Sister Black in Chile

Week Forty Five: June 13, 2016

Hey everyone!

This week was a little interesting, we are on a huge search to find not only new investigators but investigators that are prepared and ready to progress! We have had a little bit of a trial with this but that has not brought our faith and hope down.

We reevaluated our way of work, goals, etc and we are ready to work harder this week to keep finding! The hard times make the good times better, right?

We have taught many amazing people who are being prepared for the future even if now is not their baptism time.

We also find less-actives like every other person. haha But that is ok because that is one of the main focus points of the Chile, Concepción Misión. I know we can too find new investigators through them too!!

P******: It was so cute this week we started to teach her the lessons and it all started to have a familiar ring when we started with the song "How great thou Art" and a big smile grew across her face and she began to sing the last verse along with us!

She wants to raise her son in this church and says we could not have had better timing.

What a great moment!

M******: He is progressing slowly but very well! He still does not feel ready to be baptized with the whole thing of religion changing for him from a concept to real life.

He has been reading lots of the BOM, attending church, is going to give up coffee and tea, and participated answering questions in Institute (the teacher says he is awesome).

Sabina ( my member bff) received her mission call this week and it was where she dreamed before: Santiago, West!

So crazy it was the exact same mission!

The people of Chile always have really profound dreams haha!!

L*****: After the lesson on Fasting yesterday in church L***** said: "I want to do a fast right now!!" and she said she would start that afternoon with a prayer.

I love her!!

She is just so happy and you can see it!!

A member also bore their testimony and shared about seeing L***** in a store and watching her tell the cashier that she is Mormon and she is happy!!

Can´t we all be more like her, a witness at all times and in all places! (she tells everyone she knows!)

I love this gospel with all my heart.

I love that hard times give us opportunities to be more humble and change for the better.

I love Jesus Christ and everything is possible through him.

We are going to find, teach repentance, and baptize converts!!!

love you all to the moon & back X10!!

-Hermana Black

Fun Facts:

-We are to the point that we can see our breath in our house and we are profesh at changing fast!!

- It also was even more interesting when our gas water heater wasn´t working... see photos!;)

Week Forty Four: June 6, 2016

June 6, 2016 Everything happens for a reason on the Lord´s clock.

Hello!!

M***** is doing great!!

We had a wonderful lesson about the Book of Mormon the other day and he is so excited to read!

I know that M****** was no coincidence, God´s timing is perfect! At church yesterday we was so interested in the self sufficiency classes ( i dont know how you say it in english, so whoops) that the church offers; and he signed up for a course!! He also went to institute this week and was just amazed about how much he learned.

His faith has grown so much!

Then yesterday we saw him in the plaza and he was talking with one of our good future investigators whom we have tried to set appointments with for a little while; turns out they are friends!!

We set up an appointment!

It will be so neat if we can use M****** to help us with him too and they can join the church together!;)

We found a cool new less-active this week! Pamela, her boyfriend (non-member) who came to a baptism a little while ago, actually is the one who gave us the address to go visit her. When we showed up this week she was like

"Missionaries?! Who sent you?! I haven’t had the missionaries over since my childhood."

She was baptized at the age of 10 and was only in the church for 4yrs but has beautiful memories and told us she wants to learn the actual doctrine again that she has forgotten. She remembered how to pray! She has a 10yr old son and she doesn´t live with her boyfriend.:)

Hopefully we can teach her boyfriend and son as well.:)

So happy we found her, she said that we couldn´t have arrived at a better time; she was praying for more direction in her life.

Also one night this week someone ran up to me saying "my blonde my blonde Hna Black!" it was S******* one of my old investigators from Coelemu (first sector) who has now moved to Parral!

She is in the Elder´s sector, Im so happy that they can now teach her and her family. :)

More next week!!

Love you guys and I challenge you all to look for the Lord´s hand in the details of your lives; he is always there preparing great things. :)

-Hermana Black

3 Nephi 5:13

Week Forty Three: May 30, 2016

MAY 30, 2016 ANTS and LOVE LOVE

Hello! Happy Summer up there in the USA!

We had a very busy week, but a great one! We found lots of new people, said goodbye to our dear Hna Monroy and killed lots of ants!

M******: He prayed in front of us finally!! (he was atheist) He came to church again and really liked it but he just really wants to take things slow in this whole new way of thinking. But he and the member who gave us the Ref. are way good friends now so that will make all the difference.

T****** wants to be baptized but she has a life with a few complications for right now but we are excited to keep working with her and activate her in-laws.

Yesterday we did divisions and I went out with a cute member (Sabina,19) who is preparing for mission right now and just sent her papers. It was so fun, we are good best friends! We saw a few little miracles and I was able to help her with some of her mission worries and questions (hopefully she gets called to Orem, Utah, hehehe).

L****** went to Santiago to visit the temple grounds and guess who she saw again?! The Temple President! They took lots of pics and he was so touched to hear about the impact he made in her conversion.

Yesterday we also said goodbye to my mother in the mission Hermana Monroy. She has made a HUGE impact on my life and it has been just the greatest to live with each other the majority of my mission. I have learned lots from her about how to love in everything you do. Love everyday, love the atonement, love Christ, love the scriptures, love your companion, love Spanish, love the gospel even more, love the Chileans, love being a missionary, and more. That would be my tribute to my little Guatemala = ball of love & energy!

We are also teaching the mom of another less-active! She came to church and is doing well. More details next week! sorry!

Have a great week and let us look for the spirit´s promptings in the details of our lives.

Fun facts:

- We came home one day and the wall and floor was covered in ants!!! Always something, right? haha. Glad we always have living things to keep us company.

- hit 10 months, time is flying!

-Hermana Black

P.S. Pray that our mission will achieve our goal to have 2 Investigators every companionship in church! (and it is for President´s bday too)

Week Forty Two: May 23, 2016

MAY 23, 2016

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful week!!

This week was a little different because my companion went to a new missionary conference for a couple days in Concepcion and I was with Hna Graham and Hna Monroy in their sector.

It was fun to be with them and learn from others work.:)

We visited one of their less-actives who said to her daughter investigating: "After I got baptized I realized that there just wasn´t time to be depressed, sad, rude,etc!! The spirit of the atonement of Christ filled those gaps in my life and i need to live the gospel again so that they will be filled once again." This was stuck in my mind after and it can’t be more true. I know that CHRIST has healed us and continues to strengthen every detail of our lives.

T****** y A*******: They are a cute couple with 2 littles and one on the way! They aren´t married but I still have hope and I am happy we found them this week! We taught them lesson 1 and she agreed to pray but said she felt she already knows its true when she was reading the folleto earlier that week that we left with them. She also wants to read the WHOLE BOM! :) go right ahead;)

My companion returned from her conference with all new excitement, it made me think back to the beginning of my mission... That night we were walking and knocking doors in the pouring rain because out appt fell through and I told her about my conference where I made a promise to myself that I would be happy every single day of the mission no matter what be the circumstance. I have tried my best to do that throughout the mission, obviously there are still very very very hard days and moments but we control our attitude. This applies in every aspect of life. We then got talking about sacrifice and how no big deal that it rains lots and lots in our mission... because we have the opportunity to sacrifice a little more for the Lord.

I hope we can pray for a happy attitude in all moments of life, I am not perfect at this in any way but I always try to be positive.:) Also pray and search for opportunitues to share your testimony of our Savior and his enabling Atonement.

I know these things are true with all my heart and they will ultimately bring lasting eternal happiness!

I love you all to the moon and back!

-Hermana Black

Fun facts:

-We have killed countless slugs in every part of the house this week.....eeeek!

- we had a family night for Lihua´s b-day in the chruch after stake conf, it was so cute!! She was more than happy with her new ward family.