Moving Houses!

This week was a little crazy but we saw a lot of miracles too!

On Thursday, we moved houses.  This one is a lot bigger and a lot nicer for the same price!  Members of the ward here built it with the missionaries in mind.  It has three huge bedrooms.  We all sleep in one room and study in the others.  It also has a wood burning stove, which is a luxury in the mission.  It´s really humid here because we´re so close to the sea and it´s impossible to dry anything without a wood stove (gas stoves do nothing). Our old house was so full of mold that the walls were black!

Unfortunately I don´t have any picutres because something happened to my SD card (again!) and I have to find someone who can save all my picutres. I´ve now learned to valuable lesson to back-up everything on a pen drive. 

This week we decided to pray to find someone who needed help from the Lord.  On Tuesday, we knocked on the door a youth named Matis. Through the window we could see that he was praying on his knees in the living room.  He got up to answer the door and when we introduced ourselves, he let us in and told us that he´s searching for a proposito de la vida (purpose of life).  We shared about the love Heavenly Father has for him and he had a bunch of questions about Mormons.  He´s a really smarth youth and wants to come to church.

I´m running out of time but I promise I´ll give you a lot more updates next week!

Love you all! 

Hermana Jakob

 

 

(Mom's Note... *sigh!*  More blackmail photos this week!)

 

Picture from her mission photo shoot.... innocent trouble!

Winter 2012 - Hermana Jakob and her friend Jess soon to be Sister Baker who will be leaving us in less than a month to serve her 18 month mission in Edmonton, Alberta.  Congratulations Jess!

Cactus Roses in full bloom from the neighbour's garden.  They are gorgeous when they bloom!

Modismos and a New Companion

We had transfers this week!  I´m with Hermana Lockling.  She´s from Santiago Chile!  Woohoo!  I´m with a Chilena!  I´m working on brushing up my accent.  Sometimes our district leader can´t differenciate between us, jajaja!  She´s also teaching me modismos (jargon) so I can communicate with people a little better.  Here are some of them:

 

 

Pato malo:  sitting duck

Ando pato:  I´m broke

embarao: dumb

I´ll send more as I learn more, LOL.  In the end, I´ll be able to talk to all the flaites (gangsters) in our sector!  

This week was a test of our faith.  I´ve learned a lot about the meaning of paciencia y amor (patience and love) over the past 3 months.  My campanion, poor thing... we had the worst ¨Welcome to La Marina¨ ever!  I think every person we contacted yelled at us.  It doesn´t bother me anymore.  I´ve come to understand how the Saviour felt when He was teaching the Pharisees and the Saducees.  They yelled at Him and rejected Him too.  I feel that as representatives of Jesus Christ, we sometimes have to pass through some of the same trials as He did with the end to become more like Him and to develop the love that He has for all of us.  

Despite the difficulties, we met a woman named Elsa.  Her mother was Mormon and she has a lot of interest to learn what her mom believed.  She lives alone without any kids but loves her brothers and sisters a lot.  She´s a really sweet lady.  

This week we have the challenge to teach as much as we can with the members here. It´s going to be a lot of fun to have them help us out!

I invite you all to read ¨Finding Joy in the Journey.¨ It´s a talk that helped me out a lot.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/finding-joy-in-the-journey?lang=eng

Love you all lots.  Until next week!

Hermana Jakob

 

 

 

My new companion Hermana Lockling

 

On the Spot in Spanish

This week was a little bit of crazy, a little bit of sad.

 

We prepared my companion Hermana Martínez for her voyage home.  She has served an honourable 18 meses (months).  We were working so hard up until the very last moment that we kind of forgot to pack her bags.  Last night we were up until 1:30 in the morning trying to get it all done.

 

 

Hermanas in our house.

 

I know we shouldn't have favourites but she has been my favourite compañera (companion) to serve with.  She has a special place in my heart.  I learned so much from her: what it means to be a missionary, how to love people unconditionally, how to work with all the diligence and energy of your soul.  She is a living testimony of what she believes; a reflection of Christ.  I wish her all the best. 

We had a family home evening with our investigators Carlos and Cristóbal and we had a miracle!  Before, their mom didn´t want to talk to us but we invited her to join us and she opened up we got to know each other a little better!  We´re focusing on inviting them as a family because en verdad (in truth), the gospel was created by a loving Heavenly Father for families.

También (Also), a familia (family) Torrez Mellado came to church!  Jario is a menos active (less active member) and is wife is Catholic but he wants his daughter to be baptized so we started teaching them.  On Satuday, we invited them to attend church with their daughter to help support her in her decision!  They agreed! There was an especially sweet spirit in the church on Sunday and the whole time Tatiana, the mom, was smiling!

 

 

The Torres Mellado family with Hermana Martinez.

 

On Sunday, I had to give a 20-30 minute talk, without any notice beforehand.  I was freaking out a little because my Spanish is still a work in progress.  My words were all scrambled (I think) ..I don´t know if anyone understood but I must say, I feel like it was a success. There is no way I would have thought 9 months ago, that I could give a talk on the spot in Spanish...let along carry a conversation!

The Lord has truly blessed us in so many ways.  There are little miracles every day.  I invite you all to reflect at the end of every day this week, to look back on some of the little miracles that you´ve seen throughout the day.  It will truly brighten up your heart, no matter how bad of a day you´ve had, and help you to see how much Heavenly Father really loves you.  

¡Hasta el proxima semana! (Until next week!)

Les quiero (Love you all)

Hermana Jakob <3

And the Winner of the Copa America is......

¡Hola familia y amigos! (Hello family and friends!)

Entonces (Well), this week was a bit of a crazy one.  It was a week full of partidos de Chile! (football games).  We watched the finals at Hermano Cesar´s house with other members and menos activos (less actives).  Hermana Reyes cooked up a scrumpcious buffet of carne asado (roast beef) and longaniza (sausage) with papas (potatos).  During the beginning of the game, Hermana Ivonne painted all of our faces to show our Chilean pride!...aaannnd...Guess what? Chile won the Copa America!!! I have NEVER seen so much patriotism!  People were running in the streets waving flags of Chile, honking horns and yelling.  I didn´t get a picture of it but the light poles and telephone lines were full of confetti and streamers!  

 

This week we were focusing on searching for people through the Spirit.  We found a man named Nelson.  As he was telling us about his life, a light was shining in his eyes and the Spirit prompted us to share with him about the plan of salvation and the love of our Heavenly Father.  The Spirit was so strong and I know that he felt it too.  Creamos que el es un escogido (We believe he is "golden" or a chosen one.)  I´m glad that Heavenly Father could help lead us to Nelson and his family.  That we could be an instrument in His hands to bring tidings of joy and repentance.  

 

This week was a little tough for me.  I still feel like I´m not that great of a teacher. I still struggle with the language amoung other things.  Hermana Martinez was my saving angel and was the answer to my prayers for help.  She shared her testimony of her experiences in the mission. She's helped me realize that this in the ONLY time that we have to serve the Lord full time, day and night, 24 hr 7 days a week, to declare repentace to the world.  Sure, after our missions we can continue by helping the missionaries teach, befriend investigators and conversos recientes (recent converts) but it won't be quite the same.   

 

Alma 26:28-31

 

28...we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.

 29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills… 30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul…  31 Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us."

It is truly a gift to be here.  I´m here because I love my Saviour, I love my Heavenñy Father and I love his children.  

Les amo mucho  (Love you all lots)

Hermana Jakob 

 

 

With Hermano Raul

 

 

With my companion Hermana Martinez

With Hermana Ivonne who painted our faces.

 In the tv room watching the final game.

 At the home of the Soto family for BBQ

Hermana Martinez showing her Chilean spirit.

Chile is doing well!

Chile wins the Copa America!!!

Lots of patriotism here.  Look at all that red white and blue!