Cambio Neuvo, Companera Neuva (New Transfer, New Companion)

Hola familia y amigos! (Hello Family and Friends!)

So...summer is officially over here. It is so cold during the night and the only thing we have to heat the houses (and most missionary houses are like this) here is a gas space heater and of course you can't sleep with that thing running during the night.  The risk of CO poisoning is too high.  Entonces (then), we´re going to go out and buy sleeping bags to help keep us toasty warm during the night.  I want one with a hood.  Winter here is going to be a cool experience (excuse the pun).  

We had transfers on Tuesday.  Hermana Rimmasch went to Santa Juana and Hermana Crandall came here from San Pedro.  It´s quite the change for her!  San Pedro is a bustling city, kind of like Toronto.  Curacautín is a little country town.  Despite the change, she loves it.

  

A little about my new companion Hermana Crandall.  She´s from Colorado, US but studied at Provo antes la mission (before her mission). Shes the youngest in her family.  She´s a super awesome missionary and I´ve already learned so much from her.  I feel like it is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  (Did I just quote a movie?)

I´m very grateful to have her for a companion.  In all seriousness, she was an answer to my prayers that I could find a way to amplify my calling as a missionary.  I just hope that I can support her.  I still feel like I a baby out here!  The language is coming along.  I can understand more than I can speak now but we´ve made it our goal to speak Spanish all the time to improve this debilidad (weakness).  

Probably one of the best experiences this week was when we knocked on the door of a house we had never tried before.  A woman, Juana, opened the door and immediatly let us in.  We were a little taken aback because we hadn´t previously known her and people normally don´t let us in until we explain who we are.  We talked with her and her husband for a bit and shared the Restauración (the Restoration) and invited her to pray.  She didn´t have interest but I felt inspired to give her husband a copy of the Book of Mormon.  He´s Mapuche, which is an indiginous people here in Chile.  I explained that the Book of Mormon, like the Bible, is sacred scripture and testifies of Christ and that the people in this book are his ancestors.  They joy on his face when I gave it to him...words can´t describe!  I was instantly filled with the same joy.  

Another great spiritual experience that we had this week was when we were teaching Ramón.  His sister from Argentina is visiting and he invited us over to share a little bit with her.  We watched the Restauración (Restoration) video with them and after, there were tears in her eyes.  She said she had talked with the Mormon missionaries before but never understood why they talked so much about Joseph Smith but that after watching this movie, she now knows.  

As missionaries, we share what we know to be true.  That through a living prophet, Jospeh Smith, the Church that Jesus Christ established was restored.  Because of this, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only one that has priesthood authority to make convenios (covenants) like baptism and marriage con Dios (with God) that will perpetuate beyond the grave. 

Many other churches claim to be the only true way but how can we know for sure which of all is correct?  Like Joseph Smith, we ask you to pray to Heavenly Father, to receive this knowledge.  Don´t trust our words.  Heavenly Father knows what is best for you.  He loves you and wants you to return to Him.  He will guide you to back to him.  All you need to do is ask with an open heart and and be willing to follow the guidance He gives you.

LES AMO MUCHISIMO!! (Love you lots) XOXOXO

Hermana Jakob



Our district before last transfers.

My new companion Sister Crandall with curry that we made.  How awesome! She wants to eat healthy and I'm really happy to do so as well. We're also doing 'Insanity'  during the mornings.