To begin:
I love the Book of Mormon.
I love being a missionary.
I love my ward here.
I love fast Sundays.
I love Chilean sunsets.
I love the ocean.
I love my companion.
I love all of you.
Yep, those are some of the important points that I wanted to say. This week was a really good one- Hna De Leòn and I saw a lot of miracles, mostly as the result of fasting. We began the week and month with a companionship fast. That was Tuesday, and that was the day that we found Jocelyn. Can I just tell you a little bit of her story? She is the most prepared person that I have met in my mission. She is 21, newly married, looking for a job, and has a little prior experience with missionaries. We knocked on her door and she let us in immediately. Her spouse, Enrique, is supportive and very easy-going, and though he hasn't expressed direct interest right now, (he actually plays computer games and half-listens while we teach Jocelyn), I have all faith that he will show a change of heart. Jocelyn expressed her desire to be closer to God, and right up front told us that she feels this is exactly what she´s been looking for in her life. She accepted a baptismal date for the 27th of July, and I know that she´s going to be baptized.
The week went on, we kept in close contact with Jocelyn, and we began another fast on Saturday, as this was the first Sunday of the month. We started that with a companionship prayer and then called Priscilla to accompany us to visit Jocelyn. Priscilla is a newly married member who is just starting to return to church; we had visited her on Wednesday and she mentioned that she´d been a ward missionary when she was single, but that since getting married they've both struggled to stay active. Right after she said that, I felt really distinctly that we should invite her to visit Jocelyn with us. We invited her, but she wasn´t sure if she´d be able to come. Saturday, after beginning our second fast, we called her again and she said that she could! She came with us to the visit, and I've never seen a member so excited to visit with us. She mentioned that her husband had questioned her a bit- "You´re going to go out with the missionaries? We´re not even really active!" But she was so gratified and excited that we´d invited her to come. The lesson with Jocelyn went so well, and they both expressed their feelings of joy and happiness because of finding the gospel.
This Sunday, Jocelyn AND Priscilla came to church! This is the third Sunday in a row that Priscilla and her husband have attended, and they sat on the very front row. Because I was playing piano for the meeting, I also sat on the front row with them, and you can imagine my feelings as when Priscilla stood up to bear her testimony. She shared the joy she felt when we asked her to visit with us, and her excitement for Jocelyn, and her testimony of the Lord´s forgiveness and love for all of us. When she sat back down, she leaned over and took my hand and said "Thank you, Hermana. I can´t even tell you how much I love you. Thank you."
It was a genuine miracle.
There were some other really tender testimonies- Hna Ana Cortez finally felt well enough to come to church, and she walked arm in arm with Sariah to bear her testimony. That dear woman, so physically weak and so spiritually strong. She is one of the most truly charitable people I have ever met, and she expressed her love and gratitude for all the members of the ward that have helped Sariah prepare for her mission. I reflected on the little details that I´ve witnessed in this process.
During a visit the other day, Hermana Gladys Fuentes (owner of Rincon Marino, and their family is fairly well off) excitedly showed us a big suitcase that she´d purchased for Sariah. She said "I don´t know, I saw it in the store and I just knew it was for Sariah! Buying it, I felt so excited, like I was buying it for myself but even better." Her husband, Arturo, had also been less active but has been to church the last two Sundays. Spirit of service and missionary work, anyone? There have been so many moments like that, and it reminded me of my own mission preparation. So much love and generosity and sacrifice.
Missionary work really is a sacred work of the Lord, one that every heart can recognize and in which every person can participate. What a grand plan this is- that through our faith and diligent work, we can someday be saved, along with all of those that we love. Salvation is not a solitary work! We help and work and strive to save each other, all the while gaining our own place in the Lord´s eternal home. I am so incredibly happy here, and I know that each of us can find the same eternal happiness by serving the Lord in the place that we´re at. I encourage you all to continue doing so!!
My love and prayers,
Hermana Oldoyd
Fourth of July, eating in Rincon Marino like every Thursday, and in walk these adorable Chilean grandmas. They were celebrating a birthday, and we couldn´t help glancing over at their table and forming plans to return to Chile and eat together in Rincon Marino someday when we´re old (advanced in age... or however you want to say it). I just couldn´t help it- after we finished I went and asked if we could take a picture with them. What better way to start a contact? One of them even pulled out their camera to take a picture of us also, and of course we shared our quick testimonies before leaving with a fun little memory.
I may be on the other side of the world, but I didn´t forget the Fourth!
Got called up to the Birthday line in the mission conference! Apparently July and August are stacked with Elders- I was one of two Hermanas. Fun times, having the mission sing to us in Spanish.
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