August 26, 2013

Hola familia!!!

I hope everything is great in the good ole US of A!! Wow, a whole summer is already gone? that went by really fast. Feel free to send that summer air down our way. For a couple of days, we had some super nice weather that felt like spring. Now it is cold again, but nothing like what it was before. I am grateful. Today for P day, Hermana Hallenberger taught me how to make no bake cookies. They are super delicious AND naturally do not have flour!!! Therefore, I could eat them too!!! I love Trinidad, and love all the people here!!! We visited a less active yesterday, and she cried as she told us some of her challenges. No she has not gone to church in a while, but she said no one came to help her or even visit her to see if her and her family were ok. She committed to come to church with us this next week. We are going to walk there together. I do not know how many other people are in the same boat, that are pleading for help and are ready to come back if someone would just hold their hand along the way. I learned a lot about the importance of doing your home and visiting teaching, at least making the effort to show you care about the people under your stewardship.

Today I was reading in Alma 29 where Alma says, Oh that I were an angel, and stuff about preaching to the whole world. For the first time, I really understood where Alma was coming from. It would be so nice to be able to teach everyone the gospel and baptize everyone, but our Heavenly Father has a different plan. I think it is verse 6 that Alma asks why should we wish to do more than the job Heavenly Father has given us? I am just one missionary, and sometimes it may not feel like I am making a difference, but I know I am. This work is grand and it is such a blessing to be here serving!!!!! I know that the Lord has a specific job for everyone, but sometimes we are too insensitive to listen when He calls us. I was also reading over some notes I made in the MTC and one devotional someone told us that God has commanded us to do things, and when we are not doing them we are sinning. In a way, not doing anything is sinning. We are not expected to work harder than we have strength, but He knows how much we can. He has a job for everyone in this work. Do not be afraid to simply invite someone to church. Invite someone this week to come to church. If they say no, dont worry at least you extended the invitation!!! I love you all!!!!

Love

Hermana Taylor

August 19, 2013 various pictures

Back row-Elders Gula, Vega, Fisher, Anderson, Bishop Cataldo & Elder Fuentes, Hnas Cisneros, Taylor, Phelps, Fisher, Ordoñez, Hallenberger, Jackson

Hna Cisneros looks on as new missionaries Hna Phelps and Taylor start a CVC tour

Hnas Phelps, Cisneros, Taylor, Jackson, Ordooñex, Hallenberger & Fisher going home

Hnas Taylor & Stegagnini

Hnas Taylor, Phelps & Cisneros

Hnas. Taylor, Fisher, Stegagnini

Hnas. Taylor, Stegagnini, Fisher & Obispo Alegria

This is how we cover the broken arm

August 12, 2013

Hola familia!

It sounds like you all had a great time on vacation and I am glad! Yáll should definitely send me pictures of everything!

This week was really great. One of our investigators, Ercilia, should get baptized this week or next. She is super great, and a cute little old lady. She absolutely adores church and the people there and loves to listen to our message. We still have a few commandments to teach her, but she is progressing greatly. The sad thing is that I wont get to see her get baptized. I got transferred today to Trinidad (a neighboring stake but is only 15 minutes in a car to get there). My new companion is Hermana Skabelund from Orem, Utah. She is really great, and we are really excited for this cambio!!!  It was really sad to say bye to everyone yesterday because I just love everyone in Lo Cañas!! Hopefully Hermana Cisneros y Hermana Phelps baptize all of our investigators in the next 6 weeks without me.

Trinidad is really cool! There are 6 missionaries (3 companionships) en the ward and our sector is pretty small. The six of us live together in the same apartment, and it is pretty tight but we fit. Our apartment has a dryer which I am pretty excited about!!! We never had a dryer in Lo Cañas even when we were 6 missionaries. We have not had a chance to proselyte yet, but tonight we will!!!

I absolutely LOVE being a missionary!!! This is the best time of my life and I have learned sooooo much! Anyone that is thinking about serving a mission, DEFINITIVAMENTE SHOULD!!! This work is grand and I am so grateful for the privilege to work in the Lord´s vineyard! Keep helping the missionaries, we always need more help! I love yall!

Love

Hermana Taylor

P.S. one day i will figure out what I need to do to send pictures again.

August 5, 2013

Hola familia!

Espero que todos esten bien en los Estados! How was the family vacation? What all did yáll do in Oregon exactly and who ended up going? Tell grandpa that I said, ¨Feliz Cumpleaños!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¨ Also that he is a youngin still haha. 

This week seems like a month looking back on it. We had two intercambios, Hermana Cisneros had a meeting for leaders, and we had appointments for almost every single hour of the day. We did intercambios with another trio, and Hermana Burnett (from Vegas) and Hermana Fedor (from Kentucky) came to Lo Cañas with Hermana Phelps and I. We split up into two companionships and it was amazing!! The field truly is white already to harvest, we just have to thrust in our sickle with ALL our heart, might, mind, and strength and we will definitely reap and lay up in store salvation for our soul. We also had intercambios with Hermana Sanabria who is from Paraguay. She studied English for a little bit before the mission and has to learn for what she is studying so we talked in English all day with her. When we were speaking English in the street, someone passed by and said, ¨hello¨, (this is not that unusual, but this guy was bright blonde and was definitely not chileno). We stopped and talked to him. His name is Michael and is from Denmark (good thing he knew English because we dont know a single word in Danish). While he was waiting for the bus we taught him most of the first lesson (the Restoration) in English (harder than you would think). He seemed really interested, and hopefully the missionaries in Denmark can find him (he is only visiting Chile). It was really cool since I am one fourth Danish. I think he is the first person straight from Denmark that I have ever met.This week a lot of people came up and wanted to talk to us in English. I guess that is why a bunch of gringos are serving in Chile right now.

Saturday, we went to an appointment with Karín with una hermana from our ward. It was our first appointment with her. When we showed up, her husband and two kids were there ready to listen too. We taught all of lesson one, gave them all a copy of el Libro de Mormón, and invited them to be baptized if they receive an answer that it is true (they said yes), oh and invited them to church at 9 am the next day. It was really cool. They live in our same apartment building, so we said we would pass by before church and we could take the bus together. MANY MANY times we have tried to do this with investigators and they were not there, or something always happened, but with them they were all ready to go when we passed by. The whole family came to church and I think they liked it!!! Also, Ercilia (a grandma who is about 82 years old) came too. We were all smiles because they came!!! 

This week I learned about humility. I am very proud, but not in the sense that I think I am better than other people. More in the sense that I do not trust in the Lord with all my heart. I truly am here to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. We do not do anything, it is ALL the Lord that changes people´s hearts, He just allows us to be the messenger sometimes. I am so grateful to be serving the Lord in Lo Cañas ahora. Being a missionary really is the best job in the world!!! Yall can be missionaries too, and should be missionaries!!! I love yall!!

Con amor,

Hermana Taylor