Week 67: Christmas is coming!

Hola Familia!!

This week we had to be inside tuesday and thursday because there are still a lot of protests and crazy things happening in Chile. A lot of people are really discouraged and it is affecting jobs, school, and basically everything. As difficult as the situation is, it actually helps with missionary work because people are more willing to listen. They need a little more hope and love in their lives and they need to believe in God now more than ever. We have had some pretty cool contacting experiences of people that understand and are touched by the spirit. 

This week we decorated our house for Christmas! We opened a closet and found a ton of decorations and just went crazy. (The things you do when you are stuck inside. haha!) 

Its also getting pretty hot here now that summer has started and living so close to the ocean is a blessing and a curse. I love seeing the ocean, but it is so tempting not to grab a surfboard and jump in. haha! 

Something funny that happened a few weeks ago that I forgot to write...We helped a 90 year old man that we met contacting houses, in his garden and after like 30 minutes he offered us coca-cola and we accepted. He then said that its really good if you put pisco in it (pisco is a type of alcohol) and we were like, no thanks we´re good. We don't actually drink alcohol. He went inside to get the coca-cola, but we definitely watched him pour it and make sure he didn't put any surprises inside. haha! It was really funny.  Don't worry, he wasn't creepy... he was a really sweet old man and was so grateful that we helped him. 

We dont have a lot of people right now that are really progressing, so please pray that we will find Gods children here in Chile that are ready and prepared to accept the gospel! 

I love you guys and hope you have an awesome week! 

Decorating for Navidad

Views from the top of our apartment building.

We do half of our studies at night now because we have to be in by 8:00 pm every night. So, we decided to do our companionship study on the roof and watch the sunset. 

Week 66: Antonella's and Melissa's Baptisms!

Hola Familia!!

ANTONELLA SE BAUTIZÓ! (ANTONELLA WAS BAPTIZED) It was really sweet and her whole family came. Even her dad who lives in Santiago traveled for one day to see her baptism! So many members came to support her and she looked like a little angel in her white dress and flowers in her hair. She came out of the water with the biggest smile on her face and said she loved her baptism because the water was so warm haha. a really big miracle was that her mom, Pia, said that she wants to start reading the book of mormon and asked us for her own copy! Pia didn't believe in God or anything before we started teaching her family, but she said that she has seen a difference in Antonella and her family since we started visiting them. She said she really likes the church and we can see her faith starting to grow. Niños are the best! They are so pure and willing to follow Christ and I hope with my whole heart that she will be able to help her family come unto Christ as well! 

Nelson told us last week that he has a lot of personal problems and that he needs some time alone to sort them out. So that was really sad because he was progressing so well! But maybe right now isnt his time. I know he has a testimony so his time will come! 

Today we went to La Cruz! its a huge cross on top of one of the hills in Coquimbo. Weve been wanting to go this whole cambio and we finally went. I LOVE MY ZONE! Everyone is so chill and we have so much fun together. on the bus ride home we were all making raps in Spanish about missionary work and it was hilarious. 

We had 2 intercambios last week and it was really fun to work and learn from the other hermanas here. I'm the oldest hermana here in the northern part of the mission (or the one who has the most time) actually I'm one of the oldest in the whole mission. haha! But I still learn new things from all the other missionaries here. 

ALSO MELISSA FROM QUILPUE GOT BAPTIZED TOO! she emailed me and she seems so happy. I'm sooooooo happy for her! 

I'm so grateful for the miracles I've seen! The gospel is true and I know Christ is leading this work!

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Snyder

Antonella and her family 

Melissa's Baptism! Sad I couldn't be there, but oh so happy for her. 

Week 65: A little miracle and a lot of answered prayers

A great view of Coquimbo

Hola Familia!!

This week we saw a huge miracle! On wednesday hermana brooks didnt feel good so she laid down in the morning and so I started looking through the area book for people that the missionaries have already taught. I found a name and in the afternoon we went to look for her. We got to the street but the number of the house didnt exist. We stood there for like two minutes because we didnt feel like we should leave. We turned to the first house on the corner and rang the doorbell. A woman from Colombia walked out with her two kids and we started talking. After a minute or two she invited us inside! She has a lot of faith and she told us that she had actually been praying to be able to find a church in Chile. She belonged to a church in Colombia but hasnt been able to find one in her 3 years that shes been living here. We taught her about the restoration and at the end of the lesson we invited her to pray and ask if it was true. We knelt down and she prayed and after she told us that she felt something special that she had never felt before. She told us that she knows that us coming to her house was an answer to her prayer! 

We visited her again on saturday and she told us that after we left her house earlier that week that she felt the spirit so strong and got emotional. She told us that God answered her prayer and that she actually feels a difference in her home and in her family. But wait... theres more!! Her husband (better said, her fiancee that shes living with) is a member!! She though he was atheist and had no idea that he ever belonged to a church. But no! He is a member and told her all good things about the church and that he is even willing to go with her when she wants to go!! Her name is Patricia and we have so much faith in her! Sorry that was a really long story but It was soo cool to see the spirit literally work in front of our eyes and testify to Patricia that the restored gospel is true. 

Antonella is getting baptized this saturday and if everything works out Nelson should too! The problem with Nelson is that he is so hard to find because he works a lot. but we have taught him everything and he wants to get baptized! He has committed to keeping all the commandments so please pray that everything will work out!! 

We also had zone conference and leadership council this week. So I got to meet all the missionaries from the northern part of the mission and see all my friends at the leadership council in Viña. It was so fun and the bus ride down to Viña was way shorter this time (only 6 hours each way!) 

Halloween exists in Chile and its the same as in the US but I didnt see much because that was the night we got to Viña and we have to be inside by 8 pm every night due to the protests that are still going on. 

Sorry this email is way long, but I love you guys! That sucks about all the fires in Thousand Oaks I hope everyone is ok. 

Que tengan una buena semana!

Hermana Snyder

We went to McDonalds and I got a happy meal

My district (they are the best. haha hermana brooks and I are the only gringas)

The other hermanas in Coquimbo (we threw a little party for one of the hermanas who is a convert and it was the anniversary of her baptism. We made her put on a baptism dress that we found in the apartment. haha!) 

hermana brooks and I with Antonella

All the hermanas from zone conference

Me with a can of "ecco" (its like coffee but not) that we gave to Nelson to help him stop drinking coffee.