close encounters of the fish head soup kind

don't worry

it was just only a close encounter

nothing happened

we're all good

WHAT HAPPENED WAS

we were going to have fish head soup for lunch on Friday, right? naturally

but then somebody else actually had us scheduled for lunch at their house first so we went there and had asparagus soup and a MOUNTAIN OF PURÉ [thick soup] and chicken and it was much better than fish head soup (sorry not sorry)

but anyway LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

let me just describe to you a couple of things that went down this week

so, Monday was pday and we did stuff and i already said those things and sent those pictures

and Tuesday we had

*magic fingers* intercambios [exchanges]

finally

after literally 5 weeks we had intercambios and it was super cool and I got to hang out in my sector with Hermana McCoard and we made mac and cheese and ate ice cream and celebrated being gringas for a little bit and it was fun

and then on Wednesday

ENTREVISTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSS

those were super great; presidente always knows what to say. He's really awesome :) he's like the Lorax but without the mustache

what else

oh yeah i was going day by day

then on Thursday

*chun chun chun* (that's to be read with suspense but not dread, just suspense, with a little pause between the second and third chun) 

Tata had his baptismal interview 

AND HE PASSED WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AND SO ON SUNDAY (we're jumpin around a little bit now) HE GOT BAPTIZED WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

And I am going to explain a little bit more of that in a second

but first

on friday we had a ward activity! And it was really great and some of our investigators came and they had such a good time and we played games and had a live nativity but the angel didn't show up

so i had to be the angel 

and it was so much fun ALL OF IT WAS SO GREAT

and then on saturday

what happened

we worked... that's what happened

and then on sunday, here we are again, TATA GOT BAPTIZED

Let me just tell you a little story about Tata okay, i dunno if i have explained this well enough. Tata is 90 years old and his wife is a member of the church and she was inactive and one of his sons is the bishop of another ward in my stake and his other son is the president of the elders quorum in our ward and one of his grandsons is the first counselor in our ward and his other grandson is the second counselor in the stake presidency and his daughter in law is the relief society president in our ward and they all live in the same house and he has never had interest in the gospel until he heard about temple work and baptisms for the dead [baptisms by proxy].

and so we visited and the first time we met with him, we invited him to go to church and to be baptized and he accepted right away and when we told his family, they said they didnt believe us 

but then 5 weeks later he was having his baptismal interview and everybody came with him and waited outside and they all realized that Tata really was going to get baptized

and just

I remember the first time that he went to church and he went with his wife (who hasnt missed since Tata has been going) and it just all makes me want to cry because really every single one of us is a child of God and he loves us so much that he gives us families to help us and support us and set an example for us and for Tata, his family set the example their whole lives and after all this time, it has finally paid off. Yesterday Tata had the amazing opportunity to be baptized by his worthy priesthood-holding grandson and I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life. I feel incredibly humbled to have seen the Lord's hand so prominently in my life and in their lives and to know without a shadow of a doubt that every single one of us can change; every single one of us has the sacred opportunity to use the Atonement and repent of our sins and be cleansed through the sacrifice that our older brother made for us, and after that, we have the privilege to be baptized in his name; to make a covenant with him saying that we are going to try our very best and that He is going to help us. I am so so SO grateful for this gospel. I am grateful for my Savior and to have a loving Father in Heaven. I testify that he is a God of miracles. I have seen a miracle this week and I know without a doubt that it could only be the work of our Heavenly Father. It doesn't matter how old we are, it doesnt matter where we're from, or what we look like, we are all children of God and we all deserve to feel His love and to live with Him again. I love being a missionary so much; this is the most gratifying experience that I have ever had. My heart is full. I love the Lord and I love this gospel and I testify of them with everything I have and I leave this with you in his holy name, even Jesus Christ, amen.

ugh now i'm crying haha sorry okay but yeah okay i don't have any more time to say anything else but i am just SO GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING AND I JUST LOVE THE GOSPEL

and i hope you all have a great week (next week is cambios [transfers] so i dont know when i'll be writing) but i will talk to some of you on Friday ;) 

OH YEAH

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

i almost forgot hahaha i'm the worst lol BUT OKAY I GOTTA GO

CCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Chile Santiago North Mission
Christmas 2015

Where's Hermana Schomburg?