2-27-11

Tuesday: Today kind of sucked. It started out wonderfully, though. On the way to Cañete, Hna. Olivares called us and told us that Maybilline had stayed and wanted a baptisimal interview. That was cool, because the Zone Leaders had already planned on intertransfers anyway. We dropped off tithing and went to the Distrizona meeting. I taught the class on inviting investigators to follow-through with commitments. Then we started the transfer. I got to be with Elder Frankson, my friend. We waited for an appt. with a member. The appt. never came. Then I got to write the family. They hadn`t written me. But I wrote and Elder Frankson didn`t pressure me. We got to use bikes to visit all the appts. I got to appreciate the freedom of walking--without a sore bottom. Other appts. fell through. When we met up with Montoya and Elder Wilde, I asked how it went with Maybilline. Turned out that Maybilline hadn`t asked for an interview. She still wants to wait a year. When MOntoya and Wilde showed up, Gonzalo and Meyo had gotten mad, thinking it was all a plan. Hna. Olivares had set us up! In the end, Maybilline will pray for an answer. With Diego, Hna. Olivares said the two just had to drop off the permission slip for the mom to sign. The first thing the mom said in reality was, "I won`t let my son get baptized." A lie. But in the end, she pensively went to talk with Diego. Hna. Olivares called later, telling us the permission had been signed. Jassay called later, saying it wasn`t. Yet another lie1 Montoya will ask president tomorrow to take us from Tirua.

Wednesday: today was a little bit better than yesterday, but only because of some news. But I`ll get to that later. First thing we had to do, was go to Lebu so we could start MOntoya`s Visa. Inconveniently enough, we travweld three hours there, on the only day of the week the Visa man isn`t there. So that killed our morning. While we passed through Cañete, I bought some new converse shoes for $12, which was good. We got back in time for lunch. Hna. Olivares is gone `til Friday. I acted surprised to see Maybilline and Gonzalo. They were so happy to see me. I had been missed by everyone. After lunch, we went home and were depressed about the lies from yesterday. On the way to a visit, we stopped by the Olivares again to see Diego. He told us his mom wouldn`t let him go to church or see us again. I was devastated! Then he pulled out a slip of paper...the signed permission sli! He wants me to baptize him next saturday in the ocean! Sweet! I spoke with Maybilline and Gonzalo and told them the truth about yesterday. They felt better. They still want to wait a year. But when they come back to Tirùa, they want me to come and baptize them too! If I can get permission to come, that`d be great. I told them how proud I am of them and how far they`ve come (they both pray out loud now), and that I`m proud to be their friend. So that was the good part. I wanted to prepare before that talk, though. Yesaterday, Elder Frankson said we needed to ask Pres. Swenson permission to confirm the Holy Ghost before Sunday. Last week, he had told Elder Montoya he could BAPTIZE during the week, and Montoya had misunderstood. He got angry for Frankson not being specific. He said we didn`t need to talk to Maybilline `cause she was a lost cause. I wasn`t going to give up. I told him to call the ZL`s and ask what to do, but he was too mad at Frankson. I got Frankson to ask Presa. Swenson about the confirmation. He called back and said yes. I did it so that in CASE Maybilline had changed her mind in the last 24 hours, we would be prepared. Montoya thought it was a waste of time. After the talk and we had found out she still wanted to wait and I was hapy, he asked, "What good did it do to call Frankson and the Pres.?" I felt comfortable as I explained that we had to prepare in case she said she wanted to get baptized. Then he said, "So did it do any good?" I saw what he wanted and gave it to him. "No." "That`s what I thought." What a jerk! How...childish. I was angry, sad, and frustrated. I wanted to call Frankson and tell him my problems and frustrations, but realized that would be just as childish and wouldn`t solve anything. So I let him have what he wanted, as long as it didn`t interfere with the investigators in a negative way. Haha. When we had to leave in the night, Maybilline, Diego, and Gonzalo barricaded the door so I couldn`t leave. They wanted me to stay longer. I felt loved by them, and that love was manifested by the Spirit. I felt loved!

Thursday: We got up this morning and had Scripture study as usual. I was reading in Alma 31 about the wicket Zoramites who preached to a god abou thow good they thought they were by not believing in Christ. I felt sick and guilty just reading it. Christ did EVERYTHING for us! Our existences would be in vain if not for his sacrifice of a degree of love I can`t even begin to comprehend. We had an appointment with Valeska today. She had questions about the Book of Mormon. Of course! That`s what we wanted to teach her todeay. So we did. It was a really good lesson. She asked babout the things we don`t do. We mentioned some things of the word of Wisdom and by the time we finished, she agreed with it. She`ll pray for an answer. Her mom heard a little of our lesson the other dasy and told Valeska, "I`ve never gone to church, but if I had to choose one, it would be that one." It was SO hot today. When it`s really hot, the chileans say, "The lice are crawling." I realized why it seemed so hot to me: I haven`t had a summer in two years! I skipped back to winter last July, and June was spent indoors. Hno. Ugartemendia made repairs to the chapel. That made me happy. We were teaching Diego at the church when the electricity in the whole town went out. We walked Diego home. The stars were so BRIGHT! It was breathtaking. I spoke with Diego and got him excited about his baptism. Montoya was grumbling ahead of us. Diego says he doesn`t trust him. I was so proud of him. :) I`m writing by candle light. Montoya is yelling at me `cause it`s 11:15. He`s the one who wanted to walk Diego home.

Friday: Today I got to read Alma 32. It is a really beautiful scripture. And a thought came to my mind as I read: that these words were written by a real man who actually lived. Alma described how a seed of faith feels when it grows: Alma said it feels like "swelling motions.2 We practiced/re-taught Diego the restoration. We read a little of 3 Nephi 11 with Diego an dGonzalo. I felt the "swelling motions" a kind of pressure within me, that pushed out, as I read the words of Christ. Hna. Olivares got back from her trip to the country house. the rest of our day was spent on the beach, saying goodbye to Maybilline and Gonzalo--for reals this time. It was fun. I love to climb the boulders there. At one point, Maybilline separated herself and sat on a rock. She seemed lonely, and I know from experience that not everyone who sits alone necessarily wants to stay that way. So I sat down and just kept her company. After a while she asked me to pinky promise I`d visit her after the mission. I`ll be happy to. I bought everyone completos. Then we droped everyone off. As I walked away, I turned back to see Maybilline holding up heer pinky. Aaaah! She`s so sweet. Montoya thanked me for all I do. He said without me, we wouldn`t have a baptism. He thanked me for being a good teacher and helping with the lessons. Then he thanked me for putting up with him. I was grateful for that.

Saturday: I`m giving another talk in church tomorrow, so this entry`s kind of late aain. My handwriting`s awful right now. I`m pretty tired. We were running all over town today, because Valeska told us she and her mom want to come to curch tomorrow. There`s a Sister Ines in the ward. She`s tough, even though she lives with her mom (buh-dump-dump- sssss!) She told us straight up, "I don`t want to go." We pretty much begged her, telling her we needed everyone, and she eventually said yes. Her mom, by contrast of attitude, went to get her tithing. She was short on bills and dug through all her coins, down to the last peso, to pay her tithing. She`s a sweet little Grandma. I was thinking about how Daddy said he`s been aching and hurting lately. I didn`t want to lose him. And a "solution" that came to my ead was to not love and separate myself. Why love anyone at all? It`ll just hurt more when they die. Then I pulled on my brakes as I realized what I was saying. First of all, I`m the hopeless romantic that loves everyone. Second of all, every one of those statements would contradict the things that I`ve found in my Scripture study lately. Satan was playing off of my fears. But I`m okay now. I missed Maybilline today. they`ve become a pretty big part of our lives here, in Tirùa. We found some post-it notes they had left around our room saying things like "I`ll miss you, "I love you guys" or "I`ll never forget you." I hope they find their way to the Gospel soon. Montoya was rude again today. I`m sick of trying to guess what he wants.

Sunday: A year ago from today was the big 9.4 earthquake in Concepciòn. Coincidentally, the day started off with a 6.3 earthquake. We got ready for the day and headed out to get an investigator, Castula, to bring her to the church. She didn`t answer. Valeska and her mom weren`t at the church when we started, but arrived soon after. I gave my talk on tithing, using my parents as an example. I remember one ear, right before Christmas, they only had $6 after paying their tithing. Then someone dropped off a big box of food on the doorstep. We never found out who it was. My Sunday class was on missionary work. Diego was the only one who really listened. I even taught about missionary work in the Spirit world. He liked that. After church, Elder Montoya told me that Valeska tried returning her Book of Mormon to us. She thought it was ours. But she took it back and will go to Temuco this week. We still have an appt. with her mom on Thurs. At 4:00 pm we got a call from the Elders in Chillàn (Maybilline and Gonzalo`s city). Apparently, Maybilline and Gonzalo had waited outside of the chapel (they didn`t know when church startede) and had chased down the Elders to give them their contact info. They`d also given the Elders our number so we could give them the skinny. I`m so happy for them! Tey`re still progressing forward! All of our appts. fell through in the afternoon, and we ended up packing our bags to go to Cañete to be with Elder Hewiser because the other 3 elders are receiving training elsewhere.