Week 69: Follow the Spirit!

Zone Activity at a Fort in Coquimbo

Hola Familia!!

Last week we traveled to Viña for our the leadership council and it was so fun to see hermana Varela, hermana Rice, hermana Sanchez and all my friends from the mission. We talked for like an hour about modifying the standards of excellence and it made my head hurt cuz ive never been really good and the whole numbers and goals thing. haha. Afterwards I said to all the other hermanas, "we should have 1 standard of excellence that says FOLLOW THE SPIRIT. I know making goals and keeping track of numbers is important, but sometimes you've got to take a step back and remember that following the spirit is the most important part. 

We didnt do anything special for Thanksgiving because they dont have that here in Chile so that was a little sad but hermana brooks made us some mashed potatoes when we got back to the apartment. haha. (that was the closest we had to thanksgiving food) 

We did intercambios last week and I was with Hermana burns who only has one cambio less than I do. and OMG she is INCREDIBLE!! She teaches so well and I learned so much from her about following and teaching with the spirit. That day we had a ton of lessons and we were literally sprinting around our area trying to get to them all. 

We were able to teach Marialex again and when we taught the plan of salvation she said that it answered so many of her questions. She is really curious and asked a bunch of questions and at the end said that she believes that its true and feels like it helps her know who she truly is. She is so sweet and so mature for her age. She still cant come to church though, but she said her mom might be coming from Venezuela this month and if she does, she will move out of her uncle's house and won't have to work every sunday! we are praying for a miracle honestly. 

Brenda and Vicente let us down and slept in instead of coming to church. We had a member ready to pick them up, we went to their house and knocked on the door, and vicente answered and said that he wantd to go but that his mom didnt want to wake up😒 So that was frustrating. We need our people to progress and right now I'm not really sure how to help them do that. Please pray for them! I feel like I'm kind of at a stand still. We are teaching a bunch of people but they just aren't progressing or keeping their commitments. 

Today we went to a fort in Coquimbo. It was cool and had a really pretty view of the ocean (I'm not gonna lie it made me miss California a lot) we took a bunch of pictures and it was fun to hang out with the zone. 

Week 68: Exhausted beyond belief, but so happy!

Hola Familia!!

This week we worked I think the hardest I have ever worked in my whole mission. We got home absolutely exhausted every day but man did our work pay off. We had 4 people come to church. We found 6 new amazing people to teach and so many miracles. I'll tell one of them real quick. About two weeks ago we found a girl whose 15 from Venezuela. Her name is Marialex and she is super super friendly. We were able to find her again and teach her the restoration a few days ago and it was one of the most incredible lessons of my mission! She is really really smart and understood everything about prophets, the apostasy, Joseph smith and the book of Mormon and when we testified that we know its true she asked us "I believe you guys but how can I have the same conviction as you?" We invited her to read the book of Mormon and pray about it and actually we invited her to pray right there in the lesson with us. We knelt down and she said the most sincere prayer about how she wants with all her heart to know if its true, if Joseph smith was truly a prophet and if the book of Mormon is true. Before she finished her prayer she paused for like 15 seconds. Then she finished and stood up and told us that she felt something she has never felt before in her life. She said she literally felt something come over her and calm her. She said she has always had a lot of questions about God and that this was the first time she felt a clear, true answer. She told us she would love to be baptized! The only problem is that she has to work in the market with her family every Sunday so she doesnt know how she is going to be able to come to church. But seriously she is incredible. It happens so frequently that we meet people like Marialex that are just so prepared and then they disappear off the face of the planet and we never know what happened to them. Even if that happens to her, I will never forget that experience. I will never forget seeing the Spirit work in someone right in front of my eyes and testify to someone seeking the truth. And I dont think she will forget it either. Please pray with all your hearts for Marialex!! Pray that she will find away to go to church and that we will be able to keep teaching her!! 

This week we also found a lot of incredible people! A mom named Brenda and her son Vicente who the elders contacted. We went to teach them and they basically were begging us to be baptized haha. I dont think they understand the commitment that it is yet but the desire is there!! 

We also went to a wedding last week! (Hey if I cant go to zachs at least i got to go to one) the bishops son and his wife got married and they asked me to play the traditional wedding song on the piano when they entered in. It was in the church building and it was really sweet. We only stayed for the ceremony so I could play the piano but the next day the bishops wife invited us over and taught us to make bread. 

It was a good week and I'm exhausted beyond belief but I feel so good to be doing the Lords work and to be helping people find the truth! 

Love you all and Happy Thanksgiving! 

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. 

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