Week 45: Winter is Coming

Hi everyone!

This week passed by quickly. It is starting to get cold. Breaking out the jackets cause its #sweaterweather. 

Highlight by far was our intercambios with the Hermanas in Cachapoal. We traveled to Rancagua, and I was with Hermana Tapiero. How sweet that was! I felt like I was in my training all over again, and boy did I still learn a lot. I am so grateful for her. 

  

Thought for this week:

Failure is only when we give up. Keep picking yourself up. Keep moving forward. 

Lots of love. 

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert

Week 44: Craziest Week of My Mission (and Life)

It's officially Fall in Chile and the leaves are changing colors

I couldn't even tell you all half of the things that happened this week. It was not just the craziest week I have had in my mission, but probably the craziest in my life. I will attempt a brief recap and maybe include pictures if the computers are nice to me this week.

Monday: As missionaries, we work as a team, one in purpose. And if one companionship goes down, another one is there to save the day. So grateful for the kindness and compassion of some people. We were sick this day and hadn't had anything to eat. So at almost 10pm, a delivery saved us....I'll include the picture. Word of Wisdom pamphlet and everything...

Tuesday: The Hermanas from San Vicente, Hermana Garcia (Chile) and Hermana Lyons (Utah) joined us to spend the night. We were all suppose to travel to Santa Cruz for our Zone Conference, but my companion and Hermana Lyons had to travel to Rancagua for visa paperwork and so we started a 3 day intercambio. 

Wednesday: Hermana Garcia and I went to our zone conference in Santa Cruz, which was amazing, and we barely made it back that night to San Fernando. And so the hermanas from San Vicente were with us Wednesday night as well. 

Thursday: We had our official intercambios Thursday, with the four us working here in Guadalupe. I had the opportunity to be with Hermana Lyons and it was great. She taught me a lot. We also had a party, the 4 of us hermanas for 3 nights straight...it may or may not have included Oreo milkshakes. 

 

Hermana Lyons, Hermana Garcia, Hermana Eibert and Hermana Dumes doing Chapel Tours

Friday: The other hermanas went to another zone conference and Hermana Garcia and I went San Vicente to work in their sector. It was great....Hermana Garcia and I both have 2 weeks in our new sectors and we both had to figure things out Thursday and Friday. It was fun. We only got lost a couple times and we talked to a lot of incredible people. I testify that miracles are so real. 

Saturday: We had another Chapel Open House in Peumo, though I don't have pictures of this one. It was just as fun and I felt so blessed to have participated. It is a very small pueblo, so it was cool to support the branch members there and work with the community. We also had a bit of a medical emergency. 

 

Hermanas Eibert and Dumes

Sunday: We both dropped sick and missed part of church (which sucks...especially as missionaries). It has been quite a week, one I will never forget, and I am so blessed.

Monday (today): We, as a district made our way in bus to a place called Puente Negro (Black Bridge). It was beautiful. It was bit cold, especially when we accidentally got our feet wet, but we played games, enjoyed the nature and ate a picnic lunch. It was awesome. I am serving with some pretty amazing people. Also, another tender mercy...when the bus only passes every 20-30 minutes and you have to go back after being almost home because someone forgot their bag...God is in all the details when a hermano passes by, drives you all back and literally, as you are arriving another bus is arriving, and they wait for you to retrieve the bag and you only lose 15 minutes and not 1-2 more hours. 

Note: I will try and send pictures to go with all these things....

My thought for the week: 

When we feel like we just can't do it anymore, when we have no more energy, or strength, or hope, when we have nothing more to give...He is here. He carries us through when we can't do it on our own and He is by our side in every moment. My testimony of the power of God grew immensely this week. I am incredibly grateful for His mercy and His help. There is always light. We need to look for it. And Light will always chase away the darkness (DC 50). 

I love you all. Thank you for your support and your love and your prayers. Have a fantastic week.

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert

1) the zone all wanted a picture and we had to improvise

2) part of the journey

Went to Zone Conference with Hermana Garcia

Week 43: Hallelujah

Hey there everyone!! Hope your week has been fabulous!

Brief recap of the week: 

We had intercambios with Chimbarongo this last Thursday and it was so fun. I was with Hermana Barrera from Argentina. Chimbaronga is a very small branch and it is lot more countryside. It was a fun experience and the people there are so sweet. We visited one of their converts that was in an accident and struggles to retain his memory.They have to teach very slowly, simply and with lots of patience, but it is so sweet to see. He tries so hard and keeps notes and studies them and tries so hard. And when he sees or hears something that he recognizes or knows is true, he gets excited. This man was so sweet. The situation isn't ideal, but all involved are so positive and uplifting and it is beautiful to see. 

Friday night we particpated in our branch talent show and it was a blast. We threw together our act and it turned out awesome. One of the young women, Jasmin, joined Hermana Dumes and Elder Pead(Utah) in singing Hallelujah and Elder Bartel (Argentina) was playing a Peruvian drum and I played the piano. It came together great and the members (and us) were content. 

Saturday we had the opportunity to help out with a chapel open house in a very small branch called Pichidegua (where the 2 elders serving there are branch president and counselor). It was a wonderful opportunity to show people what the church building looks like and what we really believe. Many have never had the opportunity to see inside the chapel and have some very twisted misconceptions. It was so fun to give tours and such. When we finally were getting ready to leave and head back to our area, we waited in the bus station for almost an hour. One bus passed us and didn't stop (lame) and then we were told another one would be passing by shortly (they come ever 15-30 minutes). We waited and our district leader, Elder Pead, decided we would wait 5 minutes for before we left to head into town to look for a taxi or something. He paused for a second and then decided that no, we would leave right that second. It was funny, because 2 minutes up the road we ran into the 4 San Vicente missionaries loading up in the last taxi of the night...oh to see the look on the zone leaders face when he realized that us 4 missionaries from San Fernando (2 hours away) were still there in Pichidegua and stuck at 8 pm at night. They thankfully surrended their taxi and we made it back last minute and the driver called in a friend to go and pick up the other 4 and they made is back as well. But I am sure grateful we left when we did. Tender mercy for sure. 

Thought of the week: 

“Small efforts sustained over time can produce significant results.” —Brother Devin G. Durrant, “My Heart Pondereth Them Continually”

Sometimes we have to pass through a trial of our faith. When we do all we can, all we need to do, but sometimes it seems like we aren't seeing the results. But I love the scripture that talks about how through small and simple things, great things are brought to pass. And it is so true. We aren't going to change the world in one day, or change our lives overnight. We have to be consistent and diligent and persistent. God will always be with us and will always bless us for our efforts. The angels are really silently note taking...our efforts do not go unnoticed and we, as I have said many times before, are so loved. 

Have a blessed week. Love you all. 

Con amor,

Hermana Eibert

Week 42: San Fernando, San Vicente, Guadalupe?

So I don't understand it completely, but I have it more in order now. I am serving in the area/branch of Guadalupe, but the mission zone is San Vicente (but we get to work with the hermanas in San Vicente and San Fernando) and we are in the heart of the city of San Fernando. It is cool. The people are here are awesome, especially the members. And turns out it is the largest branch in all of Chile, and maybe South America...it's basically a ward but it can't be a ward because it's not a stake here. But there are many members of the church here and they are wonderful.

Leadership Training Meeting--5 April 2018

This week was crazy. We had meeting after meeting in Rancagua with President and Hermana Harris and other leaders of the mission and lots of training. Between running around and traveling, we had the opportunity to attend the baptism of a young girl named Emma. She is so stinking cute and though I just met her this week, it was a sweet experience. I had the opportunity to speak at her baptism and provide the music. It was sweet to see her family all together. And with all the craziness happening around us (the font filled with cold water and not hot, or emergency with the white clothing...) all ended well. She is such a sweetheart and I am excited to continue to work with her. 

Hermanas Dumes and Eibert with Emma for her baptism--7 April 2018

New Companionship--Hermana Josselyn Dumes from Ecuador

My new companion, Hermana Dumes, is an absolute sweetheart as well! Love her so much and I am so excited for this cambio with her! We are going to hit the pavement and take on San Fernando here!

Sleepover in Rancagua for the Hermanas that traveled

My thought for the week: 

I have thought a lot this week about how the Lord works with our weaknesses. To some people it doesn't make sense why the Lord would show us all our weaknesses and faults the more that we seek him. Some people think the closer to God we get the more perfect we will appear to ourselves. But the idea is refinement. I loved studying about the refiners fire. Sometimes life sucks. Sometimes its hard. There are so many heartaches and difficulties, but all these things will be for our benefit in the end. The Lord loves us enough to give us trials, to test us. But he never leaves us alone. He and heaven are always cheering us on. I love that. I love that there is someone that loves us that much. A perfect love. Here's a cute picture quote to tag along with that.

Have a great week!! Lots of love!

Con amor,

Hermana Eibert

Week 41: Rengo has My Heart

Miracles are real, because I found a Peanut Butter chocolate Russell Stover bunny! Seriously, miracles. It was the only one too, and how it ended up in my hands, still not sure. Easter 2018

What a week, what a week. This week was insane, and I couldn't tell you half of it even if I had the time. 

To start, we received our cambios this last Saturday night and I am leaving Rengo. I am so incredibly grateful for the time I have had here and the people. These people truly have my heart. I never thought it would be so hard to leave an area. I am heading to a city called San Fernando, in the sector of Guadalupe, with an Hermana Dumes from Ecuador. To this point in my mission, I have only served in giant wards, and now I will have the opportunity to serve in a branch. I am excited to see what more the Lord has in store! And I know its not really a goodbye for the people of Rengo, just a nos vemos. 

So here is a miracle that happened this week...we were heading home one night via collective (a type of taxi here in Chile) and we got out and started to walk the rest of the way home. We soon discovered we did not have our phone. We quickly went to a members home to call our number, as we knew it had to be in the collectivo. We called several times, but no answer. We decided to wait until morning to call again. The member helped us confirm our lunch the next day (which was another tender mercy because the hermana couldn't do lunch with us and the members we were with very kindly offered to have us over for lunch instead). The next morning, we we called again and scheduled a time that evening to possibly recover the phone. We went there and discovered the address, the number of the house she gave us didn't exist. We started looking for any and all people on that street with collectivos, asking neighbors if they knew a neighbor who drove a collectivo. We found one house and a girl about my age came out to talk to us, but the door closed behind her, locking her out of her house. She then had to scale the roof from a brick wall and enter a second story window to get back it. She let us in and we talked and explained the situation. Her parents had stepped out for the evening and she had just lost her own cell phone, so we got their information and all and will be going to visit them later too. Turns out they are really good family friends with a family in the ward here in Rengo, that have a son on the mission too! Tender mercies. They were great, but turns out they're not the collectivo drive we were looking for. We called our phone number again when we were with the elders and the lady apologized that she has messed up the house number. We passed the next morning, now we have our phone, and an appointment to visit her and her family as well. Lots of miracles and tender mercies...all for leaving our phone in the collectivo. 

We also had a bomb birthday party for Relief Society this week (this ward really is the best), we had a fantastic Easter Noche de Hogar (FHE) with the ward and our investigators, and we got to witness a very beautiful baptism. So many wonderful things this week and the perfect way to end my time here. 

Thought of the week: 

General conference was amazing. I hope you all had the opportunity to watch or listent to it. And if not, check out lds.org to watch or listen to the sessions! I was blessed to be able to listen to the first 3 sessions in English, thanks to a very kind hermano and his tablet with headphones! And I had the opportunity to listen to the last one in Spanish. Beautiful how the spirit speaks, no matter which language it is. 

The theme that really stuck out to me this conference and touched my heart, was that we all have the responsibility to be ministers. I don't remember who (I'm so excited to go back and read the talks to sort out my spanglish notes and all) but I loved when they said to minister is to love as the Savior loved. True ministry changes lives for the ministering and the ministered. To me the word minister has always sounded a little silly, but I love it now. Massimo de Feo shared about love and what it means to be a true disciple of Christ. I loved his talk so much, and encourage all of you to go and read it, for the first time or to review! Pure love is the sign of a true disciple. We need to love everyone. We need to serve and forgive and lift up the hands that can't lift themselves. We need to be more like Him. And how He loves us. Miracles really are possible when we love others as He has loved us. Miracles happen when we work together in love and unity. Love really is everything. 

I also loved, loved, loved this: Things that don't change will stay the same. 

Simple and so true. 

I would love to hear about your thoughts with general conference or your favorite talk! 

Have a great week everyone!! Lots of love to you all, all the way from Chile!!

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert

1) group, Las Nieves

2) Hermano Valenzuela

3) Maggy!

Javier, Clarisa, and Alonso

Familia Lopez

Nayade, Lucas, Hermano Ibarra

My Rengo dog--Popsey