Cat Calls and Bathroom Stalls

Holiwis!

Well, my first week with a new companion, and my first week directing the sector! It was a lot! But I feel like we did pretty good! My comp is SO FUN. She is from San Diego, California, she goes home in August, and she has really good Spanish. People never believe that she’s only been in the misión 11 months, or that I’ve only been 4 either! However, maybe the bigger downside to having a gringa is the catcalls. Before, me and Hna D would be walking down the street and people might cat call us a little bit here and there, but now literally EVERYWHERE we go, ALL THE TIME, people say stupid things. I’m honestly just laughing about it, but Hna Schenk is like ticked off ha-ha. This is only her third area, and before this she has been in the campo (country), and la costa (the coast). This is her first city sector, and it’s totally different. It’s just faster, but I think she likes it! Together, we are trying to really strengthen the ward, and help the members to do more of the visiting of recent converts and less active members. You guys, I have had to kind of repent this week because I’m realizing more and more that missionary work, IS NOT JUST FOR THE MISSIONARIES. Missionaries are called and set apart to find and teach, and that we do. But the fact of the matter is that you guys all have 100 non-member friends at your fingertips, and they can work so much better with the names that you guys have! And so I have a challenge for you all this week! I challenge each family to do SOMETHING to help in the missionary work this week! Give a reference to the missionaries, go with them to an appointment, invite some non-member friends to a family home evening and invite the missionaries! You guys really can help determine the success of these missionaries, and of the missionary work in your area. I promise you there is no better feeling than when your nonmember friend turns up at church on Sunday! And so, I expect an email from each and every one of you, giving me an update on what you did this week! Don’t let me down fam :)

Well, in the first few minutes of our companionship, a bird pooped on me and Hna Schenk. We have had so many crazy and weird experiences already! The other day, Schenk got stuck in the bathroom stall because the door wouldn’t open and there wasn’t another way to get out, and the worst part was that we were alone, so I couldn’t do a thing about it because I couldn’t leave, ha-ha! We literally just sat there and laughed until somebody came! Also, we were walking to an investigator’s house the other day, and this lady stopped us on the street. She asked if we wanted an apple so we said of course! So she gave us each two, and we said "thank you so much, we love apples!" and she started giving us more and more. So by the end of it, we each had ten gigantic apples in our arms and nowhere to put them :) We like staggered to our investigator’s house trying not to drop anything, and then mercifully he gave us a bag! The things that happen to two gringas living in Chile :) Also, the other day we were in the office doing something and one of the senior couples that live here invited us to lunch so we went today! Super fun!

We are really making a difference down here you guys! I can see people’s lives changing and I love it! And the thing is that you don’t have to have a plaque to get to see it. Every one of you can be involved in this great work, and it’s an honor and a privilege to you have, so don’t waste it!

Love you all,

Hermana Stanley

New Companion Hermana Schenk

The Hermanas are a Little Bored....

Transfers

ME VOY A QUEDAR AQUI EN MAIPU. (I’m going to stay in Maipu)

LOL. I always knew it, there was never even really a question! But in order to go in order, I’ll start at the beginning of the week.

This week was hard for me. I had a lot of responsibility in preparation for cambios (transfers), and it weighed on me. but I’m still alive! Well, we were going to have Marta´s baptism this Sunday, but unfortunately, her son has gotten really sick, and it looks like he might pass away. She left to be with him, and we will be having her baptism next week (hopefully). I’m considering taking her to the bishop’s house and asking him to babysit her for a couple of days until her baptism, HA-HA. Wow you guys, that’s all I can remember of this week. And so cambios. 

On Saturday night, we get a call saying if we will stay or go, so we can pack, but not where we go or who we will receive. We heard on Saturday that Hna Dinamarca se va (is going), and I was going to be staying. On Sunday night, we found out that Hna Dinamarca will be going to Cerrillos, the zone right next to me!! She will be with a sister that finished her training at the same time as me, and she will be serving as a Sister Training Leader. I would be receiving Hna Schenk. I’ve been with her for about 20 minutes, and she seems great!! I actually met her in the Christmas activity of the mission. She’s really funny and energetic! She’s from SoCal, has 3 brothers, is 20 years old, and that’s all I know! But next week I will have a lot more for you guys! In the meantime, a tribute to Hna Dinmarca. 

I LOVE HNA DINAMARCA. She has been my best friend in the whole wide world for the past 12 weeks. I trusted her with everything, we enjoyed everything, even the moments that were not so good. She is the best example of the type of missionary that I want to be. When I first was put with her, I was nervous because she doesn’t speak English. One of the many things that I learned from her is that when God gives us something that we think never in a million years we will be able to do, it’s because he wants to prove to us that HE can do all things and that WE through HIM, can do all things also. I’m really nervous for this next transfer. There is a lot of pressure on my shoulders, but I know that if I do my part, I’ll be able to handle it. God will strengthen me, and he will do the same for you ;) That’s all for the week you guys :) 

I'm German?

Okay, I have nothing in time today, but a lot happened so here I go.
Firstly, Marta was not baptized this weekend. She got invited to go to the
beach, so her baptism will be this weekend! Don’t worry, everything is
still peachy with her!! The sad thing that happened this week was with
Cristobal, our now recent convert. He was raised by his aunt, who has been
in the hospital because she had a heart attack. Things weren’t looking
good Monday, so we went and visited him on Tuesday morning and she was
still with us. Tuesday afternoon she passed away. We were with him all
evening and with his family. The good thing is that like half of his
family is Mormon!! We got special permission from President to leave the
zone and attend the funeral. When we told this to Cristobal, he told us
the funeral was the following day, and asked if I would be willing to sing
Ave Maria. The other half of his family are VERY catholic. So of course I
said I’d do what I could!! The next day we scrambled, found the music, I
learned it, and Wednesday afternoon there we were in a GIGANT catholic
cathedral, with me at the front, singing Ave Maria as the carried in the
caskette (I forgot how to spell that...) I was soo nervous, but acoustics
were so gorgeous, I’ve never sounded so good, ha-ha! It was a very
catholic service, but it actually helped me a lot! We work with so many
Catholics, that is good to understand what they are used to! I really
enjoyed it. Someone was giving a talk when Cristobal’s dad, who was
directing the service, announced that he would like to invite las
misioneras to offer prayer. So we misunderstood and we thought it was just
a prayer. So Dinamarca gets up and offers a prayer, like normal. But he
says, "and now Hermana Stanley will offer a scripture" so I had about 5
seconds to think of something because I’m in a catholic cathedral, and I
only carry my trio so I only have my libro de mormon. By some miracle, my
mind was clear, and I shared the scripture in Mosiah that quotes Isiah
about the Savior, and how "with his stripes, we are healed" You guys, the
lord FILLS YOUR MOUTH as a missionary!! I testify!! 

Well, we had a crazy guy walk up to us and start bagging on the US and
started yelling at me, so hna Dinamarca said I was from Germany. He didn’t
believe me and the situation was a little intense, so I just start saying
straight German words from pieces I’ve performed before. Another time when
the Lord filled my mouth ha-ha! Another crazy guy walked up to us and
started asking about our religion too. He said, "oh Mormons, you guys know
more than the FBI, right??" Maybe about the Plan of Salvation, ha-ha! The
biggest news of the week is that, I made my goal! Ladies and Gents, having
started el Libro de Mormon at the beginning of my training, this week... I
FINISHED!! IN SPANISH!! Woohoo!! A week early ha-ha. I may have gotten a
little stressed during Alma and may have read a little bit much! But its
good!! This week hna Dinamarca (who for the record, I love dearly and I’m
so grateful she’s doing this) has decided that in order to help me with
the transition of when she leaves next week, this whole week, I will have
the cell phone, I will not be allowed to use the speakerphone. I will be
planning, and directing during the day, and basically making all of the
decisions. Its good, because she says that I’ll have to do it when she
leaves. So this week I can have a practice week, a week to do it but with
a little bit of her help!! So get ready for a very interesting week
ha-ha!! Oh, we are also participating in the stake choir! When I arrived
and said "I’m a soprano but I read music so I can sing whatever you need"
the director almost cried. And when I started singing with the altos, she
did cry ha-ha! I’m happy to serve with something I love!! 

Well you guys, being a missionary is the best!! I love it! I love serving,
helping people, bettering myself, and just being so close to my Heavenly
Father! I hope I can maintain this closeness forever! 

Chao,
Hna Stanley

A Baptism!

Bueno. Esta semana fue re loca (this week was crazy). First we had divisiones and my STL (Sister Training Leader) is insane. I love her so much!! This week we have had to see our two people with baptismal dates every day, and they live in opposite sectors. We´ve been running between the sectors, because neither of them actually live in our sector, just our ward, and it’s about 50 minutes between the two. I am so tired. I think this may be the most tired I’ve ever been in my life. But it’s SO GOOD. I also have not been sleeping that well because at night I just can’t get my mind to slow down, but hopefully that gets better next week! On Thursday we had our interview for the baptism of Cristobal and it was really long. That’s bad. So he leaves and we find out that there was something he never mentioned, that would prevent him from being baptized. You guys, my heart shattered. We went from so so happy to just heart broken, in la hiel de afflicion (the pit of affliction?) in about 2 minutes. So then the ZLs had to get involved and the assistants and it was just bad. On top of that, Thursday was just a terrible day in general. My district leader called me out for not having very many nuevos this week, told me I’m not searching by the spirit, and just kind of emotionally beat me up in general. Those weren’t his intentions, but that’s what happened. I just decided the only thing I could do was talk to the Lord, repent of my shortcomings as a missionary, and try again the next day. That being said, hna Dinamarca and I stopped talking at about 9 at night on Thursday, and we didn’t speak another word to each other until 9 the next morning when we met up with another hermana who had to be with us for the day. Not because we were mad at each other, just because we were so heartbroken and discouraged, there was nothing to say. But on Friday morning, with hna Zapata, we bravely marched to Cristobal’s house to talk to him. When we got there, we realized that there was more to his story that would affect his ability to get baptized. So we started calling and calling and calling, and eventually the assistants heard from president that we were good to go, and that it never actually should have been a problem in the first place. SO WE HAD A BAPTISM this weekend! People always told me before that as a missionary, I would experience my lowest and my highest moments. I never realized they meant so close together. So Saturday morning, we had the privilege to go to Cristobal’s baptism. Everything went well. It was beautiful! Even Martita was able to go to prepare her for her own baptism that will be this upcoming weekend!!  But things were MAL (bad) with my district leader. Out of the six missionaries in our ward and our ward mission leader (who is 24 and is an rm) nobody was in a good place with him. Finally, yesterday we were able to talk to him and we figured out that his mom is of poor health right now and he’s stressed for that. You just never know when people are suffering, you have to be so patient and that’s not something I’m great at, but I’m gonna work on it! Wanna hear the cutest thing that Martita said this week? " Martita, por que siempre lleva esta chaleca aunque hace calor? (why do you wear a vest even when it is hot?)" "porque tengo alergias al sol (because I’m allergic to the sun)" "que pasa cuando está en el sol? (what happens when you are in the sun?)" " mi piel se pone oscura! (my skin gets dark!)" ... YO AMO MARTITA. YO AMO CRISTOBAL. YO AMO SER MISIONERA! 

Hna Stanley ;) 

PS funny experience of the week! hna Dinamarca was playing ping pong in an activity that we have every week, and the ball flew into a bush. So she starts shaking the tree like a mad woman trying to get it to fall out. as her companion, I have the duty of accompanying her in her shenanigans, so that will explain the picture :)