December 11, 2018
Whew, these last few weeks have been pretty rough with the groupies, but I finally got this one done. It's crazy how fast time flies- I'm already at 16 months and honestly can't believe it. I absolutely love being a missionary and am so grateful for every minute I have to be one!
This week has flown by just like all the other ones keep doing. On Wednesday we finally found a kid that the elders before us were teaching who lives in our same building. We were walking in through the door and though I had never met him I knew the elders taught a young 15 year old kid named Vittorio. So rather than passing by like I'm pretty sure I had done before with him many times just because I hadn't actually ever met him, I asked if his name was Vittorio and he said yes! We asked him if we could visit him and he said 'yeah! is today good?' So, we taught him later that day! He's a great kid and understands the principles really well. He said he's going to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. Go Vittorio!
Friday I had intercambios with hermana Peery. She is very inspiring! She's a little stressed about the Spanish and feels like she can't do much until she gets it down. But the fact that she's frustrated is pushing her to work hard to learn it. That is a really good attribute I found in her is that her frustration has lead her to lean more on the Lord and to act and work hard. She always has her spanish words booklet and studies at night too. She makes an effort to talk to the members and never misses an opportunity to try to get better. The first few weeks are a little hard, but she's making her way right through them. So happy I got to get to know her more!
During intercambios we got a phone call from Maricela Alcayaga! (a missionary who served in my zone who finished her mission about 2 months ago) but she was staying with a member in our ward and wanted to know if we needed someone to accompany us. So she did for an hour or so! We contacted a reference named Adolfo who is about 90 years old and is going deaf. He let us enter (which we wouldn't have been able to unless Maricela was there because there was no woman home) and teach him a little about our message. He is the cutest old man and misses his wife so much. We testified of the plan of salvation and that he will be able to see his wife again. So special!
It was a good week and I felt very guided by the spirit. I'm really grateful for the time I have here to be a missionary and share Christ's gospel. I read
Alma 5 this morning for personal study and was really touched by all the questions Alma asks. They are very 'inspired questions' and really made me reflect on how I'm doing and measuring how far I've come and how much I have to go. I'm really grateful for the Atonement that always allows us to keep trying no matter how many times I mess up or how imperfect I am.
here are just a few of his questions that I think we should all ponder:
26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?
27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?
28 Behold, are ye stripped of pride?
29 Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy?
14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
love you all! make this week a good one (:
mucho amor,
Hermana Briggs
Friday we had consejo de lideres which I got a lot out of, and I also was informed that the husband of my conversa had passed away. That was a real shock. I felt really blessed to be able to go comfort Ines and be there for her and her family in their time of need. It meant a lot to them that Hermana Zararias and I were there and many of their non member family members asked about the church and made comments on how much peace and how much love they felt in the church and from the ward members. One asked if she could start going to church and happened to live in the elders area in Las Condes which corresponded to that ward. I was also asked to play my violin in the funeral on Saturday morning, which I was really honored to do. I played 'abide with me tis eventide' I love this family so much- they are the closest family I have gotten to on the mission and I know that I was an instrument in God's hands to help them come to know of the hope and love of the gospel especially for this moment.
