22nd B-Day of the one and only Hermana Talbot

22nd B-Day in Santiago, Chile 

of the ONE and ONLY Hermana Talbot

Also I do have a funny story for you today. So we were talking with one of our families who are members about Maine. And he asked me what we ate at my house. So I told him the regular things... chicken, rice, pasta, etc. So after we got talking about the kind of wild animals that we have in the woods and he freaked out. I was like WHAT? and he says "I can just see it. Hermana Talbot with her gun shooting outside of her window... shooting a bear... and lo and behold, there's dinner!". I started laughing so hard. These people are so funny, especially when it comes to things that they have never seen (like a bear).

 We got this reference of a name and address from the office. So we went to the apartment and tried to get in contact with the person. Come to find out it's a 14 year old kid who passed by the temple a while ago and got curious about the church. He asked his Mom who's temple it was and she said "the Mormons". So he hopped online that night and started researching. He got into a chat session with the missionaries there in Utah and asked if he could have a Book of Mormon. So we called him because he wasn't at the apartment and the first thing he said was "wait, stay there, I'm going to run home. do you have my Book of Mormon!?". He is amazing. Absolutely amazing.

This scripture is for you guys. It's from Moroni 8:2-3...I changed it just a little bit....My beloved family and friends, I rejoice exceedingly that our Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful of me, and hath called me to his ministry, and to his holy work. I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end.

We are all doing well. Getting ready for Hermana Rivera to leave. I am not quite sure if I have it in my head that she is leaving and I will get a new companion. Now that our companionship is golden, it's so hard to start anew. But I know I have much more to learn of myself and from others. =)"

Last, but not least, we had Elder Holland come to see us this week, as you know. It was AMAZING. Talk about being bold. He's one of the boldest men I know, but you can feel his love just radiating towards you. He talked to us about how this is real life. We talk so much about going home back to "real life" however, this is real life. Teaching the gospel of Christ to our friends and neighbors. He made me realize that I don't want to be the missionary who comes home and nobody even realizes that I was once in Chile preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. He talked about us living what we're teaching. Not just for these 18 months, but for forever. How this time on our full time missions should be the changing and most pivital point in our lives. This should change our hearts, attitudes, everything. He told us to: "kick when you dont want to kick and stroke when you don't want to stroke". Our strokes and kicking are: the Book of Mormon, a real desire to be better and more Christ-like, and personal progression. WOW. He talked about us teaching with power and authority. How we should astonish people. (Does that mean we are supposed to be bold?) He mentioned Doctrine and Covenants 18:15 and how that one soul it's talking about... is ourselves... It has changed my attitude a little bit as I have realized how much I need to learn and grow. What habits I need to change in my life. Lastly, he talked about how this life isn't easy. I loved what he said. He said "the scripture says: take up your cross and follow me.... it doesn't say: take up your featherbed". He said: "the road to salvation always passes through Gethsemane". And lastly, most hilariously (oh btw, he is a very funny man!!) he said "you know what? we need to cherish these scriptures. do you think it was easy for them? they wrote on plates with an icepick!". It was a wonderful, spiritually, uplifting conference. I am so grateful he was able to come see us and talk with us. It was just a little wake up call for me.

I love you all so much! Thank-you for all of your prayers and love. I am always with you... in spirit and in heart.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

I am eating a DD donut. The joys of going to the office once a week to chart nursing stuff.

 Me and my old companions from the CCM and Hermana Martinez (nurse in the Santiago South) when we saw each other at the conference with Elder Holland.

One is of the raisins here. THEY'RE HUGE.