Week Seventy-Six: A Consecrated Missionary

Hermana Parkin and I. I love her soooo much! We have been working really, really hard together.

Area: Collao
Companion: Hermana Parkin

Dear familia,

I can honestly say that this has been the best cambio of my mission. It is the last cambio, but I am working hard every day to make it a good one. I am praying harder than ever to be able to give my all and to finish strong. And this concentrated effort really is making a world of difference. I have never felt so good in my life. I have never felt so much enthusiasm for the gospel of Jesus Christ as I do right now, in this very moment. I love it so much.

This week has been so wonderful. Every week has been so great. I feel like now that I only have one more letter to write ... I don't know what else to say. We saw some miracles. We made some awesome contacts. It all is the same but so different at the same time. I am feeling so much joy in the routine of things. It is a good feeling.

The Scholes and me.

We had a class of Elder Scholes and it was a great minute to reflect my mission a bit. We have had these trainings ever since the third cambio of my mission. I have learned so much about how to teach well and how to communicate the gospel in such a way that people can feel the spirit and act according to those feelings that they have. I am soooooo grateful for these skills!! They are going to last me for the rest of my life (just like all of the other things that I have learned on my mission).

 

It was super super funny during the meeting, because I was the oldest person of the mission there. I ran into a newbie that is serving in Frutillares (Hna. Herrera) and I started to ask her about the people there that I love so much ... she couldn't see my nametag, so she asked me my name. It was so funny to see the look on her face ... "Everyone talks about you!" More and more as I have been on the mission, I have realized that I really don't deserve anything like that. I am sooo far from perfect, but it was super funny to see this new missionary just starting out with this learning process that I am still working on. It never really ends.

Sister Osborne and me at the E'Scholes class.

Our mini cambio for the week was with Barrio Norte. I was in Collao with Hna. Saunders and we had a great time! Hermana Saunders just started the mission last cambio and she is the sweetest thing in the world. We worked really hard to obtain our goals and were able to do it! At one point of the mini cambio, we were walking around with a member trying to find someone to teach after one of our appointments fell. I had a feeling that we should go and visit a menos activo family that the elders are working with named the Familia Castillo. The only problem ... I didn't know exactly how to find their house ... and their house was on the opposite end of our sector. But we decided to go anyways.

After praying and making a few phone calls, we were able to make it to their house. The spirit was sooooo strong in this lesson. We talked about small and simple things, and it was so sweet, because Hermana Saunders was trying to express herself, but couldn't exactly find the words to say. Hermano Walter (the dad of this family) said, "Some day she will learn." I nodded and said, "I know that that is true. I was in her shoes a year and a half ago ... and now I can joke and communicate and everything!" 

And suddenly I realized that we are all in this process. We are all trying to become more and more like our Savior and Heavenly Father ... and it is a BIG GOAL. Learning a language is also a BIG GOAL. But I feel like we have been given the tools and the time to be able to learn to do it. I sure hope to have more time to work on being more Christ-like. I know that I am so far away. Really, we all are ... but Heavenly Father loves us so much and is soooo patient with us in the meantime.

The family committed to come to church and I just KNEW that they were going to keep their commitment. It is amazing what the Spirit can influence us to do.

Our ward really is catching on fire with missionary work. It is awesome to see! We are finally having frequent meetings with our ward mission leader. We are finally having meetings with the bishopric. We are finally getting together a focus group as a ward. It is amazing because it helps SO MUCH to have that support of the ward. I feel like I never really understood that before the mission, but now I want to go home and just start working working working as a member. It is such a great opportunity to keep building the kingdom!

Hermana Camila Puchi, Leslie Yañez, and Rosa Placencia

We had an awesome activity of desserts on Saturday! We have been announcing it like crazy and planning like mad-women and it worked out really well. We had 5 investigators that came and really, really enjoyed it! I feel like the KEY to success with an activity is FOOD and PEOPLE. If those two things are there, the people are going to have a great time.

Our activity.

Today was my last consejo as a leader in the mission. I am so grateful for the chance that I have had to be serving as a Sister Training Leader. I have been able to grow sooo much and learn so much more. Heavenly Father really truly loves me. I know that I am so inadequate, but He still felt like I was ready to be in this position to help so many other people. It just makes me so happy!

Hermana Parkin and I were in charge of the activity for consejo and it was awesome. We have been planning it for a good two weeks, because we wanted it to turn out perfectly. Our theme ... CONSECRATION. Say what? I really had no idea how we were going to find an activity for consecration, but we were able to brainstorm a lot and the Spirit helped us to know what to do. We ended up playing spoons with a ton of distractions. Hermana Arrington helped us a TON ... she brought in cookies while the Elders and Hermanas were playing as a temptation. It was so funny to watch how into the game the Elders got. Nothing could distract them from getting their spoon. I felt so much power as we applied it to consecration. "What are we doing to eliminate the distractions from our mission ... which is so much more important than a game of Spoons?" No distraction is worth it. Nothing is worth losing the Spirit.

Our consejo was SOOO good. I loved learning more about how I can be a consecrated missionary ... and really, a consecrated member of the church. The call that I have to become more like Jesus Christ isn't something that is going to stop when I get off the plane in Springfield. No way! It is for all of my life. All of my life, I need to work EVERY DAY to apply the Atonement in my life and to seek the inspiration of the Spirit so that I can keep progressing. It is a promise that I have made ... and I intend to keep it! That helps me to feel good about ending the mission. It is just the beginning of an eternal progression.

My heart is so full. It is so full. I feel like I am a blubbery baby all of the time now, because everything makes me cry. I am just so grateful to be alive. I am grateful for this time that Heavenly Father has given to me. I feel like I am making the best of it with what I know to do. My life is great ... and it will continue to get better. 

I love you all sooooo much! Remember that Christ is the most important thing! His atonement is everything! I hope that every week we can work to be just a little better and a little more dedicated!! I am doing everything that I can to give a little bit more every day. :) I'm praying for ya!

Love,

Laney

Hermana Antillon and me. Baaaaah, the last time that I will see her in the mission. :((

Week Sixty-Six: Heavenly Father Answers Prayers

I love them so much! I was pretty much bawling when they took this picture.

Area: Penco
Companion: Hermana Antillon

Familia,

There are so many things that happened this week. Here we go with the most random letter of the world.

We had a great mini-cambio with Hermana Sheppard and Hermana Osborne. I went with Hermana Sheppard ... and I just love that girl to pieces. She makes me feel like a rockstar every time I am with her. Actually, she makes everyone feel that way. I always learn so much about love on these mini-cambios. I understand a little bit better now why CHARITY is the most important Christ-like attribute ... without love, nothing else really works.

I hit 15 months in the mission this week. To mark that day, there were a bazillion earthquakes. It was the first time that I have ever felt one! We were studying and I suddenly felt really dizzy. The doors were rattling and the furniture started to move around. It kind freaked me out ... even though it was really exciting, but all of the Chileans were like, "Ah, that wasn't anything." It's just like the time I have on the mission. It seems like a crazy thing, but really, it isn't anything. Ayayaya, the time has just flown by so quickly. I can't believe that I just have three months left, but I am determined to make them the best three months of my life. I have learned so so so much and have met so many people that I love ... and I am just excited to keep on working with that.

This week, we found a menos-activa and her non-member daughter. We were able to talk really openly with them and got to know them almost immediately. The daughter was running around a little bit to control her three little kids ... so it was a little difficult to start the lesson. Finally, she was able to sit down with the baby and listen to us. We pulled out our hymn books and asked if we could start singing a song ... everyone was alright with it, so we started to sing Secreta Oracion (Secret Prayer?). Slowly, the look on the baby's face turned from a smile to disgust. He started to cry and Hermana Antillon and I had to stop singing. We were laughing so hard. We sing so badly ... that a baby cried.

We had a good lesson with Ivonne this week and with her pareja. I LOVE THIS FAMILY. The kids were waiting anxiously for us to come. Ivonne said that her daughter had been asking all day when the Tias were going to come (Chileans say tias to all types of ladies). The whole family is showing a huge interest in the gospel. It is a MIRACLE!! We just teach the doctrine and they seem to get it. Ivonne is reading the Book of Mormon really well ... well enough to ask us what the Urim and Thumim are. I am so excited to see them progress.

Sister Study this week! Whooooo, it has been a hard cambio with the Hermanas here in Penco. We decided to make a breakfast for them before the study and it turned out really well thanks to the Pancake mix that mom sent me for Christmas. I only caused two explosions on the crazy Chilean stove top... it was a good cooking experience. We talked about the Atonement and how it can make us clean. How it can help us to become more and more perfect. I have never felt so blessed by the Atonement as I have on the mission. I know all of my weaknesses pretty well by now ... and I know that Jesus Christ can help me to overcome them.

That day, we also had the first session of Stake Conference. Hermana Solange called me a couple of weeks ago to see if I could sing in the Conference and I was all for that! I got to sing a song called, "Familias son eternas," and I think that it turned out pretty well. The better thing than singing was getting to see all of my peeps from the stake. Josue Castillo, the eternal investigator that I had in Frutillares showed up! That was exciting! Also, I was able to see Manuel!! I love that man sooo much! He is progressing so well. Actually, he just got the Melchezidek Priesthood. At the end of the conference, I loved going to all of the people that I know and greeting them. Hermano Carlos Torres told me, "You are the second most well known person in the stake behind Presidente Navarro." Haha, after a year in Penco ... I have come to love these people so much.

Even better than the stake conference on Saturday was the conference on Sunday. The talks were awesome -- all focused on the Atonement. I sang "Be Still My Soul" and I was so humbled be all of the compliments that I got. I am so glad that I can use my talents for something out here.

I also got the chance to go back to Frutillares for the second Sunday session. We had lunch with Hermana Solange ... it was like a dream come true. When we drove into Tome, it was bizarre. I have come down that highway three thousand times, but this time was so different. It was different because I am different. I am a better, happier person. When I walked into the chapel, I felt like crying. It was so familiar. It was like I had never left. I was bombarded by so many hugs and kisses and handshakes and I love yous ... I don't know what I did to deserve that much love.

This is the bulletin board in Frutillares.

It made me think about the law of the harvest. Like, what you sow you also reap. I thought about the process of sowing -- it makes you dirty and it is hard work, but the harvest is so great. As I looked out at the congregation of Frutillares, I was moved to tears. Look, there is Manuel! Look, there is Carlos (my golden investigator that stopped listening to us). There is the beginning of my harvest. It isn't going to stop. I will be harvesting for the rest of my life. As I took pictures with everyone, I felt so happy. I felt so complete.

We went and surprised the familia Cisternas. I snuck into their house 

(because their door was open) and when they saw me, they started to scream ... 

I hope it was because they were excited haha. I love them so much!!

Tomé is a sacred place for me. It will always be a sacred place for me, because really ... it was there that I learned to love the Savior. It was there that I had to depend so much on Heavenly Father's love and guidance. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father gave me the chance to be there. I promised everyone that I would come back, and I really hope that I can!

The Familia Cartes

To find out about cambios we had to take a picture with five dogs.
It didn't end up turning out to be too hard.

That was the perfect way to end off my cambio in Estaca Penco. We got cambios this morning and I am leaving ... but not too far. I am going to COLLAO (it is basically Concepcion)!! Which is my dream sector, the sector that I have been praying to go to all of my mission. Now I am going there to kill Hermana Quintana de Peru [For readers not familiar with missionary lingo ... Laney isn't actually going to kill anyone. It just means that her companion is finishing her mission and heading home in six weeks. :)]. Hermana Antillon is also going back to Chillan (they are closing our sector ... say what?). It was so crazy to hear that, but I feel like this is just another confirmation that God listens to my prayers. He really loves us, you know?

I hope you all have a great week! I love you so so much!!

Love, Laney

Our zone hoodies (there are latinos in our zone ... but none of them
wanted to buy hoodies -- too hot where they are from haha).

Week Fifty-Seven: Worth It

Area: Penco
Companion: Hermana Romney
Hermana Romney's Blog: Obedience

Dear familia,

I wanted to start off my letter saying how much I really love you guys. I know I say it every letter that I send home, but I love love love you all. I really can feel your support and it has kept me sane and happy. What on earth would I do without my family?

We had a mini cambio this week that was interesting. I was with Hermana G, that has been struggling a long time in her mission with different things. We get along sooo well, so on this mini-cambio, I had a secret mission to see what was going on with her and to see how we could really help her.

For some reason during the mini-cambio, we were not able to get into many houses. Everyone that we had plans to visit were away on vacations. Here in Penco, this doesn't happen very often. We usually are always running to citas and we don't really have moments where we ask ourselves what we need to do next ... but I found myself wondering ... whhhhhhhhhy?

It ended up being okay, because we were able to talk a lot. We talked about everything that has been happening with her. I swear, I have never felt so much love and compassion for someone in my entire life. With Hermana G, it is impossible for me to see her flaws in a dark light. I feel so much love for her that it just hurts me to see her hurting. Seriously, I don't think I have ever felt charity until I started trying to understand her and help her out. 

We still don't have a great solution to her problems because she doesn't really like accepting help. But I feel like giving more and more love always helps. It's such an interesting thing that I am learning.

Another thing. This week, we continued teaching Claudia with her four kids. These girls are sooo crazy, but I love them so much and have a lot of patience with them. During the lessons, they are soooo wild and it makes it impossible to teach them. Usually what happens is that Hermana Romney takes over the doctrine part while I just let the girls color in my agenda/braid their hair/feed them cookies ... anything so that their mom can feel the spirit.

We had a kind of Sound of Music moment on Friday. We were walking home with the family from a Noche de Hogar and the girls wanted to run ahead. So I grabbed their hands and ran and laughed and joked with them. I was just like Maria. Something that I have realized here in that I love love love working with kids. I love it so much. I love THEM so much. They really are so quick to accept and forgive. It is so true that we have to become like a child to enter into the kingdom of God.

Something that I forgot to mention last week was that Sacrament meeting with a lot of investigators is a fun experience. Especially when there are a lot of kids. We came with the coloring books and cookies that Mom sent me. We came with sooooo many crayons. And basically, we were there just to be the moms for an hour so that their mom could have a spiritual experience. It was sooo much fun to take care of these kids. It's a riot ... even though it is a little stressful, I just giggled and giggled. Reverence is in the eyes of the beholder. I feel like one of the most reverent sacrament meetings that I have had in Chile has been with these girls.

I had to give my first talk in Penco yesterday. It was a'ight. I love public speaking. I am getting to be a little bit better. More natural. Less planning. More stories. More following the spirit. I just talked about being doers of the word and not hearers only. That is a BIG thing here in Chile. A lot of people just go to church to fill the pew ... but I have learned that living the Gospel is so much more than that.

But the really cool part of Sacrament meeting was AFTERWORDS. Presidente Navarro from Frutillares was there visiting to do some ward business. He got up and said, "Hermana Blau has been a blessing in my life and in the life of the members of Frutillares." He talked about the assistence of the church and how it is booming there. I was beaming with pride for my little sector.

What's more ... He said, "But the really great thing that Hermana Blau did was this ... she trained a new missionary named Hermana Caceres ... and together they found a good man (AKA MANUEL). He is baptized now and just so Hermana Blau knows he continues faithful in the church." I lost it. I just started to cry and Macarena (the daughter of Claudia that is 15) just wrapped her arms around me without really understanding why I was crying.

I was sooo happy in that moment. Frutillares was WORTH IT. 100 percent. I only kind of remember the hard moments. It was all worth it in the end. Just for this one good man that I found and didn't even baptise. All worth it.

Another moment when I was really happy this week. We had a zone conference and watched MEET THE MORMONS! I started to cry when I heard that we were going to get to watch it because I was so happy. (Maybe I am just a little bit emotional this week ... qué sé yo?) It was soooooo good. AND DAVID ARCHULETA SANG GLORIOUS IN SPANISH. Wonderful!!

Sooo, I am happy. I feel good. We are still working with a lot of good people and are helping a lot of people to come unto Christ. With diligence and faith, we are seeing a lot of miracles. We are in Chillan right now and it is sooo weird because it makes me sooo nostalgic ... even though I really wasn't here that much time. I don't even know if the people remember me here, but I will never forget it. I will never forget my mission. I love it. I love being here! Best decision of my life.

I hope that you have a great week! I love you all soooo much!! Besitos y abrasitos!!

Love,

Laney

Week Fifty-Three: Come they told me ...

The traditional burning of the skirt at the one year mark of my mission.

Area: Penco
Companion: Hermana Romney
Hermana Romney's Blog: Christmas Spirit

This week was bizarre, family.

We didn't have a single day that we weren't participating in something or switching with a mini-cambio or singing. It is awesome because it makes the time so enjoyable and unpredictable ... but at the same time, it is really fome because it is making the time fly by so fast. I can't believe we are on week six already. I cannot believe it.

I feel so happy and loved. It is like I have a different pair of eyes on and I am seeing everything in a brand new light. It's like ... the opposite of blinding light.

The nativity in the church. We are so cute. :)

So, this week, we started off with a mini-cambio with the girls from Lirquen. I stayed in Crav ... and EVERYTHING fell through with our plans. I called every member in our phone three times to see if they could come out with us ... and they either couldn't ... or they said that they could and then cancelled last minute to say that they couldn't. Ah, like the good old times. I looked at Hermana Ponce and said, "Today is going to be an adventure!" And an adventure it was. We got a little bit lost because I still don't know the streets that well ... we talked to a bazillion people ... and we found new investigators. It was good.

The next day, we switched off ... and then Hermana Romney and I had to run to Concepcion to pick up some newby sisters for the News Conference. I was with a girl from Argentina named Hermana Ovando. She was SUCH a sweet girl. This day, all of our plans fell through AGAIN. Luckily, we had members with us and we tried to make the most of what we had. I felt a little bit frustrated ... like, "If we haven't had any problems this whole cambio getting people out with us, having lessons, etc ... why has it happened to me twice in a row?" But ... I got over the frustration and just smiled. I have gotten pretty good at bouncing back. So, it's all good.

Hermana Ovando and I

PIJAMADA with Hermana Ovando and Hermana Godown

I love mini-cambios even more being a Sister Training Leader. I feel like Heavenly Father has given me a little ability to see all of the good of every person. I learn sooo much from these Hermanas. I feel like before, I would get really down on myself because I would feel like a failure in comparison to all of these super awesome missionaries that surround me ... but I now realize that just because people are awesome doesn't make me less awesome. We are all so great and what I try to do now is learn from the awesome things that I see in others and try to apply it in my life. It is a much healthier way to live, I think.

Flor Morales is my hero. I love her sooo much! She comes with
us always and is a returned missionary.
A SUPER FAITHFUL EXAMPLE!!!

Then we had this cuestión (that is a Chilean word for like ... thing) for the Christmas Concert. We have been practicing for this concert for sooooo long. Like, before this cambio started, we were practicing. I don't know if you guys have seen the videos, but I was singing The Little Drummer Boy. Loved that!! I feel like it is such a similar thing to my mission. I don't have any awesome things that I can give to the Lord ... but I try to give my best to Him ... and I feel like that is all that He expects. I feel like Heavenly Father is pleased with the work I have done on my mission so far. I am so excited to experience my six months of fire to end it off. 

WHOOOOOOOOO ... every. moment. counts.

Singing Little Drummer Boy

Before the concert, I walked around greeting all of the people that I knew. It really surprised me that I knew the majority of the people. I LOVED recognizing this. There are so many people that I have grown to love in this stake. I am SOOOOO grateful to be here!! After the concert, all of my peeps from Frutillares came up to greet me and I was just enveloped. The Hermanas were crying and they said, "We miss you sooooo much." They handed me birthday gifts and wished me a merry Christmas and I just felt plain loved.

The women of Frutillares who came to see me. LOVE THEM!!

With Presedente Navarro

I never realized how much the people liked me in Frutillares. It is a tender mercy from God that now I know. Hermana Romney told me that Presidente Arrington was with her kind of observing how the members were interacting with me and he said, "I guess you get attached to someone after seven months." The good news, President didn't forget that I was there. The better news, he put me in a place were I can continue seeing these people and can continue loving others. I love being here.

So, I hit a year in the mission and I can't believe it. I read my first journal entry that I wrote when we were in that hotel room waiting for me to go to the airport. I can't believe this life that I am living right now. I love it sooo much and I can't really imagine life before or after. I am pretty happy to just be living in the moment. :)

This kid is in our ward. His name is Andres, and he played O Holy Night in
front of all the people in the concert perfectly. What a stud!
Oh, and he is only 9 years old. Awesome.

I can't wait to talk to you guys on SKYPE!! YEEEEEHAW!! We are going to get all of the details worked out, but just a gentle reminder that we only have 40 minutes to talk. I love you all soooo much! Thanks to all of the people that sent me b-day shout outs and what not. I am going to work to reply to everyone!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!! PRAYERS AND BESITOS AND ABRASITOS!!

Love, Laney

Hermana Gamboa and I

Lissette and I

Ramon Salamanca!

A picture posted on facebook during the week ....

In a Santa hat greeting friends

Week Forty-Eight: Chau, Blau ... On to New Adventures

Area: Frutillares
Companion: Hermana Caseres

Oh, dear family ...

I am so content. I am so so content. I am so so so ... well ... I guess you get the picture. I am feeling a little short for words ... so ... apologies in advance.

This week was great. We walked and walked and walked soooo much ... but it was still rewarding. We had a focus on finding this week, and Hermana Caceres and I knocked on so many doors and talked to so many people. We didn't see a dramatic increase in new investigators, but it feels good to plant the seeds and then watch them grow.

I think that the biggest thing that happened this week happened yesterday. The people heard that cambios were happening tomorrow (not sure how ... because I have said absolutely nothing about them), but the people just hugged me and hugged me and ordered me not to leave. In the sacrament talks, Carlos Garrido talked about how much we have meant to his family. I looked around and the chapel was filled! I don't know how to describe how I felt in that moment. It wasn't really pride in what I have done ... because I have only done so very little ... but Heavenly Father helped me to feel good about the little that I have done and it felt so good.

Margot, Maria José, and Juaquin

Manuel Aravena (our AWESOME INVESTIGATOR) and me

A surprise from yesterday ... right after the priesthood passed the sacrament, I looked behind me to count the number of menos activos that we had in the church. To my surprise, I saw MATIAS SEPULVEDA sitting in the very back. Remember that kid that we visited for the first time a couple of weeks ago?? Ahhhh, I was soooo sooo sooo happy. This was something that I thought would never ever ever happen in my time in Frutillares. After Sacrament, I went to hug Noelia and she said, "Hermana, thank you so much. I think we saw a little miracle today."

Noelia and Matias Sepulveda. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

This was another eye opener for me.

A little miracle.

Do you know how many little miracles I have seen on my mission? Do you know how many evidences I have seen that help me to KNOW that God lives? It is so incredible ... and what is more incredible is that we don't even realize when they are happening. It is only at the very end when we look back that they are oh so obvious. It is in the hugs goodbye that we see the depth of love. I want to get better at seeing the daily miracles ... but for now, looking at the things that have happened to me in my mission so far are enough.

Paz Cartes and me. We have to walk super far to visit this family and eat lunch with them,
but I love them soooo much! Paz reminds me of Minsy so much!!

Just like when I left the CCM, I can say that I feel content. I didn't do a perfect job here ... but I sure did the best that I could. I tried my hardest every day ... and I know that my time has been accepted by Heavenly Father. I didn't have that much success with my numbers, but during my time in Frutillares, I saw the attitude of the rama change. I saw attitudes and lives change. Making a real difference ... I don't know if I did ... but I feel like I helped a few people and loved a lot more. This cambio actually wasn't all that bad like I thought. I learned sooo much here ... I think that it will be like my holy ground for my life ... because I cried so much and hurt so much, but in the end, I GREW sooo much. I think that the biggest thing that I learned is that Heavenly Father hears and answers my prayers. Every single night, I have felt so much relief while praying. I know that he hears me. I know it. And I know a little bit better how to hear him. It's awesome. It's something that I have always wanted to learn. I didn't know it would require so much, but I think that it will be worth it in the long run. It is so sad to go, but at the same time ... I think that I am ready. 

Last night, I got a call from President. My hands were shaking, shaking, shaking as I answered. My heart was pounding. President said, "God has extended the call as Sister Training Leader to you." I didn't even know what to say. I think I sounded stupid ... he asked me if I would accept the call and I just said, "Yeah, I think so." I am going to Penco (which is just thirty minutes away from here) to be with an Hermana that I hardly know, Hermana Romney. We are WHITEWASHING! Whooooooo ... It is going to be sooo interesting, working in a barrio again. The area in Penco is huge ... and we don't know anything about it. Ah ... I am excited. I am sooo excited. I don't know how I should feel.

The Hermanas of the Zone. Hermana Sheppard (Virginia, USA), Hermana Marroquin (El Salvador),
Hermana Ponce (Mexico), Hermana Lorea (Argentina) , Hermana Bucarei (Chile),
Hermana Tejerina (Bolivia), Hermana De Leon (Guatemala), Hermana Mendoza (Honduras)

Hermana Caceres is a little bit sad. She doesn't feel like she can take hold of the sector. She is a little nervous about her new companion because she is a little wild (or so the Hermanas say). But I KNOW that she is going to be fine. I am sooo proud that she is my daughter. It hasn't been the easiest ... this training thing. But I have felt so blessed as Hermana Caceres and I have been working together. She is such a wonderful missionary ... and I really have learned to see her as Heavenly Father sees her. It's awesome.

Doing service with a sweet hat!

Cleaning up with the familia Cartes after the font overflowed
for the baptism of Bastian.

I love my life. I love it a lot! I hope that I can be the kind of missionary that Heavenly Father wants me to be. I hope that I can be someone that he can be proud of. That is the most important thing. I also hope that I can keep seeing the little miracles in my life. They are there. They are always there.

I hope you have a great week! Just FYI, I am going to start having just one hour to write. Also, Skype for Christmas is going to be for 40 minutes. I love you all sooo much! Thank you for your prayers and support. Also, thank you so much for loving me. It means so much. Enjoy the winter wonderland! I think we are going to head to the beach. :) Also, Nandy!! HAPPPPPPY BIRTHDAY! :) I don't know anyone else's birthday ... could you send me dates of the close relatives so I can send a shout out? If I have missed a birthday, I am sooooo sooo sorry!

Love lots,

Laney

Tomé. This is the beach right outside of the chapel in Centro. Beaaaaautiful.

Week Forty-Seven: God is the Gardener

Constanza Carolina Alarcón Arbulu ... Presidente Ricardo Soto baptized her.

Area: Frutillares
Companion: Hermana Caseres

Familia,

A couple of weeks ago, I felt sooo distraught. I was looking back in my journal, and I actually wrote, "How could you do this to me, God?" Just like the little currant bush. I think that it was just after cambios and I was feeling a little bit like I couldn't do what the Lord had called me to do. This week was the craziest week in the history of the world ... Soooo many things happened. But after all that happened, I feel sooo grateful and so privileged to be working for the Lord.

I guess the biggest thing that happened is WE HAD A BAPTISM. Constanza got baptized!!! Ahhh, what a story. I am feeling a little bit stressed because we are writing late, but I hope that in this email I can convey just how grateful I am.

Did you know that Constanza was a direct answer to our prayers? A miracle? She was. She magically appeared in our little rama RIGHT AFTER our best investigator, Carlos dropped us. We had just made a solemn pact with Heavenly Father that we were going to do whatever it took to find new people that were going to progress ... and suddenly, Hermana Claudia approached us and said, "What do we have to do so that Constanza can get baptized?" It was like a hallelujah chorus moment from The Best Two Years.

From that moment, we have been sooo very blessed with this little girl. She has the sweetest testimony in the whole world. Her mom showed us a page of her diary that said the following (in English): "I am sooo excited because I am more than sure that the church where I am going to get baptized is the true church. I am anxious and nervous, but excited to finally be a Mormon." Ahhhh, soooo precious.

A page from Constanza's journal

The only obstacle with her is that she is only in Tomé during the weekends. It made it way hard to teach her and keep in contact with her to make sure that she was ready to be baptized. In fact, her baptism almost didn't happen this week because she wasn't able to come in for her last lesson with us during the week. Luckily, we were able to work everything out with our leaders and everything was good to go.

This was the most beautiful baptism -- seven months in the making. Hermana Caceres and I worked with every single detail. We made all of the refreshments, looked for a super pretty tunic, and decorated the chapel. We filled the font so that it was warm. I was soooo anxious because I wanted Constanza to have a great experience. Her whole family showed up and a lot of unexpected members showed up as well. I was soooo pleased with how it all turned out.

After the actual baptism, we watched a few Mormon Messages and right in that moment, we watched the message about the currant bush. Tears, tears, tears flowed. I thought about that moment just a few weeks ago when I said to Heavenly Father the very same words, "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? I WAS MAKING SO MUCH PROGRESS ... and now you've cut me down." I remembered feeling the same response (I am the Gardener here). And in that very moment, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I suddenly saw a very clear picture of the reason that I needed to be in Frutillares for another cambio ... and that night, I went to pray in my little room ... and with more tears, I had the opportunity to say to Heavenly Father, "Thank you, Mr. Gardener. For loving me enough to hurt me ... for loving me enough to cut me down." It was a good, full-circle type of moment.

The talk "God is the Gardener" by Hugh B. Brown is referenced in this Mormon Message by D. Todd Christofferson that Laney is referring to:

I don't feel responsible for the baptism of Constanza. I know that we didn't really do anything. We taught her. We cut up little sandwiches. We brought in the Elders to interview her ... but really, Heavenly Father did all of the work with her. She has such a pure, pure heart and just wants to do what's right. I am so grateful that we had the chance to be a little part of her journey back to Heavenly Father. I guess waiting and waiting and working all of these months has been worth it.

A super cute letter the elders left at the baptism

Other things that happened ... Uhm, we had an activity in the ward that was super fun. I really, really, really have come to understand the importance of ACTIVITIES in the ward to promote activity. So, I said in our correlation that we should start trying to have them and suggested a pretty good activity to start. It was a Tropical Karaoke. We had a few investigators there and that was awesome. We also had a lot of people that showed up and helped. When we really put our mind to it, La Obra Misional can put on some pretty stellar activities. They actually want to keep running with a Karaoke night every couple of weeks in the chapel. Super fun!

The Karaoke Tropical ... Elder Castro (from the CCM) and Elder Flores (from Chile).
We get along really well!

Picture from the Karaoke Tropical posted on facebook this week.

With Hermana Caceres belting out the tunes.

We also have started to catch the vision of Family History down here in the southern hemisphere. I was soooo impressed by the idea of dad to spend ten hours working with the members to work on their family history. We are starting to put it into practice and are seeing results. The Spirit of Elijah is INCREDIBLE. I really feel like it is going to start working miracles for us. :)

Today, we went to Concepcion in the morning and went out with Hermana Solange and Presidente Navarro. It was sooo much fun! I have so many pictures to send ... but the internet here is way slow ... so I will try to send as many as I can.

I don't really have a lot to say this week. I love the Gospel and I know that it is true. The price that I have had to pay to become acquainted with Heavenly Father has been a PRIVILEGE TO PAY. I am so grateful to be here in Tomé and to be a missionary. It is sooo hard, but so worth it. I can feel myself stretching and growing to become better than I am. :)

La "U."

Hermana Caceres and I at the University of Concepcion.

I hope that you have a great week!! I love you sooo much and I am sooo proud of my family. HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK TO HYRUM!! I love love love love you all and I pray for you often. I got a few letters last week from Minsy and Hyrum and my heart just melted. Thanks for that. Also, I will keep my eyes open for the packages for Christmas. Thank you so much for your support. I don't need the packages to know that you love me, but I am SOOOOO GRATEFUL for them! They make my life so much brighter. :) Love you all!!