Called to Serve: Chile Rancagua : Week 10: Happiness is a Choice

Hola family and friends!

I woke up one day this week and realized that I can speak Spanish. Obviously my vocabulary is not perfect and I'm still learning, but I can comminucate just fine. Miracles, honestly. Studying Spanish in High School is one thing, but being here for only a month and being able to speak, I feel incredibly blessed. That being said, I couldn't figure out why in Relief Society class this week they were talking about chicken. (Pollo is chicken in Spanish...they were really talking about support which is apoyo, oops--hahaha).

No more dancing wookies, but we did see a dancing Iron Man juggling fire, so that was pretty cool. I have so much love for these people. I absoultely adore the ward members especially. They are so amazing and endlessly kind and loving. The Chileans are hilarious too, which is probably why we all get along so well--haha.

This week we are all a little anxious. We are awaiting cambio calls, transfer notices this coming weekend and to see if me and/or Hermana Tapiero will stay in or leave Curico. I will let you all know next Pday. I hope we both stay. Curico is amazing. But we had intercambios, which are exchanges (in English, I think), and I had to lead our sectors, which went surprisingly well. There was one time when I first got my license and my mom asked me to go to the store and I questioned whether or not I actually knew where Fred Meyer was. It was a little like that this week. But I surprised myself and I know the roads and places better than I thought, especially being in the city only for 5 weeks.

It was a great week and I am so looking forward to a meeting we have this week where all my MTC people are going to be in one place. Love them and love that we have to opportunity to serve together.

My thought for the week:

Happiness is a choice, our choice.

´Happiness is the object and design of our existence, and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it.´

Elder Holland has a new talk in the Liahona for September entitled ¨The Gospel Path to Happiness,¨ which, as always with Elder Holland, is absoulte gold. His insights on how we can find true happiness is brilliant and powerful and I love it. You should all read it.

Happiness is a tricky and elusive thing, I think. Elder Holland shared a quote by Henry David Thoreau that I abosuletly love: ¨Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.¨

I love Thoreau and how true this it!

How often do we get stuck in the mindset of ¨I will be happy when...¨

I know I have been guilty of this, I'll be happy when summer comes, when I finish high school, when I start college, when I, when I, when I... you name it. Job, marriage, life in general. Fill in the blank. But we shouldn't wait. We shouldn't have this mindset when we are all perfectly capable of having true joy and happiness now.

This doesn't mean don't look forward to things in the future. There is lots of goodness to come. It is important we just don't base our happniess in the events or people.

Elder Holland oulined 5 steps or ways we can live after the ¨the manner of happiness¨(2 Nephi 5:27).

1. Live the Gospel.

--It is through Christ we find real joy.

2. CHOOSE Happiness

--We have the power to choose to be happy. Nobody can take that away from us.

3. Be Kind and Pleasant

--Nobody mean and nasty is going to be happy. Be kind always.

4. Work At It

--Goals are fantastic things. Always room for progress and improvement.

5. Reject Transgression

--Wickedness never was happiness. How often do people of this world relish in wickedness because it is temporary pleasure? This world has a lot of things to offer that often appear good and is not. We need to be careful not to jeoparadize true happiness with temporary things of pleasure.

Another thing Elder Holland talks about is the fact that we are not meant to be happy all day, everyday. This life is an opportunity for us to learn, to grow, to progress. The only way we can accomplish these things is through experiencing sorrow too. How on earth are we going to know a good day without having experienced a bad one? There are going to be storms in this life, but we can take comfort in knowing that after the storm ends, there will be a rainbow (cliche--I know).

I know we have the ability to be happy. It is our choice. We can choose to be miserable, or we can put ourselves to work and choose to be happy. I have seen this so much with the mission. A mission is so hard, but when I focus on the reasons why I am here and I put myself to work...I am witnessing miracles. I can't say that enough. This is such a blessing and I am so happy I have the opportunity to serve.

I know that it is through Christ that we can have true joy, true happiness, true peace. And how blessed I am to have the knowledge I do.

Have a great week. I love you all and appreciate all you and your emails!

Con amor,

Hermana Eibert

PS!!!