Week 58: The Iceberg

Hey everyone! 

Funny story, as I have mentioned before, Eibert is very difficult for the Latinos to say. So I am well-known as Hermana Iceberg. During church this last Sunday, one of the sweet hermanas was giving a talk that we had helped her write. She started talking about something I had shared with her that she liked and referenced me but couldn't remember my name so she called me the ¨Hermana from Washington¨--which was funny. The best part was our investigator hollering out "Hermana Iceberg" to clarify my name/help her out. And then, the last speaker talked about the story of the Titanic and how it was supposed to be indestructible but then an iceberg happened...there is never a dull moment! I am affectionately known as the Iceberg.

Last week we went out to lunch at a burger joint famous among missionaries. They had bacon cheese burgers!! I was so excited...bacon (and burgers really) aren't really a thing here. But it was fun, we went with the hermanas from Piduco. Cherry on top was the ice cream afterwards. Ice cream, even though it is still freezing--haha! But it was fun. 

My thought of the week: 

One truth that I have shared a lot is our Heavenly Father loves us perfectly and knows us perfectly and is fighting for us always. But this week I have thought a lot about how the adversary is the exact opposite. He is always fighting against us. He doesn't want us to be happy, to have joy, or to have success. He wants us to be miserable, just like him. And the craziest thing is, he knows us too. And he will always try and use our weaknesses against us. How important it is to recognize the danger so that we can fight against it.  

So when our faith is being tested, we must be firm and endure. We can't give up when the pressure mounts. We must face our doubts and master our fears. ¨Certainly don't give into that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness...He cannot conquer if we will it otherwise.¨

When things get hard, we have to remember that we have a God on our side, our Father who loves us. ¨He loves us beyond mortal comprehension.¨ (Jeffrey R. Holland)

Just some of my thoughts this week.

Love you all. Have a great week. 

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert

Happy Birthday, Braden!! 

Cant believe my little brother is 16....thats weird. 

Love you, Braden!

Week 57: Clowning Around this Week

23 July 2018

Hi everyone! This week took the record for fastest and busiest week of my mission. 

Zone Conference

 

Wednesday we spent the whole day working on visa stuff for my companion. Gotta love waiting in line for hours--hahaha, but I got to see my trainer too, and really, actually almost all my companions I've had. Tender mercy for long hours of boredom. Also received the wonderful news that the our best investigators in San Fernando are getting baptized!! So excited! Lots of tender mercies. 

Thursday we traveled to a nearby city called San Clemente. All of us missionaries here in Talca were invited to participate in a youth conference. It was such a cool experience. We got to visit with the youth and then take them out to work for a little bit. I was assigned to be with 3 young women 15-17 years old. It was so fun and lots of surprises for us. I took them contacting and we went to talk to anyone and everyone we could find in the streets. It was a bit crazy, but I learned a lot. And it was sweet to hear these young women's testimonies and to see their courage. The next generation of missionaries! We lost our phone and ran out of gas too this day, so it was one crazy thing after another. 

Friday was zone conference with President and Hermana Harris. I love them so much. And the conference was amazing. As usual, I learned a lot. We talked about the apostasy and the restoration and I have always loved how the history and logical side of things lines up so well with the spiritual side. Mind and heart, logic and faith. It makes sense. 

Saturday we brought two of our investigators and their families to a stake primary activity. They put on a circus, which was so fun. The kids were thrilled. Hopefully I can send pictures. But these two investigators came to church the next day too with us, which was even sweeter! I love the people here so much. 

All in all, a very busy and crazy week. It is also freezing. Enjoy the summer sunshine at home!  

Thought of the week: 

Be happy. Go and do good. Have an attitude of gratitude. 

It all depends on us, it really is a choice to be happy. 

I love you all. Have a great week 

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert

24 July 2018

Hello Sister Eibert!

I told Hermana Eibert that I will occasionally send a mom a picture that I take during Zone Conferences. She told me it was her mom´s turn. I agree. Here she is with her companion Hermana Quiroz and Hermana Prado who goes home this change. She´s delightful and is doing great things. I don´t get to spend enough time with her.

I hope all is well with you in Washington. If there is ever anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to email.

Hermana Black

     Hermana Black

Misión Chile Rancagua

Oficina: (72) 223-2750

Celular: (9) 58112340

Week 56: Peace, Be Still//Please, Be Chill

Tuesday--17 July 2018

Hola fam and friends! How are you all?

Didn't get to write yesterday, since it was another famous Catholic Saint holiday here in Chile....any reason to take a day off--haha! Actually, not a hundred percent sure why yesterday was a holiday, and neither are the majority of the Chileans! But it was a relaxed p-day. We played futbol/soccer as a zone and then made our way home to enjoy a peaceful afternoon. Used the time to read a bit and cook and it was fun! Ready to start this new and very busy week!

This week was full of miracles! And I never cease to be amazed! To share a bit, this Sunday started and ended with miracles! I started very skeptical and negative for the day, (in my defense, I've got a nasty head cold going on again), so it was very humbling to witness these tender mercies. We started our trek to the church building and passed by an investigators home to walk with her. I didn't think she was actually going to come to church, since the hermanas have been working with her for over 14 months and she has never come, but she came. I don't know what changed when we visited her this last week, but she came and she loved it. It was a sweet moment to share with her. The day went on and we were spending our time contacting and talking with the people. It was almost the end of the night when we knocked on a door. I was ready for another person to send us away or be nasty, but we were met by a very loving family of 4. They are the best! They welcomed us in and shared with us about the miracles they have seen and the faith that they have. God really does guide us in every footstep and He led us right to their door at that moment. He really is in all the details. I am so excited to continue serving and visiting this family 

My thought for the week: 

This week I studied a bit about the ¨natural man¨. Something I have learned is the natural man has a couple characteristics. It wants recognition, it wants credit, it wants attention, comfort and ease. It wants validation, it wants to look good, it wants to win or be right, for things to all be fair or at least in its favor, it wants material things, money and control. Natural man, or natural woman, is something we all have as human beings. But it is something we are learning to get rid of. 

After studying a bit about what the natural man is, it is also very clear what the natural man gets: emptiness, a meaningless life, pleasure and never lasting happiness or joy, regret, and loneliness. It leads to feeling unsatisfied, anger, resentment, disappointment, frustration and anxiety. 

And how sad is that, when we deserve so much more? Because something else I studied a bit of this last week is the fact that we don't only have this natural man in us, we have a spiritual nature too. We have divine potential, we are literally His children. We have a part of Him in us. And I absolutely love that. When we can recognize our potential, our ability, our identity, we will have all the power and capability we need to overcome our natural man. 

We have the ability and the opportunity to encounter joy and happiness, peace and love, true success, meaning in life, light and life. Anything and everything truly good is within our reach. 

Mosiah 3:19 

For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and  putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ  the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of  love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.   ¨

We are all in this process of putting off the natural man. But we can do it. 

I love you all! Have a great week!!

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert

ps. my comp remembered more than I did...but 13 months! We celebrated with delicious sandwiches! Sorry, mom, it's a bad picture, but I was in my pajamas--hahahaha.

Week 55: Vacaaaaaaa

Hey everyone!

This week flew by, as usual! I have officially adjusted to Talca and I am loving my new sector. The people here are amazing. The ward is unique and I am excited to be working with them. 

Some highlights of the week: 

We had a lesson this week with the coolest family. They have a cousin/nephew that just left to serve a mission and they have started to learn about the church as well. President and Hermana Harris joined us in the lesson as well, which was cool. We talked about the Book of Mormon and how important it is to know if it is true or not. It was fun to analyze with them some parts and I feel like I always learn something new even while I am teaching. 

This week it was raining cats and dogs. The streets turned into lakes and rivers. But we got to break out our rain boots and enjoy puddle splashing. It was fun and it was good to leave the bikes behind a little bit. And after the rain here in Chile, it always gets even colder. So it was freezing, but there was sunshine and it was beautiful. Freezing but beautiful. If I hadn't been wearing several layers and two coats, I would have thought it was almost spring. 

My thought of the week: 

We are always happier when we are thankful and express our gratitude. That is a key to finding happiness, happiness that will last, having a grateful heart. 

Have a fantastic week! Love you all. 

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert

ps. enjoy the photos (shoutout to my mother)

one of the photos has cows in it, because we had lunch with a family that lives out in the middle of nowhere and it's beautiful. (Shout out to Rachael.)

Week 54: Welcome to Talca

Hola familia y amigos!

This week was a lot of craziness! Tuesday I arrived in Talca (eventually) and got all settled in. It was definitely a change and it is a lot colder here, but I have loved it! We went to work this last week and I got to meet most of the people we are working with. They are absolutely wonderful and we were running all week, there was so much to do! I am so excited for this cambio! My new companion is great and I am going to have to put myself to learning a little bit of Portuguese--haha, that will be fun. I'm picking up on it a little bit which has been cool. 

My last areas we haven't had bikes, but this new area has bikes, which I have missed! Makes things so much easier sometimes, and our area is huge! There is so much to explore and so many people to talk to. I surprised myself and my companion with how fast I have learned the sector, and I feel like it has been a huge tender mercy. 

Oh yeah, yesterday was a holiday here in Chile so all of the cibers were closed and we couldn't write, hence I am sending this letter Tuesday. However, we did have a great zone activity yesterday. It was a good way to break the ice, since all the companionships are new. We played a bunch of games and us gringos had to celebrate the 4th of July, por su puesto, so we did a mini BBQ. The elders had to get creative since the old grill wasn't working, but it worked. We had hamburgers and they found american BBQ sauce, another tender mercy. They were great. 

Afterwards we went out with the other hermanas here in Talca to eat ice cream in centro. It was great and I got to see two former companions, Hermana Prado and Hermana Sainsbury, whom I absolutely love! Another tender mercy. 

The World Cup has been going on apparently and the whole world talks about it. We don't watch it, obviously, but people fill us in on who wins and loses. I love the passion the people have for it. I think the comment that killed me the most, and I couldn't help but laughing right then and there, was the Chilean hermano when Argentina lost...¨Who said the Chileans wouldn't enjoy the world cup?¨ The rivalry is real, the Argentine elder took it well. Good times. People take soccer really seriously here. I guess like the gringos follow football? 

All in all a great week, I have learned so much! I am so grateful for all the miracles and the tender mercies! The people are wonderful and my love for them continues to grow!

Thought for the week:

Our weaknesses don't define us. I love that. Something I have learned in my mission is that we really can turn our weaknesses and our flaws, into our strengths. We have the grand opportunity, thanks to the love and grace of God, to change, to progress, to learn, and to get better. When we have our perspective set and our focus right, everything is possible. 

Have a great week. I love you all. 

Con amor, 

Hermana Eibert

ps. happy birthday to the twins this week

and our makeshift bbq 

Happy 4th of July!!

One of my favorite families in Guadalupe--Familia Espinoza

They are amazing, converts of like 5 years. She's the RS pres, and he's the 1st counselor in the branch. Great people.I had a mini farewell with them my last night there and they got a present, cute little hand bag.

They take care of the missionaries.