November 16, 2015

Hi guys!

How's it going?  Everything is just swell here in Frutillar.  A week full of miracles and funny things that are probably only funny to my companion and I, haha.

On Friday we got the all clear from the physical therapist to start walking and working normally and we were so excited that we started working normally.  Hna Barrios thought she was invincible, haha, until we got home in the night, and her ankle started to hurt a lot.  We learned from our mistake, and now we walk a little calmer :)  haha, but she said it's starting to hurt less and that she can move it more too.  Good news all around!  

This week we found some really awesome people to teach!  We've visited a young family 3-4 times in the last 2 or 3 weeks, and they are really interested in learning more.  They are named Yanira, Danilo, y Maite (4) and Yanira told us that she's religious, but she doesn't go to church or anything like that.  We talked a little bit more and shared a scripture with her and she said, "I feel like if you're here it's because my family is missing something.  I'd love if you could keep coming."  When we taught them about a week later we asked them if they were able to pray about what we'd shared and she said she knew it was true, everything we shared :)  We left them with a Book of Mormon, and then a few citas fell through because they had a lot of things going on, and the uncle of Danilo passed away.  But when they saw us in the street they literally ran to catch up with us and say they were sorry for the dropped citas and ask us if we could visit them.  Haha we said "YES!" all excited because That. Never. Happens.  When we vitisted them again they said they each indivitually had a moment when they'd felt like reading the Book of Mormon, so they opened it up, and read a scripture, and it was exactly what they needed.  The Book of Mormon is true people.  I know it!  They both said they couldn't explain exactly how they felt, but it was a good feeling that made them feel a little more peace (aka the Holy Ghost).  They are seriously so awesome!  And that's just a short story of a spiritual experience we had this week.  

Keep doing the small things and looking for the small miracles everday.  Keep your head up and focus on the things that really matter.  Trust in your Heavenly Father because He knows YOU and He loves YOU.

I love you all muchísimo!

Keep on keeping on,

Hermana Coombs

WooHoo!! Christmas!!

November 9, 2015

SUPRISE!  I'm still with Hna Barrios :D

Haha, after she said goodbye to almost all the members in the branch we got a call saying that our cambios were changed, and that we were going to be staying together for a while longer :)  We were both so happy!

As for this week it's been pretty interesting.  We went to the hospital again so they could examine her foot again, it was hurting a lot, and they said it was severe, but she had to keep walking a little or she could loose all mobility in her foot forever... forever... forever (imagine the kid from the sandlot saying that).  They said she has to go to the kinesiologo for at least a month, and I even though I feel really bad for her, it'll be pretty cool to watch and learn a bit too.  With the complications with the foot of Hermana Barrios we've mostly been in the house, but we leave for appointments that we have (it helps keep us from dying of cabin fever, haha).  

We had a really awesome lesson this week with Mónica, one of our investigators, and she told us how she grew to have a testimony of prayer, and that now she wants to pray.  AND she asked us to leaver her something to read in the Book of Mormon.  She is awesome.  Her daughter is la Pauli who just finished her mission papers.  I'm guessing South Korea, hahaha no probably Argentina.  But we're happy that Mónica is progressing.

This week I FINALLY saw Meet the Mormons!  It was so good! I loved it so much :) If you haven't seen it you should see it because I say so, haha but really it's awesome.

Here's a scripture from my studies this week, 2 Nefi 2:6-8

"Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

Wherefore, how great the importance to make this things known unto the inhabitants of the earth..."

I know Christ lives, and that it is through him that we can find a lasting peace.  

Mucho love a todos.

Con amor,

Hermana Coombs

November 2, 2015

Hola!

I might have missed some details last week, so here's the second attempt.  Basically we had to change houses because there were some problems with a neighbor, and the owners were going to ask us to give them the house for the summer so they could rent it to tourists.  But the good news is that mi compañera and I are really happy in our new house.  The neighbor even brought us homemade bread one day :)  

This week I almost died of diabetes because we thought it would be a good idea to have an activity of desserts.  But then everyone decided we should try them all to vote for the best ones.  It's a miracle I'm here and not in a diabetic coma, haha 

Oh boy, the elders just called to tell us our cambios.  Moment of suspense.  I'll stay here and Hna Braithwaite (obviously a gringa) will be my new compañera.  Hna Barrios will be headed to Los Lagos.  Not really sure how she's going to get there though because this week she sprained her ankle pretty bad and we've been banished to the house with orders to rest her foot.  

But other than that not too much has happened this week.  I'm sure you know already, but the apostle Elder Andersen gave us the challange to read the Book of Mormon before the General Conference in April.  As we read the Book or Mormon with the desire to help our faith it will happen.  The faith grows through our accions.  And as Elder Andersen said, "Faith will not grow by chance, but by choice."

Read the Book of Mormon!  It's the bee's knees. :)  Have an awesome week!

Stay sweet,

Hermana Coombs

I looked out the window and what did I see, a great big horse in front of me.  Haha, our view while eating breakfast

With the gigantes in Puerto Montt

In Frutillar Bajo

In Frutillar Bajo

Our activity of desserts

October 26, 2015

HOLA!! ¿Qué tal?

This week we had an activity with the Branch, una Noche de Talentos, or a talent show, and it turned out really well!  Lots of people invited their friends and lots of people participated.  Mi compañera and I sang a song and played the guitar, some people danced, sang songs (someone even sang in English!), and two kids from the primary told jokes. haha, it was awesome!  And to finish the activity with a bang there were free completos (think Chicago dog but Chileno)

This week we also finished changing houses, so that's some good news.  Who knew two people could have so many things??  Not me.  But now I know it.  

The weather here is getting better.  Still the occasional day of rain, but not too many now.  We're working hard to find new people who want to listen to the gospel, and the members are helping a ton.  And more good news, tomorrow we get to see Presidente Obeso and his wife, so that'll be pretty awesome.  They're so funny :)

This week I'm meditating/memorizing Moroni 7:45 and I wanted to share it with you all: 

And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Have an awesome week!

Con amor,

Hermana Coombs

October 19, 2015

WOOOHOOOO!  We've been looking for a new house for a few weeks (because we need to move), and we found the perfect house.  Perfect, really.  BUT other people were interested too, and the owners said they might rent it to whoever commited first.  We would have been more than happy to commit then and there, but we needed approval from Presidente Obeso, who just so happened to be in Uruguay this past week for a conference. URUGUAY.  So that really complicated things.  But wait, there's more good news, the owners called us today and said they still hadn't rented it and they wanted to know if we were still interested.  In my head I yelled "SÍ" really happily, but out loud I said "sí" all calm cool and collected but still really happy, haha.  So moral of this story, we're finally going to be able to change houses this week :D 

Other than that we've had some really awesome lessons this week, and a member even brought a friend to church!  YES.

Have an awesome week and enjoy the little things!

Stay sweet,

Hermana Coombs

 

Volcan Osorno

Me with a big tree

October 12, 2015

Ok, well I said I'd have more to write this week, but the truth is that not too much happened this week.  We had una Noche de Hogar with the branch, which was a ton of fun :) My companion got sick, again, so we were stuck in the house a few days.  But the good news is that the weather was nice this week for a few days :)

OH! actually I have a story from last week. Hahaha.  It's time for me to start my second visa so I can stay here in Chile.  Hna Barrios and I went like good obedient children to el Registro Civil to start get mi papel de antecedentes, which is basically a paper that says all the crimes I've committed in Chile, because I've committed so many crimes, haha (don't worry Mom there are only two or three, haha just kidding).  But anyway we got to the doors and what did we find? A huge sign that says they're on strike indefinitely.  Bad news bears.  But the good news is that having a Chilean companion is really useful. She said they had to help me because it was an emergency.  So after knocking the door a few times she said to the door that we only wanted to ask a question, and BOOM!  Miraculously someone came out to help us :) haha, but they didn't help too much because, as the woman said, "we're on strike and we aren't helping anyone."  But they did give me a code that I could use to print off my paper in an internet cafe.  Still being good obedient children we went to the internet cafe to print of the paper, which required quite a bit of work, got to the point where we could pay, and the website only accepted Chilean credit cards. NOOOOOOO.  Luckily I have mi CuentaRUT, it's kind of like a debit card for Chileans, but it doesn't have any money on it.  We had to go the the bank, wait in line, put some money on the card, go back to the internet place and try again..... but it didn't work.  Back to the bank, another line, back to the internet place, we tried again, but it still didn't work.  Oops.  The secretary of the mission (he's in charge of all this visa stuff) told us he talked with a few people and they said we could start my visa without the paper for now, so we went on an adventure to Osorno and I signed some papers (I felt super important). But it was super short the process in Osorno.  They said they'll eventually need the paper with my crimes, but who knows when that will be.  I guess the point of this story is that it's really hard for me to stay legal here in Chile hahaha.  Oh well, fingers crossed it all gets worked out.

I love you all lots and hope you have an awesome week!

Keep on keeping on,

Hermana Coombs

Oh yeah, other thing we did this week: we helped a less active round up her pollitos, baby chickens.  We looked pretty funny running around in front of her house trying to catch them haha

Con un pollito!

October 5, 2015

Hola familia y amigos!

Sorry I don't have a lot of time today, but I hope you all got a chance to watch the General Conference because it's the best.

Read and reread the talks!

I love you all!

Con cariño,

Hermana Coombs