Week 38: A Conference in Santiago with Elder Neil L. Anderson!

A reunion with my friends from the Santiago CCM 

Hola Familia!!

So this week was way better than last week! This is gonna surprise you all but the best part of the week was... CLEANING!! When I got here to the apartment in Quilpue it was the nastiest things I'd ever seen and I told my companion I cannot live like this. So this morning we got up early, bought a bunch of cleaning supplies and did a deep clean of EVERYTHING. We threw away like all the trash and stuff that the other hermanas had left behind and now I can finally breathe. I was going crazy in that tiny nasty apartment for two weeks haha.

But on Thursday, we went to Santiago and Elder Anderson spoke to us. Another companionship of hermanas had a sleepover at our house the night before because we had to wake up at 4 in the morning and walk to the stake center to catch the bus at 5 am. We got to Santiago at like 8:30 and heard from Elder Villar (who spoke in general Conference btw) and Elder Anderson!! It was so awesome and Elder Anderson gave almost his whole talk in Spanish. He chastised us a little bit and said we had to be better at talking to literally every person we pass on the street. We need to talk to EVERYONE! We always pray to find the elect on the mission, but how are we going to find them if we don't talk to everyone that we see? Hermana Mackay and I have really improved and we have started to talk to literally every single person and just opening our mouths more! 

I also got to see a lot of my friends from the CCM at the conference with Elder Anderson because we had it with the Santiago West mission too!! 

This week we were able to teach Yarel! She is the funniest, sweetest 17-year-old I've ever met. She is so eager to learn and has already come to church 3 times!! She wants to get baptized but just has to ask her parents for permission! But literally, she cracks me up. haha! She is kind of like Parker and just has a never-ending encyclopedia of random facts in her head and she doesn't have any shame in sharing them hahaha. 

So that was my week haha!! It was great! I love the mission and have such a strong testimony of missionary work! I am so blessed to wear this nametag and to have this experience!! 

I love you all sooooooo much and hope you have a great week!!

Elly 

All of the missionaries in my mission with Elder Anderson...Good luck finding me. haha!

The bus ride to Santiago...My companion, Hermana Mackay, is sitting next to me. 

Got to see Hermana Wurdel again. She was visiting Quilpue with her parents. 

Just a random cow in the middle of the park!!

Weeks 36 and 37: Saying goodbye to Villa Dulce and Hello to Quilpué!

Goodbye Villa Dulce

Week 36

Hermana Snyder's email wasn't working 2 weeks ago, so we didn't get an email from her, but the pictures in this post are of her last few days in Villa Dulce. She loved serving in that area and especially loved the people.

Week 37

Hola Familia!! So I am now in Quilpué! It's a little different than Villa Dulce. Right now we don't have that many people to teach and it seems like everyone that lives here is over 80 years old. Not a bad thing...just different. :) We have been walking a lot haha. My companion and I have been praying and thinking a lot about how we can work smarter not harder. Every sector is different and we just haven't figured out the best way to work here yet. But yesterday in church we received like 7 references from members of people that they would like us to visit... and then one more at night! So that was a miracle because my whole mission it has been really hard to get the members to give us references. 

Hermana Mackay is my companion and I love her!! She is from Utah and she is probably the sweetest, kindest person I have ever met. She is a little shy but is a great missionary and we get along really really well!

Oh yeah we have 2 wards and 2 sectors! The elders were taken out of a sector and now we are in charge of 2 wards that meet in two different chapels at the same time! So I have no idea how we are going to be able to go to two wards and teach people in two sectors haha. It's going to be a crazy cambio. 

I really like my new zone. All the missionaries are awesome and a lot of fun. We played dodgeball for like 3 hours today and it was soo fun. 

Honestly, this week was kinda hard for me. I really really really miss Villa Dulce and I'm trying to love my new sector and the Ward. But it was really hard for me to leave the people we were teaching because I know they are so close to being baptized and we just became such good friends. 

But I love you guys I hope you had a great Easter! I know Christ is our Savior and I'm so grateful I am here sharing his gospel with everyone!

Hermana Snyder

Week 35: I love being a missionary!

Hola Familia!!!

I just love the mission! With all the stress, being tired, walking forever, and having people reject us every day, it is all worth it!!! I have never felt the spirit more in my life and I have never felt the presence of my Savior more. It is soooo awesome!! 

Isn't Conference just the best weekend of the whole year! General Conference on the mission is like Christmas! I was always excited for Conference, but I think before the mission I was just excited that I could stay home in my pajamas. But seriously it is a lot more than just being able to stay home. It is literally the words of the prophets. I was able to watch it in English so that was awesome! I just hung onto every single word and when President Nelson said "Do it now, time is running out" I literally felt my heart pounding so hard. There is a lot I need to work on and I don't think we realize how little time we have. Of course, I loved Elder Uchtdorfs talk because he said that missionaries are angels haha. I have to agree to that.

With lots of faith we are going to have two baptisms this Saturday! Carolina y Franco came to conference with their mom and now they just need the interview! We have a lot of faith in them so please pray that they will be able to be baptized this week!!

We went to Valparaiso for p day which was hype! This city has so many cool little streets with lots of murals, and we just explored all day. I have lots of pictures to send!!

But yeah, I just have to say how much I love being a missionary. The best part is the people. I can't even express the love I have for the members, investigators, and other missionaries. I have definitely made some lifelong friends here in the mission and some memories that I will never forget!! 

I love you all! 

Hermana Snyder

Week 34: So much teaching...So little time!

It's getting cold here! Winter is coming! 

OMG, this week has been crazy!! 

First of all, it got really really cold, really really fast. I am now wearing tights and a coat every day. It's so weird because last week I was sweating from the heat!! 

We also had zone conference and I was able to see a lot of mission friends from other zones so that was awesome!! 

The crazy part is we have 4 people with a baptism date in 2 weeks and cambios (transfers) are also in 2 weeks!! Abraham is finally going to get baptized and we have been working really hard with Daniela! Daniela's mom was inactive but since we started teaching their family her mom (Maricel) has completely changed!! She goes to church every sunday, is sharing the gospel with her friends, reading the book of mormon, and is a part of the ward now! Daniela wants with all her heart to get baptized but wants to wait a little bit. She doesnt feel ready just yet. 

We had a FHE with Daniela and her whole family and it was super fun! We played games, ate churipan (its like mini hot dogs) and also shared a spiritual message. When we got there they were all watching a soccer game between ColoColo 

(the team from Santiago) and Iquique (from the north) Daniela pulled out two ColoColo jerseys so we could put them on and take pictures haha. IT was waaaayy fun and I just love their family! Daniela is the cutest and I just really really hope she gets baptized before cambios! (Idk but I have a feeling I'm being transferred)

Carolina and Franco are also progressing and man we are teaching so many people!!! It is such a blessing that there are so many people who want to hear the gospel! The last two weeks so many investigators, recent converts, and less actives have been coming to church and it just makes me so happy every Sunday!! The field is white and ready to harvest especially in Villa Dulce!! I love being here and having so much work to do! I love the gospel and I'm pumped for General Conference!!!

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Snyder

Zone Conference