November 9, 2015

WOW you guys I am starting to really not want mondays to come around... this week flew by and i am closer and closer to completing 6 months in the mission and it makes me really sad! I will turn 20 on the 19th and the day after complete 6 months in the mission so you can bet that i have been planning ways to hid when my time here is up so i dont have to go home ill probably just crawl into one of the many huge spider web houses.

So this week has been a week of a lot of spiritual thinking for me obviousy as a missionary i have a lot of spiritual thinking but this week was more so than ever. I spent a lot of my free time putting our Area book in order, reading Liahonas, studying scriptures and my patriatical blessing and ended in a fast on sunday. I have been searching for an answer to a long awaited question that i have had since i started my misison and the passon to find the answer grew when i  was transfered here in Rio Bueno. 

I was searching for a way to forget all that has happened in my past. I wanted to find a way to finally forgive myself, along with others. i have wanted to find a way to easily forgive others the way the lord forgives others. I have tried to ¨fake it until you make it¨ convincing myself that i have put it all in the past. All my attempts have yet to work until this week. As i pondered this week over the needs of our investigators a common factory kepy coming and that was the atonement and forgiveness. As i talked with my comp it became more and more clear that some of the same problems they were having were the inner battles i was struggling. I finally decided to random open my scriptures. the verses that i recieved were D&C 24:8 and Moroni 10:3-5

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know thetruth of all things.

I at first was like ¨really.. the same scripture we use all the time with investigators it must be a mistake so i being stubborn closed my scriptures and did it again and once again i got this scripture but this time the words stood out bigger to me ¨SINCERE HEART¨¨MERCIFUL¨ i then decided to spend the whole week searching through the atonement and i found the best talks that all had the phrase use the mercy and grace of god and let it go, let it go. i continued to look and look thinking wow its not coming ill fast and so i fasted and yesterday i ended my fast and felt tremendously better but was still missing something so i spend the morning reading but it was until today when i recieved a email that confirmed what i had already known from earlier during the week.

 

                                                           LET IT GO

The letter i recieved had parts of a mormon message that i love about a man that loses his wife, unborn baby, son and daughter in a car accident and how when he had saw the other car he immediately didnt feel hate or anger towards the car only a confirmation that it wasnt his burden to bare and he needed to let it go. 

I can truly testify that i heart a still voice say to me personally ¨Madi let it go¨ as  i sat at my study desk my heart grew a million sizes and i knew that i had received all that i had needed that it wasnt my burden to carry because my savior had already done it. I KNOW MY SAVIOR LIVES. i know that i have seen his work here in chile with those i am teaching and i know that i can help them LET IT GO. i am so grateful for the power of the atonement and the ability to truly feel at peace. i want you all to know that when somehting happens it happens because it needs to happen. i know now more than ever that THINGS HAPPEN WHEN THEY NEED TO HAPPEN and that we need to have a more eternal perspective maybe something big happens in our lives or a small thing happens in our life that can effect our lifes or more importantly others. i have been thinking a little to much abut me and not enough about others i have a plan to only pray this week for others and i challenge you do do the same. the lord knows our needs and will bless us so i want others to recieve more blessings i love you all so much and i am grateful for every isngle email i recieve i read them all and save them all. i want you to know that you are missionaries with me and i need you to find those walking in darkness and help them. i cant wait to see what this week holds!! 

ALL MY LOVE XOXOX

CON TODO DE MI AMOR   Hermana Kogianes 

same earrings as a little girl in the ward that i love

WE FOUND A SHEEPS HEAD HAHA UMM also a pic from our clean house in hopes for permission to leave the sector to explore

fotos are of a dead sheep head being cooked because they eat it here, a rainbow from sunday, me and my comp eating popsicle because its been so hot here and the daughters of victor javier and renata! the daughters victoria and carla

 

November 2, 2015

WOW!   I can not begin to express to all of you how amazed i am that another monday is yet again here! i am really beginning to hate P days because that means another week gone. Today is transfers annnnnddddddddddd i am here in RIO BUENO! and the best part... HERMANA TORRES is stil my lovelyl compy. i am super excited to continue my work here with her and get to know each other even more! it is her last transfer in the mission (tear dropped on the keyboard) i am so sad to think that she will be gone in a short 6 weeks but we have plans to work really hard and eat tons of food before she returns to Argentina.

This week I have really grown with my spanish and ability to speak. i have also decided to try and learn Argentina spanish from my comp. In Argentina they have an accent that is spanish but with a more italian accent its really awesome.

Alrighty so this week we had a lot of really good things happen and a lot of really lame things happen so to be honest i am not really sure what to share with you so i will try to share a little of everything.

Monday we met with victor javier and his family. his wife renata really doesnt like the mormon church and when we went over she was really rude to us and cold. she told us she would never meet with us and that our church is wrong and a lot of awful things but after a conversation of 30 minutes and us expressing that we really loved her honesty and sharing her feelings she asked for our forgiveness and said that she would love to meet with us and that we are welcome anytime.

Tuesday was a huge blessing for me! i was having a really rough day so after lunch i decided to start fasting. i had prayed for a lot of things, one of them being for the ability to feel the spirit stronger and to know that i could help the people here. 20 minutes after my fast i recieved a phone call from my trainer! i could hardly believe it as i heard her voice on the other line. i was able to talk to her for a good 5 minutes and hermana braithwaite my companion from the ccm. She shared some things with me and told me how much she loved and adored me. after the phone call i was so shocked i could not believe that i had so rapidly recieved a long awaited answer to a fast.

Wednesday we met with Elaina and tonia! it was a fantastic lesson about the restoration and they really loved the clip we showed about the joseph smith and they both argreed to read and pray. they both expressed the joy and peace they felt when we were there and that they just cant stop smiling because they feel so good. We also had a party for a returned missionary that was so weird for my comp that we eventually left because she couldnt stand to think that she would be doing that in a few short months (december) 

Thursday was a crazy day... a lady almost hit me with her car but nothing happened and i am fine mom so dont worry. Eliana felt so strongly to have us visit a friend of hers that is having a hard time. her husband has recently been lost in the mountians and they cant find him so we taught her the plan of salvation and called the elders to give her a blessing of comfort and then after they stole her from us because she lived 4 houses into their sector needless to say i was not happy but i am at peace with it now because atleast she is getting to hear the lessons. my compy is still flaming mad about it and says the elders always do that. we were also yelled at by an angelic lady that said we believed in joseph smith and not god and that we are bascially losing salvation and that we need to read the bible i literally had to bite my tonuge after testifying to her about the book of mormon.

Friday we had lunch with Eliana and tonia it was such a great afternoon and they were still progressing so much and even agreed to read some chapters in the book of mormon.

Saturday and Sunday we spent the day in osorno for the stake conference this weekend that was really great! the stake president and our president of the mission really gave it to the members about helping out the missionarys and our convents about baptism. the sad part of the day was that we went to visit Eliana and she dropped us saying she couldnt read a false book. what happened was when we had lunch with her she took pictures of us with her and posted it on facebook well are her friends and family that are angelics gave her alot of anti mormon stuff so she rejected all the spiritual feeligns she had felt and said we were a cult and wouldnt meet with us i was so sad to see satan win a battle with someone that was really progresssing but i have faith that she will one day see the light of christ.

the most spiritual thing i want to share with you is a video that we watched during this stake conference from Jefferey R Holland about missionary work. he shares the story of peter and christ when christ asks him 3 times if he loves and each time peter says yes more than anything. then he tells him ¨THEN FEED MY SHEEP¨  If we really love christ than why is it so hard to give up our worldy things to do missionary work? i really loved this question because as a missionary we have our things that at times make it so we do not feed the sheep of christ. as members of the church why do we not visit thoughs in need? why is it so hard to visit teach people we are given even when they dont want us to visit or still arent coming to church? i want you guys to pray and ask heavenly father ¨what is it that you want of me today?¨ look for those in need of missionary service this day. When we entered into the waters of baptism we said YES LORD I WILL FOLLOW THEE AND DO THE THINGS YOU ASK we didnt say well maybe i will today or down the road decide no. when it comes to commandments and good doings we do not need to kneel down and ask heavenly father if we should or shouldnt do it we already know the answer from when we were baptised at  tender age of 8 years old and for some older but thats not important what is important is we promised to feed his sheep (: i love you all ponder this and when you have an experience or want to share what happened send me an email i wooukld really love tohear it love you all so much 

con amor xoxox

Madi took pictures of flowers that she knew her Mother would love

My hair is a dream here for all of the girls that are attending beauty school.

we made MILANESAS food from argentina!

  

All time favorite

and sheeeeeeeeeeee's safe!!!!

This is my all time favorite picture from Madi playing high school softball.  She slid into home plate so hard that the catcher dropped the ball and Madi scored!  It was so awesome as it was a state championship game against rival Spanish Fork.  Oh how I miss watching little miss feisty play!

Madisyn's Email October 26, 2015

WOW what a week it has been here in Rio Bueno! it is starting to get really hot here and am i loving it? YESSSSSS my compy however is dying she hates the hot and loves the cold. the only bad thing is its warm for 2 days out of the week and the rest is freezing and cold or its hot in the afternoon and raining in the night and morning... everyone says utah has bi polar weather you have never been to Chile (:

We found so me really amazing investigators this week knocking doors but guess what..... LESS ACTIVES. ahhh so right now we currently have 15 less active familys that we are trying to re activate and help assist the temple. however the president of our mission sent out and annoucment that we are not super visiting teachers or home teachers we are misisonarys and need to focus in finding new investigators... we are currently trying to get the ward more involved in helping us and taking the load off our shoulders with so many families and recent converts

We did however find a new investigador named Victor Javier. He has 2 daughters and a wife that we have yet to talk to. He is really interested in the church and this isnt the first time that he has listened to the missionaries so we are hoping that we can help him improve. we have an appointment with him today.

Next we found Dolmitro! he is the coolest old man that has a lot of questions about all the churches and when i asked him what it was that he wanted out of his life here on earth he said I want to find the true and perfect church. i smiled and testified to him that i had found that church and i was now a missionary preaching the gospel for that church. he agreed to meet with us again this week so we will see what happens this is the second time he has met with misisonarys but he said before he didnt really pay attention.

the sad news of the week is our cute little recent convert cristel is having a hard time right now well her parents. Christian the dad was doing really good in the beginning and trying to assist all the classes in church and live a good life however recently he has started drinking with some guys from his work. Now during our visits he is very indifferent and is very angry most of the time and says he doesnt think we need a prophet and apostles in front of cristel. we tried to calm him down and explain things but he wouldnt listen and i soon lost my patience with him and we left. Sunday he met with the president of the branch and i think it helped but we will see what happens this week when we visit. i lost patience with him and i felt really bad after.. i feel bad for cristel because she wants to live the gospel more but her parents are struggling spiritually and it has affected her a lot. the good thing is that the mom cecilia has called us asking for help and we have a brother from the ward that is helping us with them.

the spiritual part for this week. i want you all to try 2 activities for me in the book of mormon. the first is i want you to think of a doubt, problem, affliction, question you have about the gospel or anyting happening in your life right now and i want you to read 3 nephi 11: 1-17 while reading have this thought in your mind and find one of these verses that stands out the most to you and there is your answer. The next... pray... pray for the ability to find something you need in the book of mormon and answer of peace or help with current things in your life when you are done praying just open your book of mormon and randomly and the first verse your had is one or is marked and stands out to you read it. i can promise you with all of my heart that it will answer and help you in all that is going on in your lives right now. my sector is currently going through some hard times. a lot of people have severe and mild depression and i have watched it tear families apart as well as tear a person apart spirtually. do this activity and spend time with your family. if you are not currently reading the book of mormon as a family and praying as a family everynight i encourage you to do so please (: the family is so important in this gospel and when one in the family is trying to be better and the others are not satan is attacking your family and you need to fight back. when the family is all doing well satan is even worse than before and will do anything to end it. nightly family prayer and scripture study allows the spirit to enter the home more i have witnessed families on the verge of seperation become one again. i have seen families suffering the death of a love one feel more peace in the home. i love you all so much and pray for all of you. i konw a lot of you ahve difficult times right now and are passing through things difficlut. the savior is here for you and he lives for you. he suffered all for us all he asks is to come unto him. reach out to those around you and express your feelings seek the guidance of the savior

D&C 121: 7-8

 7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

 8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

D&C 24:8

 8 Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; butendure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.

xoxox

Made Brownies with some investigators

Adriana and her boys

We ordered french fries and had them delivered at 10 p.m. one night.  Sausage, tomatoes and egg.

A little bird that Madi almost stepped on

Eating french fries

I love my Husband!

Another photo to add to my list of favorites.  This picture accurately depicts all that Mike so passionately loves. 

Rio Bueno

I am in Rio Bueno it is a pretty big city and sector because it has two parts. one part is for the elders and one is for the sisters. whenever we want to enter into the sector of the other we have to call and ask for permission and if it is not given you cant enter the sector needless to say sometimes the elders like to be stinkers and not let us in. I am by a really big river! its a gorgeous torqouise color and the water flows really fast. in the morning you can see the steam of it in huge clouds. We havent gone in a while to where it is so we will try and i will send some pictures. Here in chile all the people have fenced in yards and houses. its not quite a 3rd world country but it is close especially the area here in the south there is a lot of poverty so everyone has gates and the doors to enter the house dont have handles like at home. you put your key in the door unlock it then put your weight in the door to open it. When we want to knock a door we have to hit a rock or our pens on the fence and yell HHHHALLLLOOOOO and the persons then come to the door or window it makes it so fun sometimes i like to sing. almost everyone has a dog in the yard that barks and barks at us. i have never wanted to kick a dog more in my life. my house that i am in right now is so tiny in the bedroom i am about as tall as it so that goes to tell you something.

where Madi lives

inside Madi's house

okay as far as investigados we dont have a whole lot right now because we had one but it turns out that she is a less active member which go figure. here in chile almost everyone is a less active member that has gone to church in years after moving or missionarys leaving it is so sad.  Her name is Adriana she is so nice and realy wants to come back to church and have her 2 sons baptised because she know sit will only help them in there life. we talked to the 10 yr old son Miguel Angel about baptism he is super inteligent and says he wants to pray first and the 8 yr old son alex really loves the idea about baptism.  she also has a 6 yr old grandson matius! he is the sweetest thing and loves us he always wants  us to come by so we will work more with them.

next we have gladys. she came to church not this last sunday but the sunday before but didnt take the sacrament and is now bad again, she doesnt want to get out of bed so i was very direct with her about her daughter that she can not have her daughter for eternity without her will to get better and do the things necesary. she got dressed and got out of bed and these last days has been doing really well so we are hoping to see a permenant change in her. she is really like a mom to me here and my heart aches for her. she has suffered for almost 2 years with depression over the loss of her daughter and feeling guilty for not helping her.  my wonderful mother shelley sent me a article from the ensign a few months ago tht helped me but i really didnt need it, however when i met gladys i knew why my mom had a feeling to send it to me. she has read it and now understands more that the savior is here for us. 

your love and letters help push this work along too! i hope you all know that when we follow spiritual promptings we help others and can change there lifes while changing ours i know this is true because i hav eseen it more than every here in  my mission. alot of people in my sector suffer from depression and other mental illnesses. we are working so hard with them to recieve the light of christ and understand more their convenant of baptism to have the light always with them the holy ghost. know how much i love you and the savior loves you. the preisthood is here to help us and guide us. we are never alone in this life only if we choose to be. You have your ward to be there for you too! a scripture really helped me this week D&C 121: 7-9. 

I want to encourage all of you to help those in your ward who are struggling and need help. help give them meals and things because things are not always has they seem people who may seem weathly are struggling finanacially but worse spiritually. i have learned here that time has no importance when its someone else is struggling and needs my help. our savior helped everyone it didnt matter the circumstances so ponder that this week i love you so much xoxo 

 i will try to send more information about other less actives and investigators next week (:

the bedroom

'Sixcessful in Wyoming!'

One, two, three, four, five and six mule deer down.  The Hendricksons' and one Mirabile are happy hunters!