Interview With a New Mission President

This week was pretty awesome. 

It rained for three days straight.  I use to hate the rain. The mission has taught me to love it.  Everything is so clean and the air is fresh afterwards.

Yup!  I'm still a little goofy and having fun!  :)

We had interviews with our new mission president.  To be honest I was a little nervous because I didn´t have the same confidence with him as I did with President Bluth. However, as we began the interview I could feel the love that he has for us and missionary work. I had a bunch of questions about what I should do these last three weeks.  I was pretty stressed out because everyone was telling me different things and all I wanted to do was focus on the work here.  He told me to pray for the strength to focus my thoughts on el campo misional (the mission field) and start making my plans for my life when I´m on the plane home. I could feel all the stress leave and I can say that I have more energy than I did before!  

Yesterday we had another miracle!  We felt that we should have visited a part-member family.  They´ve been less active for a long time and we were running out of ideas and plans to help them come back.  Their daughter Connie, has had the desire to be baptized for a long time now and when she prays, she always asks that Heavenly Father can help her whole family come back to church and that He can help her be baptized.  She has such a pure spirit.  Anyways, last night we were talking with the grandmother, when Connie and her mom Karen arrived from their trip in the south.  Karen saw us in the living room, walked to the centre of the room and with tears in her eyes said, ¨I want to come back to church!" She said that their vacation was beautiful but she felt that something was missing. When she saw us, she realized what it was. We ran to her and gave her a big hug.  Connie jumped up and started dancing and yelling, ¨I won´t be going to church alone anymore!¨ We were all crying tears of joy. 

I know that Heavenly Father is always aware of us and our needs and desires, even the little children.  He hears each and everyone of our prayers.

This experience also reminded me of the talk from General Conference about spiritual rescue. Never give up!  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/to-the-rescue-we-can-do-it?lang=spa

To all the shy people out there that feel they don´t have the talents or ability to share the gospel.  I invite you to read this article and reflect on how you can overcome fear.

https://www.lds.org/liahona/2016/04/youth/even-if-youre-shy?lang=spa

Thanks for everyone that has been writing me and giving me encouragement!  I wish I could write each and everyone personally! 

Love you all lots!  

Hermana Jakob

Oh yeah!  This pizza was to die for!!!  Stone oven baked, home made pizza dough.  Cheese from the farmers... yum!

So Why Would I Turn Purple?

Oh my gosh! I just received my itinerary for coming home!!!  That left me a little breathless...

Knocking doors, we found another miracle! Nielson is his name.  He is 40 years old and wants to change his life.  He´s felt that he´s in a standstill and that there´s something missing. We shared a bit of the doctrine of Jesus Christ and taught him how to pray.  After praying he shared with us that he was super agradecido (grateful) that we passed by his house because he could feel a peace that he needed.  We explained that the peace he felt was the Holy Spirit. Nielson invited himself to church and has a lot of interest in the Restuaracion (Restoration). We´ll be visiting him tomorrow with the Bishop!

I know that only through living the evangelio (gospel) we can find true happiness.  Living the Gospel isn´t always easy, but it´s easier than anything else!

This week we helped clean the backyard of a lady that the other sisters are teaching (there are 4 of us Sisters in the ward).  I love that all the people here have a lot of fruit trees and grape vines.  Gabriela gave us a TON of grapes and apricots.  I think I´m going to turn purple like the girl in Willy Wonka from all the grapes we´ve been eating!  jajaja!

We ate at a restaurant this week with a family from the ward.  It´s called El Quincho (it means BBQ shed or smokehouse).  The restaurant is really cool because it´s decorated all rustic like with a bunch of artisan madera (wood) and cosas mapuche (Mapuche made things - the Mapuche are the indigenous people of  south central Chile and south western Argentina) .  The food is to die for!  Aaaaaannd I found a Chilean cook book so we can make lots of delicious food when I get back!  

Love you all lots!  I invite you to go over some of the talks from General Conference! It was awesome!

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/choices?lang=spa

Hermana Jakob

Sunday Evening Miracles With My New "Daughter"

Queridos! (Dear Ones!)

Guess what!  I´m training again!!!  I´m so happy that I get to train on my last transfer!  I secretly wanted to train and end with a Latin companion and Heavenly Father cumplió mis deseos! (fulfilled my desires - gave me my wish)  Hermana Peña is from Santiago.  She´s about 5 feet tall, hahah and is the sweetest girl I know! She comes from a large family of seven (lucky number!) Hermana Peña is the best friend of Hermana Fres (we lived together in the house) and Hermana Fres showed me a photo of her the week before.  Can you imagine my surprise when I was assigned to be her trainer?! xD! She is a professional cueca dancer.  If you´re not sure what the cueca is, look it up of Youtube.

 

There´s a Hermana in the ward that makes vestido de Huasa (Huasa dress) for the sister missionaries.  She´s going to sew one for me! Yay!  

I loved General Conference!  Why didn´t I pay more attention to conference before my mission?  It really is a time to spiritually recharge.  I love so many of the talks given but I like Elder Holland´s talk at the end.  To remember that we won´t always be able to maintain a spiritual high but we can try our best, and Heavenly Father blesses those who try with all their might to improve.  

The church building.

We had an after-conference miracle.  We met a gentleman, Mario, on the street and scheduled an appointment to visit him Sunday evening.  We passed by his house and there weren´t any lights on so we assumed that he was sleeping.  Right when we were ready to leave, he opened the door and invited us to sit on his front porch.  We learned that he took care of his sick mom for the most part of his life and that she had died about 4 years ago. This caused him mucho tristeza (sadness).  We shared a bit of the Plan of Salvation and extended the invitation to be baptized.  He accepted right away!... And invited himself to church! Heavenly Father really has prepared Mario.  The sad thing is, we realized that his house se queda (stays - is situated) in the Elder´s sector :(  

Bueno, hay sembradores y hay cosechadores. (There are sower and there are reapers - referring to harvesting and the parable of the sowers)

Love you all lots!  

Hermana Jakob

Burros in the street.

An upper view in Angol

My Last Transfer and "Heightened" Contemplation!

Hola mis queridos!  (Hello my dear ones!)

Sorry for not writing last week.  We took a trip to a national park and we didn´t have time to write afterwards.  It was really cool!  The national park is called ¨Nahuelbuta.¨ There´s is a breath taking look out called ¨The Eagle´s Rock. The day was so clear that we could see a panoramic view from la Cordillera (the mountains) to the sea!  It was so silent and tranquillo (still) that we just sat on the rock for about an hour meditating and taking in the view.

In the park there are araucaria trees that are over 1000 years old! 

The weird thing about the park is that it was deadly silent.  There aren´t a lot of animals or birds and most of the animals that do live there hide when humans pass by.  All the trees there are covered in hanging moss, like in the southern states.  It was kind of cool to walk through the park and think of all the Lamanites and Nephites that could have walked through these parts of the world!

We also had an amazing conference for the mission.  Un setenta (a member of the Seventy) spoke about the importance of being a PMG (Preach My Gospel - the manual missionaries use to help them teach and serve people) missionary and the role of the Holy Ghost when we are sharing the message of the gospel.  I invite you all to read the talk by Elder Bednar ¨Becoming a Preach My Gospel Missionary,¨ because it not only applies to missionaries but to whoever has a calling as a teacher, (mother, father, seminary teacher, primary teacher, etc...)

https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/becoming-a-preach-my-gospel-missionary?lang=eng

Today we have transfers! Hermana Stone is leaving El Mirador to finish the training of a sister in Lebu.  Hermana Stone is a machine!  She feels a little overwhelmed but I know she´ll do a great job!  I´ll be training again!  YAYAY!   I am SO happy!  I secretly wanted to train again because it is such a beautiful experience to receive a new missionary full of light and hope and help them begin the missionary experience.  

The sign reads "Welcome Dear Sisters"

One of my best friends in the mission, Hermana Gallegos, finished her mission this week too.  It´s hard to say goodbye.  We´ve passed through so much together and she taught me how to love unconditionally, without judging.  I hope we can see each other again. 

That´s all the news for this week!  I´ll keep you posted and send you pics of my new hija! (daughter - what they called a newbie straight out on the mission)

Love you all!  

Hermana Jakob

Sorry... No Letter Home this Week

Mom's Note:


We didn't hear from Hermana Jakob on Monday.  As a mom it was a little unnerving but we assumed that no news is good news.  However, she did contact us with a one line email the next day telling us that all is well and that she and her companion had to travel for a zone conference and did not have any time to email home.  She said she will catch us up to speed next Monday..... I'm holding her to it!  It is now a sprint to the finish! 

Eating' and Singin' It Up!

Hola Queridos!

This week was a whirlwind of events but it feels like all the work we are doing is starting to fall into place.  

This week we were asked to sing at a funeral.  A sister in the ward works for a cemetery selling plots and hosting burial ceremonies. Nacy is really cool.  Every day she has to opportunity to share the gospel because of the nature of her work.  Anyway, the funeral was for the previous bishop of El Mirador.  His baby died about 5 months ago in Concé and they were moving the casket closer to home. He and his wife are angry with God right now and don´t want anything to do with religion but Hermana Nacy was very bold in inviting us. We sang "Where Can I Turn For Peace" and it felt like the whole park was filled with a tranquilidad (tranquility). The mom gave us a big hug after and thanked us.  It was terribly sad but I´m so happy that we have a knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and that families can perpetuate beyond the grave and know that their baby is in peace. How wonderful it is, that the Atonement of Jesus makes this possible. 

This week, a family in the ward invited us to a festival of the culinary arts - Chileno style.  It was DELICIOUS!!!  We ate empanadas, anticucho (shish-kabobs), and Mote con huesillo (?). We got a chance to get to know some of the workers there and the bomberos (firemen).  

On Saturday the other companionship here had a baptism. We sang ¨Joseph Smith´s First Prayer.¨ and Elder Walker accompanied us.  We sing a lot in the ward, Hermana Stone and I, but it´s interesting to see that it changes the setting and creates an atmosphere where the Holy Ghost can dwell.  Bishop was very wise when he gave us the suggestion to use our talents as much as we can.  

We had a conference for all of Chile this Sunday and they talked a lot about keeping the commandments and finding joy in the journey of life even when things get tough.  It reminded me a lot of the Book of Mormon and the experiences of the Nephites and Lamanites.  We really aren´t all that different from them.  They had  problems in their families too.  They had wars, they had corrupt governments, they had fears and hopes and dreams.  One promise rings trues for us as it did for them.  If you keep the commandments of God, you will prosper in the land.  

Love you lots!

Hermana Jakob

Singing Like Phantom of the Opera!

Buenas tardes!  (Good afternoon!)

I am so happy for all the creations that Heavenly Father has made for us!  Chile right now is FULL of fresh fruit trees. When we´re walking in the street and feel a little hungry, all we have to do is pull a fresh peach or fig from a nearby tree.  It´s the best!  I think I´m addicted figs!

My companion this week contacted a man on the street.  She asked where he lived and he said that lived in the prison.  Hermana Stone didn´t understand so she responded, ¨Oh perfect! Can we visit you and your family?¨ LOL!... the look on the guys face was priceless and he began to laugh! 

A night view from the top of a street in town... beautiful with the lights!

Brother Salvador came to church!  He´s from Panama and has been living here in Chile for 12 years. He´s a bit of an eternal investigator and we were trying to think of a way that would help him have a spiritual experience.  Hermana Stone felt inspired to sing a hymn for him (just so you know she´s trained classically and sings like the lead star of Phantom of the Opera!). We sang ¨Where Can I Turn For Peace" and after the second word, he started to cry and the room was filled with the Spirit.  Then we read 3 Nephi, chapter 11 when Jesus visits the Americas and again his eyes began to get all teary and he said that he knew that the Book of Mormon was true. He recognized the whisperings of the Holy Ghost and we´ve seen a change in him!  I know there is a converting power that comes from reading the Book of Mormon.  It helps us come to know Jesus Christ and understand the Atonement. I also know that God has given us talents and we should use them in sharing the gospel.

This week, I have been focusing on being more grateful. Sometimes, when things don´t go as we planned we get upset and start questioning ¿Why?  Sometimes we feel that we don´t have any success with our plans and goals.

  

A greater faith in Jesus Christ and more gratitude for the things that we have will help us see how we are already beginning to have success. The world will seem brighter and we will be more aware of the little daily miracles in our path.  I challenge you all to give a prayer of gratitude at the end of each day.

Love you all lots!

Hermana Jakob

Doesn't this Twinkie look a lot like this Elder?  ...LOL!