Another
week has come and gone! The good the bad and all of the in between.
First of all, the mission is preparing lots of fun surprises for
Christmas! Sister Carter (The mission mom) announced that they would be
having a kind of talent show. The sisters in my apartment kept pushing
me to go sing something, and I thought, sure whatever. I can get up and
sing a quick hymn for a district meeting or something, so I auditioned.
Well, one thing turned into another and now I am singing the song Star
of Bethlehem for the entire mission on Christmas day. AAAH! The only
reason I don´t pass out from fear every time I think of it is because
almost no one in south america knows how to sing or read music or
anything. Seriously, any home ward in utah is like MOTAB in comparison
to the congregational hymns here. But that´s that. Lots of prayers that I
don´t choke in the middle or throw up or something embarrassing like
that!
Well, our baptism for the month (Mxxxxx) officially fell
through. Miracle after miracle occurred this week for us to be able to
teach him and to have the spirit. The night before his baptismal
interview with the president, he told us that he knew that everything
was true like he knows water is wet. He was a little anxious about the
interview, but said he would be alright. The day of, he called and gave
some excuse to why he couldn´t go and we haven´t been able to contact
him since. Its so sad to see how hard Satan works on people when they
are beginning to find the right path. Hopefully we will be able to find
him and help him understand everything better and he can be baptized in
December. Also, through a series
of strange events, we found out that he has developed feelings for my
companion, so every time we teach him we have to do splits with the other
Hermanas. This makes it really difficult to teach and it is most likely
that my companion will be transferred next week, so good thing you didn´t
put names on the Christmas stuff!
We found a lot of new people to teach this week! This was such
a blessing. You can only teach people who don´t follow through with
commitments for so long before you have to stop visiting and find other
people who are more ready. Most of the people who are prepared are young
single adults. It is a time in life where so much changes and so they
are open to more change and ready to commit. However, they also have
really difficult schedules. Arg.
Sometimes it is hard for me to find the balance between being
bold and straightforward and being nice and loving. I know you need
both, but its definitley a balance. I think I am more on the nice and
loving side and my companion is more on the bold straightforward side.
There have been times where we are knocking doors and she calls someone
to repentance only moments after meeting them. She also seems to like
the scriptures that are very strong and have the message of ´Bad things
happen when you sin.¨I think this is important, but we also need to
teach with love and kindness and motivate people to do better instead of
guilting them into doing it. We are going to work on finding the
balance a little better this week. Suggestions on how I can learn to be
more bold and straightforward but also motivating instead of guilting?
Anyway, this tuesday we get to do splits! The sister training
leaders are coming to work with my companion, and Sister Leiva (chile)
and I am going with Sister Gardner (The other American in our apartment)
to some other area that is more in the middle of nowhere. I am soo
excited for the change! Transfers in a week and as we always say,
Anything is possible with President Carter!
To answer some questions, mom we do sort of have picture
diagrams that we can use. There is a little pamphlet for every lesson
that we always give to the investigators and these have pictures. We use
the pictures during our lessons. One that is really helpful, is that in
our Restoration pamphlet, there is a picture of Jesus laying his hands
on Peter to give him the Priesthood, and then the next picture is Peter,
James, and John giving the priesthood to Joseph Smith. The pictures
make it so much easier to make the connection that the line of
preihstood is directly from Christ. There is a little time line in the
Plan of Salvation pamphlet that isn´t fabulous, but it is simple and
easy to understand so we use this too. Also Dad, there is not an option
to resize photos on these computers, so I am going to keep sending two
or three at a time. I think I can buy a hair dryer here if the money is
in my account so that would be great. I am just living without a
straightner or curling iron and thats fine too. I really don´t have time
or care about doing anything big with my hair right now. Although, I do
need a hair cut and I have to figure out how that works. The native
compaions all just cut their own hair but I don´t trust them or myself
with that yet. We will have to see what I can figure out.
Kyrstin, Hermana Leiva says hi and she wants to meet you. She
finishes her mission three months before you do and she wants to come
find you. I´m sending a picture with me in a Chilean soccer Jersey with
her in it. She says your area is gorgeous and she misses Chile!
Anyway, I need some time to send pictures, but good luck with
everything and I am excited to see pictures of thansgiving next week!
Hermana Millett
Mal and her new skirt!
This is Mal's BYU roommate in Korea!
Lunch on the floor with no table.
Her companion wonders how it would be to be blond!
On the bus on the way to see Elder Holland.
This is a sister who lives in Kyrstin's mission and is living with Mal.
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