Wow, how sad it was to say goodbye to everyone. Lastenia
and Daniela cried. Alicia actually allowed a picture to be taken (which has not
EVER happened). Camila gave me a beautiful Chilean bracelet. But the morning
was the saddest goodbye of all – Hermana Betancur. Ah, she is the most amazing
human I’ve ever met. I miss her!
I
got to Rancagua and met my new companion! Hermana Flores is so cute and is a
super awesome missionary! When we got to Rengo, these recent converts were
there with their car to take us to our house with all of our luggage. It was so
NICE!
Then
we went to lunch and I decided that I’m not going to wait for time to become
naturally close to these people. I know that even though they seem like
strangers now, I know one day it will be hard to say goodbye to them, so I
decided to just pretend like we are already close. The whole “fake it til you
make it” approach, and whoa, let me just say it works! It’s not easy or natural
(for me) to fight to talk to people and get to know them. I realized I’m good
with silence until over time a relationship naturally develops, but I don’t
have time to just let these relationships naturally develop. I have the gospel
to share! To show these people I care about them first, I have been fighting
for conversation questions and interests. I prayed to love these people, and its
working! I can’t wait to serve these people!
We
had an incredible lesson with these 2 investigators. Soledad and Armando are
our new investigators and for this lesson, the Bishop came with us! (Seriously
this ward is amazing!) When Soledad was telling us about how she completed her commitment
to pray, she got really excited. She told us she prayed and then that night she
had the most beautiful dream of many many people so happy standing around this
clear blue water. She said she’s never had such a beautiful dream and feels
that it’s an answer from God. I was dying because WHAT, this is amazing! This
only happens in Preach My Gospel! I’m so happy for them and their search for
the truth. I can’t wait to see them again on Friday!
Today was FULL of miracles. This
morning we had a lesson with an investigator, Angelica, and we had this lesson
planned, but when we started the Spirit took us a different way. I invited her
to be baptized (for the 4th time), but this time she said yes! She
accepted the date of August 20th,. I’m so excited to help her
strengthen her testimony and be prepared to make these covenants with Heavenly
Father.
Also,
we are working with Romina, an excommunicated member, working towards baptism
(with permission from the Mission President). It’s amazing to see someone want
to be baptized so badly but have to wait and be refined through the process of
time.
OH
YEAH, the most special thing. I have to back track 3 months. In the MTC, we had
a teacher, Hermano Traverso. He served his mission 5 years ago in Rancagua. As
part of our MTC training, we had “progressing investigators” who were our
teachers pretending to be real investigators that we taught. Hermano Traverso
chose an investigator named Ismael Valenzuela. We studied for, prayed for,
fasted for, and taught “Ismael Valenzuela” for 3 weeks in the MTC. We learned
his story and he was our 1st investigator. At the end of our 6 weeks
at the MTC, we learned what happened with this REAL LIFE Ismael, and his
conversion. Today I realized that the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric
in Rengo has a wife named Johanna and a son named Pablo, and a daughter named
Camila. He has been a member for 5 years, and so I asked his name: ISMAEL
VALENZUELA. I FOUND HIM! I don’t know why this is so special to me, but it’s
like I just met someone I already have a super deep connection with. Ah how
amazing is the mission.
My
companion and I stopped by the Valenzuela family’s shop, and I decided to be
100% creepy, but I had to tell Ismael this amazing connection. So in the
silence I just randomly get excited and tell him, “Guess who my MTC teacher was”
and he gets super excited and says, “Hermano Traverso?” We start talking and he
calls his wife down to tell her this connection, and we 3 were dying because it’s
just as special to them! They told me that Traverso is coming tomorrow so we
are going to stop by to see them! Ah how amazing. Now Ismael and Johanna love
talking to me and I absolutely LOVE talking with them because they are like
famous to me. He told me I can ask him anything, so I have been going through
my notes from the MTC remembering his story and finding the questions I’ve
always wanted to ask him that are written down in my MTC journal! I don’t know
why this is so amazing, it just is. God is perfect.
We
had 2 lessons with future investigators. They both went so well! I don’t
know if it’s having more time or a change in the areas or what, but I feel
something inside me like I’ve finally found my way. Like how we all have
different ways to be missionaries and I’m no longer my companion’s shadow. I am
finding my way and somehow, I have no fears. I’ll talk to whoever wherever
because today I experienced so many times the Spirit telling me what to say and
this gospel is so amazingly beautiful. Also in our lesson with Soledad and
Armando, their daughter gave me a gift because I have her a picture of the
temple and it was so adorable. Especially how excited she got to have a
BEAUTIFUL picture of the temple.
We
were contacting and this lady opened her gate and asked what we wanted. We told
her we’re missionaries and she cut us off and said she told us she was really
busy right now (just like every Chilean). Usually this is the point that faith
leaves, but for some reason, neither of us backed away. We asked her about her
faith in God. The only explanation for this next part is the Spirit because for
some reason she started telling us all about this operation she’ll be having on
Monday. She’s not nervous at all because she knows God will be with her. We
bore our testimonies that that is true and that we’d be praying for her
operation. Then she just looked at me for legit 30 seconds with no words and
then invited us inside her house. There was this loud music playing and it was
some lady jamming out to gospel rock. We walk inside as this lady (Hortencia)
is telling us about her faith. We could barely hear her over the music, and
then all of a sudden she starts to shake her leg. I think it was supposed to be
in rhythm with the beat of the music, but it wasn’t. Then in the middle of her
sentence she closes her eyes and start singing, BELTING, this song. Her arms
start to wave and she awkwardly starts shifting her weight from one foot to the
other and the louder her singing gets, the more off-tune it is. She keeps
singing, and I promise it was so awkward. We just stood there in a stranger’s
living room watching her “dance” and sing to us this strange Chilean gospel
rock song. It was so incredibly awkward and I promise I enjoyed every moment of
this 5 minute song. J
Then the song finally faded and she just stood there still with her eyes
closed. Then the next song started and I realized this could be a never-ending
loop of songs, and so I started to get worried because we aren’t really
fulfilling our missionary purpose by listening to a stranger serenade us. I
start trying to think of how to stop her without hurting her feelings, but then
at the perfect timing she opened her eyes and told us to take a seat. She
turned off the music and told us she was ready to listen. NO ONE in Chile is “ready
to listen” – IT WAS A MIRACLE! We were able to teach about the Plan of
Salvation and it ended up being a super special experience! We are going to
visit her after her operation.
Today
was Antonia’s baptism, and after she was baptized there was the usual quiet
time where we waited for her to change. They had Mormon music videos playing.
It was so beautiful and then I realized it was in English, so I looked up and
right as I saw the screen, there was Jenna Elder singing Glorious with her
choir and it brought the deepest joy to my heart. I started to tear up and cry
because it was honestly so beautiful and meaningful. I am so grateful for that
simple beautiful music video that touched my heart on the other side of the
world in a random chapel in Chile. It’s amazing to see that when we share our
talents to testify of Christ, it can help many more people than we know. Ah how
wonderfully Glorious is this Gospel!
Hermana Flores and I eating meat
Streets of Rengo
I'm so very proud of this young woman! God be with you.
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