Spring has sprung... kind of (week 4)

HEY!!!! 

I always start of saying that I miss you all, but it´s true. I miss you all, a lot!!! You are always in the back of my mind.....except when I am trying to talk, because it takes a lot of focus not to say something stupid......not going to share that story haha

Our week was super vacan (sick). Literally and figuratively. We had awesome experiences with finding people, and of course teaching. I´ll share one. We were looking for a less active members house one night among some apartment buildings. As we walked by one I had an impression that we should contact there, so I told my companion. After we found the members house, who shock of all shocks wasn´t there, she turned to me and said okay where do you want to contact. I walked back to the building where I had the impression with a little prayer in my heart, walked up to the second floor and knocked on the third door to the right. A man opened the door and let us in! This was the first time someone has ever let us in on the first encounter!!!!! Then his pareja walked in before we could even ask. They moved there two months ago and have a son. We found a family! They were super receptive too! I am excited to see what will happen.

Next story is the awkward of all awkward. It happened last night. So we went to teach Erslia the Law of Chastity. My first ever time teaching it, so I had no idea what I was doing and wasn´t much help to be honest. So there the three of us are in the corner and the whole family is doing something else in another part. Well my compy signals to them that we are going to pray, and the whole family converges. The kids, the mom and dad (Aunt and Uncle) everyone. So then we ended up teaching her with everyone listening and the Uncle had lots to say. He has had a huge change of heart and wants to stop drinking and smoking and using and come back to church. We keep praying that he will keep the same heart. I love this family! Anyway Ersilia was uncomfortable and it was uncomfortable anyway because she has a son. Oh and then her BF came over, but luckily we were done by then. Anyway it’s definitely one for the books.

So have I told you about how flirty the Chilean men are? Especially the drunk ones. They are always trying to kiss me. haha Always calling things out at me as I walk by i.e. Bella, Reina Linda etc. They wink at me too. It makes me feel super awkward. They will even honk at me from the road and yell at me from their cars. Also people are obsessed with my height. I feel a little like I am an animal in a zoo. Oh and everyone shouts things at me in English. Lots of people here want to learn, so we are going to try and start a class....which I will teach because no one in my area but me speaks English.

This is a shout out to Madilyn. I forgot to tell you, but I met Hermana Nokes my very first day in Chile. Funny right? She is a trainer of new missionaries.

English is starting to get hard, like the phrases and everything.

I love you all and God loves you too! I hope you are all preparing for General Conference! There have not always been prophets to guide us on the earth. God doth nothing before he reveals it unto his servants the prophets. They know what is coming and how to help us. Don´t take it for granted and try to pay close attention. Not a time to be multi-tasking (something of which I have definitely been guilty of). 

I love you all even more than I ever realized. Please love and take care of my babies! It kills me thinking about how I am missing them growing up. Let them know how much I love and miss them. They are the very best thing I have ever had in my whole life and I just LOVE LOVE LOVE them! 

Read and Pray every day!!!! (EVERYDAY!)

Hermana Makin

 

Hermana Makin (Lack of pictures this week Sorry folks!)

 

 

DRUNK MEN, DOGS, WALKING, AND TEACHING (Week 3)

HEEEEEEEYYYYYY!!!!

I forgot to wish Aubrie a Happy Birthday in my last letter, so now I am late.......epic fail. I kept thinking about her on Friday and wishing she wouldn´t grow up while I was gone. Someone kiss her face off for me! Or all of you haha LOTS OF LOVE FROM CHILE BRIE BRIE!!!!!! Gill has your present for the next time you come down. (Don´t forget Gill ;) )

Man, I miss you guys sooooooo much! The mission life is pretty good. It has been quite overwhelming actually. Nothing here is the same as the US.....there isn´t even a McDonalds. Isn´t that weird? I mean I don´t actually like McDonalds, but it´s just weird.

So anyway, by the title of my e-mail you can tell that I have had an interesting week, and it really has been quite interesting....

Starting off let me tell you about how awesome the people are here! So kind and loving and welcoming. We have a few investigators. I challenged one of them to be baptized this week, which was awesome. She accepted and the plan in October 11th. Her family is really oppossed which is kind of weird because they are so nice when we come over and listen to lessons and are actually less active members and all that. Her brother is a recent convert too.....there are family problems there I think. The Dad actually just left like of Friday which is super sad! They are really poor, like house out of cardboard poor :( Anyway her name is Resilia. She has a little boy named......Benjamin? I think that´s his name. There are other people we are teaching that are Evangelicals.....everytime people here that they are all like.....good luck with that, but all the Evangelicals I have met have been really receptive.....I guess it´s only week one, but I am still optimistic! 

So let me tell you about my first day. It was crazy! I was soooo tired, with the lack of sleep on the plane and everything. I would lay down until my hip started hurting and wake up and have to switch positions. That happened a lot so I was really tired. Then I went to a new missionary orientation. I didn´t come in the middle of a transfer Gill ;) so you can be happy about that haha Then we ate completos which are like poor people hot dogs haha Then I went to my new area which is Graneros. It´s close to Rancagua. We went shopping which I may have mentioned was traumatic. I almost started crying in the store. It´s because I was tired haha So many new things and I had no idea what to buy. It all worked out though. PS did I mention nothing is the same? Major culture shock people, but don´t worry, the church is still true. Oh yeah and the power was out the first night....well actually, the office forgot to pay the bill. It was really cold!!!! Oh and let me tell you about the drunk people.....

After I e-mailed you last, we were walking down the road and this drunk man grabbed my arm (I had no idea he was drunk) It´s okay don´t worry I Crissy´d him haha He kept saying that he needed to ask me a question. So there I was on the street, so confused, and my companion skillfully maneuvered us away. I had to ask her what in the world had just happened, and she told me he was drunk. I find it all quite funny. I have never actually seen a drunk person before, but there are a plethora of them in our sector. It happened again later that night as we were walking home. I recognized it after a few seconds though. I thought I was pretty good at spotting and avoiding them after that, but then I tried to make a contact with one yesterday haha so......I guess I need some more practice. 

This week everyone will be drunk because the 18th is like the patriotic celebration day or something. Oh and last week there was a protest on the 11th....something to do with the US? I don´t really know. We had to come home early so we cut the grass which was like up to my knees. It was really bad. We used big scissor yard things.....it was kind of fun.....in a long extended kind of way.

Oh other funny thing, there is a Heineken beer cup in our house. I don´t know why but I thought it was really funny. 

Oh, THEY HAVE ICE CREAM!!!!!! I was so excited haha The bread here is also super delicious and the cookies! Oh my lanta! The members feed us lunch everyday and the portion sizes are HUGE! Like really really large amounts! Like, you eat until you feel sick. It´s always pasta too......so I´m going to be fat when I get home haha (NO RUDE COMMENTS WHEN I GET BACK ;) ) It´s okay though, because Gill and I can Bay Watch haha So my whole I´ll walk it off in Chile mantra.....not so much. We do walk a ton!!!! Our sector is huge, but I don´t think it´s going to be enough. Extra prayers for my hips please, because I think that may become a big problem. Don´t worry Mom I have my drugs :)

I told you about the dogs already that are everywhere!!!!! You can guess what else is everywhere too......you learn to watch your step! Also the Chileans love their cats. Everyone has at least one.....so that´s been fun. Let´s just say I keep the Kleenex nearby. 

Another cool thing, I think a General Authority is coming for Stake Conference. We are doing a choir for it. It´s actually really sad, because there are a lot of tone deaf people, but the spirit is there and that is all that matters right?

Remember to rely on the Lord, his atonement isn´t just for our sins, but our weaknesses and our trials too. Above all never loose the faith!!!

Read and pray everyday!

Hermana Makin

P.S. I miss you more than I miss hot showers, which is saying quite a lot! Apparently there is a way to trick the faucet......but so far no luck :/

Hola (Ciara's letter to let us know she had made it there safely)

It´s chilly in Chile! I just had to say that, one because it´s funny, and two because it´s true! Anyway I made it here, and it´s kind of overwhelming, but I am sure I will get the hang of it. It was really awesome to get to talk to you all yesterday over the phone. I have been assigned to work in an area called Graneros, with my new trainer. Her name is Hermana Villanueva. She doesn´t speak english, so that´s been fun......quite a challenge especially since I am so tired from my travels and it takes so much energy to concentrate in Spanish. So anyway this is just suppossed to be an I´m alive and well letter, so I´m alive and mostly well :)

Fun Facts About Life if Chile:

1. There are dogs EVERYWHERE!!!! Also they follow you.

2. Our little house has bars on the window (not sure how to feel about that.

3. A cat somehow made it into our residence today.....bleh!

4. They don´t refrigerate milk or eggs.....my shopping trip might have been slightly traumatizing.

5.The whole not knowing about the money thing is a challenge......it will get easier though.

Well I love you mucho mucho!!! Miss you too!!!! We are about to go and teach like 6 different lessons to people I don´t know in a language that is.....well....just a challenge and I don´t know what we are going to teach......HERE I GO!!

Read and pray everyday!

Hermana Makin

Hermana Makin pointing to her mission while at the MTC

 

Belated Pictures from Hermana Makin's MTC district

Elder ? and Elder ?? (I am sure Hermana Makin can fill us in when she gets back :) )



From L to R: Bottom: Sister ?, Sister ??, Sister ??? and Hermana Makin
Top: Elders

Airport Goodbye (by phone... I wish it was in person)

 Today I (sister Jill) went over to my momma's house today to make sure I got to chat with Ci Ci uh... Hermana Makin before she caught her plane to go to Chile. She was able to call from the airport and I was really excited to talk with her. I heard her voice and literally almost started crying. At the end of our conversation later I really did start crying and she said she would call at Christmas and then she started crying. Kind of crazy that she is the only one from the MTC going to Chile right now. I know that it would be more comforting if there was another missionary on her flight but I know that she will manage it just fine. Her flight should get in tomorrow at 6:15 am our time. My dad called me to talk tonight and said that if he had known she was going down by herself he would have bought a plane ticket to take her down there. My dad is very caring and this would be very typical for him. He would want to make sure she makes it there safe. Hopefully he won't have a restless night of sleep tonight worrying about his baby. :)


My mom talking with Ciara while she was waiting for her plane.

While the adults are distracted with an important phone call the children destroy the house. :)



Week 2.....say what?!?!?!

Hola todos!

Another awesome week here! Being in the MTC is hard, but whenever I think about it as an overall thing, it mostly just seems AWESOME! You all are so great! Thank you so much for the packages and letters this week! I am sooooo spoiled. I do believe my district is starting to hate me haha.  I received four packages this week! I almost feel bad about it! Thank you so much Mom for the goodies! Everyone says thank you! Cookies and caramels, and caramel popcorn, you are an overachiever! When I opened the last box and saw the caramel popcorn I gasped and started freaking out I was so excited! Totally freaked my companion out and she got mad at me....oh well haha I was having a rather hard day on Thursday and then I got letters at the end of the night from Jen, Jess, and Jo. It was awesome. (You must have missed the memo Jill ;) ) I just sat on my bed and read them and it was nice to feel the love. The branch counselors wife walked in to check on us, and there I was crying, and loving on the little pictures Em and Sadie drew for me. Those are the best. PS I love the picture book! I showed everyone. I even made the Elders look at the pictures haha. So again, thank you for the packages and letters.

So this week we welcomed in the new missionaries. There are two teachers among the bunch. Funny right? I guess it's like a thing now. I think it went pretty well.....Not much new or exciting is happening. We still have classes 10 hours a day, and I still eat way too much food haha. I think the problem is 1. It tastes really good (not as good as yours though mom, don't even worry, no competition) and 2. You can't take any with you and you don't want to waste it......so with the MTC food and all the goodies, they may just have to roll me out of here. Just kidding! I love it all, and I don't even care. I'll just walk it off in Chile. It's my new motto!

Something that I may not have mentioned in my last e-mail is that we are teaching lessons. I can't remember if we did or not. This week we taught a woman named Mercedes. She was so great (we are done now since I leave Monday). I think she was just an actor, but the cool thing is, you can still feel the spirit so strongly! We are also teaching our teachers who are acting. They are much more difficult to teach though. They pretend to fall asleep....which is kind of annoying. I guess they want us to know that we are boring them. I'm working on the whole inspired questions and engaging lessons thing. One time the Elders came out laughing and told us that "Jonathan" Hermano Wood was acting like he was borracho (drunk). It's kind of been a big joke since then haha We kind of poke fun at them. Really our teachers are so great! I like them a lot, even though one of them makes fun of my Spanish a little bit. My grammar needs some improvement....It's been almost 2 years since I have taken a Spanish class....

Oh also I thought it was funny that everyone sent me calling cards. I now have six, so unless I run out of time I will definitely have enough minutes to call you all. 

Anyway there isn't too much else to say, I guess I am kind of boring. I will leave you with a thought though.

This week we had a few lessons on the whole every member a missionary thing. Being here, I am realizing just how important it is, and the prophets and apostles have spoken about this so many times, which should just motivate you all the more. The changes people make when they come unto Christ are difficult. It is not easy to leave behind a life that is so familiar and take a step of faith into something unfamiliar. Please be the one to befriend new people and the one to share your testimony. You have been blessed to be a member of the church and should share this blessing with others. I want you to think about one simple truth about why you are a member of the church. I know that there is a lot that goes into a testimony, and we have a testimony about many different topics, but just think about it for a minute. When it boils down to it, why are you a member? For me. ONE of the reasons is that is makes me incredibly happy, and helps me be a better person. What you say doesn't have to be something profound. It just needs to be something true. Example: Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints helps me find peace and happiness. Isn't that an easy thing to say to someone? Don't be afraid of offending someone, and don't be weird about it, but it could come up in a casual conversation. Just because you live in Utah doesn't mean there isn't someone around you who isn't searching for something in their life. Sometimes they don't know what it is, until you take the courage to share. So take heart, reach out, and share your happiness, that is my challenge! With great blessings, come great responsibilities.

 

I love you all so much! I hope you have a great week!!!!!!! Give my babies lots of kisses, I miss them like a crazy mama bear haha

Read and pray everyday!

Hermana Makin

 

Hermana _________, Hermana ________, Hermana_________ and Hermana Makin ;)

 

Sister Makin's Letter Week One

Here is Sister Makin's letter from this week!!!


HOLA!!!! (That is my favorite Spanish word to say I've decided)

So it has almost been a week her en el CCM, but it feels like a month. I loved opening my e-mail and seeing all the e-mails, it makes me miss you all, but don't worry I'm not homesick :) PS there were 25! Big shout out to those who wrote snail mail this week.(Mom, Linda, and Weldon) Your letters were such a treat! Because the days feel like weeks and are so long, it is so nice to get a letter at the end of the day. Some days can be really discouraging, so it helps to distract myself and be reminded that I am loved. I loved all the e-mails today too! They made me laugh, gasp and cry. I am thinking of you all and praying for you (when I'm not in class haha).

So this week was crazy! I wish I had time tor really tell you all about it, don't worry I am keeping a journal so you can probably read it later.....censored of course.

Anyway here is what happened this week.....

After I got dropped off, a nice Irish Elder ushered me through a bunch of lines to get all my supplies, including my name badge! (It's like I have a new name, which is Hermana. It is so weird to think people call me Jaclyn, and Ciara.....*shudder* it just sounds to wrong haha) Anyway the room you go through the lines in was the room where we did that orientation for Justin's mission when we dropped him off. I walked down the same stairs Madilyn fell down as a baby. Kind of funny huh? Anyway they bused me over to west campus, so I am not even at the actual MTC. West campus is specifically for those learning Spanish, which is kind of awesome. We live/study in the Wyview and Raintree apartment complexes. (no stalking Gill ;) its against the rules, and you know how I feel about rules ;) ) Then we went to a bunch of meetings to learn about the MTC, including a branch meeting. (Brach = several districts, the people you go to church with)

The rest of the week is kind of a blurrr.....I wish I could remember it more vividly.... I'll just tell you about some of the things I do everyday I guess. We have classes 10 hours a day, which is kind of a lot. It feels like I am drinking from a fire hydrant.....and getting really bad water burn on my face. We are already teaching investigators, which can be intimidating and frustrating at times. It is SO MUCH HARDER to teach with someone else. I am so used to just teaching by myself and not gonna lie I kind of miss that. It is also good though, because sometimes I just don't know what to say, also it is in another language. Every three hours or so we break to eat. The food is actually really good. I am thoroughly enjoying it. Good thing I was so stressed I lost weight before I left, because I guarantee I have gained it all back. I don't even care haha it is just delightful. My favorite part is that I don't have to cook! 

Oh here is something that stands out, on Thursday so the SECOND day there we had a meeting to meet the branch presidency. They are so great! Brother Nillson (a counselor) used to be in our stake and also coached at Orem High (go tigers!) how crazy is that? Anyway so they interviewed all the missionaries individually and then one of the presidency members ( Hermano Villamizar) took my companion in a room and pretty much just started talking to us and told us that we are the new Sister Training Leaders. Did I mention it was the second day here?! I didn't even know what that was! We found out though, because we had meetings ALL day Sunday to talk about it. Pretty much we just have to help the new sisters feel welcome, and assist in any problem situations, and do interviews, and go to a lot of meetings, and assist with checkouts, and be perfect (no joke, that is what they said) NO PRESSURE! We are just supposed to be examples I guess. It makes me wonder if I am a bit over enthusiastic at times. Example: Shouts of joy and jumping when I get letters....not very sisterly of me....oh well haha. Oh and apparently I am now the pianist. I am not all that skilled at the piano. I mean I do alright, and I can do things if I practice, but no one else here plays so..... One of the Elders who was zone leader last week kept coming up to me and being like oh and by the way you're playing this is five minutes. INCLUDING A MUSICAL NUMBER!!!! I kind of just went with it, because what else was I supposed to do haha Let me just tell you the spirit has taken control of my hands at times. It is so crazy cool! 

I  love, love, love, love, love, my district they are so great! The Elders are soooo funny....or maybe they just seem really funny, because there is not a lot here that is funny haha Also the sisters are great too! My companion I also love. Her name is Hermana Tate. She is from Orange County and is a Twin. Then there is Hermana Hooke (Hook) from Ventura and Hermana Velasco From Boise. (Don't worry I've made all the connections) Hermana Velasco and I share the same birthday! How cool is that! She JUST graduated from high school haha So yeah I am the old and "wise" one here. The Elders are 18 and 19. There is Elder Solis (Las Vegas) Elder Cruz (Oakland) Elder Teeples (Alaska) Elder Redzich (everywhere. His Parents retired to Payson. Anyone down there know them?) Elder Arevalo (Lindon) Most of the people in my mission are going to Argentina. I am the only one I have met going to Chile, like this whole entire week I haven't met one person. Also I am traveling alone, so I get to be travel leader in charge of myself hahahaha This is really funny to me. I do get to call people from the airport! Fun surprise! So expect a call between 11 and 2 next Monday. I have to buy a calling card. Please note that everytime I call someone it deducts like 150 minutes from my card, by just calling. So in other words you'd better have your phones glued to your face. I probably wont try to call a second time....not because I don't love you....just that I don't have the minutes. One card=3 calls. So yeah.... 

Sunday we had a really cool fireside....that's not the right word though......DEVOTIONAL! I don't remember their names, but it was weird and German and I can't pronounce it anyway. They were mission president/wife of the Alabama Burningham mission.  She told us something I thought was cool. She related a new missionary coming to their mission like parents having a new baby. They are so excited, and they already love the baby, and they can't wait for them to come. This was really reassuring to me, because I kind of just thought the mission president wouldn't really remember me because we have almost 300 missionaries in our mission. (silly me!) 

Oh also after the devotional we watched this talk that Elder Bednar gave at the MTC (CCM). IT WAS AMAZING! Here is something that I learned that I want to share.

There is a difference between having a testimony and being converted. You can fall away from the church if you only have a testimony, but those that are converted won't fall away. What is conversion then you ask? Conversion is being consistent to what you know, or in other words acting according to your testimony or beliefs. You can't live on borrowed light, you have to work to come closer to Christ. How are you all demonstrating your faith, testimony and conversion? "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Almoa  23:5 Mosiah 3:19

Conversion means you are getting rid of the natural man. I think one of the ways to do that is to stop turning in, and turn out and look for the needs of others. This is what I am going to work on. It is easy here to focus on how tired you are or how you just need a break, or how you feel overwhelmed or discouraged, but I know that to be a good missionary and an effective tool for Heavenly Father I need to get rid of my natural man and look for more ways to serve. I need to stop being selfish and repent=return unto God.

Oh yeah, and this Sunday I am accompanying Hermana Tate for a musical number....and I will probably have to play the piano again for sacrament meeting....good times.....

Anyway overall I am doing really well, though I am still sick! It's super annoying!!!! I'm taking my vitamins though Jennifer, so don't even worry.

Anyway I think that is all, and I need to go and get my laundry...... I miss you all so so sooooooooo much and love you even more!!!! 

Don't forget to read and pray every day!

Hermana Makin

 

 

... I will not stalk her... I will not stalk her :)

 

 

Monday Morning

  This past Monday morning I (Ciara's sister Jill) received a pretty awesome text. Someone from her high school ran into her as she was doing her service. They sent a picture of her in action. I have been missing her terribly so I was pretty excited to get it!!!

Here she is vacuuming classrooms! Our mom would be so proud!!!