Running In Rancagua: From the Surface Del Sol!

So this week...... It has been a roller coaster ride ,) We have changes this Tuesday, however, en mi casa, we had special changes a week ago, en Martes. Hna. Mendez went to Curico, and her old companion Hna. Rodriguez came here. We get to be in a trio for 6 more weeks ;) Even more, Hna. Hellbusch es una coordinadora ahora, so she has a lot more meetings and divisions with other missionaries. That means I get to lead the sector when she is gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! D: I have to memorize where everyone lives, use the phone, and various other things while she is gone. All Hna. Rodriguez can do is speak the language, but I have to help her with everything else D: Its okay though, I know we can do it!

So this year there a lot of changes. The key indicators got changed! We dont count contacts anymore, only new investigators. Also, any lesson counts, not just ones with investigators. This has put a new focus on teaching less actives and recent converts. This is super awesome because the church really does need strengthening here and we would rather have missionaries teach 3 lessons a day with menos activos that are progressing, than proselyte for 6 hours and find 1 new person out of 100 contacts. We are really focusing on the barrios and working with members, and I love it!!! We probs wont have any baptisms for a while, but we will have MANY reactivations! We had one this week with Benita, because along with lessons, we can give assignments to menos activos, which means if they complete them and have an interview with the bishop they can be reactivated!! Whoooohoooo!!

We also found 2 nuevos this week.

Marta is super old and Catolica. But she was super nice and let us sing her a song right off the bat. However, EVERYTIME I tried to talk to her, she pretended to not understand.... Hna. Hellbusch says that happens a lot with Gringos... Voy a mejorar mi accento...

For some reason I cant remember our other new inv... Sorry :(

OH!! Juanita ;) But she isnt an inv. She is menos activo and super cute. She actually came to church herself and wanted us to start meeting with her so she can get to the temple!! The only thing is she has questions and doubts about the Millenium, and we arent exactly allowed to study deep doctrine, like how she is wanting to know. We will see what happens though...

We have been working a lot with our MAs Karina y Diego. They are a couple living together that have a date for matrimonio and a bebe on the way se llama Juaquin!! Before we were struggling with Diego a little bit because he once said he doesnt want to be married. However, we challenged them to start having oraciones con each other y reading el LdM (which is the bomb!!) and seriously, it is NIGHT AND DAY!! Yesterday when we went to visit them, they were like a new couple! Super cute, laughing, holding hands, everything! It was awesome! Diego even shared his vision of eternal life (like what it will be like) and he said he imagined holding hands with Karina and having like 10 kids running around them in a green grass field. It was SO cute!! And we are so proud of him!! Enserio, the book of Mormon is the most powerful thing EVER!! I think it was Elder Bednar that said if you seriously study it every day, you will never fall off the path.

One more story. We met the sweetest 85 year old lady the other day. She is named Maxi and right off the bat she told us she was catolica and didnt want another religion, but then when she saw that we were just 3 sweet 20 year old girls, she proceeded to tell us that we should not drop our panties for just any guy...... enserio, that is what she said. The only word I have for her is Spunky ;) She invited us back anytime and I really want to just go talk to her cuz she is SO funny! I want to be like that when I have 85 years.

Hey! If you want, could you send some pictures of our ancestors, like great grandparents, and aunts and uncles that are great too, and any stories you guys know? My next story will tell you why I want them.

So this morning I was studying 1 Nefi 15. It struck me how faithful Nephi was, and how centered he was on the Savior. So I decided to also study in PMG about Faith in Christ (which btw EVERYONE in the church should have a PMG, because we should all strive to be member missionaries). Nothing really was out of the ordinary, until I got on my knees and started praying. I started to thank Heavenly Father for the example Nephi set for us in his unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. Then my thoughts turned to yesterday when I kind of had a break down because I felt I didn´t have a lot of confidence in myself. I had an overwhelming feeling that Nephi must have had confidence issues too. After all he was always having to battle the doubts of his brothers. I am not kidding when I say this: I felt like Nefi was right there with me, along with all of heaven, including my family up there, and Nefi especially was thanking me for trying to follow his example. The feeling was overwhelming and the tears started to flow. All I could do was tell Heavenly Father that I didn´t know if I had faith like Nephi, but I am here in Chile because He called me to come, and I wanted to become as faithful as Nephi was. It was so extraordinary, I really mean it. I have never experienced that, where me and an ancient prophet have connected across the veil. My dear family, the people in the scriptures were real and they are watching over us even now. They had the same trialsl, or similar ones, as we have. But Nephi knew what to do. He ALWAYS turned to the Savior, Jesus Christ in the face of doubt, and trial. But along with Nephi, I also felt my family that is up there watching over me. I felt them all rooting for me and cheering me on through this tough missionary life. I know I am supposed to be here, if anything I hope I came in Faith because of my Savior, Jesus Christ. He is my Savior, and I could NOT do this without HIM. Please please PLEASE!!! Learn more about the great Redeemer. He loves you SO much and He just on the other side of that door knocking, waiting for you to open it wide and seek Him out!! I don´t know if I can shout through email or not but here you go: HE LOVES YOU!!! And that is all that really matters :)

Thank you for all of the stories of your guys´ lives!! I LOVED hearing about Derek and Scotty and Lindsey and Kate.

Derek, YOU CAN CONQUER THE MONSTER CALLED CALCULUS AND AP ENGLISH!! If anything, say to yourself that you are stronger than the subject and just kick it in the butt. Here, I am making you a missionary promise: If you read one chapter from the Book of Mormon everyday before you study or do homework, and I mean actually read and ponder it, and think of the people as real people, because seriously they are super awesome and real!!, and then sincerely ask Heavenly Father for help to focus and learn the material, and then go to work in those classes, Derek, I promise you that you will conquer those subjects, you will conquer your senior year, and you will go into the big world as a missionary, strong in the faith and ready to defeat anything Satan throws at you. :) I know it is hard, but you can do it!!

I love you guys!

Hna. McCubbins