June 29, 2015

Well, this is my last letter that I'll be sending from here in Villarrica.  We got a call from the mission office this past Friday saying they're going to be closing our area.  I picked up a stomach virus this week, and was sleeping when we got the call, but Hna Calderas ran into the room with the phone, and I was super confused, but even though I might have been a little out of it, it's the truth  *tears*  I'm allowed to be sad for a bit, but I know the Lord has other things in store for us.  Hna. Calderas will be headed off to Paillaco and I'm headed to Frutillar.  My new companion will be my first compañera gringita, and I'm hoping I don't have culture shock, haha :)

For real though these past six weeks have been the best and most fun six weeks of my mission.  We worked as hard as we could, and it's going to be really hard saying goodbye to everyone, especially Hermana Calderas.  The members here might be few, but they are super strong.  They've all helped me grow and progress a ton as an individual.

Sometimes we don't know the "why" to a lot of questions in life, but if we keep trusting in the Lord, eventually we'll understand.  He loves each and every one of us individually and wants us to become the best version of ourselves.  Pressure turns coal into diamonds, and even though it can be difficult diamonds are prettier than coal.

Not too much more to say, but Villarrica will always have a special spot in my heart.

Love you all MUCHO!

Con cariño,

Hermana Coombs

El volcán

El volcán and yours truly

June 22, 2015

Hola hola hola! :D

We've been incredibly blessed this week.  We've had the opportunity to be on the receiving end of a lot of miracles this week.  When we can recognize and understand the promptings of the Spirit it's incredible, and it brings so many blessings.  

New people keep popping up in our path who want to learn more, and we've even found some golden investigators!  For real their skin is gold!  No, that was a lie, but they are incredibly prepared to receive this gospel.  

The members here have also gone above and beyond to help us this week, making the impossible possible, and wow are we grateful for all they've done.  It's incredible how the Lord blesses this work and the people when members and missionaries work together.  For those of you who are members, I know it can be hard to find time to leave with the missionaries, but even if it's for only half an hour, you and your ward will be blessed for your sacrifices.

Mucho amor a todos!  Thanks for being the best :)

And here's a quote for the week (sorry that I don't know who said it, oops):

"Humility is having the confidence to do anything but recognizing the power behind it"

Con cariño,

Hermana Coombs

June 15, 2015

Things are still going super well here in Villarrica :D  We've even had a few days without rain, which is a gigantic blessing :)

We had intercambios this week with the Hermanas Líderes, and it's always a good oportunity to learn a lot.  We're still working hard to find even more new people to teach, which is always fun, and we're being really careful when we cut our firewood haha :)

I was reading some of the talks from the General Conference and really liked this quote:

"In a world where praise, position, power, accolades, and authority are sought on every side, I honor those wonderful and blessed souls who are truly good and without guile, those who are motivated by a love of God and their neighbors, those greate women and men who are 'more anxious to serve than to have dominion'." - Elder Michael T. Ringwood

Here's to striving to being truly good and without guile.  As we seek to be genuine and do good for good's sake we'll be blessed immensely.

ÁNIMO!!

Les quiero,

Hermana Coombs

June 8, 2015

"This isn't missionary work. This is missionary fun." - Neil L. Andersen 

This week I feel like this quote really applied.  Even though we can feel scared sometimes to talk about religion or share our beliefs, it's fun haha.  We don't have to be pushy or arrogant, but when the people can understand that we're sharing because it's something important to us it shows that we care about them.  If they don't want to learn more we'll still be their friends and we won't treat them any differently because it's their choice, and everyone is entitled to use their agency.

We've been sharing the restored gospel with a lot of people, and we've been having a ton of fun :D  The members here have helped us out a ton this week by accompaning us to visit investigators, members who are less active, and sometimes to help us contact new people.  It's been awesome!  We keep working hard and laughing hard too.  Haha, there have been a few times when we've been laughing so hard that we can't do anything for a few minutes, but then we work twice as hard to regain those minutes :)

Some of the things that happened this week:

-Connor had his 22nd birthday! Love you bro!

-We were with a member one day and we had to run away from a drunk guy who started to chase us!  Haha, but it was all good in the end and we haven't seen him since 

-My umbrela is on it's death bed, but until it dies completely I'll keep using it

-Hna Calderas may or may not have cut her had with our small ax one morning.  Oops.  But it was only a small cut and I've banned her from cutting wood, so it won't happen again

-I broke an investigators fence.  Double oops. I didn't know I had so much strength.  The good news is we helped her fix her fence and it's as good as new :)  

If you haven't had the chance to meet with missionaries before I'd like to invite each and every one of you to get to know what it is that we believe as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I know it's true, but you don't have to trust in my words; find out for yourself.

"If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself." - John 7:17

Love you all lots!

Love,

Hermana Coombs

June 2, 2015

This week has been a week of miracles!  People always say that obedience brings blessings and exact obedience brings miracles, and it's true people!

We're still talking with everyone we can, and we've found a handful of new people who are super awesome!  This past Thursday we finished a meeting with our mission leader and had about half and hour before we had to be home, so we started to contact a few more people, but we felt like we had to do something more.  On a street that was pretty quiet and calm we decided to say a prayer so that we could use our last half hour the best way possible.  When we finished we started walking down the street and decided to knock on a door.  A young adult came out to talk to us, asked us to wait a few minutes while she grabbed a thicker coat (because it was raining) and then we had a super spiritual lesson with her in front of her house in the rain.  That NEVER happens! We set up an appointment for later in the week, and she is super buena!!  We're super excited to be teaching her and all the other people we've been finding!

Other news from the week:

- My companion is the best!  We work hard but laugh even harder :D  Hahaha for real we are always laughing

- We've had 5 days straight of rain, but it actually isn't all that bad 

- Made Guatemalen empanadas yesterday, so I guess you could say I'm almost officially Latina

- In the Church sunday they talked a lot about temples and family history.  Set a goal today to go to the temple as much as your circumstances allow, and start working on your family history!  Get to know stories about your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc because it's your family!  Families can be together forever, and if we get to know our ancestors in the time we have here it'll be even more exciting when we can see them again after this life.

Last but not least, a scripture for the week:

"Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.  And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." - D&C 34:33

Keep on keeping on everyone!  Les amo pero muchísimo!

Hermana Coombs

May 25, 2105

Hey everybody!

I gave some incorrect info my last letter.  My compañera is actually named Hna. Calderas and is from Guatemala!  Almost 10 months in the mission and all my companions have been Latinas, haha :) She is awesome!  Haha we're laughing lots, working our hardest, and enjoying every minute that we have here in the mission :)  It's super fun to work with Hna Calderas because we both want to get better and better each day, so we're always pushing the limits to reach our goal.  We talk with everyone we can and it's awesome to share our testimonies so much in one day.  Haha we get back to the house super tired each day, but it's a super awesome feeling :)

Haha, talking to everyone we can comes with its share of funny stories, and this week we started to talk with someone and he asked, "If I go to the church this Sunday can I give you as many kisses as I want?"  A little creepy, but he was just messing with us.

I got to give a talk in Church this Sunday, which is always fun.  I talked about one of my favorite scriptures, Alma 37:6. "Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me, but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass, and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." 

Hope you all have an awesome week!  Don't forget to pray and read your scriptures everyday!

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Coombs

May 18, 2015

So we just found out our cambios...... I'm staying here in Villarrica Hna. Caldea (I think thats what they said) will be my new companion, and Hna Espinoza is headed to Valdivia to be companions with Hna. Williams, my companion in the CCM!  I don't have any other information about my new companion, and to be honest I'm not actually sure that I even remember her name right, but it'll be tons of fun :)

Not too much to say about this week, but it looks like the rain is about to start, and when it starts here it doesn't stop.  Literally.  People say it can rain for 15 days straight without stopping.  

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God, and if it so be that you should labor all your days in [sharing this gospel] and bring, save it be one sould unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" - Doctrine and Covenants 18:10, 15-16

Missionary work brings true joy, and the best part is that you don't need a nametag to do it!  Just be an example, share a short testimony, or invite others to learn more.  The prophet David O. McKay said, "Every member a missionary."  As we share the gospel we find and feel joy.

This gospel is true, and Jesus Christ is at the head of this Church. I know it and find more and more joy everyday as I share it with others.

Hope you all have an awesome week!

Keep on keeping on,

Hermana Coombs