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

Week 33: BATEM! BATEM!

Joel with our ward mission leader who baptized him.

Hola todos!!

Joel got baptized on Saturday!!! Batem means baptism in Creole haha. (Joel and his wife are from Haiti) Let me tell you guys his story. In the area book, we have lists of hundreds of names and addresses of people that the previous missionaries have contacted. They are just people that missionaries met on the street and gave their address. About 2 months ago we saw Joel's name and just added it to the list of people we were going to visit that day. We passed by the house and his wife opened the door and said we could come back on Saturday. We came back and Joel was home with a bunch of his friends. There was a bunch of bottles of alcohol out and as we started talking about the gospel Joel said he could never get baptized because he likes to drink too much. After that we weren't sure what to do but we went back the next Saturday and Joel opened the door and said he was preparing everything to go to church the next day!! AND HE CAME WITH HIS WIFE AND BABY! From that point on, we began teaching him the restored gospel and with lots of help from the Spirit and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Joel was able to quit drinking alcohol and coffee in like 2 weeks. He accepted everything we taught him and after about 2 months he was baptized!! All throughout those 2 months, he said he was trying his best to fix everything in his life to be baptized and he did it!! 

On Saturday he arrived early all dressed in his white clothes and we saw him enter the waters of baptism!! A lot of ward members came and it was such an awesome day full of the spirit! The atonement is so real and as a missionary, I have a front row seat in watching how it changes lives. It makes all the long days of walking in the hot sun or freezing cold (It's getting really cold in Vina) worth it just to help one person come unto Christ! I know Joel is going to stay a faithful member of the church and one day baptize his wife and daughter! Joel is so special and has really become a disciple of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to teach him and see him change!

And let me just say his daughter, Joessie, is the cutest little Haitianita I have ever seen in my whole life! Its so lame the mission rule that we can't hold babies. haha

Have a great week everyone!!

Week 32: Baptism next week, hopefully!

 At the Villa Dulce Ward Relief Society anniversary celebration! 

Hola Familia!

So I've been sick like all week with a sinus infection and then I got my companion sick. So we´ve basically been dying all week haha. 

Also Abraham wasn't baptized. He said he didn't feel ready so we are hoping and praying for this week! But Joel committed to be baptized this Saturday!!!! He has come to church 5 times, he chose who he wants to baptize him, he answered all the questions to the interview, no sweat! We have a lot of faith in him so PLEASE everyone set a little time aside in your prayers to pray for Joel!!

Not much to tell this week. We basically do the same thing every day haha. We had to drop a few people we were teaching because they weren´t progressing so now we are on the hunt for more!

But even on those hard long days where we walk and walk, I remind myself why I am here! I am not here for myself! This mission is not about me. It doesn't matter if I am tired, or bored, or sick of people rejecting us. I'm here because the Lord called me and because I am his mouthpiece! I have seen first hand that it is not missionaries that convert people, it is the spirit and the hand of the Lord! 

Love you all!! Until next Monday!

Week 31: Things are looking sweet in Villa Dulce!

Marcela and her whole family came to visit me in Villa Dulce! They are the sweetest!

Hola Familia!!

We are going to have a baptism this week!! So remember the family that just rolled into sacrament meeting last week? They came because the daughter wanted to bless her baby. Well, the family doesn't have much interest in the church but we started teaching their son, Abraham, last week. He said as soon as he walked into the church he knew it was the house of the Lord. He accepted to be baptized in the first lesson and was actually disappointed when he found out he had to wait a WHOLE 2 WEEKS  to be baptized haha. He is really sweet and so excited for his baptism! 

Joel also has a baptism date for this Saturday, but doesn't feel completely ready. He said he has to fix some things in his life before but won't tell us what he needs to fix. It's a little hard to help him because we don't know how. he was able to give up alcohol and coffee so I know he really wants to be baptized. So even though it's not this week I know it will be soon! 

We found another family where the mom is inactive but her daughters are really interested in the church and they came to church yesterday! The mom for the first time in like 20 years and her daughter Daniela who is 22! Daniela is the cutest! She is so friendly and outgoing and I just want to be her best friend. haha. The downside is that in relief society there was a heated argument about feminism between 2 sisters. It was super super uncomfortable and my companion and I just wanted to leave with Daniela and her mom before any real damage was done. We are still a little worried that they aren't gonna want to come back to church after that scene. 

ALSO, MARCELA AND HER WHOLE FAMILY CAME TO THE WARD IN VILLA DULCE TO VISIT ME YESTERDAY! IT WAS THE BEST DAY EVER AND MARCELA BROUGHT EMPANADAS FOR ME AND HERMANA DEL VALLE! 

But we have been working hard and finally seeing the fruits of our labors! I love the ward! and I love this sector! Some days are really hard but its all worth it! 

Con mucho amor!! 

Hermana Snyder

These pictures are of us with the Mardones family. They are probably one of my favorite families in Chile. Yesterday we had lunch with them and we laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. They went to a Daddy Yankee concert last night (Parker should know who DaddyYankee is) and so one of the pics is of us with Daddy Yankee masks. haha! They are the best!

Week 30: Miracles are happening!

Hola Familia!!

Miracles keep happening in Villa Dulce! Yesterday at church, Joel and his wife Mikerlande came to church with their baby! We had a lesson with Joel this week and we were a little nervous because we planned to teach the word of wisdom and we knew he likes to drink. When we first taught him a month ago he said he didn't want to be baptized because he liked to drink. But as we kept teaching him, we really saw the hand of God change him. Before we even started the lesson on the word of wisdom he said "Hermanas, I committed yesterday to stop drinking because I know I can't be a man of God if I am drinking"  He didn't even know it was a commandment to not drink!! He just stopped because he knew he needed too!! We taught the word of wisdom and he was a little disappointed that he can't drink coffee but he said if God can help him quit drinking alcohol, he can help him quit drinking coffee too! He is sooo awesome and I have really seen the gospel change his life in the past month!

Also a whole family who aren't members just walked into church yesterday out of nowhere! Ok not out of nowhere, the daughter in the family is friends with a member and wants to bless her baby in the church. After church, we talked to them and they want to learn more so we are going to teach them tomorrow!! MIRACLES!!!

We also found a family where the mom and one of the daughters are members (inactive) and the other two kids aren't members. We taught the whole family and the kids want to be baptized! The mom and daughter who are members came to church for the first time in like 10 years yesterday! The kids who aren't members (Carolina y Franco) couldn't come because they went to visit their dad for the weekend but we are going to try to get them to come next Sunday! 

Today was fun, Hermana Del Valle and I went to Viña to go shopping with Keila (a recent convert). Keila is hilarious and has such a strong testimony. She is like our best friend in the ward and she showed us all around Viña. 

Oh and one other miracle that happened this week...We started teaching a woman named Daniela. She just let us in her house and we started teaching the Doctrine of Jesus Christ. She lives alone and has been without a job for a long time. We could tell that she was feeling really sad and lonely. We started talking about prayer and she said it has always been hard for her to pray. That she has never fully trusted in God. We bore our testimonies of prayer and she started to cry and committed to pray that day. The next day we called Daniela and GUESS WHAT?!!  She told us that she prayed as soon as we left the house and the next day she found a job!!!! If that's not a miracle I don't know what is! Its pretty rare that we get answers that quickly to our prayers haha. We met with her again and I asked her if she believes it was the hand of God that helped her find a job and she said absolutely. She didn't come to church so that was a little disappointing, but we are going to keep teaching her!

But this week pray for Joel, Mikerlande, Carolina, and Franco!!! There is a lot of work to be done here in Villa Dulce! I love being a missionary and sharing the gospel! I love all the people I have met here in Villa Dulce but most of all I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! There are so many people here that need to hear the gospel and I am blessed to be the one to deliver this message!! 

I love you all and am praying for you every day!!

Love Hermana Snyder

With Keila

Shopping in Viña

Week 29: One of the Hardest and Best weeks!

Balloons we got from a member for Valentine's Day! Yes, they celebrate it here in Chile too.

So this week was one of the hardest and best weeks of my whole mission.

Exactly a week ago we got a message from Karen that said, Hermanas after a lot of prayers and thought, I've decided not to get baptized but thank you for all your love and effort. We got that message riding back home on the bus and we both just felt our hearts sink to the floor. We sent her a message saying that we care a lot about her and want to visit with her the next day to find out what happened. She didn't respond to us for 2 WHOLE DAYS. I thought that she wanted nothing to do with the church and that she wanted to leave it altogether. That first night we got the message, I cried so much! I cried so much because I care so much about her. She is going through a hard time in her life right now and I know that the gospel is exactly what she needs right now! I know it will help her so much and it was so hard to see her reject it. We were finally able to see her on Thursday and she told us that she still doesn't feel 100 percent sure. She doesn't feel in her heart yet that this is the true church. She wants to keep trying though! She said she is going to keep reading the book of Mormon and keep praying and going to church! That was a HUGE relief! We had a really spiritual lesson with her and I know one day she is going to be baptized. It may not be this month or the next but we are going to do all we can to help her!

A miracle that happened this week is that we were able to find two families from Venezuela who are super receptive! There are a lot of immigrants from Venezuela here in Chile because things are so bad right now in that country. But Arreany and her mom (two people from one of the families) came to church yesterday! They both don't have jobs right now and are super worried, but the bishop talked to them about how he can help. I hope we can keep teaching them and help them spiritually while the bishop helps them financially. 

Another miracle is that Joel, the Haitiano that we are teaching, told us that he wants to get baptized and set an example for his wife and daughter! He said he knows he needs to fix a lot of things in his life and is willing to make changes to be a "man of God"!! He came to church yesterday all by himself with his little baby Joessie. She was in the cutest little white dress. He is so humble and so prepared by the Lord. I have a lot of faith in him!! 

This week started with a big disappointment, but ended with miracles and a lot of hope! Trust in the Lord's timing because everything is according to his will! We are teaching a lot of people here in Villa Dulce so please pray for them! 

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

Love Hermana Snyder

One night there was no one in the street so we took pictures on random exercise equipment. haha!

Week 28: Que Loco! More family phone calls! So exciting!

My district in Villa Dulce

Hola Familia!!

PARKER, THAT'S SO FREAKING AWESOME! ONE MORE COUGAR IN THE FAM! Seriously, I was actually getting nervous thinking about it right before I got online to write but I'm so happy he got into BYU!! He deserves it!!

And que loco the new announcement about communication with the family on the mission! I'm not sure though how it is going to work exactly. It's a little hard for me because the phone I have won't do video calls and I can't call internationally, but I want to call you guys next week through google hangouts! Here in my mission we can call 2 times per transfer.  This cyber doesn't have webcams but I think I can still call. So just be ready around this time next week! 

Here in Villa Dulce, we are working hard! We are teaching a couple from Haitian people named Mikerlande and Joel. Joel speaks Spanish but his wife Mikerlande only speaks French! She understands and speaks a little Spanish but it is hard for her. We have taught them the first few lessons and yesterday they came to church with their baby who is 2 months old! Her name is Joessie and she is so freaking cute! I really hope we can help them progress and want to be baptized cuz they are so awesome!

Also, Karen got back from Santiago but she hasn't answered any of our calls or messages so I'm a little worried especially because her baptism is supposed to be this Saturday. So please keep praying super hard for her. We still have a lot to teach her and when she left for Santiago she still wasn't sure about baptism. 

I just have to tell you guys that I love the ward here in Villa Dulce! All the members are so awesome and I just love the members of the church here in Chile! They are such great examples to me and I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to meet so many amazing people here on my mission! The church is so true and even the though the mission is hard some days I am so happy to be out here spreading Christ's love! 

Hasta proximo lunes! LES AMO!

Hermana Snyder