Belen and her nieces:
Daniela's baptism:
Camille with her good friend Kathy:
Marta and Victoria's baptisms:
Sisters in action:
Friday, March 13, 2009
More pics
The winning cake:
Belen and her nieces:
Daniela's baptism:
Camille with her good friend Kathy:
Marta and Victoria's baptisms:
Sisters in action:
Belen and her nieces:
Daniela's baptism:
Camille with her good friend Kathy:
Marta and Victoria's baptisms:
Sisters in action:
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Hola,
Well today is my last day with Hermana Wheatley...lagrima...I am really going to miss her. My new compañera’s name is Hermana Hutchinson. I don’t know very much about her except that she is from New Hampshire (close to Lake Winapasake for those of you who have seen What about Bob), that she is a little bit serious, that she has a beautiful singing voice, and that she speaks spanish very well. I am excited to improve my singing and my spanish. I am also excited because I hear she is a very hard worker and there is much to be done here in Consti! Oh, and she is a vegeterian...I don’t know how she survives here in Chile but I am excited that they will have to start serving us more veggies!
It is so nice to see the fruits of our labor every once in a while! This week we had two different families cry and tell us that our coming to visit them has made their families more united and more peaceful. That was so nice to hear. One of them was the family of Benjamín. We met his mom in a colectivo (a bus-type thing) by some miracle and started to visit them. Benjamín was baptized yesterday and his whole family was crying. Their family has really come together in the last few months that we have been meeting with them.
Well, that is pretty much all of the news of this week! I am going to send some pictures and I hope they actually go through this time! I love you all a lot. I hope that you all remember to count your blessings and reflect on where they come from!
Hermana G
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Hello All!
So I only have one more week with Hermana Wheatley!! Sad!! She is finishing her mission and going home soon: (. It was really great being her compañera...I learned a lot from her and will really miss her.
Well this week was full of interesting stories. To start of, the other day we were eating lunch at the house of a family from the church when I started itching my head a little bit. I have had some skin problems with the change in climate and everything but the woman we ate with insisted that I must have lice (it is very common down here). So that night we went home and began to check our heads. I had lice once as a little girl and actually have a really good memory of what it was like, so I knew what to look for. I checked my hair and had Hermana Wheatley check my hair as well and LUCKILY, no i did not have it. But then as a joke almost, Hermana Wheatley brushed her hair with fine come and what did she discover, but a little bug! So I looked in her head and saw literally hundreds of eggs! We woke up early the next morning to buy shampoo and I have spent every morning and night since pulling out eggs from her head! It is now a lot better and by some miracle I still don’t have lice!
I don’t think I have mentioned this before, but I sink in front of people literally ALL the time down here. Their isn’t very much musical education down here so when they hear a half-trained voice they think it is amazing...lucky me! So I sing at church, baptisms, firesides, conferences, etc. Usually it is in a trio or duet. Crazy, huh?
So I would like to talk a little bit about Gastón. He is a 55 year old Chilean man with a big heart and a lot of personality. He was one of the first people that I met here in Chile and the first person to get baptized in the church (back in January). He used to be an alcoholic but through a lot of prayer and faith COMPLETELY changed his life before the baptism. Well, last Saturday night he went out with some friends and when someone offered him a drink, he decided that just one wouldn’t be bad so he had one. Well one drink is NEVER one drink for an alcoholic. He literally spent 24 hours a day drunk from Sunday until Thursday. People had told us about his relapse, but on Wednesday night we actually encountered him in the streets. It was SO hard for me to see him like that. I tried so hard not to but I actually started crying (which believe or not was my first time crying in the mission). I just had seen such a big change in him that it was too hard for me to see him. He saw my reaction and in a drunken stupor asked me to forgive him and told me he loved me. He tried to hug me but by that point I was no longer sad, I was mad at him. We walked him to his house and left.
So we spent the entire rest of the week praying and fasting for him. We have so much love for him and a TON of faith. On Saturday night we went by his house which was empty. His niece who lives nearby came out to tell us that she had him locked in a room in her house since Thursday and that he could not come out to see us. We were grateful to hear that because we knew that that might be the only way to help him. She said she was planning on letting him out Sunday night. On Sunday morning at church we gathered a bunch of his new friends together and told them about the situation. We decided that we all wanted to be their to support him when he was let out. So gathered at his place at 7. He came out looking very sick (he hasn’t eaten or slept in days). We all hugged him, told him we loved him and were their for him, that relapses are normal but that we were going to do everything we could to help him. We prayed for him and dried for him. When we left he was smiling and very animated to do better. His nephew who is also a new member of the church spent all night with him last night. We have people visiting him almost every day. I have a strong testimony of repentance and I know that people can change their lives know matter how hard they fall. I have a ton of faith that Gastón will fully recover.
So Adri asked me about what we do here on Pdays. Usually on Pdays we just do emails and shopping and relax a little but sometimes we do something fun. The rest of the missionaries live at least 2 hours away but sometimes we travel over there and play games and eat together. Today we decided to go out to the countryside (about 30 minutes away). There are some members of the church who have a home out there by a beautiful river. I will send pictures next week. We went with a group of 20 somethings from Chile and we also invited Gastón. I think it was good for him to take in some fresh country air. It was a lot of fun.
The other day the church had an activity where everyone brought a dessert and we had a contest to see whose was the best. In January Donald had sent me a carrot cake mix with cream cheese frosting for my birthday. I never ended up using it but decided that this was the perfect occaison! We ended up using it to make a 3 layer cake with dulce de leche in between each layer...yum!! And we won 3rd place (out of about 30!). Everyone wants the recipe...haha. Thanks Donald!
Well thanks to everyone for their love and support. Especially the Pali Ward YW! I finally got your letters (woo-hoo!).
Hermana Gamboa
So I only have one more week with Hermana Wheatley!! Sad!! She is finishing her mission and going home soon: (. It was really great being her compañera...I learned a lot from her and will really miss her.
Well this week was full of interesting stories. To start of, the other day we were eating lunch at the house of a family from the church when I started itching my head a little bit. I have had some skin problems with the change in climate and everything but the woman we ate with insisted that I must have lice (it is very common down here). So that night we went home and began to check our heads. I had lice once as a little girl and actually have a really good memory of what it was like, so I knew what to look for. I checked my hair and had Hermana Wheatley check my hair as well and LUCKILY, no i did not have it. But then as a joke almost, Hermana Wheatley brushed her hair with fine come and what did she discover, but a little bug! So I looked in her head and saw literally hundreds of eggs! We woke up early the next morning to buy shampoo and I have spent every morning and night since pulling out eggs from her head! It is now a lot better and by some miracle I still don’t have lice!
I don’t think I have mentioned this before, but I sink in front of people literally ALL the time down here. Their isn’t very much musical education down here so when they hear a half-trained voice they think it is amazing...lucky me! So I sing at church, baptisms, firesides, conferences, etc. Usually it is in a trio or duet. Crazy, huh?
So I would like to talk a little bit about Gastón. He is a 55 year old Chilean man with a big heart and a lot of personality. He was one of the first people that I met here in Chile and the first person to get baptized in the church (back in January). He used to be an alcoholic but through a lot of prayer and faith COMPLETELY changed his life before the baptism. Well, last Saturday night he went out with some friends and when someone offered him a drink, he decided that just one wouldn’t be bad so he had one. Well one drink is NEVER one drink for an alcoholic. He literally spent 24 hours a day drunk from Sunday until Thursday. People had told us about his relapse, but on Wednesday night we actually encountered him in the streets. It was SO hard for me to see him like that. I tried so hard not to but I actually started crying (which believe or not was my first time crying in the mission). I just had seen such a big change in him that it was too hard for me to see him. He saw my reaction and in a drunken stupor asked me to forgive him and told me he loved me. He tried to hug me but by that point I was no longer sad, I was mad at him. We walked him to his house and left.
So we spent the entire rest of the week praying and fasting for him. We have so much love for him and a TON of faith. On Saturday night we went by his house which was empty. His niece who lives nearby came out to tell us that she had him locked in a room in her house since Thursday and that he could not come out to see us. We were grateful to hear that because we knew that that might be the only way to help him. She said she was planning on letting him out Sunday night. On Sunday morning at church we gathered a bunch of his new friends together and told them about the situation. We decided that we all wanted to be their to support him when he was let out. So gathered at his place at 7. He came out looking very sick (he hasn’t eaten or slept in days). We all hugged him, told him we loved him and were their for him, that relapses are normal but that we were going to do everything we could to help him. We prayed for him and dried for him. When we left he was smiling and very animated to do better. His nephew who is also a new member of the church spent all night with him last night. We have people visiting him almost every day. I have a strong testimony of repentance and I know that people can change their lives know matter how hard they fall. I have a ton of faith that Gastón will fully recover.
So Adri asked me about what we do here on Pdays. Usually on Pdays we just do emails and shopping and relax a little but sometimes we do something fun. The rest of the missionaries live at least 2 hours away but sometimes we travel over there and play games and eat together. Today we decided to go out to the countryside (about 30 minutes away). There are some members of the church who have a home out there by a beautiful river. I will send pictures next week. We went with a group of 20 somethings from Chile and we also invited Gastón. I think it was good for him to take in some fresh country air. It was a lot of fun.
The other day the church had an activity where everyone brought a dessert and we had a contest to see whose was the best. In January Donald had sent me a carrot cake mix with cream cheese frosting for my birthday. I never ended up using it but decided that this was the perfect occaison! We ended up using it to make a 3 layer cake with dulce de leche in between each layer...yum!! And we won 3rd place (out of about 30!). Everyone wants the recipe...haha. Thanks Donald!
Well thanks to everyone for their love and support. Especially the Pali Ward YW! I finally got your letters (woo-hoo!).
Hermana Gamboa
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
2.16.09
Hello!
¡Feliz día de los enamorados! It is actually a huge holiday down here. Lots of couples and roses and a huge show in the plaza. I avoided every part of it... Actually we had 4 baptisms on valentines day. One of the girls, Angie who is 12, was crying the whole time because she was so happy. It was so great to see the joy that the gospel has brought to their lives.
So on Monday night we went over to a family’s house that we are meeting with and made brownies with them. No one in Chile has ever heard of brownies and they are always soooo amazed by them. This humble little family doesn’t have a sink, a pan, and hardly any food in their kitchen, so we had to be really inventive. In the end they actually turned out pretty good. The family was sooo grateful.
Well, mission life is going well. I am keeping very busy but finding time to be silly too. I love you all and I am so greatful for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I hope you are all remembering to pray everyday: )
Camille
¡Feliz día de los enamorados! It is actually a huge holiday down here. Lots of couples and roses and a huge show in the plaza. I avoided every part of it... Actually we had 4 baptisms on valentines day. One of the girls, Angie who is 12, was crying the whole time because she was so happy. It was so great to see the joy that the gospel has brought to their lives.
So on Monday night we went over to a family’s house that we are meeting with and made brownies with them. No one in Chile has ever heard of brownies and they are always soooo amazed by them. This humble little family doesn’t have a sink, a pan, and hardly any food in their kitchen, so we had to be really inventive. In the end they actually turned out pretty good. The family was sooo grateful.
Well, mission life is going well. I am keeping very busy but finding time to be silly too. I love you all and I am so greatful for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I hope you are all remembering to pray everyday: )
Camille
Monday, February 9, 2009
2/2/09
Hello!
Well it has been another amazing week! I am so happy to be here in Chile!
La Nuevita
So the other companionship in our house was changed. Hermana Stapp, a blonde, blue-eyed girl from Alaska, used to be with Hermana Quilca, from Peru, but Hermana Quilca left and now we have another blonde! She is called Hermana Norton. And she is REALLY new and hardly speaks Spanish at all. So now everyone calls ME the Latina, because I am the only brunette and have Latina blood. It's funny. It's really crazt to see this new girl and remember how I was when I first got here in Chile almost 7 weeks ago. I am sooooo happy that I came here speaking Spanish. I honestly thought that I didn't speak Spanish and would apologize to everyone about how bad it was and they would always tell me that it was actually very good. They would tell me that they couldn't believe that I was new in Chile because I wasn't afraid to talk to whoever about whatever. I didn't see what they meant until now. Now I see what a blessing it is to be able to speak the language.
Bichos Galore
So the other day we were visiting with a cute little family that lives in the humblest of houses when all of the sudden we were attacked by a swarm of bugs. I am not exaggerating. Because their house is made up of some pieces of wood and some nails, there are lots of little holes where bugs can come in. And here we were sitting around talking and all of the sudden in came in honestly hundreds of bugs. They were EVERYWHERE. All over our books and our clothes, in our hair, on the gound. The 3-year-old daughter got up and started to squash them. It was actually really funny. I couldn't stop laughing. We ended up having to leave early. What an experience!
Breaking Out
So the other day when the other girls in the house left they locked the door from the outside. So when we left we realized that we had no way of getting out. Without even thinking, I took off my shoes and jumped from the window in the kitchen to the balcony, a few feet to the right. We live on the 3rd floor. After I did it I realized that it wasn't a smart idea. But . . I survived!
I love you all and am so grateful for the support. You have NO idea how much it means to me.
HCEG
Well it has been another amazing week! I am so happy to be here in Chile!
La Nuevita
So the other companionship in our house was changed. Hermana Stapp, a blonde, blue-eyed girl from Alaska, used to be with Hermana Quilca, from Peru, but Hermana Quilca left and now we have another blonde! She is called Hermana Norton. And she is REALLY new and hardly speaks Spanish at all. So now everyone calls ME the Latina, because I am the only brunette and have Latina blood. It's funny. It's really crazt to see this new girl and remember how I was when I first got here in Chile almost 7 weeks ago. I am sooooo happy that I came here speaking Spanish. I honestly thought that I didn't speak Spanish and would apologize to everyone about how bad it was and they would always tell me that it was actually very good. They would tell me that they couldn't believe that I was new in Chile because I wasn't afraid to talk to whoever about whatever. I didn't see what they meant until now. Now I see what a blessing it is to be able to speak the language.
Bichos Galore
So the other day we were visiting with a cute little family that lives in the humblest of houses when all of the sudden we were attacked by a swarm of bugs. I am not exaggerating. Because their house is made up of some pieces of wood and some nails, there are lots of little holes where bugs can come in. And here we were sitting around talking and all of the sudden in came in honestly hundreds of bugs. They were EVERYWHERE. All over our books and our clothes, in our hair, on the gound. The 3-year-old daughter got up and started to squash them. It was actually really funny. I couldn't stop laughing. We ended up having to leave early. What an experience!
Breaking Out
So the other day when the other girls in the house left they locked the door from the outside. So when we left we realized that we had no way of getting out. Without even thinking, I took off my shoes and jumped from the window in the kitchen to the balcony, a few feet to the right. We live on the 3rd floor. After I did it I realized that it wasn't a smart idea. But . . I survived!
I love you all and am so grateful for the support. You have NO idea how much it means to me.
HCEG
Monday, February 2, 2009
From last week . . . catchin up, I promise!
Benito's Baptism:
The Zone:
Hello,
Well our little abuelito Benito was baptized. Everyone is so excited for him because he is just so happy to have encountered the gospel. I am so blessed to see the changes that it makes in the lives of others. He is so incredibly happy these days and when we first found him he was very sad. I honestly think he is the most popular person in the Ward. At the end of his baptism, the bishop was at the pulpit saying his ‘welcome to the ward’ speech. He was talking about how God’s love and the love of the church members for Benito and Benito started Bowling. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house: ). I will never forget his smile. It was honestly bigger than his face.
Thanks to everyone for Keeping me in their prayers! I am so blessed down in Chile because of it!
Lots of Love,
A perfectly healthy Hermana Gamboa
PS Congrats to Cindy Thomas for her misión call!
The Zone:
Hello,
Well our little abuelito Benito was baptized. Everyone is so excited for him because he is just so happy to have encountered the gospel. I am so blessed to see the changes that it makes in the lives of others. He is so incredibly happy these days and when we first found him he was very sad. I honestly think he is the most popular person in the Ward. At the end of his baptism, the bishop was at the pulpit saying his ‘welcome to the ward’ speech. He was talking about how God’s love and the love of the church members for Benito and Benito started Bowling. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house: ). I will never forget his smile. It was honestly bigger than his face.
Thanks to everyone for Keeping me in their prayers! I am so blessed down in Chile because of it!
Lots of Love,
A perfectly healthy Hermana Gamboa
PS Congrats to Cindy Thomas for her misión call!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
From Jan 19, 2009
Sorry I'm a little late posting this!
Pics from Gaston and Paty's baptism:
Service Project for Benito:
Hello all,
I hope you are all doing well and I hope you all realize what a blessing it is to live in the USA :) .
Dos Bautismos
So this week, two investigators that we were teaching were baptized! Paty and Gaston. They are both such strong people with big desires to serve the Lord. It is so great to see how the gospel has changed their lives. Both of them are so happy and have such strong testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We actually met Gaston my first day here. He was outside of his house smoking when I felt the desire to start talking to him. He has changed his life completely in only a month. He calls me his Hermana Gamboita. Oh, and sorry to say, Gaston looks nothing like the Beauty and the Beast Gaston. Haha.
So every time there is a baptism, something HAS to go wrong. Either they can't find the baptism clothes, or the keys to the baptismal font, or someone has to go out of town last minute, or someone's family or friend tells them bad things about the church . . . it is always something. WELL, with Gaston and Paty everything seemed to be going right. Everything was well planned out and everyone was excited and organized and ready. THEN, Saturday I started to feel a little sick . . . we walked a TON that day in the sun and were fasting for the day. When we returned to the house I felt worse. I ended up spending the night in the bathroom throwing up Saturday night . . . it wasn't fun. I spend most of Sunday sleeping and in a daze. I could hardly even walk when I woke up. I kept praying all morning that I would be able to go to the baptism. I woke up at round 12 with just enough strength to get myself ready for the baptism. With the Lord's help, I was able to take pictures (though my face was swollen) watch the baptism, to congratulate Gaston and Paty, and then return to sleep the rest of the day. In the last 24 hours, I have slept for 16 hours! I woke up this morning almost 100% better! I am so blessed that the sickness was brief and that nothing went wrong with the baptism!
Dulce de Leche/Manjar
Down here the dulce de leche is called manjar. It tastes pretty much the same (But I can't lie, it's a little better in Argentina). The other day I decided that I was going to make some. So I did. It was yummy.
Espanol
My spanish must be getting better because every time I talk lately, someone says, "Wow, she speaks way better than the other hermana." I always feel bad because the truth is that my companera speaks better, I have just been improving and my accent is pretty good now. Sometimes they don't believe I am from the States. But then I start speaking a lot and they realize that I still commit mistakes. My companera is still way better at understanding the Crazy Chileans. I think I am starting to speak like them a little though. Oops.
Oh, and it is always way funny to me that the Chileans never believe that my companera and I are from the same country. Hoe can that be when we look so different?? Then I explain to them that I am part Mexican by ancestry. And then they get all confused... how can I be BOTH gringa AND latina?? It is really funny to see their reactions.
Well I love you all and am so grateful for your love and support!
Hermana Gamboita :)
Pics from Gaston and Paty's baptism:
Service Project for Benito:
Hello all,
I hope you are all doing well and I hope you all realize what a blessing it is to live in the USA :) .
Dos Bautismos
So this week, two investigators that we were teaching were baptized! Paty and Gaston. They are both such strong people with big desires to serve the Lord. It is so great to see how the gospel has changed their lives. Both of them are so happy and have such strong testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We actually met Gaston my first day here. He was outside of his house smoking when I felt the desire to start talking to him. He has changed his life completely in only a month. He calls me his Hermana Gamboita. Oh, and sorry to say, Gaston looks nothing like the Beauty and the Beast Gaston. Haha.
So every time there is a baptism, something HAS to go wrong. Either they can't find the baptism clothes, or the keys to the baptismal font, or someone has to go out of town last minute, or someone's family or friend tells them bad things about the church . . . it is always something. WELL, with Gaston and Paty everything seemed to be going right. Everything was well planned out and everyone was excited and organized and ready. THEN, Saturday I started to feel a little sick . . . we walked a TON that day in the sun and were fasting for the day. When we returned to the house I felt worse. I ended up spending the night in the bathroom throwing up Saturday night . . . it wasn't fun. I spend most of Sunday sleeping and in a daze. I could hardly even walk when I woke up. I kept praying all morning that I would be able to go to the baptism. I woke up at round 12 with just enough strength to get myself ready for the baptism. With the Lord's help, I was able to take pictures (though my face was swollen) watch the baptism, to congratulate Gaston and Paty, and then return to sleep the rest of the day. In the last 24 hours, I have slept for 16 hours! I woke up this morning almost 100% better! I am so blessed that the sickness was brief and that nothing went wrong with the baptism!
Dulce de Leche/Manjar
Down here the dulce de leche is called manjar. It tastes pretty much the same (But I can't lie, it's a little better in Argentina). The other day I decided that I was going to make some. So I did. It was yummy.
Espanol
My spanish must be getting better because every time I talk lately, someone says, "Wow, she speaks way better than the other hermana." I always feel bad because the truth is that my companera speaks better, I have just been improving and my accent is pretty good now. Sometimes they don't believe I am from the States. But then I start speaking a lot and they realize that I still commit mistakes. My companera is still way better at understanding the Crazy Chileans. I think I am starting to speak like them a little though. Oops.
Oh, and it is always way funny to me that the Chileans never believe that my companera and I are from the same country. Hoe can that be when we look so different?? Then I explain to them that I am part Mexican by ancestry. And then they get all confused... how can I be BOTH gringa AND latina?? It is really funny to see their reactions.
Well I love you all and am so grateful for your love and support!
Hermana Gamboita :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
