Working with the Youth

First of all we have to wish Elder Jaen a Happy Birthday!

I got to go back to Nonguen this week. The Zone leaders and my comp and I got asked to participate in this activity in Nonguen. It was all day long for the youth in the Stake but we were there just in the morning. The Elders gave like this big pep talk to the youth about living right to be able to be worthy of the mission.

We then were in charge of going over the schedule of a missionary. We wanted it to have lots of participation so we went over the morning to do list fast and then set up this rely race. There were 4 teams that had to complete it and do it the fastest.

They had to start laying down in their bed.

Wake up.

Say their prayer. 

Make their bed. 

Do push ups or jumping jacks and make 2 baskets of trash ball. 

They then had to sort through 20 pairs of socks and match 5 of them and fold them.

Then put on their tie or skirt with a badge.

Peal an orange and chug a glass of juice. 

Then put shaving cream on a balloon and shave it off with a pencil.

Find a specific scripture.

And then sing "called to serve" in the hymn book.

It was pretty funny to watch them all do it as fast as they could. Lots of cheering and excitement.

We then closed it with a scripture in Jacob 5 talking about obedience to the Lord's commandments and how we need to do the work the way he wants us to do it.

 71 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come.
 72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.

And shared how important it will be for them one day to not delay in the personal things they do to prepare inside for the day because they will be dedicating all of their time to serving the Lord and his children. And leaving on time is crucially important.

The time in the morning I find so important. I am busy doing a great work and I do not have time to let the smallest distractions or acts of disobedience  effect any of the progress that many missionaries have put into our sector. As well my personal growth that is such a blessing to have so much time to dedicate to my spiritual alimentacion. 

18 second round

I just celebrated my 2nd independence day in Chile and this time a whole lot has changed. 

Instead of swallowing down all the food trying not to taste it I love it....even the mote con huesillo. We ate so much. People do not let you in a lot to teach but they send you off with meat. 

I ate:

9 empanada 700 calories cada uno

1 mote con husillo 800 calories cada uno

4 pajaritos ni siquiera se cuanto

3 meat shiscabobs 300 calories cada uno

But it was a blast. One thing that I just love about their 18 de Sep. is all the flags that they have out. It is super pretty. 

Our investigator Gerald is doing very well. He is always with the young single adults and we are actually going to have to talk to them because it is getting hard to meet with him with all of his ward participation. He travels every week end to go to Tome where his parents live but he always has made a sacrifice to get back in time for church. A couple of weeks ago he had to stay there on Sunday and went out of his way to find the church there. He got a hold of the missionaries there and took 2 buses to travel far to the closest church to him. 

I had so much to write this week but received a lot of concerning emails about the earthquake so it will all have to wait. Thank you so much for your care and love. We were running around crazy trying to make 42 hour backpacks with the little supplies we could find in our apartment  but our sector did not hit any hard side effects. Please pray for the others in Chile who are suffering from lost loved ones and destroyed housing.

Giant Jenga!

The leaders this past week had a conference with the President. We had to make a few choices for the mission and talk about a few up coming events. 

Hermana Parkin and I were in charge of doing the activity. They gave us the theme of: How as leaders can we help missionaries that we serve reach their potential. A pretty detailed theme. Not like consecration or obedience or goal setting...petty detailed. So it was the theme for our street conversations for a while and we finally came up with the best idea!! JENGA

We came to the conclusion that the reason why so many missionaries can not progress in the mission is because of all of the demands the mission life gives us. The schedule, the rules, the goals we have to meet, the physical drain, getting out of your comfort zone and so much more.


 "Now these are the circumstances which attended them in their journeying, for they had many afflictions; they did suffer much, both in body and in mind, such as hunger, thirst and fatigue, and also much labor in the spirit." (Alma 17:5)

 But we also know that the gospel of Jesus Christ also gives us so many resources to overcome the demands. A source greater than what this world has to offer. 

So Hermana Parkin and I ran all over Concepcion to find cardboard boxes from a store that would lend them to us for free. We found them and the guy happened to be a man that I had contacted in Hualqui...I knocked on his door. His name is Ramon. We cut up a ton of boxes and made the lids and all that good stuff and made a huge Jenga.

We divided everyone up into 4 teams and kept score. The teams got two point for removing a box with one hand only. One point for removing a box with 2 hands. And the points were erased if it fell on your teams turn.

The second round was the same but they received one more point if they would name a demand that the mission gives us as the removed it. We explained how after that it was not enough to only recognize the struggles of the mission and leave the holes there but that we need to replace the holes with support. You can not keep placing one demand on top of another because they will break down and never be able to keep progressing but always start from ground one.

 33"Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.

 34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my  rock, they cannot prevail.

 35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have   commanded you.

 36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.   37 Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful,   keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen."( D&C 6:33-37)

The assistance did not want to teach after our game because they said it would be too boring after something fun like that. So we kept going. But we were all on the same team and we had to do everything possible to keep it from falling while sharing ideas of resources to support the demands. 

Gerald! Made of Gold

My very first week in Collao we found a golden investigator. It was actually my very first full day in Collao. We were in a trio for the day because the new missionaries that are in the training get the opportunity to go have a day with the leaders in the mission so we were paired with Hermana Ellis. She is a cute girl from Utah and it was great being able to get to know her. However she had been feeling super overwhelmed with all the changes that mission life gives you. She was being really hard on herself and the tears got to her. We had to sit down in a park for a minute or so to just take a break and help her get to feeling better. She was not liking how we talk to everyone in the street, it is so very overwhelming as a new missionary in a different language and in Chile so we set a few goals about the next contacts we were going to do together and then we went off the to go make them happen. And we went right up to Gerald. We got his information and set up a visit all thanks to Hermana Ellis.

He does his homework, and has been to church 2 times already. He makes a huge sacrifice to do it too. His family is from Tome (another city). He is only here to study and work so he is very lonely. The weekends he spends in Tome. But he woke up super early Sunday morning to travel back to Collao to be able to go to church and this past Sunday he did not go till after church on Sunday so he could participate with the Young Single Adults with their activity for the Chile soccer game and the BBQ they did.

He is doing great with learning everything except for the word of wisdom. He does not get the whole tea and coffee thing but he wants to try it out. He wants to not do anything to prevent him from getting his answer he is praying for from God.

The Young Single Adults here also put together a little gift basket of things to replace coffee and tea. He is doing great. His prayers are so sincere!! And he knows so much, but he does not know it. When we were trying to explain how he would recognize his answer he was like finishing our sentences and even applying how it went in church with him. Saying that maybe it could come from how he felt in church or something that someone said there. CAPISIMA!

There will be much news to come on Gerald! Keep him in your prayers!

Siempre,

Hermana Lance 

First week in Collao

First of all we have to go back to Hualqui! On Saturday Scarleth got baptized!!! She is 15 and her whole family are members but her mom is a less active and her dad does not live with her. But her younger brother is active and her neighbors are her aunts and uncles all super active. Her mom had a big car accident and is not that same and does not have the role as her mom as her aunt does. But she got baptized! I heard it was beautiful and I will have to write her to see how she is doing.

Also, Hermana Heaton has another for sure baptism this Saturday and a maybe as well. I am so proud of her to be able to tie up the loose ends there.

But I have to change gears and be in Collao now. It is literally around the corner of Nonguen and I even see nonguen every day and Friday we actually had a mini transfer with the Hermanas from Nonguen and since I had only had days in Collao I went to Nonguen!!!!! It was the coolest slash weirdest thing. Weird because I had never thought I would return and another to be able to see so a part of where my heart lies. It was also cool to run into people I had taught and see that they were doing well, even better than I thought. Sometimes as a missionary you never really know how you touch the lifes of others, or if they will even remember you. But it was a pure joy being able to see others and see their surprised joy with seeing me once again there with them. Some of them progressed and others no. But to know they felt something to see me again. That somehow after all the hard days there something we had done...said....or showed made a positive impact on them. It sounds kinda like a little taste of heaven when we will find ourselves with others that have meant so much to us and finally let them know of all the good they did for us.

But I really do love Collao! Even though it kinda hurt a lot to leave Hualqui and feel so needed here and already apart of it all. We found a ton this week and brought 3 invetigatores to the church with a baptism date! They rock! And they are normal. If you were or are a missionary you will understand that comment. But I love being with Hermana Parkin. I feel like we teach in so much unity and we are on the same page all the time. There could be comments or ideas or a topic I want to touch on in the lesson and she goes right into the point or topic without any heads up. She also is crazy healthy and loves to run. So I think we are actually going to be getting up a tad early to get a good run in.....trying to take advantage of it all whille I am still with someone who is into that stuff.

So there is a fun picture with Scarleth that I included and some cool wall paint that you will only get if you are familar with Chile slang.

I love you all so much and love every day. Even the long ones. I feel like a go to bed so dang exhausted every night and find a way to wake up with so much energy and excitement the next morning. I pray for you all and invite you to take advantage of all the blessings that are coming your way. Do everything in your reach to be able to recieve all that the Lord has instore for you.

Con Harto Amor,

Hermana Lancita