Yes, I kind of forgot to mention last week that we have cambios this week. The big news? I stay in Lirquen!!! Is that a little crazy to anyone else? I thought for sure that I would leave this cambio, considering I have almost 4 months here. Just imagine my reaction when we called Elder Brown this morning at 7:13 a.m. to find out that not only am I staying in Lirquen, but I´ll be training a brand new Hermana. Surprise!
Hermana Mendoza is also leaving, and she goes to Rancagua! They´re taking two of our zones, and we´re gaining two from Concepción Seur. Hermana Peterson is going to one of the new ones. Her zone name is Talcahuana Norte (still terrible with spelling all these new Spanish cities), and she has a native comapnion. She´s excited and ready to go to work over there! What a good Hermana she´s been.
Power of prayer, anyone? This week Hermana Peterson and I had a cool experience with one of our companionship prayers. We´d made it a goal to pray more throughout the day (before, after lessons, etc.) and this particular night we had to adjust our plans a little bit and decide where we were going to go next. We had several plans- pass by for Alejandro, maybe Betsabe, etc. We stopped, I prayed that our minds would be open and that we would know where we needed to go. We stood for just a moment, and Hermana Peterson asked me what I felt. I told her that I´d just thought of Jaime, a man we met and taught once, but couldn´t find again. Her face said it all- I think her jaw dropped about to the sidewalk as she said Ì thought exactly the same thing´. We went to visit him, and when he wasn´t home, we knocked the whole street and talked to several people. We may not have seen any direct results from that, but it was a testimony builder to the both that when we really pray and seek answers, we receive them.
I don´t know how I am always best friends with rappers, (Yes, I am referring to YOU, Kristine Knudsen) but Hermana Peterson also showed her true colors this week. A couple weeks ago when it was raining really hard on a PDay, we sat at the bustop near our house and jokingly created a ´Rainy day Rap´. Quite a good time. The news came out at our District meeting, and they joked that we should create one for the zone. Hermana Peterson took this quite to heart, and we ended up writing a fullblown Spanish rap about Zona Penco! I think if I´ve learned one thing from her, it is that it is ok to have a little more fun with the mission. If we were ever walking through a deserted area, or had extra time at night, we´d throw rhymes back and forth and just laugh and laugh. We presented the rap after our Zone meeting this week, and everyone LOVED it. Hermana Peterson has the video on her camera, but it was too big to upload. I´ll find some way to get it on my pen drive and bring it home for you all to see someday.
We´ve made huge progress with Henri Foster. He has a baptismal date for the 29th, and has cut down his cigarettes from 20 a day to about 5. We´ve got lots of plans to help him kick the habit this week so that he can be baptized. He was one that we found in the street, cleaning his motorcycle. He´s divorced, has two adult daughters and one 3 year old son, works in the port here. He reads the Book of Mormon every night and always jokes about how much homework we leave him- but he also knows that he´s made big changes in his life. I´ve seen it also, and it amazes me to see how much cleaner, happier, more bright he is now than when we first met him. I know that the gospel changes lives. I know it is the most desperately needed commodity in the world, and I know that the Lord really is working to bring it to all who will open their hearts to hear it.
This week we had 5 people in church- another BIG miracle that was really just a testimony to me that the Lord wants people to worship and partake in His cleansing ordinances. Hermana Peterson and I gave talks this Sunday, and I shared about inspired use of time. It was not a topic that I wanted to give- I wanted to do something solid missionary style, like the Doctrine of Christ, but I felt that I needed to give the talk, and after fighting with my pride for a little bit, I prepared and gave the talk. Please learn from my bad example in this- if you feel it, do it! I know that the Lord knows best. We sure aren´t perfect missionaries, but I´m so committed to work harder than ever and be the best example I can be for my new missionary. Pray for me, everyone? There is so much I want to improve this time around and I´m so humbled and grateful for the opportunity to train again. I love the Lord and I love being a missionary so so much. Take care, all of you, until next week-
Yours!
Hermana Oldroyd
p.s. The next time you see Ella, Campbell, Juliet, and Alec, tell them that I loved their picture that they sent!! It was so sweet. Also pass my saludos to Briana Conrad- I received her announcement a while ago but I keep forgetting to thank her for remembering me. Also!! I got your package, Mom!! That was very sweet of you, and I´m pretty sure I´ll pass our all of those little gifts. Still deciding. Thank you so much for thinking of that!
pss. Also a tip for Syd, Kirst, and all my little cousins out there- LEARN THE SCRIPTURE MASTERIES. None of my teachers ever really emphasized this, and I never took the personal initiative. I wish I knew the scriptures better and it is something I´m repenting of now.
the "1000 stairs" that she mentioned last week.
La familia Acuña Rocha
Exercising in the morning
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