September 28, 2015 - Bad Luck

Hola familia y amigos, 

This week was crazy and went by very fast. 

Monday and Tuesday were spent running around San Pablo to let Hna K say goodbye to all the members and investigators. She really loved this sector and it was very emotional for her. Reminded me of when I left Punta Arenas. 

Wednesday I woke up with a horrible cold. I felt awful. I had aches and chills and a fever and everything. We had therapy in the morning and I slept on the medical table haha. We had cambios, my new companion Hna Pinto came. She is from Colombia and she is really nice and cute and funny. 

Hermana Williams and Hermana Pinto

I feel bad because we came home, I showed her around the house and then I slept some more while she unpacked. So we didn't do much Wednesday. I felt awful. 

Thursday I was still horribly sick; I had a gross cough and I could barely talk. we were able to visit some people, but not the whole day. 

Friday we met with Doctor Garcia so he could check up on my knee. I finished all the therapy sessions so he was going to tell me if my knee is better and if I can walk or not. My knee felt pretty good this past week. except on Thursday. Wednesday night I made the mistake of walking really fast so we could get to the house on time and Thursday my knee was suffering. 

When we saw the doctor he took a look at my knee, but then he heard my cough and he was like ".... you have bronchitis." and I'm like "WHAT NO" so he took a look and listened to my lungs and diagnosed me with bronchitis. He wrote me a prescription for a million pills and an inhaler. He told me he wasn't going to do anything for my knee until my lungs were better. I was to go home and stay inside and rest and not go outside if it was really cold or windy. 

As for my knee, he looked at it, moved it around, etc. and he still says something's wrong, because it still hurts and it shouldn't hurt anymore. He wants to take an xray or a ct scan or something and he`s already sent to order to the Mission to start doing the paperwork for it. So we`ll see how that goes. 

So I'm in the house again! I'm beginning to think I have the worst luck ever. I'm pretty sure the mission nurse laughed when I told her I have bronchitis now. I am the mission´s problem child haha. 

Friday we stayed in the house! Saturday we went out to work because I was feeling a lot better and it wasn't that cold or windy. We worked for almost the whole day and we taught 3 lessons. I felt great!!

Stray dog, Johnny that follows us around all day and waits for us when we're inside a house.  

Sunday we had a big conference in Osorno. They are combining the District of La Union with the Osorno Stake and we got to hear from Elder Ferrera from the Seventy and Presidente Obeso. But we were sitting way in the back and the sound was bad so I barely heard anything... but it was still good. 

Sunday in the afternoon it was really rainy and windy and I felt sick still, worse than Saturday because I kind of overdid it. So we called the nurse and she told me to stay inside. 

That`s basically all that happened this week; kind of boring. I have a little cardboard box of all my medications and little post it note schedules for when I have to take them. I take about 6 pills in the morning and night, three during the day and an inhaler every 6 hours. So i have to wake up at 1am every night to take it or else I  have a cough attack. 

So many pills!

This week I will complete 14 months in the mission. 4 months until I come home. it has gone by very fast. 

Thanks for all the emails and support every week. I'm going to be just fine. 

I know that God lives, He is my loving Father in Heaven, and his son Jesus Christ is my Savior and that is our greatest source of hope in this life. 

love, hermana Williams

September 21, 2015 - More Changes

Hola familia y amigos, 

Well I guess I should  clarify that  am alive. I know that there was a big earthquake in Chile this week and that it was all over the news.  It was in northern part of Chile, and my area was not affected at all. We didn't even feel the ground move or anything. So yes,  I am safe, don't worry.

Hermana K and Hermana Williams

I was more worried for Scott than anything but it sounds like Easter Island wasn't hit, so he`s okay I hope. 

This week we went to the clinic a lot and had a couple of inside the house adventures. 

On tuesday we made empanadas with our landlady who lives next door- so I only had to hobble five steps haha. Her name is Maria and she lives all a lone and she loves it when we come over and talk to her. She showed us all her photo albums and got so excited. She also taught us how to make empanadas and she`s the cutest. 

On Wednesday I was cleaning and polishing my leather boots that I bought here and I replaced the soles with my Superfeet. Turns out the soles were completely shredded. There's a tradition here in the mission that when you complete one year you have to burn something; a shirt or skirt or something. So we burned my shoe soles in our beautiful little wood stove!I wrote the names of all my previous sectors on the soles with a Sharpie and we took pictures and  videos.

Hna. Williams baring her SOLE!

On Thursday we went to the clinic like normal and I met with a new doctor to try to get my pain medication refilled. He took a look at my knee and told me I can start going out to work again! He said I can walk, but not fast and of course if my knee starts to hurt I need to rest and take a break. So I can last about 3 hours maximum, but that's better than nothing! He also told me that I need to start wearing tennis shoes.... right when I though I had already learned my humility lesson, now I have to wear my tennis shoes with a skirt..... it was hard enough to buy and wear mission shoes... trial of my faith haha. But I know it will help my knee so, I will obey. 

Friday was the 18 of September CHILEAN INDEPENDENCE  DAY!!! It's a huge deal here. We had permission to hang out with the members in the activity all day because there are a lot of drunks in the streets. We made sopaipillas, empanadas, played games, danced cueca and ate Once, It was awesome!! It's a small branch where the members are one big family. I wasn't able to tap dance this year... but Hna K enjoyed herself, It's her first 18.

Hermana Williams Making Sopaipillas for the Sept. 18th Activity.

Chilean Independence Day Branch Activity

Saturday we didn't leave out to work much because Chileans love to party and there were lots of drunks. We worked until it got dark outside. 

sunday we had church and it was great, i had to give the sunday school class. i was thinking that if someone had asked me to give a class in spanish a year ago i would have died.... but now its a little more fun. we`re going to have a big conference next week because they`re combining our district and branches with the osorno stake. 

This week we have cambios!  Hna K and I thought we were going to stay together because I just got here, but wrong!  She`s going to Rio Bueno and she`ll be in the same district with me still. I am receiving a new companion,Hna P from Colombia. I'm excited. I don't know the sector here yet.... but I did it in Puerto Varas and I can do it again. I'ts a small town. 

Sorry I don't have much to write. That's about it. 

Let hna Braithwaite know that I did recieve all my stuff... thanks for the toddys! I love her. 

I'm still learning a lot of pacience and humility this week. but I am feeling better. I have faith that I'm on the path back to being better. I know that Heavenly Father is with us every step of the way when we pass through hard times, I know that we are His children and He loves us. 

I'm grateful to be His missionary. 

love, Hermana Williams

Subway with Hermana Jenkins!

September 14, 2015 - One Year in Chile

Hola familia y amigos,

This week I completed one whole year in Chile! it seems like just yesterday I was getting off the tiniest plane in the tiniest airport in Osorno and shaking President Obeso´s hand for the first time. A lot has changed in one year and a lot has changed in only one week. I can say that I never planned on the mission turning out this way when I completed a year  in Chile. 

So Monday they called and said I had sobre cambios. I thought they meant I would leave Tuesday in the morning, but no, they called and told me I was scheduled to leave on the bus at 7pm that same night! That was a nightmare. We ran home and Hna B helped me pack while I tried not to have a break down and still call and say goodbye to members. We got everything packed up in time and headed to Puerto Montt to take the bus there. 

Saying goodbye to Hna B was very hard; we both cried a lot. I know we`re going to see each other after the mission, but it was still hard. I wanted to at least finish her training. I don't think I`ve ever cried so much in my entire life. 

I arrived in La Union at about 9:30pm and the hermanas lideres were there to greet me with my new companion. My new hermanas lideres are Hna C, from Valdivia and Hermana L V, (my former roommate! We were super excited! And my new companion is Hermana K from Salem Utah. She was actually Hna B's companion in the CCM. She was really sweet and really excited to see me. We got on another bus to go to San Pablo. On the bus we talked and got to know each other better and I explained everything with my knee. Her companion, Hna S, got bit by a dog a couple weeks ago so they had already been in the house for awhile too.  She understand why the change had to happen. 

San Pablo is un pueblito, a very small small town in the middle of nowhere. It's all campo/ country. Everyone already knows each other. We have a small rama/branch of about 30 people that regularly attend. There are tons of cows, pigs, roosters, chickens, and dogs that hang out in peoples back yards or in the streets. There are more dogs than people I swear and every morning we get to wake up to roosters... which isn't as cool as you think, it's just annoying. 

The sector is small and very flat. I'ts really cold here, like really cold, and my first day it was really windy, It reminded me a lot of Punta Arenas. Flashback. There are two dogs named Johnnie and Rambo that follow us around everywhere an make trouble- bark and pick on other dogs, pee on stuff, search through garbage, chase cars... they are ridiculous. but they are funny. On Tuesday we left to work and it was great, but towards the end of the day my knee started hurting bad so we came back home. Hna K bought me a Berlin (Chilean pastry) for my one year birthday in Chile. 

Chilean Berlin

Hna K is really nice, she comes from a family of all boys. She is  also a farm girl so she knows how to work hard. She`s very loving with the members and is everyone`s best friend. She has been very patient with me and everything that is happening. 

On Wednesday we got permission from the nurse to go to the clinic in Osorno and see a doctor yay! The doctor looked at my knee and wanted to take x rays and run tests and stuff but the mission doesn't want to go through the expensive paperwork for that. so the doctor prescribed me some pain meds and creams and signed me up for 10 sessions of physical therapy. If the therapy doesn't work, then we can talk about x rays. So we still don't know exactly what is wrong, but we are doing something to help. 

So this whole week was going to therapy sessions! And then coming home and staying in the house because the doctor says I shouldn't walk a lot after therapy. So I am still not working. and I think Hna K has cabin fever. We were going to therapy in La Union and the doctor told me I couldn't go out to work this past weekend; only to go to church, to cross the street, walk to lunch etc. But today we changed to Osorno because it's easier and the new doctor told me I need 2 days of complete rest - like I cant walk anywhere. so we`re starting that tomorrow. I`ve been taking lots of pills and putting on lots of creams and trying to stay positive. 

This week were helped a girl with English, we shared scriptures with our Mamita, we don't eat with members- we have a Mamita the church pays to feed us everyday. And we went to a noche de hogar on Saturday. The members are very loving and funny and relaxed. Of course they all wanted to know what happened with Hna S . But they are already joking about how they`re going to kill me off, that I'm going to finish my mission here in San Pablo.... lets not jump the gun. 

This week we studied, cleaned, organized, slept, baked, hung out, got to know each other, read the scriptures. Our house is small and it has all wooden paneling and I feel like I'm trapped in a wooden box.  We're trying to mentally prepare ourselves for the upcoming week of more time in the wooden box. 

This week is the 18th and we`re excited! It will be Hna K's first 18, its Chilean Independence Day! 

I've been trying really hard to have a good attitude this week and its been hard.I missed Hna B and Puerto Varas a lot and more than 100 times the question crossed my mind "why me? why now? why everything?" But the lord helped me see little miracles and tender mercies every day that reminded me that He has a plan behind all of this. 

Something that happened on monday, that I feel that I should share, and if Hna B's parents end up reading this it would be great if they could let her know.

Before the mission I had to wait a long time to leave and I did not enjoy it. I didn't understand the reason behind having to wait and suffer and stay home while everyone else left for missions. I asked Heavenly Father a million times why I had to wait. Well I came on the mission and I thought I understood why, I thought there must have been lots of reasons I had to wait. 

When I was saying goodbye to Hna B, I told her ¨thank you for making all the decisions you did so you could come on the mission and be my daughter" and then  she turned and told me "thank you for coming on the mission when you did so you could train me" and suddenly a light came on in my mind and I started to cry again and the Spirit told me "you had to wait to come on your mission so you could train Hna Braithwaite... you were waiting for her". 

I thank my Heavenly Father everyday that he let Hna Braithwaite come into my life and that I could have this short time with her. I now know that God always answers prayers, sometimes years later but He always answers.  He has a plan and a purpose behind everything. I have faith that all of this is happening for a reason. I just have to be pacient. 

Have a great week!

love, Hermana Williams

September 7, 2015 - Changes

Hola familia y amigos,

I'm not really in the mood to write a big long email this week because we kind of just had a very rough past couple of hours. 

In the morning the mission nurse called me and we talked about my knee and she gave me orders to go to the hospital in Puerto Montt to get my knee checked out by a doctor today. Of course I was super nervous. 

We left to go do some paperwork to start Hna. B's Chile carnet, ID and then later today we were going to go to Puerto Montt, but then I called President Obeso. He gave me permission to call him today to see how things with my knee are. I told him that things are a little bit better but it's still hard to walk a lot and that there is still pain. He told me he would call the mission nurse and then call me back. 

Half an hour later I got a call from the  AP Elder Medel and he told me that I am going to have a sobre cambio. A sobre cambio is basically an emergency transfer. Presidente does a switch out with missionaries in sectors. I'm being sent to La Union which is a lot closer to Osorno and the sector is smaller and flatter so it will be easier to walk on. I will be closer to the office and the clinic there in Osorno so I can get the medical help I need. 

Hna S., a missionary from my group will be coming to be Hna B's  new companion and I will be replacing Hna S and finishing the training of her companion, who was actually the ccm companion of Hna B.

I have to pack all my things today and I think I'm leaving tomorrow. 

I am very sad. Hna B is very sad too. 

I'm going to miss Puerto Varas a lot. and Hna B of course. She is my best friend. I don't want to leave her. 

This week we had 4 lessons with members. It was great! I was still in the house a lot for my knee. We had interviews with President on Tuesday. He came to our house to review it. It was a good interview. 

We had our investigator M.L. in church today and she loves it and is going to progress very fast. 

It was our ward mission leader, R´s birthday so we celebrated with them. 

yeah I can't remember anything else that happened. That`s all I really feel the need to write. 

I'm trying to accept the changes as the Lord's will and understand that it will be better this way. I´ll be able to get better and Hna B will be able to work and finish her training like a normal missionary. I'm very grateful for the time I've had here in Puerto Varas and for all the members. Above all I will miss Hna B, she changed my life. 

Next week I´ll have a new sector and a new companion, should be a new fun adventure!

Mosiah 3:19 " For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child,submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

love, Hermana Williams

August 31, 2015 - 13 Months

Hola familia y amigos!

Well this week I completed 13 months in the mission. That means 5 more months until it ends. I can count it on 1 hand. Thats weird. I don;t like this feeling. this month has gone by very very fast but at the same time very very slow. 

Well my knee has good days and bad days and I'm kind of just taking it one day at a time. I still haven't gone to see a doctor. I`ve been trying to remind the leaders so they can remind President to look for someone.  I kind of have to wait patiently. We only have 3 weeks of this transfer left which is weird because I feel like we just got here! 

Hermana B and Hermana Williams

On Tuesday we had intercambios with the hermanas leaders and Hna B went to Puerto Montt in their sector and I stayed here in Puerto Varas with Hna O! She was my Hermana leader in Valdivia so it was super fun to be with her again. We were able to go out and work the whole day! It felt awesome, we taught 2 menos activos and we taught really well together and it felt so good to be in a lesson and feel the Spirit and it made me fall in love with being a missionary all over again. 

But the next day we didn't go out much because the consequence of working all day on Tuesday was having a swollen, throbbing knee on Wednesday! so that was fun.... we studied a lot. 

Thursday we taught our new investigator M.L. and she read The Restoration pamphlet and said she believes it's all true and she`s super excited to read the Book of Mormon. She even came to church on Sunday with her member friend and she stayed all 3 hours. We`re super excited for her. The first time we taught her she had no make up on and was in pajamas but the second time she had dressed herself up more, cleaned the house, and she said she felt really good, excited to learn more and that a space in her heart was finally being filled.  Lots of prayers!

We had a noche de hogar with S and R, our adoptive parents, and it was great. We gave the lesson on conversion and the Spirit was super strong and everyone was crying then we finished and ate salmon! Chileans are hilarious and loud and we are one big happy family. 

Hermana Williams and B made "las once" or Chilean afternoon tea.

In church we had miracles happen. First of all, M.L. came and it was a really good experience for her, There were tons of people that came up and introduced themselves and were friendly and sat next to her. 

Plus 2 menos activos that we've been teaching, M  and M came to church! It was awesome, they haven't come in years! it was great to see them, We didn't even have to pester and call them they just both came and we were so happy! I felt like they really were miracles from the Lord because I did absolutely nothing. I was very grateful. 

Shout out to Elder Williams, have fun on the Island with his companion, Elder A! I know you`ll be just fine! Heavenly Father takes care of His missionaries. 

love, Hermana Williams