Con Amor, Hermana Luna: Week 20: ConferATION revelATION

The caption is my companion and Hermana Lopez, adding ATION to any word to make it english. IT'S HILARIATION. Also I'd like to add that Hna (my companion) and I received the compliment that were a great companionship, very happy.

Journal notes:
03-29 With 4 minutes to spare before 'lights out', in my new floor bed and floral Lider robe, I will complete my goal of saying a few things--like I learned that--the Feria is way cool! Grateful to have such a sharp companion. Just in planning, I can see that we'll be way worthy for success. My goal for this transfer is LOVE!
03-30 Today, we woke up super cold and thank goodness Hna suggested we stay in for exercises because I was hoping for it :D. I'm gonna suggest we hug after we wake up because it's nice. I really felt a difference to study personally for the investigators rather than myself. I feel a lot more love for them as I'm searching for answers to their questions and needs. It was a long day of Hma not feeling well, starting to fast, but then stopping after finding out we're going to fast as a zone tomorrow, lots of walkin', walkin'. But for comp study, we read about 'purification' in the mission which related a story of a missionary wanting powerful lessons and the answer which changed him and their success dramatically was making a list of things he did that drove the spirit away. Fasting to overcome these and abstaining from these for 40 days. We immediately agreed we wanted the same thing! Marco is golden!! ...'All I want is to be clean...I want to know the faith!' So honest! And he also is super amazing with spray paint art...I might buy one from him (heaven's perspective of earth and other planets).
03-31 We ran around in the house today, had lunch with the kindest Hermana ever! Her house is super nice and her music so classy. Her cooking is pro. And she's awesome just like Hma said. It all started with her answering our call 'What are you selling! Don't want it!' And she came out all 'mad' lol and I just started to say, as Nick Baker would say, 'Do you know where liars go?' But I stopped myself and she looked at me funny so I asked her and she bust out laughing like, 'ahh, you caught me!' Needless to say, it was a good time with her. Her cousin named Francisco came and he looked at me and said that I had contacted him in November or something...I was so confused, like how? What! But I remembered he and his girlfriend (who's now in Brazil in her mission [Kayla's spanish just kicked in..hehe!]) were my first contacts with Hnas Tippetts and Gardner while in the CCM! On the temple grounds! HA! How CRAZY! He's doing well, studying, wishing his GF was home so he could marry her...oh boy...good luck buddy.

Next we visited with Milagro [miracle] (cool name, right?) who is our talkative investigator. She's got a lot of issues. So many people think we're psychologists and like to tell life story after life story. They rarely take our lesson time with them as seriously as they should, and by that I mean coming into the lessons prepared to FIX their problems with FAITH in the gospel of Jesus Christ, restored to the earth TODAY!...but I blame myself/companion for not having enough power to control the lesson and literally pour the spirit into their hearts...lol...which I know we cant do, but can only do our best.

At once [snack between lunch and dinner], we made a smoothie with our fresh strawberries (yum!) and Hna read my old journal practicing her pronunciation. Man, I didn't realize how bipolar English is!--one minute it's like the letter 'a' should sound like 'ah', the next time it's 'uh'. Que dificil! But I love Hna when she's so happy and silly practicing.

Afterward, we went to go visit Rachel whom we met Monday, but on the way, a group of smoking teenagers stopped us respectfully for 'a moment of our time', haha. They asked us what we're doing, teaching, etc., and hopefully the one was sincere when he said he wants us to visit him and his mom because that was good. But in the end, one guy asked, 'Como se dice 'eres may linda' en ingles?' to which I responded, 'You Are A Mis-sion-ar-y'! Hma thought it was very funny and the flaite was left confused 'Que? No entender?' Anyways, with Rachel it was a little hard because like every mom, her kids were bothering her and yelling and crying. Also, she's lacking faith...so that wasn't fun. But what WAS fun was putting setting a baptism date for a couple names Roger and Naty. We didn't plan on it, but they're just so ready! They've received all the lessons and they even went back to Peru to get married so they could get baptized. Now they're back and learning the lessons again, and now will be baptized with Marco!! How Cool!

Today was cool in the sense that we got to be downtown all day [not in North mission boundaries] with nothing to do but wait with all the other foreigners for carnets, take a number, then explore the city (which is so nice!! Lucky missionaries of Santiago East), but it was also tiring and a little stressful being in such a busy place.

University of Chile (I think) in downtown Santiago

I got a month extension on my visa because mine's not ready yet or something like that. So we just went for Hna...we looked through thrift shops (called Ropa Americana, all of it!)

By the way, it's now the close of General Conference weekend, 04-03-16 and I'm so grateful for this time of the year. First of all, did you watch conference? Second of all, did y'all love it as much as we did? It was refreshing to watch in English and feel so strongly the presence of the spirit and our Father in Heaven and brother and Savior Jesus Christ. The message of Elder Eyring encouraging us to FEEL the testimonies of all who would speak in conference was powerful to me, because my testimony of the real existence of God and the role of Jesus Christ at the head of this church grew deeper into my mind and heart. I sustain His prophet Thomas S Monson and all of his servants because I know their words, whatever they be, whenever they be, are STRAIGHT from the spirit of the real living God. If you don't know this, find out, because the direction you will receive through the spirit through them will be pure light in this often dark world. And it's amaze ing. As Elder Holland lovingly and body stated (by the way we worried where he was and cheered when Elder Uctdorf announced he'd conclude the conference :D!) God never has and never will desert us...tomorrow will always be magnificent. Why? BECAUSE GOD WANTS IT TO BE. Heaven is cheering you on. So sanctify yourself, because tomorrow God will do wonders among you. This is literally hand-in-hand with this 40-day purification we're doing as a zone and I have hope and faith I CAN become purified...just wondering about what to do with my personality, wondering if I'll be losing ME, but I think of Elder Uctdorf's talk--He's building us into something far greater than what we were, and I must become what I was designed to become--it is by obedience that we gather light in our souls, and we are discovering who we truly ARE. I understand now what they meant before my mission saying that God breaks you down just to build you back up again. I'm not sure who that is, but I have faith to find out! Like so many latinos cheerfully say in their accents, DUN WURRY; BE HAPPY.

Just yesterday I had an intercambio (exchange) with the wonderful Hermana Lopez from Argentina, and she's amazing! And I couldn't help but think, holy hannah montana (as Saryn would say), how will I ever become this perfect missionary? She and her companion have got 10 (now 11 yesterday with our miracle Lorena) people preparing for baptism in the next month and she's got so much confidence and power of the spirit. ayy!!

But I know we're only going to become who we want to become when we allow HIM to make us. And I promise to Him, I'm ready to do that. So my challenge for all is this--are you all letting God build you? If not, I lovingly urge you all to do so. Because it's freedom. Freedom from confusion, selfishness, and unnecessary heartache. It's what He intended for you. Happiness! So look for it! It's there, because He's here.

It's no IHOP, but can't forget ya prophets, pajamas, and pancakes for Conference!