Week 19: If You Could Have All the Guacamole in the World....

 

Hello from Curico!

 

Hope you are all doing better than I am--haha! 

This week has been rough. We have been in the apartment the last two days. My companion was fine the first half of the weekend while I was up vomiting all night (while she slept peacefully) and day (food poisioning?) and then we switched places. It was awesome. But now we are back to work. On the rebound, but happy to be out of the house and back with the people. 

We also had the opportunity to have a special conference with Elder Bragg of the Seventy who was visiting for an area tour this past week! He and his wife are awesome and it was such a wonderful conference! We learned a lot and I have an even greater appreciation for my call to serve. And I know that Rancagua Chile is where I am meant to be, without a shadow of a doubt!

To explain the subject line from this week...though I speak Spanish usually without problem, sometimes I still slip up. But heck, I do that in English too--haha. I was trying to explain an idea that was expressed in General Conference from Elder Nelson about how he would choose the Libro de Mormon over all the riches of the world. I confused a Chilean word for money, plata, for a Chilean word for guacamole, palta....if you could have all the guacamole in the world or the Book of Mormon, which would you choose? Ahhh, tough choice!! (Still the Book of Mormon--haha...) 

Sorry as always for the poor grammar, ask my mom, I swear I was excellent with English beforehand. But that's it for this week. I hope you all have a good and healthy and fun and happy week. Lots of love from Chile!!

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert

PS. Thank you so much for the cards! I finally received a bunch from all of September and October! and I only cried a little--haha. Thanks for all the love and support! I love snail mail. 

PS. otra vez the picture this week, for my mom's sake, is me and my comp, and my ¨we had food poisoning all weekend" look, rocking it tho--haha, and an empenada from when we weren't sick.

Week 18: I Have Two Colors--Red and White

Hey family and friends! 

All is well in Curico! It is starting to warm up and stay warm, which means that my true colors are coming out...I only have two apparently, red and white. This gringa is missing the rain and the winter and the PWN, in general--haha. But summer is definitely starting to set in here, which is strange. I can't imagine a blazing hot Christmas, but I guess there is a first for everything. 

My new companion is fantastic! Hermana Prado is from Ecuador, which I probably said last week, and she is the only member in her family! She is a powerful missionary, a big inspiration, and I am so excited to work with her! I am also teaching her English. This cambio in general has been full of opportunities to teach or help with English, which I am loving. And I am also learning or understanding a little more how much of a disaster English is as a language...comforting the frustrated learners with a their, there, they're....

We have seen so many miracles this week. I don't even know where to start. It was so fast this week too. As missionaries, we have the opportunity to see grand and incredible changes in people and I love being able to help people learn, grow, and change.

My thought for the week is simple. Miracles are real. We have miracles today. Small and simple, huge and fantastic. Tender mercies everyday, if we only look for them. In my study of the New Testament, it was clear that before every miracle, there was always a manifestation of faith. Faith is always required. When we have faith, anything is possible, because with God nothing is impossible. When we have faith, we have hope as well. 

Short, sweet, and simple. Love you all, have a great week!

 

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert

PS. The pictures this week include a selfie, sorry mom, and pictures of drawings gifted to us from a 10 year old boy. What a joy it is to teach children and to see their love for their family and for God. It's pure. And palm trees (joke's on me, because I prayed to serve in a place that's cold). 

 

Week 17: Oh My Gato

It is hilarious when someone yells OH MY GATO. Gato means cat for those wondering. It's funny in English and Spanish. 

So this week has been insane. We had intercambios, and I was with the crazy and awesome Hermana Sanchez. I was lame again and didn't take any photos. I promise I will be better with this, since my mom's mad at me for not taking any ever. But intercambios, or exchanges were great. I have had plenty of practice guiding this area by myself now. Which prepared me for what came this week. 

TRANSFER OR CAMBIO CALLS. Cambios are here again and I have officially finished any and all training. I hit my 4 month mark this week which was a little crazy too. But I am staying in Curico and I said goodbye this morning to Hermana Tapiero. After 9 months here in Curico, in Alameda, she was ready to move on. My new companion is Hermana Prado from Ecuador. We have been comps for all of 2 hours, so there's not much to say yet, but she is awesome and I am so excited for this next cambio. It's going to be crazy awesome. More updates on cambios next week since its a little crazy today, and to have cambios/transfers on Pday (not normal). 

It was also Hermana Taperio's birthday this last week, which was crazy. Between her birthday and my birthday and her farewell as a beloved member of the ward, we had like 7 different cakes gifted to us. Our fridge is all cake. It's a little crazy, but so much love. I absolutely love the people here, they are fantastic, kind, and filled with love. 

My thought for the week:

As a missionary, it is incredibly frustrating sometimes when you want the best for people and you know they are capable of so much, but they don't think they can change or they are not willing to work for the change. We are trying to guide people to happiness beyond comparison, but sometimes it is more like dragging and obviously people have their agency and can choose whether or not to receive the help. 

In turn, I know for a fact that I am not perfect and I have many challenges and imperfections, which is okay. But can you imagine how incredibly frustrating it is for God, a perfect being, to be working with imperfect beings? Holy moly, I can only imagine... though we are imperfect, we all make mistakes, He is endlessly patient and kind and we have all of heaven cheering us on. He knows what is best for us, but sometimes we take a little longer to realize this for ourselves. What stubborn beings we are. 

However, I also know this life is incredibly difficult. There are so many terrible things, so many pains, heartaches, tragedy, everything. Sorrow sometimes we think we cannot bear. But what joy we have when we have the hope of the gospel. I love a scripture in the New Testament, in Romans 8:18

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be   compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

And how true is this. The joy and the glory of the future are so worth it when we press forward with faith. The suffering, the pain, the sorrow, it is but a moment. A bump in the road. A bump in the road that is not worthy to be compared to the things of the future. What hope we have. 

Lots of love as always, from Chile!!

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert

 

 PS. The picture I have for this week is the last with Hermana Tapiero, saying our goodbyes in the terminal.

Curico Stake Conference Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47UXDZqE55Q&feature=youtu.be

Week 16: Bless the Sweet Saint Who Gifted Me Rootbeer

 

 

Oh, familia y amigos, this week was a grand mess and a grand time! What a week. We started slow with Hermana Tapiero being sick. The weather is bipolar too; some days it rains and pours and is freezing and I need two coats, but other days it's hot and awful outside. Now we treasure the rain and chill, because summer is definitely coming and I am not super excited. Also, sometimes you just have to laugh at things or you might cry--hahaha. Some of you might remember how I managed to run over my iPhone the first day of my senior year...well my agenda planner got ran over this week too. I don't know why this is always my luck. 

A funny for this week....I am terrible with names of people. Especially here...everyone has two names and everyone in the Latin community has two last names too. And they all refer to each other by first names like Sister Diana or Brother Juan...but we have to know the last names, both, for each family too. It's a lot and I am already bad at it. However, the members tease me because I don't have any problem remembering the names of the dogs. One family has like 3 dogs and the Hermana was surprised I remembered their names. Something I'm working on. 

 

We also had lunch with one of the sweetest families. WE HAD ROOTBEER FLOATS. Seriously, a tender mercy during the week. I love root beer and it is nearly impossible to find here in Chile. But they had some and then they gifted me a can too! And I don't have any new pictures this week since I forgot my camera all week...but here's a picture for you all to enjoy and for the sake of my mother. I am alive and well. And enjoying root beer. 

 

My thought for this week:

I have learned so much. But short and simple this week because I am rambling and my thoughts are scattered. 

We need more kindness in the world. Be so kind. Be compassionate. It is not a weakness. It is something only strong people can be. Love everyone, even those that give you reason not to. Kindness, compassion, love, peace. I don't remember where I was reading, but it was talking about how it is very possible to have peace during times of war and confusion, and its equally possible to have peace during times without war and confusion. Everything is based on how we choose to act. Let us choose to be more kind. 

Have a great week. I love you all and treasure all of your emails and kind thoughts. Much love, as always, from Chile.

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert

 

PS. Enjoy the awkward picture of me with my root beer, all for you mom.

 

Week 15: How many chickens are in your family?

 

Hey everyone! I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the kind emails and letters/cards! It was a fantastic birthday and I felt so loved by those near and far. I can't believe I am 20. It is a little crazy--haha. 

This week was great. Full of miracles, as usual, and funny moments, also the norm. One of said funny moments was when we were teaching an investigator (with his less active girlfriend and her active member mother) and he tried to talk to me in English.  It was the funniest thing ever, but the best part of this conversation was when he started to ask about my family and asked me how many chickens I have in my family...I dont know if there are any  chickens in my family (nobody calls me chicken), but there are, in fact, 5 children. Hermana Tapiero was laughing too, knowing very well he didn't mean pollo. 

I hope you all had the opportunity to watch or listen to General Conference this past weekend. Boy, what a weekend. We had our zone conference the day before, this past friday, and it was like being hit by a spiritual wrecking ball. 3 days of conferencing and spiritual high. What a weekend. 

My thought for the week is a snippet from one of the talks this past weekend, by a Stanley G. Ellis. He was talking about how some of the greatest lessons and blessings we receive often come during the hardest times. Hard is good when we let it be good. And we are all capable of hard things. I loved his analogy of the baby chick. When a baby chick is hatching, it struggles immensely to break out of its shell. One watching can't help but want to help the baby chick. However, if someone interferes with the struggle of the chick, the chick will not develop the strength it needs to live a full and healthy life. We are the same. Our trials, our challenges, they shape us. Stanley G. Ellis also talked about how our reaction to the hard things is the only variable. We can choose to let them build us or let them tear us down. Hard can be good if we let it be, if we choose to move forward with faith and trust in the Lord. 

I also loved that he shared the quote ¨For evil to prevail it is only necessary for good people to do nothing.¨ 

Your success and your happiness, both now and in eternity, depend on your responses to the difficulties of life. 

Make it a good choice. 

Lots of love as always from here in Chile!! Have a great week!! 

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert