Matthew 19:26- Nov 10, 2014

¡Hola Hola!

       Isn`t life good? I hope we all can agree that it is very good. I know we have a heavenly father who looks out for us and can work miracles through us if we are willing to do His will. Sunday at church was awesome and it is such a good thing that there are 3 of us in our companionship! 8 of our investigators came this Sunday so Hna Ayuso, Hna Love, and I get to split up and sit with them! We had Ivan, Diego, and Cony (Ivan`s daughter that is going to seminary now) come to church!! Ivan was soooo happy that his daughter finally came with him and she loved it, so we have high hopes for her. She just has big fears to leave her evangelica church with all of her friends, but she is taking huge steps. Ivan and Diego stood up during sacrament meeting as they announced their baptisms this Saturday!!!!! We just have to find white pants long enough for Diego now since he is taller than me! They both told us they are anxious forthis Saturday and can`t wait! Elsa also came who is our investigator that still has to wait for her pareja (boyfriend) to get a divorce and then get married to him before she can get baptized. She knows that everything is true, but is sad that she has to wait to get baptized. Actually it is really cool because Elsa`s daughter is named Scarleth who is a less-active and is the girl friend of Diego. Funny how that happened right?? So we are reactivating her too. Hna Love sat with all of them. 

       Then we had Carmen and Antonella (her 9 yr old granddaughter) come who have baptismal dates set for the 29th of November. Carmen actually almost got baptized about 8 years ago when her son died the day before her baptism.... hard situation there, but she is regaining her faith. She loves the church, but she just has a huge fear that if she starts coming again, that something bad will happen again. Antonella LOVES church and every time that we come. She is adorable. So Hna Ayuso sat with them. 

      I finally sat with Johana and Sebastian who are hopefully getting married this month or the beginning of December. They really want to be baptized too, but their relationship isn`t too strong so we need to work a little bit on that since it is impeding them from getting married right now. They have 2 kids named Maxi and Trinidad. 

     So it was a crazy Sunday to say the least, but incredible. We actually reached the ward goal of having 120 people in church yesterday!!! We are making history here in Copihues. With my comps we always laugh at the fact that we are just like Moms at church since we have to bring snacks and crayons every Sunday to help all of the kids. Good practice I guess haha. Mom, I don`t know how you did it with 6 kids and with Dad having to sit on the stand most of the times, but you really are Wonder Woman. 

     Well I just feel so lucky that Heavenly Father trusts us in teaching so many of his prepared children. We are seeing so much progress and we are constantly running around every day going from one cita to the next. I love it! I recently have learned so much about Diligence. PMG says, “Diligence is steady, consistent, earnest, and energetic effort in doing the Lord’s work. 

      We have made a huge effort to be diligent in all things and the Lord is blessing us for it. I am so grateful everyday to be a missionary and wouldn`t change my experiences for the world. I love you all so much. 

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Romney 

Tennis this morning!!! At zone conference. Playing soccer with the hermanas. 

Ohh and that is my "granddaughter" Hna Lance in the second picture with Hna Lino!

Expect the Unexpected- Nov 3, 2014

Hola familia y amigos! 

       This morning has been great as we went to Consejo with all the leaders and President Arrington who is amazing. Also before I forget Mom, Sister Arrington said that in the Mission President Seminar they saw the Santiago MTC Presidents and she talked to them and Hna Arrington said that she remembered you as she was talking to her. She said that you will have to be giving lots of talks and firesides in Spanish, so work on that Rosetta Stone!!! But don`t worry Mom, you will be just fine and I have no doubt that all of the missionaries will love you and your warm smile there.  

       We talked a lot in Consejo about how we need to be using Family History more in our efforts to retain, reactivate, and baptize. It is something I haven`t done too much of while on my mission, but I am excited to learn more and help our converts and members to do so. There is so much work to be done and thank you Carli for your email this week and how you are doing family history work!!! I want to do lots too when I get home, so I am excited. 

        So this week has actually been full of all kinds of miracles!!!! One of the biggest ones is that Ivan was set for his baptismal date on Nov. 8th (he would be the only investigator that I have ever seen get baptized in 3 weeks since the first time that we really got to teach him), but we went over last night after he went to church that day with his son Diego(17) for the second time and he asked us so polietly, "Hermanas, my son all by himself told me today that he also wanted to get baptized at my side and so I was wondering if there is anyway that we can push back my baptism one more week so that my son can get baptized with me?" Of course we said yes!!!! That was so awesome because we had only been able to teach Diego once before and he has felt the spirit so much at church that he has the desires to come unto Christ. So hopefully if everything goes well, we should be having 2 baptisms next week of some of the most prepared investigators I have ever met. Then his daughter Coni(15) who is really strong in her evangelica church said that she wanted to come to seminary with the youth this week so that will be awesome and I know she will be joining her dad and brother soon and then the mom will follow too since she is very receptive, we just need to strengthen her faith a little bit.  

         Last night we had such a huge miracle too. So I had called about 10 different members with us to go visit both Johanna and Sebastian and Ivan and his family, but no one could. I was just about to give up, when I felt really strongly to call Hna Marlen and we asked her to go with us and if she could be at there house in 15 minutes and she said yeah no problem Hermanas. Soo awesome!! And now I know why no one else could come because she was the prefect member for both of the families! So Johanna and Sebastian still have to get married so they can get baptized and they have been to church now 4 times. Anyways, so at the beginning they said they didn`t want to get married until next year, but Hna Marlen just got on them and was like, "No you have to do it as soon as possible!" And even offered to buy a dress for Johanna because that was something that was holding them back, so it was incredible. They finally decided to get married and baptized this month, so we are excited! Then she gave amazing testimonies to Ivan and his family and then drove us home to make it back right at 10:00 pm to enter our house. Lets just say, we were happy missionaries that night! I hope to be a member missionary just like her someday. 

       I feel like I could go on forever and ever, but I absolutely love being here and being a missionary. This is the most rewarding and fulfilling thing I have ever done in my life and will cherish these memories and friendships for eternity. The triple threat trio is a blast and unstoppable. The Lord is blessing us and I know that we are only instruments in His hands and that this is His work that he is fully in charge of. I love you all so much and feel so lucky everyday to have such amazing support and to have the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. 

Con mucho amor, 

    Hermana Romney 

Sorry I`ll send pics next week. 

Opportunity of a LIFETIME.- Oct 27, 2014

Hola! 

   

        Yet another amazing week in la Misiòn Chile Concepciòn. So not too much time to write this week, but once again we have been seeing how Heavenly Father guides us towards his prepared children as long as we open our mouths. I know that we are instruments in His hands, but we can`t help anyone unless we are willing to be obedient and do His will. On Wednesday morning this last week we met a really prepared investigator named Mirian. We were actually looking for her neighbor Nicole, the sister of a recent convert who is 16 years old, but it turns out that she had to go to the hospital right before because he baby was being born. What...we didn`t even know she was pregnant, but anyways we knocked on the door right next to her and Mirian lets us right in al tiro. She accepted baptism right away and said, " I want to become closer to God and I think He has sent you to me so sure I`ll go to church and be baptized." It was awesome and then we went back on Saturday and told her that there was a baptism at the church right after our lesson and so we invited her to come and she said sure, so she came and loved it. We went to pick her up on Sunday morning from church, but her work called and they made her go right away, so she couldn`t come, but we have hope for her. 

      Then right after our lesson with Mirian, we were walking and just talking to everyone who passed us until we ran into Erica who talked to us for about 15 minutes and just started crying so much. She told us how she used to have so much Faith until her husband left her and her 3 kids and now she doesn`t have any food to even give her kids. We testified how this gospel can help her and that God has not abandoned her. At first she didn`t want to let us come visit her, but she finally agreed that we could come next week, so we are anxious to be able to help her. There have been so many moments like that where all we had to do was open our mouths and that way God could give us the words to say and the way to help her. 

        On other news, Ivan is a complete stud and loved church again this Sunday. He even brought his 17 yr old son too who doesn`t like any church, but said that he really liked our church and wants to come back again next week! Ivan has been reading the BOM every night and is progressing well for either the 8th or 15th of November for his baptism depending on his work. Ivan is actually a red-head and doesn`t look Chilean at all, but he reminds me so much of my oldest brother Brandon! He has the same mannerisms and Brandon you are just a blonde version of him, so that has been cool and he thinks it`s funny. Haha. (BTW, Mom told me you and Brittani are going to Thailand... whatt??) Anyways, Johana and Sebastian also came to church again and they are hopefully getting married here soon so they can be baptized. 

     Also Flavio and Pilar both got callings this week in church and they are so excited to work and so are we to help them keep progressing in the Gospel. 

       Last thing, we had a ward movie night where we watched the Saratov Approach and boy did that make the tears flow! I love watching movies about missionaries because we can relate so much and I loved their determination and the confidence that God would free them. All 7 of us missionaries at the end bore our testimonies and there wasn`t a dry eye in the house. The spirit was so strong as we all gave witnesses of miracles how our Heavenly Father has protected us and that Christ really suffered for all of sins. If you haven`t seen that movie, I recommend it! 

    Love you all so much and have a great week! 

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Romney 

      From a service activity with all of the missionaries and I helped paint that whole wall behind us at a local cemetery! 

Trust in the Spirit- Oct 20, 2014

Hola!!

     So this week has been amazing and we have had so many miracles
happen. I am convinced that it is because we have Hna Love with us and
there are always miracles when you are with brand new missionaries.
Our trio has been going GREAT and we all 3 get along great and have
had no problems at all, so that makes me so happy. Actually my fear is
that maybe we get along too well and are constantly laughing instead
of being a little bit more concentrated in the work, so that is a goal
of ours to be better! It has been interesting having Hna Love with
mini-cambios, but she is awesome at helping and I think it`s a good
way for her to learn. On Tuesday we had a mini-cambio where another
brand new hermana came to my sector while Hna Ayuso and Hna Love went
to another and that was quite a riot. Probably one of the strangest
mini-cambios I have had due to a few problems the new missionary is
facing, but we had a study with us 5 and things have been getting
better.




      This Sunday was probably one of the most stressful Sundays I
have had here on the mission. So we had 3 investigators come: Johana y
Sebastian, and Ivan (his family couldn`t come this Sunday, but they
will the next). While we were all sitting in sacrament meeting, there
were sooo many kids making so much noise!! We had the kids of Flavio
and Pilar coming over to us every 5 seconds wanting to play and others
that had toys that made loud noises, so us missionaries were a little
bit stressed trying to make it a spiritual experience for our
investigators. I don`t think I have ever prayed so hard for our
investigators to feel the spirit in chuch. It was Ivan`s first time to
come to church and he is so ready for the gospel!! He is a successful
buisness man and when we invited him to baptism on our first visit
this week with him and his family he said, "Yes, that is what I want"
and it was so amazing! He accepted a date to be baptized for the 8th
of November, so we are hoping it all goes well. Anyways, so we were
really worried that he wouldn`t like it when church ended, but he told
us, "Hermanas I`ll be here next sunday for sure and I`ll make sure to
bring my family too." It was so awesome and such a relief to us. Then
we went and had a visit with Johana and Sebastian that night and they
told us that they just want us to teach them and that this is what
they want. They even told me that if everything goes well, that they
will be married and baptized before I leave this sector!! Their
homework is to pick a date when they want to be married and then get
baptized shortly after and it was incredible. Of course they all still
have doubts, but the desire is there and I feel so grateful to have
found these people and to teach them now! It is incredible how the
Lord is in charge of His work and even if church is a little crazy,
the Spirit still can testify that these things are true. So I learned
a big lesson this week to not stress too much and just trust in the
Lord because He will work miracles if we are doing all that we can.



      Another thing that I realized this week is that a big reason why
I needed to come on the mission was to know my Savior better. As I
read the scriptures and really feel the atonement working in my life,
I feel so much closer to Him than I ever have before. I mean I grew up
in the church, but I have never studied so deeply and realized how
much I really do need Christ in my life. My mission has given me a
perspective of what is really important. I am reading Jesus the Christ
and absolutely LOVE it and should be finishing it soon. I have been
trying to read it slowly to really take in everything and apply it to
my life and it has been going great. Ahhh this gospel is the best.
Everyone needs the comfort that it brings us!!

    Well, time is up, but I love you family and thank you for all of
your prayers for me and our investigators. Chau chau!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Romney

    Pic of Gigi (was less active who now went to the temple on Sat and
wants to be a missionary!! We made that little name tag for her :))