Week 13 (Lontué w/ Hmna. Rojas)

This has been quite a big week! A lot of big big changes and a LOT of adjusting.  My new companion is great! She is from Peru, and she recently arrived from her house, 20 days ago. When she had about 6 months in the mission she fell and hurt her knee and had to go home for surgery and recovery for nine months. She is now back and ready to go!  She doesn't speak any English, but at this point it's not much of a problem to me and I'm learning a lot more and speaking English a lot less... like never! lol  Sometimes I do forget and accidentally start talking or explaining something in English, then I notice her blank stare and we both start laughing.  Like I said, Hmna Rojas is great!  Despite all the trials we've had this week, she's done her best to not let things get her down.  It's really nice to work with her because we both have the same desires as far as being diligently, obedient, and things like that.  We are far from perfect but we are truly working on it and improving little by little everyday.

This is Hemana Rojas when she first arrived in Chile

Moving into the Elders' old house has been interesting!  It is obvious that it belonged to Elders... lol.  We are working on cleaning it up and putting it back together bit by bit... the area book isn't in much better shape than the house either.  I think that has been one of the more stressful challenges, especially for my companion who is brand new in the area and has nothing reliable to turn to except her companion who only has 6 weeks in the mission field.  Speaking of which, today is my "cumple-mes" [another month's anniversary], happy three months to me! lol  3 months gone already!  Only like 14 left (depending on when I come home).  I can't believe so much time has passed already!  You asked about the possibility (or certainty) of changing missions...if I had to guess, I'd say I'm going to the Rancagua mission but after the last transfer, nothing is certain and I'm not going to make any assumptions!

Like I said before, we've had a lot of challenges this week, but we have also, with patience, been able to see many little miracles springing up along the way.  One of which being our Lider Missional de Rama [Branch Mission Leader], Hector, he has truly been an angel to us because the Elders left, and with them went all the knowledge of the recent converts, investigators, etc. in the area.  They tried to document it for us on their white board, but without it accurately documented on a teaching record (in the area book), there's not much we can know...BUT turns out Hector is a freaking knowledge bank and he has actually helped us find some of the forms the Elders left behind about their investigators, recent converts, etc.  Hector has found this new excitement and fire for the missionary work, it's AMAZING!  Truly!  It's interesting, because before, with the four of us here, he was just old Hector, and we kinda took him for granted...but now with only the two of us sisters here, he has really been given the room to grow and shine!  He, seriously, is on fire!  I'm pretty sure he is the best Lider Misional de Rama [Branch Mission Leader] in the whole world!!!!  He is actually working on getting his mission papers started pretty soon.  He's 25 and really close to the deadline, but I really hope he will be able to get into the mission field because he will be quite the tool in the Lord's hands! 

With the new combio [companionship changes], we got a new zone leader, Elder... drum roll please... DAVIS! That's right, the Davis Dynasty continues!  He's only got the four weeks of this cambio left before he heads back home to AZ.        

The rain started today...bad news is, first day of real rain here and I left my umbrella in the back seat of a taxi... tonta [foolish]!  I'm going to have to buy a new one here.  The only down side is that they don't sell (as far as I know) the nifty compact kind here with a magical button that makes it pop open...choota! [darn!]. 

Another fun thing this week, Saturday night at like 7pm when H. Rojas and I were tracting, all the power in the city went out.  It was actually super cool for me!  We were walking, looking at our map of less active members, trying to hunt them down and out of nowhere everything goes pitch black!  Luckily, I just happened to be carrying my handy, dandy headlamp in my back pack!  Fue un poco fome para encontrar y contacter en la calle, pero, encontramos una casa de un menos activo, que es la hija de la Hermana Novoa , ella nos dejó entrar en su casa y tuvimos una leccion con luz de una vela.  [It was a little odd to find and contact in the streets, but we found the house of a less active member, that was the daughter of Sister Novoa (the Sister whose house we were living in before), she let us in her house and we had a lesson by candle light].  I was having the time of my life though because my brain like switched into adventure mode! lol  I'm being completely honest when I say that I was a little disappointed when the power went back on two hours later...but it was all for the best because we were able to use our heaters that night. The power went out again today, I was really afraid I wouldnt get a chance to email this week.

Things have been off to a slow and challenging start, but I really believe that the Lord called H. Rojas and I to be here in this particular situation, and this particular time because He knows our abilities (better than we do), He knows His children here in Lontué, and He knows we can do it!  I can't wait to see what miracles will unfold in the next four weeks. 

Family, school is getting out soon and that means it must be warming up there!  Almost lake and Pharaoh's [water park] time!  How crazy!  The rain (the real winter) is just starting here!  You know you're jealous! Enjoy the warmth and dryness, enjoy washers and driers, and enjoy showers with options in between freezing and scalding! lol  More Chilean adventures to come next week!  I love you all so much!  READ YOUR SCRIPTURES AND DON¨T FORGET YOUR PRAYERS!  ... LOVE YOU!!!!!  Tell Gabby I love her and that she is the studdliest woman I've ever met!
ALL my love and appreciation,
Hermana Davis

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

P.S:
My mission president is having us do a special fast this next fast Sunday, he said this to us in his email this week,  "Vamos a unirnos este domingo en ferviente ayuno y oracion para poder alcanzar nuestro proposito misional. Tambien en sus cartas a sus familias pueden esta semana invitarles que durante sus ayunos que pidan a Dios que nos bendiga en la obra misional especificamente para encontrar a los escogidos dentro de la mision. Yo se que tendremos mucho poder de los cielos al incluir las oraciones de nuestras familas en nuestra obra misional junto con la nuestras.¨  ["Let's unite ourselves this Sunday in fervent fasting and prayer in order to be able to reach our mission purpose.   Also, in your letters to your families, could you invite them this week, during their fasting, to ask God to bless us with the missionary work specifically to find those chosen within our mission.  I know that we will have much power from heaven by including the prayers of our families together with ours in our missionary work"].

5/20/13 Changes!

Hola!

Unfortunately, I'm at a sucky computer today and I have to freaking PUNCH every key to get it to work, it's taking me 500 years to write, so my email probably won't be very long even though I have a mountain of things to say. 

Cambios...[companionship changes]...  Holy WOOOOOW!!!!  Our plan this morning WAS to wake up, do our studies, call the district leader to ask about cambios, then go back to sleep.  Let's just say the LAST thing I could have done after that phone call was sleep.  As far as our district was concerned, we were just expecting that Elder Cadena, who's been here since November, would be heading out. The phone call went like this mas o menos [more or less] (or as Chileans would say it ma´omeno´ ) Elder Cadena on speakerphone:

¨Hola! We´re calling to find out about transfers.¨

¨Yeah give me just a moment... OK, ready.¨

¨Are you leaving? Where are you going?¨

¨Yes!! I'm leaving! I'm going to... ¨

¨Oh, yeah!  We all knew it!  Anything else?¨

¨Yeah! Elder Turner is leaving ¨...also Hermana Joglar is leaving...to Rauquen.¨(The same exact sector that Hermana Joglar was ¨born¨in [or started her mission in])

Then came the freaking out and asking who was coming to be my companion (answer: Hermana Rojas de Peru) and who was coming to replace the Elders... NO ONE!!!  So, I am the only one staying here and they are closing down the sector we just opened, Lontué B.  The other missionaries are feeling really down about killing a sector, but I think that the reason they even opened it in the first place was to get sisters in here and train them so that they could eventually replace the Elders.  Lontué is kind of a tricky area what with being missionaries and edificadores de rama [branch builders] and everything here so I'm thinking that was the purpose behind it, especially since the branch here is so small that they were really struggling feeding four missionaries lunch everyday. But it's still un poco triste [a little sad].  I'm SUPER nervous but excited at the same time!  I'm really going to miss my companion and the rest of our district, but I´m sure there are only better things to come!  My new companion and I will be moving into where the Elders were living. 

About the house we were going to rent.  On Monday last week, when we were about to finalize everything, we prayed about the house and turns out it wasn't right for us to rent that house. Now we know why! ¡Bacán! [Awesome!]

 Also, insteadv of having two cats where we live, we will now have two dogs! YAY... but they're both little dogs, (according to the Elders) one is named Linda [Pretty] (pronounced Leenda!)and the other is named Feo [Ugly]. Haha ...bueno!  HOWEVER, that does not mean it is OK for you to get a new dog with out me fam, OK? ..OK!! Thanks, you're the best fam in the whole wide world!

Today we have been going nuts packing and cleaning everything. SO CRAZY! We REALLY didn't see this coming! H. Joglar and I were SURE we were staying together, especially after the super awesome pep talk we had last night.  I shared one of my favorite inspirational quotes with her and it spurred on a whole big conversation about finishing strong, etc.  I'll share the quote just because it's super awesome.... ¨Be the kind of person (missionary) that when your feet hit the floor in the morning Satan says ´Oh, crap!  She's up!´¨

Haha, I love it!  It ALWAYS, ALWAYS helps me feel better and makes me want to push harder and be better. :) 

I'm excited to see what tomorrow and the rest of the week have to offer!

Parentals, sounds like a rough weekend! but I'm glad Trent is safe and Found!  Haha, I'm so funny, I know :) I miss you all so much! miss you too, mom good to hear I am missed!  Thanks so much for the parable, pictures, updates, and everything!  I really loved all of it! I will be keeping the company in my prayers!  Best of luck this week!  Mama and Not Da Mama (Dad), I'm POSITIVE you are the two studliest people on the face of the planet!  Keep being awesome!  Best of luck with everything! XOXOXOXOXOXO hug and kiss everyone from me! LOVE YOU ALL and miss you to pieces! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Till next week, ALL my love,

Hermana Davis

Wk. 11 (Lontué w/ Hmna Joglar)

Hola! Hola!!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOMMY!!! (and all the other wonderful mothers/grandmothers out there!)

…and... HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON WEDNESDAY JOHN!!!!  I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH!  I HOPE YOUR 11th IS THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!!!

Things are great here in Chile! We found a house to rent, but as of right now we aren’t sure when we are moving in.  We are also a little worried about whether or not we will actually be able to live there because we heard from one of the member ladies here that our land-lady likes to party (and lives right next door).  Hna. Joglar and my plan as of right now is to just move in to the house, baptize the land lady, and then not have to worry about rowdy parties anymore. ;) It’s kind of interesting though because the lady has to be at least 60 years old... I guess now would be a good time to use the phrase that my companion and the Elders in my district tell me ALL the time when weird things happen... "Welcome to Chile!" lol 

At the Zone conference the other week, one of our mission standards of excellence changed and that is that now they want us to work more with the members to get references from them, because statistically, if we contact 140 people every week (which is the standard of excellence for our mission), we will baptize one of our contacts about every five weeks, BUT if I remember correctly, for every 14“ish” contacted references from members there is 1 baptism.  SO, now they’ve asked us to do 12 contacted references from the members every week.  This week Hermana Joglar and I have been working hard to do that and have been getting to know the members a lot better through it (and also for our calling as edificadores de rama [branch builders]). It has actually been a huge blessing because we are starting to understand the branch and how things work here in Lontué better and the members are getting to know us better and as a result they like us more and trust us more with their contacts and everything.  Hna. Joglar and I are starting to feel more accepted, appreciated, and at home here and it feels like the work is moving along better now, because really everything works differently here in little Lontué so having member help is crucial. 

The end of the cambio [companionship changes] is a week from Tuesday (tomorrow), so this time next week I will know whether or not my comp. or I are getting transferred.  I’m thinking we will both stay put because I’m new, and my comp goes home after the next transfer (which is only four weeks) so they’ll probably keep her here instead of starting her brand new in a different area for only 4 weeks, BUT you never know!  It will be interesting to see what changes happen. :) 

Fam: I love you to pieces and miss you like crazy! It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good to Skype you yesterday, looks and seems like everyone is doing super good.  I'm so proud of you ALL and just can't even tell you how much I love you!  Keep being AWESOME, keep being Davis!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

ALL my love,

Hermana Davis

Wk. 10 (Lontue w/ Hmna Joglar)

¡Halo!

(that's what we say instead of knocking doors) Everyone here has gates around their houses so we stand outside the gate and call.  My favorite is when people pull aside their curtains, make eye contact, we smile, and they just shake their finger at us and shut the curtains. Or another favorite, we walk up and can hear voices or the TV inside, we call and everything goes silent, we call again nothing, a third time, still nothing... as IF we don't already know you´re there! lol 

Another week in Chile! Woooooh!  Everyday I get a little more accustomed and I understand a little more. I had my first Zone conference this week, it was awesome! I love conferences! 

 

With Hermanas Holland & Call @ new missionary conference

Our table of Hermanas at the Zone Conference

One of the things that made it SO awesome is that at the end of lunch, about the middle of the conference, my companion came up to me and told me she loves me (not super unusual when she's happy) and THEN she apologized for everything that had been bad.  We talked a little bit about it then and she said that she wants to try to do better, especially with the schedule but that she is scared because it's really hard and she doesn't want us to fail and then feel even more down about it.  As a result, this week has been better!  We've been putting a lot more effort in as a companionship, not only to follow the schedule but also throughout the day in doing our best and using our time wisely.  Of course, it´s never all rainbows and sunshine, but we are learning to work TOGETHER more.  This week's companionship inventory was SUPER hard for me, I guess a lot of the little things I do wrong have been building up. It was a SUPER humbling time, but the Lord is helping me a lot to put my feelings aside and realize that everything happens for a reason.  Something I learned this week, there are two main parts of missionary work (which can apply to countless other things in life) and they are obedience and charity.  Both are key to the work, but it´s a very delicate balance!  There´s one extreme where you just push to be obedient even when your companion doesn't want to, etc. but you enforce it nonetheless, as a result you're obedient and you have success because you´re being blessed for your obedience, but there's no love/charity between you and your comp and one or both of you will be hating the other and their time there and wanting to go home.  Then there's the other extreme where you and your companion go easy on each other and are besties and have SO much love for each other and can't help but enjoy your time together, and you´d never want to make your companion feel bad or uncomfortable, or do anything that they wouldn't enjoy, thus the rules aren't so important to you.  The result is that you have fun, but you don't have much success.  (Hermana Joglar and I talked about this yesterday, in relationship to being a trainer, and this is the conclusion I came to :P)  She was asking, what's better?  As I thought about it, I thought of my AMAZINGLY PERFECT parents, and using their example I talked with her about how, in my opinion, it takes  both.  As we discussed it we came to the conclusion that it's a tricky balance. Obedience is crucial, but you have to help them learn and understand the importance of it and show them your LOVE for them (be it trainees, investigators, what ever), or else they will have no desire to be obedient/change.  It was a HUGE blessing from Heavenly Father that he helped me see/understand that and helped me see just how AMAZING my parents are!  So, Mom and Dad: THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH for teaching me with SO much love the importance of being obedient.  You're love and example are without price to me and continue to bless me everyday even when I'm a bazillion miles away! 

We've had some fun adventures this week!  The rain started, but as of yet it's still really mild and it only rained/showered for two days.  I was kinda disappointed it didn't full out Chilean rain, I was like ¨Come on!!!  IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!?!¨ ... I´m sure I'll eat my words later when it REALLY does come... and NEVER leaves...I'm not going to think it´s so cool then... lol

Last night Hermana Joglar and I went out to the farthest part of our Sector (like 30 mins in bus) called Sagrada Familia - it was just opened back up to us, there are over 100 menos activos [less active members] there so we are going to hunt them down and get them to come back to church lol. We visited last night to check up on some investigators we found there the other day.  We got there somewhere around 8:30 and had to be back in our house by 9:30. SO, we visited these people and came back to the bus and stood waiting there for like 15 min when some drunk guy walks by and asks us like TEN times if we are waiting for the bus (kind of laughing at us), we say yes, and he tells us that there aren't any coming, then walks away.  So were like, ¨That's weird!  Crazy drunk guy!¨  About 10 more minutes of waiting, a bus going the other direction stops to let passengers off and the bus driver calls to us and tell us that there aren't any more buses tonight going back toward Lontué. It's dark, chilly, and we are in creeper town. We're like, AWESOME! We´re stranded in creeper town!  So we call the Elders and they don't answer because they're in a lesson. Meanwhile cars are passing, whooting and yelling things at us like ¨Hermosas!!! [beautifuls]¨ etc. We finally get a hold of the Elders, the Elders call the branch president, who lives like 30-40 mins away, and the BP has to come get us! We felt SOOO bad! but how were we supposed to know that buses only went ONE direction after a certain time! It was crazy! But super duper funny! 

Today we had our zone activity, we went up to Molina and played soccer than had a barbeque out back behind a church up there.  It was super fun! But I´m starting to think I´m a little too cocky/competitive to play with the Elders (like I overestimate myself). What keeps happening is that I´m not afraid to go after the ball or to get right in the way between an Elder with ball charging toward the goal and the goal and stand firm... next thing I know he crashes into me,  I get kicked, or the ball comes flying full force toward my face. I pulled a lot of matrix moves today lol. I almost DIED like 3 times! lol jk  I´m slowly learning to defend until they're moderately close, then still stand firm, but cover my head/face with my arms and scream like a girl lol. Es muy divertido!  

Thanks so much for all the updates! I always want to comment more on everything but there´s just so much to read and comment on and then a weeks worth to tell about on my side of  the world.  Sorry I don't comment more, just know that I love you SOOOO much and I can't even express how much I appreciate every little detail you tell me! Seriously. ...and pictures are the BEST!  I'm going to try to take more and send more as well.

 

After soccer