Earthquake and Conference

Hey Team!                                                                                                                                 April 7, 2014
I survived the earthquake and tsunami! Crazy stuff, right? Really we didn't feel anything at all down here in Arauco but we were on tsuami alert the entire night. Everyone was evacuating to the hills far away from the ocean and we didn't know a lot of what was going on, but thankfully our neighbors had our backs. They yelled to our windows, "apúrate, apúrate, Danger danger!" Haha. We definitely knew that one was for us. So we grabbed some emergency food and clothes and stayed up at a member's house that was in the safety zone all night with the elders in our area. Presidente didn't want us going to sleep until the alert was lifted so in case of emergency we would be ready to flee for the hills. I won't lie, it was a little freaky. I swear there is nothing scarier than a tsunami but thankfully we didn't have to see what that was like. So we are all right. It was the first all nighter I have pulled in a long time!

Also transfers were today and Hermana Henderson and I are both staying in Arauco. Whoooo! We are so pumped. 

Follow up on Mauricio - the guy we met at the outdoor market whose sister's boyfriend passed away- we had a lesson with him and found out he is moving to Santiago this week which is a bummer, but we did get to teach him once, IN ENGLISH. It was so weird. He speaks like an Australian and was using all kinds of English swear words without shame so that was funny.

Also General Conference! I hope you guys got to watch all of it. I really enjoyed all the talks. It called my attention to how often they spoke out families and the importance of strengthening the family. The importance of the simple things, family prayer, scripture study and family home evening. It inspired me to make my focus, work and thoughts more on families here in Chile with the people we are finding and teaching. Focusing on helping people to have the ultimate vision for an eternal family in the temple. I am so grateful for you guys and that we have made those covenants as a family and have those blessings. It is really sad to see so many members of the church here that are the only members in their family. The gospel is for families. We are so blessed to all be members of the church and have each other to support us. Mom and Dad, thanks for always teaching me the importance of the church and helping me to grow up with the gospel as such a huge part of my life. You guys are dee best! 

I love you guys.

Love always,

HNA CHALMERS

                                                                Hermana Henderson and me

                                                                           Arauco

                                               Watching conference in our little English room.

Hey team!                                                                                                                              March 31, 2014

Sounds like you guys are living the dream over there. We are really excited for General Conference, too. This week was a little crazy. The Elders had a baptism Saturday and we also had a ward activity that same day, Comidas del Mundo, where everyone cooked their favorite dish from another country or Chile. Hermana Henderson and I made soft pretzels and choco chip cookies by our friend, Betty Crocker. Turns out they were a HIT and all the Hermanas were asking us for the recipe for these cookies. No one REALLY needs to know it's from the bag. 

The baptism of the Elders was this dad, Hugo, whose whole family was baptized about a year ago. He asked to have this guy, Hermano Temer, baptize him, but for some reason no one thought of the fact that Hno Temer is like in his 60´s, 5 ft and 100 lbs and Hugo is a really big, tall guy. It was quite the experience to figure that one out. They had Hugo kneel down and even though it was not the most reverent or organized baptism, Hugo was happy and able to be baptized and that is the most important part anyway.

We had the most entertaining lunch this past week with an old lady in the ward, Hermana Clara. We were just talking and I asked her what her hobbies were and she says something along the lines of, "Taking blood out of people, giving shots and well, really anything having to do with blood!" Whaaaat? She then told us all about her life as a nurse in a mental hospital taking care of the "locos," a term she used like it was completely socially acceptable. She also showed us around her house to all the photos she had on the walls of her kids. She had three pictures of Jesus Christ in order on her wall and explained what was happening in each of them one by one. When she got to the third  (the classic picture of Christ resurrected when he appears to Mary Magdalene) we could tell she didn't really know what was going on in the photo so she just said, "Oh and this is when Jesus tells a woman that he is The Living Water and she asks how to obtain eternal life and he says he will help her." Hahah. So close ,Hermana Clara. That is just some of the "Hermana Clara false doctrine" in addition to, "Well two angels came down to help Jose Smith translate the libro de mormon and one of them was Oliver Cowdery, right Hermanas?" Hahah she is hilarious. 

Even though it was a stressful week, it was still really great. It helped me to appreciate the little things and take note of the importance of others' feelings. Sometimes I think I get caught up in having everything planned and such and forget that people and their feelings are more important than programs or events. 

I love you guys!

Love always,

Hermana Meg

Mosiah 2:41

Arauco

Hey fam,                                                                                                                  March 24, 2014

This week Hermana Henderson and I saw a lot of great things happening here in Arauco and some many intances where the Lord is preparing people and blessing us.

So twice this week we hit up the feria (like an outdoor market) in the morning to find some escogidos. We just set up a little table and put some of the pamphlets and pictures we had and started talking to people. It turned out to be so amazing. We had been working really hard on finding people since re opening this sector and this was one of the things we were trying to mix it up. Turns out the feria is the place to be in Arauco. We made friends with a bunch of the people selling things and they were all so nice. I think they secretly felt bad for the two white girls standing in the sun. We got free Mote con Huesillos (I am not really sure how to explain what it is, other than a chileno drink), empanadas and alfajores (a little pastry). 

While were there on Saturday morning this guy came up who was walking his bike around and just stood there staring down at the pamphlets not saying anything so we started talking to him and he didnt respond at all and then just looked up asked in English, "Where are you guys from?" and then proceeded to tell us that the day before his sisters boyfriend had passed away suddenly and they were all so confused and lost as to why something like that would happen to them. He said he wasnt sure if God even existed really and he was out looking for answers and he didnt even know why he had come come to the feria that day because he shouldve been with his sister. He said he just wanted to know if his sister could ever even feel joy  or have hope for a good life again. We bore our testimonies to him and talked to him for a while and after we set up a time to see him and his sister and he walked away I was just speechless. I couldve even believed that had happened. It reaffirmed to me why I am here. This guy, Mauricio, and his sister have been so prepared by the Lord in every aspect. Even the fact that he was at the feria for no reason while we were there and that we had even decided to go there, something we had never done before. It was a miracle and such a blessing. If nothing else ever worked out I know everything would be worth it if we could just help Mauricio and his sister to come unto Christ and find hope in Him. We are going to see them tomorrow and I cant wait.

The other day my companion and I were also talking about how as missionaries we go to people's houses and share with them and try to help them and when we leave their houses they still continue living their lives. They still have their problems and trials. There are some menos activos in our ward, Ema and Nibaldo. They are an older couple and she has had Parkinsons really bad for the last 5 years or so and is so bitter and unhappy about her situation and doesn't understand why those things have happened to her. Her husband, Nibaldo has to help her do every single thing and you can just tell he is so tired all the time. We had a lesson with them yesterday and one of their sons who is in his 40's was visiting. Everyone really opened up about what was hard for them in their current situation and their son really called them all to repentance in a way. That they both need to decide to be happy and look for the best in situations because our situations do not determine our happiness. We didn't even really say a whole lot during that lesson and I think sometimes as missionaries we don't need to really say anything. We need to help people feel the spirit and give them the opportuninity to open up and come to their own conclusions. To create an environment where the spirit is present. I realize more and more everyday how little we actually do in the conversion of others and how dependant we are on the spirit. We are just instruments for the Lord. Without it, there would be no success, no conversion, nothing. But that when we do work with the Spirit there is so much power and so much change. It is so awesome that I get to do this everyday. 

I love you guys a ton. Thanks for everything!

Love always,

Hermana Chalmers

DyC 18:15

Hey team,                                                                                                                    March 17, 2014

It has been an awesome week. One of the best weeks I have ever had I think. Hermana Henderson and I tried to give it everything we had all week long. We get along really well and so we knew we had to crack down if we wanted to do the work well and help this sector progress. We even wrote all over our agendas and such "Maquina Week 2014" like a bunch of squares. But it was really great to see all the blessing and miracles that came when we did our part and worked hard. Exact obedience brings miracles! I think the best part of this week was the fact that we found this 24 year old, who we have been teaching and wants to get baptized. He is probably one of the sketchiest people I have ever met, but he surprises us every day. After our first lesson we left him with the Book of Mormon to read 2 Nefi 31 and he read that, the intro, all the testimonies and the first four chapters of the book of mormon. Whoooo! We were so excited. He told us about how he had been talking with God all morning and He told him to keep listening to the missionaries because it is time for him to get his life in order. We took him to a baptism in Lota (about 45 minutes away in bus) because he really wanted to see one before his own baptism and it was the funniest experience. We were practically running to make it on time and then he tells us that he hasnt eaten all day and HAS to go buy some cookies. Then once we get there he asks a member if there is any coffee or ecco or something he could have. So then right as the baptism is starting this member runs in and sneaks the ecco to the guy so he was just slurpin on some ecco and cookies all through the baptism. Haha he also doesn't know how to whisper so that has been hilarious. 

On the bus he dropped the bomb on us that he has a girlfriend, a 5 year old son and another on the way. He also told us about how he got a dog bite earlier in the week because he hit a dog when he was drunk. So that was nice. He came to church on Sunday, and the members all had a lot to say about him to us. Arauco is a really small town so everyone knows everyone and every joven in the branch knew all about him. Apparently he has a bad past and they were all worried about us. I really do believe that he has a real desire to learn and change and is developing a testimony of the church. We are passing him to the Elders in our area to continue teaching him, which is hard, but we know it is best and there are more people out there for us to teach. As long as he is able to continue learning about the gospel and repenting, it doesn't matter which missionaries are teaching him. 

This week I taught almost every joven we talked to how to say, "boom. roasted."

I also made a list of "things that mean a lot more to me now" than they did before I left on my mission. I want to send it to you guys next week. I love the mission so much and it is helping me in every aspect of my life to change and become better. 

Also it has made me realize the things I took for granted before, one of them being SHAG CARPET. 

I love you guys!

Hermana Chalmers

Ether 12: 4

A month's worth of letters and pictures

March 10, 2014
Ayooooo! Hoy tengo 6 meses en la misión! Yo no se como el tiempo pasa tan rápido! But the best part was that I got to hear where Cam is going on his mission today. WHOOOOO! I am so pumped for him! Michigan is going to get C Twiced so hard.

This week has been great, but definitely crazy. We had a big mission conference in Los Angeles a couple hours away from our area and we had to wake up at 5am and take a bus to get there on time but it was so great. Presidente Martinez spoke to us and showed pictures of his baptism when he was 18. Then he brought up two gringos that came with him and it was his missionaries that baptised him! It was so amazing. They talked a lot about how the blessing and fruits of missionary service sometimes aren't seen until later, until afterwards. 

Also the other day we did some contacts in the plaza. So we go up to talk this group of jovenes and they said they had been busy making some crazy raps so we asked to hear an example and they made up a classic rap something like, "hemos visto, hermana chalmers es escrito, habla de Jesucristo..." and I cant remember anymore but I felt preeettttyy cool.

The other day we went to contact this referral of a member. It was this menos activo and her boyfriend that isn't a member. It was so sad to talk to her because she just kept telling us over and over how she never thought she would be inactive and she used to never miss a sunday and she has been through the temple and everything. She told us how when she started living with her boyfriend and their two kids she got her rights taken away in the church and she is too ashamed to come back. She said everytime she sees her temple clothes she cries. It was really sad listening to her and seeing the look in her eyes of being so dissappointed at the point she is in her life. We are going to work with her to help her start coming to church again. The gospel isn't for the perfect. It is for those who need help like Claudia.

I was reading a talk the other day and I really liked a line that said, "life is hard, not the gospel." 

I love you guys!

Love always,

Hermana Chalmers

                                                    Hermana Henderson and me

                                                        Arauco

                                                    The beach

                                                Arauco

                                              Arauco

March 3, 2013

Hey Team,

I love Arauco so much! It is the coolest little town. We live right on the coast, we went running one morning and ran to the beach and it only took like 15-20 minutes. It reminds me in a way of Sun Valley ID, but Chileno style so definitely not as fancy. I really do love it here though. The people are great too. I dont know what it is about a small town but the people are all slightly crazy and it is hilarious. We went out with a member, Hermana Campos, who is about 80 years old, to visit some of her vecinos that are inactive. We go up to the gate (evert house here is surrounded by a gate so if it is locked you just yell "Alooo" to knock) and Hna Campos all within like 30 seconds screams, "Aloooo!" ... "Hola!" ... "HERMANA!" and then she picked up a rock and threw it in between the gate at the door so they would answer. So so funny. 

Also there is a lady in our ward that is originally from St. George. Jerry Tucker. She served a mission here and then came back and got married and has lived here for like 10 years, maybe Sister Webb knows her or something.

My companion, Hermana Kristin Henderson, is awesome. She just turned 22 and we get along really well. Sometimes we have to watch ourselves because we think a lot of the same things are really funny and we will catch ourselves cracking up at things when we shouldn't be. She is also going to BYU after the mission along with every companion I have had, haha so that will be great.

Ask Derek Downey if he knows an Elder Brand from Chile from his mission. He is our branch president here in Arauco and he served his mission in New York around the same time as Derek. Also he somehow gets Dr. Pepper over here so lunch at his house this past week was the best ever.

The other day we were walking to an appointment and we passed this family with buckets of blackberries so we asked them where they got them. Turns out they had just gone out to the campo (like the countryside) and picked them wild. They let us try some and we were probably over reacting at how good they were so they gave us a whole bucket! Yeah! It was the greatest blessing because it was a Sunday and we were completely out of food at the house. 

I am so excited to be here and I know that this sector has so much potential. The members are so willing to work hard with us, we just have to help them know what they are supposed to do and teach them how to do it. Also, CONGRATS CAM!! BYU!

Love you guys a ton!

 Hermana Meg C

Feb. 24, 2014

Fam! CAMBIOS! I am leaving Temuco-Cautin. So crazy! I am going to Arauco. It is in the North of our mission right on the coast an hour or two South of Concepcion. I am so excited. My companion is Hermana Henderson. She is from California and is Hermana Fonsecas really good friend in the mission. I am so excited! I leave tomorrow and even though I will miss Cautin and Hermana Fonseca I know that this is another opportunity to learn and grow in new ways.
This last week in Cautin has been so great. First off, SERGIO GOT BAPTIZED! I don't know if I have told you about him but he is the fiance of a member who used to be less active but is now coming back to church. He is 22 and is so great. I have never seen someone change so much is so little time. He had a lot of things he had to work on and repent about to be baptized and this past Saturday he got an interview with Presidente Martinez and passed and got baptized a couple hours later that same day. It was the craziest day but also one of the greatest days of all my mission. Sergio was so excited and grateful the whole day. He is a really tender guy and after he got baptized he shared his testimony with everyone and just started to bawl and say how he couldnt even begin to say how grateful he was for the gospel and the people that have helped him to be baptized. I will send pictures!
Also, I played piano yesterday in sacrament meeting. Thanks mom for making me take piano lessons. I knew it was for something. Haha. But really it was last minute because the hermano that usually plays the piano didnt show up so I just had to cross my fingers that I could get by. 

I have learned so much in Cautin but I am really excited to go North. There are so many changes in the mission and I am learning to welcome them because each one is really an opportunity for me to change and to become better than I was before.

Love you guys a ton!

Hermana Megs

                                                       Sergio's baptism

                                                               Cautin

                                 My sweet agenda that Hermana Fonseca helped me make

To say goodbye the bishop's family made me a greenie breakfast since I started my mission here. SWAG

Feb. 17 ,2014 

I love you guys! 1 Nefi 7:12

[Megan sent some voice memos this week instead of her usual letter]

The First Two Weeks of February 2014

Feb. 17, 2013 

                                         -ASADO. bleeeeeh. This one is for you, Mom.

                                         -Me, with some of the members that I love.

  -The Chileno SPOAs! (Spud Peelers of America). This one's for you, Dad. And down here in Sud America they use nothing but pocket knives.

                                     -In the killer hammocks that Obispo brought to Paseo de Barrio.

 -Hna Wahlin, me, Hermana Fonseca and Hermana McFadden - we all live together along with one more companionship. I love them all a ton!

              -Us after getting caught in the rain one night after working with our district leaders

                                                             -Hermana Fonseca and I

Feb. 3, 2014

This week has flown by, I am not sure even sure where to start. Hermana Fonseca and I are having a lot of fun together and just hoping that time can slooooow doooown. Time goes by so fast in the mission! Highlights of this week-

- One of our almuerzos this week cancelled on us and Hna F and I were really feeling some granola so we went to Santa Isabel and bought bowls, spoons, peaches and granola and had ourselves a cereal feast outside of the chapel. The only thing that could've been better was if it was mom's homemade granola!

- We had to leave Juan and Felipe this week. It was pretty tough actually. I didnt think it would be, but we had a pretty intense lesson with Juan and asked him what he wanted and made clear what our purpose was as missionaries in helping people come unto Christ and prepare to repent and be baptized. We asked him what he wanted after teaching him again about baptism and the importance and he couldn't answer for the longest time. Hermana Fonseca was really direct with him and I really thought he was going to choose to progress but he wouldn't let himself say yes. His brother and mom talked him out of it a little bit. I just have to think about the fact that at least Juan now knows and maybe sometime later on he will find other missionaries or something like that. I have faith that he will get baptized some day!

- Saturday morning when we played soccer with one of the menos activos, Javier, who brought his nephew Oscar who is about 4 and I played with him for a little while and I was really in heaven. We played around with a soccer ball and I taught him how to say my name. 

- We are working with a menos activa Angelina and her boyfriend of 4 years, Rodrigo. She served a mission in Salta, Argentina a couple years back and lives with her boyfriend and their two kids now. They have a lot of problems in their relationship and also with drugs. We had a lesson with them where we shared parts of Alma 5 and it was one of the coolest experiences. At the beginning of the lesson Rodrigo was really indifferent about the church, but after we talked to him about Christ and the Atonement and that more than anyone, Christ wants him to change and become better, he began to change. I think in that moment he developed a little bit of desire. He felt the spirit. Because sometimes we want to do things for other people or we have heard they are good ideas but until we really have the desire for ourselves it won't matter if we do it because we know that is what Christ wants for us and that we want to utilize his Atonemnent in our lives to change. The spirit was so strong and I could feel it working in all of us. 

I hope you guys are doing great!

I love you all a ton!

Alma 5:26

Love always,

Herms Chalms

The 2nd Two Weeks of 2014

January 27, 2014

 - Hna Fonseca wanted to decorate my planner so I gave her some family pics and that cute little picture I got from Zac to use and she, gosh, really went for it. So now everyone that sees the back of my planner is going to think I am a crazy bus. Haha. I thought it was something Courts wouldve done.

 - More of the creepiest planner in the entire world

 - Some of the awesome flowers that we see all the time. Mom, I thought you would appreciate these. So crazy huh?

- Hermana Fonseca and I 

CCCCAUTIN- January 20, 2014

Hey you guys! How has it already been another week? 

Well, I am with my new companion, Hermana Fonseca. She is so great! She has been in the mission for almost a year and was at BYU before this. We get along really well and are working hard this cambio to work more with the members and leaders. Our goal is to get all the members doing their home and visiting teaching because they don't really understand it that well but we are working with the obispo on that. We have been having a lot of fun working together! I learn a lot from her everyday. I may have got us lost once or twice but nothing too serious. Haha. One of these days I am hoping my direction skills will improve. Our sector is just so ginormous. 

This week we played soccer on Saturday morning and are going to start making it a regular thing with the other Elders in the area and a bunch of members and menos activos are coming and we are working on getting investigators there too. It is a blast! I am sure Cam is laughing picturing me playing soccer with a bunch of latinos but it isn't as bad as you think. We get all kinds of people coming and it works out really well because it isn't as threatening as inviting someone to a lesson or to church, especially with jovens.

Also this week we taught two brothers, Juan and Felipe (classic), who are both super interested in religion in general. They look at things very literally and intellectually and have about 1 billion questions. It was pretty tough getting them to listen without interrupting every 5 seconds but it was a really cool lesson. Felipe was so amazed that we actually have the Book of Mormon and after we explained to him where it came from and how we have it he was just so thrown off that we told him we believed in it and were here dedicating our lives to sharing it. He said, "If this book really did come from an angel and was from gold plates I would dedicate my life to studying it and it would be exploding all over the world." Oh man we were dying. We just wanted to stand up yell, "It is true! It is exploding all over the world! Why do you think we are here?!" It really was so cool. He has so much potential in this gospel if we can just help him to not look at everything so logically so he can let himself feel the Spirit and let it work in him to change him. More than anything he is just confused because he has been researching religion forever. He even has a brother that is Buddhist. I am sure that throws him for a loop. To end the lesson I told him that the Book of Mormon has changed my life and shared my testimony about it and Joseph Smith and he asked me a couple times after if it really did change my life. It was so cool to see someone that is so close to the truth. He understands so well the importance and miracle it is that we have this gospel restored on the earth today he just won't let himself believe it yet. 

Also this week, I taught my first lesson to a drunk lady. It was actually pretty sad because we were trying to teach her husband and she kept interrupting and crying and telling her husband to shut up and all this crazy stuff. We brought a member too that is waiting to receive her mission call. Haha. Hopefully she doesn't think that is how missionary work normally is. Actually I am not sure there is a norm for missionary work. Crazy things happen every day and I love it. 

I hope you guys are all doing great!

Go to the temple!

Love you lots!

Hermana Meg Chalmers (the Chilenos put so much emphasis on the ChALmers. It makes our last name sound so creepy. haha)

Mosiah 2:41

Two Letters From The First Two Weeks of 2014

                                                                                                                           1-13-14
Fam! It has been a wild week. It flew by, but at the same time it felt like a million years long. First off, CAMBIOS. I am staying in Cautin. Yeah! But Hermana Hawkins is going up North to be a Hermana Capacitadora. I think it is called a trainer leader or something like that. I still havent met my new comp, Hermana Fonseca, but she has been in the mission for almost a year I think and was born in the states but is Colombiana. I am excited! It is crazy that my training is over because I still feel so new, but I know it is time for change. I know there are still lots of things that the Lord needs me to learn. Change is always hard, but I think the reason things are constantly changing in the mission and in life really, is so we can continue to grow and get better. 

Also I got your package! Thank you thank you! I loved it all! Especially the calender. Haha what the photos?! Nothing like looking at an upclose picture of me holding a batman shaped quesadilla all January. The stress ball was especially helpful also when we were waiting for the call this morning about our cambios. Ha! Also I was cracking up at Jonny's letter that he wrote me. Hopefully he remembers what he wrote. 

I cant even remember what happened this week, it was so crazy. But we did do an attack of our sector, Cautin with our district where we have all the missionaries from our district and members that are willing to help and we go out and contact and try and find news. We ended up being able to get two girls to help us that are both waiting to leave on their missions so Hermana Hawkins and I did splits with them. The girl I went with, Claudia, is 21 and is still waiting to receive her call. She is so cool and cracks me up. We contacted all day long and it was a good thing she had my back because I still mix up my 6´s and 7´s when I am writing down people's phone numbers in Spanish. Haha you would think I would have that down by now but they just throw the numbers out so fast. 

While we were out contacting we found this student, Juan, who had about 40 billion questions about the Mormons and the Libro de Mormon. Oh gosh. He is so confused about which religion is true, but he firmly believes that there is only one true church on the earth which is surprising because most people here just think that all paths lead to God and it doesn't really matter which. It was a super overwhelming lesson because he would not leave us to teach at all, he just asked question after question practically interrogating us which definitely tested our patience, but he really does have potential. He just needs to let us teach him! But there is definitely something the Lord wants me to learn right now and that is patience, and something that I know I lack. Haha I am sure you guys know that, too. but I am working on it and getting better. Paciencia! 

Love you guys a ton!

Ether 4:11-12

Love always,

Hermana Chalms 

                               More Lago Colico of last week with Hermana Leyva de Peru.

        Last week Adrianna painted our nails and it looks like I am taking an engagement photo with her.

          We went bowling as a zone today. I thought I escaped bowling when I left the states! Haha guess not.

                                                                                                                         1-6-14
Happy 2014! We spent ours with a family in the ward eating meat and potatoes and talking about all the cool places to visit in Chile. That was only Tuesday but I feel like it was forever ago. Time is such an interesting thing. Especially on the mission. Anyways, this Wednesday for our P Day our zone went to Lago Colico. So cool! We took a micro that fit probably 25 and stuck our zone of about 32 in there for an hour and a half drive to the lake. It was a crack up. Missionaries all over the place! I will send some pics, but it was so great to be outside enjoying nature. I am grateful for how beautiful Chile is and that I get to live here and enjoy it. 

Thursday was a pretty interesting day. We had all these great plans lined up and almost every single one of them fell through almost all at once. We were just standing there in the street laughing because it was so ironic. Anyways, we had this cita planned and were going to take our relief society president with us but she ended up not being able to, but on our way to the cita with the investigators we ran into a recent convert, Jocelyn. She is sweet and wanted to accompany us to our cita which worked out. The lesson was with this mom, Marta and her 13 yr old daughter Alanis (she named her after Alanis Morisette. Ha!) We taught the restoration and the spirit was so strong. The mom kept telling us that she felt so peaceful during the lesson and wanted to read the Book of Mormon now so she could keep feeling tranquilo. It was so awesome. So the lesson ends and we were trying to get Marta to pray and she was a little shy and nervous about it, but usually it takes us a minute to help them get up the courage to pray so we were there in the living room all kneeling trying to get Marta to pray and then Jocelyn suddenly yells, "Ah yo lo hago!" and then just started praying for her mom, dad, boyfriend, her stomach and all these things and then just ended in "amen!" Haha it was so cute.

Also, that same day later on we had plans to help a menos activo with her backyard clean up and we showed up to her house in pants all ready to go and she wasn't home and we didn't have anywhere to change and were super far away from our house so the whole rest of the night I was in my skirt and jeans. swag! But it ended up working out great because we contacted some people that were really excited about the gospel. 

It was a pretty funny day, but all in all we learned that the Lord has his way of working things out. Sometimes plans need to fall through to make way for other things to take place and you just have to keep rolling with it. The longer I am here the more I love it. I always knew missionary work was important, but I don't think I ever really felt it like I do now. The gospel and this work makes me so happy and even though there are moments where I am so tired and we walk all day long in the heat without having any lessons I am still so grateful that I made the decision to serve a mission. Who would have thought a year ago I would be in Chile?!  

Cambios. All the leaders keep hinting it. I know change is necessary but I am a tiny bit sad about it because Hna Hawkins and I have become really great friends and have a lot of fun together. She is the best and also her birthday is tomorrow. We are going to make ourselves a nice gringo breakfast to celebrate. None of that bread and cheese nonsense. Also I have had the shelter of being in my training all this time so I am a little bit nervous for the unknown of what lies ahead for me, but I know with the Lord's help I will be alright.

I love you all a ton! 

Love always,

Hermana Chalmers

3 Nefi 9:20

                                                

                                                                           Lago Colico

Christmas in Chile

Hey fam,

So turns out we get to write today even though our P-Day is still Wednesday for the new year. So I am back on the Monday schedule now.

Christmas here was so great especially since I got to talk to you guys! But really, we saw so many blessings. Christmas here is pretty different and since it is so hot out I didn't feel like I was missing X-mas in the states. I think I can honestly say it was one of the best Christmases I have had. The people here are so humble and giving especially at this time of year. The family that we had dinner with on Christmas Eve also has a son in the mission field. He has been out for about a year and the family has been having a lot of problems.There was a point a little while back where they had to get a restraining order against the dad and all this crazy stuff but we have been able to see the power of the Atonement working in that family. The dad has come full circle and we could really see it on Christmas Eve. Since he hadn't been able to be in the house for a while, this Christmas was his first time skyping his son and he was so so excited and emotional about it. I think it helped him a lot to talk to us about missions and such. In Chile they open their gifts on Christmas Eve at midnight but they did it earlier so we could do it with them and it was such a great night. I felt so much love. 

The missionaries in our ward gave talks in Church yesterday. I talked about the role of love in missionary work mostly. I had been doubting myself earlier that week and had been a little nervous preparing for my talk since all the other missionaries in our ward have been in the mission for a while and speak great Spanish but as I prepared I learned that if I have the Spirit with me, the Lord can help me speak and say the things our ward needed to hear. The Spirit is so powerful and I think more than anything I am learning that without Christ and the power of the Spirit I am weak and cannot do a whole lot, but with it, anything is possible. Miracles will happen. Sometimes it is hard when I think about all the weaknesses I have and how much I still need to improve but I know that we have weaknesses so we can grow and become better and learn through the power of the Atonement. The Spirit was with me when I gave my talk and I could feel it testifying through me.

In other news, we talked to Marianela's husband, Alfredo, and he wants to marry her! We are still working everything out because he has to get divorced, but it is so exciting. Marianela is so prepared to be baptized and wants to so badly. 

Also, we had lunch with the bishop's fam this week and they had TACOS. We were in heaven. No one eats tacos here and then to top it all off Hna Daisy made pumpkin pie for dessert. We were going crazy. Wahoo!

I hope you guys are all doing really well. I love you! Go to the temple for me!

Love always,

Hermana Meg Chalmers

 Javieras baptism. It looks like we are in a jail cell but the Elders just really wanted to take the pics outside.

                                       Me and Hermana Hawkins on Christmas, i think.

                                    Christmas Eve with my presents from Familia Chacón

The Hermanas in our casa on Christmas after we watched The Life of Timothy Green and ate no bake cookies.