4 Months...

Hola mi familia! Como estan? 

Sabe que? I have 4 months in the mission. Can y´all believe that? I can..but can´t but can... Eh, I don´t know. It´s weird. And then after this next transfer is my "yearish left" mark. Que en el mundo?

But I´ve been doing a lot of reflection this past week about the mission. And honestly, it sounds cliche cause it is what everyone says, but it really is the best time of your life...and the worst time, all wrapped up into one. One day you are on the verge on tears and super depressed cause...tons of different things. And then in a different moment, you couldn´t image being happier in your life because of simple things or steps of faith oooorr I don´t know, lots of stuff!

In a mission, I think that this is the time in your life when you are going to be closer to God and the Savior than in any other time in your life. You learn to literally rely on them in every moment, with every problem, saddness, and doubt. And yeah, at times we all forget stuff like that and then we learn it again and our testimonies of the divinity of Christ grow. It´s kinda funny isn´t it? How in one moment we have a super strong convinction of something and then after time, we forget or we lose it and then we learn it again....siiiiighh human probs I guess. 

But really, this week, I have spent a lot of time on my knees. And now, I can testify that prayer is real. God really listens. He listens to every question, every sad event, every happy moment..He listens. And He answers. Always, He answers. It´s not always through the means that we are expecting. Sometimes He answers through ourselves, sometimes through feelings, sometimes through things that happen in our day, and sometimes through other people. But it doesn´t matter in what form He responds to our needs and questions, because the point is that He does. I know that with all my heart. And I am so grateful for the peace and rest our souls can find through prayer. And I´m so grateful for the miracles big and small that we can see in our lives through prayer.

And about Christmas, apparently we use Skype in this mission, so Mom, if you would be so kind to send me my old skype info (like username and password) so I will be able to skype you guys on Christmas, I would be extremely grateful. As for the time...I have no idea. Sorry :/ We are going to be in the house of a less active and her family so we need to confirm the plans with her first. So I´ll let you know next week at what time exactly...we are thinkin in the late afternoon though.

But that´s all for this week! I love you guys sooo much, and I´ll talk to you in 9 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love always and always, 

Hermana Abigail Page

Baby it's (hot) outside...

 

 

 

 

To start with the most important news first... (coughcoughcough) I GOT 3 PACKAGES THIS WEEK!!! Woooooooooooooooooooooooo and a boat-load of letters!!!!! Whooooopwhooopp! But now all the elders in my district officially hate me haha. Poor fellas who don´t have a ´Momma Page´  like mine ;) I´m so excited to go home and open ´em all up...EARLY CHRISTMAS! whatwhat!

After mom told me that a package for Hermana Barros was in the mail, I told her that I was going to pray for a package for her. And she (on multiple occasions) called me crazy and told me no and didnt believe she could get one. But I just kept asking her, "Donde esta su fe, hermanita??" tehehe....Secret Santas are the best! Today she was so confused when the elders handed her her big ´ole package! She is so grateful for it Momma, so thank you! She kept telling everyone "this is from the family of hermana Page!!" :) (she is gonna write you an email to say thanks, mom.....but it´ll be in spanish. so dallin or matt...or google translate should be able to help you). 

Oh, one more things about packages that is super funny but slightly uncomfortable. Our zone leaders and district leaders pick up our mail about once a transfer and then bring it to us. But of course they are curious, so they read the customs form on the outside that says whats inside...eh ya mom, next time PLEASE don´t put "tampons and bra" on the customs form!! Oh how uncomfortable it is when the other elders ask the ZL´s/DL´s what I got and they turn a little red and say "ask hermana page youself". Bahahaha...poor little guys. 

Summer Christmas is so weird. I don´t think I´m gonna get used to it anytime soon. In general I´m just really confused with the other hotness and Santa Claus and Christmas lights and the sun not setting til 9 stuff all at the same time.. Eh, whatdaya do.

Anywho, to be honest, I don´t have much to say this week. It´s been a crazy week...but crazy normal for a missionary. Lots of walking (and sometimes running). Lessons...spanish (ha)...more walkin.. ya how we do. 

Oh! We are in a  trio until 18 de December with one of the hermanas of the other side of Limache (there are 2 areas en Limache), pero ahora we have both areas to manage. Limache is en our control!!!!!! Nahh, just kiddin´. The only difference is that know, we walk and contact TWICE as much. Wooo. But I really like Hermana Lopez and Hermana Barros, so ´erdays a fiesta...but all we want is una siesta. Haha, see what I did there? Ahhh, I crack myself up sometimes. 

Oh pucha! It´s time to leave! 

I love you all and I hope the you all are enjoying the Christmas season! Please remember your Savior in this of the year. Through Him, we are never alone; through Him we have hope and joy in this life; and through him, we truly can live again. Of this I  am certain. Oh what joy this sweet sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives. With all my heart I know He lives. Turn to him, and watch the miracles. 

Love you all to the moon and back again. More than words can describe!

Choose the right. 

Love always and always, 

Hermana Abigail Page

Cowboy take me away...

This week we had intercambios (splits) with the sister training leaders..and it was my turn to stay in Limache. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous after they called us cause it was going to be my the first time in Limache without Hermana Barros. And then after the sister training leaders phone call, our district leader called and asked if I could teach in the district meeting the next morning...and that the assitants were going to be there. Of course I said yes, but after I hung up, I kind of had a panic attack (not gonna lie). The next day, there were no buses in Limache so we were late to intercambios and then late to the district meeting...and so when we got to the district meeting we started opening the door saying "lo siento, lo siento, lo-- PRESIDENTE??" ...Yep, the mission PRESIDENTE was sittin´ in one of the chairs  cause he had decided to attend the meeting as well. I about turned around and left the meeting..or died right there, one or the other. Talk about crazy day, ya?? It was crazy when ya think about all the stuff that happened. But to be honest, it was one of my favorite days in my mission so far! I think it´s because I kinda of proved to myself that I know more than I think I know, that I can lead out, and that I am a good missionary. It was a day of...progress? Ehh, that´s not the right word, but my english is failing me and I can´t think of the one I want. That´s a good sign right??

And there is no doubt in my mind that the only reason things worked out okay and I was about to do everything during intercambios is through the grace and power of the Lord. I prayed like the dickens during all of this, and I know that the Lord was there helping me every step of the way..with spanish, with confidence, with remembering stuff, with the spirit, with TODO. I am so grateful that we have a merciful and powerful Savior who can help us with each unsure step and make our weakness strengths. Surely he is a God of miracles :)

yyyyyyy Yep, but other than that, it was a normal ´ole week in the life of a missionary...and I´m here, livin´ the life :)

(Oh and yes Mom, I got more letters! But I myself won´t get them til our next district meeting....and the zone leaders are going to Viña next week, so I´m hoping they will come back with my Christmas package! YAAAYY CHRISTMAS)

Let´s all for this week folks! 

I love you all there and back again!! Thank you for your prayers and letters and emails and for being my family/friends. Y´all mean the world to me!

Til next week!

Love always and always, 

Hermana Abigail Page

Earls gotta die...

 I HATE PULGAS. Oh wait, y´all don´t know what pulgas are...pulgas are fleas. And I swoney they are minions of Satan that LOVE to eat missionries in Chile alive in the dead of night. It´s terrible cause when we go to bed, we are so ready and excited to sleep, but then we don´t want to sleep at the same time cause we know that we are going to wake up with new pulga bites... Eh.
But on a more happy note, Saturday was the baptism of SUPER SERGIOOOO. Well his name is actually just Sergio, but we always call him "Super Sergio" because he was probably the easiest, most golden investigator in the history of the world. He actually was the first person I taught a lesson to here in Limache on my first real day...and now he is a member! Crazy, huh? My first contact-to-baptism experience.
Funny story about his baptism real quick: Gustavo (the baptizer) didn´t explain the whole process of the actual baptism by immersion. So Sergio only has his nose hand in the palm of Gustavo, the other is hangin by his side, and the arm of Gustavo that´s supposed to support Sergio´s back has recently had surgery so it doesn´t have any strength. So after the whole "having the authority...lalala", at the dunkaroo part, Sergio starts leaning forward to go heads first, Gustavo tries to stop him, Sergio then doesn´t know whats going on so he grabs the side of the font for dear life as he is trying to squat in the water to go under, Gustavo´s trying to push him down in the water backwards, finally Sergio lets go and goes down in the water but them Gustavo´s lame arm cant lift him up.....hahaha. It was quite the process...but it counted! And that´s all that matters right? In a few years from now everybody will laugh about it. But Sergio is still super and the most adorable slightly oldish guy every so it all turned out well :)
Other than the fact that he was so prepared by the Lord beforehand, another thing that really helped with Sergio was the fact that for almost every single lesson, we had members present.
 Honestly, with how perfect everything was with the coversion of Sergio, I now have such a testimony of the role of members in the conversions of investigators. Without the members working with us missionaries in every phase of the work, we aren´t going to have much lasting success. EVERY MEMBER A MISSIONARY. I know we get tried of getting the "missionary work" speech..trust me, I know. I´ve been on the other side. But now I´m on the other other side. And I can see that missionaries need members, and members need missionaries. One without the other doesn´t make much sense.
So this is my invitation to you all este semana. Work with the missionaries. Be a missionary without the tag. When the missionaries call needing your help, drop what you´re doing and answer. When they ask you to fellowship an investigator, do it. When you see an opportunity to open your month and talk about the gospel with friends, be bold and trust in the Lord. Make sacrafices so the work can progress! I wish I would have done that before my mission with the missionaries.
I know that if we all labor a little harder in the Lord´s vineyard, we will see miracles. Cause I know with all my heart that miracles exsist. We just gotta trust in the Lord and put our best foot forward in faith.
That´s all folks. Not too too much this week that I have time to share... Time? What is time? They don´t have that here... Mom, maybe you could ship me some, cause I miss that stuff..
Be good this week. Remember who you are and what you stand for. Have the day you have!
Chau chau mis amigos!
Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page

Elves with attitude...

Happy Thanksgiving this week!! Wow, I´m gonna miss Thanksgiving and good ´ole American eats this Thursday. It´s so strange to me that´s Thanksgiving time cause here it´s all opposite-like (and cause they don´t have cool stories of Indians eatin´ once with gringos here), and also it´s so strange that I´m gonna be sweating at Christmas..Summertime Christmas...Qué en el mundo?? My mind and body is just confused all around with this opposite hemisphere nonsense.. But I had hot chocolate (with marshmellows!) the other day, and I felt like it was Christmas at home :)

There´s the news you´ve all been waiting for... I GOT MAIL!!! WOOOOoooOOHHhhoOOOoOOooooOooo! And lots of it. In fact, I kind of got my whole zone mad/jealous with all the mail...hehe. 16 letters! Talk about it´s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Half from Mom and Dad, and then letters from Sis. Gardiner/Ben and Lucy, Sis. Mitchell, Leslie, Rachel Schmitt, Stephanie Nanto, and Bro. Hamby! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank y´all sooo much! I stayed up late that night and read them all cause I couldn´t sleep knowing I had them haha. 

This week I wanna tell y´all about someone in our ward named Marcel. 

Some background: Marcel has only been a member of the church for about 6 months. He goes to every activity (clase ingles, baptisms, noche de capilla...you name it, and he is there), and he knows every person. A few years back, he was jumped by some friends of his ex-wife, so now Marcel has a lot of health problems...like he is on the verge of mentally and physically handicapped in lots of ways. But to be honest, I don´t think that I have met a sweeter soul in my life. 

He collects boxes (and the such) and gives them to the recycle people for income, so obviously he doesn´t have a lot to go around. But always Marcel is the first to buy you a "regalito" (gift). For example, he bought us sodas at the tienda the other day because it was super hot; he bought Hermana Barros a Disney English/Spanish activity book  to help her learn english; he bought a boy a new white shirt and tie for his mission; and when I was sick a while back it brought me cough drops and soda. 

I don´t know how to tell you guys just how sweet he is, but I can assure y´all that I know for a fact of is one of the most choice spirits our heavenly father has. He makes my day when we see him, and he is such an example to me of selfless service and charity and kindness. And I honestly want to be more like him in a lot of ways.

So this is my invitation this week to you guys: (I know you don´t know Marcel, but I´m sure you guys know someone in your lives who is just like him...someone who has nothing and gives everything..) This week, serve some. Love someone. Help someone who maybe never asks for it. I know that if we all do this this week..and every week after for that matter.. we are going to begin to feel the purest form of love. We are going to start to feel Christ´s love. And then we will begin to take steps to be more like Christ. 

..Besides, it´s Thanksgiving and Christmas time..what better time to serve people??

That´s all I´ve got for this week though. I love you all, and I hope with all my guts (ew, graphic) that you guys have a great week!

Love always and always, 

Hermana Abigail Page

Hey there, Delilah

First off, Hermana Barros and I are together in Limache for another transfer... whoop WHOOP!

Second off, this email isn´t going to be too long because this p-day has been crazy, so lo siento ahora por eso. 

But I want to share a quick experience that I had this week: 

This week we had a Noche de Hogar (Family home evening) with our recent convert Carla, her family, our other recent convert Jaime and his girlyfriend, and also with lots of other families in our ward. To be honest it was kinda a gathering of almost all my favorite people in Limache. Hermana Barros and I were teaching a lesson about the tatics of Satan, honesty, and fortifying ourselves. At one point, everyone was going around sharing experiences and their testimonies, all squished together like a big ole family in the little living room, and I was sitting there soaking it all in.. listening and feeling and enjoying. And then BOOM, the spirit hit me like a ton of bricks. It was one of those moments when the stars align and everything seems clear, ya know? Anywho, in my head this was kinda sorta what went down: "Wow, the spirit is so strong right now. It´s so weird that I don´t even know hardly anything (the spanish) that´s going on but I can feel of the truth and spirit and the love in this room. Wow, the Church is soo true. I feel so much love for these people right now. I literally feel like a family. These people ARE my family here. Wow, I love the people of Chile and I love the people I´m serving  and I love my companion and my mission so much. WOAH, lots of love and the spirit.....don´t cry, don´t cry......"

Before the mission, Dad told me "love the people and love your companion, and you will have found your pearl of great price".

Well, sitting in that living room on Friday night, I think I found my pearl of great price :) 

Sorry it´s short but that´s all for this week! 

Thank you so much for all of your support, and emails, and prayers, and everything else you all do in my behalf!! It literally makes my week when I get to enjoy it all. I love you all like no other, and I pray for you guys all the time. I hope all is well, and you guys are finding blessings and miracles every day. I know miracles exist, and I know my Savior lives. 

CTR cada día my peeps.

Love always and always, 

Hermana Abigail Page

"Hola Satanas! Tenemos un mensaje sobre Jesucristo.."

Happy belated Halloween! People here "try" to celebrate Halloween, but it´s too American for some people, so it´s just an awkward holiday down here to tell ya the truth.. Some people get REALLY into it, and others think you are a devil worshipper if you even think about muttering "dulce or truco (trick or treat)". So yep. As a missionary it´s even more awkward cause you´re like "Hola little boy dressed up as Satan, tenemos un mensaje sobre Jesucristo para usted" ...or  "Hola little children, come get dulce and salvación"  OR "(eellllllllllooooo knock-knock equivalent) Hola como esta? Somos misio- Uh, no we aren´t here for candy--uhh-awkward. Podemos compartir-- ehh--no quiere? Okay nevermind. Tenga un bien noche." All around it´s just a lose-lose situacion. But I realize one thing...being a missionary is just glorified trick-or-treating in a way...but backwards. We go door to door offering "candy" to people.....yep, that´s pretty it in a nut shell. 

When I went on exchanges this week, my feet and legs got attacked by fleas (pulgas) in the other area. My feet liked like a red shrek or somethin...muy feo. The next day I felt like I was walking on fire. Not fun, incase you were wondering. But after some magic cream-gel-stuff  from  my sweet compañera, all is well that ends well, and my feet are back to their normal color and size..WOOO.

Miracle for the week: my very first day as a missionary in Limache, we contacted and did a quick first lesson with a man named Sergio (my first nuevo). We didn´t think much of it cause in the next weeks you couldn´t find him again.....(time passed until yesterday) POOF. He has a baptism date...and I INVITED him to be baptized! :D Long story short, Sergio is in his 50´s, loves to ride his bike, is kinda quieter, but literally the sweetest little guy there is! He kinda reminds me of Dad now that I think about it!! Woah... anywho, once we found Sergio again about two weeks ago he has been golden! Seriously! Sergio has come to church both the past Sundays and reads and chose his own baptismal date and loves the "paz interior" of the gospel and he loves to listen and learn lots and he is a straight up G to be frank. I just think it´s really cool cause he is my first "contact to baptism" ya know?

Anywho, that´s about it for this week. Wednesday is transfers, but I think I´m safe cause I´m mid-training, so that´s good. I´ve been here a whole transfer??? So weird... Seriously time is so weird. Days are long, weeks blur together so quickly, and then after a blink of an eye a whole transfer is over! 

I´m learning to enjoy every moment good, bad, early, hot, cold.....TODO! 

I am so grateful to be a missionary. I am starting to see what people were saying when they say it´s the hardest two years/year and a half but also the best. That´s my new goal...to make this without a doubt the best year and a half of my life. Wish me luck!

Hasta próximo lunes, I LOVE YOU GUYS..more than words or thoughts or emails can describe. Be good while I´m gone.

Love always and always, 

Hermana Page

**For Christmas (or any other time if I´m too late por Navidad): I want an etsy bracelet like Jaclyn´s that says "Have no fear"....it´s my favorite line from my pat. blessing and it helps me a lot in my mission. Ya know, casual and comfy like I like it...something I can wear ´erday.