Small Things, BIG Miracles

Let me just start with this idea. The smallest of things make the biggest of differences. If you just think about it, the impressions of the Spirit are TINY!! But if we truly listen and follow them, we become great instruments in the hands of the Lord.

This week was super good. We found 4 new investigators which is super cool. Two of them are SUPER catholic, but really receptive in the sense that they understand we are missionaries, and are willing to at least listen to us and read what we give them. They were so impressed with what we shared with them that they want to give us lunch next Sunday... We are excited for them. We also found a former investigator who is 17 and her mom. Valentina, the daughter, came to church yesterday! She is super sweet and she says she has never come to this church before, but she feels more tranquila when she is in the church. Also, there are 3 of her neighbors who are in the mujeres jovenes and she felt really comfortable with them. Already they have invited her to the next mutual activity and she really wants to go. We are excited for her and are going to invite her to baptism this week. She was a little miracle this week from our divisions.

Marcela our other investigadora that had a fecha didn´t come to church yesterday because she had visitas. We were sad, but hope she´ll understand el Día de Reposo this next week when we teach her. She is still super awesome and she actually read in the Principios del Evangelio book about Ayuno and Diezmo before we taught her them! It was super cool because all we had to do was answer a couple of her questions and she accepted it all! She asked if she could fast and pay tithing before baptism! It was so cool and she is so willing to follow all the commandments of God! We are going to invite her to a new fecha this week also. 

I love you guys SO much. I hope that you remember that Christ, our Great Lord and Redeemer was born in the most humble of circumstances and that even a prophet has said that He never had much in His life. But He impacted the world in more ways than we will ever know in this life and changed the lives of MILLIONS of people. I love Him so much and I hope you guys remember that it doesn´t matter how small you think you are, or how insignificant you feel, because He loves you and with Him, you can make an impact on millions of people as well. This is an invitation to share the gospel! Just think about this, if you help even just ONE person to be baptized and converted the the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that person will maybe go on a mission, maybe baptized TONS of people, and then get married in the temple and have children in the convenant and go on to become just like our Heavenly Father with TONS of kids. It is SO awesome missionary work! I invite you all to go just do one small thing to help another to accept this gospel. And He promises your joy will be full. 

I love you guys!

Hna. McCubbins

10 MONTHS??? Hna. Araujo pointed out that now I have two digits in my age... :(

So this week was super good. We found a new family that consists of a mom and dad that are married with a 5 month old daughter! They are super amazing and the mom accepted a fecha to be baptized the 26th of September if she recieves an answer. She read her last compromiso, so we are super excited for her to start reading the book of mormon! Our fecha with Marcela fell last week because she didn´t come to church the last Sunday, but she came yesterday, so we are going to reinvite her this Martes! Marcela is AMAZING!! Yesterday she bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon to Presidente de la Rama and saludó a todas las personas. Then when we were leaving Sociedad de Socorro, she went and hugged ALL of the hermanas! It was so cool because she has SO much faith in the Lord and really felt like the capilla was where He wanted her to be! I can´t even believe how much she is progressing! It is almost like she is teaching herself and we are just guiding her to what she needs to know to be baptized! I am so excited for her and just praying that she keeps reading because she is growing so much. She reads everything that we leave her and also wanted to have a lesson with some other hermanas as well. Hna. Celia thought she was a member already! It was super amazing to see how powerful the Book of Mormon is with someone who truly is seeking the truth. She is an escogida and I feel so priviledged to teach her.

Hna. Araujo and I are doing really good. We are good friends because we both want to work and get excited when we see progress in the people we are teaching. One thing that is worrying me a little is that she has been here so long that she is kind of getting bored. I asked her what I could do to help, and so we have a goal to work with more animo and get to know the members in different ways than the usual: How long have you been a member? How many kids do you have? Things like that, because she knows everyone and knows almost everything. So we have a goal to ask interesting questions with everyone and gain their confidence. There are a lot of members here that are super willing to help us and it makes me excited to work!

I am doing really good right now. I love to study and if president extended personal study time to 2 hours, I don´t think I would complain... :) I really love to read the Book of Mormon because of the change I have seen in Marcela. It is so powerful this book and I can´t believe how much knowledge I gain everytime I sit down to read. And even if I don´t read something new, or learn something new, the Spirit helps me to see old concepts and principles with new eyes and it edifies me to the point where I just want EVERYONE to read it! And it isn´t just my study in the Book of Mormon that really excites me, but being diligent in all my studies, including Spanish. I have gotten to the point in my mission where I understand 99 percent of what people say and can sometimes talk in a Chilean accent if I desire. But I have noticed that the Spirit truly empowers my ability to communicate with people when I take those 30 minutes every morning to study even a little concept about Spanish. It is AMAZING!

Also this week we went and sang for a group of people with special needs for a sister in our rama. It was SO awesome because we were singing for people that can´t do a lot on their own and it made them SO happy. It was funny though because two ladies were blind and they were the lemons of the bunch because they never smiled. They´re named Maria and Andrea and I successfully made them smile!! But then Maria asked me if I had any cheese and when I couldn´t find any, she went sour again. But I gave them both a big hug and I hope they keep smiling. Almost our whole zone sang for them, and though it wasn´t Mormon Tabernacle Choir status, it WAS Heaven status. I couldn´t stop smiling! ;) It was awesome.

Oh my goodness!! I can´t believe Derek is a missionary!! That isn´t even fair! And those pictures that you sent me make him and Scotty look like men!! I kind of went crazy when I saw them and Hna. Araujo gave me a confused look. That is SO awesome that he´s a missionary! The mission is awesome and these next 2 years are going to change you like you could never believe!! The Lord truly makes us into who He needs us to be and that is the measure of our potencial! It is super cool because in the mission, we are helping people to start this process and in the mean time, the Lord is helping us to progress as well! And He does it with trials and difficulties so that we learn to rely on Him more and more. I can´t wait for you to get out to the field! It is so awesome! If you have any questions or doubts or concerns, just ask your big shorter sister Hermana McCubbins ;)

Anyway I love you guys tons. I hope you have tons of fun this week and grow in the Lord a little more than ever before!

Hermana McCubbins

P.S. SORRY!! I didn´t have the stuff that I was going to send with Hna. Kinikini when she left! But I do have stuff for you guys. I will just have to send it with someone else, like Hna. Hellbusch ;D She comes home around my birthday I think...

P.P.S. I recieved the two packages with the dresses and sweaters! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I LOVE new clothes.

P.P.P.S. I love you! :)

SAN FERNANDO, RAMA DE CENTINELA :D

Dear Sweet Beautiful Family of Mine,

So I am really adjusting to the Centinela Branch. It is very different from Curicó, but it reminds me a lot of Tupahue, so I like it. The branch is super nice and our president is really good. We have a lot of members that are super willing to help us in lessons and come with us. I think that has a lot to do with Hna. Araujo´s work here. She is super diligent in calling a member for every cita fija that we have. We have a really good relationship with the branch and it is helping us a lot. 

This week we invited one of our recent investigators to a baptismal date, and she accepted! Her name is Marcela de Jesus, and she is super awesome. She always reads her compromisos, and if she doesn´t understand, she reads again until she comprehends!! She told us this week that she feels a warm feeling in her heart when she reads the Book of Mormon and it helps her with her depression that she is fighting. We are working to get a member to come with us on our cita with her this Martes. She is super cute and really is searching for the Lord´s Church. 

Hna. Araujo and I get along really well. She works hard and is obedient, and we both strive to invite the Spirit when we are teaching. It is amazing to me that she is a convert! The other day we helped in Primary a little bit and the sister who was teaching asked Hna. Araujo to relate the story of Jesus Christ after He was resurrected. She turned to me, worried and said she didn`t study that because she has been trying to learn the Book of Mormon. It was super humbling to me because growing up in the church I know all the stories of Jesus, and I kind of took that for granted. But she is so amazing to come out on a mission, with just the desire to learn, and trust in the Lord that He will help her. She has a goal to read chapters in the Bible more so she can learn more about Christ. She is so awesome!! 

I am doing good so far. This morning in Personal Studies I really had the Spirit because as I was reading the scriptures, I was just amazed by the things I was learning. I read Helaman 3:29-30 and it blew my mind. I couldn´t believe how powerful the promise of reading the scriptures is, to land us on the right hand of God! It is super awesome. We are going to use that scripture to help a less active member start to read his scriptures everyday with his family. ALL of you guys should read that scripture. I was freaking out this morning and I think Hna. Araujo was a little worried for me... :)

I can´t believe that Jenna recieved her mission call!! Did I tell you that I screamed in the Ciber and everyone stopped to look at me?? I might be a little crazy... On one hand I am almost dying of excitement. On the other I am SUPER sad that I won´t get to see Jenna for like 2 or 3 years.... :( But the mission is awesome! I recommend it to everyone. 

My companion Hna. Araujo is SUPER amazing. She is from Brasil and a convert of about 3 years? I don´t know how many. She was the first one baptized in her family!! And then her primo and then her mom. She is SO cool and can´t even describe it. The funny thing is that she has a little bit harder time with the language! It is cool because she has a strong Portugese accent and it´s rubbing off on me!! ;D Why is that cool?? Because I feel like it is better to have a portugese accent than a gringo accent. She also says algunas palabras brasileñas, which is funny because I actually understand her sometimes because Portugese is so close to Spanish, and because a lot of words are similar to English words too. At the end of this change, I am going to be Brasileña, I just know it. 

Oh hey, so one of the members here has a son in the States, and she is going to go visit him in Utah! She offered to take a letter to you guys when she lands, so keep a look out for her. She speaks English with a really heavy accent, but I am sure Dad can help her. She is SUPER funny and super sweet, but I forgot her name. That is what kind of sucks about being in a new area, is that you have to learn about a bajillion names and it is super hard!!

Oh and hey, I FORGOT TO WISH DEREK A HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And then the week after that I FORGOT AGAIN!! Sorry Derek! Your older sister really does love you, I promise!! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU FOR DECIDING TO GO ON A MISSION!! You are going to rock it and even though I can´t remember where it is, you are going to be awesome there (sorry!! I can´t remember anything at this moment. If I don´t write it down, I forget al tiro). That is so crazy that you are an Elder! You have to write me in the mission and I will give you ALL the advice you could ever want, and all the super awesome mission talks you have to read ;) You are super awesome and will love the mission, just wait ;) 

Anyway, I think this letter is long enough. I hope you all have an awesome week this week, and if you want you can go read ´´Is it still Wonderful to You?´´ By Bishop Causse in the Conference this last April. It is almost my favorite. I can´t wait for next conference!! 

Love you all!!  Hermana McCubbins

Awesome Alameda

Dear Family,

So we found out our changes. I am going to San Fernando and Hna. Vorwaller is going to Santa Cruz. I am going to have another Brazilian companion Hna. Araujo! It is so crazy! Now I can use all the Portugese words I learned with Hna. Mota with Hna. Araujo! Tell Uncle John that we will speak Portugese when I get back ;) I am super sad to leave La Alameda, but I know the Lord needs me to learn some things up in San Fernando, so I am all good. 

This week we had a MIRACLE!! So I´ll set the scene for you guys okay? I am sitting there in Sacrament Meeting, singing the opening hymn as loud as I can so that everyone can know I am gringa and even sing in a gringa accent, and all of a sudden, a lady just plops herself down on my right side and gives me a hug. I can`t see who it is because her thick brown hair is over my eyes, but when she lets go, tampoco puedo reconocerla!! I smile and just look forward to not make it awkward. Then it hits me, FABIOLA!!!!! She is a lady we contacted maybe 2 and a half weeks ago and we invited their family to come to church. They said the regular things like, a lo mejor (probably) and si no tenemos flojera (if we aren`t lazy). So we didn`t think they would come. And we were right, they didn`t come. So they weren`t high up on our priority list. In fact we had been considering dropping them. Then we found out Fabiola moved out of her Boyfriend`s house (they have three kids and were living with his mom, and we contacted them there) because they were having problems, so we figured we would never see her again. But here she was!! Right next to me on my right side!!! I almost had a heart attack. I wanted to jump up and scream to the world that miracles DO exist and that they come in the strangest of ways sometimes. Turns out that her mom, who she moved in with, lives really close to the capilla, so she just decided to come to church!! ¡Que valentía!! I don`t think I would have done that if I were her. I asked her if she has ever come to church, and she said no. She came alone, but wants to bring her three kids with her next week, because she met Coni Rios who works in Primary, and Coni told Fabiola all about the games and songs and learning about Jesus that they do there. She really wants to come next week and I could just see her and her boyfriend getting married and sealed in the temple to their three kids and I PRAY that happens. After all, miracles do happen. 

Anyway, that was my super awesome experience this week. Also, we had an awesome lesson with Claudio and Pamela where we showed the video about the Restoration. Pamela got emotional and Claudio recognized that he needs to ask God which church to join. We just hope he doesn`t end up going to an Evangelica church, because his friend invited him to come see it. But Claudio accepted the invitation to prepare for a baptism the 6th of September!! So that will be awesome.

And last but not least, we had the awesome idea of fasting for rain down here in Chile, and I think Heavenly Father must have understood that we want a flood, because we have been getting TONS of rain! It is awesome and Hna. Mota and I LOVE singing in the rain. I kind of want winter to last all year. :) 

I love you guys!! Have an amazing week! Read your scriptures!

Hna. McCubbins

Hna. Andrea and all of us. She is also a convert of 2 years. She and her husband are getting sealed this October! She is super cute and works with the Mujeres Jovenes. (Hermana Vorwaller, McCubbins, and Mota)

Hna. Angelica Ugas

She is a convert that used to be Evangelica (I don`t know the translation to English) and she is seriously like my second mom. Her husband always travels to the states and there is a big possibility they might come visit us after the mission. :)

Hna. Carmen Gloria

Also a convert. She is so cute and her son just returned from a mission in Santiago Este. He might do the Pathway program for BYU because he really wants to learn English.

Hna. Juanita Barahona.

She is the President of Relief Society and Return Missionary and AWESOME. She has three little girls and a husband who knows perfect English and she STILL finds time to accompany us to visits. :)

Hna. Paredes is a ward missionary with her husband and they teach the early morning seminary. They are awesome! 

Hna. Orrogoa is the president of Primary and also knows English and LOVES movies from the States, especially Hunger Games. Her husband fell from a really tall building and lost all his memories when they had maybe 5 years of marriage, and he didn`t recognize her. Then a while later he started regaining memory, but he still hasn`t completely recovered. That was 12 years ago... They are SO funny and cute :)

Viki is a future missionary! She is preparing to go on a mission. A year ago she was inactive because her mom decided to go be Evangelica. But then Viki came back and wants to serve a mission! She comes and helps in lessons all the time and is only a little bit crazy, just like me and Hna. Mota ;)

This is an Hermano that comes to church despite all his health problems. I want to be like him when I grow up.

This is the Bishop`s wife, Marcia. She is the coolest! Her husband is super funny, like Jim Carry funny, and she has a TON of patience, probably because she is a psycologo (I cant remember the word in English). Their little daughter Rafaela is the CUTEST and I love them tons! The bishop guessed changed before they happened and I hate him for it! ;)

Hna. Carmen Gloria again. 

This is Nicol. Our recent convert. She doesn`t talk much, but she likes to laugh, and so do I, so we get along ;) She has been coming on visits with us, and is super cool! She just comes whenever we ask even though she has only been in the church for like 5 months. I love her tons! 

These are Nicol´s parents. Jorge is a menos activo and her mom Alejandra is preparing to be baptized!! She hasn`t accepted a baptismal date yet, but she will soon :) She has been working to drop tea and coffee and now only drinks at school with the rest of the teachers. She is SO awesome. 

This is my crazy companion Hna. Mota from Fortaleza Brazil. I love her tons! And she is seriously thinking of coming to the States to learn english, which would be super awesome. She just needs to save up money.