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. 

Week 64: It's Great to be Outside!

Hola Familia!!

So things have calmed down a little bit here. We are now able to go outside but on Friday and Saturday we had to go out and work in normal clothes and without our nametags. It was really weird contacting and teaching in normal clothes but at least we were able to be outside! We still cant go to some parts of our sector that are still dangerous and we have to be inside at 7:30 p.m. 

All week there have been people banging pots and pans in the street and in their houses as part of the protests. There is this one women who lives in the building right next to our apartment and everyday at 9:30 p.m. sharp she goes out on her balcony and starts banging her pot. Shes like 60 years old and we wait every night at 9:30 for her. Last night we didnt hear anything and we were actually kind of concerned. So I will keep you updated on what she does tonight.

But yesterday Nelson came to church! after the meeting he told us when he woke up he wasnt planning on coming, but at 9:30 (church starts at 10) he said he felt such a strong feeling that he needed to go. So he said he got out of bed, got ready really fast, and ran to church with his Book of Mormon in hand. HE IS THE BEST!  That showed us how the spirit works in people. Nelson is very receptive to the spirit and he wants to get baptized soon! We are also teaching una niña her name is Antonella who also came to church. She loves it and even though her family arent members, they support her and love that she is learning about Jesus Christ. 

But we are really trying to find new people to teach and being inside almost a whole week is not really helping haha. But we have been visiting members and getting a lot of references from them so we are hoping and praying with faith that we will find the people that are prepared! 

Yesterday we had a noche de hogar (family home evening) with our mission leaders family and they made us TACOS! They were so good and reminded me of the mexican food back home. We ate so much and then they made us take home more tacos haha. I love this family so much and actually all the members. I love so much this ward and feel so much love and friendship from all the members. 

Please keep praying for Chile and especially for the missionary work here! Please pray for Nelson and Antonella and that we will be able to find new people to teach! 

Love you guys so much. Have a great week!

Hermana Snyder

p.s. Sorry, no pictures this week. But then again we were inside most of the week, so not a whole lot to take pictures of either. 

Week 63: Prayers for Chile!!

Hola!!

So I have a little time to write, so I thought I would explain the situation here in Chile to the people that don't know. Basically, there is a lot of political and social unrest here and many of the people aren't happy with a lot of things the government has done over the past years. Last weekend it kind of exploded in all of Chile and there have been protests and riots and people setting fires in many of the cities. All the missionaries and I are safe! We just have to be inside all day. The members have been bringing us meals and we have been allowed to purchase a few groceries. Thankfully, we have also been able to go to some members' houses that live close by so that we can call home. We have also been instructed to wear informal clothing and not to wear our badges until things calm down. The members have been wonderful and have really looked out for us.  Coquimbo and La Serena are a little in commotion but I'm hopeful that it will pass soon.

Hermana Brooks and I have been inside for 5 days and we are trying to find ways to not die of boredom haha. But I love her so much! I'm so grateful that she is the one I'm trapped in the house with haha. She cracks me up and we have had lots of fun together. 

Please, everyone, pray for Chile! Pray that the problems will stop...that they can find some solutions, so we can get back to work! 

love,

Hermana Snyder

Week 62: A day in La Serena and more ocean views!

In La Serena at a member's house. Talk about an amazing view!! 

Hola Familia!!

So this week had its ups and downs. Constanza didn't come to church so that was really disappointing. She was so excited all week and then Sunday morning sent us a message that said she wasn't gonna be able to go. But we saw some other miracles! We found a woman whose name is Maria and she is soooooo prepared. She let us in and said that she has already been taught by the missionaries but that they were transferred and disappeared. When we taught her she felt the spirit so strong and accepted when we invited her to be baptized! She is around 60 years old I think and lives alone and said that this is what she is looking for! She is amazing but unfortunately, she also couldn't come to church :( IT IS SO HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO COME TO CHURCH. But we did have a man named Nelson come to church! He has actually come to church 3 times and he is really awesome! He has a baptismal date for November 2. Please, please, please, please pray for Constanza, Maria, and Nelson!!!

But we worked really hard last week and made so many plans to teach people, bring them to church and invite the members to come with us and almost all of our plans fell through. Sunday morning we were a little discouraged but we realized that we did everything we possibly could! We worked so hard and we felt really good about our work. And I know God is pleased with our work. He blessed us with finding Maria and I know he is going to keep putting people in our path. I really do love Coquimbo and the ward members here are so loving and welcoming. I'm really grateful to be here. 

Last week I did intercambios and got to go to La Serena! It's a city just north of Coquimbo. Hermana Brooks and I are the Hermana leaders for Coquimbo and La Serena because there are only two hermanas in La Serena. It was fun to get to know a new hermana and La Serena is a really pretty city!

OK! I love you guys! The mission is good. The church is true and I know Christ is my Savior.

Que tengan una buena semana! (Have a good week!)

Hermana Snyder

With Hermana Albuquerque in La Sarena

Week 61: 7 days, 5 general conference sessions, 24 hours in a bus, 2 bathrooms, and 1 new area

The view from my new apartment! "Hello, Ocean! I've missed you."

Hola Familia!!

I made it to Coquimbo my new sector! And I absolutely love it here!! The people here are so friendly and everyone stops to talk to us. It is incredible!! We live so close to the ocean and we actually have a view of it from our apartment. It is beautiful here and the zone is also awesome! It is a lot smaller than the zone in Quilpue but I love it because we are already really close. I am so so so excited to be working here! We are teaching a girl named Constanza who has a baptismal date for October 26th! She has already taken the lessons from lots of missionaries but feels like it is finally her time to get baptized! She is really excited to get baptized but just needs to go to church!! She has to go 2 more times before she can be baptized so please pray for Constanza that she will get to church. But she is really awesome I'm excited to keep teaching her!

Hermana Brooks is my new companion and she is absolutely hilarious. I love her and she is a really hard worker! She is from Canada and she has been out for a little over a year. 

Our apartment is unreal! It is soo nice! I feel like I am living in a hotel. It has a view of the ocean and 2 BATHROOMS. I feel like a queen, 

Ok so on Wednesday, I took an 8-hour bus ride up north to Coquimbo but the next day I had to take the same bus ride back to Viña because we had a leadership council on Friday. So on Thursday we went all the way back, stayed in the apartment of the hermana leaders in Viña, went to the council on Friday and then took the bus another 8 hours back to Coquimbo haha. In total: 24 hours in a bus in 3 days. It was exhausting but a fun week of traveling. 

General conference was amazing!! So inspiring. I really felt like a lot of the talks were meant for me! I especially felt the spirit really strong during Elder Eyring's talk when he talked about greater holiness and greater happiness. I felt so much peace while he was talking and I felt that as I strive to draw closer to God that I will be blessed with eternal happiness. During his talk, I really felt the Lord telling me that he is pleased with my work as a missionary and that he understands my effort. I really needed that. I sometimes feel very inadequate to do this work but the Lord knows that I am trying my best and that is all that matters! 

Love you all so much! 

Que tengan la mejor semana!

Hermana Snyder

p.s. I just heard from Hermana Varela that Melissa C got baptized just this past Saturday in Quilpue. I am so happy for her. Of course, I wish I could have been there, but she sent me some pictures and her dad was able to baptize her. I'm so happy, I almost cried when I saw the pictures.

 

The long bus ride with my new companion, Hermana Brooks

Sushi with the Hermanas in Viña

Got to see Hermana Varela again in Viña at the Conference

Some pics of our apartment. 

The view from our balcony! Yes, we have a balcony. 

Week 60: Transfers! Coquimbo here I come!

Hola Familia!!

Transfers are on Wednesday and I'm going to COQUIMBO!! Coquimbo is in the north and it is right on the coast! It was my dream to go to the northern part of the mission at some point so I am really really excited! So on Wednesday, I get to take a 6-hour bus ride. haha! I've heard its a really good sector and a great ward so I'm super pumped!

Also this week I sprained my foot. In the zone activity last Monday we were playing soccer and I got kicked really hard in the foot. It hurt really bad Monday night and Tuesday morning and I tried to leave and walk but I just stopped in the middle of the street cuz I couldn't walk anymore. We went to the doctor and it's not broken, only sprained. So I was in the apartment for two days and the third day I was out working but with a boot that the mission lent me. haha! It was hilarious walking and contacting with a boot on my foot. But I'm way better now! It doesn't even hurt now! I have a testimony that the Lord protects his missionaries.

The two Melissas we are teaching are good! Melissa H didn't feel ready to be baptized last weekend so she is going to be baptized in October and Melissa C is gonna be baptized on Friday. She moved a few days ago to another sector so its been really hard to teach her and plan a baptism but she still really wants to be baptized! So we are going to see if she will be baptized here in Quilpue or in the other sector. I won't be there either way but I'm so excited for her! She has progressed a long way and I know she is ready for this commitment! 

It was a good week! I'm so excited for General Conference! I'm so excited to hear our prophet speak! Its gonna be another great week! I'm so excited for this new adventure and this new chapter in my mission. I love teaching the gospel it brings me so much joy to see the happiness it brings. I know the church is true! I love you all!

Que tengan una buena semana!

Con amor,

Hermana Snyder

With Felipe and the letter that he gave me. 

Some more fun pics from Chile's Independence day!