Latter-day Laney: christmas

December 29, 2014

Week Fifty-Four: Christmas Miracles

We walked around with these Christmas hats all day. It was sooo fun!!

Area: Penco
Companion: Hermana Romney
Hermana Romney's Blog: Last Letter From 2014

Dear familia,

Oh heck, the time just flies by. Did you know that a WHOLE CAMBIO PASSED BY??!?!?!?! It passed by without me realizing it. In Relief Society yesterday, the hermanas said, "Maybe one of the hermanas will be leaving us." They were super sad ... but I knew that the possibilities of Hermana Romney and I changing were super little. We were woken up by the call of Elder Florez ...

and ...

Hermana Romney and I are staying together.

Yeehaw. I am including our poster that we made yesterday anticipating this cambio ahead. I am killing my very first missionary. I am super excited to be working with Hermana Romney and in Penco. That means that I will probably be in Penco for at least three more months. I am stoked.

Talking on Thursday was sooo awesome. The time was so quick, but it always amazes me how normal it is to talk with you all. I always anticipate it being some big deal ... but it is just like nothing has changed!! (Even though there are height and age differences now). I love you all soo much. That also is something that hasn't changed at all. Man ... it is going to be May before we know it!!

Christmas morning in the house. It was sooo weird having Christmas.
WAAAAAAY low key. But I loved it!! I will never have another experience like it!

This week, I was humbled and taught a Christmas lesson by a drunk man. Hay de todo in Chile.

We had a zone service project in Lirquen with the Police Department. They said that they had been wanting to give food to needy people for the holiday season, but they had no one to help them with it. Of course, we were super glad to be helping them. We got to the school in Lirquen and started setting things up really, really nicely ... and then the needy people began arriving.

The police men went out on the street and started patrolling for drunk men on the street. They approached them and invited them to this dinner that we had planned for them. So, we were giving meals to these people that staggered in super drunk. They could hardly stand up. It was soooo sad and not at all what I had imagined for our service project ... but we served them and I felt the spirit and that we should treat them very nicely because that was what Jesus would do.

The other day, I contacted a man ... I didn't realize that he was one of the drunks that was there at the dinner because he was with his wife and they said that they lived in a completely different place. It was a crazy random happenstance ... but he said that he was super glad for the dinner ... that we sang beautifully ... the works.

Anyways, the OTHER OTHER day, we were leaving our house when a borracho came up to us. He was holding a beer can in his hand and he motioned for us to come over to him and talk to him. We were trying to get to an appointment that we had, so I looked over at Hermana Romney and shook my head. "Let's just go." The man started yelling a little bit and pulled out his wallet.

"Hey," he said, "What you did is not okay." He continued to explain that he was the same man that we had contacted the other day and the same borracho that was at the service project. He said, "I know that I am drunk, but that doesn't mean you should ignore me and just keep walking." He showed us a "He is the Gift" pass-along that we have been giving out to everyone ... and I felt sick to my stomach.

I know that I shouldn't talk to every drunk man in the street ... because that is my safety and everything. But I remembered the feeling that I had in the service project that every human being deserves respect and love as children of God. It was a good reminder. I was sooo humbled and touched by this grumpy drunk man. Interesting how things work out, eh?

A miracle that happened this week is what I have been waiting for all of the cambio. I wasn't expecting a baptism the first cambio white washing ... all I wanted was for Mauricio (that new convert to come back to church). We called him yesterday in the morning AND went to his house to walk to the church with him, but he had left without any sign of coming back in the day. I was sooo sad. I was for sure that he was going to show up.

I waited during the classes to see him ... nothing. He wasn't even there for Sacrament Meeting ...

IN THE BEGINNING.

But in the middle, right before the sacrament hymn, he SHOWED UP!! He was there. I saw him walk in and I felt sooooo much happiness. I have felt time and time again the worth of one soul and I know that God worked a miracle there for Mauricio. I want him to come back to the church sooo badly. To full activity. I know that he is going to be able to do it because God can do anything. I know it!

We frosted cookies and ...

shared Christmas dinner with the family of the Bishop.

We have got a good relationship with all of the members here. I am especially proud of the relationship that we have with the Bishop here. It hasn't been so strong with the other Hermanas in the past, but Hermana Romney and I have tried to show our support and love to him and we have been working sooo hard to match his vision for the ward. I feel like things are about to explode here in Crav. We are going to do wonderful things here in this next cambio. Nobody's trunky here!!

Hermana Page and I spent lots of time together in Tomé.

Elder Bennett and I. (another friend from Tomé)

CCM Crew. WE MISS YOU HERMANA DUNNEEEEEEE!!! ;((

I love you all so much. I feel like there isn't that much to say this week ... seeing as we just talked. But I just want to let you all know that I KNOW that the church is true. I know it more every day and I have been sooooo blessed to be able to share it with everyone. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that our family is ETERNAL. Isn't that the coolest thing in the world?? I hope that you have a great, great week!! I love you!!

Love,

Hermana Blau

Elder Baudon went home today, so we did a final practice
with him in our class for the Hermanas. Sooooo funny.
(thanks for the idea Hermana Oldroyd and Hermana Lopez)

December 22, 2014

Week Fifty-Three: Come they told me ...

The traditional burning of the skirt at the one year mark of my mission.

Area: Penco
Companion: Hermana Romney
Hermana Romney's Blog: Christmas Spirit

This week was bizarre, family.

We didn't have a single day that we weren't participating in something or switching with a mini-cambio or singing. It is awesome because it makes the time so enjoyable and unpredictable ... but at the same time, it is really fome because it is making the time fly by so fast. I can't believe we are on week six already. I cannot believe it.

I feel so happy and loved. It is like I have a different pair of eyes on and I am seeing everything in a brand new light. It's like ... the opposite of blinding light.

The nativity in the church. We are so cute. :)

So, this week, we started off with a mini-cambio with the girls from Lirquen. I stayed in Crav ... and EVERYTHING fell through with our plans. I called every member in our phone three times to see if they could come out with us ... and they either couldn't ... or they said that they could and then cancelled last minute to say that they couldn't. Ah, like the good old times. I looked at Hermana Ponce and said, "Today is going to be an adventure!" And an adventure it was. We got a little bit lost because I still don't know the streets that well ... we talked to a bazillion people ... and we found new investigators. It was good.

The next day, we switched off ... and then Hermana Romney and I had to run to Concepcion to pick up some newby sisters for the News Conference. I was with a girl from Argentina named Hermana Ovando. She was SUCH a sweet girl. This day, all of our plans fell through AGAIN. Luckily, we had members with us and we tried to make the most of what we had. I felt a little bit frustrated ... like, "If we haven't had any problems this whole cambio getting people out with us, having lessons, etc ... why has it happened to me twice in a row?" But ... I got over the frustration and just smiled. I have gotten pretty good at bouncing back. So, it's all good.

Hermana Ovando and I

PIJAMADA with Hermana Ovando and Hermana Godown

I love mini-cambios even more being a Sister Training Leader. I feel like Heavenly Father has given me a little ability to see all of the good of every person. I learn sooo much from these Hermanas. I feel like before, I would get really down on myself because I would feel like a failure in comparison to all of these super awesome missionaries that surround me ... but I now realize that just because people are awesome doesn't make me less awesome. We are all so great and what I try to do now is learn from the awesome things that I see in others and try to apply it in my life. It is a much healthier way to live, I think.

Flor Morales is my hero. I love her sooo much! She comes with
us always and is a returned missionary.
A SUPER FAITHFUL EXAMPLE!!!

Then we had this cuestión (that is a Chilean word for like ... thing) for the Christmas Concert. We have been practicing for this concert for sooooo long. Like, before this cambio started, we were practicing. I don't know if you guys have seen the videos, but I was singing The Little Drummer Boy. Loved that!! I feel like it is such a similar thing to my mission. I don't have any awesome things that I can give to the Lord ... but I try to give my best to Him ... and I feel like that is all that He expects. I feel like Heavenly Father is pleased with the work I have done on my mission so far. I am so excited to experience my six months of fire to end it off.

WHOOOOOOOOO ... every. moment. counts.

Singing Little Drummer Boy

Before the concert, I walked around greeting all of the people that I knew. It really surprised me that I knew the majority of the people. I LOVED recognizing this. There are so many people that I have grown to love in this stake. I am SOOOOO grateful to be here!! After the concert, all of my peeps from Frutillares came up to greet me and I was just enveloped. The Hermanas were crying and they said, "We miss you sooooo much." They handed me birthday gifts and wished me a merry Christmas and I just felt plain loved.

The women of Frutillares who came to see me. LOVE THEM!!

With Presedente Navarro

I never realized how much the people liked me in Frutillares. It is a tender mercy from God that now I know. Hermana Romney told me that Presidente Arrington was with her kind of observing how the members were interacting with me and he said, "I guess you get attached to someone after seven months." The good news, President didn't forget that I was there. The better news, he put me in a place were I can continue seeing these people and can continue loving others. I love being here.

So, I hit a year in the mission and I can't believe it. I read my first journal entry that I wrote when we were in that hotel room waiting for me to go to the airport. I can't believe this life that I am living right now. I love it sooo much and I can't really imagine life before or after. I am pretty happy to just be living in the moment. :)

This kid is in our ward. His name is Andres, and he played O Holy Night in
front of all the people in the concert perfectly. What a stud!
Oh, and he is only 9 years old. Awesome.

I can't wait to talk to you guys on SKYPE!! YEEEEEHAW!! We are going to get all of the details worked out, but just a gentle reminder that we only have 40 minutes to talk. I love you all soooo much! Thanks to all of the people that sent me b-day shout outs and what not. I am going to work to reply to everyone!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!! PRAYERS AND BESITOS AND ABRASITOS!!

Love, Laney