Must Be Doing Something Right January 26, 2015

I honestly don't know what to say this week...  so I'll just try.

 

First of all, I cannot thank everyone enough for taking care of my sweet and amazing best friend, Emily. There really aren't words to describe the happiness and gratitude I feel. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........... I'm dying.

 

Second, Congrats to the recent wedding announcements! So happy for those of you who have recently gotten engaged or married! I love getting your announcements (thanks a lot for not sending one, Liv. haha)  And I am so happy for all of you! Good job. Marriage, it's important.

 

Steve, way to be a good example to your friends. It's showing and it's helping them. 

 

Interviews were absolutely wonderful this week. I am so grateful to be led and instructed by someone who is called and instructed from the Lord. President Kähnlein is an inspiration to me, and it was a wonderful opportunity to recieve a blessing from him as well. I know how mindful the Lord is of me. 

 

A little sad this week that our cute little couple isn't feeling ready to be baptized yet, so we will keep working with them. They are such wonderful people. 

 

I feel so blessed to be a missionary. I am so glad you are all being blessed as well. It makes me think that I've got to be doing SOMETHING right. But there's a whole lot to improve. I know I can be a better servant of the Lord. I read Mark 10 this week where the young man comes to ask what more he can do to inherit eternal life. Initially, the Lord responds with several commandments, but once the obedience test is over, the Lord sees where his desires really are. The man was obedient, but that wasn't enough to help him learn to love Christ and follow after Him. I need to pick up my cross a little more. 

 

We are really trying to find families to be united in the gospel. A husband and wife that can support each other and their children. We are really trying to help part member families and less-actives because that is one of the best way to find people who already have a bit of a background in the spirit of the gospel. There is nothing that can make us happier. NOTHING!

 

The ward gave us some references of part-member families who would be receptive, and we are really going to try and help them come to understand how the gospel works. It is so extremely simple. 

 

Also, I think we should eliminate the phrase 'I'm busy' from our conversations in general. No, you're not busy, you just want to keep doing what you're doing. What does CHRIST want you to do right now?

 

I got my Chilean ID today! I like riding on the metro from my area to go to Viña, because there are always such talented people playing music on the way. It makes my day:) 

 

I have loved focusing on FAITH for all of JANUARY, and I have learned how closely related faith and obedience are. And also that happiness really is a choice, just like getting mad, being lazy, learning, waking up no time, being kind, and getting baptized are all choices. We never have the excuse to say that someone else has offended us. 'Well, if you don't want to be offended by someone, don't take offense.' I try to tell people that a little more gently though haha. 

 

I love you all! Pray for me and Hermana Pau'u to find some covenant people this week! People who want to choose to be chosen!

 

And here is my favorite scripture of  the week.   I do, GLORY IN MY JESUS, 2 Nephi 33:6

 

 I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.

 I have charity for my people, and great faith in Christ that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment-seat.

Love, Hermana Coray

Fire works on New Years Eve

 The view from Sara's apartment.

The view her friends posted from downtown at midnight.

Pictures from the mission blog

 

 

Sara with her new companion, Sister Pauu. She is a Tongan from San Francisco.

They have so much fun together already!

 Sister Etchegaray on her way home to Argentina.

 

Sister Leon on transfer day with her new companion.

 November zone conference.

 October zone conference

Thankful I Didn't Get What I Thought That I Deserved, January 12, 2015

You will all be happy to know that Hna. Pau'u and I have a herd of cows in  Limache (lee-ma-ch-eh).... like twenty five of them. I didn't have my camera with me that day because we went to a part where we shouldn't go with cameras, but Ill take a picture a different day haha.

Well, yesterday I thought about my life for a minute. And honestly, I can't remember how I got here. I have felt a few times in my life like the Lord was taking away the things I wanted the most. I won't write it all out because that would be pointless. But seriously, I just can't believe that I am here some days. That the Lord loves me enough to give me so many chances to come here. 

I love seeing little miracles, like when someone actually READS the Book of Mormon, or shows up to church, or how this week we put two baptismal dates with a couple who can finally get married and baptized in two weeks! Ivon and Eduardo! After more than a year of knowing about the gospel. Seeing converts that become relief society presidents, or this one boy who has been a member for like three months, and now he is bringing other friends to church like his friend did with him, and now he (Ignacio is his name) is getting ready to go on a mission! And yesterday night we were walking on our way home, and a member told us to come over tommorow to meet the new investigator he found for us! Ahhhhhhhhhhh. If I had a dime for every time I've heard someone say that Id be really poor hahaha. I was so happy!

We had a three hour ward conference the other day to put in a ton of efforts to do the new 'baptize, retain, and reactivate' thing that they are doing in all of South America to help the church members be strong here. We teach new people, converts, and less actives every day, and always try to include the members, and it is really awesome. We have a plan! It's still a process, but at least we have a goal and a way to achieve it.

I thank my Heavely Father I didn't get what I thought that I deserved, and that He is so loving to me that He has given me something better. And there is a lot more to come. 

I bear testimony of a loving Heavenly Father who expects us to keep the commandments so we can be happy. There isn't a better way. Listen to the Spirit. He is always there, but we have to be still and quiet to hear the still and quiet voice. Make a listening in your heart. That's what got me here. I have never regretted letting anything go that the Lord told me to let go. And the best part is, He actually never takes anything away. He just changes things out for something better. 

I love you all. I love the Lord. I feel Him so close, even with the hot sun on a fast Sunday when I have to go to the bathroom. haha. I know He is taking care of me, and it's like my Mission President told me a couple of weeks ago in interviews. 'Hermana Coray, He is watching you.'

I also got to steal a moment with the President today when we had to go to the mission office for my Chile ID stuff, and I am so grateful for faithful servants of the Lord. I am excited for zone meeting this week and Interviews next week! It will be fun!

Have a great week!

Love Hermana Coray

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Funny thing... yesterday i had the hicups forever, and my companion said ' hermana! you have a moth in your hair!' I freaked out and she just laughed, she has obviously learned how much i hate moths... haha. the hic ups went away

Sara's Christmas in Chile!

Sara spent Christmas eve with her companion, Sister Leon, at the home of the Castro family. We are so grateful to this kind family who has taken her in and loved her.  So grateful that she is surrounded by loving kindness from the members of the church while she is so far away.  We love the Castro family!  Sara had a very merry Christmas feeling the ultimate gift of the love of our Savior Jesus Christ.  It was a happy festive celebration with the Castros and we got to talk with her on Facetime!

Do We Know What We Have,January 5, 2015

I got transferred, and now I am in Limache, Villa Alemana. Try saying that 10 times fast haha. My companion is Hermana Paùu from San Francisco, but she's Tongan. I LOOOOOOOOOVE her. She is layed back and helps me be happy. We have fun:) Yes, fun. This morning I was just kind of pondering about my life a little bit, and I thought about all the amazing things I have in my life. First of all, I have life. I breathe, sing, dance, think, love, dream, have emotions, I can plan, create, decide, and laugh. Everything we have and everything we are is pretty amazing, and the thing that makes a difference is how we use it all. I especially thought about how we are halfway to the next general conference, and sat and thought if I had gone back to see the pure revelation that the prophet and apostles and leaders recieve for us. I invite us ALL to go back and read ever conference talk before the next conference. I feel like, well, I know, that the more we use what we are given, the more we will be given.

The new sector is smaller, without hills, hotter, and a bigger ward. I really really like it here, and I felt so welcomed in even the first few hours I was here. It's a little farther away from Viña. Our department is a little duplex kinda house. It is... interesting. haha. We have some great investigators, a few that need to wait to get married, which is quite a process in Chile, and some that just need a little extra love to understand the plan God has for us. I live on a street named Lucuma, so I take that as a sign that dad needs to do some custard/lucuma planning. We are really trying hard to reactivate and retain all the new converts and less actives, so that we can build Christ's Church in South America. It is hard to endure to the end, because the end really never comes:) 

We have so much more than we realize, and I know we can all try a little hard to be a little better. 

I love you so dearly. I have had more than just a change of heart, I've had a change in ME. I would especially love it if you could all read Elder Perry's conference talk. I read it this morning, and it made me so grateful to have had a home like that. I love you more than I can say. 

Love Hermana Coray

 

Pictures from Christmas!

Desert, December 29, 2014

Ok, first of all, I would like to say how happy I am that it snowed for you all on Christmas. I put in a request for that one, and I'm glad He felt like that would be a good thing. I loved getting to talk to you all, and thank you all so much for the great presents! My companion and I loved it all. It was a Merry Christmas with many blessings, and I felt so much love from you and the Savior.

This week was soooooooo hot, and we are doing this new idea the church leaders have asked us to apply with the mormon.org questions and pass along cards. We go to a big crowded place of our zone and four hours a day we contact and help people find out more about the curch with this big stand. I'll have to send a picture. It is a great way to find people, especially less-actives. I have to remind myself that it's all part of the plan, and even though we have four hours less to see investigators, it has a purpose and we will get blessings. It was so funny, one day we were out doing it and this sweet little old lady that talked extremely fast and I swear it wasn't even spanish, came over and talked to us for FORTY FIVE MINUTES. We tried to keep asking her for her address so that we would be able to go visit her in a better conversation setting, but that just wasn't happening. She was probably 95 years old and SO adorable (I understood approximately 2% of what she said) and I just had to think to myself 'does this story have a point? or does it just go on and on like the stinkin desert?' haha. She was so sweet, but ufortunately it was absolutely impossible to actually have a conversation. We hope we will be able to find her some day. 

 

Also, I forgot to tell you all that our mission is in the middle of translating the Book of Mormon in Spanish. 'But it already exists!' yes, I know, but there are many words that aren't exactly synonymous with how it is in English, so those who feel able to do it are going through and finding ways to improve it. One thing I found was the word 'wilderness'. It always says desert instead of wilderness. It makes a difference. 

 

I have been making goals to apply for this wonderful 2015 year that is coming, and I decided for the 'spiritual' category of imporvement, I am going to focus on one attribute of Christ each month. The first nine are from preach my gospel, and the last three I just picked. You are all invited to do it. Write in your journal, study scriptures and talks, have a FHE about it, or just think about that attribute for the month. It will bless ya lots! Im pretty excited. 

 

January Faith

February Hope

March Charity

April Virtue

May Knowledge

June Patience

July Humility

August Diligence

Septembe rObedience

October Mercy

November Wisdom

December Peacemaker

 

Put good goals for the new year so that when we get to the end we'll have something to show for it. I love you all so very much. I think our sector will stay pretty calm for new years, so we'll go out and work until it's time to go to a new years dinner with a different family in our ward. I love you toooooooooons! And miss you. Be good. Thanks for being the best family I could EVER ask for. 

 

xoxoxo

Hermana Coray