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| Package from Patti!!! Thanks so much!!! We can't wait to do some of the activities for Thanksgiving and Christmas! |
Hey family and friends!!
Last week I completed 17 months in the mission!!! Can you believe it!!? It's not long now and I'll be home... 2 more to go! Wow. I feel the mixed, bipolar emotions.
We had an Endure to the End reunion with President and Hermana Wright this last week. It hit me like a 10 ton rock that I'm leaving this soon. I feel like this has been an 18 month dream project and now I have to hand all my work off to someone else. Hermana Cook is great. She's gonna be an amazing mission nurse, but that doesn't make the pain of leaving it all behind go away. I realized that this past week and can't believe that soon this chapter of life in Chile will come to a close. I am forever grateful for my time here. I have learned more here than I think I ever will in such a short amount of time. This mission has changed me and my future in the most positive way you can think. I just can't imagine leaving behind so many missionary friends and my mission parents. January 19th is going to be an emotional day.
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| Picking up Hermana Cook! |
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| With President and Hermana Wright today |
Anyway... Enduring to the End... Working Harder Than Ever Before... Forgetting Myself and Getting to Work Now....
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!! We're probably going to eat beans, bread, and fried chicken... I'll let you know next week. Hahaha.
Remember the family I told you all about last week? The one that made the agreement of: doctrine of Christ for help making empanadas? Ya well, we had our Family Home Evening last Monday and our raw meat cutting session on Friday (it was quite interesting). Marcelo and Valeska with there 3 daughters, Victoria, Renata, and Laurita are wonderful people!!! They are just down to earth and kind people. They work hard for what they have, are very respectful and accepting, and are extremely easy to love. For me, it was love at first sight. I saw a hope in them that I haven't seen in anyone in a long time. I saw a desire to learn even if there was apprehension. Marcelo knows God exists, but denies it. Valeska was baptized into the church at 8 years old, but soon after left. The daughters are adorable, ready to learn, and have deep doctrine questions. In the Family Home Evening, as we were teaching them, I realized how amazing it is when the Spirit is present in a home. I realized the gospel's teachings are really meant for the family unit to help us all have the same goals with God. I realized how many teachings about God I have always taken for granted. I realized the blessing of growing up in this church and how it has changed my life. I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father, a resurrected and glorified God with a body of flesh and bones, His Son Jesus Christ, who's Atonement answers all of my life's questions, and the Holy Ghost, who confirms to me on a daily basis the truths of God. I am grateful for the goal to have an eternal family and to base such family on the teachings of Christ and His servants. I know, in this crazy world, there is an urgent need for guidance and direction. How grateful I am for olden and modern day, living prophets who help warn, guide, protect, and direct my life after the teachings of Christ. There is a true prophet and 12 apostles on the earth today! How amazing is that!!! I can't imagine any other counsel that would be better than theirs, for I know, when they speak, it is as if from the mouth of Christ. This is His restored church, afterall, with the same organization and power as it did when He established it with His 12 apostles. Of this I know....and what a glorious news it is, for I have seen it change lives! I hope it does the same for this family.
Let me tell you what... It's been a stressFUL week with nursing calls. Particularly one day... The day that Hermana Cook got here. Lucky me! Good thing Hermana Cook and Hermana Tingey are amazing and calm mannered people. Here's just some of the happenings: weird, unknown caused fevers of 104; appendicitis and surgery; possible seizures with 30 minute periods of unconsciousness (the scariest moment of my life so far); hospitalizations, etc... They say, when it rains it pours! :) I'm just waiting for it to rain blessings. Haha.
#triolifeornada. That would be us! Hermana Cook made it up when she wrote her parents. Haha. Isn't it cute? I love being here with these two. They're great. :)
We have had some fun, some stress, some lessons, some... of everything the past week. We've had sooo many reunions! From new people reunions to going home people reunions. I've never had so many meetings before. I don't mind it, but that means less time in the sector working. And we got people to see! :) I hope it calms down soon; although, we were able to have some legit lessons by the end of the week. Hermana Cook is pickin' it up fast and is just amazing. After some of the stress came down, we were able to really start getting to know one another. Good times. Stress honestly kills everyone and everything. I don't recommend it for anyone. Life is to be enjoyed.
I had my first couple's fight with Hermana Tingey haha. Our poor daughter just sat there and didn't say anything until it was all over. Then she said, "all I could think was: 'Mom and Dad are fighting'." hahaha. How terrible is that!? The poor thing. But nah, the contention was for like 30 minutes and then Hermana Tingey and I talked until 1am. Oooppppssss. But we got it all worked out. Communication is the key!!
I have had a life record the past 3 days of how many times a person can sneeze, cough, and blow their nose (fun Spanish fact: blow your nose is 'suena tu nariz' = sound your nose haha). Allergies have hit me hard and I have a cold as well. Miserable. Just miserable. But today I feel a little better. The day I felt the worst we had many successful lessons. Blessings!
Today we went to spend some time with Hermana Wright for a phone conference we needed to attend for a new insurance program the church is starting up for missionaries with Aetna. It was good fun! We had lunch with her and President as well; we were able to talk about many things which helped me as a missionary and as a nurse. I am to endure to the end... to work as hard as I can... to train well... to help invite others to Christ... and to move on with life once it's over.
There's a really neat initiative called "He is the Gift" that the church is starting for Christmas this year to help all remember the reason for the celebration. It will me on christmas.mormon.org. It starts the 25th of November. There are 4 dates in November which will be key to the launching of the website, video, and youtube publications. (wow!) We will be using all of these to contact and share with people for the Christmas season. We watched a preview of the video today with President and Hermana Wright... it gave me goosebumps. We also got 2 emails this week from Elder Evans (70) and the Salt Lake office letting us know how we can best use this initiative to help our investigators, contacts, less actives, and members. I AM EXCITED!! Technology is amazing. THE WORK MOVES FORWARD!
"And it came to pass that we did go up to battle against the (Chileans); and I, even I, in my old (missionary age), did go up to battle against the (Chileans). And it came to pass that we did go up in the strength of the Lord to battle." Book of Mormon. Mosiah 10:10. I am grateful for my Savior and the powers I can access through His Atonement. I have been strengthened and blessed here.
Search the scriptures for what it says about the powers of the Atonement (redeeming, healing, etc.). It has opened my eyes as to what my Savior actually has done for me.
Love you all.
Brooklyn
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