Wednesday, January 7, 2015

I love This Work and I Am So Grateful I Have Been Called Here to Chile

This week went really well. Despite the horribly awkward Zone meeting we had this past Monday, things have been going well. Hermana Olson and I are working more with the Bishop and investigators and have seen many positive experiences♥ We contacted a lot again this week and helped finish paint the house that we had been working on for the past few weeks with the Elders. (and got paint in my eye and went blind for like 4 hours!!!!! it was horrible but terribly funny)  We also taught a new contact some English who works in an international hotel and said that a lot of North Americans were really rude and pesado when she struggled saying things in English. As we helped and talked to her she had had a opinion de gringos changed a bit and she began to tell us that her grandma had passed away the day before, and we were able to tell her where her grandma was and that she would be able to see her again. It was a real tender mercy moment. This week I had an excellent experience with fasting. I had been studying about it and preparing as this was my last fast and testimony meeting here in Chile, and I came to the realization that the point of fasting is really to understand the will of our Heavenly Father and so my companion and I prayed to understand His will for us in our last few weeks. We felt that we just need to love the Chilean people, and set aside some of the expectations that WE may have for them and see what Heavenly Father needs of us, and that we need to perseverar.  I personally have felt the hand of the Lord in showing us many of their greatest qualities. I have grown a love for how much they do give. many give even when they don't have any to give. I love them. During the day I am thankful to be a missionary and I have been blessed with energy, but at night I cry thinking that one more day has gone by and I am one more day closer to leaving the people I have been so close to and have grown to love very much. I try not to let those thoughts enter but at night I am left to think about how much I love this work and I am so grateful I have been called here to Chile. 

Well, we have an investigator and we have been teaching him for 2-3 months and he is a 34 year old and a 20 year drug addict. He has progressed and changed so much and has not done drugs since the first lesson we had with him and has a fecha (date) for the 17th of this month. He has gone to church 4 times and during the lessons he uses 2 Book of Mormons. One being from a friend (that he received 5 years ago, that is so warn out the title has been eroded off) and the new one that we gave and dedicated to him.. He uses the one from his friend to mark and ask questions and the other one to read and keep clean looking. He told us this week that a few years back he dressed up like a Mormon and used the Book of Mormon from a friend to go into the jails and sell weed. He would put the drugs in the pages of the Book of Mormon to hide them. He had tears in his eyes and began to explain to us that he feels ashamed that what had helped him do bad things before, is now helping him and saving his life and changing who he used to be. Her reads every day and sends us texts when he does not understand. He has changed so much. I can only hope he progresses and the temptation or withdrawals he has will be over come. I am amazed at the changes the Book of Mormon brings to our lives and the lives of the people we share it with. Family dear I am grateful for you. I am so happy that you have been spiritually progressing with mission calls, bendiciones patriarcales (patriarchal blessings) and reading every day. you are great examples to me. We have a great ward and we have been blessed. hope you have a great week. take care! 
Have a super sassy week!!
♥Hermana Cook

LOVE YOU xoxoxooxx

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