Love you!
Hermana Fast
Here is that video: https://www.lds.org/
p.s. I have 10 months in the mission...whaaaa.....
Monday, May 26, 2014
Chile Week 37
There´s not really a ton to tell about this week. I´m starting to recognize where I´m walking now so I don´t feel as disoriented. Everyday is freezing but absolutely beautiful with the Andes snow-capped. The sunsets are also super pretty with all the clouds in the sky it looks like a painting with a bunch of orange and red brush strokes. This week we didn´t do anything too different we contacted a ton and had a couple really good lessons but it´s hard because now that it´s cold people don´t want to answer the door and the days are so much shorter. I´ve been studying about the Atonement and it amazes me everyday how vast it is. It helps me love people who have done horrible things because I know that they can repent and be forgiven. We have lessons with people that I before my mission I would have probably judged a ton and know I´m telling them that their past bad decisions don´t matter because we are in control of our future and the Lord will always forgive us if we are willing to humble ourselves and change, we still have to live with the consequences that are often life changing but we can be CLEAN if we repent and the Lord doesn´t remember them. It´s truly amazing how we are able to change and perfect ourselves through Christ and become the people that we actually want to be and reach our full potential. But we can only do these things with His help and if we learn and study of Him in the scriptures and develop a relationship with him through prayer. When we do these things then we will actually have the desire to serve Him and His children and go to church to learn more and be spiritually uplifted for the week to come. The gospel is so simple we just make it so complicated. I love the story of Alma the younger in the Book of Mormon, his whole conversion is so amazing to me. He was the worst of sinners but through the atonement of Christ he became clean and later was a prophet and converted thousands of people. Through our process of finding Christ we can become new creatures. It´s so amazing to watch that change in people and help them through that process and also change myself because of Him. There is a video, that I will copy the link in case you haven´t seen it, it changed my life. Right now I have the goal to finish the Book of Mormon in Spanish before my 1 year mark and I´m in Alma 11 right now. Every time I read I learn so many new things. So my invitation to everyone is to read the Book of Mormon or the Bible or both even everyday and pray to know if it´s true or not. We always tell our investigators that there are only 2 options it´s true or not true and they can know for themselves if they just read it and pray. It´s simple. Well I hope you all have a great week.
Chile Week 35
Well as you have heard I am leaving... And I am really sad. I really love it here and the Lord has blessed me so much to be companions with my best friend. We are really sad to not be together but we live so close together we know that we were put together so that we can stay best friends forever and help each other stay strong after the mission.
Before we knew anything about the changes I felt that I was going to be leaving and we were just sitting there planning trying not to cry. Hermana Jorgensen asked me if you leave who would you want your companion to be? and I said, "No one! I want to stay here with you." and then I paused and said "Actually Hermana Delgado" and that's all I said. Then like 40 min later I found out I was leaving and that I was going to be with Hermana Delgado! I was in so much shock I like yelled. Heavenly Father is so perfect it blows my mind. Hermana Delgado has the same time as me we both started our missions in Curico and we always hung out on p-days. She is from Columbia and she always talked to me when I hardly could talk. She is such a sweet heart I feel so blessed that I am going to be with her. I feel so loved by the way that Heavenly Father has shown His love for me with every change and every area that I've been in. Each companion and the wonderful people I meet I know were put into my life to help me grow and change. I just feel so blessed. I really don't wat to leave but I know I am going to learn so much in my new area.
We always talk about how we are living the dream and we really are. We are living here in Chile seeing so many miracles everyday and really learning to see the how much the Lord loves His children everyday. I get to be apart of all of these amazing people's live and see their progress and their happiness through Jesus Christ as His true gospel. In our Gospel Principles class yesterday we were talking about Faith and it was more of a discussion and I was just looking at all of them smiling and thinking about how I know all of their stories and how much they have changed at it is all because of their faith. It just is so amazing to feel the love Heavenly Father has for each one of His children and he never gives up on them.
As a missionary each month we have been studying one attribute of Christ for the entire month and in April it was Faith. I can't believe how much my faith has been strengthen just from studying about it. I'm sad because I won't be here for Gladys's baptism next week and for Priscila's goal for the 31 of may. Priscila was my third contact here on New Years and now she is working on her goal to quit smoking and be baptized. She was at 30 and then the other day she only smoked 2, she is truly remarkable and feel so blessed to have been apart of her progress. I really don't want to go with all the success we have been having and all of our amazing investigators but I know other people need me in another area and that the people here need the other Hermana that is going to be coming.
It's crazy because the weather has just been changing a ton recently, it's weird to watch the trees change colors and fall and think that it's already May. The mountains here now are snow-capped and sometimes I feel like I am in Utah and it's amazing. It's weird because it's starting to feel like Christmas and it's May.The other day it rained a ton and the electricity went out in ALL of our sector. We were going to go home but we found a little block that still had light. We ended up having a really cool experience. You'll have to ask me about it next week on Skype. Gah! I can't believe I already get to see you guys again! Well I love you all and I will talk to you next week and let you know about my new sector. Okay bye!
Love, Hermana Fast
Chile Week 33
Happy Easter everyone! Yesterday didn´t really feel like Easter to me but Hermana Jorgensen and I sang in Church, ¨I know that my redeemer lives¨ in Spanish. I did my first solo after a lot of pep talks. haha Everyone said it was really special so we are happy we were able to help people feel the spirit.
Everyday is just an amazing adventure and it´s fun to see where the Lord leads us. We have been meditating a lot lately the fact that we are both living our dreams living in a foreign country learning another language and helping people find true happiness. I commented to my comp that the mission feels like a dream but everything we do is so real. I am so thankful to have this opportunity to learn so much and help people. The mission is just training for life. I really don´t know how people can live without going on a mission. I have learned SO much and I´m only halfway done. I hit my 9 months the other day....crazy. I have 9 months to turn into the person I want to be and I know I can only become that person if I continue to be diligent and obedient. I know that this work is real and that Christ lives. I hope everyone has a great week!
Love, Hermana Fast
p.s. good luck and congrats Blake and Andrea on getting married this sat. We are going to buy ourselves a cake. :)
My Easter package that my mom sent me was amazing and we are still enjoying all the treats. Thanks mom!
Random pics.
My comp is an artist.
It´s easter in the fall
one of our favorite inactive families
Here are the pics from Fresia´s baptism. She is so great. She read from the end of 1nephi until alma in one week before her baptism.
Chile Week 32
Well let`s just say this week was filled with miracles. Was general conference inspired or what? I received an answer to all the questions that I had and needed the answers right now. We had 8 people come to conference I was seriously in shock and extremely grateful to the Lord. I really can`t write everything I would love because I had to take care of a few much more important things. But, Frescia will be baptized this Saturday and I am so amazed by the change she has made. She is going to be such an amazing member in the Lord`s church.
My favorite talk was from Elder Eyring you should all go read it. I just balled a good portion of the time because I received the confirmation that the reason I am here in Chile after so many different decisions I have made is because my parents were faithful in the church. And I am so thankful to you mom and dad for your example to me. Obviously you weren`t perfect but no one is and because of your faith and prayers I am here serving the Lord. Thank you.
I loved that the thing that the prophet felt was important to talk about was that we all just need to love each other more. That Love is the essence of the gospel. That forgiveness goes hand in hand with love and it is the way to heal. I hope that we can all remember these wise words and apply them in our families and lives. I love you all and hope you forgive me those I have hurt. I am sorry. I love everyone and hope everyone has a great week.
Love,
Hermana Fast
ps it smells like french fries right now... weird and delicious
We are the dream team of companionships.... we decided we are soul-mate-best-friend-
Us at conference with Gladys (investigator with a date for 3 of May)
Us eating cheerios with bananas this morning
Chile Week 31
Okay I almost don`t even know where to begin. Hermana Jorgensen is my new companion and can I just say that we seriously were a companionship made in heaven. She is amazing and we have so much fun together plus the fact that it`s nice to finally be able to express yourself fully. We were both an answer to one another`s prayers. We have only been together for a week now and it feels like we have been best friends our entire lives. I have learned so much from her already and I know I am going to learn so much more and we are going to have such success in this sector. The coolest part about it is that the president didn`t know anything about my cousin and her sister getting married but the Lord did and He wanted us to be together during this time. Gosh God is the coolest he really knows what`s best for us and knows what we need and when we need it. I am so excited to be with her and help the people that need us 2 gringas together. We have already had such amazing experiences together, I love teaching with her! This week we taught Frescia, who has a baptism date, about how we have a modern day prophet just like in the days of Abraham and Moses. The lesson was really spiritual and we testified to her about how we know Thomas S. Monson really is a prophet of God and how she can know for herself through prayer and studying his teachings. She was like, ´´Seriously there is a prophet? >Wow this is wonderful! How did I never know this before? Thank you for telling me. Wow a prophet is on the earth to guide us to know what the Lord wants us to do now in these times.`` Hermana Jorgensen and I just kind of looked at each other amazed at her response because sometimes as members of the church we forget really how special it is to have a prophet called of God to lead our church. I am so excited that this weekend is General Conference and we will have the opportunity to hear from the prophet and apostles once again. I have been pondering, studying, and praying a lot to have questions I want answered and receive the personal revelation the Lord wants me to for my mission and life. Today I was reading about the importance of listening to General Conference and studying it afterwards and applying it in our lives. The fact that we have a prophet and apostles that literally receive revelation from God is truly amazing. ANYTHING that the prophet feels is important enough to talk about during his short amount of time to speak to us every 6 months means that it is IMPORTANT TO THE LORD that we should know these things. One of the promises of studying the teachings of the prophet is that we will be protected against temptation, the Lord will strengthen us and our testimonies so that Satan has no power over us. Another promise is that if we truly listen to conference with question about our lives the Lord WILL respond and we will be able to receive revelation for ourselves and our families. I am honestly so thankful to know that we have a living prophet and for the opportunity to listen to him this weekend. It is my prayer that you may all understand the importance of this conference and heed to the teachings of the prophets. And for those of you who don´t know if Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God I invite you to listen to his words because ``by their fruits you shall know them¨. As a representative of Jesus Christ I promise that if you listen to conference with a question(s) they will be answered and you will receive a special witness that Thomas S. Monson is a servant of the Lord. I know these things to be true and I am excited to hear what the Lord feels is important for us to know and do. I love you all and hope you have an amazing week.
Love,
Hermana Fast
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