Every Week Gets Better

Hna Ramirez

Wet Jamie

3/12/2007

The time changed here, we went back an hour. And so I think we are only three hours different now.

Okay, so I have had the most interesting week, the best and the worst, it all comes together isn’t that the truth. And yes mom, y our long johns are funny, the members probably think a lot of interesting things as they wash my clothes every week. And LeAnne, there are no washing machines in Peru, but in Chile there are washing machines but hardly any dryers. Don{t get too confused. That is okay. And yes our house is nice and it is big. Well nice for the states is different thing than nice for here, for here we have a really nice house, the fleas are disappearing slowly because I am spraying stuff all over almost every day. Slowly I am not their bate.

I can’t believe it, in two weeks I will be at the half way mark of my mission. The mission has developed very interestingly but wonderfully. It is funny at the district meetings I am the only gringa. I talk sooooooooo much more in the meetings now, I am the normal Jamie in meetings now, don’t anyone worry. The missions aren’t that big of miracles. I am the same ole same ole. It is funny; I make people laugh because I am witty, graciosa.

You guys would be shocked at home many people here don’t know how to read. There are a tonnnnnn, which makes it a little hard to gain a testimony of the church and the book of mormon if they can’t read it. But it is not impossible. It always surprises me really how many adults there are in the world tat have no clue how to read. It is our entire life, we read things constantly, to do everything. It is crazy.

But there are ways that it is amazing how the mission can change a person. I have never been a person for small talk, in fact I hated it, it was the worst thing ever, that is why I never went to parties or didn’t like group things because I hate small talk. Well, let{s just say that the mission is justtttttttttt small talk. We have to do it to get to know the people and so that they will trust us to let us into their house and all. When nobody talks, I have to because I hate the awkward silence. I have become the queen of small talk, and in fact I love ., I am known as the preguntona, the question asker. Which is funny, because I love to ask questions but this is the best way to know what a person thinks and to gain their trust. Let{s just say, I love to talk to people now, depends on the person obviously but it is true. I live off of small talk.

We had our interview with the president this week, it was really good, he gave me a lot of good advice for alejandra, the excommunicated sister. We are really trying to work with her. I will tell more about her in a bit.

So hna agurto goes home in two and a half weeks, we have cambios the 28th, I can’t believe it. I hope I see her one last time, I was blessed to have been with her and become good friends with her. I miss her still. If not, I will see her in January when I finish the mission. She is awesome, she is special to me being my trainer, my mom when I first got here, she would be so proud of my Spanish now! J.

So, now what I have to tell you about alejandra. This woman is the most amazing person. Wow.

First of all, let{s just say that I have never worked with an excommunicated member, and it is not just like they aren’t a member. They have less rights then nonmembers. We have to work closely with our pres and the bishop. I don’t know exactly what her offense was and I don’t want to know. I am pretty sure that she should not have been excommunicated and maybe she still is a member because we aren’t sure if their was a disciplinary council for her or not. The bishop is investigating. But this woman is absolutely amazing, she is 35 with two kids. She got baptized at 21 and went on her mission at 22 in Argentina. We went to her house on Friday. Her tour business that her and her husband owns is sinking, they are having to fire everyone because they donj’t have any money to run the business, they are losing it all. But she didn’t tell us any of this, her workers told us but that is okay. She has health problems related to stress. She tried to get re-baptized for four years and the whole time the bishop, her step father shrugged her off and always gave her something else she had to do as if he didn’t want her a member. 4 yerasssssssssssss. Until finally she gave up because nobody was helping her and she was doing everything she could possibly do to be re-baptized. In the lesson the other day, she taught me sooooooooo much. When we are with her, the spirit is soooo strong. She showed us her mission scriptures, they are amazing, I asked if we could trade, I want her notes. I told her she needs to teach me because she knows so much more and she told me it doesn’t matter when I know but that I have the holy ghost and she doesn’t and that is what makes the difference. It was a shot in the heart. Ut I told her we are working on that, getting the holy ghost back to her. She opened up to us and started sharing how she felt, what she wants in life and about her testimony. She has the strongest testimony of the church. She started reading the book of Mormon again!! Miracle!!!!! I have only been at her house 3 times and I feel like I have known her for an eternity. I told her I am blessed to be here on the mission in Puerto varas because I know that I knew her before this life, I know it. There is no other explanation for what I have felt while I have been with her. She said she feels the same way. She says we are helping her a ton. At the end of the lesson I told her that we were going to get to her house at 8 in the morning so we would all go to church at 9, I didn’t give her any option, I just said we were going, and she said okay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, miracle!!! I had never in my life been so excited for church before, I couldn’t wait for Sunday, I even called her on Saturday to make sure we were good to go. I couldn’t{ wait. We got to her house on Sunday and her son, who is just like Ethan, stubborn, had been puking but we were going anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yearsssssssssssssss, of not going to church and she came!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had never been happier for someone to come to church. It was theeeeeeeee biggest step ever!!!! Her kids were so rowdy in church, talking, playing because they have no idea how to act but I loved it!!! It was the best thing ever!!!!!!!!!!! She can{t participate in anything during Sunday school but I talked to her a bit and she said she felt really good to be there, she was really happy. I told her I couldn’t sleep the night before because I was sooooo pumped that she was going to go to church. She smiled and looked in my eyes as if looking in my soul to see if I was for real. I told her I just want her to get back to church. That is all that is important, so she can be happy. She had to leave early because her kids went crazy, but it didn’t matter she came and it was amazing!!!!
Now, the bad part, right. Because the best always comes with the worst. Always. We went by her house last night to see how she was doing and how church was. She wasn’t there. Somebody had broken into their office and robbed absolutely everythingggggggggggg, even the safe. Everythinggggggggg. I have never felt such pain for someone else in my life. I feel so bad, we still haven’t talked to her but I left her some notes of encouragement and love. I know that I came on the mission to learn how to love people and I am learning. I have learned to love alejandra so quickly. I feel the deepest pain for her and the greatest joy. I realized that I have a small small taste of charity, the pure love of Christ. That when we are happy he is too , when we are sad, we are too. I have never felt so much joy and pain for someone before, let alone someone that I barely know. We are going to call her again today. We also were talking about it and how many trials she has in her life, how much satan is tempting her and trying to keep her from coming back to the church. This woman must have been one of the most valiant spirits in heaven before because of how much is happening with her. I know that god has great plans for her, she will be a great leader in the church and a great example to all, will to amazing things, and that is why the adversary is working so hard on her. I know she will stand firm. I hope that I am here for the day that is gets re-baptized. Who knows, it is a long ways off because she hasn’t even met with the bishop yet but he is going to call her this week to set up an appointment!!!!!!!!i am learning so much from alejnadra, there aren’t words to describe it. I am truly blessed to know her and to be able to learn from her. The process of repentance is not easy or fun but I will do everything in my power to make sure that she stays firm and on this path. The worst is that her husband is hard core Lutheran, but if we can help him feel the spirit, he can’t deny it. In all of this, the president taught me a lot about the atonement and the miracle of forgiveness. If we don{t repent we are denying the atonement and what the lord did for us. Seriously she is teaching me so much. So, if you could just keep alejandra in your prayers that she will stay firm and rely on the lord. Also, she is giving me hope that one day tia can remember what she is missing and come back to the church. We need to remember how blessed we are to participate in the sacrament every week, what a blessing, to be able to say prayers in church, share our testimonies, because these brother and sisters can{t. we are so blessed with the gospel, it is the greatest gift. The true gospel of Jesus Christ does do miracles. It is amazing. I love it and I am learning so much. We are having a really hard time meeting our goals and finding new people. But the fact that alejandra is coming back can make my entire mission worth while. I hope everybody is great. I am praying for you all daily, granny especially and that our lost family members will find their ways back. They will. We just have to love them. I have learned that the mission is all about the love that we have for these people, that is what will help them receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. After all is said and done and alejandra is coming back, anything is possible. Thanks for your prayers, for your love.

We are in puerto montt today, only for the day. it is like Chico is to Oroville. Puerto varas doesn’t have anything and so we came to puerto montt to go shopping, my comp needs some things, just thought i would let you know. chao, hasta la proxima semana. sned my love to all