Merry Christmas!

​​Merry Christmas family and friends!

While some of you may be freezing or already icicles in the cold snow, I have been eating watermelon, a lot of corn, and getting a pretty sweet missionary tan on my feet. And dying of heat as usual. Luckily this week we had a breeze that helped us out with the sun. 

I just want to say how awesome my ward is because in the end, its the best ward. The members are so nice and always looking out for us. This past week they especially showed our love for us by giving us presents from the Relief Society and several sisters and our ward mission leader. Anyway we have been spoiled by our ward and everything they do for us. Also our stake president gave us a breakfast on Christmas Eve. They are pretty much the best. 

We also had a Christmas devotional as a mission, because my mission is so small, and so we all gathered in a church big enough for the mission and listened to testimonies, a lot of songs, videos, lunch, and a special message from our mission president. My Zone sang Silent Night for the closing finish. Save the best for last! 

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day our mission President asked us to not set up to many citas but to visit everyone we know; members, investigators

, friends, everyone. So we were busy walking around, singing Christmas songs and sharing the Christmas spirit. It was really awesome and got to meet some great people. 

Have a happy New Year!

Christmas is Coming

Dear Family,

This week was pretty great. We had a couple of great miracles, one being a less active that came up to us the other day in the street, saying he wanted to come back to church. We visited with him this week and taught him about repentance, and then we saw him in church. Everybody welcomed him back with smiles, and he even joined in on the group who sang a special musical number in sacrament meeting. It was the first time that he came back to church in years and he says he wants to stay for good. Which makes me so happy. 

This week we also had a lot of citas set up, but as usual some of them fell through. Saturday was one of those particular days. We had five citas set up and didn't have an hour to spare, but as we walked to each cita nobody was there. We visited a lot of other people who weren't there, and it turned into a day were we walked all over. But we still took every opportunity to talk to people on the street and share the special Christmas message. 

On one particular street, my companion and I were walking to a supposed cita, when I felt like there was somebody behind me that would pass me, that I felt like I should talk to. As they came up to my side, I turned around and said hi to a very tall Colombian named John David. We got to talking and he turned out to be a very respectful open young man who lived in our area (yes!). We invited him to church the next day, and he accepted. 

Also, on Sunday, I walked out of ward council and who should I see but Neil and Shawn in the living flesh. I was very surprised and very happy to see them. Mom, you liar, you told me they didn't have time and I willingly accepted your excuse  A lot of the members were surprised to see that the two gringos that showed up were my brothers, but the bishop invited them to come to the lunch that they were already going to have with us. They got to eat a traditional Chilean dish that I am sure they will show you a picture. Its called pastel de choclo (corn cake, very similar to shepherds pie). They got along really well with my bishop and their family, and the ward really liked them visiting. A lot of people have asked me about them afterward too and were very happy for me to have my brothers visit me. 

I guess even being a continent away won't stop someone from visiting me. 

And also thank you a lot for the Christmas present. My companion thought it was hilarious that Shawn said he traveled with the garbage over the mountains. It was fun to see them for a brief time. 

Santa Claus is Melting in Santiago

Hello from the other side...

I am hearing that people are getting a lot of snow in the United States. Or at least in Utah. It is the exact opposite here in Chile, where in the desert of Santiago the sun gets stronger every day. Thankfully, members in my ward are very nice and always give me a drink when I come to their homes. I just have to specify to give me WATER from the tap, instead of the soda or the juice that they give me. A day full of soda doesn't feel as great as it sounds. The building that we live in also has a pool, and recently we've seen a lot of people swimming in it. I just have to stay strong every day and remember that I do not have a swimming suit (which helps a lot). 

We also get to talk to a lot more people who leave their houses because of the heat. We've been finding new investigadors, talking to more people about "Ilumina el Mundo," and sharing this great Christmas message. In my new area now, we also have houses to meet people. Its a lot better than talking to conserjes (doormen). But whenever a house does not have a doorbell, we ring the door the Chilean style and yell 'Alo!' If the people don't have headphones on in their house, they usually hear us and come out. Or their little sister hears us and tells them that we are outside, which happened to one of our investigators this week. 

We did have one day of the week that it rained all day, and it was cold. It was a great day, especially since it cleaned the air here. 

Have a great week!

Light the World

This week was a week we had some more time to work. We have had some new investigadors of all ages, been contacting referrals and spreading the news of the new video "Ilumina el Mundo" which is "Light the World" in English. Our president wants us to give out at least 10 cards a day so in between lessons we are doing our best to light up our little area of work by sharing the message. Its a really great video and I would suggest anybody to watch it and to follow the example of Christ. 

We've had some good contacts and some good lessons. Our members are also really excited to help us in the work. Yesterday we went with one of our members Juanita to her friends house to get to know her. Her name is Mirian, and she is suffering from cancer and taking chemotherapy. We sang a song for her and shared the video with her. She was really grateful to have us there, and it made me happy that we could visit. 

We finally got to visit some investigadors that have been really sick. I am really excited for this month and all the activities that will happen for Christmas. But I know that the best part of this month will be every moment of every day, and every new opportunity to talk to people and share a message can can make their day a little brighter. 

Merry Christmas!

Talent Show

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been a successful one. Hermana Sousa and I have been working hard, walking, teaching, and dedicating all this time that is not taken up in meetings to finding people in search of the gospel, and there have been small miracles and big miracles every day. Some of the best is when you don't expect it, like when we were with a family, and the mother received news that the car they needed for work finally turned on after two years of not working. It was the best when she told us that things just started to go right after we started to visit her. 

We have also have had the miracles of finding people at the right times and to be able to console people just when they need it. Our investigadors, Jose and Juanita are passing a trial right now. Juanita has found a tumor in her stomach that causes her a lot of pain. They are going to the doctor and come to every activity that they can come to, but others Juanita can't come. We are praying for them. When we talked with Jose last time, he told us that they need our help and to keep coming. They are a great family and I really hope everything can turn out for the best. 

We had a fantastic Talent Show this past Saturday. A lot of people showed up and we got to see talents from telling jokes, dancing the cueca (traditional dance here in Chile), people singing, and seeing the Primary dance the Zumba. Jose and Juanita came and they enjoyed the talents they got to see. As missionaries, we acted out a show about spirits finding each other in this world, which a lot of people liked, and we also sang some hymns. All the members who came loved it. I don't have my camera but once I get the opportunity I will send the pictures I have. 

Have a good week!

Chris

Hola!

This week has been a less busy week, but still busy otherwise. Besides visiting sister missionaries and intercambios like usual, we had Concillio de Liderazgo (Leader Council in English I think?) which we talked about the visit from Elder Rasband and how we can still learn a lot from what he and the other leaders taught us, which is very true. I can really testify by meeting sister missionaries every week how important it is to study and apply what we learn to our lives, and not just from General Conference, but from church and daily scripture study. If we don't apply anything, you can't progress. Which is why I love the gospel of Jesus Christ because it isn't just once we learn it but we are constantly renewing our faith, repenting, taking the sacrament, listening to the spirit and enduring to the end. Its really something that helps anybody in any circumstance. 

Like Jose y Juanita. We have been meeting with them and Jose is always looking to better his life and not fall into his old habits of doing drugs. He tells us of his struggle, and I know every time we talk that he has managed to get out of his drug habits through his study of Christ. And he tells us thanks when we visit him as well. He's just awesome and I love to see the small changes he makes. 

Speaking of changes, we have a new ward mission leader. For those who don't know, he is a member who helps us and is in charge of the missionaries in the ward. We didn't have one for a month, but then Hno Catalan was called as a ward mission leader. He is a good friend of ours and my companion actually predicted he would be called as a ward mission leader. He didn't want it, but he came out of an interview with the bishop avoiding our smiles. But he's great and has been very motivated to help and to guide us as missionaries in the ward. 

There is also another member in the ward who likes us to visit her, and calls us practically every day. But she's used to us telling her that we sometimes have days we are too busy. We call her Abuelita (grandmother). But she also has given me a new name, and I realized it this past Sunday in church. She would look at me and say "Chris, Chris!" I had no idea who she was talking to until I realized she was talking to me. I tried telling her my name was Reed. She said, "Chris?" I said, "No, REED." She replied, "Chris." To make it easier, I said, "Yes." I have no idea why she hears Chris, but if that is easier for her to say, she can call me Chris instead of Reed. I've never been called Chris before, and there is always a first time for everything. 

Have a great week!

Hermana Chris

Miracles

Hermana B. Silva from Brazil and I. She's from my zone and she's awesome.

Hola!
This week was pretty great. First things first, we had some investigadors come to church! Their churchs are Jose and Juanita. Juanita is about 77 and Jose is her son who is 51 who lives with her and helps her out. Jose has had problems with drugs and was clean for two years before he fell again. He knows a lot about the gospel and likes to talk to us. Juanita helps him out but suffers a lot because of his past addictions. But they finally came to church, and it was fast and testimony meeting. After the first two testimonies, Jose got up and went to the pulpit. He started out saying, "Hi, my name is Jose. I am Evangelico Protestante (Protestant) and I believe a lot in Jesus Christ." He then continued to tell about the problems he suffered from, but how he was grateful that the missionaries passed by his house and how we help him and talk to him about Christ. It was a really great testimony. When he sat down, his mom asked him why he bore his testimony and he told her the Spirit came over him. She was so happy and at the end she said it was a big and good step for them.
We also had another miracle. One of our recent converts recently received the Melchizedek Priesthood and is doing well. His whole family was baptized before I came to the area and the first Sunday I was here his dad blessed the sacrament. This past week we met with a member who was really sick so we called the elders to give her a blessing. Because there wasn't a man in the house they came with Matias, our recent convert. It was his first blessing and the Spirit was there so strong. The member felt it too, and was really grateful for us for passing by and helping her out.
Also, we had a great privilege this week to have a special devotional from an apostle, Elder Rasband. But not just him, a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Craig. C. Christensen and his wife, and a Seventy, Elder Jose A Teixeira and his wife. Elder Rasband's wife didn't end up traveling with him this trip. Elder Christensen actually served in our mission, so he was really excited to tell us some of the history of what happened before we came. He's pretty awesome. But it was the best to be able to listen to an apostle speak to us, and only to our mission as well. He invited the missionaries from the MTC at the last minute, so they were there for the last bit of it.
He also shook hands with everybody there, which was a lot of missionaries (I have never seen the whole mission together before). He told us about the great calling we have to preach repentance by the Holy Ghost, and to baptize converts. He is a really inspired man and I know he is an apostle of the Lord. I feel so grateful for the chance that we had to meet with him and the other leaders that were with him. It just confirms to me that this is the Lord's church that is restored again on the earth. I know He lives and He guides this church through revelation.
I love this gospel and I love serving the Lord in the mission! I know it's true and I can literally see the changes the gospel has made in the lives of the converts here, and how it improves the lives of others.

Hna. Reed

An awesome sunset against the mountains.

Earthquake!

Hello!
I am writing from the ruins of a broken down house with a phone that only has one bar of a signal...just kidding. I'm all right and writing in an internet cafe. We had an earthquake this week, and it was pretty awesome. There are always earthquakes that happen that we don't feel, but we got to feel this one. Apparently it was a 6.4. I was in intercambios that day, so I was with another missionary in a house with one of their investigators. We had just finished praying and were ready to go when the house started to shake, small at first but then stronger. We walked out of the house while it was still shaking, and the other missionary freaked out and thought that she was going to die. But we were all right. Chile is well prepared and all that happened is that it shook the ground a lot. But I hope that investigator got an answer to her prayer.
Trinidad is going great. We are working with a couple of investigators to help them out. We had stake conference recently, and a seventy and our mission president and his wife came to give talks. They were really good. Some of the members gave their testimonies, and it's great to see how the Lord works in their lives and helps them become happier.
The weather is really hot, for those of you who have been asking. We are putting a lot of sunblock on, drinking a lot of water, and I have a nice tan-line on my feet from my shoes. People say later on in the summer the winds stop, which I am not looking forward to because the winds make the day so much better. For now, we are just planning citas in the hottest parts of the day.
I also have heard a lot about the elections from the people in Chile. I hope you all make the right decision and choose a good person who can lead the nation in peace. And just remember whatever you decide makes a ripple effect not just in the United States, but in other places, such as Chile. For those who are still unsure and those who are sure (everyone), you should read Alma 46 and pay attention to verse 12.
I am really grateful for this gospel, and I am really grateful that I have made the decision to come and serve a mission. I can see the small and significant differences it makes in people's lives, and also how it helps me out in my life. I find whenever times get tough that God is there for me, telling me through the scriptures and everyday experiences what I need to hear and to know. I know this gospel is true, and if I could I would tell everybody in Chile. For now, I'll stick to Chile Santiago Este.
Thanks for all the support. 

Hna. Reed

My companion (Hna Sousa) and I with Noelia.

Halloween

Hola!
It sounds like everyone had a fun Halloween this past week. We didn't get to have any lessons yesterday, but some people knocked on our door for candy when we were planning. Sadly we didn't buy any candy in preparation, so to make up for it we gave them a card with a picture of Jesus knocking on a door. The kids whom we gave them to were pretty excited about it. We got to see a couple Darth Vaders, Batmans, and Spidermans walking around in the street.
I am also still a sister training leader, but now I am in charge of two zones instead of one. This past Monday, when we had Capacitacion de Zona, I wemt tp Vicuna Mackenna while Hermana Sousa stayed in Javiera Carrera. It was weird helping out the other missionaries without my companion, but it worked out all right.
Though I don't know my area too well yet, I am now pretty familiar with the boundaries. I am also getting to know the members better and a couple have come out with us for some lessons. We also got to meet some new investigators, which was awesome! Also ran out of time, but have a good week!

Hermana Reed

Trinidad

Hey family!
Well the biggest news of the week is that there were changes and I am now in a new area! It's called Trinidad and is in the stake of Javiera Carrera. I haven't been able to see it yet, because I only transferred today, and we live outside of our area. But from what I have seen from the map, it looks a LOT smaller than my first area. I'll let you know how it is.
My new companion is Hermana Sousa, and she's from Brazil. I got a good welcome to my area too, because we came, dropped off my stuff, and went to buy some groceries for the week. But when we came back with all of our groceries, it turned out that the elevator didn't work anymore. So we had to climb the stairs to the floor we live on, which is the 18th floor. All I can say about our climb is that the view was beautiful. I am going to miss my first area because of all the members I got to meet and to help and the investigators that I got to teach. But I am really excited for this new area and to learn all that I can!
Ciao ciao!

Hermana Reed

I was on TV!

Hello!!!!
This past P-day we had a meeting with all the people from the MTC. We ate completos and fruit kabobs with chocolate and it was awesome. 
One of our investigators, Jessica, is doing great! She came to church last Sunday and we had a fantastic lesson with her this past week! She has been connecting so many things herself. In our lesson, she connected with the member and noted that because the Holy Ghost makes us feel peace and tranquility, that makes us happy because we are not worried about anything. She came to church and this Sunday was the Primary Program, and she loved it. I feel so great about her and I always feel the Spirit so strongly in our lessons! I might get a little too excited sometimes because she is going so AWESOME. She's the best!!!!!!
We also received another miracle investigator this past week! Someone texted us during the week, saying her name was Lesly and she wanted to learn more about Christ. So Hna. King and I were like, "Por su PUESTO vamos a enseñarla! Cuando?!" And we met up with her and that's when I realized that I was the one who contacted her in intercambios this past week. And she wants to learn a lot and has promised to come to church next Sunday. We can also only teach her on Sundays because she is a nana who lives in her work. But she seems super ready and really open to learn anything!
Also last tidbit...we were on TV! We were crossing Subcentro (like a mini strip mall underneath the road. It's what we usually take to get across the road to one area) when I noticed that they had huge blackboards with the question: "What book do you suggest to read?" As I was going to write the Book of Mormon on the blackboard, a guy who worked for Subcentro came up to us and asked if he could film us suggesting the book to read. So we did, and told the camera to read the Book of Mormon! I didn't think anything about it after that, until on Sunday one of the members came up to me and mentioned she saw me on TV in Subcentro. A little weird, but you gotta share the gospel everywhere!
Éxito!

Hermana Reed

Intercambios, Papa Johns, and Miracles

Hola family!
This week was crazy! I felt like we only had one normal day to work in our area. we had P-day, but the following day we went on intercambios in La Dehesa, where the Hermana Entrandadores are. I was with Hermana Gonzalez that day, and we got to teach lessons, talk to people, and work hard. Nothing is better than a day of work and lessons! And Hermana Gonzalez is awesome. She used to live with me in the same apartment we had when she worked in the area next to mine.
We had a normal day to work the next day, so we taught a lesson and tried to find new people. But then the next day we had Concillo de Liderazgo, where we got o listen to our president and try to help out our zone. It was great. One thing I like is that I get to learn more from him (our president). He is a very inspired man. We also got to go with a member to teach a menos activo, and it was a very awesome lesson. Her grandma gave us juice, which is blended up fruit and was pretty good. And she was very adamant about her healthy juice and how it helps people stay healthy, so she gave us a bottle to take home. When we left, the member found out that we hadn't eaten yet, so she took us to Papa Johns and treated us to some good pizza.

The following day we had intercambios in our area with some of the Hermanas from Pocuro, which is the sector with the Santiago Temple. My companion for the day was Hermana Dariano, and she is from the Philippines. This is her first cambio in the mission, and she is learning Spanish. She has good Spanish too! She was awesome. We got to see a lot of miracles that day, like meeting a referral that we have been trying to meet for a long time! We had been trying to call him and pass by his house, but because his phone belongs to the house, it has been hard to talk to him. But we finally got to see him, give him a Book of Mormon, teach him a bit, and set up another appointment. I don't know how much I can teach him, because his wife came outside and started to ask us where we were from and about our religion, and he started responding. She asked if we had rules, and he answered saying, "Yes, they can't drink coffee or tea or alcohol. But I like that." Any other questions she asked, he answered, but he sounds like he likes us a lot. He has also been reading the Book of Mormon on his phone. We left them with a prayer, and they were very grateful.
We also had a fireside in our ward, and a lot of people and non-members got to come. We had a lunch with a great family in our ward earlier that day (who are going to move and I am so sad about it!) and told them about the charla. The mom told the daughter to invite her friend and he came! Along with the whole family. We also asked them for references, asking if they knew anybody who needed help. They mentioned their neighbors lost their abuela recently, and said they were very strong in their religion and were mentioning that they might not accept us. But then the dad remembered us and said, "They need to go visit them! I had a dream where the dad was doing family history for the abuela." So we all agreed that passing by would not hurt and we could help them with their recent loss.
It was a good week, despite not having a ton of time. Miracles still happen!
Disfruten su semana!!

Hermana Reed

General Conference

Hola familia y amigos!
This week was General Conference! So pretty much the best weekend on the mission because we get to listen to the prophet and get spiritually fed. Though I do prefer to listen to Conference in English instead of Spanish. My ward has a room for the English speakers to listen to Conference, so we get to go in there except when we have an investigator come. So the last session I watched in Spanish with one of our investigators, Jessica. There were some things that I missed (like I had no idea what the word for firecracker is in Spanish) but it was great anyway. Jessica enjoyed it and thought a lot. She's been reading the Book of Mormon and says she has felt a change in her life. Hopefully for all who listened you got to learn something new. And for those who didn't, you are always welcome to see them!
We got to have intercambios with Apoquindo B this week, and I got to spend time with Hermana Thompson from Mississippi. She's awesome. We got to teach a lesson together and save a pigeon that was stuck under a fence. So that pigeon must be pretty grateful and telling all his pigeon friends about the missionaries. 
I am really grateful for the chance that everybody has to listen to the prophet. It's amazing that we get to receive revelation as often as we do and help that we can use for our lives and our families. I know God is still a God of miracles because I see them every day on my mission. I have talked to so many people who think God has abandoned them or done awful things. I wish people could see what I see, and witness all the miracles all the miracles that happen. Miracles have not stopped in Santiago. And they haven't stopped anywhere else.
Ciao!

Hermana Reed

Hi!

Hola!
Como esta todos? We are getting used to the new changes and with it, working harder in our area! We have been able to meet with new people and see new miracles every day. We do have a little less time working in our area, but that doesn't seem to make a difference with all the stuff that has been able to happen! Since people are back from their vacations we have been able to teach them this week. It's been great!
This week was also the first session of conference for women. Our stake had a tomar once activity before streaming it live in the chapel, where everybody came to eat food, talk, and then we got to hear the prophets. They also had a room for the English speakers (because there are a fair few who exist in our stake) and it was really nice. It was just basically us and a family from another ward. Because it was streamed live, it started at 9 PM, but we had permission to stay until 11. We were super tired in the morning, but it was worth it.

At the General Women's Conference with one of our members, Victoria Hernandez.

We also went to have a lunch in the community La Florida to meet our past companions and see how things have been going. It was awesome and we got to eat some delicious brownies (which doesn't happen that often here). It was great!

Our lovely lunch with the sisters of Los Copihues, Los Cañas, y Vicente Valdes.

Les quiero!

Hermana Reed

My area. Look at the beautiful smog.

A sign we found in an elevator in a subway station. Translated, it says, "This elevator is a huge help for people who have reduced mobility. It is not a bathroom! Please, take care of it."

The 18th of September that Didn't Happen

Hola,
This week was the week where everybody left on a trip. All of our investigators set up citas with us this week because they left, but we ended up finding new investigators, which was a blessing in the end. I have also heard a lot about the 18 de septiembre in Chile, with missionaries saying that I would eat so many empanadas that I would be full, but on the 18th, nobody really wanted to meet with us and the only people in the street were from Brazil or Palestine. But don't be afraid; we managed to make the most of this time by calling a bunch of people and setting up future lessons with them! To make up for the 18th that didn't happen, I will include pictures from last week's party which was fun!

We also had a zone conference to help the missionaries in Las Condes, and with my new calling I had to help facilitate. It was a little scary, but it worked out really well and we were able to inspire them and feel the spirit.

Ciao ciao!

Hermana Reed

Changes!

Hola!
So a new change has come and gone and I am...staying in my same area as before! This will be my fifth change (a change for me is six weeks) in Cristobal Colon, and my hija has left to everybody's surprise. Everybody thought I was going to leave, but the Lord has other plans for me! Besides that, I have now been made hermana capacitadora (I think in English it's called sister training leader) for my zone. My new companion, Hermana King, also has never been hermana capacitadora, so we are going to be learning together! It's going to be so much fun.
This past week we had our ward party for the Chilean Independence day! All of September is full of Chile celebrating and flags are everywhere. There were a lot of people who weren't from our ward at our party enjoying the food, the dance, the bouncy houses, and the trampoline they set up for everybody. Hermana Hirchak and I helped pass out alfahores and cuchufli to everybody who came. We also got to see people dance the cueca, which is the traditional dancing in Chile.

We now have a Chinese investigator! She came into the church basketball court with her little girl when we had our zone activity and were playing soccer and basketball, and some of the other missionaries got her number. We passed by with a Chinese Book of Mormon, which she was really grateful to have. Other than that, we couldn't talk much because she doesn't know much Spanish and her English is survivable.  So we went back with a member who speaks Chinese and are planning to meet her more often! Her name is Dina and she has the cutest two year-old girl named Ming Ming. Her husband works so much we haven't gotten to meet him at his house. But we saw him at the ward party and got to know him there! But the Chinese member is also really excited to share the gospel, so we've asked for a couple more Chinese Books of Mormon for her to share.
We also have been able to share more of the gospel and meet more and more people! It's been crazy how we've been able to find people, but I know it's not only because of me. Not to mention one of my favorite scriptures lately is Joshua 1:9.
Exito!

Hermana Reed

Las Condes and Cristobal Colon

This week has been crazy! Hermana Lewis, the missionary who came to live with us unexpectedly, ended up staying with us until Friday. We tried to work in her area and our area. On Tuesday we did splits with a sister in our wad, who is actually from Australia and doesn't speak any Spanish. Hermana Lewis and Hermana Hirchak went to Las Condes to go to a couple citas that were planned earlier, and I stayed with Sister Clay to go to the things that were planned out in Cristobal Colon.
Hermana Clay was awesome and super brave to go out with me. She moved here with her family to work in the Australian Embassy, and they have been struggling a bit in church because they don't know how to speak Spanish. But she still goes, and the members are trying to figure out ways she can also get something out of church. She came out with me, and I helped her a bit with the Spanish she's been learning. We actually got to contact some tourists on our way to a cita.
One cita fell through, but she got to come with me to another cita. She was mainly silent as I taught, but I got the thought to ask Diego (the person we were teaching) if he understood any English. When he said he understood some, I asked Hermana Clay if she could share an experience she's had with the Holy Ghost. She was really surprised, because I had only helped her write her testimony in two sentences in Spanish. But she shared a great experience and it changed the whole lesson. Even if Diego didn't understand everything, I could tell he was touched by her testimony. He was so sincere as he asked questions and I answered. Hermana Clay was also happy after the lesson and laughing. I was glad I was able to help her and help her adjust to living in Chile.
Besides that, we had intercambios and had to go back to Registro Civil to help Hermana Lewis get her visa card. It was super fun with her around and getting to see some of her sector and letting her see some of mine. We worked hard, going to citas, contacting, until she got a new companion this last Friday. Now things have returned to normal. At least she's in the same ward building, so we get to see her Sundays.

Hermana Reed

New Companions and Crazy Weeks

Hello family!
This week was going somewhat normally until President called us this past Friday, asking if we could do him a favor and have another companion for a couple days. A hermana from our district was going home because she had a herniated disk in her back, and her companion needed some sisters to be with until she could get a mini missionary. He also thought we would be the best pick because we actually both had church in the same building.
So we have been with Hermana Lewis since Friday, until she gets a mini missionary, which should be this Wednesday or so. She was actually in the CCM with me, but she was with the gringos and was there for six weeks. She is also from Utah, so when we tell people where we three missionaries are from, we all say the same place: Utah, USA. Which doesn't help he stereotype here where everybody says all missionaries are from the United States. At least half are Latinos... But she's awesome and it has been a party with her around.
So this past Sunday was interesting too, because we had to go to two sacrament meetings. We had some meeting before church, but then we went to her sacrament meeting, and then our sacrament meeting. Nevertheless, both were great. And in my ward's sacrament meeting, Hermana Hirchak and I sang. And because Hermana Lewis can play any hymn imaginable, she played for us, which was a blessing in disguise.
And because we can't leave her area alone, we have been working to do splits so we can work both in our area and her area. She might be with us until Wednesday or until the next cambio, depending on the mini missionary.
It was an interesting week, but also a really fun one! Hope all of you are doing well!

Hermana Reed

Visa

Hola family!
Sorry I didn't write much last week, due to the cyber (computer place) closing unexpectedly. I didn't have much more time to write.
This week we didn't have a lot of time to work, due to the fact that we had zone conference Wednesday and I had to do my visa on Thursday, and most people want to meet with us during the week. Zone conference was great! I loved everything we learned and got to listen to. Doing my visa was...good. It's like the DMV on steroids. We had to go to three different places to get three different things. First the immigration office, then we had to walk 15 minutes to the police department, and then a 50 minute walk to Registro Civil. The immigration office was fine. We had to wait four hours in the police department which seemed like it had all of Santiago there, there being very little seats and even more people standing, including all the missionaries. But we got to contact and talk to people and missionaries from the other three missions in Santiago! Registro Civil closed at two, and to get there before it closed, my companion and I had to get a taxi, which was a miracle because hte doors closed right after we got there. A lot of missionaries have to do their visa work in two days. I was lucky to get it done in one.
Besides that we have been able to see small miracles in Santiago. One of them happened when we went to try and visit an old investigator. We usually pass by buildings and try to see if the person is there or we call them. In this case, we went and saw the conserje and asked if Enzo was there. When he said no, we turned and started walking out the door. We opened the agate to let some people through, and my companion said hi to the second, an older lady with her dog. She hugged my companion, kissed her, and started saying, "It's been so long!" like they were long-lost friends. My companion hugged her, of course, and asked if she had seen missionaries before. The women, taken aback and offended, said touching my companion's placa, "No, I was confused!" and walked into the building. But she gave us enough time for Enzo to call the conserje and tell us to wait. So we waited for him to come down and meet us. So I am pretty sure God influenced the woman to hug my companion so we could meet Enzo.
Another miracle is we happened to be walking in the street and we said hello to a man who came up to us. When we told him we were missionaries, he told us that he had a son who was LDS. He also told us that when we were walking towards him, he had the feeling we were from his son's curch and that he needed to talk to us. And he lives in our ward area! MIRACLE!
Well, I don't have much more time! Have a great day!

Primavera en Santiago

Spring is beginning to appear in Santiago! Trees are budding with flowers, birds are singing in the streets, and the days are slowly becoming longer and warmer. It's beautiful, but I have been warned about the heat of summer. I'll let you know when it comes.
I am still in my area, but my limits are changing. The new elders in my ward are the secretaries of the mission, so they have even less time to proselyte and work with members. But they're pretty awesome and one of them is my companion and I's district leader. It's a little different because the elders who were in our zone before were our zone leaders.
There was another baptism in the ward this past Saturday, but it was not actually an investigator or a person in our ward. A family came from Utah to see their family for three weeks and their eight year-old daughter got baptized while they were here. They came to our church building because the mother has a connection with our ward. The parents are both converts and the rest of their families were non-members. They asked me to play piano (which was brave of them). It was a great opportunity to get out and meet people and have them see a baptism. A lot of them have no clue what we believe, so we got to speak to them a little about the church.
And because the limits have changed a bit, we have walked even more and tried to get to know the areas we don't know as well. It's fun because we get to see new places and get to know more people!

Hermana Reed

Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked

This week we walked and walked and walked! We are trying our best not to use the subway and bus systems because it uses a lot of our money. One day we had four citas in four hours in four different parts of our area, and we made them all! The following day other day we found a pedometer and we counted that we walked 20,567 steps in that day, which is around ten miles. 

We also had a super successful noche de hogar this past Friday, and about four families came.  I think my favorite part was the last prayer, when 6 year old Magdalena Luna said, "Thank you so much for this marvelous Noche de Hogar." I could not stop smiling and gave her a big hug! And her mom afterward says that she won't stop talking about it. Not only that, but they were talking about it in Ward Council and I think they like the idea of Noche de Hogar more. 

The elders in my ward had a baptism this past Saturday. His name's Diego and he's pretty awesome. He also wants an eternal family so his next goal is the temple. He was super happy. I love that this gospel makes people so happy. 

We also were walking in Vitacura one day when a man fell down in the street. He was a little large and lost his balance. Some guys immediately came over to help, but they were having a little trouble lifting him up. My companion, who was a CNA, tried to help at first, but since they said no, we stood back. But as we saw them struggling to lift him, she came over and said in her best Spanish, "Underneath the arms!" A few guys moved for her and she practically lifted him up herself and helped him to a nearby bench. My companion is pretty awesome. And we got to help someone!

Have a great week!

-- 

Hermana Reed

P.S. Pictures! First one is a cool fountain in my area and the second is the last district picture before some missionaries go home.

Earthquakes and English

This week I got to feel my first earthquake! And to be honest, I was awesome and not scary at all. It was super small and just shook my building a little bit during companion study. My companion and I were pretty excited. 

And we had a pretty sucessful Noche de Hogar this past week! A lot of people came and we learned about eternal families! We are promoting this upcoming one and hopefully we'll get some more investigadors there. 

This past Thursday my companion and I went on intercambios to Pocuro, which is the ward with the temple in it. I actually got to do a temple tour with Hermana Andersen with a primary from another ward. They were so sweet and cute. If I never get transferred into Pocuro, at least I've done a temple tour!

Because me and my companion always try to talk in Spanish, our English is getting worse. I have realized that more and more because we have a couple people who are from the United States and Australia in our ward. And occasionally they say Australian words that I don't understand. We had lunch with an Austrailian family, and occasionally they will say a word like "mince," "vegimite," and other words they use that we haven't heard. We got to try some Australian food, which I never thought would happen in my mission. I also get to teach Spanish because of the families that don't speak Spanish and want to practice with us. We were thinking of starting an English/Spanish class because of the number of people in my sector that don't speak Spanish. 

There are also a lot of people from Haiti that are moving to Chile to work. I've ran into a couple of them and contacted them, and its actually super hard because a lot of them have been here for a little time and are learning Spanish. And they don't know any English. With one contact, he was actually translating what he was saying and what I was saying in his phone. But from what he understood, he wanted to learn more! Too bad he doesn't live in my area, but I am sure wherever he is there are great missionaries. I would want to start learning French, but I think Creole is a little different than normal French. Which is funny because some people have told us we have French accents (and apparently we look French) when we speak Spanish. 

Have a great week!

Hermana Reed

Hola!

We had our zone activity today and played a lot of fun games and things. A lot of people are leaving the zone so a lot of things are changing this coming intercambio. With our President, everything is possible. 

Also in our ward we have family home evening every week, and its been a bit of a struggle to get people there. The whole purpose of family home evening is for the ward to get together and become closer, and for us to bring investigators and them to feel more comfortable about coming to church. According to the elders in my barrio, at first they were very successful and a lot of people came. But I guess its been a while and these past couple weeks they have been cancelled because of the lack of people. 

But we are trying to get them working again so we have been trying other ways of getting people to come. These can help the barrio so much, because a lot of people don't get to know each other in the barrio because everybody moves a lot (because my sector is Sanhattan). Family Home Evenings are super important! 

This week I found a scripture that I love, and it is in 2 Corinthians 9:7 and it says: "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." I love it because it applies so much to my mission. Sometimes its hard because missionaries are always working, and sometimes I feel tired. But the times that are most worth it are the little times in the mission: the times that you can see people change and become happier, the times that they tell you they are so grateful for what we do, and some people have even called us angels (which makes me so happy). And this only happens when I give and do all I can for these people. And I am not doing it because I feel obligated, but because I love my mission and this gospel. I want to become a more cheerful giver. 

Ciao ciao! 

Hermana Reed

Pictures of my sector

Pictures of my sector

The Wilderness of Santiago

Hola!
This week my companion and I decided to explore the concrete jungle of Santiago and find the wild beasts within. So we took our bags, got in the metro, and went to the Santiago Zoo.
It was fun and pretty exciting. It's different because a lot of the animals are from South America, so we saw a lot of monkeys, emu, llamas, and other animals. It's a super small zoo, but it was all you needed. The animals were also super active, which made it more exciting.
My little sector of Sanhattan is getting better and better every day. We are finding more people that belong to my sector and teaching them and getting to know other. One day we were stopped by a menos activos house, and she gave us some shampoo because the type she had is better for our hair apparently. So we started walking around with our Books of Mormon, water bottles, and shampoo. We stopped at another building to look for someone, and the conserje asked if we sold shampoo. Of course I said no, but we have a special message about the gospel of Jesus Christ!
We also had a great fireside in another sector, and my companion and I went because our President asked us to be in the choir. It was great because we got to see a lot of other missionaries we haven't seen in a while, like my trainer!
I am also noticing small ways of how the Lord prepares people to receive the gospel. Something I learned in one of our many meetings as a missionary is that missionaries do not prepare people to receive the gospel; the Lord does.
Through small means He prepares the people to receive our message and we are here to teach it. There are so many people that I have talked to this week. As they have talked to me, I can see how the Lord has prepared them. And it makes me happy that I can help them in their path.
And some photos! The first one is of me and my hija.

Kangaroos and the view of the city from the zoo

One of the tigers they have

Me and the penguins

Have a great day! Ciao ciao!

Sanhattan

Hola,
Recently I learned another name for my area of Cristóbal Colón - Sanhattan. There are some Australians in my ward and they explained that a lot of people call this area Sanhattan because it's like the New York of South America: a lot of people move here to work, there are tons of big buildings, subway, everything.

But yep, that's pretty much how it is! A lot of people here are from other countries too: Australia, Colombia, United States, Peru, Ecuador, etc. Chile had a good economy, so a lot of people move here to work.

People also call traffic jams here "tacos", and they always happen in the morning from 7:00-9:00 and night from 6:00-8:00. Whenever a taco starts to form, me and my companion like to say, "Taco time!" Too bad Taco Bell isn't in my sector.
My hija is also doing great. We've been teaching even more, contacting even more, singing in all the building, it's great. The conserjes are our "biggest" fans. At least some of them. (conserje means doorman)
My hija's name is Hna. Hirchak, which is really hard for some of the Chileans to pronounce. A lot of people think she's German. One time we went to meet with a member, and while we were talking to a conserje, someone exited and saw her placa. He got really excited and said, "I speak your language!" And then proceeded to talk in German. My hijab started to think that her Spanish was really bad while I replied, "Sorry, we don't speak that language!" So he said, "Spreaken de Duetch?" And I said, "No spreaken nada de Duetch."
For those who speak German, sorry, but I don't know how to spell anything in German.
We also celebrated the beloved Fourth of July with Doritos and some Snickers. Yay for the United States!
Hope you guys had a great Fourth of July!
Love,
Hermana Reed

Training!

Hello Family!
I'm training! Shortly after writing you last week I went to pick up my new hija. It's scary because I recently just finished my own training, but now I have to train someone else! Bienvenida a la misión.
But she's super cool! Her name is Hermana Hirchak from Orem, Utah. She has ten people in her family, but that is because her mom married her stepdad who had six children. Sounds like a party. She is also super spiritual and already seems like she's been trained. She knows everything, she just needs to practice her Spanish and teaching people.
And even though I am still new, I can see the difference between a missionary who just came out of the CCM. She is so excited to work and she walks even faster than me. I have a hard time keeping up with her! She doesn't know anybody in the ward, but the people she does know about she asks about and reminds me to keep in touch with them. She is awesome and I am so happy to be her trainer!
We also had some pretty awesome things happen this week! We've had more cities and managed to teach all of them and visited so many people that we haven't been able to visit before! We have some new investigators too, which has been a while since we've found new people. But it's great!
Today we went to Cerro San Cristobal for Preparation Day, and I am sorry but I don't have the thing to send pictures. It was awesome because it's the first time I have been hiking since being on my mission. It wasn't that bad. Everybody else said it was steep, but I know what steep really is (cough cough Hawaii hikes cough). But it was awesome! We went up and up and got to see the Virgin Mary on top. Which is cool. But I liked the view better. The smog was so beautiful...
Well, that's pretty much my week. Love you guys! Look for missionary opportunities! Read the scriptures! Pray! Stay faithful! Email me!
rachel.reed@myldsmail.net
Su hermana,
Rachel

Cambios!

Wow, some big changes and milagros have happened this past week! First of all, I am staying in Cristobal Colon and my trainer has left to go to Nunoa, which is further south in the mission. But I have also been called to train a new missionary. I haven't met her yet, but I will tonight, and then we are going to start working and meeting new people! We're going to work hard and happy! It's a bit alarming having to train right after my training, but I know that the Lord will help me and miracles will happen this cambio.

Speaking of miracles, a big one happened this week! First of all, about a month ago I lost my missionary tag when I was getting off the bus. I tried to look for it, but we had to get back to the house because of curfew. So I had to accept that my poor placa was lost. But yesterday when I was in the missionary office for the cambio reunion, I saw a placa with my name on it. I thought it was a new one, but it was actually my placa! It also had a note on it from another missionary that said: "Thanks for dropping your placa! A less active found it and found us - and now we're teaching her and her family." :) My placa is such a good missionary.

I really don't know what else to say besides that! I'm excited to train but also excited to work some more! Nothing makes me happier than sharing the gospel.

Hna. Reed

El Partido

In the chilly land of Chile, there were two missionaries. In this day, they called members and investigators and invited them to a very special night called Noche de Hogar, translated from the native language into English as "Family Home Evening". Yet something seemed amiss...nobody seemed able to come. It was when their faithful conserje told them that there was a very special game on that night between Chile and Bolivia. The game was part of the American Cup 100. And thus the missionaries discovered again how their special night was ruined again by soccer.

Just kidding. While this did happen, we just went and tried to find more people. So not all was lost. But I guess it's just going to show us how the FIFA World Cup is going to be like. #soccerisimporantinlatinamerica

I wonder how the Rio Olympics are going to be? But in all my experience in Latin America, Chileans seem the most dedicated to soccer. They scream more, there are more parties that last throughout the whole night (and thus my sleep!). Missionaries usually have a warning to be safe on game nights, because whether Chile wins or loses, people always seem to lose it and go a little loose on the streets. But since my sector is more cuico, translated from the native language as "richer", we don't seem to have this problem.

But in one of my pictures you will see the consequences of the partido (which means game, I think).
Not much else is happening. We have been trying to reach out to more menos actives and contacting more and more! And we will keep seeing more and more miracles, because miracles still happen. Next week is cambios, so some changes will be happening soon!

My sector :)

District photo!

Apparently the Partido causes cats to run away...

Singing, Baptism, and Art

Queridos familia y amigos,

This week we have had more service but we also saw a baptism in the ward! One of the elder's investigators got baptized and its actually a funny story. My companion and I forgot that it was this past Saturday, and so we were walking and trying to find people that we had wrote down from the area book, when the elders called us. It went somewhat like this:

"Hola hermanas, ustedes van a venir al bautismo?" Elderes

"Bautismo? Cuando?"

"Hoy. Ahora en la tarde. Y Hermana Reed iba ser un numero especial."

"Ya, y a que hora empieza?"

"En cinco minutos."

"Cinco minutos?!"

For those who don't know Spanish, bascally the baptism started in five minutes and I also was singing a special number that I didn't know about, since the elders never told me. We immediately started running, caught the bus, and ran the rest of the way to the capilla. It was a good baptism and I sang "How Great Thou Art" since I only had a little bit of time to choose what to sing. Asi es el mision.

We also went to a museum today! I don't have a lot of time, so I'll upload some pictures of the adventure.

¡Exito!