Aventura de Chile!: Week 76

This week was awesome. But what else is new?

"Everything is awesoooooooooome!"

So we had a time change here. We all got to sleep in an extra hour, but we're all so programmed for waking up at 7:00 that we were lying awake staring at the ceiling (or in my case, the top bunk.)

But then I fell back asleep. So it was good. =D I felt GREAT. It's amazing what an extra hour of sleep will do for you. I was a machine.

The past week was awesome, but emotionally speaking it was interesting. Ever since I received the assignment to write my final letter to President Warne with all of my goals and spiritual experiences and whatnot, I've realized two things: 1. I can't write anymore. and 2.... Yeah actually I just realized the one thing.

Nah, kidding. Really, the other thing that I've realized is that I've seen waaaaay too many miracles and amazing moments in my mission to be able to sum things up into a two-page letter. I'm thinking I'm going to have to make it a bit longer, but what I lack is the time to write. Ahhh, time. What a terrible thing.

Yesterday we were doing weekly planning and I found a HUGE dead moth on Hermana Al-Malki's material shelf. So I threw it on top of her journal and waited.

I got the reaction I wanted; she screamed, "GROSS!" and I snickered as I headed into the bathroom.

When I got out, I went to open the door to my study room and got a good scare because she had taped the same freaking moth to my doorknob. We all got a good laugh about that. Then we were throwing the dead moth around until Hermana Al-Malki got tired of it and stomped it into the carpet... Maaaan. RIP again, moth.

Also, the six Machali missionaries were all having lunch together at a member's house, and we were talking about dog breed names in English and Spanish.

Elder Cabanay said, "How do you say "Dálmata" in English?"

Elder Leavitt said, "Dalmatian"

Then I said, ¨Yeah, and it actually works with any dog breed! Like Beagles! In English it's "Beaglation!"

Elder Cabanay believed me. Hahahahahahahaha!

All the Latinos in the mission decided a long time ago that to make any Spanish word English, all you have to do is add "ation". =D

SO on to the miracles!

BRUNI CAME TO CHURCH! It was the best! She was excited and bright-eyed as she came into the chapel. I was up on the stand playing the piano, so she sat next to Hermana Christensen.

She had to leave after Sacrament Meeting because her little granddaughter was feeling sick, but she seemed to enjoy the meeting. We're going to visit her on Wednesday and ask her more about how she felt. =) She still doesn't have a baptismal date because she feels like she has a lot to learn, but she has a desire to keep learning, so that's the great thing. When we leave something for her to do, she does it. =D And she always has great questions! She's the best.

Hermana Christensen and I visited some less-active families this week and two of them came to church! Along with a whooooole bunch of others that we didn't visit this week. But not just from our sector; Hermanas Al-Malki and Cook had a lot of less-actives come as well. It was amazing! The chapel was so full! It did my heart good. =)

Javier didn't come to church this week because his mom came to visit and he had to babysit his baby brother. But we had a Noche de Hogar with the Codoceo family and he brought his friend Sebastian. We had a lesson about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Atonement with a cool little science experiment object lesson with water and matches. (You can ask me about that one later. It's really neat.) We played hot potato with a face-painting as the penalty (with a stick of Hermana Al-Malki's lipstick. Hahaha)

We had a couple of awesome miracles happen this week as well.

Hermanas Cook and Al-Malki were leaving the house to head out to the sector and they heard a woman yelling, "¡Niñas! ¡Niñas!" So they went to her and she said, "I was praying for the people here in our neighborhood and asking what I should do to help them, and then I saw you and I thought, "They are so far away from their homes and families." So I made you a cake. I hope you like it." And she handed them a HUUUUGE cake she had made. Hermana Al-Malki said she cried. Hahaha! I probably would have, too. So sweet!

We're going to take the cake plate back to the lady today and see if we can share a message with her. ;) Her name is Blondie and she's from Brazil.

Also, Hermana Christensen and I were heading to a reference's house, then suddenly I said, "Let's go to Ana's house real quick."

Ana is a less-active who has always scheduled appointments, but she was never there for them. But we went and we knocked on the door. We kept trying, but nobody came out. So we stood there for a minute, and JUST as we were about to leave, a young woman came out the door. It was Ana's daughter Valentina (She's 20). She said hi, then told us right away, "Look, I have something to say."

Usually when people start their sentence off like that, it's usually followed with something like, "Thank you for your efforts, but I'm not interested." or something along those lines.

But then she said, "I listened to the missionaries before, but I stopped because I had to work and study. But now I want to re-take the lessons."

Hermana Christensen and I were so dumbfounded we didn't know what to say for a second. Then we were like, "Okay! Sure!"

She continued, "And I actually want to bring my boyfriend as well."

Our jaws just about dropped.

Then, "And I was actually about to get baptized as well, but didn't have the chance at the time."

By this time, we were seeing stars. Then Valentina said, "Can you come see me on Tuesday?"

WOOOOW!

We scheduled an appointment, then said bye. As we were riding away, Hermana Christensen said, "Hermana Darley, what just happened?"

I said, "I dunno I'm still trying to process that. Pinch me!"

Miracles. =D I love them. We'll see how things go on Tuesday.

We currently don't have any baptismal dates, but we're working on that. It's the major focus of this week. We mainly have to find new investigators. But we have a lot of good potential. =D

Anyways, that's all for now. I love you all soooooooo much and I am so grateful for your love and support!

¡CHAU!

-Hermana Darley

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SPENCER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (On the 21st.)