¡Jesús es mi luz!

                                                        January 19, 2015

                     

While helping another hermana on the day of transfers, we took what we thought was our bus...and it didn't have a circular route, so it dropped us off on the other side of Osorno in a little town called Rahue

¡Hola!

So on the BYU thing...I would love it if you could change my enrollment status.  I just think that getting started in the summer would help me to get back used to college before totally taking on a new semester.  Also I think I will have more possibilities for work that way.  I talked to President Obeso and he can't do my ecclesiastical endorsement until you have signed me up for classes.  I'm not exactly sure what classes I want to take yet!  But if you can just sign me up for some, I think that will give me a better chance of getting a spot in the summer term.  I really don't know what level Spanish class I should take, so would you just sign me up for a 100 level Spanish class when the sign-ups come around?  Then when I come home I can call the Spanish department and figure it out.  Also, will you sign me up for a math class called Math 290?  I think that's the one I want to take if I remember right.  It should be something about mathematical proofs.

As far as my release appointment goes...oh, man!  That is gonna be such an emotional day for me!  And for all of us!  Hermana Beecroft still hasn't given me the flight info but she told me that she emailed it to you.  She told me roughly that the flights from Santiago to Atlanta usually leave here around 10 at night Chile time and then get there to Atlanta around 5 or 5:30 in the morning.  I keep trying to figure out in my brain what I want to do on that first day at home and I just can't really fathom what that is going to be like.  I'm just really thankful that my first Sunday at home will be a fast Sunday so I won't have to speak for another week.  But it would probably be better, like you said, for me to rest some before I meet with the stake president.  I don't know how it works to still be a missionary while I'm at home, but I think as long as I'm with you it'll be okay because you can be my companion for the day.  Oh, how weird.  I truly am excited to come home, but I also just feel a deep sadness that this is ending.  I love this mission.  Oh, man.  But anyway, yeah, it will probably be better to do it later in the day if possible.  On that day I want to watch Frozen with you guys, I want to eat American food, and I want to buy new shoes.  But I'll think about it some more and give you more details later on.

This was a GLORIOUS week of missionary work!  We literally had a week full of amazing days.  We found so many new people to teach!  And when I was thinking about what would be the theme of the email this week, I just decided on "Jesús es mi luz" because Jesus is truly the light that we share and reflect!  I don't remember if that has been the theme before, but anyway.  It is the name for "The Lord is My Light" in Spanish, and there are many members here in this ward who LOVE the song and always want to sing it when we visit.  :)

On Monday we taught Hermana Obeso some more English.

Then on Tuesday we found a new investigator, PXXX.  Her mother recently died, so we talked about the Plan of Salvation, and she really understood, and felt the Spirit.  It was beautiful.

On Wednesday, we had to help out another hermana with some errands she needed to do in Osorno before she got transferred to her new area.  She stopped in Osorno between her two areas, so she needed a lot of help.  We did her whole visa process with her, and then helped her organize her suitcases and her ticket to get to her new area.  It was exhausting.  And we took the wrong bus.  So I sent pictures...  We learned a lot of patience, and also thanked Heavenly Father for putting us in her path so that we could help her.

being silly on the bus and after 

On Thursday, we taught an investigator, BXXX, about the Book of Mormon partially in English and partially in Spanish.  We're still not positive is she is interested in the message or only in the English, but it was fun.  Then we found a new investigator, our neighbor, Karen.  She lives with a less active member of the Church, so her kids know a lot about Primary and everything through their grandparents.  They seemed really interested!  We're hoping the gospel will bless them to change their lives for the better!  Then we taught another lesson.  It was an incredible day.

On Friday, we had a SUPER Family Home Evening with JXXX, GXXX, and their 5 kids!  We had been planning for it throughout the week, and everything turned out.  Hermana Brown made a little Plan of Salvation diagram that we taught the lesson with, and the bishop, the ward mission leader, and his wife helped us to answer our investigators' questions.  They felt a lot more comfortable with the Church because they could see normal Chilean Mormons.  We played a game and had snacks after...and they all got so into talking to each other that we left them talking with the members!  (I love it when they feel that comfortable!)  On that same day we also taught another neighbor who seems interested.

Then on Saturday night, we saw a family stacking their firewood into their shed and offered to help them.  They seemed skeptical at first.  But they took us up on it, so we ran home, changed clothes, and came back to help.  After we helped, we shared a little bit with them about our Church and they accepted a pamphlet and a return visit!  It was amazing!

On Sunday, JXXX, GXXX, and the kids all came to church, and another less active we visited also came.  YAY!  We also taught a lesson about family history to a less active lady, and the Spirit there was so incredible.  I have such a huge testimony and love for family history.  When I come home I want to get busy on that!

So what is the common theme between all of these stories?  The reason that we do it all is because we love our Savior and we know that His light will bless the people of Osorno, Chile.  We do it because He has taught us to love more as He loves...and we truly do.  I love this ward.  I love these people.  I love Chile!  There could not be a better summer to share the gospel.

I love you all so so so much!  I hope that you really have enjoyed your day off from school!  I hope that you all can search for the ways that the Lord is your light every single day.

Love always, Hermana Latham

P.S. if you haven't yet, read Sister Neill F. Marriott's talk.  It read it today and it is so AMAZING!  It is about sharing our light, which is just what I have been thinking about throughout the week.  Here's the link to Sis. Marriott's talk:  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/sharing-your-light?lang=eng&cid=email-shared