What a WACKY Week! Oct. 28, 2013

Hola!

     So I`m pretty sure this will probably be the strangest week of my mission! To sum it all up, we got to live in the Pulsiphers (Best senior couple) super nice apartment for a week and then had an emergency transfer to open up a sector one week before real transfers. 

     I`m not going to give any details, I`ll do that after the mission, but basically the area where we were was pretty dangerous and we had to get out of our house as soon as possible. We live with two other Hermanas as well and so all 4 of us had no where to live but with the Pulsiphers. I have no complaints though whatsoever because it felt like we were living in America again and Hna Pulsipher is an amazing cook!! Everything is fine though with all of us and we are all perfectly safe, but they took us out of our house just in case anything more happened. 

      We all 4 got transferred yesterday and luckily I still have Hna Lovell as my companion! We are actually opening up a sector and are now in an area called Santa Sabina, which is apparently the richest area of the mission and is right in Concepcion. We got to our new house last night where Elders used to live and boy does it smell... we have some serious cleaning to do. We are pretty excited to work here though and the sector is HUGE! We are about 75% sure that next week they will probably split us up and put in two more Hermanas in the ward with us, but we`ll see.

      It was pretty difficult to leave my first sector though! We had 4 baptisms lined up within the next two weeks with people we have been working with for a while and I`m pretty bummed I won`t be there to see them, but the most important thing is that they continue forward. I am so excited especially for Mariana who has finally given up her addiction and is so excited for her baptism this Friday. She is sooo cool and she has so many friends in the church so I have no doubt she will be a strong member. (Picture below is of her and the necklace that she made me!) Julia and her two kids Triana and Jose Miguel are in the other picture and they are rock stars. The father Jose Miguel is also excited for his baptism as well, but he works in Northern Chile so he`s not in the picture. Please pray for them though, especially since we won`t be there to help them! 

        Sometimes I don`t understand why things happen and why we had to leave Chillan, but I have faith that God has a plan for everything. We were just about to see the fruits of our labors and then everything was changed. This week I learned that even though I may have a plan for what I want to happen, which may be good, Heavenly Father has something else in store for me. When we submit our will to His, he can sculpt us into much more than we could become on our own. 

      I hope all is well this week with everyone at home and that you enjoy Halloween! Thanks for all the pictures and letters that I absolutely love! Remember to always let Heavenly Father direct your paths. Come what may and love it, because why would you do anything else? I love you all soooo much! 

      

      Hermana Romney 

P.S. I just realized I forgot my camera cord oops...so I`ll include the pictures next week!   

Sharing is Caring- Oct. 21, 2013

Hola!

 

So first off I just want to say congratulations to Blake and Erika on their new baby boy, Greyson! I am so excited to meet him after the mission and can't believe I now have 6 nieces and nephews. However, my companion is the youngest of 9 kids and has 22 nieces and nephews already, so siblings pick up the pace... haha no just kidding, but I am so excited for you two!!

Everything is still going well here in Chillan Viejo. It's really interesting because the whole focus of our mission is changing and I think it's changing all around the world too. There is so much more of an emphasis on members who are less active and recent converts to make sure that there is a real growth in the church. That people don't just get baptized and then go inactive super fast. There is a huge stress right now to work with members and how we as missionaries are there to aid the members in their missionary work. Those of you at home, it is your responsibility to share the gospel with others. It shouldn't be something that is a pain, but rather an act of love to your friends and family. Let them know that you care about them and that you want them to feel the same happiness that you do in your life. It's the simple and small things that make the difference in the end. Don't miss out on opportunities to invite others to come unto Christ. Looking back on my life before the mission makes me realize how many opportunities I had to share the gospel and didn't. I have now committed to always be a missionary when I get back and not miss out on those opportunities!

So sadly Mariana fell again and so we will have to wait a while for her baptism, but we have faith and so does she that she will be able to get through this. She has had such a great change so far though and I LOVE seeing the change that the gospel can make.

Okay so not much time today, but PLEASE share the gospel with your loved ones. I love you all so much at home and keep sending pictures! Keep true to the faith.

 

 

love,

Hermana Romney

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PS - so that one picture of the horse is right next to our house. We live out in the campo and I love it!
 

The Lord's Work- Oct. 14, 2013

Hola todos!

I hope everyone has been doing lovely and enjoying life. There really are so many great things to be enjoyed during our time here on earth! This week I really tried to enjoy the little things in life that make us happy and what a difference it makes.

So this past Monday we were in one of our usual areas just contacting when out of nowhere, I turn around and see this dog coming full sprint out of his gate right at me. It was about to jump up at me when I took off the other direction not knowing what to do but to run! It was a big black dog and the only thing going through my mind was that I did not want it to bite me because then I would have to go through a series of shots to make sure it didn`t pass on any disease. So... "I RAN FOR MY LIFE" (Sweet Brown black woman voice - Youtube it), screaming as I sprinted about half a block!! I tried to kick my feet up behind me hoping to scare him away. Finally I guess he gave up or something because he stopped after a while. However, the neighbors started poking their heads out of their windows probably wondering why there is a 6 ft gringa (white girl) sprinting and screaming down their block...oh well maybe it will give us more publicity? Hahaha well we actually don`t need more of that, but lets just say I was a little freaked out and maybe carried around a rock in my hand for a good while after just in case...

The rest of this week was pretty good though! I definitely learned a lot about humility and that this is no doubt the church of Jesus Christ. Everything works out so much better when we are guided by the Spirit and are humble enough to admit that the Lord knows better than us. We had a lesson with member this week where my companion and I barely even said a word. The member and Mariana (our investigator) just talked together all about her conversion and it was EXACTLY what Mariana needed! Mariana has been dealing with an addiction but has been clean for more than a week!!!! Super pumped for her baptism this Friday! Anyways, the member had never even met Mariana before, but it was such a testament that this is the Lord`s work. We are only the instruments in his hands and have to be humble enough to not do what we think is correct or maybe what we had planned, but instead what the Spirit is telling us.

Well I hope all is well with everyone! Happy Birthday Erika and Sister Asay and Happy Anniversary Brandon and Brittani (thanks for the letter too!!!)! Thanks Mom for the package and all of the wonderful letters in it!!! I love you all so much and don`t be afraid to do what is right and follow the spirit.

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Romney

Pictures:

1) At our ward "Show de Talentos" with completos!! Our ward mission leader wanted to take a picture of me with them....maybe for publicity to sell more?? Still unclear on that one haha

2) Having to leave notes and homework for investigators in front of their door through the gate while trying to throw rocks on the papers so they don`t fly away.

Conference- Oct. 7, 2013

Hello everyone!

    Wasn`t conference just incredible? It really is such a privilege that we have to be able to know what exactly it is that God wants us to hear. That was one of the amazing things that we got to share with contacts this week is that we have a prophet and 12 apostles today just like in Christ`s time. I´m not sure if anyone else noticed, but they sure talked A LOT about missionary work and getting the members to work with their ward missionaries. So if you haven`t done so recently, please take Brother Nielson`s advice and go help your ward missionaries, they will appreciate it so much and especially if you invite some of your friends over for a Family Home Evening with them. If you are already helping them out, then keep up the good work! I now realize the importance of it and am committed to help the missionaries wayyy more when I get back!

     All of the talks were just fantastic!! This was the most enjoyable session of conference I have had yet! I really enjoyed Elder Vinson`s talk during theSunday afternoon session all about how the Lord wants us to build the Faith to turn to him during our trials to know how to solve them. That`s why He allows bad things happen to us. As a 19 year old girl, I know that I do not have much power, if I did not have the help of my Heavenly Father, this work would be impossible. But when we combine forces with God, we will be so much more effective and have more power than we could ever imagine. I like to think of it as a wind current - Heavenly Father has his current full of righteousness blowing in one direction and when we are disobedient and try and go against it, then we won`t have as much power. But when our current and God`s current are moving in the exact same direction, then we will be infinitely stronger and do things we never thought possible. 

        This week was a good one though. It was kinda crazy too since we had to take a random trip to the center of Concepcion to have my companion tested for Tuberculosis. It`s not dangerous to me at all, but there is an Hermana who has active Tuberculosis and has to be isolated for about 4 weeks....that would be horrible as a missionary, I feel so bad for her! My comp lived with her for a while before and had to get tested for it just to make sure, but no one here has the test so I think she will get it next week or something. I really don`t think there is any risk that she has it, but at least we got Dominos pizza (best thing ever here!!)  when we had to go to Concepcion! So that was crazy, but otherwise all is well! 

    Seems like everything is great at home! Awesome that all of my nieces and nephews were able to go to Disney World! Send some pictures! Mom and Dad enjoy your cruise this next week with Mumphy and Pops, send them my love! You all are so great and keep the faith! Love you tons. 

   Hermana Romney 

P.S. the picture is of our sweet ghetto curtains that we made out of a poncho and a sheet in our new house since we don`t have any that aren`t transparent...  

the other is "our" dogs that follow us around frequently named Rosy and Roldi.... BTW the dogs here are CRAZYY and are everywhere! They will bark so loud out and just about give me a heart attack when it`s late at night and we can`t see anything....

First Baptism- Sept 30, 2013

Buenos Dias!

  Yet another great week here in Chile.! This week was a bit crazy too since we had to change houses, but we got some good brothers in the ward to help us and we got everything moved and unpacked in less than an hour and a half. In our new house we can at least shower with two hands! No more holding up the hose thing over our heads the whole time! 

   We had another mini-cambio this week, but this time I stayed in our sector and Hna Lovell went to the other one. I was just a tad nervous about only being in the area for 3 weeks and then trying to show my companion around for the day (Hna Canari from Peru) ... However it went really well and I knew way more than I thought I did! We had a great day with a Family Home Evening (picture included) and I actually liked being in charge a little bit for once, but I know I still have lots to learn. 

    

     This Sunday we had the best family come to church all together, even the dad! The mom and her 3 kids have come before, but this time the dad came too! We went and made french toast for them at their house as a little bit of an incentive for the dad to come and it worked! They all really enjoyed church and the mom, dad, and 2 kids who are old enough to be baptized have a date in October. The only problem is that the dad works out of town for 15 days at a time (like most dads here) so that´s kinda a bummer, but they are awesome! 

   Highlight of the week was definitely Francisco´s baptism! So about two hours before the baptism Hna Lovell and I went to the chapel to make sure the Elders had turned on the font and everything was going good. Well of course we go and there is barely any water and it is ice cold. The font takes about 3 hours to fill up to a comfortable height with warm water and so we were freaking out just a little bit. We tried to turn on the warm water, but it wasn´t really coming out so our last option was to go to the kitchen and boil water there and take buckets full of hot water into the font... Haha did about 15 trips until we realized that it was going to take forever (picture included) The bishop said he would be over soon, but in Chilean terms that means in about an hour...so Hna Lovell and I did the only other thing we knew how to do which was pray. We knelt down there and left it in the hands of God. The font was filling up some, but it was freezing cold water. We told Francisco right as he was about to go in that we were so sorry but that the water was freezing. The baptism still went on and it was one of the most incredible things I have seen here yet. He bore his testimony afterwards of how he knew God was happy with him and that he was going to keep moving forwards and going to church every Sunday. He´s such a good kid and it´s incredible to see him changing his life for the better. The service went so well and we even had about 40-50 members show up to support him! MILAGRO #1!! Then Hna Lovell and I went to clean the font afterwards and the water was warm! MILAGRO #2! Scientifically it makes no sense in my mind, but it was warm! Even Francisco afterwards said it felt really warm to him. It just strengthened my testimony even more that this is God´s work. We as missionaries are just here to help guide people to the right path and incapacitate them so that they can receive their own answers and God can perform miracles. 

  My testimony of prayer has been strengthened soooo much while here on the mission. I have prayed more than I ever have before in my life and with more of a true intent than ever before. I have no doubt in my mind that God answers our prayers and performs miracles everyday. 

   I am more pumped than I ever have been before about conference this weekend! We are trying to get as many people as we can to come to hear from our living prophet and apostles. We have been telling them all to come to conference with at least one question in mind that they want answered and I challenge you all to do the same. It is one of the greatest blessings that we have a prophet today that can lead and guide us back to our Heavenly Father. Well I love you all so much and keep updating me on everything! 

Hermana Romney 

Miracles after Trials- Sept 23, 2013

Chellooo!

Wow what a week! I haven´t even been here in Chile for quite 3 weeks yet, but it feels like I´ve been here for about 3 months now. Time is one of the weirdest concepts out here. This week literally flew by and it was incredible. I continue to learn so much and my companion (Hna Lovell) is incredible. There were transfers this week and I was freaking out a little bit because my comp has already been in this area for 4 months and so either she would leave now or stay here until she finishes, which isn´t until Dec. 2. Also one of the senior couples in the office thought she was in a different area than she is now a day before the transfer, so I was definitely worried. Hna Lovell just kept telling me not to worry and that I already know everything and could totally train right now if I had to. I don´t quite believe that, but luckily for me everything is still the same and we made a bunch of goals to hit the ground running this transfer!

Sadly the baptism didn´t go through this Friday with Francisco... on Chile Independence day he got pressured into drinking. Both of his parents get drunk on a regular basis and occasionally has to take care of them and he is trying his best not to follow their path. He told us he really regrets it and that is the miracle of repentance. He is still super solid and will get baptized this Friday instead! We have 2 other families working up towards baptism as well and they are just awesome! We have been focusing on working with members more this week and that has made all the difference. I have felt the presence of the spirit so strong every day here and I just love it!

This Thursday we went back to the new area that we haven´t really worked in before and now I see why. It was freezing cold and pouring rain almost the whole day and no one would let us into their house for 3 hours. We contacted so much that day and it wasn´t very pleasant. We had crazy dogs follwing us, an old man yelling at us, trucks splashing water on us, and some not so friendly people. I would like to think that most people would let two young girls in their house if they saw that they were standing in the cold rain, but nope. I realized that the name tag makes all the difference, we aren´t two young girls, we are missionaries and missionaries mean commitment and most Chileans don´t like commitment. Oh well! That´s life and we made the best out of it. We were laughing just about the whole day since it was just ridiculous and we made it fun still. It really is just about the attitude that you have towards the situation. Anyways, we finally were able to teach two lessons that night, but we got home and were exhausted. We knew something had to change. 

That´s when we knew we had to work with members more. I guess we just had to go through that long day in order to learn that. It really strengthened my testimony that after we are patient in enduring our trials, we receive miracles. We then went out with a young girl in the ward and find a young family who is just so ready for the gospel. They were old investigators of some Elders and I´m not quite sure what happened, but their extended family didn´t like the Elders or something. Anyways, I guess they just needed more loving Hermanas to be able to work with them :) The wife has been searching for a religion that would fill her up inside, since she has not felt anything at the other churches. Well, that is exactly what we have! We have the gospel of Jesus Christ restored in perfection. I just love it so much. We also got some great references from the girl and we plan on doing that with each one of the youth in the ward who has gone out with previous missionaries and showing us their old investigators.

Heavenly Father has blessed me so much! I compare my life to those of the people here and wonder how I ever got so lucky. I have an incredible family and parents, not to mention never having to worry if there was going to be food on our table at home and so much more. I can´t help wondering if it´s because I am not nearly as strong as the people here or if I just got lucky or it´s blessings from obedience. I have no idea, but I do know that I admire the people here so much for their strength.

I have seen so many tender mercies this week, including a collectivo driver that now takes us to our house for free when we need, a beautiful rainbow after all the rain, and so much more. When we endure our trails and continue to be obedient, I know we will be blessed. We have been sent to this earth to learn and to grown and we can´t do that without trials. I love being a missionary everyday and wouldn´t give up this time here for anything. Sounds like everyone is doing great back at home and I love you all sooo much! Continue to update me on your lives and what´s going on!

Hermana Romney 

Attached is a photo with one of our investigators at the big Independence Day party they had the the church that started at 10 am until 11 pm! Latins know how to party.

Week 2! - Sep 16, 2013

Familia! 

    Wow this week went by so much faster than last week. I think I am finally getting the whole missionary life style down and I´m getting used to all the walking. My comp and I are in the city of Chillán Viejo in the ward Copihues. The ward is pretty great and everyone is pretty willing to help us since we have a goal of reaching assistance of 100 members by the end of this year and then we can get our own ward building that is closer to the people. My companion and I live with 2 other sisters in their area and so we have about a 15 min walk just to get to our area and then we still have to walk about 20 min or more to get to our appointments and what not. We take the micro (bus) or a collectivo (a car that goes the same route as the bus) sometimes, but it´s mainly just speed walking all day! Emotionally I am exhausted, but I love it at the same time. I just love all of these people sooo much and I want them to have the blessings of the gospel in their lives right now!

    So the food here is actually quite good. We eat pan like there is no tomorrow haha, although the bread is so good. I never really liked to eat just bread until now, Chileans know what´s good in the bread factory.  Churascos are the best. They are basically just mexican tortas with avocado and all. Dad, I have not gotten up the courage to eat a completo yet. They are just hot dogs smothered in mayonesa and what not, but I´m sure I´ll eat one soon.We eat lots of potatoes and chicken, but overall everything is pretty good. After every lunch that the members give us I wonder how in the world I got all that food down...haha. They give us so much! I guess it´s alright though because we don´t eat dinner at all. We have lunch at 1:30 and then we have language study after till 4 and then we are out all day until 10 pm when we come back. The missionary schedule here is changed. We get up at 7:30 am and then go to bed at 11:30, which is totally fine by me! 

    Sunday at church was great! We had 8 investigators there! It was a miracle and simply amazing. A mom, Julia, told us afterwards that she felt so welcome and warm being in church and she´ll for sure be back. She and two of her kids now have baptismal dates! 

    Francisco is getting baptized this Friday!!! He´s a stud and told us all in gospel doctrine class this week that he has no doubt that the church is true. He´s pretty gangster and is 19, but he´s awesome. Mariana sadly didn´t get baptized this week because she has some things in her past she needs to clear up, but she is still solid! 

    On Wednesday I got to do a mini cambio to the little town of Coihueco! (Pictures attached) My comp has to do a mini cambio every week as a leader, so it´s fun for me because I get to experience different areas every week. I realized just how grateful I am for my companion and our ward. It was so great and in a tiny little town, a 6 foot gringa is a sight to see for them. Boy did I get some interesting comments and weird looks. Not to mention the creepy old man with no teeth who kissed my hand after I rejected his cheek kiss... haha but whatcha gonna do.

    Also Mom, you know how I was happy that I probably wouldn´t wear makeup for 18 months? Well I was wrong. I have to wear even more now so that it´s noticeable or else we look like Evangelicas. The Evangelicas wear skirts all the time, have long hair, and don´t wear make up...bad combo for me. Haha so the only way to really differentiate in the streets is to make it look like I wear make up. Am I sorta bummed? Yes, but I guess it´s better this way. 

    Hna Lovell and I have been working in sort of a new area recently and are trying to come up with new ways to find people since we know no one. Anyone have any good ideas??? This week we are going to try singing, service, less active list, FHE with members, and Saturday basketball night! I´m super pumped for the last one. There is a basketball court right in the middle of the area so we are going to play with members and hopefully get some more people to come out and play.

 We got a reference this week (best thing ever!!) of a less active mom, Antioneta, and her non-member daughter, Vanessa(13). We went by to see them and at first Antioneta was very reluctant to let us in. We then told her that we knew her friend and then she decided to let us in. Within about 5 min she was in tears and telling us how much she has missed the gospel in her life. Her parents are members and she went to seminary and everything but she married a non-member who is very Catholic and doesn´t like our church too much so she stopped going to keep peace in the family. She told us that she felt the spirit so strong and I did too. She hugged me for a long time and whispered that our visit was exactly what she needed. She wants to come back and have her daughter baptized, but she has to work things out with her husband first. That lesson was just what I need too. That day had been freezing and raining outside and no one wanted to let us in until we came to Antonieta. It reminded me that we really do help people and that after we have the patience to endure trials, miracles come.    

    The mission is so great. My testimony grows everyday and there are constantly trials and miracles. There have been plenty of ups and downs, but mainly I am just amazed at how the Lord truly loves each and everyone of us. We have a perfect plan here for us on this earth complete with the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Many of these people live in the most humble of circumstances and are addicted to drugs or have horrible family situations and I just want so much to help each one of them. We truly are all sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father who wants the best for all of his children. I´ve been here for less than two weeks and I have already seen countless times how the message of the Restoration can change people´s lives. It´s frustrating at times when people don´t want to change or are just hopeless and think that they have no chance. I feel so privileged everyday to be a representative of Jesus Christ and spread the light of his love and Atonement. I love you all and share the gospel with whoever you can!! 

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Romney 

P.S. This week is the 18 of September which means Chilean Independence day!!! Everyone has been celebrating already and it´s gonna be crazy here. Our taxi driver last night was drunk and almost killed us...it´s pretty great. Only problem is everyone tells us to come back after the 18th because they are busy preparing and what not. Attached is what I like to call a Chilean Nativity scene. All the dolls are dressed up in the traditional Cueca dresses. At least they have national pride.