Week 49: Tranfers! Staying in Quilpúe...Hello, Hermana Ellis

Hola Familia!!

This week we had cambios! and I'm with Hermana Ellis!!!!! She was my hermana leader in Achupallas and we are such good friends! I love her so much and I am just always laughing with her! She is going home this transfer so I'm going to "kill her". I can tell she is ready to go home but we are still working hard! But seriously she is one of the funnest people I've ever met and we are going to have so much fun this cambio!!

Dante is still progressing. He is thinking about getting baptized in 2 weeks so we´ll see how that goes. We met with Eveline and she wants to come to church! She is progressing and really wants to make an effort to learn more about the church and hopefully get baptized!! Also a big miracle!!! At church on Sunday, a little girl that I had never seen before came up to us and said: "Hermanas I want to be baptized!" Her mom is less active and she had seen her friends baptism a week earlier and loved it and wants to get baptized! I asked her how old she is and when she said that she was 9 we were just jumping for joy. Her name is Antonela and she is really cute! We are excited to teach her! 

For our zone activity we did karaoke with efy songs. It was mine and Hermana Ellis' idea and it was so fun! We were worried the zone wasn't going to be brave enough to do it but Hermana Ellis and I started out and the rest of the missionaries totally got into it! It was really fun and something different! 

I'm just loving being a missionary and enjoying every second of it! Hermana Ellis has been sick so we had to stay inside one day and the zone leaders and our district leader came to our sector to contact and work in our sector so we could reach our goals for the zone. We didn't even know they came until they called us at night so that was super nice of them! 

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

Dante

Time to get some new tights. Haha!

Goodbye Hermana Mackey

Week 48: Solar Eclipse and The American Cup

Someone on the street let us borrow these eclipse glasses. haha.

Hola Familia!! 

Estoy muy bien aqui en Chile! This week was soooooo tiring! We walked more than I think I ever have in my whole life in the freezing cold and people slamming doors in our face. haha! But its all good. We sang hymns together the whole time and talked a lot about how this is probably how Jesus Christ felt when he got rejected just for wanting to help people. We kept our positive attitudes and got to rest a little bit more today.

Last week we got a reference from a sister in the ward who told us to go visit her neighbor from Venezuela. We passed by Saturday and she was busy but said she wanted to go to church the next day and SHE CAME!! We are going to visit her this week and hopefully she will want to learn more. Her name is Andreina and she lives here with her parents and two kids. So please pray for Andreina!!!!!!

We have transfers on Wednesday and I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna stay in Quilpué but get another companion. I'm gonna miss Hermana Mackay soooo much!

There was a solar eclipse here and it was like 95% where I was. In the north of my mission it was 100%. It got really dark and really cold but we could still see a sliver of the sun. 

Also, the American Cup has been going on. (a big soccer tournament in South America) and whenever Chile is playing there is NO ONE in the street and NO ONE wants to open the door and talk to us. But it's ok because it ended yesterday and Brazil won in case anyone wanted to know. haha!

But I love you all!! I'm going strong here in Chile talking to anyone and everyone about our Savior Jesus Christ!

Con mucho amor

Hermana Snyder

Week 47: Winter and Bubble Ball

Hola Familia!!

Sorry, I don't have a whole lot of time today! For P-Day we traveled to Quillota (a zone about 2 hours away) to play with those big bubble ball things where you can smash into people. We had to travel because Quillota is the only zone that has it and so we got to see the missionaries from that zone too! It was soooooo fun and a great break. I got to see a ton of my friends from the mission. 

This week Dante had a spontaneous baptismal interview because he wanted to see what it was like. haha! He still needs a little bit of time but he came to church yesterday so things are going well. Eveline said that she is giving the church another chance because she has seen a lot of little miracles and God's hand in her life and she thinks its time to listen to the missionaries again!! So we´ll see where that goes. Silvana has a few problems that I don't really have time to explain right now and we haven't been able to find Paxji but please keep praying for them!! 

Also its been soooooo cold here! I was trying really hard not to think about the fact that its summer back home and that you guys were at Bear Lake because I have literally been so freezing cold here. I wore pants a lot last week because it's just SO COLD. It only rained one day though, so that was good! 

It was a good week! I'm almost 11 months out so that's crazy! 

I hope you guys are all doing amazing! I love you all!

Con amor,

Hermana Snyder

District activity where we ate huge completos and watched The Cokeville Miracle

On an Exchange with one of the other sisters

Week 46: SEMANA LLENA DE MILAGROS!!

Hola Familia!!

So this week was soooooo full of miracles

We are teaching someone named Cristian and he called us one day and asked us if we could visit is friend Silvana because she wanted to meet with us and listen to us! We were so excited cuz that literally never happens where someone contacts us instead of us contacting them! We met with Silvana and she is soooo cute and so prepared! We taught her about the restoration and she told us that she has already been to a lot of churches, including our church, and already knows that it is true. When we taught the story of Joseph Smith she said she felt the same way, but that she knows this church is true. We invited her to be baptized and she is so excited! haha! she called us later that night after we taught her asking what she needs to wear to her baptism haha. We still have a lot to teach her so we´ll see how it goes, but she is definitely prepared to accept the gospel. 

We also had zone conference last week and an area seventy came to speak to us. What actually stood out to me was what his wife said. She said that there are people in the spirit world, guiding their living family members to the missionaries because they want their temple work done. The next day we found a girl crying in the park and Sister Mackey and I both felt so strong that we needed to talk to her. When we started talking she said that her whole family are members of the church except her and that her mom had passed away 2 months ago. We talked to her about the plan of salvation and eternal families and the whole time I was thinking, that her mom is definitely guiding her to find the church. If her mom was baptized, there is no doubt that she wants her daughter to find the church so that they can be sealed as a family!! Her name is Paxji so hopefully we will be able to set up a day to teach her! 

Dante is progressing too! The other day he told us that he told his whole family that he is now attending the TRUE church! haha.  His whole family are Adventists so I thought that was hilarious. We have taught him everything he now just needs the courage to make the decision and be baptized! 

Also we had a ward activity thats called "trueque" that basically means like a trade. Everyone brought stuff from their house to trade and guess what we brought?! Books of Mormon and pamphlets haha. I was able to trade a Book of Mormon for a Justin Beiber backpack so I was pretty stoked about that. 

It was a great week! So full of miracles and great opportunities to teach. The church is so true and I love it when I see other people accept that it is true as well! I love you all and hope you guys have a great time at Bear Lake! We have to go again when I'm home cuz Bear Lake is one of my favorite places ever!! 

Hermana Snyder

Some pictures of our new apartment.

Week 45: Moving day and lots of RAIN!!

Hola Familia!! 

So this week it rained all day every day. Its so hard when it rains because no one wants to stop and talk to us in the street and they also don't want to let us into their houses because we´re soaking wet. Its been a hard week just with the rain and all. It's also freezing cold here!! 

We also moved into another house because the owner of our other apartment needed it. So we moved like a block away but the new apartment is a lot better. Definitely, a lot cleaner and the water heater works a lot better. The only thing is, it is so so cold in our new apartment. I'm not sure why it's so much colder but whenever we get home I just peel off my wet clothes and sit in front of the tiny portable heater that we have for like 30 minutes cuz its just so cold. 

We did lots of intercambios with the other hermanas in the zone to go along with moving so it was a pretty stressful but interesting week! 

Also Dante came to church again! But he had to leave right after sacrament mtg so we havent been able to ask him yet how he liked it. Pray for us that we will be able to find people to teach who will let us in in the rain. We have had to stop teaching a lot of people cuz they just weren't progressing so now we are in the finding process. 

I have really gotten into studying Jesus the Christ this week and its helped me so much to strengthen my testimony of the Savior and his Atonement. It has also helped me to strengthen more my testimony that this is the ONLY true church. The more I talk to other people and learn about other religions the more convinced I am that this is the one and only true church. It is literally organized exactly how Christ organized his church and it just makes so much sense!   

That's about it for this week! I'm absolutely exhausted but that must mean I'm doing something right. I love you all and hope you have a great week in the family reunion! Tell everyone I miss them and that you can't have too much fun without me!

Con Amor,

Hermana Snyder 

In the rain in intercambios with Hermana Brooks

Intercambios with Hermana Souza

Week 44: BEST WEEK OF MY MISSION!!!!

Daniela's Baptism

Hola Familia!!

Ok, the subject for this week says it all.

I'll start with the beginning of the week. Hermana Mackay and I were asked to speak at a funeral for a boy with autism who had passed away. His dad is a member but super inactive and they had the service in our church building. The bishop asked us to speak about the plan of salvation and a message of hope and life after death. Almost everyone that attended weren't members and a lot of people came up to us after and thanked us for the messages. They said they loved the service and the church in general. They said they felt something really special. Most of them don't live in our sector but hopefully, they will be able to go to church where they live.

On Thursday we taught a man named Alexis from Venezuela. This was the 3rd lesson we had had with him and the first 2 he kind of just wanted to argue with us. He wasn't really open to learn. But the 3rd time we went, we talked about Joseph Smith because he has some doubts about him. Alexis didn't argue at all and the spirit was strong as we testified of the Restoration. We brought a member and we all testified with so much power! It was literally intense and the Spirit was like tangible. It was such a cool experience. Alexis got emotional and even though he didn't accept to be baptized yet I know that he felt the spirit. I know that he knows it and whether he decides to change or not is up to his agency. 

AND DANIELAS BAPTISM!!!!!!!! BEST DAY OF MY WHOLE MISSION!! I got permission to go and Daniela was just glowing!! It was so awesome to see her and Marisel and her whole family again! I've missed them so much! Almost the whole ward was there and a bunch of Daniela´s family. I started crying when she was baptized and then again when some girls from the ward sang a musical number and then again when Daniela bore her testimony. I was basically crying the whole time. haha! In her testimony, she personally thanked me and Hermana Del Valle for finding her and teaching her the gospel. The happiness I felt that day was absolutely unreal. I don't think I've ever felt joy like that in my whole life. I just love Daniela with my whole heart and seeing her so happy just made me burst with happiness. I feel like seeing her accept the gospel and take this step, let me have a taste of the happiness we are going to feel in the Celestial kingdom. And to see my favorite ward again was amazing!! Villa Dulce and the members there will forever have my heart! It was such a special day and I was just exploding with love and happiness. haha! 

The mission is the best! Without it, I would've never met Daniela or her family. I would have never had the opportunity to teach the gospel in a foreign land and a foreign language. I would have never been able to learn to love others or the gospel so much!! THE CHURCH IS SOOOOOO TRUE! GOD LOVES US AND CHRIST IS OUR SAVIOR AND I WOULDNT TRADE THIS EXPERIENCE FOR THE WORLD! 

I love you all and wish you the best week ever!! 

Love Hermana Snyder

p.s. oh my gosh something I totally forgot to add. The man we are teaching, Dante, told us he wasn't going to be able to come to church but he came all by himself! He showed up for the second hour and is now asking us about baptism!!! Miracles after miracle!

We went to a mission farewell of a girl in our ward and helped the family make all the food. So here is a picture of me with the biggest bowl of empanadas you will ever see!!

Week 43: Miracles and Life-long Friends!

All of the sisters! We got together for lunch at the mall.

Hola Familia!!!

This week I saw soooo many miracles! We are teaching a man named Dante and he owns a health food store right next to the church building. Hermana Mackay and her previous companion became friends with him and taught him one lesson. Then when I got there we started teaching him more. At first, he never read the Book of Mormon or prayed but about 2 or 3 weeks ago he started reading and praying. Since then he said he has seen a huge change in his life. He said what he saw before as coincidences or luck, he now sees as the hand of God in his life. He asks us to assign him chapters to read from the Book of Mormon and he asks if we can pray more!! He hasn't been able to come to church yet because problems keep coming up every Sunday but he wants to come so badly! In our last lesson, he told us that a lot of people have talked to him about God and tried to get him to believe but he never listened until he started talking to us. I told him it is because the Holy Ghost testifies of truth. It has testified this to you because what we are telling you is true!! Ahh it was such a great lesson and I have a lot of faith in Dante! His progression has been slow but is evident of the changes he is making

Last week we had a leadership council with all the zone leaders and hermana leaders and it was soo fun! I have become such good friends with all the other sisters and I know a lot of them are going to be my lifelong friends! 

I'm so happy to be a missionary!! It is amazing that I get to focus all my time, energy, and heart focusing on the gospel and how it can bless others. I love that I get a whole hour every day to study the scriptures and the words of the prophets! I love that I get to see how the gospel not only changes others lives but how it is changing my life as well! I love meeting new people every day and making lifelong friends from other countries! I love being able to give all my love to the people here in Chile and to the other sisters I am serving! I love this gospel and most of all I love our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ!

I love you all and miss you so much! Keep living the gospel because it is the greatest blessing we have! 

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Snyder

These pictures are when we went to help one of the new hermanas with all her suitcases when she got here. They live in a house behind a member and she made us hamburgers and hot chocolate. (a wierd combination but still really good) I actually know this member though! Her name is Marcela and she is really good friends with Hermana Wurdel. I went to her house for Thanksgiving and she is literally an angel!