48th B-Day I guess she was really listening all those years....

48th B-Day 

I guess she was really listening all those years....

Dearest Family and Friends. :)

I hope that you guys know I miss you all.... sometimes.... Haha. No. Know you are all missed. I woke up this morning and thought of you all first thing. I was so anxious and excited to come to the internet today. I am glad to hear you are all doing well. =).

I have decided that Chilean people are very stylish and generous. Oh but the only bad thing... when it comes to style... it is their culture for the men to wear man purses. How terrible is that. Hahaha.

I was sick this past week. Really sick. Cold that went to my chest. I thought I was going to have to go buy some antibiotics (like many of the missionaries are doing), but it went away... Thank goodness you can buy lots of medications here without a prescription. =)

I went to the CCM again this week to help another Hermana Nurse (Hermana Duffy) that is new and going to the North mission of Santiago. I am hoping that I helped her, not scared her. Hahaha. Poor thing. She's going to do great. I forgot to take a picture with her because it was a crazy, fast time with her being that I was translating a bit for Dr. Johnson with his patients. But anyway.... that was great to be able to help her out. But the bad part... for the past week, my Spanish has been terrible. Hermana Tax said it hasn't been awful, but that I have had more of a Gringo accent. Hahaha. One person commented about it in church on Sunday because I spoke. What a terrible person he is. hahaha.

VIOLETA (back in Las Condes) GOT BAPTIZED ON SUNDAY!!!! 4 months after I left, she finally felt ready. =) I AM SO HAPPY FOR HER. I was not able to go to her baptism you cannot return to your previous sectors... 

 

Me and Hermana Tibbits (our sister leader)

 

I have a few notes that I want for after the mission... Mom you can put them on the blog if you want. Maybe some Chilean people will read it. hahaha. It was from our Ward Conference.

Our stake president said: En mi vida, donde estas hoy dia? Estas progresando? Si no, donde paraste? Estas en la capilla, si, pero donde esta su corazón? Su alma? Su mente? Cual es son algunas razones de porque estas aquí? Pasando tiempo. Vas a darte cuenta que hay muy pocas personas que están en la iglesia de la verdad. Estas aquí de la verdad? Seamos de la verdad. Que significa a ser un miembro verdadero de la iglesia? Soy de verdad un discípulo de Cristo? (Juan 6:46). Como esta su lectura del libro de mormón y oraciones? No salimos en un viaje sin nuestros documentos. Tampoco no salimos en el mundo sin nuestra protección espiritualmente. Sean buenos vecinos. Ore para tener experiencias misionales diariamente. Hable con personas. Es tan fácil. Tenemos muchas oportunidades! Solo depende en nosotros a provechar estos momentos.

La capilla no es un lugar donde aprendemos cosas. No es un lugar donde buscamos un equilibrio de las cosas que ocurran durante la semana. No es para convencer nuestros hijos que no deben hacer drogas, tomar, fumar, etc. ..... Esta es la única organización en el mundo, en que protesta libro de mormón templos diezmo castidad sacerdocio por ordenanzas. Todo en la iglesia tiene que ver con ordenanzas. bautismo. Santa cena. Templo. Cuidado de orgullo porque con eso olvidamos de quien debemos hacer. Ser amigo con su obispo. El esta aquí para ayudar. Si tiene un desafío con algo en el evangelio. Hable con el.

El consuelo del espíritu santo es como gozo en su corazón. Sin importante sus circunstancia.

If you would like to all learn Spanish... you can understand that. Hahaha.

I am so happy to be here in Chile. To sacrifice all that I am to be here to serve these people. I have been blessed. I have seen the problems that people have here, especially in their families. I just want to help them realize that their arguments, their separation, disunity, etc... is rather stupid really. I know that through the example of Christ and his teachings we can be happy, loving, unified, kind, patient, diligent, obedient, and hopeful. I know we all need to change everyday... to be better people... to become more like Him. It's the only way... to sacrifice who we are and who we can become in the world... cause that stuff really doesn't matter. I know that the family unit, no matter what it may exist of, is where our happiness lies... for now and for the eternities. Make your homes a brighter place so that when people enter they know something is different about your family. Make it a little piece of heaven on earth. And if it's not that, stop pretending yourself that everything is alright and just continue on. Make sure your priorities are where they should be. Nothing in the world is more important than your own home and family. Lasting happiness never comes from money, fame, or having fun/enjoying youself, if your home is not in order... it's only fake/pretend happiness for a short period of time. Rather, this happiness is through Christ our Savior, being obedient and willing to accept His will for us, and unity in our own homes. Get's your houses in order. That is where the adversary will attack first. Contention and pride is of him and in the end, we will suffer in misery if we do not remember what matters most in life. Please forget yourselves and get to work... serve others... because someone once told me (Mother...) ... when you are in the service of others, in that moment you forget yourself... but in the end... you truly find out who you are.

Helping a couple in the ward with wedding favors

Wedding favors

Hermana Talbot & Hermana Tax

Love,

Hermana Talbot

47th B-Day She has a heart the size of Texas LOVE this girl!!

47th B-Day 

this girl has a heart the size of Texas LOVE this girl!!

Hey Family!!!


Attached is a picture of me and Maria Ortega. I bought her glasses today. She literally is blind. I could not believe it. We will pick them up for her this week sometime so that she can see. Mom, I took money out of my card from home... Not much. 20 pesos. Which is 40 bucks. The glasses and the exam costed me 23 pesos or 46 dollars. NOTHING. Anyway, it was wonderful to serve her and to see her happy.... and for her to realize that she really CANNOT see.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BRETT THIS WEEK!!!! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO DAD AND BRYAN!!!!!!! =) Old farts.


This week I will complete 11 months in the mission. We're almost to the 1 year mark. I can hardly believe it! Time is flying. Seriously.


We met a Evangelical pastor this week, Boris. I felt like I needed to knock on the door of this random house... and he came out. We talked for about 20 minutes and he told us he had been looking for something more... we have been invited to come back to his house to speak with him and his family this week. It was an inspired conversation. After we talked to him, Hermana Tax said to me, "do you realize what you said to him? I would have never thought to say that." I have no idea what I said to him other than I had him looking up scriptures in the Bible to support the belief that the Heavens are not sealed and that a prophet lives and receives revelation today for all the world. Other than that... no clue..... I couldn't even give you a run down of what I said. I have been blessed here in the mission to learn Spanish so quickly and to have words fly out of my mouth in the moment that they have been needed.


I am realizing more and more how hard life is here for so many people. We talked this week with an inactive member that we searched out a few weeks ago named Flor (Flower). She told us that she had a really hard life. I was thinking abuse, away from parents, something like that. Not even close. I couldn't even imagine what she was going to tell us. She told us she was married at age 13 to a German because her grandparents (abandoned by her parents at a small age) would not accept her to have a child outside of marriage. The German was 27 years old. She had 2 children with him. Did not finish college until years later. Lived the darkest time of her life with him for 5 years. Separated after and married her best friend who she is with now and has been with him for 35 years. WOW. I realized in that moment that I literally have NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT. Be grateful. We are a blessed people and nation.

So as promised, I have my notes as to what I learned from my assignment from President Wright. Remember the assignment was to study: #1 the doctrine of desire or of the heart, #2 how that relates to or carries us to good works, and #3 how those two things produce good fruit.

Well, my study notes ended up being 4 pages long. It was an inspired homework. :) I loved this quote: "Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine out actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming.". In that quote we have the desire, good works (we act on), and good fruit (changing, achieving, becoming).

President Wright said to me that he doesn't think that good works always produces good fruit. So got thinking about that and came up with the conclusion that if one is just going through the motions (good works without desire) then there is no progression... There is no fruit. And eventually these good works will die because one isn't achieving anything. However, if we have a vision of the fruit or of what we can become, then we have a desire and will act accordingly.

I found this formula for good fruit: (1) faith in Christ and yourself, (2) study eternal truths, (3) ponder and pray for understanding, (4) strive to incorporate principles of truth into daily living, (5) exercise integrity in all things, (6) act in accordance to a standard of excellence. #1 - #3 is the vision. #4 is the desire. #5 & #6 being the works. Good fruit depends entirely on our vision of why we are acting and a desire to do so, then with those two we act because we want to produce good fruit.

We will be known and judged by our works (as it says in James 2: 17, 20-26) because our works reflect the desires of our hearts and the vision of who we want to become (the fruit). I love the scripture in Alma 37:34. It says to never be weary of good works. Sometimes we do become weary of always doing the right thing, of serving, of thinking of others before ourselves, of being obedient... But if we remember our vision and why we are doing good works (the fruit)... we won't be weary.

So I made a little chart. We'll see if I can do it on the computer. :)

Vision of your potential ---> desire ---> works *good or bad* ---> fruit *good or bad* (depending on your works) ---> increased vision ---> increased desire ---> increased works ---> increased fruit................. ---> potential achieved.

But remember if you take it the vision and the desire and are only going through the motions (works).... there is no fruit as it breaks the cycle. Hence with time, the works will stop and the vision or potential is never achieved.

We watched a short movie this past week from one of the youth conferences. There was a group of youth (20 or 30 young men) who decided they were going to go out and rescue some of the young men who had not been to church in a while. They literally when knocking on doors to find them and once they did.... they joined the group and played basketball together. These young men had a "rescue activity" every week and now have an attendance that is increasing continually. Who do you need to rescue? Get together with some members and go out and find the wandering sheep.


I love you all. A lot. Thankyou for all of your support. I will be home soon.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

46th B-Day WHAT WILL SHE DO NEXT???

46th B-Day

What will she do next???

Hey family!!

I hope all is well with you guys. It was so nice to talk to Mom and Brandon for Mother's Day. :) So sorry I missed you Joy, Brett, Bryan and Dad. Mom and Brandon can tell you all about it, but my companion was having problems connecting with her family so it was quite a mess. Guess what? The next time we talk it will be Christmas and then I'll be home shortly after.

Speaking of home. So I got thinking. Just so you all know December 29th isn't 100% sure. It is the date that missionaries will be leaving and coming (changes). However, keep in mind that if there is not a nurse to take my spot or I need to train a new nurse or if I am asked to stay longer... that date might change. :) Point is: I might extend if the opportunity is given to me. Changes are every 6 weeks.

Mommy. Please send me a banana bread recipe. :) Thanks.

I learned something funny this week. So there are many superstitions and things that people believe because "someone once said" down here or hey have a little problem and they're pretty much gonna die. Anyway, Hermana Tax had a headache the other day and I told her to take Ibuprofen, but she was drinking a Coca-cola. She says to me: "No, I can't do that!". I was like what in the world is she talking about and she says to me, "The doctors say that you can't drink Coke and take pills because of the caffeine." I might have laughed. I said well in the U.S. they tell us to drink caffeine and take pills together especially for a headache. Oh it was quite a conversation. She says, "I will never trust them again!" hahahaha.

Mom, I have told one of our investigators, Maria Ortega, to make herself an appointment for an eye exam and I will pay for the exam and the glasses. She literally cannot read because she can't see. She holds books like 2 inches from her face. Soooo once she does it, I will be pulling money out of my card. I'm not sure how much it will be, but she is going to find out. Just a bankrupt warning.

I cut my hair this week! I finally found someone who I trust and she cut off about 4 inches. :) I figured 11 months of growing it out was long enough. It was wayyy past time.

Hermana Tax hit her ONE YEAR MARK this week. Ahhhhh. She's an old lady in the mission. I sent some pictures of our celebration. The food was sooo good. =)

 

 

Hermana Veron and Hermana Tax completed 1 year this past week.

Nursing story.... but that has nothing to do with missionaries. We were walking in the street and saw a man running towards the hospital that's in our sector. I was thinking "oh that's weird, I wonder what happened". So we round the corner and there's a guy laying on the ground with 2 people standing over him at a Evangelical Church. He's flat on his back, but awake and appears to be alright..... There's a painters scaffolding next to him so Hermana Tax says to me "are you going to help them?"... So I asked them if he was okay and told them I was a nurse. They just kind of looked at me hahaha. I was like "seriously, I am a nurse. Is there something I can do to help you?" They told me to come inside of the gate..... So I come inside the gate and start talking to him.... then his eyes roll back inside of his head, he starts seizing... and then stops breathing... I freaked out inside.... So I start doing CPR and am thinking I am going to die of some disease from the blood on the back of his head and the foam coming out of his mouth.... But I just go for it. What else was I to do? ..... JUST KIDDING.... Hahahaha. No he was find. He had a huge egg on the back of his head and was bleeding a little (I did have blood on my hands... that is the truth). He was able to talk and move his arms and legs and all that jazz. Anyway, the ambulance comes... they sit him up... and we left. =) End of story.


Mom. The calamine lotion that I brought with me. Live saver. We have a family who has chicken pox right now. Two of her kids. They have huge boils. So I told her about calamine lotion... life saver. =) 

Me with Mariana.... I am teaching her English right now. She and her family are members and are absolutely wonderful.

We have one of the coolest investigators ever. His name is Ignacio. He is 14 years old. His mom and dad are members of the church, but do not go to church and have not for the past 15 years or so. So I am not sure how the missionaries met him, but we have been trying to find time to teach him in between all of his school and family activities. His parents are behind us and want him to make his own decision about religion and such. So we have invited him more and more to the church hoping that the youth can help us out. AND THEY HAVE! He is going to start going to early morning seminary. He has been coming to church. We gave him his own pair of scriptures this past week. He went to the camping activity with the youth and the bishop this past weekend... etc... I am inspired by his desire to know what we believe. I am not really sure why he wants to come to church being that his parents do not come with him. But he is 100% dedicated to find his own answer. I realized more and more this week that our own diligence is what matters. Our choices are ours to take. This kid has A LOT of faith and he doesn't even know what that means. He acts on what he knows is right... he just does it. No questions asked even if that means getting up at 530am to go to seminary... what kid does that if his parents are making him do it? I have learned from him to just act on what I feel is right... to not question my faith and trust in my Heavenly Father.... but to just do what He has asked of me. 

 

CANADA STREET What's next Tim Horton's??
Me in Canada in Chile!! =)

I have been studying something that President Wright told me to study in my interview with him this past week. #1 about the doctrine of desire or of the heart. #2 how this is related or carries us to do good works. #3 how those two things produce good fruit. I will tell you all about it next week. Study it too and let me know what you've come up with! 

 

With Hermana Palacios and Hermana Guevara

Love you all. Take care of each other. Be obedient. Be diligent. Be loving. Be grateful.


MWAH!!!

45th B-Day.... See you all soon! (ummmm SOON?) She's lost her mind... December 29th is NOT soon...

45th B-Day

See you all soon! (ummmm SOON?) She's lost her mind..

Hey family!!!

I think my favorite picture of the entire mission.. bahaha

So this week... I have no idea what happened this week. It's always a challenge to go back and think about it because we did so much and worked so hard... I can't even tell you without thinking for a while of what we ate yesterday... And that's just not me... I always know what I have eaten and want to eat 24 hours in advance! =) 

Hermana Filomena because this past week she completed one year of being a member of the church!!!

I got a call from Hermana Wright this past week with a story which I found to be absolutely astounding. I had sent an Elder to the dentist a few weeks ago as he complained of severe dental pain. Well, Hermana Wright told me that in her interview with him she asked him about how his teeth were. And he said "ya you know, I bought this paste stuff that you use for your teeth and my companion showed me how to use it". I almost died. He had never seen nor bought nor used toothpaste in his entire life. Truly, we are a blessed people!!!


I got a letter this week from The Rand Family!!!! I have sent them back a letter. It was a great surprise! =) Thankyou!! Brother Rand, I expect a hand written letter from you the next time being you didn't write at all. hahaha.


Hermana Tax had a dream this past week. Well she dreams a lot, but this one I had to laugh. So she doesn't really like learning English. Pronunciation is hard for her (I know how that goes... and they say Spanish is harder to learn than English)... anyway, her dream was to open in Preach My Gospel to page 141 and to read it and then act on what it was telling her to do. So the next morning she opens up the book.... lo and behold... it's about language study... she told me and I almost peed my pants. CRAZY GIRL. 

Victoria is Hermana Filomena's granddaughter

It snowed here in the mountains. It's getting cold! Hermana Tax has never seen snow before. We will be going to the mountains one day for her to touch snow... I might get her with a snowball before she realizes that you can do that with the white, fluffy stuff.... =)

Brooklyn in her Canaduh touque...

We ran into Maria(de) and Alicia (members) this past week as we were walking rapidly to our house... it was about 10:20 at night and our curfew is 10:30 max... anyway, so we were running to our house and we came across these 2 hermanas sitting outside in a park. I could tell something just wasn't right, so we stopped to talk to them. They have been having familial problems and I am not sure 100% of what happened that day, but Alicia was saying that she was afraid she would never talk to her family again. I could see the pain in her eyes and remembered my dear family, ya you guys.... Oh how we suffered for so long, but you know what... if nothing but one thing, President Wright taught me something precious here in the mission.... THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE! Sometimes, we blame God or we think that He does't hear us or what to help us... that He makes us suffer... but that's not true. He gives us hope in order to go through the trials that we face. And when we lose hope, it's not His fault... it's ours. Remember, there is ALWAYS hope.


I talked with Hermana Tax today about how we have changed in the mission. (she will be completing 1 year this week.) I told her that I dont think I have "grown up" or matured as many do due to responsibilities, rules, the gospel, being away from home, etc... I was always mature and had people's lives in my hands at age 20...... but what I can say is this. I have found a love for my scriptures that never existed before. I am coming to know the gospel like never before and the importance of living it, not just preaching it. I am coming to know my Savior more and more and am trying to develop His attributes of obedience, diligence, patience, charity, virtue, etc... In this... I think I have grown and I cannot wait to see who I will become in the next 7 months.


I studied this past week "Beware of Pride" by President Benson in May of 1989. I wanted to share it with you all. I learned so much about myself, society, and what I need to do to change this cycle of pride that we are living in. Read it. Study it. Ponder it. Then change. Let's be a better people and forget ourselves.


I love you all. Take care of yourselves and each other. Time is flying. I will be talking to Mom this week for Mother's Day and then we have Christmas 2014 for another skype call home.... then I'll be home December 29, 2014. Hahaha a few days after we all talk. See you all soon!


Enfermera/Hermana Brooklyn Talbot