we haven´t had any more problems. That night we were at Hna ´s house they robbed a lot of our wood but nothing else. 

Also the N update. Oh I love this little lady. So last Monday we went to the waterfall and it was rocking. Seriously so cool. Then last night we had a darling family home evening with them. And tonight we are going to head back for a little treat and goodbyes. Shoot it’s going to be rough. I love her so much. She and R really have become family. 

I don´t have an older sister... but N really is that sister. And R is so sweet. He treats me as if I was his daughter. I am so happy that I have been able to have so much time here in Puerto Cisnes just to see them grow so much. They have completely changed. I cannot wait for a couple months more when they enter the temple! I love them so much. 

Here in the Patagonia as a missionary I’m not just a missionary. Ha-ha there is always a new adventure. This week it was working the carneceria with E.  I rocked it. (I really did nothing but get grossed out and way to excited about the cow head) 

Then yesterday was a rough little day. Last day at church. Presidente is such a punk and made me give a farewell talk. I am going to miss this branch so much. I feel like my talk when really well.  I feel so honored to have been here in Puerto Cisnes.

Then today we went on the coolest adventure. Seriously. We hiked up to Bosque Encantado and then to a waterfall. Today saw more than 50 waterfalls on the little drive up... we have had so much rain! Its crazy. 

Also get this. So we got the call from president obeso last night and turns out that they will be talking the sister missionaries out of Puerto Cisnes. We have only been here for about a year and of that year 7 months were with me. But they are going to bring Elders in. Crazy. Ha-ha it’s really funny because every time we have bought something for the house I’ve bought everything pink, pink and pink. It was always the joke that in the future the elders will sure love it. Ha-ha hopefully elder O is cool with living in the Barbie house. Hahhaahha. 

Well family. This is it. I really can`t believe that today was my last day. We bus out tomorrow at 5:30am... and the next 4 days I’ll be traveling. 

I was reading in Alma this morning and think that Alma 29:9 is a gem. It says it all.  "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."

Shoot. Now I’m just crying into the keyboard and can`t see anything. But this adventure has been such a joy. I am so happy. I love being a missionary so much because I have figured out that being a missionary is just learning how to be a disciple of Christ. I love my Heavenly Father so much and I know Him. I love having our families name on my name badge and right there with it the name Jesucristo-Being able to represent the two most important things in my life. You guys and this wonderful, joyful and happiest gospel. 

I really, really am going to miss it here, miss being Hermana ball... but I can`t wait to apply all these crazy experiences. And can`t wait to see your punk faces in the airport. 

Les amo. xoxox hna ball

Life in crazy Patagonia

June 15, 2015

¨We walk in His light. Our journey on the path is personal and well lit with the Saviors love. ¨ -Rosemary Wixom

This week was pure crazy. One of “those” weeks. The kind with 11 hours in the bus and only 2 lessons in our sector. 

Oh boy. So like usual we got up at 4:40am to get ready to bus out... but this time no light. Ha-ha thank you so much grandma simpkins for the head lamps- we use it daily for one reason or another. But, we got all our stuff together and headed out to wait on the road. There isn´t a bus station here- the bus just passes on the side of the road and you never know really what time it´s going to there. 

Sometimes we wait 15 minutes, some times an hour. Well, we head and see that a bus had crashed into the light post at the end of our street. Here’s the crazy thing. It had just crashed before. The police were their and all. But the craziest thing- that lamp post is where we wait for the bus because it’s a nice light for the super obscure mornings! So to say if we have been waiting there that would have been us! Craaazy. I can´t even explain how crazy that morning was. We are just here in the pouring rain with my headlamp and the police and the workers and all then they all leave and we ended up waiting about 40 minutes soaked through. I love Patagonia. Seriously is way too much fun. 

But we were able to make it right in time for our meeting with the Elders where they brought us mushroom and chicken empanadas.  So its was all worth it, ha-ha. And mtgs with the Elders means; mail. I got the last letter from grandma ball- so sad. I’ve loved these ever week. And I got dads letter from Perú... love that it was from the same hotel we stayed in. So cool. And mom I got your package. xoxox. 

Hermana Torres

But intercambios were rocking. It was sad that they were my last. For almost half of my mission we´ve been rocking the intercambios and I love them so much. We hit it hard and ended strong. 

I was with Hermana Torres from Mexico. We had a really successful day. A lot of lesson really, really good. 

Hermana Pinto

One was the best. It was a young couple and we taught about the book of Mormon and I have never had a lesson like it before. It was perfect. They were so interested- seriously my whole mission I haven´t seen someone so completely fascinated and excited to know more about the Book of Mormon. We watched a little Mormon message with them and right as it ended I went to say something and he is all- "again. I have to see this again." So we watch it and they are just glued to the TV. Then they were asking such great questions. 

She had a Book of Mormon from the Hermana’s but he didn’t have one. He was so excited that I ended up giving him mine that I use in the street and I think he was touched that I gave him mine that was marked with my notes. It was so cute because he held it like a gem. I am so excited for this family. They are killer. Can´t wait to be their best friends in the Celestial kingdom. 

Then in Aysen I was with Hermana Pinto from Colombia. We stopped by to teach a less active and we were teaching her the different steps of the gospel with a focus on the Sacrament.   We have a little cute example thing to teach it, so I was kneeling next to her and she just cut us off and looked right at me and explained that that morning she had had a dream that two angles came to her and had a candle and they were helping her light this candle and it was brighter and brighter and she knew it was a candle of ¨Gods love.¨  She explained that she knows that she dreamed about us, that we are her angels. It was really, really darling. 

We also got to teach G, she an investigator who was just baptized. It's cool with the Hermana’s because I have had so many intercambios that I have been able to teach their investigators a lot and know them pretty well. Almost like my investigators. When we were heading to teach her we saw the branch presidente and his daughter so we had them come with us and had a killer lesson on daily book of Mormon studies. So cool. I love the book of Mormon. I seriously love this book so, so, so, so much. 

But in this intercambio I achieved a new personal best. Hahaha. I chopped 3 freaking full on wood stumps. Like the whole tree base into small fire starting parts in less than 20 minutes. So sorry to brag and all but it really was siiiick. 

What else happened? Oh I slept on the floor on a little sleeping mat that has gone through it all.... a fire, has mold and I woke up this time with more than 20 nasty flea bites all over. We have tried to get rid of this but are in the process of getting a new one. I used to just sleep on the cement and I think it was better, hahahaha.  But my back and spine got pretty bad so it was back to the mat. Ewww. 

Well family. That was this week.

I love you. 

Oh yeah and don´t you like the quote of the week. That's what I love about this gospel- its purely personal and so lovely. 

xoxoxo hermana ball. 

June 22, 2015

¨He see´s who you really are. He looks on your heart. And He loves you because you are His child. Seek Him earnestly and you will find Him. ¨ -Elder Uchtdorf.

This is one of my favorite parts of being a missionary. It is seriously so cool to explain to people that they really are a child of God. And what that means. 

But family. Get this. Yesterday at church they told me only one more Sunday and then I am home. But really? What? 

Happy father's day dad. We were in our district mtg for Skype and I almost skyped you. Seriously. We get to call for mother’s day, so why not.... :) 

This week was crazy. Here´s a quick rundown because we are going to go explore a waterfall with Norma and Rodrigo.

Speaking of Norma. This week we were with her 4 times. If one of us mentions that I only have a week left the other starts getting teary. So we just don´t talk about it anymore. We stopped by and watched a video about the atonement that is so powerful. We all ended up in tears. It’s the very best at the end of a lesson to hear them explain... "I never realized what the atonement was.... ¨ followed by a pure testimony. ?ove. 

Then we had a cute family home evening. They really are family. That family where the "knock- and-walk" with a little ¨hola¨ happens and then we set the table and I know here all the stuff and what she needs before even asking. That whole... can you get the hot chocolate? And it's already in my hands. Ha-ha I love them so much.  We can laugh so hard and then feel the spirit so strong. Love. 

Then we had a road trip. We had to head to Coyhaique so instead of the nasty bus we took their car. Chilling with the music, stopping for empanadas and just busting up for 4 hours. Love. 

Then we helped R with his first ever talk in church. We were all there with our scriptures and the other books throwing out ideas and they are so cute. They were both really nervous for him and he rocked it. He really opened up with us and it was such a dear really special experience. He gave a rock star talk. Seriously one of the best I’ve heard because it was given with so much humility and heart. 

Ok, enough about those little punks. I could go on and on. But when we were in Coyhaique it was crazy. 

Crazy with the Hermana’s. Also, we had interviews with presidente and he is the best. I went in and he just looked at me with that little pres Obeso look and is all "Hermana ball, how you feeling?" It was so good to chat with him. 

Then he talked to me about why I have 7 months in this tiny little pueblo. It was amazing to hear about the real revelation he has received. He knew he felt so strongly that I had to stay here. I guess the elders where saying that I needed changes. That no one can stay in Puerto Cisnes so long because it’s rough. And he said he wanted to be sure. He said one day he called me. And I remember this call. He asked a bunch of just random little things and then that was all. He said he did it because he simply wanted to hear my voice, feel a little bit of my spirit and he said again he just knew it. It was confirmed that I had to stay here. 

I am so grateful. I have really learned so much here. So that was really cool to hear. 

It was crazy to have my last bus ride home from Coyhaique. There’s this crazy feeling at the end of the 4 hours when we cross a certain bridge and right then you can see all the lights of the little houses in Puerto Cisnes. Every time we are there, there’s a little moment of just breathing in and out. You know that feeling of home after a long trip? It was bittersweet this time. Shoot. 

 

Cow legs for dinner?

But here in Puerto cisnes we have been rocking it. It’s been cold. Last night they say it got to minus 4. 

Ok little gems of the week. 

-Everyone cooks and warms the house with fires so it’s not uncommon to have a fire start. It’s crazy because an alarm goes of and I feel like I am in a world war bombing. And we just stop and listen to see if it’s close to us. Crazy. Lucky they are used to it so nothing bad happens. 

-We had to make a 20 second video of what we´ve learned in the mission. I tried and just ended up crying. So we left to walk around.  And God loves me so He sent over this huge beautiful lab. It jumped up and both hind legs and literally gave me a hug. And made me scream and laugh. I know it sounds crazy but I know, I just know, that it really was a little love message from my Father in Heaven. Its funny and all but also it was so crazy perfect that I just think about it and feel so happy. 

 

President and Hna Obeso in front of our church building

Then we were sitting in lunch and get a call from president obeso. ¨Hermana where are you?¨ ¨We´re in Puerto Cisnes.¨ "Oh, us too! ¨ 

President made the crazy 8-hour drive to be with us for an hour and a half. It was so wonderful. We ran out of lunch. Met up by the beach. Went and ate a completo (Chilean hotdogs) chatted and laughed and then took him on a mini tour of Puerto Cisnes. Him and Hermana Obeso had never been here and I’ve chatted with them about coming for 7 months. So they finally made it down my last week. Love, love, love. It was soooooooo cute to be with them. 

Well family. I've got to fly. There´s a waterfall waiting for me! I love you. 

 Like elder Holland always says ¨Gods plan is total victory. ¨  so here’s to finishing this week strong. Because it total victory no mas.

xoxo hna ball

 

I taught them the Wendy's fries in frosty idea.  They loved it!

This is my last week. Crazy. I can't even believe it. Ha-ha and no one here believes it either because there have only been sister missionaries here for 1 year and of that year 7 months were with me so they all think I just moved here. Ha-ha