Called to Serve: Chile Rancagua : Week 7: The Game Changer

Hermana Tapiero and Hermana Eibert in Alameda, Curico, Chile

7 August 2017

Hola everyone! I hope all you are having a great day and have had a great week!

Cold as ever here, which doesn't feel right for August haha! My companion and I are both doing great! We had 5 of our 8 investigators from last week also attend church with us this week, which was great. The others were sick with the same stuff I'm starting to get.

Today we met as a zone and played futbol! Which is soccer... It was so fun. We also made/ate homemade empanadas, which are SO GOOD.

We have several opportunities to serve this coming week, lots of painting and cleaning and such. Last week we scrubbed one lady's wall, that was covered in residue from a fire that had burned part of her house.

I love teaching the Haitians! It is so fun. Remember the pescado/pecado comment from before? Well, gringos aren't the only one that make that mistake. We had an investigator who is learning Spanish too, though it is really good, and went off on a tangent about sin, but saying pescado over and over and over. If you don't remember, pescado means fish. My companion, a latina, about died of laughter. It was great and we all laughed together when we explained what it meant.

We have three people this week that committed to be baptized. They are absolutely the sweetest people and I'm so excited for them!

We talk to so many different people and I love it. Most people are so nice and kind and patient.

Note to everyone, members of my church and not: Please be oh so kind to the missionaries. We really just want to serve. We love to help and teach and serve and love. We genuinely mean it when we ask if there is anything we can help you with or any service you need. And we share our beliefs because we know they are true and want to share the joy of our message with everyone we come in contact with. Be kind and patient, we're just young kids away from our homes and families, to love and serve God.

My thought of the week:

Based partly off of my personal study and an interview I had with my Mission President, who along with his wife, are the absolute best! I have so much love and respect for them. This was the/a game changer. It changed my mentality and thinking and gave me a better outlook on things.

As hard as life can be sometimes, and the trials and tribulations we have to face, things will always get better. Sometimes it is just a matter of how we carry our burdens. If we have a positive outlook, a positive attitude, things will naturally be happier and smoother.

We must always seek the divine help. We have a loving God who is waiting to bless us beyond what we already know, and wanting to help us, we need but only ask. And we have to have the faith to receive the answers we don't want too. Sometimes the Lord isn't going to take away the trial, the burden, the heartache, but when we seek him through prayer, He will increase our capacity to bear the load. Our capacities will grow indefinitely when we have the Lord on our side.

(Mosiah 24: 14) "The Lord will ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs."

The problems will still be there sometimes, but we have it within our capability to be happy and have the load lightened. I'm convinced that, as awesome as the Hallelujahs and praises are, the Lord waits desperately for His children to seek him during heartache and tribulation. Know that you have never lived a moment unloved. You are always loved by a divine and perfect being, with a perfect and infinite love.

Have a fantastic week everyone! Lots of love from this missionary!

Con amor,

Hermana Eibert