The One With September 18th

President changed the rules for p-day so we don’t really have activities anymore.  We deep-deep clean the house every week.  So, today we studied, cleaned, bought our groceries, wrote our families and then headed out to work!

We were finally able to have a lesson with Carmen, and Jeremias!  As we were walking to our lesson with Carmen, these construction workers yelled ‘Hola’ at us and waved.  Usually, we try to ignore them because they are kind of creepy these Chilean men.  But, I’ve been trying to do what Christ would do if he were here, so I realized that I don’t need to give our phone number to them and if it’s dangerous we don’t have to teach them, but I don’t have to be mean and cold.  I turned, smiled, and waved and we kept walking.

            Then this evening when we met with Jeremias. He was so excited because he told us that he was at work and saw us pass by.  His friend said that he always sees us and that we are always glowing.  Jeremias told his friend that he knows us and that we are always happy.  He was like, “watch”, and he waved to us.  After a second I waved back!  I love that I didn’t even know that he was Jeremias but we waved anyway and spread a little sunshine.  I also learned that people we don’t know, know us, and they already have a first impression of us, of Mormons, of the church.  So, honestly, the way I walk down the street has an effect on how people see the church.  It hit me today that we are not here to live our life, we are here representing the church, and more importantly Jesus Christ.

We were on the bus to Cachopoal for the giant conference in the mission.  Elder Alan Packer is in the presidency of the area south-South America.  We have been fasting, praying, and meditating to prepare for this conference.  Then when we were on the bus the AP’s called us.  They asked to talk to me… so I was like “hola!” and they were like “hey, just to give you a heads up, Elder Packer wants to interview you so can you stay after the meeting?”  I was like “Que?”  My heart was like, “on no, what did I do??”  But I told them, “yeah, we could stay after”.  I am not going to lie, for a solid split second, I honestly thought, “He knows I got a waffle iron and now he wants a WAFFLE COMMITTEE!”

            The whole meeting was amazing.  Seriously, it was incredible!  At the end, he told us how we are about to see a HUGE change in the mission.  Like he related it to the age change of missionaries.  He said in the future, we are going to be the generation that will be able to say that we were the ones serving at the time of this big change.  BUT HE JUST LEFT US HANGING.  So, we are just supposed to ‘prepare ourselves” for this change.

            Then I got suddenly nervous for this interview.  Like maybe he would trust me with some big secret or something.  But it’s all good.  The interview was chill.  LITERALLY 30 seconds.  I don’t know what the purpose was or if I passed or not, but I did learn something that is always a success!  He asked me a super personal question randomly and I felt like he was staring into my soul and could read every thought I’ve ever had.  He asked, “Are you doing anything that could impede the Spirit from working through you?”

            I know it is such a simple question, but for some reason it brought the greatest joy to my heart to be able to honestly look him in the eyes and say, “No”.  It was like he pop quizzed random missionaries and I was worthy.  I know that he wasn’t looking for major sinners, because they are few.  But we all face temptations as missionaries to do things that aren’t breaking a huge commandment but definitely impede the Spirit from working through us. I know that EXACT obedience is the only way that the Spirit can work through us, and we are nothing without the Spirit.

Also today I met a ton of new missionaries.  It was wonderful!  I saw an elder who looked semi-familiar and I accidentally stared too long so that he caught me looking at his nametag (Elder Pollard).  He said, “You’re Lindsay’s sister, right?”  And oh my, that was the most beautiful question that I never knew I would be asked thousands of miles away from her.  I died and said, “Yes!  I’m Lindsay’s sister!”  We talked for a few minutes about his MTC experience and his trainer.  Then he told me how much he loved the Preach My Gospel study sessions he and all of their friends did this summer and how Lindsay always went.  Then he was like, “When I got my call, Lindsay started freaking out because her sister was serving in that mission.  And she told me I have to say, “Hi” to you.  So here I am telling you, in person, that Lindsay says ‘Hi’.  I DIED.  I love this small world almost as much as I love Lindsay!!

                HAPPY CHILE DAY!  (September 18^th) So today was interesting because we were prohibited from proselyting.  We had to either spend the whole day in the house or in the house of members if they invited us.  We went to church and after a family of investigators came up to me and thanked me because their favorite part was singing the hymns in sacrament meeting – so they thanked me for playing the piano to ‘create a beautiful environment’.  Again in that moment all of those years hating practicing the piano literally paid off in a split second.  To think that all of that time was one day going to help some family feel more comfortable and at peace at church, just makes it all worth it.