Seriously? One month?

WOW how has it been one month since the longest plane ride of my life and the beginning of my adventure in Santiago? I can hardly believe it! 

So many great things happened this week! The girls in my hall started something called a Journal Jam, where we all crowd into a room and turn on music and combine all our goodies and write in our JOURNALS and we wear our JAMMIES and we JAM to efy and motab. Sister missionaries are the best, no battle! So fun!

This week, on the 18th, it was Chile's Independance Day. There was a fiesta at a nearby park that we got to go to, with live music and dancing and vendors selling food and clothes and all sorts of fun stuff. It was delightful! I got a Chilean beaded bracelet and the most amazing, life changing empanada I have ever experienced. Chile is the best ever!

I found out this last week that Elder Warrick, one of the elders in my district, has a smash book that his Girl Friend made for him, the little one! I had a mini freak out moment and blabbed about how I'm famous and stuff. He didnt get it. But there is another Hermana here with a smash book, and then me, and then ELDER Warrick! It was a moment that is worth writing home about.

Hermana Mittelsteadt and I taught in Relief Society this last Sunday, which also happened to be our last Sunday in English meetings. For the last two weeks here, everything is in Spanish. So I am very thankful to be asked to teach in English. She talked about prayer, and I talked about following the promptings of the Spirit. It is currently my favorite topic ever. I was able to talk about us moving to Utah, choosing to serve a mission, bearing my testimony in spanish, and I used my F. Enzio Busche quotes. I read that every morning as we walk to class. It is the best way to start out the morning. I love teaching Relief Society, but teaching the missionary discussions in Spanish is my favorite. Also, side note, I got a pocket size spanish hymnal from the distribution center this week. It is debatably the best thing I have purchased since coming to Chile.

This last Sunday, I got to meet my mission president! He and his wife spoke at the Sunday evening devotional we have here every other week, so everyone going to the Oeste mission got to go up and meet him and chat a bit. That is something that is so unique to the CCM, getting to meet your mission president before entering the field. I know that at first, I was really wanting to go to the Provo MTC, but every day I am thankful for the chance to train in Chile, to know everyone in the CCM, and to have the temple right there out my window. An older sister missionary told us last week that we live on the Chile Temple Square. And it's true! How delightful is that!

Today has been particularly eventful. Presidente told us this morning that our disctrict is being combined with district 2, the group of people we flew here with. So Elder Cowin, Bishop Bronsan's nephew, and I will be in the same district. But...Elder Mcchardy and Hermana Mittelsteadt are being transfered into Latino Disctricts because their spanish is so exceptional. So Hermana Mcrae, from Canada, is going to be my new companion, and tomorrow, I am moving to Al Contera, a mansion about ten minutes away that half of the missionaries stay at becuase we cant all fit in the CCM. I will admit, I am having mixed emotions. I love Hermana Mittelsteadt! She has helped me so much with my spanish, we work very well together, she is the kindest person I have ever met, and we have become "one soul" as she puts it in these last four weeks. She said "Presidente pulling us apart is like making a horcrux...hes taking a part of my soul." (Dad will love that). But on the other hand...an adventure! Im moving to a mansion! Getting a new district! Its hard, but why look at it as a trial when you can look at it as something to look forward to?

Here. A funny story from this week. We were talking about feminine vs. masculine. La Biblia and El Libro de Mormon. Hermana Mittelsteadt said "heres how you remember; theyre married, man and woman, and in the quad, they become as one heart." I have the best companion. 

Elder Cowin, Bishop Brosnan's nephew, and I

The most amazing, life changing empanada I have ever experienced

District 7

District 7 being ourselves

Sister Mittelsteadt and I enjoying p-day

Lemon pie granola bar - it's a good day

I love you all, thank you for your emails, your prayers, your love! Ciao!

Hermana Harkins

Well Hello Again

I will be leaving right after general conference, which is AWESOME, being in the CCM one year after the big age change, to be a part of the huge wave of missionary work, and experience general conference this way. I cant wait!

Santiago is beautiful. Only three pdays out and about in the city, and I am already smitten with it. It looks a lot like other big cities, but the architecture is a little different, older and a little crumbling, but you know I like old stuff :) There are lots of fruit stands and street vendors everywhere, and in the part that I am in now, there are beautiful walking bridges and cobblestone-ish sidewalks. People walk and ride their bike more than they drive. In some places, they even have bike roads. SO COOL!!!

Shopping is interesting. At this point, we don't do any substantial grocery shopping because we are fed here at the CCM, but every p day we go to Liders,  the grocery chain in this part of Chile, to get snacks and such. Today I got bananas and clementines from a street vendor, and some Chilean cookies from the grocery store. I never thought I could be so excited about buying groceries, but it is one of my favorite things on p day. Its funny, they have a USA section in the grocery store with creamer and granola bars and peanut butter, and it consists of about one sixth of an isle. I am definitely in South America! Plus, they had quinoa. Which made me heart so very happy. I cant wait for real grocery shopping, just so I can buy quinoa!

I am pretty biased that all the sisters here ROCK. We got a new bunch this last Wednesday, lots of Latinas and only 4 North American sisters, and of course the Elders. But we are all friends, everyone- everyone! - is on fire about the gospel! I absolutely love it here! There are of course the sisters that spend quite a bit of time chatting with the elders, flipping their hair and laughing at everything they say. Bleh. Lamos. But still, so much love for everyone here. I basically have about 100 buddies. That's another great thing about the CCM, it is pretty small, so everyone knows each other. It is delightful!

You have to be an RM to teach, and while some have been back 2 or 3 years, some returned in July! Its crazy to think that we have 21 year olds teaching us how to be missionaries...new experience, but again, I LOVE IT!

I would like pictures of all my girls, Emmy especially becuase I talk about here A LOT. She is one of my favorite topics, and her picture belongs in my family album. Index cards and teeny tiny sticky notes, they dont sell them here in Chile! Ugh! Anything cute. You know basically better than anyone, so I trust you :) oh, socks. You would be astonished (not really) at how quickly a missionary can get a hole in her socks. So...yeah. They sell them for 2 bucks at Target, I think!

I got an email from Shyla, and seriously could not stop grinning. Made me so happy. And so glad to read about Mitchell's experience at the baptism. I have a great brother!

So as for me this week...I will admit, this week was really tough. I am struggling to keep up with learning the language. It seems that everyone else around me gets it right away, and I am left confused at why tiene is conjugated so oddly.  It has been very frustrating, and at times, I turned to Hermana Mittelsteadt and told her, I am feeling so discouraged. Luckily, my companion is the best missionary in the whole entire CCM, and knows just what to do to lift my spirits. 

Thursday evening, when I felt that I could go no further, we sat down and made a list of goals. Lists are the best ever. EVER. Why survive when you can list? (Ha, see what I did there?) Things to do to focus on the studying, to invite the spirit more, to regain enthusiasm...and then Friday, we put it into effect, and ever since then, we have been happy and singing and working hard at the language. I am so blessed!

Side note. I found out that morder in Espanol means to bite, and I thought of how Essie says MORDUE! I was laughing for about ten minutes. Don't even worry about it.

Something else that I was just craving this week was the companionship of the Spirit. Along with feeling discouraged by the language study, I felt an absence of the Holy Ghost, which was honestly more frustrating than anything. I prayed harder than I ever have to have the companionship of the Spirit, for the gift of discernment, to be guided by the Holy Ghost. I firmly believe that with God, anything is possible. And without him, you can't do much as a missionary. I NEED the spirit. I promised in my prayers that I would act on every prompting from the Spirit once I receive them.

And sometimes, God tests us.

This Sunday was sacrament meeting, and fast and testimony meeting. And as soon as it opened up for testimonies, here comes the prompting. To bear my testimony. In front of everyone. IN SPANISH.

Initial reaction...NO WAY JOSE.

then a few moments later, spanish phrases started forming in my head. Simple phrases, things that I believe in and know are true, came to my mind and I could not deny that it was the Spirit. And I got up there and bore my testimony, in front of Presidente and everyone. Mi español es mas o menos. Pero, mi testimonio es grande y fuerte. Yo se que este Evangelio es verdadero. Yo se que Jose Smith es el primero profeta. Jesucristo es mi Salvadour. Es su salvadour. Es el Salvadour para todos los personas. Yo se que. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen. 

If no one but myself profited from my testimony, I am ok with that. Becuase I promised to act on the promptings of the Spirit, even when theyre hard, even when they are frightening, even when I think that I cannot do it. So long as I am devoted to God, and am devoted to serve him, he will provide a way for me. And that is why I am on a mission.

Something great that a senior missionary couple told us this week is that we live in the Chilean temple square. Seriously! Enserio! We have the temple, the Institute building, the distribution center, the CCM, and a stake center. I love that!

I love Chile, I love this gospel, I LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you for your prayers, I will not waste this time that the Lord has given me! Do what you do!

My companion, Hermana Mittelsteadt

My roommate, Hermana Clearwater

I Love It Here!

HELLO!!!

So in the CCM, the p days are different each week. We get three hours for p day, one for writing and 2 for errands and whatever else  you would like to do. I looooooved having so many emails in my inbox! Seriously could not stop grinning, I was jumping up and down in my chair from excitement at your family history finds! How amazing that we all had great expereinces becuase of the Allreds this week. I love the gospel! I will try and answer all the questions you asked, mom. Your week sounds like it was just fabulous! I miss the tortilla bar, the food here is cafeteria style, lots of instant potatos and tough chicken ;) 

My companion learned spanish from her dad. He is a high school spanish teacher. Also, she went on a trip to Costa Rica a few months before coming here for a school trip, and stayed with a family that spoke only spanish. This has proven to be a HUGE blessing for me. We teach investigator discussions to our teachers as if they were investigators, and no english - or portugeuse, for the Brazillians in our district - is aloud. My spanish is much to be desired for haha in case you didnt know, learning a new language for 12 hours every day is a tough assignment. I am beginning to understand quite a bit, can say a prayer and bear my testimony and form simple sentences, but Hermana Mittelsteadt having the vocabulary that she does is most definitely one of my tender mercies!!!

This week has been gruelling, emotional, spiritually filling, glorious, and exhausting all at the same time. It never ceases to amaze me how the spirit can work with every single person here at the same time! Again, my companion is amazing...we have come up with some pretty awesome lesson plans, almost always agreeing on content, deliverance, and scriptures. This last week, we taught an investigator who had a seven year old daughter die a few months ago...one of our roommates, Hermana Clearwater (who I ADORE!) suggested I sing for my investigators, if it feels right. She and I have daily duets. Its phenomenal. So we are planning our lesson for this investigator, and Hermana Mittelsteadt suggests I sing Families Can be Together Forever. That was the first time that the spirit was so strong in our lessons. It was a wonderful moment. Another time, we were teaching someone who was a pastry chef, and we compared the Plan of Salvation to baking cupcakes. Our teacher told us that Sister Missionaries are going to save the world. I mean, duh!

Sundays are my favorite here. Almost all of church is in english, and we watch movies about the pioneers and the Book of Mormon, and devotionals from the Provo MTC. This week, the devotional was given by Elder Holland, which was amazing, Obviously. A room full of missionaries about to listen to Elder Holland talk about missionary work...we were pretty pumped up :) He talked about how missions are real life- we should not focus on life after mission, but right here, this moment. We shouldnt look at a mision as an absence from life, but as a highlight of it. At one point, after...ehem...speaking very strongly...(yelling), he said "I dont pretend to be nuetral about this. Im as unbalanced as I possibly can be about this." You must be converted yourself before you can try to teach by the spirit. He told us to astonish people, that they can have earthquakes just exactly where they stand and we can cause it, to speak with thunder...Elder Holland makes me proud to be a missionary. Im going to go out there and astonish people.

But the most amazing experience from this week happened during Sunday school. You meet with your district for the second hour. I LOVE MY DISTRICT. We are a family, and we all know it and acknowledge it and wallow in the comradery that we have with one another. In these short two weeks, we have gotten rediculously close. Well, Saturday night, Hermana Mittelsteadt and I started feeling pretty under the weather, and by the next morning, we both had nasty colds. Hermana Allred gave us some cold pills, and we walk around carrying tissues with us everywhere. And then it really peaked at the end of Sacrament meeting. We both had headaches, sore throats, and were absolutely zapped of energy. We finished the Sunday school lesson about ten minutes early, and before we said the closing prayer, Elder Warrick asked us if we would like a priesthood blessing. We confirmed in the handbook that blessings of healing are in fact aloud, and we both accepted the invitation.

It was incredible.

It was the first time that Ive recieved a blessing of healing- or comfort, for that matter- from anyone other than my dad. And for them, it was only the second time giving someone a blessing. It was short and sweet, but Elder Mchardy- the District leader- each said something personal in blessing that was so obviously from the Spirit that in that moment, I could have just cried from the joy of my testimony of this gospel. He said that I would recieve a quick recovery, becuase he knew it is difficult for me to be sick while learning so much, and that I will be at my full, intulectual potential this week in my studies. The gospel is just so TRUE!

Another great moment...in the mornings, we go down this side stairwell to go to breakfast and then to excersise, and the acoustics are phenomenal. Hermana Clearwater and I have been talking for the past two weeks, ever since I got here, about how we are going to sing Come Thou Fount in the stairwell. And yesterday morning, her last morning (she left early this morning), we did it. And it was amazing! And halfway through, some elders at the top of the stairs joined in and harmonized and I know thats kind of an odd thing to be so excited about, but it was amazing!!!

You asked about the temple- we use headphones, which I was very grateful for...at one point, I turned the volume down to see if I could pick up anything in Spanish...sometimes, I say quick prayers for the English language, and the rare times that I am aloud to hear it.

I love you all! I love the updates on everyone, they make me so very happy. Even though the mail strike is over, they are still playing catch u´p, so I am still not sure about the timetable for sending and recieving anything, but once they come, it will be a good day. Yo soy testimonio de Jesucristo, y ello es mi Salvadour siempre.

LOVE SIEMPRE

Hermana Harkins