Hola

This week, we had the great miracle of having one of our dear investigadors, Miriam Pardo, come to church. I told you guys about this last week, and she came! She was there for all the three hours and really enjoyed it. She actually bore her testimony valiantly in one of the classes about her experience with cancer and how my companion and I have helped her when she needed it. It was a huge step for her and both me and my companion are really happy.

The other day we also left to work with a member. We visited a friend of hers and the member, Hermana Marlen, was really excited. She couldn't stop talking because she was so excited. We then tried to visit other people with us, and Hermana Marlen did everything she could to talk to people in the street and took every answer with stride. Her example really impacted me to be not just a missionary in my mission but to always represent him in my life like she does.

As I said before, this ward is the best. Every member is awesome and they try to help us whenever they can.

Hasta luego,

Hermana Reed

Babies

Hola mundo!

So this week we have been working harder and trying to reach more and more goals! We've had some success with some goals and have put even higher ones. So that has been a good point of the week. Some days this week have been really busy, with us going from house to house teaching, and other days we have walked in the hot hot hot sun and finding the sparse shade of the few trees. But we are going to change that and have EVERY day be a great day. 

One of our investigators received an answer to her prayer the other day. She has twins that are seven months old and probably the cutest babies in my area. Our lessons are fast with her because they lose patience and start to cry. Our first lesson with her was a while ago when we were sharing the Christmas video. As she watched it, her babies were silent and paid attention, but after they were anxious and wanted to move and go outside for a walk. But as we said the prayer to leave them, they grew quiet again and didn't make a peep until my companion said, "Amen." Every lesson since has been different with them. We invited her to read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it was true, and she did one night after putting the kids to bed. When we came the next lessons, she said she got an answer, because she felt a lot more peaceful, and her babies slept more and have been more tranquil. It was awesome. 

Another one of our awesome investigators has cancer. She has wanted to come to church for a long time but for health reasons, she hasn't been able to make it. She said she will come this Sunday so we are praying that all will be well. She loves the Book of Mormon and reads it a lot, and finds out for herself questions that she has. She's really really really awesome.

We also had cambios this week, but both my companion and I are staying for another cambio. We called our ward mission leader to tell him we were staying, and he was so happy he drove to the church during our meeting to talk to us. A lot of other people were really happy that we stayed. Again, my ward is the best. 

Have a great week! Éxito!

Mechanic Shop

Hola,

So the pictures weren't downloading, but this isn't the first time I haven't sent pictures, so I think we are all good. 

This week was very interesting. We had intercambios with La Dehesa, which is the place the Hermana Captacitadora Entrendadores are. They are hermanas who help out the hermana capacitadoras. I spent the day in a trio with my trainer Hermana Velasco, and Hermana Steed, whom I spent a little time in the CCM. It was fun being in a trio for a day, but I don't know how it would be for a transfer. We got to do service and clean windows of a free daycare center, and teach great lessons to some awesome investigadors. It was nice going on intercambios instead of having intercambios. They are much more enjoyable to go to. 

Which was also sad because my trainer is going home this next week and we had one last day to work together. Its crazy how much time passes and how much you learn in a mission. 

We had a unique miracle in my area the other day. It wasn't a so successful day and not a lot of people wanted us to be there, when we ran across someone we talked a couple days before named Connie. She's 13 years old, and we asked if her mom was home because she said she couldn't meet us without permission from her mom. She didn't seem to want us there, but we asked her if she could ask her mom if its okay if we visit. So Connie went to where her mom lived, and came back out after a while saying, "Pasen." (pass). It really surprised me at first, but we came in and the mom, named Marcia, was in the midst of piles of clothes that she was ready to donate. We quickly offered to help, and helped her fold them and put them in bags. It was great to see the change in Connie. At first she was not very interested in knowing us or letting us talk, but as we talked and helped, she and her mom opened up  and were very grateful for us for being there and helping them out. 

It was awesome and it was also great finding them. They live behind a mechanic shop and I would have never guessed someone lived there until we saw it. It just helped me realize that even though my area is small, there are still people who have never had the chance to listen to the missionaries and want to listen. 

Have a great week!

Happy New Year

Hola!

Happy New Year! As a missionary, I slept right through the new year and didn't wake up for any of the fireworks. But my companion, who woke up and sleeps right next to the window, said they were very pretty. It was also really funny seeing the stages of New Years: the excitement of New Years Eve and everybody buying things for their parties, everybody drunk the next day, and the following day that everybody is a little bit on the edge and angry. Despite the stages of New Years Eve, we managed to have lessons and work the same as we have every day and have some amazing miracles happen. One of our investigators has a fecha bautismal (a baptismal date yay!) and we have been able to have new investigators. One of them is Joseph.

He came to Chile from Haiti 5 years ago and slowly has been helping his family. His son, Jean, came to Chile 4 months ago, and he is the only member in his family. We recieved his reference, found Jean and Joseph, and have been helping them recently to know the ward (for Jean) and teach Joseph. Its a very interesting because Joseph speaks Spanish fluently, and Jean understands a little bit. As we talk he is usually silent until he understands something and gives a very big smile. When we ask if he can give the prayer, he asks if he can say it in French, and we say that is perfectly fine. They have been a miracle and I am excited to see what's in store for their family. 

Its weird sometimes when I hear four languages in a day: Spanish for everybody here who speaks it, English for the random people who try to talk to me in English, Portugese when people speak to my companion, or French when we teach Joseph and Jean. 

This past week has been really fulfilling for me. We have been working harder to help people and though everything we do may not turn out, miracles still happen. And this week I feel especially happy for the members in my ward and everything they do to help us, for the investigators we have, but most especially for my Heavenly Father and how he has helped me and guided me throughout my mission. There is no way I would be here without His help and continual guidance and strength he gives me. I have learned so much in these past three months that I never thought I would learn about missionary work and how I can be an instrument in his hands. I have received more than one confirmation every single day that he is there and watching over me and the people in my area.

I love being a missionary. Have a great week!

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!