Week 31 - **Late P-day** (Buin w/ Hermana Irrazabal)

HI!!!!!
Tanto tiempo! (por favor no me maten) lol [It's been a while! (please don't kill me)]

This week felt like the longest week in my life! lol  Not really, I just feeling like I haven't talked to you in years because of the whole moving p-day thing. 

We have been working hard and focusing in on some of our weak points/numbers the last couple weeks, and this week we were able to reach some higher goals...and that was cool for us. 

We have really been struggling with Vivi and Victor lately.  Before, Victor had his whole heart in for the change and Vivi was just there so so, but now the tables have turned.  At the beginning, Victor had gone full force to stop drinking (& other "recreational" activities not in accordance with the Word of Wisdom), fighting with Vivi, etc, etc.  It seems he has been dabbling in those things again as of late (this has been over the past couple weeks), although nothing like before.  He just does it because he's loosened up/relaxed/gotten lazy.  Meanwhile, Vivi has raised the bar.  We have been racking our brains trying to figure out what to teach, how to teach it, etc, etc so that they pull themselves out of their laziness and get in gear.  I think we finally had a break through this week, when were having lunch with Vivi and talking about a lesson we'd had with them when we reprimanded them with much love and how they hadn't taken it well and afterward had felt bad.  Then, we started explaining our intentions and apologizing and talking more about it to the point that my companion broke down and started crying because she felt bad, because we REALLY try to do the very best we can, but even still we mess up, and we were feeling guilty for having made them feel bad.  When Vivi saw my comp cry and talked to Victor about it, I think it was exactly the wake up call they needed because they had been turning a little bit rebellious.  We will have to wait and see what happens, but personally, I feel like the air has shifted back to good now between us and them. They really are so awesome, and we love them SO much, they're like children to us, we get so happy when they do what's right and it tears us apart when they don't. The registro civil [Civil Register] FINALLY, FINALLY opened up this week so we are waiting anxiously to see if they can still get married on the 11th, or if they will have to do it later with how upside down everything is now in the registro civil.  

We have also been working a lot with Viki and Waldo.  Waldo has this fear of getting married, we haven't discovered fully yet why, he's a tough shell to crack.  He has been through some pretty heavy stuff in his life.  I think he is at the point now where he understands the importance of getting married and everything but he really has a fear of it.  Because of that, he has been driving us crazy recently with, yes, we'll get married, no, I don't want to, yes, I will, no, I don't want to.  BUT nothing that can't be fixed.  We just have to persevere and get to the root of his doubt and help him get over it.  This Friday we are going to do a fast with Viki so that Waldo can get over his fear or whatever it is that is holding him back.  With three kids together, you'd think it wouldn't be so hard lol. 

Other than that, my companion and I have been searching for new people to teach and working a lot on the list of menos activos [less active members].  

We don't have the "5x5 ministering visits"  thing here in Chile.  I actually haven't even heard of that. Right now, as a mission, we have a goal of actualizing/updating all of the list of member for all parts and branches of the mission before Nov 1st.  We are a bit less than half way there as a mission. What we have to do is go to every single one of the houses and addresses on the list and find out if the people are still living there or not and if not, try to get a new address for them.  It's really a cool thing!  I love it!  Along the way you find lots of part member families, new spouses or children that haven't been baptized, etc etc, but I also really just like working with the menos activos [less active members] and watching them, step by step, gain their testimony back, just as if they were an investigator. 

I love these people SO much. I hope I get to stay in this sector like 6 or 7 months. That would rock!  I love our investigators, I love the members, I love the less actives, the leadership, etc etc..  Like every where and every branch, it has it's challenges and weaknesses, but I LOVE the Buin Branch and I LOVE ALTO JAHUEL!  [the area & branch she is working in] 

I read this SUPER awesome message in the September issue of the Ensign that you all HAVE to look up and read it's called! "His Grace is Sufficient" 

It´s really helped me to deepen my understanding and LOVE for my Savior and the Atonement. I love my Savior!  He is my strength and my joy.  He is my message. 

I love you so much family!  Keep up the awesome work with family prayers and scripture study!  I know that everything is going to turn out for the best because the Savior is the center of our home and the rock upon which we have built or foundation, therefore, we will not fall.  I LOVE YOU MORE THAN I COULD EVER PUT IN WORDS!  Behave yourselves ;)

Thanks for loving me and loving the Lord enough to let me have this amazing self losing and self finding experience.

Your loving daughter/big sis,

Hermana Davis

P.S.  Hey, I'm trying to send pics right now but the computer I am on isn't reading my card and the Hna I'm with is currently downloading music to her card and can't lend me her computer.  I would ask for a different computer but my time is almost up.  I hope that's acceptable because I put effort in trying to write a long email, and I didn't write to anyone else (besides my mission president) not a single person, nor did I read any other emails. but i will make sure and START with pictures Monday (soon!) please forgive me for last week and other times that have been lame and short. thank you for expressing your feelings about it.  It was the wake up call that I needed.  I am and will continue to do better.  I really love you a lot, things just get tricky sometimes.   Please forgive me.