Two in the water

This week was one full of blessings and miracles in Curacavi! I guess to start Hna.Broadhead and I accomplished all the norms in the mission for baptising, having investigators progressing and for work and consistency which means we had 3 or more baptisms in the last 6 weeks, 3 or more investigators progressing and 150 or more weekly contacts. Not tooting my own horn here, but...TOOT TOOT! haha!

This week we met a little old lady named Julia, she´s blind and lives with her 2 kids. As we entered her home it was apparent the level of poverty they lived in, the entire house smelled like urine...need I say more? As we began to talk and get to know her, her sobs became inconsolable as she expressed how sad she was for being in that condition and not being able to see. It really pulled on my heart strings and I held her hand and told her we were  there to share a message of joy. I told her my name and started describing myself to her that I had dark eyes, long black hair and was really tall and skinny, this brought a smile to her face and we taught her the plan of salvation. It was a meaningful experience to me, these are sons and daughters of God, they´re struggling through lifes up´s and downs, and they need so desperately what we have- the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Later this week we had interviews with President which is always a joy! He said I´ve progressed so much as a missionary, I truly feel I have, and that the Lord is bringing about miracles through my service. We had 4 progressing investigators that sunday and he expressed his awe and said "one is good, 2 is a blessing, 3 is a miracle, and 4?! WOW!" hahaha I really don´t give any credit to myself, I don´t feel like I´ve done anything special or figured out some kind of trick to have success, I simply just try to do what I think is right, express my love to my investigators, but more importantly express the love heavenly father has for them. When we qualify for the companionship of the holy ghost we can do great things and might works as instruments in the Lord´s hands. He´s the one who does it all in the end of the day.

As for our investigators, Elvis had his baptismal interview sunday and has to wait for some pending legal cases to close until he can be baptized, bummer, but I´m sure waiting will teach him a valuable lesson and make his baptism that much more meaningful, the brothers in the ward are doing an excellent job fellowshipping him to keep him motivated and the bishop even gave him a suit! Monica we need some help with, her husband recently moved back in the house and he´s very opiniated and is filling her mind with doubts and questions and started mentioning how mormons are polygamists and things like that in the last lesson. It was hard to keep control of the lesson and answer her doubts, but he´s a good man and has a lot of knowledge of the bible. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he committed to read it and pray, something he´d only done once in his entire life. Basically my goal is to get the whole family involved in the lessons, resolve all their doubts and questions and get them all to church. The only way she can continue to progress is if her whole family is on board, it´s gonna be a tough one, but I´m up for the challenge! Also we visited our investigator Natalia yesterday, it´s been tough cause her husband is very anti-religion so we have to go when he´s not around and he makes it impossible for her to go to church.One of the things that was limiting her progress was that they´re not married, but yesterday we finally decided to extend a baptismal date for January with the hopes that it would give her enough time to convince her husband to marry her (I don´t get these men, they already have 2 kids, what more of a committment can signing a piece of paper be?!) But anyways, we never expressed any of these concerns about her getting married or anything, but yesterday in the middle of the lesson on baptism she said she´s been thinking of getting baptized and really wants to see a baptism, then she comes out with "oh and my husband proposed 4 days ago and I said yes so tomorrow he´s going to pick a date so we can get married most likely end of January." I was like WHAT?! We congratulated her and I oh so descreetly looked at the calendar on the cell phone and committed her to be baptized February 9th and she said yes! I testify that the Lord WILL prepare the way for those who are ready to accept the gospel! Sometimes we don´t really have to try that hard, we just need to be patient and follow the promptings of the spirit. It was truly a miracle I wasn´t at all expecting!

Lastly, we have Enrique y Victoria´s baptism yesterday! It was funny because the other day she told us she invited the mayor to her baptism, ha! Sadly he didn´t come but did congratulate her! It was a super stressful day as most sundays when there´s a baptism go. But to add to the stress I had to give a talk, one of our investigators came but didn´t want to enter the building for whatever reason, the counselor was coming to interview Elvis for his baptism and I forgot his baptismal record, and the Relief Society was freaking out because we had an activity planned that overlapped with a stake relief society activity no one told us of when we picked the date at ward council. I was running around like a crazy person, but in the end everything got worked out. The baptism was amazing, victoria looked like an angel and their neighbor Hno.Garay performed the baptism. She submerged in the water oh so gracefuly eventhough she has knee problems and we asked if she wanted to be baptized with a chair for better support, but she refused! Enrique had a little more trouble, he´s a heftier fellow and completely let go when he got submerged and turned into dead weight and brother Garay almost fell over trying to lift him back up, it was kinda funny ha! They the R.S. president, EQP and the bishop welcomed them into their corresponding organizations and the ward, all in tears. The spirit was incredibly strong, and Enrique y Victoria also wished to bear their testimonies and express their immense joy in the end. Their faith is amazing and their next goal is to go to the temple and be sealed! I´m so glad that I could do my part and as the saying goes, a missionary leaves their family so that others may be with their families for eternity. Love you all, the church is true!

Spiritual cookie: "As hard as things may be today, they will be better the next day if we choose to serve God this day."

xoxo,

Hna.Ibarra

Elder Holland!!!

So monday after our p-day we went to Hna. Stanger, the office secretarie`s apt. for a slumber party!!! It was us 4 sisters from Curacavi and the 4 sisters from Llay Llay (pronounced yay yay) cause we are the farthest from the rest of the mission and needed to be in Santiago early to hear from Elder Holland live and in person!!! We woke up at 4 am, got ready, and met with the office elders at 5:30 am to walk to the metro and be there when the doors open at 6 am. We made the long trip to La reina and got to the chapel at 6:45 to get desent seats for the event. It was a historical meeting, for the 1st time ever all 4 missions in Santiago (Santiago North, South, East and West) were gathered and about 1000 missionaries were present. Hna. Broadhead and I got great seats in the 7th row, not that it was necessary to sit that close cause I`m sure the people in the streets could hear how hard Elder Holland was banging the pulpit! It wasn`t supposed to start until 10am so meanwhile we went around and said hi to our friends and old companions. I saw my daughter (trainee) Hna.Dodds for the 1st time in months since I began her training and it was great to see everyone. What was even more great was that I got to see President and Hermana Barreiros from the Weston ward!!! It was such a happy reunion, I haven`t sen them since they moved to Georgia and they are now the mission presidents of the Santiago West mission! I gave Hna.Barreiros the biggest embrace and President Barreiros a firm handshake although our eyes conveyed that a simple handshake wasn`t enough to express our feelings and happiness, but since we can`t hug I gave him an air hug and were so happy to see eachother. They begged me to come over for dinner when I finish the mission so I`m certain I`ll see them sometime in the future again. Finally, the oh so awaited moment came, Elder Holland entered the building and the ranks of missionaries all arose. He hadn`t even entered the chapel yet, but I could here his voice in the hallway and my heart skipped a beat. It wasn`t the 1st time I`ve heard Elder Holland speak in person. I heard him once in conference as well as at the ground breaking for the Provo City Center Temple, but this time was special, because he wasn`t talking to the church in general...he was talking to me personaly, as a missionary. If I could copy and past everything he said in that meeting I would, suffice it to say that Elder Holland is a great man who loves the gospel, the Lord, and serves Him. He made direct eye contact with me once and it was as if he were looking into my very soul! His sweet wife oh so temderly expressed her love for all of us as if we we`re her own children. Elder Holland came in after with the hammer and chewed us all out in his pulpit banging but loving way. He mainly spoke about how he doesn`t understand how returned missionaries can go inactive after such a testimony and faith building experience that is the mission. He said that if we do he will haunt us and slash our tires and put pepper in our empanadas, LOL! He is seriously such a funny guy, I laughed so hard, I`d never seen that side of him! Of all the wonderful things the Lord spake through him one sentence struck me the most, "This moment in missionary work ranks with the First Vision, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the gospel." Let me repeat myself in case you didn`t catch it, "This moment in missionary work ranks with the First Vision, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the gospel." WOW. That is a pretty BIG DEAL! This is a historic moment in the church, and what a blessing it is to be a part of it. The best part is you don´t have to wear a plaque to do so, every member can be a part of it too by sharing the gospel with your friends, families, and neighbors, going out with the missionaries, doing temple work, and going after the lost sheep because it is all part of the Work of Salvation! 

Beside the incredible blessing of hearing from an apostle other great things have happened this week. It`s starting to warm up down in the Southern Hemisphere so my tan complexion is coming back...YESSSS! Also, we have Henrique y Victorias baptism this sunday, they are so excited, they can`t wait for the day to come! Monica is also progressing and has stopped smoking this week. She is seeing the Lord`s hand in her life, her husband whom she was sepperated from moved back into the house and her whole family is reunited, her son has healed from his wound, and she is the happiest she`s ever been since we met her! She is seeing the joy the blessings of the gospel brings and it is so amazing to see the radical change that has taken over her heart since we first met her. Elvis has also stopped smoking this week and is progressing towards baptism, he`ll have to get a special interview from President for some past sins, but it`s beautiful to see the effort he`s been making to turn his life around and be a new person. Speaking of which, President called us yesterday and asked us to come in for an interview...dun dun dun! I swear my whole mission flashed before my eyes and I tried to think if I`ve done anything wrong or been disobedient in anyways, but honestly can`t think of anything!!! What`s weirder is that our zone is scheduled for interviews this thursday, so I don´t understand what it is that can`t wait until then. Literally every possible scenario has crossed my mind from being called as the AP (asistant to the president) to someone dying in my family JAJAJA Cross your fingers it`s good news! Anyways, love you all, thank you for all your supportive letters and e-mails! Until, next week :)

Spiritual Cookie: "The reason I`m standing here today, is because I found heaven on a mission." -Elder Holland

p.s. Ian I got your dear elder! Hopefully if you`re in Miami for christmas you`ll get a letter from me via Nathaly, hit her up!

xoxo,

Hna. Ibarra

Restaurant Wars

Another great week in Curacavi with Hna.Broadhead! This week we worked super hard, as usual, and are truly seeing the fruit of our labors! Our investigator Monica is preparing for baptism this weekend, her only struggle is with the word of wisdom, she`s a smoker and has cut back a lot and now smokes less than a cigarette a day, but she still hasn`t let it go completely so we`re trying to work with her on that. If she can keep cigarette free she`ll be able to be baptized saturday, so pray tons for her!!! We also have Elvis, the druggy zchizophrenic (sp?) bad combo I know. But he`s been coming to church and reading his scriptures, he even does little summaries of what he reads and highlights words he doesn`t understand it`s so cute. He`s a little slow (the drugs fried his brain) but we gave him a baptismal date for the 1st of December and have to focus on his smoking as well. The loves of my life Henrique and Victoria are progressing amazingly! There incredible faith is such an example to me and they just love the gospel and coming to church and just fit right in! Victoria already considers herself a mormon and in conversation says things like "Right Hermana Ibarra that in our religion we..." hahaha. Yesterday we visited them with the bishop and taught them about the law of tithing, it was a powerful lesson especially with the bishop to back up on what is done with the tithing money. When I extended the committment to keep the law of tithing after they`re baptized Henrique`s reply was just incredible "Obviously I will Hermana Ibarra! It`s only logical that this is the way it has to be, this is Christ`s church!" AAHHHH!!!!!! I seriously LOVE them, they truly are heaven sent! Victoria gave Hna. Broadhead and I little sweaters she had that don´t fit her to keep us warm at night, she is the sweetest thing :) 

Something funny that happened this week was when we went out for lunch last p-day at a super yummy place here called "La Nave". There was some crazy guy who claims to be a muslim who followed us in and was like "Take a sit ladies I`m gonna pay for your lunch! SIt down!" We kindly rejected and he kept insisting and insisting so we just ignored him and he started yelling things at the workers like " can we turn on the lights in here!" cause the place has a "hollister feel" with the dimmed lights and started making a spectacle of himself. We had to wait a while for our food cause the kitchen wasn`t open yet and the guy started complaining to the waiter for us like "These girls have been sitting here for like an hour! When are they gonna get their food, at dinner time?!" I was sooo embarrassed, we just laughed and said it was okay. In my cuban accent- Bro, el tipo formo tremendo show, QUE PENA! jajaja

Besides the usual earthquake, flaites (ghetto chilean guys) whistling and hitting on us in the streets, and making friends with strangers things are just wonderful! Later today we`re gonna go to Santiago and sleep over the secretaries apartment, Hermana Stanger a senior single sister from Ogden, cause tomorrow our mission is gonna be addressed to by Elder Holland!!!! EEEEEEKKKKKK!!!!! A trip to Santiago (the city) is like going to disney land, it`s so fun, but geeting to hear from an apostle on top of it, I don´t know what could be better!

Spiritual cookie: "To the service of the Lord I have devoted my life; my all has been placed upon the altar of sacrifice, that I may honour him, do his will acceptably, and spread the principles of life among the children of men." - Pdt. Lorenzo Snow (TEACHINGS OF PRESIDENTS OF THE CHURCH: LORENZO SNOWCHAPTER 19 MISSIONARY WORK: "TO REACH EVERY HUMAN HEART" )

Peace & Blessings,

Hna. Ibarra

Baptism by fire

Birthday shout out to my bro Harold as well as my nephew Gabe who is turning 10 on wednesday and got baptized!!! So proud of you Gabers :D

This week there was yet again another feriado (holiday) in Chile which means more failed appointments than the norm, cause let`s face it- appointments fall through everyday on the mission! This week was Halloween which is slowly entering Chile, some people are SUPER against it and hate it cause it`s an "American" tradition and not Chilean, others embrace is and think it`s super fun for the kids. But it was cute to see all the kids dressed up and collecting candy, some people (those in nicer neighborhoods) even decorated their houses, so that made me feel not too far from home. 

I guess the highlight of this week really was Jose Miguel`s confirmation yesterday! Not only that, but he also received the priesthood, knocking out 2 birds with one stone! It was a great day for him and he couldn`t be happier! Henrique and Victoria, my adoptive grandma and grandpa on the mission are also progressing towards their baptism for the end of this month and love learning about the gospel. They are just so humble and ready and accept everything we teach them because they know it comes from God. It`s incredible how receptive some people can be and how easily they have accepted the gospel, it`s just their time.

I had an exchange with Hna.Macetas in San Fransisco while our companoins went to a training for greenies and ran into some crazy old lady who went inactive because no one visited her in the hospital when she was sick. She tried to give us back a manual from the Relief Society class which we refused to take and she got super upset and was like "well I`m just gonna throw it in the trash or you can take it back to the R.S. President!" we told her to gift it to someone or to give it to her family members who are members and she got really mad and was like "I don`t understand you people!" and stormed into her house, hahaha! It was pretty funny and also sad, people here go inactive for the dumbest reasons, cause someone from church didn`t say hi to them or because a member made a comment they found offensive. It just shows they never really had a testimony of the gospel and were there for the social aspect and not to follow the Savior. 

Besides that it was a slow week so I really don`t have a cool story to tell, sorry folks, but something will come up between now and next monday!

xoxo,

Hna.Ibarra