¡Hola!
For the entire time that we were together, Hermana Bernel's theme was this quote, "Cuando llegue el momento de actuar, el tiempo de preparación habrá terminado." "When the time to act comes, the time to prepare will have ended." I didn't pay much attention to the quote.
Until President Obeso called us on Friday night and told us about the emergency transfer he needed us to make the next day. Hermana Bernel needed to leave and I was going to be companions with an hermana who got here three weeks ago. He needed me to be a trainer. So, the title of this email is "llegó el momento." The moment came.
It was crazy! President Obeso told me that he had felt he would need my help with something next transfer, but it turned out that he needed my help right now. I am so grateful that I had those three weeks to be companions with Hermana Bernel. I think she has been my favorite companion. What a blessing to be able to serve with her! I was so sad to say goodbye! I miss her a lot. But I learned so much from her pure charity for this branch, for the Lord, and for me. The hermana who was training my new companion was really struggling. She is ending her mission and I think she just needs a companion who can really love her. And my new companion needs someone who can help her to learn and be excited to be a missionary. So we were the rescue team.
My last few days with Hermana Bernel were so great! It has been so SUNNY and GORGEOUS and we just loved the sweet spring air! I think that these past three weeks have been the happiest ones of my mission. We had some glorious missionary experiences searching for new investigators and striving to help our other investigators progress. On our last night together we went to a wedding for our branch mission leader and his new wife. It was such a happy way for Hermana Bernel to leave the area.
I felt kind of scared to train since I have only been in this area for three weeks. But I feel so strong and I know that the Lord will help me to teach her the things she needs to know, and when I prayed, I felt so surely that this is His work, and His vineyard, and He will help us to be what He needs here. My new companion's name is Hermana Wadsworth and she is from Utah. She is really excited to learn more Spanish and to learn everything there is to know to be a good missionary. We have only been together for two days, but I have really enjoyed doing the extra study with her from Preach My Gospel. It helps me to learn how I can be a better missionary, and helps me also to recognize how much I have learned and experienced in this year I've been in Chile. This will be a really great challenge and I know that the Lord will be with us as we learn together. So far she has been really patient with me...today I got lost trying to lead us around in the center of town where we go to write and buy stuff. Sometimes the Lord builds us up and then surprises us with a new challenge...but I know that hard things are worth it, and that Hermana Bernel and I both have new and wonderful opportunities to serve.
I LOVED General Conference! It was crazy for me to think that it was my last conference as a missionary. I always put stars next to the really great talks that I want to print and study, and I put stars next to so many talks. I think that as a missionary the talks are even better. If it is possible to pick a favorite talk, I think it was probably Richard G. Scott's talk. I LOVED his talk so much. I know that we need to seek Christ in our lives to find strength. Of all the quotes you sent me, my favorite one was about "the three things that she learned in hard times." It is so true that in the hardest times we learn that Jesus is much closer than we realize. I feel so much His love for me, and His understanding of who I am. He knows each and every one of us and He is there, always.
Benjamin is so huge! I can't believe it! Where is the fall picture? I can't think of anything else for Christmas. After Christmas I will have only 2 months left, so like you said, it will be more weight in my suitcase. A new outfit would be nice. And I thought of another thing, I will email Abby later about it...I want to ask for a flash drive with Christmas music on it. I have a speaker to play music from flash drives. The caramel sauce from last week...it is called manjar (mahn-HAR). Here they put it on bread or soda crackers or fried bread at "once." It's kind of like Chilean peanut butter.
I love you and hope that you are having a great week!
Love always, Hermana Latham
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