53rd B-Day Guatemala Trivia. When someone is being slow or not wanting to do something they tell them "viva voz. ponete pilas"..... Live. Put in batteries.

 53rd B-Day 

it's any ones guess when this girl will really be home...

Family and Blog Readers: :)


My head is doing well. The 5 stitches came out today. I tell you what, it was hard to sleep, I felt gross cause I couldn't wash my hair well, I have headaches almost everyday, etc. However, at least it is healing and I'm not bleeding anymore. I bled from the time I hit my head till I got to the Doctor an hour and a half later, with ice on my head too (well a bag of frozen veggies). Phew. Glad that's over. Now all I wanna do is itch... but Doctor Johnson told me "if you scratch that... and it opens back up and I have to sew it again... I will hold you accountable!". bahaha.


I have a story (I need to tell more stories). We had an investigator (well call Boris). He is in his late 60s and really an amazing guy, very kind and generous. His wife is schizophrenic/bipolar and his children really don't speak to him. When the other hermanas first found him, he was in the street.... drunk and living with his mother. Yet, they started teaching him anyway. Usually he was drunk; however, they realized that he remembered what they taught. Something always stuck. Then I came along...I saw the real change in him. He completely stopped drinking and had turned from a drunk into someone different. He started working again. He and his wife fixed their biggest problems and were working together on healing eachother. So he moved back into his house with his wife... Sad part: we lost a progressing investigator as he left his Mom's house. Good part: he was working things out in his life. We saw him a week ago in the street after he had visited his Mom. He looked happy and content, with concerns and problems still, but positively radiant... Smiling, laughing, etc.... Then I had a dream Thursday night. Seriously, one of the most impressive things yet in this mission that's happened to me. (I do not dream and if I do, 2 minutes later I don't remember them.) So, I dreamed that Boris was drinking again, struggling with his life. I thought, that is really weird... I immediately told Hermana Tax and then we didn't talk about it again. Until we go walking down the street and see Boris. Drunk. Wanting to talk to us. So we did for about 10 minutes with him and his Mom; he talked practically the whole time as to why he started drinking again (problems again with his wife and his children didn't even call him for Father's Day - poor guy). We shared a scripture, told him to sober up, and to stop drinking. Then we left to go sit in a park to study. And lo and behold, we were found 3 minutes later. By the one and only drunk Boris. He begged us to share another scripture with him... about love and how we know if we are loved. We testified to him that God loves him and through the Atonement of Christ he can heal. Hermana Tax might have read a tough scripture to him in the Bible about drunks not entering into the kingdom of God. And then Boris asked me what I was studying in the Book of Mormon... Alma 32... About repentance... And he asked me to share with him what I was learning. I hesitated and told him he didn't want to know... then figured there was a reason I was specifically studying this and also that he asked me to share... So I did and by the end of the conversation I invited him to start the repentance process of recognizing the things in his life that are not alined with the gospel of Christ. He accepted (with doubts) and I walked away relieved and content. Needless to say, it was a rough week last week. We had found one of our clean investigators drinking again, a few doors slammed in our faces, rejections over and over again (by members as well), and it was sooo cold. But you know what, after the trials of our faith, then come the blessings. :)


Chilean fact. The smog is so thick and low in the air that when we come home at night, our hair and clothes smell like smoke. And plus Chileans love their BBQs. Still, it makes you wonder what your lungs must smell like.


We had to go to the hospital twice this past week to visit people there. As we entered, I felt at home; however, at the same time it felt foreign. The first time, I missed it. The second time, I wanted to leave. It felt so weird. I realize more and more that I have to enjoy my time here because it flies by. I've got 6 months left. Nothing more.


If any of you want anything from Chile. Please let me know!!! I am continually buying for people, but I want to know if there are things that you want.


Hermana Wright called Salt Lake this past week and they told her that there is no plan (as of now) for a new nurse to come to the mission. All of the nurse positions that they will fill are filled until December, and after that, a world of unknown. Soooooo, as for now December 29th still stands; however, if a new nurse doesn't come, I officially can stay in the mission (according to church rules) 30 days after my return home date (December 20th).


We went with President and Hermana Wright today to "Lago de Yeso" (I think). It's on the border of Chile and Argentina... in the mountains. I asked them a few weeks ago if they would take me and Hermana Tax so that she could get to know snow... and as always, yet another favor for their mission nurse... I am well paid for my services. =) It was absolutely beautiful!!! Fresh air, we laughed all day, ate lunch with them in a Disney Fairy Tale house, Hermana Tax got to feel snow for the first time in her life, and so much more. I forgot my cable to attach pictures (once again... I am sooo sorry!). Needless to say, I have come to love my mission president and his wife. They are wonderful mission parents and I have come to love and appreciate them and all they do. It may not have been the easiest time for me to accept the change in my mission call when I was in the CCM; however, now I know why I am here in Santiago Este and not in Sur. I needed them (mission president, mission wife, companions, etc) just as much as they needed me.

I really liked this quote: "Your success and happiness, both now and in the eternities, depend largely on your responses to the difficulties of life". I am seeing more and more here in the mission that we have the choice of being one person or another in the site of adversity or trying times. We will call the first Negative Nelly and the second Positive Patty. Nelly, when she's going through a tough time, asks questions such as: "Why does this have to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this now? What have I done to deserve this?" ... Negativity, self-absorbent, depriving of any love or hope, never processing or learning from life's challenges. However, on the other hand we have Patty, who asks these questions: "What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help? How can I remember my many blessings in times of trial?". Positivity, hopeful, teachable, thinking of others, etc. I am trying to learn to be more like Patty and it's a long learning process... But I have realized that my greatest example and strength is in my Savior. (Mosiah 24:13-14).



Have a wonderful week. We'll talk again soon! 7 days.



Love ya all. MWAH.




P.S. Mom. Send me the recipe for no baked cookies. Please. :)


P.S. Guatemala Trivia. When someone is being slow or not wanting to do something they tell them "viva voz. ponete pilas"..... Live. Put in batteries.