Dear Family,
Well I am sure missing you all! Summer is starting, and well I am sad about missing bbq´s at Jill's....... Can't believe Alyssa is now eight and getting baptized on Saturday, and that Madilyn is graduating.....now that is just really weird. Welcome to the real world Maddie!
So today we went to Rancagua again.....so that was fun. I am really sick of going on buses. We went so I could visit the ¨back specialist¨. So something different here from the states is that they just ask you to take off your clothes while they are still in the room. I was wearing lots of layers, which was a handy thing today. They there was this man in the street today who was a lot drunk and tried to touch my heart after I gave him a proselyting card (we were waiting for transportation). That was a bit awkward. He also tried to kiss me, but he couldn't reach lol. I actually feel bad for him. He needs some help. He told us he is an alcoholic.
So Joaquin didn't go to church again.....this kid kills me. He is doing a bit better this week. I think it is just a hard transition, and even harder to be the only member in the family. We go over every Wednesday to teach him and help him with his school stuff when we can find a member to accompany us. (Side note his grades have jumped up since we have been doing this.) So we went over and his Mom wanted us to help him with his math (are you laughing yet?) and it was actually something I remembered. So I told him that if he scored 100% on his test I would buy him Nutella. So then he called me a few days letter and he totally did it. I have to buy him Nutella now......which is kind of expensive, but that's okay. We ended up having a bomb.com lesson that night too. We talked about how the gospel blesses families. We compared Jesus Christ and his teachings to Joaquins favorite soccer coach. I asked him if I were to do exactly what the coach asked me to if I could be a good soccer player and he of course said yes. Then we asked if I just sat there and didn't do anything....obviously no. So then we talked about different gospel topics that he has been able to apply and the blessings. So that was awesome. Then we told him he is on Jesus´s team and no one is going to be able to beat him as long as he applies what he knows. His Moms eyes were just burning with the spirit which was awesome. She has had some really challenging moments lately with Ivan and his illness and then her other son Samuel has been really really sick lately. Apparently he doesn't believe in God now......so that's interesting. Anyway it was just awesome. I felt so blessed leaving that lesson. I am praying so hard to receive the revelation necessary to help him feel the spirit and that we would actually be able to visit. Keep praying for this kid please! I just love him to pieces!
We ended up dropping Patricia this week. She doesn't really follow through, and we know there are other people God has ready for us. Someday she will join the church, but just not right now. Also Francisca dropped us.....that was an interesting experience. She still is going to go to mutual and stuff, but doesn't want the lessons......everyone gets to pick as Grandma says.
So a funny thing happened this week. My companion got marked by a dog. I about died. It was so funny.....in a disgusting way.
Also a man informed me in the street (he is an old investigator from the hermanas before us) that he is going to come and visit me when I get done with the mission and then he is going to marry me and take me back to Chile......I about died. I was like.....um no sorry I am not going to give my family up for that long. I just hope I don't get a call from the airport one day.......I just don't know what I would do about that.
So this week at consejo President and Hna Warne bought Papa Johns.....that was the best thing ever! Then to top it off we ate great value ice cream. It was delightful! It is kind of ridiculous how I get so excited about food.
As a parting note, I want to share something that I read this week. I was reading something in the Liahona and it said that President Heber J. Grant prayed that he wouldn't loose his testimony and he asked for help to endure to the end. If a prophet of God prays for that.....none of us should ever take for granted the testimonies that we have. Anyone can fall away. If you are not anxiously engaged in your conversion, you will fall away. Don't ever take anything for granted.
Hermana Makin
