Week 30 - "I'm TRAINING! Yes, the day has come."

February 24, 2014

The Lord stretches us. I can testify firmly and with all the urgency and power of my heart that the Lord stretches you. To lengths you never imagined. And then continues to pull and twist. He molds us in ways that make us better than we knew we could be.

All right. Cambios. We had changes today. And you will never guess where I am. And what I'm doing... I am moving to the other side of the Gran Avenida, La Blanca, into a whitewash. I dunno if all are wise and know what signifies a whitewash, but it is when you take the old missionaries in and place two others in their place. Like starting over. And I'm TRAINING! Yes, the day has come. Presidente asked me in interviews if I felt ready to train. I told him I would, but I feel inadequate. But where I lack, the Lord has promised with my obedience to fill in the spaces and gaps. It feels good and yet almost a dream that I have progressed and I am sufficiently strong that the Lord trusts me to be in charge of another misionery.

Hermana Cook and Hermana Castleton before interviews.

I still haven't left my sector and I'm still comps with Hermana Cook (she's training as well!) until the greenie meeting tomorrow in the tarde. Yesterday I said goodbye to the people and the familias I have been teaching and helping the Lord strengthen. That's when I realized how much the ward has influenced me and I the ward. (I forgot my camera this week, but I'll surely send fotos next week with fotos of my HIJA!) I didn't say everything I had intended or wanted to say, as usual, but I sure felt the Spirit and the love I had for this work and the people I've met because of my mision. I will forever remember the miembros in El Parrón, but it is surely time for a change. A stretch.

Nervous? Yes. Frightened and scared out of my mind? You betcha bottom. But confident in the omnipotency and all powerfulness of God? Absolutely. Today in the meeting of the Cambios, Hermana Cook, wife of Presidente, spoke of a plant that gets too big for the pot. What do you do with the plant? Do you take it very gently from its place, making sure to be delicate with the roots and place it securely into its new pot? NO. You grab it by the stem, close to the roots, yank it out of the soil, shake out the roots, cut a few of them off, then pack the plant back into the pot. I liked this analogy. A lot. Because it relates to our lives as the misionaries of God. We are yanked from the food, customs, schedule, people, and comfort zones we've had our entire lives. Then we come into the field and we dress a certain way, behave a certain way, step from our comfort zones and talk to strangers about the very depths of our souls, and follow a schedule that would make any other sane, non-misionary crazy.

But boy, do we get blessed. I have never seen such a growth of pure hope and love and peace in myself and the abilities God has given me. I feel confident with God's decision to put me in charge of a new misionary. I see and take note of God's hand every day and in the small things.

Young Women in the 

And more importantly, through our changes and betterment, we bless the lives of others. In ways we can't on our own. God knows His children, clearly, and when we trust that through His love, He will show us the way to help themselves most effectively. We are the messangers. We are the hand of God in everything. Depending on our obedience and willingness to follow the Spirit.

For instance, we were walking in the calle Wednesday (that is weird to type in English. Even in my journal I write Miercoles) when we ran into the mamá, Maria, of a menas activa we're teaching, Margarita. She has very much and clearly lost some marbles. She told us when we first talked to her in the calle a month or so before that she was homeless (a sign of her not homelessness was she was clean and very much not homeless appearing) and when she first knew the Church, she was baptized by 50 Elderes or something así. Then we found her living in the house of her daughter, acting like a different person. Anyway, we found her in the calle this week and she stopped us. And

Elder Burhoe

started to conversate with her. Which is never a brilliant idea because she talks. And talks. That is one unchanging thing about Chilenos. They will talk and vent about everything under the sun if you give them a moment to talk. So she started to rant about China, the economy, the color blue, her daughter and whatever crazy things she said. At one point she started to talk about her husband treating her badly and she can't forgive him. I felt the very strong urge to ask if she believed God and Jesucristo can forgive her. She seemed a bit affected by that, but brushed it for a moment and said she didn't care if they did. Then we testified of the power of the Atonement that can be used for forgiveness as well as sins. She was very near tears and then was scared a bit from crying when Hermana Cook tried to hug her. But I can promise that God knows His children. The crazies, the neglected, the negligent, the rebels, the lost causes and the crazy Chilena women in the street. He is always and will always be watching over us, trying to help us make the best decisiones. Blessing us when we do His will and continuing to try to help us repent when we make errors. I know this work is of God. This word, the gospel, everything is true. God is our Father, Jesus Christ is our Savior, Brother and Redeemer and He lives. I testify the progression of the missionary work we are doing is the Lord avanzando His work and His glory. I love Him, He loves you and I love you all!

Have an amazing, smiley, super sassy week! (Dedicated to Hermana Cook)

Hermana Castleton