One Year Being Known As Only "Hermana Mittleman"

August 12, 2015

16 Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God.

Tomorrow is a very special day! One year as a missionary! 

La Parque

One year being known as only "Hermana Mittleman".  Oh, how the time flies! My mission here in Chile has been so special. I treasure this year that Heavenly Father has given me. I know He lives, and I know He loves me. 

I am doing well! Two weeks in my new area! Well, let’s be frank...it has been hard! My sector is a lot smaller and we have basically one investigator who is progressing. Her name is Leslie. She is 17, and super presh. She is from Peru, and she loves K Pop. Good times. Sunday was our ward conference! So the stake presidency came! There were two musical numbers...and guess who sang????? ME. I sang in a mini choir with two other ward members. GOOD TIMES...kind of. We sang "Come Unto Jesus" and "Jehovah mi pastor es" (titles in English?). They made me sing a solo part in "Come Unto Jesus", and it was super quiet and I prefer singing with other people and that is all I am going to say about that jajajaja. It’s all good. The stake president was talking about the pioneers and then he said "and now my counselors are going to sing a song" and his counselors stood up and sang "All is Well". LEGIT. We ate dinner at our Bishop’s house. He is great. Really direct and has a deep voice. They have like five kids, and their eldest son is serving in Osorno. He comes home in Diciembre. Their son who has 15 years found me on FB and was showing everyone my profile pictures.... Good times!

Sunday in the evening we stopped by a families house from the ward. They had told us to stop by because it was their little girl’s birthday. So we passed by, and it was crazy! Music, a million little kids (not really), and food.... Loco! We walked in, and we were like, ok, we should not be here jaja. So we took a picture with the little girl and then we jammed haha. 

Yesterday we had our zone conference with President Morgan and the Assitants! Hermana Morgan could not come because their daughter is sick. It was amazing! We talked about exact obedience! President talked about the stripling warriors of Helaman, and how none of them died because of their exact obedience. 

 20 And as the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites, behold, those two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted.

 21 Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them.

He told us we need to obey with exactness if we do not want to be spiritually dead at the end of our missions...... It was legit! Ah! I love him!!! He also taught us a way that we can teach about the temple to our investigators. A simple, clear, and powerful way. He gave us all pretty pictures of the Santiago Temple at sunset so we can use them when we teach. He also encouraged us to have pictures of our own temples so that we can use them in lessons too (I always take my picture of the Newport Beach temple with me! presh!).  We sat with our districts during the conference, and there are two other companionships of Hermanas in our district...apparently they all like the way I talk and they mimic my voice in their apartment.....I was like, uh.........ok. Elder Milla, our district leader is so presh. He is from Lima and he is training Elder Thompson. Also presh.

My companion is great. 

La Parque- Hermana's Velazquez & Mittleman

She has been here like 7 months or so, so sometimes it is hard for me to have energy and hope with the people here because she tells me stuff about the sector...but I know it is my own faith and diligence that will bring to pass miracles in this area. I trust in God. I know He is preparing people! ¡Lo sé! 

It is raining a loooooot! A nice member gave me some legit rain boots. My purple raincoat is amaaaazing! Sunday we basically walked around all day jajaja. Lots of rain. But I love being here! I absolutely love it!

I love my Savior, and I have had tough times here in Chile. But I was rereading a talk by President Faust today about the refiner’s fire. 

“‘I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it.’” He continues: “‘I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.

“‘Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.’” (Relief Society Magazine, Jan. 1948, p. 8.

So legit! I am paying the price to become more aquainted with Heavenly Father. So happy to be here! I have about six months left, and I intend to make them count. Like the apostles of old, I will let nothing get in the way of raining my voice to this people as a representative of my Savior. With His divine aid, I will serve diligently. I love Him.

Con todo mi amor,

Hermana Mittleman