WEEK FINAL: Welp, see ya, on the other side

wow.

hey.

This week was crazy but whats crazier is that THIS IS MY LAST EMAIL EVER. 

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous hahaha. 

Lets start with the good stuff though. This week ROCKED. We are so happy here. This ward is wonderful and they help us so much. We are teaching this cute girl, named Cristina. She's 14 and suffers a little bit from depression. She is super receptive and wants to get baptized and read the book of mormon and everything. SHES BASICALLY GOLDEN. We decided to bring one of the young women from the ward with us to teach her this week, and they are basically the same person. They are both really into some weird Korean band and they are the same age and like the same thing, and it was so great. The young woman invited her to come to church with us, and I really believe that if we hadn't had brought her with us, it might have been a little bit harder.

If there is one thing I have learned here on the mission, its that EVERYONE is a missionary, and everyone is so important in this work.

Also I have another story I wanted to share... I was debating about putting this in here or not, but I', going to do it because its pretty cool.

On Tuesday, we had a class in our District Meeting about how God always will keep his promises. ALWAYS. Our disrict leader challenged us to pray and ask God if the blessings that we have been promised in our blessings and stuff will be completed.

I completely forgot to do it. (yay kate)

But on Thursday, I started to get sick, Super sick. everything I ate made my stomach hurt, and I was just kinda a wreck. I called the mission nurse, and she made a doctors appointment for me for Saturday morning. 

Long story short, the doctor told me that he wasn't positive, but he was pretty sure I had a parasite, but that we would need to get tests done. He said I was in the early stages and that I'll be just fine, and he gave me some medicine to help. 

Okay, I freaked out a little bit to be honest. 

that night I prayed and prayed and prayed some more. And it occurred to me this class that we had, about how God keeps his promises. I had been promised in a blessing that if I was engaged in the work of God, that my body would support me and be healthy and that I was going to be accomplish what ever God needed me to do. I felt sooooo much peace and calmness in this moment, and I know that I am going to be okay! I have been talking to a couple of members who are doctors, and they think my stomach is just a little bit unsettled from all the fried food from Chile. 

Also, I have been feeling a lot better these past few days. Don't worry guys. I think I'm going to be able to finish my mission. (i mean, its only one more week, but you know)

I KNOW THIS CHURCH IS TRUE. I KNOW GOD IS REAL AND THAT JESUS LIVES AND THAT THIS CHURCH WAS RESTORED THROUGH JOSEPH SMITH. 

I love being a missionary. 

*in the voice of Kuzco from the Emperors New Groove*

"Welp, see ya, on the other side."

Love you all! see you soon!

hermana poyfair

Week 74: Floods, New Suits and I'm almost done!

just got a little tiny bit emotional thinking that this is my second to last weekly email!

where did the time go? wow!

This week the weather was seriously so so so crazy! On Friday we had a Zone Conference with President May. We all left the house looking cute in our very NON rain boots and jackets, and quickly regretted that decsion. The streets were literally rivers and there was no way to cross except straight through the center. oops.

Luckily,  we were inside the whole day. We were getting ready to leave at about seven, when suddenly our phones started ringing. We recieved lots of calls from members, telling us that there was no way we were going to be able to enter our department, because the area where we lived was completely FLOODED. oh my gosh it was so crazy. It was raining soooo hard and there was just so much water. We ended up staying the night in the apartments of other hermanas, and as we started walking, IT STARTED SNOWING. 

It hasn't snowed here in Temuco in almost 20 years. it was actually super cool, everyone started screaming and going crazy.

mostly I just laughed because it wasn't even really snow. Just like a couple of flakes. but they enjoyed it and it was pretty cool.

Then that night, I sat up and talked to Hermana Freitas (my old companion from Brazil) for a while. She recently got transfered here to Temuco from Avenida Alemania in Los Angeles, my first area. She asked me if I remembered someone named Veronica that lived in a certain street. It took me a second, but then finally I did remember her! I contacted her during my first transfer, she was SO AWESOME but we never were able to find her again. Hermana Freitas then informed me that her and her three sons had just got baptized and she still remembers me..

What a coooool experience. I really made me so happy. Sometimes we think we aren't really making a difference, but really every thing we do is important here in the mission. Every passalong we hand out, every smile, every contact. 

I love the mission.

Also yesterday at Church, Pablo (our convert) was standing at the doors welcoming everyone in in HIS BRAND NEW CHURCH SUIT. Its not very common for members to have suits here because they are expensive, but Pablo is just SO AWESOME and went and bought a suit. He was asked to bear his testimony during the reunions and he is just SO CONVERTED. he makes me so happy! I am so proud of him and that opportunity that I have had to get to know him. ahh!

Anyways. Thats about all I got this week. I'm sending lots of pictures again!

Have a great week! I love you all!

love hermana poyfair

Week 73:The weeks feel like days and the days feel like minutes

Hi friends! 

I feel like my letters always start the same.

BUT THIS WEEK WAS JUST SO CRAZY

I can't even believe it. We went on two exchanges, planned and brought about an activity for all of the hermanas, helped with a Church Open house, and STILL managed to get a little sleep.

I love being a missionary.

First of all, yesterday was such a cool day because PABLO GOT THE PRIESTHOOD! He got baptized about two weeks ago, and is just so excited. It has been so great, the other day we were teaching him, and we were with a returned missionary. We asked this returned missionary if he could explain to Pablo the role of the Aaronic Priesthood and what he was going to be able to do, and Pablo said, "Oh but I already know, I was studying about it in the Gospel Principles book!"

Like really, that never happens. hahah

Also this week we recieved a call from a couple of our hermanas this week, telling us that they were feeling a little discouraged and that they needed to do exchanges with us. 

It was crazy because they are in an area a little far away and we werent planning on heading out there, but we felt like we needed to go and help. And

So I was able to work with hermana Asis, who is from the Philipines. She is SO GREAT. But she is feeling a little discouraged. It was a really cool day, because God really helped me know exactly what I needed to say and do to help her feel better. I love my calling because I really feel like I can be an instrument in Gods hands to help these sweet hermanas. She told me that night that she always looked up to me and wanted to be just like me. It was really great, a real humbling experience for me. 

This week is going to be even crazier I think, because we are going to do more exchanges, we have a Multi-Zone Conference (where I have to give my final testimony) , we have to do 2 trainings, help with another Open house, and help our ward because we have ward conference this week.

*exhausted sigh*

I am so happy right now, in this moment. 

Like maybe all the food here in Chile makes me super sick.

And maybe I don't get a ton of sleep.

But I am so happy.

and its because I know this church is true and I just love the happiness it brings me.

I hope you all have a great week!

love hermana poyfair

Week 72: So many miracles!

Hey friends!

This week was super crazy. Seriously, I know I say this alot, but one of the craziest of my mission.

I don't even know where to begin. Haha

This week we had to go to Victoria which is like an hour out of Temuco, because we had to do Splits with the Hermanas there! We had to bring baptismal clothing for them, because they didn't have any. We put it in a bag, hopped on a bus, and took off. We both fell asleep pretty quickly on the bus (17 months will do that to ya) and so we woke up abruptly when we arrived in Victoria, and without thinking, had to get off the bus super quickly. WELL. We may or may not have left the baptismal tunics on the bus. OOPS. We began to make call after call trying to find the bus and we had zero success. It was crazy because we had borrowed the tunics from members here so it was just kind of a mess..

When we arrived at the bus station in Temuco the next day, my companion says, "hey hermana poyfair, lets see if the tunics are here." 

I looked at her and said, "hermana, why would they be here, the bus left temuco and i'm pretty sure it wouldn't have come back here."

She said, "I don't know hermana, but i just wanna check."

welp Wouldn't you know it, they had the baptismal tunics and everything there waiting for us. it was SO GREAT AND SO CRAZY. Anddddd I learned a super cool lesson from my companion about how we need to trust in our first impression from the Spirit and not doubt them. I felt a little lame after for doubting my companion, so I've put lots of goals for this week to not doubt and just GO WITH IT. 

Also this week i think it started to hit me a little bit that in just one month from now I'm going to be home. My mind started to get a little crazy and I started to get nervous because I feel like I haven't finished my purpose here on the mission, I don't feel like my spanish is good enough, I just felt like i needed more time to become the missionary I always wanted to be!

And, coincedentally, President May happened to be in town for interviews. He told me that all missionaries feel like that, and that its normal. And he told me that God was really proud of the work I had done, but that I still had a month to become the best missionary that I can be. 

a month is a long time, right?

Cintia (our investigator) came to church yesterday and it was super great. she is AWESOME and feels great about her baptismal date for the 17th of june WOOOO

My camera is being a little crazy but I'll try to send pictures right now.

I love you all! have a great week!

hermana poyfair 

Week 71: Temuco is the land of miracles or something

THIS WEEK WAS THE CRAZIEST WEEK OF MY LIFE

I cant even believe how fast it flew by.

Lots happened and it was just a blast

But the best part was that WE HAD A BAPTISM.

Okay let me just tell the story.

Hermana Curtis (my last companion) served here in this ward, Lican Ray. During our transfer together, she just sat and talked about Lican Ray all the time. Seriously, every second of the day.haha she loved it so much. She talked about this investigator that she had, named Pablo. She told me he was just so great and that he just needed to get baptized. Okay. 

When we heard that I was going to be serving in Lican Ray, she started jumping up and down and screaming, and told me that I NEEDED to baptize Pablo.

When I arrived here from Temuco, the first thing that Hermana Wright told me was that we were going to have a baptism that very weekend, for Pablo.

MIRACLE RIGHT

This man is sooooo awesome. He reads the book "Principles of the Gospel" JUST FOR FUN! He is so golden. 

SO the day of his baptism was crazy. Our ward mission leader told us that he was going to fill the baptismal font and that we didnt need to worry about it. 

We arrived on Saturday at three in the afternoon (his baptism was going to be at) and the font was filling, but only with frozen water. The hot water wasnt working (TYPICAL). So we set to work filling the font with boiling water from the kitchen. It was a nightmare but we managed to get it full just in time. 

Pablo is a chef and he made this HUGE snack bar for everyone after the baptism and it was just the cutest thing. He is going to be Bishop one day I think.

I love this ward so much. Its huge and the members are so nice and I think Im going to like it here. My companion is great too. Hermana Wright is from ORegon and shes really really crazy,

ALSO ITS SUPER DUPER COLD IN TEMUCO. SOOOOO COLD. 

but I love it and I am super happy here.

I am sending lots of pictures this week, sorry! 

Love you all! have a great week!

love hermana poyfair

Week 70: This letter might be short but I'm sending it with a lot of love

hiiii friends

this week was a little bit slower, which was nice :) it has been a long time since we have a had a quiet week. (relatively speaking, it was still a little crazy)

buttttt I don't have a ton of stories! 

Saturday was so awesome because we had the opportunity to participate in 3 baptisms. None of them were our own, but my companion has awesome piano skills, so everyone was in desperate need of our help. 

The first baptism took place here in Curanilahue. It was awesome, because it was for the wife of an ex branch president in a little town about 45 minutes away. They had been coming to church here in Curanilahue, so we knew them both personally. It was awesome for me, because I was able to take part in her conversion. She is this sweet, shy little lady, and it was so special to see her take this step and get baptized. I'm sending pictures.

Then, we took of running to catch a bus to Arauco, where the hermanas had another baptism. We arrived right on time, but unfortunately the baptism didn't start until an hour later than they said it would. As soon as that baptism finished, we took of RUNNING to catch a bus to Curanilahue, where a little kid from the Primary was to get baptized, we had to sing a musical number. 

It was crazy. 

But it was such a great day for me. I felt the spirit so strongly as the people decided to take this step, and make these covenants with Heavenly Father. I know this church is true and I am so grateful that I have this time to help people find the truth and this happiness.

being a missionary rocks.

I don't have a lot to say but this next week we will have transfers so thats EXCITING.

I love you all! Have a great week!

PS. Just wanted to say thanks to my wonderful ward for sending me cute letters all the time! They brighten my day, and make me so happy!Thanks for thinking of me. I love you guys!

love hermana poyfair

Week 69: Weakly email

sometimes I'm clever in my titles...

this week was EXHAUSTING. 

so much happened and it just flew by. On tuesday, we had interviews with President May. On Wednesday, we had our Leadership Council in Concepcion. Friday we had District meetings and saturday we did splits with the hermanas in Arauco. I'm attaching a photo of us sitting in a bus stop because that's basically all we did this week.

andddd I'm only partially kidding haha.

but a couple of really cool things did happen this week! First of all, since I got here in March, we've been t
eaching this man named Miguel. He has come to church three times, he always keeps his commitments, and he always accepts baptism. buttt he's still waiting for his answer. He has recieved a lot of answers to his prayers, but he's waiting for something BIG I think.

so a couple of weeks ago we decided that he wasn't progressing and we just weren't going to focus on him as much. We actually lost contact for about two weeks. It was really sad, but we moved on. 

this week we were close to his house and decided that we had better pass by, just to make sure. 

Andddd he was there. Anddddd he told us how he had had a dream about getting baptized, and decided that he needed to do it. our jaws were on the floor haha! The next day we had an appointment with him, and we talked about the Word of Wisdom, which is one of the challenges he has. We were there with the Wife of the District President, and she was explaining her conversion. She said, "I didn't have to give up any addictions or anything, but I did have to give up an ingredient that ALL of us have, and all of us struggle with."

she paused, and Miguel, with fear in his eyes, said, "I'm gonna have to give up sugar too?"

we all died laughing. 

The hermana quickly said, "no, I was going to say pride."

it was sooo funny. But miguel is great and is going to get baptized in May, si o si.

Also, on Saturday we had a crazy experience. We were in Arauco, and at 8 o'clock we were planning on taking a bus to Curanilahue. We sat and waited in the rain, and there were serioiusly zero buses. we started to get a little nervous as it started to get late, and this man came up and said, "you're not going to be able to catch a bus to Curanilahue at this hour, you''re going to have to go to Laraquete (a city about half an hour of Arauco) and then wait for a bus there. and you need to go now because this bus is going to leave and you're not gonna be able to get another one." Without thinking, we ran and hopped on the bus. As we were sitting there, we started to get a little nervous... so we said a prayer. We asked Heavenly Father to protect us and that a bus would pass by quickly once we got to Laraquete.

Well we got there, and waited and waited and I kept thinking, "If only my parents knew what I was doing right now" we stood in the rain, in a dark city, alone, at 9.30 at night. ADVENTURES. 

But a bus quickly pássed by and we wer able to take it and arrive safely in Curanilahue which was awesome.

Basically the theme of this letter this week is that Prayer WORKS. haha. God always answers our prayers, according to our faith of course.

Butttt yeah. 

Its starting to get REALLY cold here, my fingers are basically numb haha.

have a great week! love you all!

love hermana poyfair