"Wow! I am talking in Spanish ... and because I know the words are correct, the words almost taste good!!"

Carlie's computer didn't work for uploading her own photos this week

so I added the photo I took of darling Hermana Lori DeYoung and her parents

who returned to visit in Chile this week and delivered (successfully) 

a package and hug to Carlie.  Yep!  She's my new hero.  Love this girl, too!!

Happy Independence Day of Chile!!  (September 16)

So This week was pretty exciting...... First they have two holidays right next to each other in the last week and this week so we have been pretty exciting here.  The first holiday is not really a holiday. It is more like a 'We are angry at the world so lets set a bunch of stuff on fire day!!'

Yeah, I don't get it either.  But it is cool.  Exactly 40 years ago last week a dictator took power in Chile and a bunch of other South American countries too, so they show their anger at the government that day.  Anyway, we had to go home early because of it.  It turned out to be really fun because we stayed in and watched 17 Miracles.  Oh wait! It was not fun because we watched 17 Miracles.  What a terrible movie!  I cried like all night.  I feel pretty cool that I was here for their protest though. Nothing bad happened -- I am pretty sure my sector was pretty calm. 

In other news, my life is really good!  Last week we woke up early to get my carnet.  It is this day where you go to the middle of Santiago and stand in a really long fila.  It was super great because I got to see all of my friends of the CCM.  We so very much enjoyed the yummy treats mom sent to me in the mail while we were waiting in line.  This means I am almost a Chilean!  That makes me pretty happy!!!!

So my new hair is still freaking me out!  I look so much like mom it is kind of scary.  The other day when I walked past the mirror I scared myself.  Sometimes when I see myself I think that it is someone else and look for me.  But we have had fun with the only change we can have that is within the rules

Things are so great here!  I love how much Paola and her family are progressing!  Paola has made the decision and wants to get baptized!  But the bummer part is we have to wait until she can get married which is a good 240 days from now.  There is this terrible law that all of the women have to wait for 250 days before they can get remarried after a divorce.  And if you were wondering, men don't have to wait, but women do!  I hate that!  In the mean time they are all reading their scriptures every night, they are praying together as a family, and Paola just started paying tithing!!  I love them so much! Hermana Maciel was sick this week and she called us to make sure she was okay.  Juan Pablo stole the phone and told me that he was praying for us. Yeah, basically I could not be happier with them. 

We gave a Book of Mormon to Diana (the hija de Lourdes) this week. Lourdes was so excited and so were we!  It was a miracle that we were able to!  She took it with a pretty big smile so hopefully one day we will be able to teach her!  We are really going to continue to work with that family too. 

Javier is doing really well too!  He is the guy from Peru.  He is so cute!  We challenged him to baptism this week but I don't think he is quite ready.  We will see what happens.  He is a really good guy!  I love talking with him because he has obviously thought about this stuff a lot and is really educated. 

Ariela is a sweet heart and is struggling.  Dad was right in his letter ... that is exactly how I feel!  I know that principles of the gospel will bless her so much but she is not trying it!  It is so hard to expect it of her though, because she is so tired!  She just does not have the energy for church after working all night and I don't really blame her. 

My Spanish is better!!  It is so funny how sweet it is to have a conversation with someone now.  The words that I am saying almost taste good because I know what words are correct.  It feels weird still to think wow ... I am talking in Spanish!!  I love it!  My comp was so good to teach me!

Basically that is it.  We are doing so well.  We are loving life!  The only fome part is this could very well be our last week together.  Cambios are this week.  Pray that I don't leave!  I want one more change here!  I am finally getting Spanish and I want to finally have like a real relationship with all of these people that I love so much!

I want more time to write you all but I just don't have it this week!  I am still very happy with my family.  I had an interview with my mission president this week and first I had an interview with his wife.   She told me that she read my blog and cried. We just sat and cried for the whole interview about how much we love our families through the whole interview.  I am pretty blessed!

Carlie and her mission presidents: David and Cynthia Wright

God told Ammon that he could testify with power when he had the spirit.  I am so blessed because it is not hard to have the spirit when I am talking about you guys.  I testify of families every day!  I am obsessed!  I think everyone in the entire world needs to know of the power in the Book of Mormon and the power that can come from an eternal family! 

This mission thing is so great!  The other week I was crying really hard during personal study.  That day we were in a threesome and my new (for a day) companion was very worried about me. Hermana Maciel did not even notice and when Hermana Del Barrio pointed it out, Hermana Maciel looked up and said "oh, that is normal.  Yeah, I cry every day!  I am so happy I can't stop!  There is miracle after miracle!  God is so fast at answering my prayers in such beautiful ways!  I just want to change so I can continue to learn!  This is not just a big will power fight, this is our chance to completely change and not even want the bad anymore. (Mosiah 5)  I am so grateful for this year and a half where I have the chance to focus on that change.  I find every week more and more that the change comes easier when I am loving and helping someone else.  My intentions are purer, my prayers are more focused and my actions are more productive.  Love is always the answer!  It is how the Atonement works, and it is how there is power in our family and it is how we, as missionaries can teach with power!  I love you all!  And l love my Savior who granted all of this love to me!  I find more and more every day how true the quote is:   "The only thing that is good in me is Jesus!"  (from a Michael O'Brian song) 

It is so true!  I love being his servant even though I am so weak. I hope one day to always have my heart full of love because that is when I can really be cool:)

Love you all

Hermana Webb

Wouldn't you know the Book of Mormon worked again!!

 

First, we lost our golden referencia.  Her name is Marialena.  She is such a sweetheart.  We challenged her to baptism a couple of weeks ago and she accepted with her daughter!  It was super exciting and the first lesson.  But the next week she called and cancelled and told us she might not want any more.  We went to her house this week and it was easy to tell she was having a hard time. Her face looked darker as she explained that she just does not think that she will ever have the hope of a family like our church talks about.  We were all crying as my comp and I tried to explain the infinite reality of the Atonement but she would not hear any of it.  After the lesson Hermana Maciel and I just sat on the other side of the wall and cried.  To add to the fome-ness we lost Isidora this week.  It was just kind of obvious that she was not progressing.  She finally told us herself that we were just wasting our time.  I tried to explain that it was not just that we wanted her to get baptized it was that we love her and want to help her and her family.  Sadly though, she is right.  She is not progressing and we can´t help her no matter how much we want to unless she makes a couple of changes in her life.  I have the blessings of an eternal and even an ideal family!  I want other people to have them too so bad!  I wish there was a way to explain what is ahead if they will just make those changes I am asking them to make but there is no way to.  They have to experience them for themselves because it turns out there are no words in Spanish and tampoco in English.  I love the book Our Search For Happiness. There is a part where Elder Ballard is talking with a minister who wants to see the plates.  Elder Ballard says 'you know there is absolutely no truth that is revealed by physical proof'.  He is right.  I have studied it a lot and I have come to the logical conclusion that this really could not exist if there was not a God but that is not why I am on a mission.  That conclusion is interesting but not enough to put me on a plane to Chile.  It was absolutely the Spirit! 

The week ended with some pretty big tender mercies.  Erika is a new investigator and future member! Ha ha okay she has not committed yet or anything but she is totally going to.  She is a sweet heart. her life is hard too!  Turns out a lot of people´s lives are hard.  But she is choosing hope.  We should have challenged her to baptism by now so that will definitely happen this week.  She has a heart so open that God teaches her the stuff before we can.  I love that!  God is such a better teacher than me!

Also we found a man named Habier.  We were teaching him when randomly he said yeah I will come to your church this week.  My companion and I just looked at each other surprised.  Ahhh.... yeah! Sweet!  Of course you are invited!  He is very intelligent but he uses his intelligence to learn more from God which is awesome because I am learning how to be better through him.  I love how God does that!  Chuta dad!  I am so suprised at how open the Peruanos are here!  It is so crazy!  Habier and his entire family are from Peru.  We have run into so many golden people and they are all from Peru!  Thought you would like to know. 

We had to drop two people that I love a lot and that was hard but God is good and blessed us to find two more.  And for this weeks chistoso and so you know that I still am learning Spanish: We were talking to a man in the street who was talking about the history of his father´s different religions and as he moved down the list of religions I did not understand.  I knew he was talking about something about religions so I said what I always say: que bueno entonces usted tiene muchísimo fe.  Ha ha!!  He was not talking about a religion with faith he was talking about some cult his father went to that worshiped satan.  Ha ha whoops!  And then to make it worse he started talking about when he was a joven.  I heard joven and thought he was talking about Jose Smith.  He was not.  But I interjected and said Jose Smith out of the blue.  You can imagine my companions at this time (we were a threesome with Hermana Del Barrio that night) they looked at each other and just lost it.  I did not know why but it was pretty funny to hear the story afterwards!  Turns out I still have a lot to learn!  So now whenever I respond to my companion and it does not make sense she laughs and says Jose Smith. I know I will learn this Spanish thing one day! 

So now for Paula and her family!  Oh my word I love them with all of my heart!  We are still teaching Josefa seperate how to read.   And wouldn't you know the Book of Mormon worked again!  She already has better grades!  So much so that her teachers are noticing!  Hello!  We should use the Book of Mormon in our schools!  I am not kidding that book has power!  I love that God is letting me strengthen my testimony with my favorite people, doing my favorite things in my favorite book!  And then generally afterward Paola feeds us fresh bread or Sopapeas!  (Yes God loves me!!)  The other day in church, we were talking about tithing, and Paola raised her hand and said: 'I am not a member yet but I would like to pay tithing can I?'..... What?!?!?!  Excuse me?!  I love her so much!  Vania has already started her personal progress and is planning on going on a mission!  Edgardo (el esposo) has discovered the power of the Book of Mormon too!  He is in Words of Mormon.  He read all of first and second Nephi, did not blink through Isaiah and was still strong after Jacob five!  I love this family so much!!

I love you all so much!  I continue to learn!  And I continue to feel frustrated that there really is not way for me to express how much I have been learning and my deep love for the Savior and how it grows everyday.  Every day I am more and more grateful for our family!  I know I say this like every week but We have it!  We have that thing that so many people don´t get in this life!  We have this complete joy all wrapped up in the beautiful word FAMILY!  We know what the joy is like!  I hope you guys know how grateful I am for all of you!  I am so different because each of you!  I have more faith as I think of the conversation I had with Taylor about how believing is a choice!  I find more joy in the ties that bind my family as I think of mom´s pure love and charity for each of us and our ancestors.  I have more wisdom as I read the advice of my dad who I swear is reading my thoughts.  I laugh more and breathe (for once) as I see the good in other things when I look through the eyes of Sara.  I learn more about what is around me as I learn from what Heather has learned from what is around her.  And, I enjoy every moment more as I remember as Lauren suggested that we should laugh more than cry!  I am different!  I could give a nice long list for each of you!  Thank you!  I love you all!

Love Hermana Webb!!

Que BONITA this work is!!

(Donating her hair again ..... Love this girl!!)

 

Hey family!!

I love you all! Can I tell you how very much I love you letters?! I laugh and cry a lot when I read them. It feels weird because you guys always seem to know just what to say to make me really happy or really excited to be a missionary. 

First of all, Sara I can´t believe Utah State did it again! I am so tired off them being almost awesome!

Second, I am sad to say I have not gotten any mail from you guys yet but I am really excited for the day when it all comes flooding in. You are right there was a strike -- I did not know they got it figured out though. 

Third, Dad I love you so much!  I loved your story of the temple and it was just what I needed.  I want to go to the temple possibly this week.

So this week was awesome!  I love my life!  First of all and most exciting, we had another baptism.  It was so nice! Marianna is the hija de Lourdes, a converso recenté. She is such a sweet heart!  When she was baptized I was flooded with the reminder that I am here for a really sweet reason and I am really blessed!  Que BONITA this work is!  I love that now she has access to the same blessings that I have access to.  It felt so good to have another reminder that this work is true and this dunking under the water is not just another crazy ritual we humans have made up. 

 

 

I wish that I ran into more drunk people but sadly no. It was a pretty normal week other than of course the baptism. We are working really hard to find menos activos todavía and it is working really well.  Now that we have found them, we just need to get them to church.   That is the tricky part. 

I have been thinking a lot about the idea of siempre!  I have been called on a full time mission.  The rules are so strict -- there is literally no time to not be a missionary.  I was at first a little frustrated with it.  I like having my breaks.  As a student or in my job there are breaks.  During the summer I am not really a student.  I don´t have to study.  I look forward to the weekends when I don´t have to go to class.  To the surprise of everyone here, we don´t get breaks as missionaries.  We are always called and set apart for this year and a half and then never again.  When I write you guys I am supposed to be a missionary too.  I am supposed to bear my testimony and stuff.  Every second of every day should be used for something awesome for one year and a half.  Do you have any idea how tiring that is? (don´t worry I am not stressing myself out.)  I have discovered that this can be super intense. When I do not have the Spirit, I can´t talk.  So I quickly notice when something needs to change (We all know how much I love to talk;)).   I am discovering something about God.  He wants all of me! His jobs do not stop.  A lot of the menos activos here when we find them say yeah I am Mormon but I am super inactivo.  They say that as if that means that they don´t need to go to church anymore.  But turns out God has a different plan.  Once we are baptized, God does not forget that covenant and we always should be followers of Jesus Christ.  I have been thinking about a funny meme quote thing with a women that looks super stressed and it says "Why do they want dinner EVERY night?¨ (referring to her hijos.)  The calling of a mother never ends.  Mom will always be our mom.   Now that she has had us she will always be our mom and there are no pauses.  Heather talked a little about this with me.  She said it is kind of weird because it is the first thing where there are literally NO breaks.  Obviously Alden needs to eat EVERY day;).  There is never a day when I leave the apartment without a badge that says I am a missionary.   It does not matter if I am tired, if it is raining, or if it is Christmas; I am always, always a missionary (for this precious time that is).  But are we not soooooooo grateful that God NEVER takes a break!?  Are we not so grateful that we never have to worry that He is sleeping, or went on a trip for a while and we don´t have access to Him through prayers.  Because God never takes a break from us, we should never take a break from Him! We have this sweet mom that we are teaching.  She is a menos activo that would do anything for her sweet kids.  She claims that she can smoke at work and it won´t affect anything because her kids don´t watch.  Turns out her kids do know and it is changing them. She is still their mom even when she is at work.  I love that even though you guys are far away you are still my family!  It does not matter if it is Christmas or you guys are super tired you are always my family; stuck to me for good!  I love that this means that Lauren is stuck with us forever too!  God does not take half measures! Look at the scriptures: everyone who was ever in trouble and was trying to follow God was because they did not give it all.  (Mark:3,7,9, Lahonti) I love the quote by C.S. Lewis: look it up it is about giving it all.  God wants all of us.

(C.S. Lewis said, talking as if he was the Savior, “Give me all of you!!!  I don’t want so much of your time, . . . your talents and your money, and so much of your work.  I want YOU!!!  ALL OF YOU!!  I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT!  No half measures will do. . . . give me yourself and I will make of you a new self- - - in my image.  Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself.  My will shall become your will.  My heart shall become your heart”.)

My Spanish is getting better each day!  I love it so much!  I had divisiones this week and it was so fun! It was me and a Latina who had been in the field for two weeks.  That was intense.  We were so cool though!  We contacted like crazy and found a lot of menos activos! 

Paola and her family are doing so well!  Eduardo did not go to church this week because he did not want to pray in Sunday School.  I love him so much!  We told him he definitely did not have to pray if he did not feel comfortable in public.  He is going to come to church again.. hopefully!  Josefa is reading a ton better and I love reading with her!  Vania is as cute as she can be!  She made it four hours in her first fast.  I am so proud of her!  Juan Pablo and Richard are still pretty crazy but I love them! 

I am trying to think of what other exciting things. We had a party in our apartment this morning because it was the first day we wore pants in forever! (We went bowling today.)  There are mushrooms growing in my apartment!  And as you all know, I cut my hair!  (So, the story of the hair is that I really miss Lauren!  It is another addition to that "always" thing.  Things that God does not have breaks... ever.  Sadly, when God takes someone to heaven, that does not have breaks either...  This whole not ever having a break from not seeing her is getting really annoying.  I just really want a break from this whole not seeing her thing.  So, I thought I would celebrate her a little bit!  And, besides, I was hot ... so I cut it!!)

 

It was a good week!  I love you all!

Have a great week! Remember how very much I love you and that you are all in my prayers!

Love Hermana Webb

 

The more I lose myself in His work, the more I find how much I fit right in His hands!

Family!!

I love you all so much I can´t even explain! We had such an amazing week. I told my companion I feel like on the mission I just want to sit back and enjoy the miracles because they never stop! 

So first of all we have a baptism this week! It is a hija de a recent convert. She is a sweet heart! It has been an adventure getting her to this point but she is so ready for this! We were teaching her about the law of chastity which was one, super awkward and two, pretty hard for her.  I injected in to tell her why we had this law and she stopped me and said (in Spanish of course) I know, I know it is because God loves me.  YESSSSSSSSS!!!!  I did my job!  I guess I tell her that a lot because she told me that that is all I say.  It is true.  My Spanish is still pretty crappy, but it is cool because I can say Dios le ama!!  Yes that is why!  That is why I am here!  That is why we should pay tithing, go to church, live the law of chastity read the book of Mormon and pray!  Yes!  She got it!  That is why I am here is to tell as many people that as I possibly can! That is our religion!  Because Dios Nos Ama!  Muchisimo! Entonces we should be really happy and we should be ready to live the commandments they are only going to set us free!

The rest of the week was one miracle after another. We have this list of the ward.  I am pretty sure there are like 900 people in our ward.  Of course, none go to church so we are out looking for all of them.  That is an adventure.  These people start out as just names on a page and then suddenly they become people with real lives and real desires and real problems and real dreams and real ruined dreams.  We found one sweet women that at the beginning was super closed.  She did not want to talk to us then we asked if we could pray with her and for some reason that just opened every thing up! She is the grandma of the home.  There are two children and their families living in this apartment. We have not met the others but we have an appointment with them tomorrow.  They had a seven year old granddaughter die in their house from Leukemia.  Sound familiar? yeah! Bummer! And the little grand daughter that was with her has autism.  She did not say so but I am pretty sure of it. I am kind of a creeper and watch kids that seem like they have some kind of disability.  She was a sweet heart! Also we found an old bishop!  Turns out no one is safe!  He told us that he loved the church and that he has a testimony but things have... changed.  I don´t know what that means but hopefully we will find out.  Miracles! He may have forgotten God, but God never forgot him! 

Okay so for the weeks chistosos!!  So my Spanish is definitely better! I can understand when I have the spirit super strong and I can talk about almost anything I want.  This week I was trying to tell my comp about bunny bashing (for those of you who don´t know what that is, it is a terrible sport in Idaho where people use bats to hit bunnies until they die.)  That is hard to explain when you don´t know the word for bunny and tampoco for bashing.  Thankfully, baseball bat is bata de baseball; entonces that was easy.  You think we would be better at Charades by now but we are not because when I acted out the ears for the bunny Hermana Maciel thought I meant a deer.  So she had the image of people in Idaho with baseball bats attacking deer.  No wait it gets better.  We started talking about deer and when I told her that there are always about seven deer next to my house she imagined like seven deer heads on our wall because that what she knows as deer.  So basically mom I have an idea!  Take some baseball bats and bash the deer until they die and mount them on our wall! What do you think!?  Oh I love Spanish!

The other chistoso was the drunk man of the week!  Oh wow he was very drunk! He stopped us in the street last night and gave us the gift of some leaves. (I know, very nice right?) Then he proceeded to mumble about I don´t even know.  I understood him.  After a while he came out to greet us.  For those of you who don´t know a greeting in Chile consists of a beso on the cheek.  That is awkward! We can´t obviously beso the men.   As he was opening the gate Hermana Maciel and I tried to frantically explain why we could not beso but it was not fast enough.  He went right to me and stuck his cheek right in my face.  I mean right in front of my face!  I have not been that close to a mans face for a very long time!  I had to practically stick my hand in his nose to help him understand that we shake hands. I was trying really hard not to laugh but when he started to explain to us that he is George by day and Maria by night, I lost it!  I just laughed and laughed!  He was very confused as to why I was laughing but proceeded to dance and tell me jokes about lamp posts to add to my laughter. It was a good day!!  Turns out he was one of our referencias.  Thanks Elders! 

I think that is about it! We are happily just working!  My life is wonderful and I love you all!  God is good to me!  He is teaching me a very specific lesson plan and I find the more I lose myself in His work the more I find how much I fit right in His hands!  I am learning every day to choose faith and not doubt!  No, I am not perfect but I am happy when I choose faith!  I am finding His hand every day!  One of my favorite lines in a song says 'for how can we hope to see his face if we never could see His hand!'  I love this!  Look for it this week!  Find how he is teaching YOU!  Because he is!  He has a plan for you!  But it probably involves helping someone else!  I love you all so much! I continue to stand all amazed at the blessings this family brings!  I am so happy!  God is so good!  This stuff is so true!  In the scriptures, a lot of people ran when they found the truth (read the end of Matthew the last chapter.)  My favorite part is when the two Marys run with a lot of joy and a little bit of fear in their hearts and who do they find on their way?  I am running!  I am running with joy and a little bit of fear because total villa I am not perfect but I continue to find my Savior in my path! Love you!

love,

Hermana Webb

She was looking for more in her life and we have it!!

Dear family!

August 19, 2013

It has been another amazing week in Chile! The first day of my mission my mission president´s wife scared me out of my pants when she said 'don´t worry it does get easier.'  Chuta!! I thought what does that mean!? Turns out she was right.  Not going to lie t-- he first part of my mission was pretty hard but I am finding more and more to just enjoy every day!

This week was a week of finding new investigators! All of our amazing investigators have either been baptized or were on vacation this week which meant to me and my comp it was time to find new ones.  God obviously thought so too because we had 12!!!!! referencias this week (for those of you who don´t know or don´t remember that is A LOT) We usually get... 0.  It was a week full of miracles! We found this awesome lady who just asked us questions and seems really interested!  She is looking for more in her life and we have it!  She has a picture on her wall that she drew that is practically the tree of life vision -- she was pretty happy about that.  Also there are two families that live in our apartment that are super interested and we are going back tomorrow.  En serio, that is a good week!  It is pretty amazing because every time I start to feel a little frustrated because everyone is telling us to go away or come back on the 32nd of August, God always sends a little miracle that makes the day really cool. We ¨randomly¨run into a lot of people we need to run into. 

So my favorite references this week were from the elders and some kid in our barrio.  The elders found this guy who forgot his address ... and so he told the elders his street and that he had a black gate.  So we get this reference, look for the Peruviana who has a black gate... So we go to the street and all of the houses have a black gate ... What do you do?  Because we are missionaries and are super awkward, we knocked on doors and asked if peruvians lived there.  It was a very funny fail. The next was some kids friend in our barrio.  He told us to look for a house with a post in front of it.... Like a light post. It was pretty funny.  We are excited for the next reference that tells us to look for the Chilean who has a nose.

Now that I am good friends with my roommates they are starting to laugh at my Spanish. It is really cute to watch them hold it in after I say something pretty off.  I really love my roommates! They are pretty funny!  This morning I taught them what gringos do to flirt.  Turns out gringos are weird ... go figure.  It is pretty fun to live with four girls all from different countries.  The new Hermana se llama Hermana Del Barrio.  She is super sweet.  She is from this mission though so she is pretty excited to go to her actual mission in Mexico. 

 

To give you an idea of my fun with my roommates: We were walking out of our building all together today and a cute man was standing at the gate. Because we are missionaries we all have to say hello so he sat at the gate and said buenas dias over and over again but then when he saw me, the last out of the gate he said in his very cute Latin Accent "and good morning!"  It was very cute!  I like my roommates!

 

My Spanish this week was a ton better!  I kind of got it into my head that if God wanted to bless me with el don de lenguas He would .... I don't know where I got that idea.  Anyway, this week I finally decided to ask for the gift.  And, WOW!  It worked.  It is actually a little creepy.  I can conjugate better, words come easier, and my mind feels clearer during lessons.  It is cool.  It definitely depends on the day, but I am feeling a ton better about all of it.

I love you all 

Hermana Webb

 

My story of grace

Hey Family!

This week has been absolutely wonderful! I am learning so much! So my new favorite song is this song by I think Steven Curtis Chapman.  It is supposed to be this comparison between angels and people on earth and the point is that this life is hard and we don´t have all of the answers, but something we do understand is the story of grace!  I love this idea!  What is my story of grace?  When I started thinking about it I realized that I have a story of grace every day.  Because we are on this earth we have felt that feeling of total helplessness and then we have also felt that saving power of grace.  I love sharing my story of grace and then helping other people find their own stories of grace as well!  Ah!!  This is my frustrated face because when I put it in words it is so less cool than it is when you experience it.  My story of grace is everything to me but the only way someone would understand is if they actually experienced it.  I think that is why we all need this personal relationship with our Savior!  We all need our own story.  I need his grace every day as I learn to totally surrender myself to Him. 

We are doing great with our investigators. Paula and her family is always a focus for us. Right now we are working with Josefa. She is always in the lessons but she does not pay a lot of attention. She has a little bit of a learning disability so it is super hard for her to read the Book of Mormon. Not that I am happy that she has the problem but I am happy because I know how to help her.  I am so grateful for my Utah State experience! We are reading different stories in the Book of Mormon together twice a week to help with her reading and help her gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon. When I was her age, I hated reading too and the thing that helped me was the Book of Mormon.  I hope her story can be similar to mine.  It has been pretty fun to see things that I can help with because I am finding that God can use my love for learning out here.   It is fun to see how I can help simply by being myself ... by being Carlie, just like my blessing told me to be.

We have a menos activo (less active) that totally breaks my heart. She is such a sweet heart! She has not been really active for twenty years.  Her son was murdered 20 years ago and in that same terrible year her husband up and left her for another women. She breaks my heart because I think she just did the same thing that a lot of us do; she started with questions that slowly turned to doubts, and now she is reading stuff on the internet and claims she has no testimony. I know she does. She is as sweet as they come but now her whole family has followed after her and all of them are no longer active. I want to help her but I also know it is going to take a while. 

 

We did have cambios (transfers) this week! It was pretty intense and a pretty big bummer.  I am safe and so is my comp, but my roommate se va.  I am super bummed too!  She really is one of my favorites!  Her name is Hermana Cortese.  She left this morning and there were definitely a lot of tears.  She was always really fun to talk to because she was the one who practiced her English the most.  I am so blessed!  I wish you people could meet my comp and my roommates they really are the best! We are from five different countries though, so it is not likely that we will see each other all juntos (together) again. 

I am trying to think of a good funny story for this week. We still teach at the menos activos house that is trafficking drugs because she is trying to make steps to coming back. I don´t know if she is just saying that or if she actually wants to. It is going to be quite the fun process if that is what she actually wants. This gospel is so wonderful but we have to change every day as we come unto Christ. Of course we do ... it just makes sense ... he is perfect and we want to be. ;)

My comps stomach growled like crazy through a lesson yesterday. It was pretty funny. Every time there was a silence it started growling. I almost lost it every time but thankfully the 16 year old daughter started laughing first so I could laugh too. I think all of us - my comp and the family we were with - needed a good laugh so it turned out good.  I have never heard so much growling in one period of time.  Also, I had a converso resente fall asleep in a prayer.  It was pretty funny.  I was praying, which means -- trust me, the prayer was really short, because p.s. I can´t talk in Spanish! And she fell asleep anyway.  My comp and I sat there wondering what we should do. I was thinking of every sad thing on the planet that I could think of so that I would not laugh. Thankfully I made it outside.  She is this sweet lady who has a lot of meds in her right now.  She is super tiny and just like Gogo!  She even has the same towels in her bathroom and a bright pink bed spread!  I love her and her house basically! 

Life is good, family! I am so glad everything is going so well.  I love the stories!  I always laugh out loud when I am in the internet place --- good thing everyone already thinks I am crazy.  I am happy! Love you all!

Love Carlie 

 

God is so much better at all of this than us!

I love you all! Have I told you that lately!? So this week has been a party! No but really it has been pretty exciting. It started out pretty rough! I definitely am really bummed about my Grandpa! He is really cool and I was not ready for that news! I thought about sweet grandma all week and prayed that all would go well!

But then this week ended absolutely beautifuly with the baptism of Vania. I really love her family! Like a lot! I am so happy for her and her choice to get baptized. We are really trying to work with the parents.  I know I don´t want to solve all of their problems but I know the gospel can at least help with all of them. 

Isidora told us this week that she does not want to get baptized into any church. When she said that I felt like some one was breaking up with me or something. I was super bummed! Hermana Macial is smart though and saw right past it. She asked why and she answered flat out because of her dad. So we are going to talk with the dad. Not that we are going to tell him he should let his daughter get baptized but we are just going to convert him too!!  :-)  I guess the misionaries have not talked to him much so our goal is to figure out what is going on in his head. 

Mariana is still half and half. She is the daughter of a recent converet, Laurdes. She is a sweet heart and has a testimony but is still feeling timid about the idea of baptism. This week something went wrong in their family. I don´t know what because everytime we go over there Lourdes has left the house and she does not want to talk about the problem over the phone. We are anxious for more news!

Okay and now for the funny parts of the week.  First, we were not sure that this was happening so I did not write about it but now we are positive.  We have this manos activo that we love!  She and her mom always have sweet answers to our questions and always let us in to their apartment.  It is this miracle because neither of them work but still have food to eat and a place to stay... By the way, that does not just happen. Every two minutes we were there, there was a new knock at the door with a different rhythm. The daughter would go to the door with a tissue and shut it really quick after she talked to whoever was outside.  Weird, right?  We did not stop teaching though; we continued to have this wonderful spiritual moment talking about Jesus and having faith in Him. Ha ha, yeah she is trafficking drugs!!!  I am not kidding! The other day she tripped on my backpack and all of her drugs fell out of her hand!  Oh dear... not really sure what we are going to do about that one. 

My poor companion is going crazy. I think it is because she cannot communicate. There are times where she will just laugh and she can´t stop. I don´t know why. It is pretty hilarious though. Everyone around her (including me) stare at her and wonder what is so funny.  When you can´t communicate for a month, I guess you go crazy.

I am happy to announce I don´t have any "pulling an hermana Webb" for this week. My Spanish is definitely better every day!  It is pretty wierd to feel my brian finally switch to Spanish.  I am starting to think in Spanish!  That makes me really happy!  It is one reason p days are kind of hard because I never think this much in English. Hermana Maciel has a "pulling a Webb" though! She was talking to someone through a gate. We were looking for a manos activo named Rosa.  Hermana Maciel asked the person if they were Rosa´s Hermana, and the person responded no... her husband. It was definitely a good awkward moment of my day. 

Teaching my roommates English is my favorite part of the day! It makes me feel so vindicated! They are so cute! They come running into our study room with their eyes closed and say some phrase to me in English and then open their eyes hoping it was right. I am so blessed with awesome roommates!

This is definitely not easy, but it is definitely worth it!  I am learning so much!  I read some of my journal today and I was reminded again that God was in charge the whole time and He is and has always has been my perfect teacher!!  (Even when I am stubborn.)  I feel a little frustrated because this whole 'write you guys once a week' is so not sufficient!  I have so many things to tell you all that I never have time to tell you!  I have learned so much in the last month - I am a totally new person!  Everyone should go on a mission!!  You learn so much about everything!  I am happy to say that I am better every day!  The decision is It is not worth it to try to keep our lives our way because God is so much better at all of this than us!  We need Him!  I love the scripture in Hebrews that talkes about a new heart!  I love getting a new heart from my Savior!  I am learning what that means.  It is not just something that is one really awesome spiritual experience.  It is a total change every second of every day.  My desires are changing, what I think about is changing, what makes me happy is changing!  It is such a beautiful process to experience but it is also hard.  I testify that this path is better!  I was so afraid to take it but I am happier!  I find joy in things that I can have forever not things that are only for a day or a year or this life.  I love my Savior!  Every day I give him all of me and he sanctifies my offering. He is the answer just like He has always been.  It is not easy because it is a constant battle.  Satan does not want this change.  I feel like the people in Mosiah five who had no more desire to do evil but to just do good. It is hard to keep that attitude but when I have it I find the most profound and lasting joy!

Love you all! Thank you for your examples and prayers! I need them! 

Love Carlie