Flat Sadie in Chile (week 38)

Hola!

 

Flat Stanley made it to Chile! I am so so so so happy. I get to be the cool Aunt from 6,000 miles away. So the new married missionary couple came to inspect the house and they brought the mail. God knows the desires of our hearts. I was just so so so so excited and happy. One of the biggest tender mercies this week haha.

 

Also another thing happened this week that made me scream and shout and let it all out. HERMANA STRINGHAM IS COMING TO SAN FERNANADO!!!!!!! She isn't going to be my companion, but she is going to be in the same zone, so basically I get to see her often. I am truly so excited! I might have freaked out just a little bit when I heard the news. We might have been in the church.......are we sure I am really 24? Good thing there wasn't anyone there haha

 

So Joaquin is doing better. I am still really concerned about him because of some stuff he was telling us and the Elders this week, so please keep praying for him.

 

So you remember the story I told you about Patricia the one we invited to be baptized a couple of weeks ago. (It was when I did divisions with Hermana Bishop.) Well, we haven't been able to find her again. :( We might have to end up dropping her.......we are going to work really hard on finding her this week, and if we cant, then we are going to have to stop passing by. It makes me sad, because she knows God sent us.......which means she has a level of understanding.......

 

Oh also I should mention that we cambios are tomorrow. My companion Hermana Smith is going to Curico and I am going to get a new companion. Her name is Hermana Aizama. I actually did divisions with her one day when I was in Graneros. She is crazy haha, but like in a fun way. She is a really good missionary. I am excited to work with her. I am SOOOOO happy that I am going to have a companion who works hard, loves the people, and is obedient. (I know this because I already worked with her.) She is from Argentina by the way. Her story is pretty incredible. I will have to tell it to you some day. She is a recent convert. 

 

Anyway I am boring again.....I need to start writing in my journal so that I have more to share with you all....or rather remember what to share.

 

I miss you all very much, and I pray that you are doing well. 

Read and Pray Everyday!!!

 

 

Hermana Makin

P.S. For my lack of words I will send pictures. Am I forgiven? THANKS!

Post Phone Call (week 37)

Hey Everyone,

 

It was so fun to see everyone yesterday! The hour went by so fast! I especially loved all of the photos from yesterday. That was awesome. I miss you guys! I appreciate so much all of the prayers you are saying for me. I feel them, and they raise me up to stand on mountains (yep, I just went there). I especially loved how everyone sang to me. That was one of my favorite parts.

 

We had a pretty.....interesting week this week. It was a rather challenging one, but I am always up for a challenge! 

 

Joaquin is....not doing so great. He said he doesn't want to do the church thing anymore. Please pray for him. Pray that he can feel the spirit. His family is passing through a really challenging time and they need some prayers.

 

What else....um....oh yeah I turned 24....so I am old now. We didn't do anything for my birthday, but the Elders brought cake to mission coordination so that was really thoughtful. One of the members sang at me from his car when he saw us in the street, so that was awesome. Nothing quite like being serenaded haha Oh and a drunk man told me to go die....that was really funny.

 

We are working really hard on finding new people to teach. 

Everything here seems so routine and normal because it is what I do everyday, but I know there is more I just can't think of anything.

 

Sorry.....worst email ever, I just cant think of anything to say. You did get to see me yesterday though, so I hope you got a good enough fix to last you till next Monday. I promise to be more exciting, and have some good stories to tell. I am also really short on time.......

 

I LOVE YOU ALL THE WAY TO THE US AND BACK A BAZILLION TIMES!

Read and Pray Everyday!

Hermana Makin

Its a little more than chilly in Chile (week 36)

Another week has flown by....literally. Now when I forget to say things on Monday, or tell you about stuff I don't get mad. I just think, well tomorrow will be Monday again. It literally feels like that. I am kind of in denial because I am really close to my halfway point......WEIRD! I don't want to talk about it.

Thank you for all of the birthday wishes, and songs. That was really special. Definitely cried...I am hoping it is a really good day.....though I am so not okay with being 24.....that sounds so OLD!!!

So this week I had divisions in my sector with Hermana Bishop who is just amazing! Love her! We had like this rock solid day. It was back to back lessons and the spirit was SOOOOO strong in all of them. One of my favorite days in the mission. So we had just had two awesome lessons with awesome people and we were on our way to another appointment when I felt the need to go visit someone named Patricia. She is an investigator who we can never find. Anyway we go there and she is there and she invites us in and we start teaching here and I get this really strong impression that I have to invite this woman to be baptized. So I was praying in my head to God and saying okay I am going to do it, but how am I going to do that? How am I going to work this one in, in the middle of a lesson. So as I was praying and talking, Hermana Bishop started talking and I was like OHHHHH that is how and then we challenged her to baptism and she accepted and is going to get baptized the end of June. I guess you had to be there, but it was just so awesome. Hermana Bishop after told me she had the same feeling, that she had to invite her to be baptized which she felt really uncomfortable about because she was working in my sector haha She has 3 months in the mission, so it made her a little nervous.

 

Anyway I can't think of anything interesting that has been happening....and I have to go, but come up with a list of questions to ask me on Sunday. You will get a really quick response. I am hoping to call between 4 and 5 your time. I have to find someone with internet first though.

 

Please read your scriptures. They are SO IMPORTANT! 

 

I miss you more than......anything else, and love you more that that.

 

Read and Pray Everyday

 

Hermana Makin

 

PS Sorry the email was so short. Out of time......

I´ve been turned into a cow, can I go home now? (week 35)

Dear best people on the planet that I know aka my family aka the best family to ever walk the planet,

 

I am rather fond of you in case you didn't know. I still think you are the best family ever. Mostly when I hear about other peoples families, I think yeah my family is just so much cooler than that. Sure, we have our moments, our drama, but I have to say, as a whole we kind of rock at being a family. We are one funny bunch. 

 

So are any of you intrigued by my title? Hna. Smith said it to me this week because of a funny situation that happened. We went to a member families house for lunch (we eat with members everday) and the first thing the member said when she opened the door was look you´ve gotten fatter (not referring to me). Its not like a rude thing here in Latin America to say things like that, but Hna. Smith took it very much like a north American would. She is really so thin, so I don't know why that is a thing, but well ya know, not the best thing to hear right before you eat lunch. 

 

Anyway, Joaquin got baptized. It was a beautiful experience. His whole family came to support him, even his cousin who is actually a teacher at the MTC in Santiago. He gave us the reference. Joaquin was crying, and his Mom and Dad cried too. He is a cheeky little monkey of a kid. He kind of reminds me of Chase a little bit. Did I tell you that his Dad has or had cancer? I think he doesn't anymore, but I don't really want to ask.

 

We had our talent show this week, and we sang....and it didn't come out all that well, not gonna lie. Also it was kind of funny because we sang in the middle. There were like all these worldly numbers and then we came in in the middle with sisters in Zion and daughters of Helaman. They turned on the lights and everything. Afterwards I told my companion not to let us get talked into doing that again, and she was all deal! Then on Sunday the relief society invited us there times during class to participate in the choir for Branch Conference....and there just wasn't really a way to get out of that one, so we are going to do that.

 

Did I tell you about that awkward experience I had the other week? We went to visit a sister in the ward who has cancer and isnt doing so well. So we decided to sing her a hymn and give her a little spiritual thought. Well we (I) decided which hymn we were going to sing on the spot, and I chose my favorite hymn of the week which was the Lord is my Shepherd. I just really like the melody. Anyway in the second verse it says something about walking through the shadow of the valley of death. Please note I did not see that one coming. Nor had I paid that close of attention to the words before. So anyway by the end of the song she was crying. But, for the rest of the song I was like ah crap what scripture am I going to share that is going ot just blow this whole death song out of her memory. I don't remember which one I picked, but it was a really good one. She kept saying thank you, for the message and song, so maybe it was what she needed to hear. #awkward

 

This week we also had our Zone Conference with President. It was so so so good! I left with so much animo to work! (Not that I lack it usually.) President Warne is really awesome. He is very inspired and we are lucky to have him. Please pray for him and Hermana Warne. They are responsible for all of us and they do a really good job. They receive revelation for us, and some of the time that is revelation that really protects us. I wont go into any major detail, but I am rather fond of them both.

 

Got sick again this week....RIGHT after the conference ended. I started feeling really nauseous. It was pretty terrible, but I was doing a division with Hna. Prien so I kind of had to tough that one out. Of all the days to have all your appointments fall through....that should not have been one of them. Anyway the next day was pretty bad too and my compy called the nurse on me and she told me to stop being selfish and stay home........lets just say I am turning into my mother, and cannot sit still to save my life. I don't know how to just relax anymore. I think that is probably a good thing.

 

All right, prepare yourselves for some gems of spiritual light. God taught me what I am about to share with you during personal study. (PS didn't get a chance to finish studying about the light of Christ so I am going to have to wait to share about that until another time). 

 

In Alma 48:11 (A) The footnote takes you down to the GEE (guia de los escrituras) or the topical guide/bible dictionary (I forget how it works in English) it takes you to what I think would be understanding (I was reading in Spanish so I hope this makes sense.) There is something that I really like that it says there. It says that Understanding isn't just to learn something, you also have to apply that thing that you learn. Moroni had a perfect understanding, not because he learned a lot of stuff, but because he applied what he learned. Then later on in that chapter it talks about how if all men were like Moroni the powers of hell wouldn't have any power over men (or something like that) I am kind of thinking that their reason why Moroni had such power was because he applied what he learned. The understanding we can acquire to better our lives and progress comes from God, and thanks to the grace of Jesus Christ we have the opportunity to become better. We wouldn't be able to progress if it weren't for his sacrifice. Remember that scripture in Alma that says that I don't glory in myself, I glory in my God, and as to my strength I am weak (something like that). Well, its true! Anyway have you studied about the grace of Jesus Christ? I recommend it. It is really just delightful to the soul. Grace is the divine means of help or strength given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ. BUT his grace is only sufficient when we put in all of our efforts. So, are we faithful to the understandings God gives to us? (Alma 53:20) How many times do we say/hear I knew I shouldn't have or don't you know better? If we really understood, them we would apply. Those that apply are those that can be compared to a wise man. It doesn't profit us to sit around and wait for tomorrow. Apply the grace of Jesus Christ in your lives and apply the understanding God has given you to be better people. God loves us so much. All we have to do it reach out and there is every resource available to help us in this challenging path that is life. Anyway hope that made sense.

In a couple of weeks I am going to be skyping you which is pretty weird. (Thanks for reminding me haha) I have no idea at what time or anything. We have church till one and then 1:30 to 3:30 we have lunch and then 3:30-5:30 we have weekly planning....so I am GUESSING it will be after that. You are 3 hours behind BWT. Let me know what works best for you Mommy dearest. It is gonna be really weird to talk to you.......oh and as a side note....I decided this week that I don't know if I can come home again. I don't know how to function in that world. (Don't start freaking out Gill I also believe in obedience and that doesn't follow rules.....so)

 

Anyway I miss you all a lot. Please take care of my babies! 

Love,

Your favorite Sister Missionary

PS READ AND PRAY EVERYDAY EVERYDAY EVERYDAY!!!!!

BOM Studying (week 34)

Dear Gringos,

 

Thanks for all the great pictures and videos this week. They were so cute! It makes me just a little sad seeing how big all of my babies are getting. I guess I am okay with them getting bigger as long as they remember who I am.....so you better be quizzing them EVERYDAY....THANKS! 

 

Let´s see....what happened this week.......well we taught people.....and it got really cold! Well, not really that cold, but like in the 50´s, but the drop was sudden so it seemed colder. It was fourteen degrees yesterday! (That probably doesn't mean anything to you.) Anyway I was really glad to have boots and nice warm socks. (Thanks Dad.) 

 

So lately I have really just been delighting in my personal study. It is so cool to be able to study and get revelation and inspiration, and then watch as things throughout the day build upon it. It is the coolest thing ever. Mostly because you wouldn't have understood the new thing you learned in the same way if you hadn't learned something awesome in personal study. (I hope that makes sense.) This week I have been studying about the light of Christ. It has been quite delightful. I am not quite finished with that one yet, but I will let you know some of my insights next week.

 

I am working hard at finishing the Book of Mormon. I read pretty much all the free time I have. We were supposed to finish at the end of this month as you know, but President wrote and said he extended it till May 15th. I was pretty happy about that because I got a bit behind with the whole being a missionary thing. I am in like Alma fifty something. I just have to say that reading about Alma and his life has been a huge blessing. He started out so wicked, and then through effort and with the help of the atonement he was able to become one of the greatest missionaries and leaders in the Book of Mormon. At the end of his life he ends up just walking away from everyone and no one ever heard from him again. It could very well be possible that God just took him up into heaven for his righteousness. Anyway, it just is so amazing to think about that we really can be made clean and perfect in Christ.

 

Oh, and don't even get me started on Moroni! In the scriptures it says if everyone on Earth were like Moroni the devil wouldn't have any power on the Earth. Then it says that Moroni had such a powerful influence on the people of the city of Noah that he changed the who city. I want to be like that don't you?

 

Anyway, this week we get to have a Zone Conference and we are doing special training. We are doing that tomorrow. President seemed pretty excited about it when we talked to him about it yesterday. (He just randomly showed up at the church building and we heard him and were all like....uh.....what?!) Anyway they always make lunch for all of the missionaries and Hermana Warne always make sure to bring a good homemade treat. It is usually something gringo, which pretty much makes my heart sing. (She is so good to us.) 

 

So, I usually try and not tell you things that will scare you or make you worry, isn't that nice of me? (I cant decide if that is a good or bad idea....what do you think?) But, sometimes the stories are just so good its hard for me to refrain. I have had some really good self control so far.....don't worry I am totally safe. 

 

So something kind of cool has been happening lately and you all have been involved, or I assume you have been anyway. Lately my Spanish has gone to a whole new level. It has been so much easier to speak. Not that is was extremely challenging before, but it has been so much easier to express my self. I think its because you have been praying. The last couple of days....not so much the case, but before that. So, thanks for your prayers.

 

I do want to touch one topic......No one commented about the tomato thing....NO ONE! Not even Dad.......so.......you should respond to the things that I say in e-mails more. 

So anyway I have learned my sector, which is kind of awesome. I can successfully get around in my sector without getting lost WOOHOO!!! I definitely don't know all the street names yet, but I am still pretty pleased :)

 

Joaquin is going to get baptized this Saturday if everything goes according to plan. Please pray for him. It is one big step he is taking, especially for a 14 year old. He gets himself up and gets to church every Sunday. (He probably walks there too.) We don't even call him ( we are not being irresponsible, he just doesn't have a phone.) Please pray for this kid. I really love him to pieces. He told us when he grows up he wants to be a missionary. Is that not the most tender thing you ever heard?

 

I am so thankful to have this opportunity to serve the Lord. It is the best thing I have ever done and has changed my life. Thank you for all of your support, I really couldn't do it without you. I feel your prayers and I want you to know they help me everyday. We have all the restored truths of the gospel to help us today. God is here to help us to reach our goals and strengthen us. He loves each of us individually. Jesus Christ made it all possible, and makes it all possible to be  able to receive the greatest gift God has to offer which is eternal life. I love this gospel with all of my heart and am so grateful for the happiness it gives me everyday. 

Read and Pray Everyday Everyday EVERYDAY!!!!

Love, Hermana Makin

Buenos Dias Familia (week 33)

Buenos Dias Familia,

So I eat tomatoes now, and I don't hate them. They are really really big on tomatoes here, so they serve them to us all the time, and I have to eat them, and I think I must just have gotten used to the texture or something. Everyone says that they taste better here though.....so I may hate them again when I get home. Anyway just thought I would start off with that gem because I keep forgetting to tell you.

 

This week was quite the week! I think it is kind of just like pure confusion when you first get to a sector. I did learn a lot this week though. I kind of have a general understanding of my sector, and can even name off some of the streets and poblaciones (I know you are going to have to google that, but I don't know how to say it in English) so that is quite good. Also, I remember a lot of the names of people so that is kind of amazing! (We meet so many people, it is just really hard to remember sometimes. Example, one of the people we call tiger lady. It started out because my companion couldn't remember her name, but now it is just funny. We found her this week so that was exciting. She is in her 70´s. I saw her get off the bus and the spirit was all, you need to talk to her, so I kept walking (because I am dumb) and then we turned around and walked by her house and the door was open and the spirit was all go in that's her house, so I kept walking and then I realized I was being dumb and was all What am I doing? and turned around and then we met her. We haven't actually taught her yet, but she told us that she pertained to the church in Pichilemu, so that is kind of cool. We are going to teach her tonight. (Please excuse my terrible grammar right there. I know there are some run-on sentences. Maybe my sister will edit it for me :) ) (editors note: didn't happen :) )

 

Anyway my new companion is awesome. I love her. She kind of talks like a gangster, so if I start talking weird in e-mails....that would be why. She does know how to sound normal though haha discovered that one (funny story) Anyway she just finished her training. She is from Colorado. She was an atheist before she found the church. Her story is pretty awesome. She thought the church was like a history museum because she saw a family history sign and so she went in to check it out, and BAM conversion!

 

So I kind of want to back track in the week to when I was in Recreo. I miss those people! On Monday I went to say goodbye to a few people. I said goodbye to Patricia and she started to cry. I felt SOOOOO bad! She gave me one of her prized possessions and kept asking about how she could call me etc. It was pretty terrible. Then I didn't get to say goodbye to Javier.....that was really depressing. I called him on the phone though, and said goodbye that way. He was having chest pains again. I worry about that kid, I really do. They don't even know what is wrong with him, and I won't ever find out....because I am not allowed to write him. Anyway so I almost cried after that. I was really sad. 

 

Anyway, so I got here to San Fernando. I am in the Guadalupe Branch (yep a branch not a ward). It is actually bigger than my last ward. We are in like the city part of San Fernando. There are some country parts......and they ride bikes, so I am pretty happy about where I am at. It is bigger than Graneros, but smaller than Rancagua....which probably means nothing to you all haha.

 

Anyway so we have some pretty awesome investigators here. There are two people that are going to get baptized in the next month. One whose name is Joaquin and the other is Nicole. Joaquin is a cheeky 14 year old with a lot of energy. He is really into the getting baptized thing. He told us on Sunday that he was talking to an Elder the night before and he told him he should pray to God to find out if he should get baptized, so he did and then he told us he got his answer during testimony meeting, that the church is true and that he needs to be apart of it. I was all like WHAT THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!! He prayed and was open enough to get an answer from the spirit. So then he walks away and Hna. Smith was all, well that was like a knife to my heart. She thought he said the opposite thing haha Anyway, so then there is Nicole who has known about the church for months and months. She has been waiting because she isn't married and lives with her fiance. (Something so common in Chile. Getting divorced is really hard here, and they only just started allowing it. So, living together is very very common.) She gets married on the 27th and baptized on the second of May. Her Grandma died on Saturday so she wasn't at church because there is a law you have to bury the people within 24 hours.....I'm thinking they don't embalm here or something.

 

Anyway so this week was definitely a challenge. I definitely felt strengthened by you all though. In the blessing I received before I left it gave me a promise that when I felt weak I should hit my knees and pray and I would feel the strength of my family members praying for me at home. So, thank you so much for your prayers. Satan was really trying to do a number on me this week. Just because your a missionary doesn't mean Satan doesn't try and get at you at whatever angle he can. He doesn't want missionaries in the field. He works so hard against us sometimes. It is really annoying. That is why obedience is so important as a missionary, and why the rules are so strict.

 

Anyway I love you all very much. I also miss you a lot. Feel free to fill me in on more stuff. I like the mundane routine things of life. You might think you life is boring or nothing is happening, but I happen to know all of your children and they are the funniest people I know! Please pray for Javier and his health problem. Please pray that Joaquin can have more desire to focus on his studies so his Mom doesn't make him stop coming to church. Please pray for Nicole and her family. Satan works so hard to stop baptisms.......its so stressful! Anyway be good, be diligent, be obedient. Stand up for what you believe in. Strengthen your faith. Love God more than anything else. Try and be like Jesus.

 

Read and Pray Everyday Everyday Everyday!

Love you to the U.S. and back a bajillion times!

Hermana Makin

Ill go where you want me to go dear Lord.....Ill be what you want me to be (week 32)

Dearest Family of Mine,

So, as promised in my last e-mail (I was going to try and be more interesting) this week was full of stuff!

We had a pretty good week here in Recreo. There was this one lesson I want to tell you about this week. We started teaching a less active and her pareja. He has some interesting ideas about things.....lets just say he has read a lot of books. Anyway so we were teaching him and he was spouting off all of these things he had read and Satan was trying to weaken my faith which was annoying. I had no idea what to say or how to respond, or how God wanted me to help him. I just prayed for his heart to be softened. I felt so inadequate at that moment. BUT God promised that we won't be confounded before men, I just had to be patient and keep my faith strong. Stuff just came to my mind and I was able to say things. Things that made him think a little and anyway no real way to describe it, but it was awesome! Then the next time we went I remembered things he had said and invited him to pray in a cool way (because the spirit told me how to do it). It was like a oh I need to pray and not depend on the understandings of other men. So pray for the spirit to be with him. That his heart can be softened. That he can accept the truth and have the ability to recognize it.

We found a new investigator this week who is golden! First of all, he called us because we contacted a family member in his house! Then we went and taught him with an awesome member who answered his many questions. He then read his homework that night and the next morning he brought over three copies of his thoughts and questions TYPED!!! He brought it to our house. (His grandaparents are our neighbors so its not creepy.) We also invited him to be baptized. I am so excited....to find out what happens as I will be in San Fernando (Guadalupe)! Yep, thats right people, I am moving for the third time in three months, to a new sector! I am excited for new adventures and new people, though I am sad to leave people I have grown to love. Like, really sad! I just love these people! I don't want new ones yet! This ward is amazing too! I am going to miss working with the members. The name of my new companion is Hermana Smith. She JUST finsihed her training......I feel a little pressure haha... (Just because she is newer.) I hear she is awesome though, so I am probably worrying for nothing. I am also a little stressed because apparently I am now cordinadora.....yeah....I have no idea what I am doing. Also I feel really really unqualified. I am just not good enough for this calling. ANYWAY God reminded me that he doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called, but I am still a little lost. All I got was a piece of paper. Extra prayers for me please, that I can learn my sector quickly, that my tongue may be loosed and that I can figure out how to magnify my calling more fully this week. Thanks!

I let Hermana Williams cut my hair this week. It turned out pretty great! I can wear my hair down now! The last cut.....not so cute. I will send pics.

So funny story: Hermana Gracia called me Elder Makin this week....which was not actually so funny. Anyway we were at the apartment later that night and we were teasing her about it. She was all what can I do to make up for it. What about the atonement. Then I was all....saved by grace after all you can do Sister....maybe you had to be there, but Hermana Williams and I were cracking up. Then we were all you might know you are a missioary if........we are a little nerdy....but its okay because we are also AWESOME!

I was so excited about conference this week, and was so glad to be able to participate in the spirit there. It is truly a marvelous blessing to have prophets on the earth today.  I hope that you all took advantage and set new goals.

This week I have been reading in Alma. I love reading Alma as a missionary because he and the sons of Mosiah were just such amazing examples of missionaries. I have so much to learn!

Anyway I feel like I am forgetting something...but I cant remember right now. Please do good things everyday! Look for miracles and you will find them!

 

Read and Pray Everyday Everyday Everyday! (Who knows which talk this came from?)

Love,

Hermama Makin

TODAY IS MY MOMS BIRTHDAY!!!!! (week 31)

Happy Happy Birthday Mom! I hope that this is your best birthday yet!

So I am guessing none of you heard about the floods and volcanic erruptions this week in Chile. Pretty sad. No worries, I am good :) Our area wasnt effected. We lost the power and water there for a bit......which makes me really wonder if any of us would actually survive in an emergency situation. Well let me just tell you that you pretty much can't do anything without water or electricity.....like nothing. Most food requires at least one of those two things. I am going to do some upating of my 72 hour kit here. I did a pretty good job in the beginning, but I should probably add things like water haha 

 

Anyway so Conference is this week! Who is excited? Did anyone go to the womans conference? We get to go on Thursday. I am so excited! It is going ot be a marvelous weekend. I hope you are all preparing. I hope you all take questions. I hope you all make it a memorable expereince for your kiddos too. They will probably be bored, but there is maybe something you can do to make it special. I remember one time when I was little and everyone was listening to Conference and I was so annoyed so I decided to go to Grandmas thinking she wouldn't be listening to it......I don't think I really knew what Conference was haha No way Grandma would miss it! (Is someone going to hook that up for her? Pops?)

 

Anyway this week is week 6! Last week of the cambio! Time goes by pretty fast here. I assume everything is going well. No news is good news right? (I get that saying now, though I think it should say no news means good news. It makes more sense that way.

 

I feel really boring.....sorry. Maybe I will have something more exciting to share next week.......I love you all to pieces!

 

Hermana Makin

Can I get a number one with rootbeer? Thanks! Oh and extra fry sauce! (week 30)

Hello Family!

 

I am wearing sweatpants under my skirt today.....just because I can! (don't even worry Jennifer you can't see them because they are capris. Thanks for teaching me your ways Jess)

Patricia and Lorena went to church yesterday! We started teaching another joven who is the son of a former menos activo. He is going to get baptized some day. He had never prayed before and we kneeled down and prayed at the end of the lesson and he prayed to know if there really was a God. At the end he was crying....so I think that is a good sign! So that is exciting!

 

This week we helped a bunch with the Relief Society Anniversary party. The presidency went all out. It was really nice. We make cupcake toppers (that is actually what they call them here too haha.) They went all out. It was a fun experience. We had some people we are teaching go too. So that was awesome.

 

Anyway I want to share some of my thoughts that I had yesterday as we were walking home from church. I was thinking about how lucky I am to have all of you, no but really. I am glad that every time I open my email there is more than one email. That I get letters from just about everyone every week. One of the Hermanas has yet to get an email from her parents. Her Dad has Alzheimers so he doesn't even remember her anymore....so sad! Then I was thinking about some missionaries who leave and don't have support at all from their families. Their families don't understand why they left because they are not even members. Then they have to go back to a family who doesn't get it. I feel so blessed to be part of a family where everyone is a member. Not just members, but active in the church and sealed in the temple. I don't know if you think about it or have really thought about it before, but it is a HUGE blessing that we have all known about the church since birth. That we were tortured with hair rollers weekly and woken up early to go to church. WE ARE BLESSED! SO BLESSED! Also it has come to my attention that people don't talk to their family members all that much. They don't call and communicate like we do. That is so important. It is part of taking care of the people around us. We are really really lucky. Keep working on staying united. That is what God wants. He wants us to be happy and unified.

 

Anyway not much else to tell about the week....nothing else different really happened, except Hermana Williams ran into the glass door this morning and I died laughing. Oh and Hermana Gracia is sick :( Poor thing. Got the same thing as Hermana Williams........some throat virus or something. So pray for her. Hermana Williams is still kind of sick but mostly better.

 

Prayers for the week: Javier, Patricia, Lorena.

 

Read and Pray Everyday!

 

Miss you like crazy!

 

Hermana Makin

Arrival of the Suitcase (week 29)

Wow! Almost out of time! Dang! Anyway this week was good.... I got the suitcase last night....I about died! Cadburry eggs and Reeses and shoes and ST: PATIRCKS DAY STUFF!!!! I know I am forgetting something else that I love, but there is just not time to stop typing and think right now. Thank you so much! You guys are so good to me! I am sure my companion hates me. ANYWAY on the amazing news front. LORENA WENT TO CHURCH!!!! I about died! WOOOOOHOOOO!!! Please keep praying for her. Patricia didn't end up going (have I told you about her yet?) Her brother was hospitalized. Satan works on all ends. Can you pray for her. We really need to visit her this week. We finally finished everything with the move this week. Elder and Hermana Johnson came and helped us fix up our apartments. We now have everything including fun curtains! We all sleep in the same room which is fun. The living room....because who really uses their living room for anything else?

This week we have a special mission conference....I will tell you more about it next week....because I don't really know anything at this point.

 

Did you all call my beautiful Belle and sing her happy birthday? I sure hope so! Happy Birthday Liv! I love you and have been praying for you lots lately! (Hopefully she has recovered by now) Also Emma.....hope her surgery went well too. Could you all stop with the surgery thing? Thanks! Also you can all stop getting sick! How is Dad? Haven't heard about him in a while.....

 

Hermana Williams got really really sick this weekend.....we sleep in the same room and breathe the same air. The only good thing about getting sick is that you get to sleep....but that isn't why I am here....so I am going to avoid getting sick. I gave her some Dayquil....the drugs just aren't as effective here. Hopefully I don't get many more colds. Oh, thanks for the airborne haha. I probably have enough for the rest of my life. JK Marissa, thank you for the chapstick. It is my favorite kind! You are so thoughtful to think of me. I was especially excited about the cards from Jennifer and Mom. I didn't wait Jen haha....but I will read it again tomorrow. Are you all going to wear green? I don't have any......oh well.....I do have my eyes! Oh and I was so excited about the picture of our family too! Now I can put it in my scriptures and when people ask me about my family I can show them the pic. Hna. Stringham always had hers and it was fun. I was jealous haha.....in a not sinful way.

 

Anyway I am down to one minute.....so I must depart. Please take care of my babies. Give them lots of kisses and work hard on that brainwashing ;)

 

My challenge for you all this week is to make sure you do your FHE. It is very important or the prophet wouldn't have told us to do it. Make the time, because your family is the only thing you get to take with you, so you better make it good while you are here.

Miss you all very much! Thank you for the extra prayers this week, I felt them. It helped me a lot. If you could include in your prayers Patricia, Lorena, and Jean (Yahn). P-we need to visit L-is having a little health problem and J-Needs an answer to his prayer if the church is true.

Read and Pray Everyday!

Hermana Makin

PS Hope my rambling makes sense.....