¡Viva la Viña!: Thank You!!!!!

December 1, 2014

Hola familia!!

I hope you all had a marvelous week and are all big and fat after eating lots of turkey and stuffing and everything wonderful!

One thing I was really grateful for this year is to have an American compañera for Thanksgiving. So obviously we weren't going to be celebrating it this year but we decided that wasn't going to keep us from eating some good ole delicious green bean casserole! So we were actually able to miraculously find the ingredients and we made a little one for lunch. While it definitely wasn't as good as yours mom, it was good, and it still felt a little like Thanksgiving.

This week was awesome. We found this one grocery store place that is seriously almost like Target. I think we spent like a good hour and a half walking up and down the aisle because they have all the American brands of stuff. Ha ha ha it's kind of sad how excited a bagel can make us. But I've really learned that we don't know how good we got it in the States.

This week I had my first intercambio as a leader and I was a little nervous about it just because I wanted to do a good job and really help the other hermana. I was with a hermana from Peru, in her area. The people here are a lot different from the people in my other sectors. I think it was because I've always been in more like countryside and here it's almost like La Jolla. The people are just really rude. But the best part was that with the one cita (appointment) they had, we walked in the house and the first thing their investigadora told us before she even sat down, was that she wanted to get baptized! It was awesome because the hermana had told me that she wasn't sure if she really wanted to do it and that she needed a confirmation of her testimony. But I guess she has a friend who she didn't know was a member, but after talking to her friend, she felt like it was the thing that she should do. I love member missionary work! I never realized how much power and influence we have as just members to help people come to Christ, but I know that our example is so important and that one person really can make a difference! So that was like a tender mercy from God after a day of many mean rejections. But the intercambio went well and I realized that I really have no need to be nervous and that the spirit really does guide and tells us what to do.

Also we found this couple that was super awesome this week! We taught them the Restoration and it was seriously like they were finishing our sentences! AND get this, THEY'RE MARRIED!!! I seriously feel like the Lord has been preparing them. It was so awesome, we were teaching about prophets and they're like well if God always sends prophets there should be one today. and we're like yeah!! there is!! And when we were talking about priesthood authority and the apostasy they were like so God needs to call another prophet and give him the authority and we're like just wait until we tell you about a boy named Joseph Smith! It was so awesome. Their problem is coming to church though. It was funny because Javier (the husband) was like ok even though this is the true church it's just hard to go to the chapel in the morning. I didn't even care in the moment that he was making up excuses because the words true church were just ringing in my years! It was awesome. They're going to read and pray and I know that when they receive an answer they'll be more motivated to come because really the only thing in their way is laziness.

The biggest miracle of all was yesterday when we walked into church we saw that Gabriela was there!! She came! I'm still not sure how she got her husband to let her come but she was there with her kids! See that's just what I love. The people that REALLY TRUELY have desires to be baptized and change really do follow through with the commitments. They come to church. And it's not for anything that we do as missionaries or people. The spirit touches their heart and they feel motivated to act because they want to align themselves more with Christ and His gospel. It`s so awesome! She'll for sure be baptized this month. I`m so happy for her!

Since this week was Thanksgiving I was thinking about all the things that I'm grateful for. And while I could easily make a long list from a ocean view to fresh made Chilean bread. The things I'm most thankful for is my Savior, Jesus Cristo, His gospel and my family. Over the past 10 months I have come to know the character of Jesus and His love in a way that I could have never known before. I know that He lives. I know that He loves us. I know that God has a plan maravilloso. I know that while this life is hard ( you wouldn't believe the situations and trials I've seen people here bear), but that the gospel gives us relief. It gives us an eternal perspective. It motivates us to push forward, it gives us hope in turmoil, it lifts hearts, spirits, and attitudes. I know that the family is forever. I know that this life is designed for us to have trial and hardships so we can become the people that God designed us to be. I'm grateful for this knowledge and for the comfort and confidence I have because of this. I'm grateful that I can be so far from home but never feel that far from home because I know that we're united in the gospel, because I'm teaching the same truths that you guys taught me. I'm grateful to be able to share this gospel and Christ's teachings. I'm grateful for my testimony. I'm grateful that I know the truth. I'm grateful for the answers of prayer that I've received. For the people who's lives I've seen changed. I'm grateful to be a missionary. It means everything to me.

I'm grateful for you guys. For your constant support and love. Thank you. Gracias.

Con todo el amor en mi corazon (Seriously),

Hermana Evans