21
September 2015
Hello
from Llay Llay! No, I wasn't transferred but I did get special permission from
President to visit a new convert here. He's letting people visit less active
converts this transfer, sending out a rescue party in a way. I asked for
permission to go for a P-day and President, without asking for reasons or
details said, "Do it!" Ask and ye shall receive. So here I am in an
internet cafe in Llay Llay where we made the man turn down his awful music (he
actually put on better music for us), asked to use the bathroom for free, and
rearranged his computers so we can see each other's screens. If I were one to
use hashtags, this is where I would put one, but with the weird keyboards I
can't make it work. So I'll just say that I'm above hashtags and let you use
your imagination.
My
friend and new convert in Llay Llay may not be attending church but she is reading the Book of
Mormon and we had a good conversation in a plaza. She is expecting a baby in
March. I left her with the challenge to think of a good question and watch
General Conference to receive an answer. She always has questions and I
promised her that she would get an answer from something that someone said or
from the Holy Ghost. We talked a lot about the Holy Ghost and she said that she
and her little daughter read the picture book that Mom sent every night and
that her little girl had it memorized. Adorable. After we finish internet we
are going to meet up with her again so I can see her little girl before we go
back to Santiago.
I
know you're all wondering about the EARTHQUAKE. We were knocking the Abarca
family's door and their daughter, Javiera, answered. Her parents were on their
way home for our appointment but hadn't arrived yet so we were waiting outside
when the whole world started to move and a trailer parked on the curb beside us
started bouncing up and down. We huddled in the doorway with Javiera and her
boyfriend. This is where I would put another hashtag, by the way. It was the
strongest and longest earthquake I have ever felt but neither my companion nor
I was afraid. We just looked around with wide eyes and when it ended we wanted
more. As long as everyone is safe I think it's kind of exciting. The Abarcas
got home shortly after and asked for Dad's name to send him a message and say
that we were okay. We had a lot of members call us to check up as well and the
YSA leaders even went to our house when they couldn't get a hold of us. There
have been several replicas (aftershocks) after the earthquake, including one in
the internet cafe just barely, one this morning that I wouldn't have known
about if Hermana Souza hadn't woken me up, and several more that have woken me
up. I always feel disappointed when I sleep through them so I told Hermana
Souza to start waking me up because she seems to be a lighter sleeper.
We
celebrated the fiestas patrias in the stake center. It was an all day event
with lots of food and games. I wrongly assumed that we would be inside the
stake center and therefore got sunburned because I didn't use sunscreen.
Hashtag... nevermind. I was the only one who volunteered to challenge a little
girl in a hula hoop contest. She was standing there all alone with her hula hoop
and her lollipop and the stake president was calling volunteers from the
microphone. I can hula hoop forever and everyone in our ward is still
congratulating me even though I lost when the little girl got tricky and
started spinning in circles. I couldn't compete with that.
The
following day would have been a normal proselyting day except that no one was
in the street. Not even dogs. All of the people were eating, drinking, and
being merry but it's still a mystery as to where the stray dogs went for the
holidays. We visited a whole lot of less active members and recent converts and
feel more like full time visiting teachers than full time missionaries. It
wasn't our favorite day.
The
best part of my week was not the 18th. And the most impactful experience was
not the earthquake. At our multi-zone conference on Wednesday with the whole
mission we had a surprise visit from Elder Viñas, who is in our area
presidency. I went to that conference with a purpose and Heavenly Father
answered my prayers. I was sitting on the second row because I was part of the
choir and he and his wife came and sat right in front of me. It was an unplanned
visit and President obviously gave them time to speak. He stood right in front
of me, without even going to the pulpit to give his talk and as he spoke I
could feel the Spirit and his words were exactly for me. He answered personal
questions I have been praying about, touched on things my companion and I have
been trying to achieve in our sector, but most of all left us with a feeling of
peace, comfort, and love for the work we are doing. He made me feel that
everything is okay, that what I am doing is enough, and that we need to keep
focusing on the Book of Mormon and the power it contains. My every prayer and
even unspoken pleas were answered by Elder Viñas. I felt great peace and have a
renewed enthusiasm. It was as if he had been reading my mind for the past year
and showed up to calm me and reassure me. As I sat before him I felt the power
his words carried as he opened his scriptures and taught us. That man is called
of God. I know it. The earthquake didn't bring me to my knees but as I returned
home from that conference the first thing I did was fall to my knees with my
companion, both of us in tears, and offer a prayer of overwhelming gratitude
and love, thanking our Heavenly Father for having sent one of His servants to
minister to us.
Tuesday
is our P-day next week, by the way. We are hopefully going to have the chance
to go to the temple!
I
have fans, by the way! A big hug for Kayla Moon who wrote me after reading my
blog and will be arriving in Chile just as I am leaving. I won't get to know
you for another year and a half, I am afraid, but you could be companions with
one of my companions, serve in a sector I was in, and baptize people I may have
walked past without contacting.
I
also met a Hermana Jesus this week from Peru who said she read my blog before
she got here. I didn't know there were other people reading my blog until this
week but I read a whole lot of blogs before my mission so I assume there are
others like me. Hello to all of you future missionaries! Keep reading
Preach My Gospel and especially the Book of Mormon!
I
love you all! Have a wonderful week!
Hermana
Eva VanCott
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Santa Lucia with
Hermana Souza
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We
started out the 18th with empanadas for breakfast from Yolanda.
We helped her
make them during our dinner hour the day before
and she told us to pick up a
couple on our way to the stake activity.
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Juan
making kites.
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Celebrating Fiestas
Patrias at the Stake Center
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Hula Hoop Contest
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Spring in Chile!
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Visiting Romina
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