I want to be a missionary now!!!: August 11, 2014

Dearest familia,

This week was packed full of surprises and miracles!!!! As always, we continue to be diligent and the Lord sent us some miracles. We taught Maria Ignacia (a grandma) this week that has been listening to us for a while and she did everything she could to come to church. When we passed by her house sunday morning to pick her up (as in take the bus with her to church) she dropped her work and left with us. Her family makes food every sunday which is their main income and she stopped everything to come to church. She is progressing!!!

We passed by to visit a less active this week but he was not there. Two of his nieces were there are we talked to them. One is about my age and started off not being too interested but her little 7 year old sister listened to us. We shared personal stories and our testimonies and we saw Javiera (the older one) put down her phone and start to actually listen. The Spirit was strong and it was amazing to see how she could feel the Spirit too. The 7 year old has gone to church before but stopped going when her uncle stopped going. She told her uncle that she wanted to go, and that she wanted us to come back. He ended up calling us and has committed to go to church with his niece this next week. We are pretty excited for him!!! This truly is a miracle!

This week, at one point i had to use the bathroom so we passed by one of our investigator´s houses that we hadnt seen in a week and a half. Ingrid told us that she was just really busy and that she has had problems with her extended family this past week. We talked to her about the Book of Mormon and how it converts people and helps us solve problems in our families, and she said that she sees it everyday and just hasnt read it yet. She promised to read it. Also, she went to a family gathering and her family started teasing her for listening to the missionaries and she defended the church. One of the people that teased her, her sister-in-law, arrived while we were there and we shared with her and now the missionaries are visiting her too. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Friday we had exchanges and I went to Ñuñoa 1 with Hermana Torres from Peru. We saw lots of miracles and went out with lots of members. It truly is different when the members go with us. There is a different spirit and it is less scary because a friend is there with them. In our sector we go out a lot with the young women and it is helping them to open up. Also they are accepting committments from us to to read the book of mormon everyday, go to seminary, pray, etc. It helps them a lot too. I recommend going out with the missionaries. It helps them and helps you too.

Oh, Thursday I also got to go to the temple with one of my converts from Trinidad, Ghislaine. This was her first time going to the temple to do baptisms and she was baptized and confirmed for her grandma. It was so exciting to watch her get baptized and see the light in her countenance there in the temple. She said that she felt her Grandma there with her. I also went to the temple with a question for the Lord, and all I got was peace. I felt peace and felt happy. It was not the answer that I really wanted (i do like the instructions or directions), but the Lord left me to figure it out on my own. Really, the peace was just to tell me that I already knew the answer. Sometimes I want this big reassurance or guarantee from the Lord, but that is not how the Lord works. He trusts us to make our own decisions and lets us try to ride a bike without training wheels. He is there to catch us before we fall but he lefts us try to do things solo to learn so that one day we can ride a bike solo. Sometimes it scares me when He lets go, but it is part of growing up and learning how to follow Him without being told what to do all of the time. Also in the temple, I realized how much I love the Celestial Room. We only went to the baptistry and the Spirit was strong, but it was not the same as the Celestial room. I understand why they encourage people to do sessions and not just baptisms. It is worth the effort to prepare yourself to being to go through the celestial room. THe temple is worth whatever effort necessary to go there.

Sunday, we saw a few miracles and we had 3 investigators in church!!! Manu (an 8 year old that we are teaching. His mom isnt a member but his grandma yes), Maria Ignacia, and also Rosa. Rosa we met last week and when we saw her this week she said that she would give up her extra work (it pays in one day what she gets paid for the rest of the week) every other week to go to church. She said that she would come this week so we got a brother from the ward to pick her up. Sunday morning, she did not answer her phone and no one was outside of her house when the brother passed by. Right as sacrament was about to start, Rosa called us from another number and said that she was waiting. As we approached the Brother, he just said, "ya me voy (english translation: Alright I am leaving)" He went and picked her up and they got there right after the sacrament. Rosa said that she had read the pamphlet and the last page about church and did not have a dress but was going to buy one next week. She loved sacrament meeting and this brother that picked her up explained things to her and helped her the whole time. The members make a HUGE difference!!! She is progressing a lot!!! We are excited.

I am learning more and more the power of my Heavenly Father. He truly prepares people and we are there to teach them and help them feel the Spirit. I am just so amazed at how the Lord uses us, ineffective tools, to bring about His great work. He is the captain directing everything and He lets us participate. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve. Knowing that I am going home soon fills me with a lot of sadness to leave all the people here. I have fallen in love with the people of Chile and I just love them!!!!

I love yall too! Dont worry! Dont forget to read your scriptures and say your prayers!!! Les quiero un montón!

con mucho amor,
hermana Taylor