Well it was a giant week this week, but I have
to start with what happened last week because I got lazy and didn't write! That teaches you all-
Don’t procrastinate!
Well last week on Monday night I was feeling
really sick, and the assistants called me to let me know that on Friday, we
would be having a conference of the whole mission, because Elder Bragg was
gonna be coming. You NEVER see mission conferences in our mission so it was big
deal. AND Presidente asked me to conduct a choir of missionaries, which would be
my zone, Olimpo and my old zone, Maipú. I had zero voice at this point, and the
only ensayo (rehearsal) we were gonna have was going to be on Wednesday, so I had
one day to come up with a plan. I was like "Heavenly Father, I have never
needed your help more than now." Especially because I don’t know how many of
you guys know this, but Latino America is fairly musically challenged, ha-ha.
So right away I thought of a hymn that my mom loves that is Sweet is the Work,
or in Spanish, Dulce Tu obra es, Señor. As I was trying to find simple
way to make it less boring, but still simple, another tune kept coming to my
mind, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. Then after about 12 hours, I
realized it was another hymn, which in Spanish in A Ti, Señor, and I think in
english is Before Thee, Lord, I Bow My Head. So they happened to be in the same
key, one in 3 and one in 6-- perfect!! So, I mashed them together, and made a
medley :) It turned out lovely. I even found a companionship of elders that had
lovely voices and two hermanas and they sang short little duets. We even got
the bass and alto parts going there! (I didn’t even try the tenor ha-ha, they just
sang the melody an octave down). SO in about an hour and a half we learned
it all Wednesday, and Friday we performed it! It turned out great, and Elder Bragg
and Hna Bragg were vey kind! So, I sat behind Hna Bragg coughing the whole
conference, so she gave me two Nyquils, and two Dayquils. Brothers and Sisters,
God sees you and He loves you!! The conference was Fantastic!!! Also, at some
point last week, we had to go to the office unplanned to get the music ready,
and there we bumped into Hna Marques’ cousin, who was there dropping off a
package for her!! We aren’t allowed to organize visits, but this wasn’t planned
by us, rather by God! It was very special :)
Okay, this week. So first things first. It was
very cold. Very very very very cold. And then it rained. I’m from Idaho and I
was frozen to the bone ha-ha. I’m used to being froze to the bone, but I still don’t
like it. Then on Wednesday we found out some very sad news. Rinconada, the
sector right next to us, different ward but same church building. Well one of
the hnas who was going home at the end of this cambio (transfer), had to go
home early because her dad was very sick. Presidente decided not to rearrange
the mission, rather to put Hna Hudson with us the next three weeks and we will
be working in the two sectors. We have been SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO
SO SO BUSY! You guys just don’t know. Two sectors, both of which have fechas
bautismal (baptism dates), who we have to be able to see every day!! We’ve just
been running between everything. Hna Marques and I had to move all of our stuff
to go live in Rinconada. Luckily, the ward members have been a big help, and
have been able to do divisions with Hna Hudson so she’s been able to work in
her own sector and us in ours. It’s been good! But man you guys, the stress is just
at a maximum, and we still have two more weeks. Half a of a cambio. It’s been a
real challenge. I’ve been on my knees more times than ever, thanking him for
the challenge and asking him to help us.
So in all this craziness, we had a baptism :)
:) :) Valentina Paz sanhueza Espuina. I was here when we found this family. It
was a reference from the members. No one knew their actual address, they just
explained her house and we guessed which one it was- and we were right!! It has
been so obvious the whole time that God sent us to her doorstep in the exact
moment He wanted us to get there. The mom Katherine, came to church with Valentina
the first time we invited them, but the dad has been bit harder. Very loving,
but not that interested in coming back. But last week, he came to church, and
Hna Katherine told us that he came on his own, without them asking him or anything!
Then this week, they asked him to share his testimony at the baptism and it was
beautiful. I was in tears!! He also ended up participating in the confirmation too!!!
What a beautiful family and a beautiful experience to be able to have seen
and helped!! I’m so grateful for it. When the service ended, Hna Katherine came
right up to me and began to cry. She thanked me for having found them and
helping. She said if it hadn’t been for us, she would still feel so lost and
her family would be suffering, but they are so happy now!! I was so happy to
see her so happy!! And her family too. Valentina was so prepared for her interview;
her testimony is so strong!!
Okay and crisis de palta (avocado crisis)!
Here in Chile, right now avocado is ridiculously expensive. The whole country
is outraged. It’s like they don’t even know how to live. It’s like a topic of discussion
that avocado is so freaking expensive. Ha-ha! So much so that I was talking
with a 16-year-old in our ward the other day, and I said "my companion loves
palta, so always serve us palta when we come over (because she actually hates
palta) and he said "what makes you think we are gonna give you palta hna??
It’s so expensive, estamos en crisis de palta (we are in an avocado crisis)!!"
I just cried right then and there, it was so funny. So that’s our week. Please
start praying that we can find a lot of members to help us and that we cannot
get too stressed out! We need your help! I love you all. It’s all so worth it,
every sacrifice we make for the mission and to live the gospel!
Hna Stanley
Valentina's baptism!
Umbrellas out!
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