"The book is on the table.....Da boke iz own da tab-lay."

 

Sometimes it´s super funny helping latinos learn english. And I don´t know why but they think that our mouths are weird when we talk...maybe they are. No sé. I was thinking about it the other day, and ya know what? More or less, I know spanish. WHAAAAAATTT?? What in the world? That, for me, is testament enough that this is the work of the Lord, cause there is no way in the cow pasture that I could speak/understand spanish without the help of the Lord! And I don´t know if I already ranted out this with you  guys, but this week, it hit me again. Really, every conversation that I have is a little miracle! I´m a livin´ miracle haha. 

This week, we were visiting less activo members, and we passed by a family that´s less active. When you enter the house, the grandpa was sitting at the table.....shellin beans! I about jumped out of my pants I was so excited. One of the memories I have of Grandma Myra´s house is one time, I was there just with Grandma and we were sitting under the carport, and we shelled a bucket of beans! I don´t know why this memory is so cool in my head, but really it´s one of my favorite memories. So this day, when we visited this family we shared a message and shelled beans at the same time. It was like I´d died and gone to Caswell ;)

Today, we had a district activity, and it was really great! We played lots of games and we played soccer and it was soooo hot and we were all gross and sweaty, but it was really fun!! That was the first time that I had played soccer since I don´t know when! Cause normally with the boys at home, I always just watched. But now when I´m home again, I wanna play tooooo!

Another part of the activity was that we watched the church movie about the law of consecration about John Turner. (If you´ve never seen it, watch it!) And I´ve decided that this year (2014) is my year to consecrate ALL my efforts and time to the Lord. Cause this time next year, I´m about home again. So I´m really gonna do it. I´m going to try my very hardest the consecrate every moment and effort to help the Lord, cause I´m not gonna have this time ever again....only missionaries, the 12, and the prophet have this opportunity in reality. So I´m gonna lose myself and get to work this year! 

But that´s all for this week folks; tune in next time for my latest rants and adventures. 

I love you all more than a fat kid love twinkes. 

Do the work, get glory. 

Love always and always, 

Hermana Abigail Page

Catcalls...cockadoodledoo

 

Sabe que?? Today is my 5 months in the mission mark! Loco...y no loco. In some ways I think "wow 5 months! I thought I was in Charlotte yesterday in the airport..", but in other ways I think "this is my life...I feel like I´ve only done ´missionary life´, but really I´ve only been out for 5 months?". ...Like I always say, time is so weird!

This week, once again, I was reminded of the life lesson that "Princess Diaries" teachs us... "Miracles happen once in a while if you beliiiiiiiievvvveee!!"

But really! After weeks of not too much success, this week was incredible. We found lots of new people to teach, we have a new fresh pool of investigators, aaand the divorce papers for two investigadors (Ivon y Eduardo) finally went through after 30 years and lots of prayers and fasting, and as soon as they told us, we set a date for their wedding and their baptism! Wooohhooo weddings weddings baptisms! They are the cutest little grandparents in Limache, and they are like family to me. We found them in my first transfer here, so I am soo excited to finally see them have the chance to be baptized. Another one of my families here is gonna be a family forever :)

I´m really happy here in Limache. I feel really comfortable with the work and the ward and the flow of life here. Cambios are in two weeks, so I´m not sure if I´ll be here again or if I´ll go, but either way, I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be here in Limache, in Chile, in a mission! 

The Lord works in mysterious ways in order to make us better. And He definitely knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what we can handle, but He helps us stretch to heights we never thought we could reach. That is one of the many things that I have learned here. I am so grateful for all He does for me and the person I am becoming day by day in His service :)

But I think that´s it for this week...pretty tranquila aquí.

Thank you for your prayers, love, letters, emails, thoughts, and support and all it´s forms. I hope I´m doin y´all proud!

I love you all til the end. More than Slaw y Chunk in the Goonies love Rocky Road.

Serve others, serve God. Be good. Don´t step on cracks, or you´ll break your mothers´ back!

Love always and always, 

Hermana Abigail Page

**Dad, I don´t have that book. They have a program online, but we don`t really get much time to browse the web haha. I´ll ask and see if there is a printed copy that I can have. 

Have no fear, Under dog is here...

Random news report: I don´t know how religiously Dad is checking the news for Chile, but just incase he sees something about this, I want to clarify now before Mom has any panic attacks. In Limache (during the summer especially), fires and earthquakes are really common. Fires especially cause it´s soooo hot and theres tons of wind, so hills catch fire randomly and then burn and spread super quick. And in the last two weeks, there have been huge fires in Limache every day and a few earthquakes. BUT I´M OKAY!! Haha. The other hermana missionaries in Limache and us joke that it´s the second coming.....but seriously. On the bright side, all the smoke blocks the sun, so the sun isn´t as strong as it usually is! The past couple of days it has been raining ashes from nearby fires.....so it´s kinda like it´s snowing! ....well sorta. But yeah, we all are fine! And I´m drinking lots of water! So nooooo worries :)

But anywho, I wanted to share two things that I have learned in the past couple days. 

1) Fear is of the devil. This feeling, in it´s many forms (sadness, discouragement, anxsiety, doubts, embaressment..), it´s not of God. I´m not gonna lie, sometimes I fear a lot of things. And as a missionary, my fear is something that keeps me from having success and spiritual experiences of growth. In lots of different forms of counsel that I have been given, I´ve been told "have no fear" in one form or another. That has been on my mind a lot lately... "have no fear". And I have asked myself, how can I have no fear? So in order to find the answers that I needed, I have dedicated a lot of study time to this idea of fear. A few of the things that I have learned that have really hepled me: 

-"perfect love casteth out fear", perfect love=charity.....have charity, and you won´t have fear, you´ll realize the divine identity of those around you (including yourself) and fear will be chased away by this love, act with boldness (Moroni 8:16)

-do not fear what men can/will do (their response, whether they will like you, what they will think...NADA), the faithful WILL have the help of God "in EVERY time of trouble", trust in the power of God (D&C 3: 7-8)

-"fear not to do good", God is with us, Christ suffered and conquered all..have faith in this power, "doubt not, fear not"...faith and fear CAN´T coexist, develop the faith to overcome any fear, be built firmly in the faith, doubt your doubt before your fear, "if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail"...this is a promise from God..punto. Fin. (D&C 6:32-37)

-Just act, cause God is with us (d&c 30:11)

-the Lord will stand by us....so why have fear?? Be of good cheer, God is here!! (d&c 68:6)

2) The worth of EVERY soul is great in the sight of God. Literally every soul. Every person. Whether you personally like them or not, they are hijos de Dios and they are important in His eyes. Every baby, every abuelito, every miembro antiguo, every menos activo. Even when we pass by and they "aren´t home" (but we definitely just saw them jump behind their couch through the window.....when ever this happens, I think of the story from Dallin´s mission of " @#!*% street" and the guy with the Bojangles bag hahaha). Even then their important. NEVER forget the worth of the souls of all those around you. Visit them, love them, serve them, be their friend.

Question: Did Dallin open his present from me for Christmas? Did ya like it?? I hope so!

But my time has come to an end. I hope my spiritual rant didn´t bore y´all...there wasn´t much "news" this week. Just doin the work!

I love you all soooo much. I really can´t explain it, but know that I do!! 

Make this year somethin special!!

Love always and always, 

Hermana Abigail Page

Holy guacamole with sugar on top

First things first: I´m gonna call/Skype you guys on wednesday 25 around 5ish on the afternoon. Esta bien? I hope so cause that´s when it´s goin down. We only have 40 minutes to talk though :( so maybe we should note the important stuff to make sure we cover it!

Second things second: FELIZ NAVIDAD PARA TODOS!!!!!!!!

Now onto the real news report:
Well y´all are never gonna guess what happened in the past week...
My Argentina Hermana Barros got transfered and called as a Sister training leader in a different zone. So (sorry mom!) we had an "early christmas" and opened all of our presents cause we wanted to do it together. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!!!! I was in Heaven! And Hermana Barros was too. Thank you so much :) So I know have a new companion se llama Hermana Perez de Salvador...and she is a baby in the mission (like only has 5 days).....which means......................... I´M HER TRAINER!!! :D Yep that´s right, I´m training Hermanita Perez. Crazy right? That´s what I´m sayin..
Getting the news that you are going to train is like finding out your pregnant...and that your due the next day.
I don´t even know what to say about everything. I feel so inadequet, but I know that the Lord is supporting me. I´m so sad and I miss Hermana Barros sooooo much cause she literally was my hermana and is such a great missionary. I´m excited the President and the Lord have such great faith in me to trust me with a new missionary. Nervous cause now I have to lead out in finding, teaching, talking, helping, and in everything when I still don´t know Spanish. Excited to see miracles in the work and to help a new misionary start out. No sé.... lots of different feelings mushed together, causing me to be a squishy mess that is on the verge of a nervous breakdown at any moment... All I know is that is this is what it feels like that have kids, I dont know if I want ´em! Haha

But that´s all the time I have to explain all the nonsense, so I guess I explain more when we talk in 2 days!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...it just hit me that we really are gonna talk in 2 days! I´m so excited :)

Hasta miércoles!
I love y´all to the states and back!
Have a great Christmas Eve and do something nice for someone else!
Love always and always!
Hermana Page

Santa Baby...

I don´t think I can put into words how great it was to talk to you guys on Christmas day. To have to old banter and old laughter..and old cats. It was so great!! Thank you for y´alls counsel and support in my mission :) It really means everything.


It suddenly got HOT HOT HOT in Chile. Seriously, I wanna fan soooo bad. Like the little touristy ones that everyone has at Carowinds and Disney world that squirt water. Ahh yeah, that would be nice haha. Plus there´s a big ole hole in the ozone above Chile, so when I say hot I mean HOT. I feel like I can feel my skin baking when we are walking around. BUUUUUUT, atleast I´m getting a pretty sweeeeet tan (with really weird tan lines)!! Whooop whoooooop!


So on Friday, we were visiting our recent convert Carla, and we were about to leave when she suddenly said "Can Oscar (her son) get baptized tomorrow?" Uuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh DUHHH! He already had his interview a few weeks back and he has all the lessons but there were problems with his dad, so he could get baptized before. But when Carla said that I thought I saw the heavens open and a chorus of angels came down singing "It´s rainin´ [bautismos] HALLELUEHHHH! It´s rainin´ [bautismos], AMEN!"
So we spent all Friday running around and telling everyone and calling all of the ward counsel and all that jazz. And it turned out that this baptism had the largest attendance than any other! It was super sweet and special. Carla started crying when Oscar actually was baptised. Everything was just super cool how it all worked out. A miracle of the Lord!! (I have such a firm testimony of miracles cause of my mission....THEY EXSIST. everyday!).


But that´s all I have time to tell y´all about this week cause the timers tickin´.
Just know I love you all there and back again.
Go on an adventure. Use 2014 to be a little better and stretch a little farther...especially dad with the stretch part in his yoga. I believe you´ll reach your toes one day!! Si se puede!
Try not to conquer the world while I´m gone.
Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page