December 28, 2015

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!

I have eaten so much food this week, I don't even think it's humanly possible, but it was a really fun week igual!  Christmas was a little wierd because it's warm here, but it was still way cool. The 24th we were invited to the house of the Gonzalez Familia (they are so cool).  We laughed so hard, and then I got to skype with the family, which was so fun but so hard.  English is a real struggle sometimes.  Haha, and then we had a really nice dinner with them :)  They make me so happy, and they adopted us as their children... haha we even took a family photo with them after church on Sunday.

Then on the 25th we had a gringo Christmas with Hno Vladimir y Hna Jeannete (our papitos).  We ate cinnamon rolls and opened presents and everything, haha,  they are so gringo for being Chilean :)  

Then later in the afternoon una abuelita who lives alone invited us over for a Christmas lunch.  She's a sweetheart :)

And this week we've been talking with EVERYONE we can, haha, but it's been fun.  We even found a new family who is super interested in learning more, and they even acepted a baptismal date, so we'll just have to see what happens :)

I love you all mucho and I hope you have a fun and safe New Year!

Stay sweet,

Hermana Coombs

December 21, 2015

FELIZ NAVIDAD!

I hope you've all been enjoying the Christmas season and the special time that it is.  It's the most wonderful time of the year.  

Purranque it awesome!  I love it here!  The members are super cool and they've really made me feel like part of the family.  We have some awesome investigators, and there are two Elders in the Branch, which makes the work even more fun.  It's a pretty small, quiet town, and it isn't a tourist attraction like my other sectors, but it's an awesome area.

It was quite the surprise when I met Hna Schroeder because she told me I was going to finish her training as a new missionary, and nobody told me before I met her!  But she's awesome.  She's obedient, she works hard, and has a strong desire to serve the Lord.  Lots of good things are going to happen this cambio.

Haha, a funny story real quick.  Well actually it isn't too funny, but I want to share it anyway.  The missionaries who finished the mission last week had some REALLY bad luck.  The day they had their flights scheduled, the airlines went on strike, so they couldn't go home.  After a few days the mission sent them all to Santiago by bus, and I think that now they are finally home.  What a crazy going home story.  But in the end it all worked out ok. 

Love you all lots.  Enjoy your Christmas!

Love,

Hermana Coombs

November 23, 2015

Not too much new information this week.  Sorry.  Yanira y Danilo are progressing really well and are even sharing the gospel with their friends.  THEY ARE THE BEST!

Hna Barrios and I keep going to her physical therapy sessions, but we still don't have permission to leave the house very much.  We're working hard with what we can and the Lord is putting some incredibly prepared people in our path.  We're super excited with the progress we're seeing.  Even though it's been hard for us both to not work full power we know that the Lord has his purposes in all things.  

I hope you all have an awesome Thanksgiving and that you remember all the blessings that you have in your life.  I have way too many to mention them all.

You guys are the best!  Hope that this week all your wildest dreams come true.

Keep on keeping on,

Hermana Coombs 

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