Light of the Gospel

All I can say is you guys are the best for not being trunky  :D  I’m so focused still, and I owe a lot of that to you all :D

 I loved every second of conference it was so interesting, all of the theme they had going of the light of the gospel, it was like, just hold on, have faith, get close to Christ, everything’ll be ok :D 

Between conferences my comp and I picked chestnuts behind the stake center :D it was fun :D they look like Dr. Seuss balls :D

 Romina decided I needed to have Latina hair and she wanted my gringa hair ha-ha

 

 

 We watched almost every session in English.... my companion is amazing ha-ha.  She understood everyone except the Australian, that was a new accent for her.

We went to papa johns for my last pday :D I bought a cinnamon bread thingy :D so good.

 I’ve been lying to the members cause they want me to come say bye and I’m like oh I’m not leaving yet,( I’ll say bye during church):D ha-ha so I’ve got a full schedule planned this week I’m so excited :D

Barley Escaping Rainy Season

Well, all of the baptismal possibilities fell through but we found a new lady who’s getting baptized on the 15th :P she’s cool though, Brandina. We are also teaching a mom and her twelve year old twins. Maritza, Eduardo and Benja. They live in an old church ;D it’s cool. They are evangelical.... I don’t know what it’s called in English... I think dad calls them holy rollers?? Maritza doesn’t think her baptism was valid so she’s super cool :D Then we have Marcelo.... he..... I’ll explain him in a couple weeks mejor :D Angelika but she went off to Santiago for 2 weeks sooo..... bueno.... ha-ha, but we’ve found several really cool new investigators :D so there’ll be probs 7 baptisms in the weeks after I leave, but the fact I’m barely escaping rain season here makes up for it :D
We had a zone attack in Vilcun yesterday these pictures are all from that (I never did get these pictures) :D the tiny Latina is Hna Silva she’s my buddy :D  The elders in Vilcun love cooking so they made a couple hundred cookies and put cute wrappings on them and we went out and contacted with cookies :D the peoples were happy :D  I hope things go better for them there now ha-ha pobrecitos.
Today we had a dodgeball tournament and it was great, no one could get me out but I couldn’t get many out either so I was almost always the last one in dodging forever, no mas ha-ha now my legs are burning from ups and down so many squat type movements  ha-ha :D I’m in better shape than when I left, just not much up down movement in the mission.

 
Below we have Fundo El Carmen, we did a whitewash of sectors and companions all mixed up so ended up with Hna Clark in Fundo El Carmen for the day. We found 7 new investigators and a million futuros. It was awesome. Fundo was Hna Ricagno’s first sector so I have officially worked in every sector Hna Ricagno was in. :D

 

This pic is me on the ground when we got back to the house last week after writing u guys... my comp threw the blanket on me and I stayed for a good hour. Drop dead tired. Then I moved to my bed. But today I have to start packing my suitcase because I’m not going to have time next week, or the mental power. Kind of scared not going to lie. I am so excited to see everyone. :D

 

 The Sunday after conference is fast Sunday for us, I still have one left ;) Saturday session starts at 1, but we watched the women’s broadcast Saturday morning at 11:30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Zone Conference

 Least fun thing of the week was fixing my legality ... when I was in Victoria, I registered for my second visa and ordered a second carnet ID thingy, when I went to pick it up here in Temuco... they hadn’t done any of it and 3 days later and they would have had to put me in the slammer for being illegal!!!!! Luckily the lady in the Chilean version of FBI is my buddy and she helped me out :D I’ve known her for a while. I’ve been in Temuco a looong time :D  Yesterday, the 10 year old son of a member who has only sisters, found out I have thrown axes, love archery, and ride horses, he was literally on his knees begging me to teach him ha-ha :D

This week we had a zone conference and they had CHILI FOR LUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I almost died of happiness Hna May is the best! :D 

 

The conference was amazing I received a note from Hna Goulding, telling me I’m a abuelita cause she is training a Utah girl :D  I learned a lot about family history work, and missionary work in the conference cause we are now as a mission challenging people to be baptized and to go to the temple to be baptized for an ancestor 2 weeks after :D it’s so sweet :D 
  I was listening to the conference happily, soaking it all in and all, when I hear Elder Haymore announcing that we will be hearing the final testimonies of HNA NELSON, Elder Carroll, Elder Noyce and Elder someone.  I almost fell off my chair, I literally gasped I was so shocked.  I was sitting by Pres May and he was laughing at me, motioning that it was time to stand up and I was dying cause we had just finished singing the last song we sang as a choir in the CCM, and it was all emotional.... yikes.  Hna Aros said I was super pail when I got up there, Elder Putnam was laughing at me too. Then I opened my mouth and started talking and everyone was bawling, even the elder’s ha-ha: D VICTORY!  I guess it's official, I’m coming home. 

 I've got to keep going to because the last moment might make a difference in someone’s life for forever. President May sends me stay strong messages every week ha-ha: D 

I still have yet to feel an earthquake :/

Hna Lezcano my comp that was never my comp, and we never even had an intercambio :D

 

                  A pic I found on my camera after the conference

 

 The new Canadian and I :D Hna Steed who crazily enough is from Magrath :D 

 

 On the way to a service project selfie :D

 

 

 I found a four leaf clover on St Patrick ’s Day and a five leafed clover yesterday so I’m soo lucky :D I love it :D 

 

 

 

Love amazing Shaylee

 

 

I Don't Want to be an Awkward RM!

All the missionaries I live with are jealous of my ward buddies :D (Seriously I get so many packages from so many of them)  I miss you guys so much, yet it was so weird to see my flight plans, that’s a ten hour flight!!!!!! In one!!!!!!!!!!! No thank you I’m staying here!!!!!!!! 

This week was fun we had interviews with Pres May as you saw from the cookie pic :D He told me that we are going to ignore the fact I’m leaving, which I totally prefer, and told me to be like Dumbledore, any trunky thoughts or stuff people tell me, pull it out like a memory and stick it in the flask thingy :D everything in the mission relates to Harry Potter :D wisdom from my training. :D 

My feet are killing me, and as wonderful as sitting down for a couple weeks sounds, good luck! you’ll have to tie me down ha-ha.  I’m kind of hyperactive now..... extremely.... pero bueno :D 

I am stoked to speak all in Spanish to you :D it’s the language that requires menos thought on my part right now :D  I will probably be like a Ricky Ricardo. Excitement=Spanish.  Ha-ha 
 

This pic I totally snapped it of Angelika ( investigator) and Herminia (convert) while they were singing during F.H.E. and they didn't even notice :D I’m so ninja :D

 

                                                                   Hna Aros

 

                                                                          Lunch

 

                                                          Romina & Hna Aros

We found a new investigator who has been to the church once before and she is super ready to be baptized :D  I just have to fill the font looks like :D and another family too :D  I’m so excited, I love it when people want what we have. Reminds me why it’s all worth it :D   Oh, also I DON'T WANNA BE AN AWKWARD RM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously yawl got to help me out when I get there, maybe some normalcy classes or something from Mataya..... Wait.... ;)  I’m so happy right now at this point in my mission.  I was panicking cause everything is going too fast, but Hna Ricagno sent me a timely letter about how to savour the end of the mission, so I’m calmer now ha-ha :D gotta enjoy it like a chocolate cake ha-ha, slowly and committedly :D 

Love amazing Shaylee

One Fast Sunday Left!

We had a good week and a weird one :D  We found a few people crying in the park, a few creepy menos activos (inactives) to avoid, yuck, and a really, reaally old lady who just wants to be happy :D so that’s cool, and a new investigadora with a sister who’s a Mormon :D good stuff :D 

The new girl in the house, Hna Nielsen is a lot of fun.

 

 I can’t believe how big Evelette is. :D 

 If you could send me marriage quotes from church leaders, or wedding dress pics that are tiny that'd be great :D I’m doing Hna Poyfair’s trunky agenda as revenge. It’s so awkward when I pull out my agenda and it falls open to one of the many pics of men. Ha-ha. So I’m making her one.  

Sorry I can’t write much I got twelve million letters. You’d think I’ll be home soon or something ;) I’m super excited ha-ha 1 fast Sunday left ;) 

Love amazing Shaylee

This is of a random lady, she may or may not call you to tell you I’m doing well??? She was a little different, but kind of forced us to pass our parents phone numbers... oops :D Her kids are Mormons so she had good intentions. She said when her grandson is out on his mission she hopes someone calls her. :)

 
The treat is a rat made out a very yummy trufa (Truffle, I think) stuff : D
 She says it was raining, that's why she looks like a drowned rat. lol!

 

After fasting all day

 

PS We walked so much this week!!!!! My feet are like the Flintstones :D My toe is purplish, but it still is attached and that’s the important part :D

 

"People die in bed and so does ambition."

Joseph Fielding Smith

 

                                       

 

Conference With Elder Allen Packer

This week Elder Allan Packer, Boyd K. Packer’s son, came to visit and changed everything!!!!! We now will challenge people to baptism assuming the sale and simply saying, two weeks after your baptism (the 5 of march) will you go to the temple and be baptized for one of your ancestors? That’s just one of the changes!!!! I’m so excited for all the changes and grateful I’ve been in the mission for so many of them, also a little wishing I could be here when the new preach my gospel comes out.... lucky Riley :D  After the conference, I said the closing prayer and got to talk to Elder Packer a little bit.  Hna Poyfair told me at the conference she is going to be a Hermana capacitadora in the north part of the mission!!! Woohoo!!! Then she gave me my trunky agenda...... it’s full of guys and marriage quotes ha-ha the crazy girl!  It was a shock to have in my hand honestly.... this is the last 6 weeks. 😯😭😄💃😰😴I’m so tired ha-ha :D 

Ummm.... I had to say bye to Hna Poyfair it was really said, but she says she’s coming to my wedding so, Bueno. Ha-ha well see when that happens ;) 

 

 

 My comp and I went to the mall and got subway and frozen yogurt today :D We went to go exchange a pair of shoes Hna Aros parents sent her, but that store doesn’t exist here so.... several hours wasted but the yogurt was good :D 

 

I’ve been teaching a English class, probably shouldn’t be teaching anyone about English but they think I still speak good so everyone’s happy :D

 

                         This is my best student Hno Masson ha-ha.

 

 

 

 I received a package for Christmas from Sister Reeder  :D I love the thingy’s she sent me they're so cute! So send a big hug for her :D

 

 

 

 Oooh, Hno Masson had to come to our apartment and cast out an evil spirit so that was fun :D  We’re fine no worries :D Nothing weirds happened since then. 

We’ve taken to exercising on the playground under our apartment building. we’ve got swings, teeter totter, jungle gym and slide :D it’s so fun ha-ha :D

 

 

 They called us Saturday night with the cambios and Hna Lange is off to Las Angeles, Hna Clark stays and Hna Neilson is coming, I am also staying with Hna Aros :D So my last cambio, there was no cambio for me and I’m ready to work. 

Teaching and preaching goes good :D we’ve got some really cool families were teaching, and my fave members are helping us a lot : D Pablo and Fernanda :D yesterday we had lunch with them and Fernanda and I realized we were born in get same year so that was cool :D That pool outside our apartment building is the most torturous thing in the world. Right outside our windows. All of them.... and it’s so blazing hot all the time and there’s this pool.... so mean ha-ha: D 

For help with my relief society lesson I asked Shay when she has felt the Savior with her during her mission. This was her quick response:                                                        

In the CCM (MTC) He definitely carried me remember when I was in the classes from rs dying, sad, feeling trapped and with my hard comp.  I felt Him lift me and help me in everything I did. Every day when I can’t walk anymore with my dislocated foot, I pray and he carries me and helps to me to walk with speed and get where we need to go, even if it’s to a bench for a five min break ;) He has been protecting me from danger, every minute of my Chilean life ha-ha :D 

 

 

 

Herminie and Roberto

The 18th one of our investigators drank coffee, so we had to postpone baptism. But we had two other baptisms this week :D Herminie was baptized and so was Roberto :D it was really awesome :D

This morning our zone watched “Ephraim’s Rescue” and it was so crazy! I got so mad when the one chicky dies it was like nooooooooooooo!!!It’s been way to long since I’ve watched a movie besides the restoration, or the testaments. It was so funny because there’s a part where a couple kisses and its was 20 missionaries of their own free will covering their own eyes ha-ha! You could just here a gasp and a no! I just balled thinking of how much Riley loves that movie, the main character reminded me of him. The mom of the other dude Thomas reminded me of you, mom.

 Yesterday we finally found new people to teach, we heard a panicky thing happening and found a ladder against the bars around someone’s house, a little girl on the ladder and a mom and her kids trying to coax the child off the ladder. She, the kid had been left home alone, and decided to go water the plants. She’s six and didn’t think to bring the keys out with her, the door shut, and she got locked out of the house. When the neighbor got home her kids told her the little girl had been there for hours waiting for her parents to get home. So we helped rescue her :D It was fun. We have an appointment to go back soon :D The girls name is Ximena :D We also got into another house because I said we wanted to play a game of genius with them :D then I pulled out my nail and pop bottle game, it was so fun :D The family is cool, and the parents are married!!!

I’m just really wanting to use every precious second I have as a missionary to the fullest. I feel so useless sometimes, nothing that we do makes any difference if the lord wants it to happen it happens and if no, there we are waiting. But I know that everything happens for a reason and I am grateful to have been able to help so many people come closer to Christ already. I hope I can do more and help people repent. They really need it. I’m excited to be home and with you guys again. I’ll be there in seven weeks :D

Love amazing Shaylee

 

Shaylee sent pictures, but they were some strange file that won't load :(