13
January 2015
Dear
Darling Family,
We
visited the Japanese garden in Santiago for P-day today, which is why I didn't
write yesterday. It was an activity with all of the sister training leaders in
the mission. There are twelve of us. I am the baby, both in age and time in the
mission. It was a fun activity because I have wanted to go there since I read
about it in Dad's travel book. It's tiny but really beautiful. We all brought
snacks and had cookies and juice in a pavilion there. We also did a white
elephant. I don't know why this is becoming such a popular game in the mission,
perhaps because it's a new thing for all of the Latinos. As usual, I bought
something in the metro on the way there. I found a little folding purse mirror.
Good thing they "gift wrap".
There
is some kind of disappointing news from Primer Crucero. On Monday night as I
was falling asleep the phone rang and the trio from Calle Larga called us to
say that they were ALL being transferred. I'm not sure exactly why. Hermana
Nuñez is going to continue someone's training. She will be a wonderful trainer.
That means that I have a "granddaughter" in the mission and Hermana
Dodds has her first "great-granddaughter!" The strange part, though,
is that the missionaries aren't being replaced right away. At the moment there
is no one in Calle Larga. I think the Elders are going to try to work in both
sectors but it's far away so I'm worried about the people I left there. The
good news is that a sister we visited there went to church! Her husband started to
reactivate while I was there but she never went until recently. Their marriage
is healing and they are both attending church TOGETHER! I was happy to hear
that.
This
has been a week of exchanges (I think that's the English word for
intercambios?). After our P-day in Santiago last week I spent Tuesday in Santa
Maria, Wednesday in Putaendo, Thursday in Los Andes, and Friday in San Felipe.
Saturday I returned home to Llay Llay for the weekend and yesterday we spent
the night in Santiago with Hermana Gaona and Hermana Crump so we could be on
time for the activity today. Let me say that all of the travel towels, tiny
shampoo bottles, and folding makeup bags were good things to bring.
Friday
was Chapter 6 with Hermana Clark! I have been lucky to have so many
opportunities to spend time with her in the mission. More than anything, I love
teaching with her. She loves being a missionary and understands what it takes
to fulfill her calling.
We
visited a man we both taught and put with a baptismal date in Chapter 2
of our exchanges. He has a new date which is coming up and we went over the
baptismal interview questions with him.
We
did a tour of their chapel with a man who is a convert from several months ago, and
his friend who also has a baptismal date soon. The Elder's Quorum
President happened to be there and had keys to the baptismal font so we got to
stand in it and explain to him what his baptism would be like. We taught temple
and family history with them in the chapel. Hermana Clark gave him the "My
Family" booklet, inviting him to begin as if it were a sacred calling,
which it is. Our leaders have told us that this is one calling we have the
authority to extend as missionaries. Hermana Clark does it really well.
Our
last lesson of the day had a big impact on me. We visited a young couple who
were expecting their first son to be born in two days. The husband is a returned
missionary and is sealed to his wife. They are both inactive. It's hard
for me to understand how a returned missionary and his wife, both endowed and
sealed and excited to start a family can just stop doing the things they know
are right. I suppose it makes sense that Satan works on such righteous people much
harder. We taught them about temples using a video that has images of many
temples and music in the background.
The
whole time I thought about their son who would be arriving this week. I don't
know at what point a spirit enters a baby's body or if their little son is aware
of his parents and their decisions today or not. But I am certain that if not
now, at least earlier this year he knew that his future parents, although they
made covenants in the temple, are not active members. I know that he, like
all of us, chose to come to earth and hoped he could be successful in following
Jesus Christ. I felt the need to speak to this baby's parents on his behalf. The
couple told us that when they were sealed their parents were not able to enter
the temple with hem. I told them that I hoped they would be there when their
son entered the temple for his first time. I said that as they await the
arrival of their first child I'm sure they want to give him everything and
teach him everything. The gospel and the covenants they made are the best they
can give him. As he arrives on earth what he really wants is not anything they
could have received as a baby shower gift. He wants an eternal family. They
seem to have a goal to return to church. As we left, the husband asked Hermana
Clark to arrange for his wife to receive a priesthood blessing as she is naturally
a little bit nervous. He lamented, "It should be me, but I'm not
prepared." How sad it is that he cannot bless his wife in this moment, but
how wonderful that he understands and has faith in the priesthood and that he
is humble enough to ask someone else to do what he cannot now.
Another
exchange was in Santa Maria. They have a lot for a chapel but haven't started
building it so right now they meet in a house. In Santa Maria I did my creative
contact of the week: Could you, would you, on a bike? As we were biking down
the street a man on a bike behind me sneezed. I said "bless you" and
slowed down to talk to him as we rode. At the corner he had to stop for traffic
and I wrote him a pass along card.
I
didn't write much about the leadership council last week but there are some big
changes in the mission as far as numbers are concerned. We started by
presenting our statistics and I felt pretty lousy about how our zone is below
average in almost everything. Later, though, President Videla started to speak
and I began to see the vision of what we are really supposed to be accomplishing. We have had baptisms this year and attendance has increased in
church, but the attendance hasn't increased in the same proportion as the
baptisms. I feel like as we are teaching, people are being baptized and then
falling off the earth, or other members who we assume are active silently go
inactive while we aren't looking. Dad wrote to me about helping the members in
his letter before the meeting and it was really inspired and helped me
understand why some changes are needed in our mission. Whereas before we used
to report sixteen key indicators every week that included contacts, referrals,
lessons to less actives, etc, now we will only report four. This is different
from Preach My Gospel but it has been used in another mission. When
Elder Nelson came and saw the success they were having, he approved it for our
whole area, South America South. We now report only baptisms, sacrament meeting
attendance, total lessons taught, and the number of investigators we are
working with. This is a huge change but I think it will help us to focus on
what is important and work on conversion, retention, and reactivation
simultaneously rather than just living for baptisms.
We
have a new investigator in Llay Llay that you can pray for. We found her
last Sunday after fasting and praying. She is seventeen years old and has a one
year old baby girl. Her grandmother is a less active. We taught her the
Restoration and she accepted a baptismal date right away. Since then she has
said that it seems soon and she wants more time. She came to church on Sunday
and seemed to have a good experience. A recent convert (who wants to serve
a mission and was the chorister for the Christmas choir) sat by her during
Sacrament Meeting, which we appreciated. Our investigator went to nursery with her baby
because she didn't want to leave her there but was shocked that her daughter
enjoyed it and actually kind of ignored her mom. We hope that she will feel
comfortable leaving her so she can go to Gospel Principles and Relief Society
with us later.
We
did the music for primary this week. I'm afraid I'm not as fun as Brother Brady
but I think the kids enjoyed having someone new there. There is no Primary
chorister so the fact that the sister missionaries showed up and played games
was fun for them. We played "Hide Sister VanCott's watch and sing louder
when seeker is closer," and "Hold up the red pencil when you want us
to sing loud and the blue pencil when you want us to sing soft." I learned
something in my many years of Primary.
This
week we have another exchange with Putaendo on Wednesday and district class and
interviews with President Videla on Thursday.
Lots
of love!
Hermana
Eva VanCott
Visiting the Japanese Gardens with the sister
training leaders
|
With Hermana Santander and Hermana Gaona |
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