Hermana Chalmers: mid-September

Week 5 with Hermana De Groff Sept. 15, 2014

This week was awesome. I was able to be in our area with Hermana DeGroff almost the whole week so that was a huge blessing. We found some really awesome new people that we are super excited about. One of them is a family, the mom, Iris, and the two kids, Antonio who is 11 and Francesca who is 18. They are a reference from a member who is their neighbor. He went and picked them up yesterday to come to church and as we were waiting for them at the front door we saw them walking up looking all fresh and ready to go. Iris had her side bag with her Bible and her Book of Mormon and a couple snacks because she was a little worried about being able to make it all 3 hours. Haha. It was so great though. Antonio is the smartest little guy ever. He was asking us all these questions about Jose Smith and the Priesthood when we taught the Restoration. Wahoo!

We also found this other guy, Rodrigo, who is just one of the most interesting people I have ever met. He was going to church and meeting with missionaries for like a year in 2010 but never got baptized. He told us he has read all the the BOM like 3 times because he had a lot of free time when he was in jail for a year and a half! He really threw us for a loop on that one. He is just the most calm guy. Anyway, Hermana Soria had to go up to Concepcion for a day and so on Thursday I was in a trio with Hna DeGroff and Hna Crandall (the daughter of Hna Soria) and we went to visit Rodrigo for the 2nd time. He told us that he has never prayed since 2008 and never will ever since what he did.... Well he ended up telling us that he went to jail because he stabbed a guy and the guy died. WHAT! Keep in mind my companions didn't know what he was saying so they were responding like it was no biggie. Hahah. Craziest thing. But it is really sad, Rodrigo's situation. He doesn't believe God can forgive him and that he can pray to Him even because he said he can't believe that an innocent, perfect man would have to suffer for the mistakes that he had made and that he needs to suffer them himself. We bore our testimonies of the power of the atonement and that Christ willingly suffered for us and the price has already been paid. Our responsibility now is to repent and to follow Him. I just hope Rodrigo can pray so he can feel at least some comfort and know that he still is a son of God even after the mistakes he made.

We also did some service at an old folks home for national service day and I FINALLY got to wear one of those Mormon Helping Hands yellow vests!! Yahoo! I was really impressed by a recent convert, Guillermo (he got baptized last month), who had one of his legs amputated from the knee down about a year ago. He came to the service activity! It was the coolest thing. It made me think about the times when I feel like I have some sort of excuse to not do something or think something is too hard, when Hno Guillermo, who is missing a leg and walks with crutches, still comes to a stake service activity and helps out in every way he can. He is the most faithful member and I look up to him a lot for doing all in his power to serve and that he doesn't let his trials limit him or determine his happiness or success.

On the 10th I completed one year in the mission so the Hermanas in the house bought a lemon pie and surprised me and wrote me some nice notes. Haha. It was really nice of them. I'll send some pics

This Thursday is Chilean Independance Day so our P Day will be on that day. All the country is pumped on eating empanadas and dancing the cueca. CHI CHI CHI LE LE LE VIVA CHILE

Its FINALLY getting warm over here! Wahooo. I went my first day without a jacket yesterday and it was pure heaven. Pretty soon I won't need to wear tights!

I love you guys! I hope St. George isn't completely under water by the time I get there.

Love always,

Hermana Chalmers

Alma 38:2

Some hermanas and ward members

Hermana DeGroff with her sopapilla

Stake Service Activity

Sept. 8, 2014
Hey fam! You guys are just having a straight party 24/7. I am currently in this cyber and they are playing, Hey Ya, super loud "SHAKE IT SHAKE IT" and I am picturing Courts doing a crazy little dance. hahah.

We are in Concepcion today because we had to come up for Return and Report with our companions to see how their training is going and that we aren't beating them or anything. Haha, it was good stuff.

This past week was a little tough with moving into our new apartment and we had a couple problems with the water heater so we lost a lot of time fixing that but I am SO happy we are finally into this new apartment and all is ready to go! It is right in the middle of our sector and we live on the 3rd floor so no more jumping around doing insanity in the morning... Haha. We are going to have to stick to running now.

We have been focusing on finding new investigators this week and we saw a lot of miracles! One morning we had to run to go make copies of the keys to our apartment and this guy who was working parking cars yelled "hola hermanas!" I assumed he was a member so I asked him what ward he was from and then as he started to talk to us we realized he isn't a member. He told us how he used to play soccer at the chapel when he was a kid and that so many hard things have happened in his life and that he knows he needs something to help him overcome his problems. He said he has just recently stopped drinking and he wanted to stop smoking but it was so hard. The gospel can help to solve ALL of our problems! All of them! It is the answer to all of our questions and it is the only way we can really truly be happy. We also went and visited this reference from some Elders in another area. Her name is Sofia and she just moved here from Concepcion and was so excited when we gave her a Book of Mormon. She told us how she feels like in her life she is missing a boyfriend/husband that she can trust and that really loves her. Haha. We are going to try and hook her up with some solid member and SEAL THEM IN THE TEMPLE, YO.

My companion and I did some exchanges one day this week, too. When they came home that night, Hna Degroff was telling me about how they found this really awesome guy, Hugo, but how the whole lesson she thought his name was jugo (juice in Spanish) and was calling him Jugo. Hahah. Also a while back an area seventy, Elder Zeballos, came to talk to us. When we came home to the house after his training and prayed, she prayed and thanked Heavenly Father for the training we had received from Elder Cebollas (onion in spanish). We all started cracking up mid prayer. hahah. She is so awesome, though. Something Hna Degroff has taught me is to have a good attitude even when things are hard and frustrating. She is always really positive and doesn't fear the unknown and I look up to her a lot for that.

Oh my goodness, now they are playing Brittney Spears in this cyber. GOSH. OOPS I DID IT AGAIN.

I love you guys and am grateful for you and your support and love!

I LOVE THE MISSION. I still can't believe that I am here and how quickly time is passing and how happy I am doing something I never imagined I would be doing at this time in my life.

DyC 123:17 (my fave!)

Love always,

Megs