We Are Having Success In Bringing Souls To Christ.

January 19, 2016

Hola, familia!

I am so grateful and happy to be a missionary. It is sooo hot here! Hahaha, but it`s all good! Yesterday we had our zone class! Always good times. We talked about how as missionary we often have a particular "culture" in the mission, or in the zone. Like blaming members for not helping us, saying that we don`t have baptisms in this mission, etc. Then we talked what we can do to change these standards that we as missionaries have set. We just have to ACT and try to make a difference. In order to change our results, we have to change our actions.

 I am excited to continue working in el Parque. Hermana Vega and I have been together four and half months. Last night we talked for about an hour about what we have observed in these weeks, and the differences in our personalities. I know it will be hard to finish...I NEVER thought a trial of my mission would be a companion. It has been soooo hard..... but I know we are together for a reason. We are having success in bringing souls to Christ. 

Marianela, our investigator, is going to be baptized the 6th of February. She could not come to church on Sunday because she had gone to bed really late, and she did not feel well enough to come because it was a really hot day (she has a skin sickness). But today we are going to visit her to talk about tithing and fasting! The Bishop`s wife is coming with us, so that will be fun!

I don`t know if you remember Patrica, but we visited her! We talked about the Word of Wisdom, and the law of chastity. It was awesome. We felt the Spirit SO strong! She told us that she has changed ever since we have been visiting her. She feels more peaceful, and she is less concerned with material things...she feels the Spirit! It is so great!! We invited her to be baptized on the 14th of February! She said yes! Her biggest trial is coming to church so we are praying she will be able to come this Sunday!!

Also this last week I was studying hope, an attribute of Jesus Christ. I made a goal to contact every day with a bright hope in Christ that we will find prepared people! It was great! We contacted a young man from Haiti...there are a lot of Haitianos in Chile. He cannot speak Spanish very well. But we went to visit him the next day and he lives in a one room apartment with his sister...they literally have nothing! They do not have sheets, dishes, hardly anything! We had to use the translator on his phone to communicate jaja. But he said we could visit him again because he is interested in learning more about Jesus Christ! So cool!

On Sunday they called our new ward Mission Leader! So great!! Hermano Cesar will be great!! We have our first Mission Corelacion meeting on Friday. Will send a picture next week.

I love being a missionary. Praying for strength every hour. I now God lives. I KNOW He is real. He knows me. He loves me. I love my family, and I know I am here in this mission for a reason. I have faith and trust in my Heavenly Father. I know we all have trials of our faith.... only after our trials may we be strengthened in our faith like it says in Ether 12:6. So true!

I hope you have a great week. Love you all!!!

Love, Hermana Mittleman

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

January 12, 2016

I am staying in my sector here in El Parque!! Staying with Hermana Vega! Six weeks more! 

Well, my last six weeks in the mission are here. Already I have felt Satan trying to tempt me and make me feel weak, unimportant, and incapable! He knows me too well. However, I have felt the sweet love of my Savior. With Him at the center of my thoughts, I feel peace. I feel like I can make it these last few weeks. I know He can make up what I lack...that is what the Atonement is all about!!

Before I forget, happy birthday, Monty!!! Hope you have a great day tomorrow!! Thanks for being an awesome person!! 

This last week was great! Our investigator, Marianela, has a baptism date! February 6th!! She came to church on Sunday too which was a MIRACLE! For about a month now, she has texted us every Sunday morning saying she can´t come...but this Sunday, she sent us a message telling us she was ready for us to pick her up! She has progressed so much. We talked about the Word of Wisdom this week, and she said she would obey it. It is so cool to see how prepared she is for her baptism. She investigated the church about eight years ago, but she was not ready to make the changes in her life so she could be baptized. But NOW she is ready, and she is making the changes. She has so much faith. So great!

A few months ago we contacted a woman on the street named Adela. We visited her once, but she did not seem too interested. Two weeks ago we saw her sitting in the bus stop so we talked to her. She started crying (I feel like I already talked about her last week in the email I sent...) and she came to church on Sunday!! It was great! 

Today we went to our Bishop´s house to make sushi and cinnamon rolls. So yummy! I had never made sushi before. It was cool to learn! 

I also got that package with all the letters!!!! Thank you sooooo much! It was exactly what I needed! It made my month!!! So much love from friends back home...muchas gracias!! 

Mission goals:

Every night will write down a miracle in my agenda

Focus my thoughts on the Savior and His work ALWAYS

Strengthen relationship with members and help them be strengthened spiritually

Endure to the end (but seriously)

I KNOW CHRIST LIVES. If it was not for Him, I would not be here. I am so sure of his existence. I just want to serve Him and trust that He can make me a better person.

I love you all, and I hope you have the best week ever! Remember it is better to look UP!

Con amor,

Hermana Mittleman

FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!!

January 5, 2016

Family and Friends,

Happy New Year! We spent New Year`s Eve at our Bishop`s house.... Asado!!!!! I took a picture of Bishop roasting all the meat....it was sooo great!!! We had to dash home at 10:30. We planned, and went to bed, but the fireworks outside woke us up at midnight. From our balcony we could see about 10 different areas where there were fireworks...so great!!! 

A new year has come! 2016!! What miracles will I see this year? How will I continue to draw closer to my Savior? As I have pondered upon possible goals, I have realized they will be focused on my life post mission. Jaja, I am ok with that! Excited to apply all I am learning on my life los estados unidos. Good times. 

A miracle this week was that we FINALLY had a lesson with Juan Carlos, an investigator. He comes to church but is always too busy in the week to meet with us. A little lame jajaja. But we went with a ward missionary on Friday. We taught the Restoration. It went well and we felt the Spirit very strong!! He is back with his girlfriend, who is a less active member who lives in another stake. He has desires to be baptized, but he needs to quit smoking first. Go team!

We met with a less active this week. We have to teach her the lessons, so we told her to pretend she was an investigator so she wouldn´t keep telling us "I know all this already"...it was so funny!! She kept interrupting us and telling us we should do it differently jajaja. So great. 

This is the last week of the cambio! Don`t know if we will have transfers...this will be my last transfer! A little crazy! Grateful for every day Heavenly Father gives me. So thankful to be in Chile. My sector is Zion. I love building up the kingdom of God here in El Parque.

It is hot here! Lots of sunscreen jajaja!

Love you guys a lot! I know our Savior lives. I know it! There is no doubt in my mind that Christ lives. He loves us. He atoned for us. There is hope. There is a bright future ahead of us. Like President Monson says, the future is as bright as our faith. May God bless all of you this week. May you feel the Spirit`s sweet influence in your daily choices. I love you all. I pray for you. You all mean the world to me!!

Love, Hermana Mittleman

 Bishop`s house....asado!!!!!