AFTER 11 MONTHS IN LA REINA I AM BEING TRANSFERRED!!!!!!

July 28, 2015

YES IT IS TRUE AFTER 11 MONTHS IN LA REINA I AM BEING TRANSFERRED!!!!!!

So crazy! On Sunday, I officially reached 11 months in the La Reina Ward. 

So tomorrow (Wednesday), in the morning we will go the church building in Trinidad. There will be an official reunión with all of the missionaries who are getting changed. So different! President Morgan will talk with us, teach us something/share his testimony, then he will list the transfers ONE BY ONE.... Can you believe it?? He will go companionship by companionship, and we will all watch jajaja. Only the missionaries who have changes will go.... Ahh!! It will be so crazy! Hermana Alvarenga, from Argentina who lives with us, is getting transferred too! I already have one full suitcase packed! Can you believe it?? I am going crazy! 

So this week was great! We had a lesson with Luis, our miracle investigator. Hermano Marcos, assistant to the ward mission leader aka best Chilean you will ever meet, came with us. We talked about the Word of Wisdom. Luis has had trouble in his past with alcohol and drug abuse. He said he would obey the word of wisdom! And he decided to be baptized on September 6th! I won’t be here to see it, but I know he is prepared! He is awesome, and it is wonderful to teach him. His mom, Adrianna, is always in the lessons too. She is 80 years old, but looks like she is 150 jajaja. However, she is super presh! She always interrupts during the lessons and says stuff that is always spiritual. So cute!

Also, miracle of the week: Loreto came to our church on Sunday with her daughter, Valentina!!! 

Sis Rivera, Loreta, Valentina & Megan, La Reina

Valentina is sooo presh! 5 years old. Reminds me of little Gabby (Megan’s cousin)! Loreto is so great! She was in Buenos Aires this week, so we were not able to teach her. I will not be able to say goodbye to her, but that is ok! I know she will be baptized someday! She is so prepared, and we always feel the Spirit so strong when we are with her. 

We had two lessons with Alicia.... 

Alicia & Megan, La Reina

seriously.... Hermana Alicia just gives me so much hope. She has progressed SOOOO MUCH. It is a wonderful miracle. Truly Heavenly Father has given her understanding in these months. She has the Holy Ghost with her. I love her so much! I will miss her like CRAZY. Saying goodbye today will be soooo hard, but I know she is converted to the Gospel. She LOVES reading the Book of Mormon. Literally, she is my favorite person in this world!!!!!!! 

Ok, HILARIOUS STORY! On Wednesday we did divisions! I went to Ñuñoa with our lider capacitadora, Hermana Cannon. It was great! I love her! In the night, we had a lesson with one of their contacts. Turns out while we were waiting for him on the edge of their area, Hermana Cannon realized he does not live in their ward boundaries. But we decided to have the lesson anyway, and she was going to send his information to the office. So we waited for Julio, the contact, and walked with him to a member’s house for the lesson. Julio is about 38 (mas o menos), super nice, and super receptive. When we walked in the member’s home, her non-member husband was in the dining room with his brother working on some hardware project. So the lesson was in the living room. Their dining room is behind the living room, and there are like these glass doors in between. So it was super funny because the husband would occasionally look in and watch us and it was just funny jajaja. BUT the funniest part was that the member’s brother was also there. He isn’t a member so at first he just stayed on one of the sofas and closed his eyes. Then he started to nod off, and it was sooo funny. THEN...... out of nowhere he starts snoring in the middle of the lesson!!!! Jajajaja, I almost died!!! Seriously, it was so great. We all kind of just laughed, and the member was like, hey, wake up! Ahhh, I love being a missionary! But we had a great lesson with Julio. Super bueno!

Yesterday, we met a man who got baptized a long time ago. He showed us a picture of the day of his baptism, and then he told us only got baptized because he wanted to be with one of the Hermanas who taught him. She was from the USA, and he said to us, "You guys are wasting your time here! Your church isn’t true. Let’s get married!!!" And we were like UMMM...WHAT??!!!  Jajaja, I think he is a little alcoholic. Super creepy, but we are keeping an eye out for him jaajaja. 

All in all, it was a great week. Having our last district class was a little sad! Elder Granda, our district leader, left yesterday for Ecuador (his home).  Elder Burnham, one of our zone leaders, finished too. His parents came here, so they are going to chill in Chile for a few days before heading back to the states. It was fun having the zone leaders in our district. They both live with Elder Granda and his companion, so it was just so funny to see how they would joke with each other because they know each other so well. Loooove it. 

I feel so happy! I am sad I will be leaving La Reina, but I know it is time! I have no idea where I am going, or who will be my new companion, but I trust Presidente Morgan. I trust in the Lord’s will. Wherever I go, I will work hard with all my might, mind, heart, and strength. T´will be an adventure!! My companion, Hermana Rivera, is so nervous jajaja! This is exactly what happened to Hermana Gomez and I! We stayed four changes together, and then she left. So it is with Hermana Rivera and I! She is amazing, and I know she will be great! She loves the people, and her testimony is strong! I will miss her!!! We have had so many good times together jajaja!

So I found this AMAZING scripture in my studies this week in Mosiah 2:34. 

34 I say unto you, that there are not any among you, except it be your little children that have not been taught concerning these things, but what knoweth that ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are; and also have been taught concerning the records which contain the prophecies which have been spoken by the holy prophets, even down to the time our father, Lehi, left Jerusalem;

I love that is says we must render God all that we HAVE and ARE.... consecration!! We owe him our selves! Our desires, our hearts, our will. I just loooove that. I trust in Heavenly Father. I trust in Jesus Christ. They live. I want to be like them. The gospel is a wonder! My personal conversion is a wonder! What a miracle it is that the Holy Ghost can fill my heart and confirm to me that I am a loved daughter of God.... Is this now a miracle? 

I love my family, and I cherish my time in La Reina. .

Happy, happy,

Hermana Mittleman

La Reina Zone

La Reina District 

Megan packing 11 months of stuff!!

Preparation Day on Tuesday's and Temple Every Three Months!! Yay! I'm So Excited!!

July 20, 2015

Mi familia,

Hola! I am so happy to be a missionary! I love living and serving in Chile. I am learning to love my Savior. 

Mom, I will print your talk! I skimmed through it, and it is great! So honored to see you quoted me...love you! I know it went wonderful! You are so presh, and I know you did a great job!

So!! On Thursday our district leaders called us and told us we were going to have a reunión with Presidente and Hermana Morgan...WITH THE WHOLE MISSION. So immediately we thought: HE IS GOING TO CHANGE SOME OF THE MISSION RULES/STANDARDS. So, on Saturday morning the whole mission showed up to our church here in Lynch Norte (the Capilla that is in my area). So many missionaries! Hermana Morgan talked to us first. She talked about healing. She said that all of us have spiritual needs, and Jesus Christ has the power to heal us. HOWEVER, He does not make our problems, weaknesses, temptations go away immediately! Instead, He gives us the strength and power to withstand our problems. Loved this! So true, and so applicable! 

Presidente Morgan talked about the importance of the Spirit. The Spirit penetrates our hearts. We can be guided by the Spirit our whole lives if we live worthily. I love Him! 

And now..... There are some changes to the mission! The first and most important!! My preparation day is now on TUESDAY. Crazy! So next week, I will write to you all on TUESDAY! Also, we are now allowed to attend the temple every three months!! YAY! I am so excited!! I love the temple, and I know this will be a wonderful blessing for all of the missionaries in our mission.

This week went by fast! We found four new people to teach! One of our new investigators is Marisol. She is super short and super nice! She has two sons, and lost a son about 17 years ago. She is really nice, and really receptive. We also found a part member family. Antonio is a member who is now less active. He was baptized, and even received his endowment in the temple! He went inactive because he started using drugs...super sad! But we had a super powerful lesson with him this week with our assistant to the ward mission leader (aka Hermano Marcos who always sends you pictures and videos, so presh!). And Antonio came to church on Sunday! He told us he had been feeling this weight on his shoulders for years, and he knew it would be taken away from him if he came to church. In the gospel principles class, he told Hermana Rivera he felt like the weight had been lifted...MIRACLE. The Atonement is real! His brother, Luis, is one of our new investigators. His life has been destroyed by drugs and alcohol. Really sad! His children do not like to come and visit him. He is receptive, and we are hoping he will progress towards baptism. He really needs it! He needs to feel that cleansing power! I believe baptism is one of the greatest things we can do in this life. It is an ordinance in which we make a covenant with Heavenly Father. It is personal. It is cleansing. It is divine. 

We are really seeing miracles in our area! This is the last week of the cambio, so in my next email I will know if I will be getting changed. Transfers will take place on Wednesday, so I will have all of Tuesday (new dia de preparación) to pack if I get changed.

Well, I did have some hard moments this week. But I continue reminding myself that I need hard moments to progress. As I try to consecrate myself more, I feel God´s love for me in abundance. My prayers are so much more personal. I feel so loved by my Heavenly Father. I know He lives. He loves us. 

Love, Hermana Mittleman

Moroni 9:25

 My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.

Brother Greiner, Snow On The Mountains & Transfers In Two Weeks....

July 13, 2015

Mi familia,

I have 11 months in Chile.... TODAY! So crazy! I love being a missionary. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for giving me the chance to be here in Chile. 

This week we had interviews with Presidente Morgan and Hermana Morgan! They are seriously sooooooooo amazing!!! Presidente Morgan has huuuge blue eyes..... They are so piercing. With all the missionaries he wanted to know where we received our endowment, and how we obtained our testimony of the Book of Mormon. It was fun because he said he has been to the Newport Beach Temple one or two times...so cool! He told me thinking about my future sealing can be good motivation here in the mission. Experiences I have here in Chile can help me prepare for the future! I felt the Spirit so strongly as we talked...he is so great! So thankful he is here with his wife. Hermana Morgan is soooo chill. Really laid back and kind. Love her! We talked about books and Brother Greiner jajaja. 

So we had two great lessons with Loreto this week! We invited her to be baptized, and she knows she wants to, but she does not want to agree to a date...she is sooo great! So prepared! I love her so much! She travels home every weekend to visit her parents and her daughter, so we helped her locate a church close to her house. She lives in the Rancagua mission, which is like right below Santiago Este. Hermana Rivera and I are pretty sure she will be baptized in Rancagua because that is where she will be attending church. She is amazing! We have a lesson with her in thirty minutes, and we are so excited! Truly a miracle. I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ prepare people.

It is getting sooo cold here! There is snow on the mountains! So beautiful!!! 

Transfers are in two weeks.... 98% President will change me!

Hermana Rivera is so sweet. So presh. We are best friends, and I love her! So thankful we are companions!

Hermana's Rivera & Megan- La Reina

Ana Belen and her mom didn’t come to church yesterday, so she could not be confirmed...we were calling them all day, but no answer! A little disheartening, but we have faith!

It rained like ALL DAY yesterday. We were walking around a LOT. At night, some of the big streets were like flooding...so crazy!!! But that is why we have rain boots! A nice member gave us a ride home in the night. It was a day of miracles because we met a lot of cool people in the street who agreed to our coming back this week to teach them! 

I love being here in Chile.... I know God lives. I know daily prayer and scripture study is so vital to our spiritual progression. I love my family so much, and I love my Savior.

Love you guys so much!!!!!!

Love, Hermana Mittleman

11 Months in La Reina

Presidente Morgan and Hermana Morgan Have Arrived!

July 6, 2015

Hola mi linda familia!

Ok, I have SO MUCH TO TELL YOU! This week was CRAZY. So....To start! CAN I JUST SAY PRESIDENTE MORGAN AND HERMANA MORGAN ARE IN PRESIDING OVER OUR MISSION AND THEY ARE SO PRECIOUS AND AMAZING! 

But first! On Wednesday, we had an AMAZING lesson with one of our investigators, Loreto. I mentioned her in my letter last week, but our lesson was just AMAZING.... AMAZING..... So to start, her friend, Bastian (the member from a different stake), called us and he told us that Loreto had called him, and told him she did not want him to come to the lesson with us. So that was kind of like, wow! What’s going to happen? So we met Loreto at the church at 7. She is so nice and precious. She is 21, and is just really friendly and great. We asked her if she wanted a tour of the church. She said yes, so we started in the chapel...we felt the Spirit very strong as we told her about sacrament meeting, and how we come to church to remember Jesus Christ. It was AWESOME. We took her around the church, and finished on the second floor. We started the lesson with a hymn "I know that My Redeemer Lives" - so powerful! At the beginning of the lesson we could already feel the Spirit so strong. Seriously, I wish you could have been there! SOO.... We asked her if she could read a little bit of the Book of Mormon. She told us yes, but she was still in the first chapter. We thought, ok, good, she started it! HOWEVER what really happened was that she had read the FIRST TEN CHAPTERS OF 1Nephi. And she started telling us about how she could relate with Nephi, with his murmuring brothers. She mentioned it was interesting how his brothers could still doubt after seeing an angel. Seriously, it was crazy, Hermana Rivera and I were like crying! We were so surprised and happy! She understands it! SO...after talking about the Book of Mormon, we talked about faith. 

AND THEN SHE STOPPED US.

And she asked if she could share something with us.... So we were like, yes, of course! So she basically told us her life story. Loreto is only 21.  But she has had a rough life! Just looking at her, you would not think so, but as she was talking to us about her past, I was filled with empathy. I will not tell all the details, but basically SHE IS PREPARED TO RECEIVE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. Seriously! She told us she felt like she could trust us with telling us, and it meant so much to me when she said this! It was the SECOND time we were meeting! So crazy! She couldn’t come to church, however she called us as I was writing this email, and wants to meet with us tonight! We are soooo excited!!!!!! So I shall keep you updated on her!

And now.... What I am sure you have been waiting for.....Yes! Presidente Morgan and Hermana Morgan have arrived! So for three days last week, different zones had a reunion with Presidente Morgan so we could meet him and his wife. OUR ZONE WAS THE FIRST DAY WITH TWO OTHER ZONES.

So we arrived at the church here in our sector, and waited...and waited...and waited...our zone leaders had called us the previous night to tell us that President Morgan wanted us sitting down, reading the scriptures. We thought, ah! Que loco! What will he be like! So just imagine, a bunch of missionaries sitting in the chapel reading their scriptures.... Eventually the asistentes arrived and started setting up...and THEN.... out of nowhere, Presidente and Hermana Morgan walk through the front door of the chapel! And they are just smiling!!!! And one of their daughters, Katy, came to Chile with them! I just have to say.... I was nervous in the morning...I could not even eat breakfast! But when Presidente Morgan walked in that door (and we were seated on the second pew on the left side of the chapel, so close, so close!) I FELT THE SPIRIT SO STRONG. I KNOW he has been called of God to come be our mission president! His smile is just timeless. So great! So we all formed a line and got to shake his hand, and hug his wife and daughter.  SO GREAT! They are so ready! They just arrived here in Chile, guns loaded! 

So, to continue! Yesterday, our investigator Ana Belen got baptized!!! 

Ana Belen's  Baptism Day, La Reina

And guess what! Presidente Morgan, Hermana Morgan, and their daughter, Katy came!!!! Katy has 15 years, and she is really sweet. So basically, their first Sunday in Chile, they come to our ward’s baptismal service! The other hermanas from the other sector hada baptism, so it was really special!! We Hermanas misioneras sang "Lord, I would follow thee" and it was pretty.... Well that is what all the members said haha. Ana Belen looked so presh! So happy this day came for her. She is soooo sweet and tender. She is like my little sister! 

So basically, life is very good! I love being a missionary! I know Jesus Christ lives. He is our Savior. He loves us! He is so perfect, and He wants us to perfect like him, and like Heavenly Father. He suffered our pains, weaknesses, and sins so that he can help us improve and CHANGE. Repentance is changing. It is a wonderful thing! 

My companion, Hermana Rivera, is amazing. I love her so much! 

Familia, I love you all! 

Love, Hermana Mittleman

The Love Of The Savior Is My Motivation To Work.

June 30, 2015

Familia! I am so full of emotions right now! We said goodbye to Presidente Wright and Hermana Wright today! SO CRAZY! So today, half the mission had their P Day with President and Hermana Wright. We went to a BEAUTIFUL park in the richer part of the mission. It was so crazy because we took "street" clothes to change into....So just seeing a lot of missionaries in their normal clothing was just a little weird jajaja! It was so fun! We took meat and had an asado! Soooo fun. It was so fun hanging out with my missionary friends the whole day jajaja. Love being a missionary. We had an egg toss, and that was a little frightening, but all good times! Some missionaries started throwing eggs at President Wright, and that was a little out of control jajaja.

In the end, we all gathered around in a circle and President and Hermana Wright said some parting words.... So crazy! They said to always stay true, especially after the mission. They have so much love for the missionaries, and I just love them! They are so important to me! Their example will always stay with me! We sang "God Be With You ´Till We Meet Again" in espanol and it was presh. I know we are one of the smallest missions in the world jaja, and I am so happy we had the chance to spend the day with Presidente and Hermana Wright. Giving my last hug to Hermana Wright was bittersweet. Thankful they live in the same country as me jajaja.

So.... Life is good here in Chile! Presidente and Hermana Morgan come tomorrow, and we will meet them on Thursday! I am excited! I will miss President and Hermana Wright, but they have served their time, and area ready to go home.

I just LOVE being a missionary. So much fun! Truly, an honor! So we are in the third week of the transfer...I am pretty sure these are my last weeks in La Reina jajaja. Hermana Kimball lives with us now, and she is from Washington/Idaho. Super enthusiastic, and super sweet.

Hermano Marcos is the assistant to our ward mission leader. He always takes pictures of us to send to you guys! He is wonderful!!

So this last week went by fast! Super crazy!  Just so thankful to have many wonderful experiences. We are really trying to find new people to teach. It is hard sometimes, because talking with people on the streets is interesting jajaja. I know the good and the bad is helping me progress.

BEST experience of the week: We received a reference from a member who does not live in our ward. He has a friend who lives in our ward boundaries who wanted to know about the church. His name is Bastian, and his friend is called Loreto. She is 21, and super sweet. Bastian has been less active for about five years, and he decided to start coming back to church like a month ago! So the four of us met in the capilla and we had an AMAZING lesson. We felt the Spirit so strong. We talked about Joseph Smith and el Libro de Mormon. She had awesome questions, and she told us she was going to read the Book of Mormon because she loves to read. We are going to call her today to see if we can meet with her Thursday. Praying that all goes well.

I am so happy, happy to be a missionary. I would not change this experience for anything! Seriously, the love of the Savior is my motivation to work. I love Him so much! I am so happy to be here serving Him and sharing His gospel. The Gospel truly is a blessing. It teaches us how to be happy!

Can’t wait to tell you all about Presidente Morgan and Hermana Morgan....Should be fun! Hope all is well!

Love, Hermana Mittleman

I Have Mixed Feelings About Staying In La Reina...Trying To Seek God’s Will.....

June 23, 2015

No time!

Our investigator, Ana Belen came to church so she will be baptized the fifth of July! She is ten! So presh!

Hermana Kimball, the new gringa in our house is so amazing! 

Sis Kimball on the left

She is always so happy and I love her! It is weird speaking so much English haha, but our companions get to practice!!

I cut my hair today! Didn’t bring my cord so next week I will send a picture!

For the first time in four months, Alicia did not come to church because she did not feel well enough...so sad! But we went to her house and our ward mission leader gave her a blessing. She has progressed SO MUCH. We read Enos with her, and out of nowhere she started telling the conversion story of Alma the younger...MIRACLE. Love her so much!

I have mixed feeling about staying in La Reina...trying to seek God’s will..... Advice? Thanks for your letters. I cried when I read them! You always say the things I need to hear! Seriously, love my family!! 

Love, Hermana Mittleman

Strengthening My Personal Testimony Of Christ, Moment By Moment.

June 15, 2015

OK JUST TO PUT AN END TO ALL OF THE SUSPENSE I AM STAYING IN LA REINA FOR ANOTHER SIX WEEKS...... I cannot even believe it!! So loco!!! But Hermana Alcantara left! 

Hermana Meg & Alcantara

Hermana Alcantara was in my district in the CCM, and we have been serving in La Reina together for all of our mission! She has become my best friend. She was not my companion, but we have come to have a strong friendship. I consider her my sister! I love her, and I will miss her.

So I have ten months as a missionary! That is crazy! On Saturday, I went to Ñuñoa on divisions, and it was really great! I spent the day with Hermana Cannon. 

We arrived in Chile together. I love her, and it was great to spend the day together. 

It is getting cold here!!! The mornings and evenings are FREEZING. The afternoons are pretty warm, so it is interesting jajaja. 

Hardest part of the week was spending my last moments with Hermana Alcantara.

Best part was feeling the Holy Ghost very strong in sacrament meeting. Strengthening my personal testimony of Christ, moment by moment.

Happy, happy! Sorry this is short!

Love, Hermana Mittleman

Megan & Hermana Alcantara