Hermana Egbert in Osorno Chile

Completos  - Hot dog with avocado, tomatoes and  ketchup. Dont judge before you try! They are soooo good!

 This week was good!  

 We had a family home evening with family Carrillo. They are pretty amazing! We had an  investigatore there. Her name is Nicole and she in13 years old. I felt a little home sick because it  made me miss family home evenings but its all good:).I taught them  how to play the fruit game where you cover your teeth and cant laugh while calling out another person in the room! So funny!

Okay, so Preach My Gospel is so so amazing! I   have been studying out of it more and it is about the about the best (book ) resource a missionary can have besided the Book of Mormon. As I have been reading  from it more and applying what I learn to our lessons and investigators there are  pretty big changes. There is a section   in ch. 10 labled Listen- however this is pretty cool. In the spanish version it is Escuche which is the command form of the verb to listen. It just helped me notice how important it is to listen to the investigator and to the spirit in lessons. As I have really made the effort to listen more and talk a little less there is so much more learning for the investigator and myself.

This week in preparation for her baptism we taught the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity for my first time. I personally always thought it would be awkward to teach these lessons but as we prepared for them and I thought more about their importance I started understanding that these lesson are so special and important.As we taught and listened, I asked Gladys "why do you think God asks us to keep these commandments?" She said simply "because it is all part of His plan for us."   I was so touched by her response and I felt a reconfirmation  of why  God gives His children commandments. He has a plan that is so much greater and better than we can see as humans. As we keep His commandments we are actually made free.  I am  grateful that I am learning new things along with the investigators and that I get to be taught by the spirit as well.  Its like when I am testifying /teaching of principles or doctrines I recieve confirmations or reconfirmations of their truthfulness. 

We talked with Lucianas husband about the gospel this week. It started as more of Him telling us why He doesnt believe God  but ended with Him saying He will listen to our message. I dont remember all that happened in the conversation but it was really amazing because we have been praying for an oppurtunity to talk with Him. 

 We had a stake activity in Valdivia. It was for the Relief Society. The theme was pioneers. So on Saturday evening in a small church building in the South of Chile there were faithful chilean women dressed as Mormon pioneers. There were talks and testimonies shared on how the   pioneers had blessed their lives. As I was sitting in the auditorum looking around at all the bonnets, aprons and smiles I was so touched that the church has reached here! That the gospel has reached all corners of the earth. Pretty amazing. Hopefully I can send a picture.

I really hope you all have a great week! 

Love, Hermana Egbert

Dear family and friends

We had Zone conference on Wednesday and Interviews with President Isom on Thursday.

    First of all before my mission I never understood how every loved their mission president because missions are big and their are so many missionaries. Well I think I understand much better now. I am so grateful I am in this specific mission with my specific Mission president and his wife. 

President Isom is more quiet but he is so wise and such a good leader. Hermana Isom doesnt speak a lick of spanish but she is working soooo hard to learn and really it doesnt matter because when she speaks or even smiles, the spirit is so strong. They are both just good people willing to do the Lords will.

President Obeso was the mission president here before them for 1-1/2 years but he was diagnosed with cancer and had to leave. President and Sister Isom were called to this mission 1 week before I recieved my missioncall. They were living in Wyoming and recieved a call from the quorum of the 12 to meet with an apostle. The call was extended and they were asked be in Chile in 3 weeks. They put their life on hold and got all their stuff in order and said good bye all in 3 weeks. They are doing so well and we all love them so much. 

   At zone conference (three zones) President Isom asked me to come to the front and introduce myself and tell them all the story about Grandpa egbert and Hermana Cecilia who served in Vina Del Mar. 

Haha when I told them I had 10 siblings they all gasped haha every time. 

  I love spanish. I love spanish because I see miracles everyday with learning this language. I am so grateful when I feel I need to say something to the investigator and I can say in and I dont understand how I could say it. So its true I cant hold a conversation about the weather or tell people much about my past, but when the spirit prompts me to say it he always prepares the way and the words are in my mouth. Even if the people dont completley understand my words they can understand the spirit and that is the whole point. 

   I learn more and more everyday that my words dont matter. I am really just preparing myself so I am a better instrument of the spirit. I study the language and the scriptures everyday but its not my understanding it is the spirit that helps me understand. I am okay with this. The Lord really does take imperfect and weak people and allows them to do his work if they are willing. I have been realizing no where in the scriptures does Christ ask for a perfect person to do his work. He over and over asks for people to lean on Him, follow Him and teach of Him. He really does make our biggest weaknesses are biggest strengths. And this is not just for a missionary. This is for every single person in every single stage of life. That is so cool! 

    Also! I just found out I am staying in Los Lagos with Hermana Gardner for my next transfer. I am so happy. I was prepared for changes but I secretly prayed this would happen. I am so grateful for my trainer. She is such a good example! She works hard and loves the people. Also (this is good for me) she likes to laugh and smile and have fun. Sometimes I am a little focused on the work that I forget as a missionary we can and SHOULD smile and laugh. This is her last transfer before she goes home! 

    So many cool things happened with our investigators. Gladys has a baptismal date for next week and Ana Maria for 3 weeks. Keep them in your prayers. Its so interesting. Before I left on my mission Jesse told me to always remeber that it was the spirit who needs to convert the investigator not the missionary and that the spirit would do this usually after the missionaries left the investigators homes. This is so true. We bring the message and invite them to commit and as they keep commitments the spirit can speak with them and change their hearts. 

Missionaries have been teaching Luciana for months. When I came 6 weeks ago she was not keeping commitments and we were about to leave her for a while. Until one day we bore testimony that if she would read her Book of Mormon everyday when we leave she would come to know the truthfulness of the Gospel. When we returned 3 days later, she had read! This continued and she is now finishing 2 nephi. On Thursday we walked into her store and she was just so happy. So happy. She told us that she really believes the Book of Mormon to be the word of God and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. We invited her to be baptized April 15th and she accepted. When she said yes I thought my heart would burst. Her family who was so closed to talking with us is now interested. Her husband and children! I was so happy. I am so happy for her. The Book of Mormon changes people. It invites people to repent and when people read and pray with a desire to know they cant help but feel its truthfullness. 

Now we have more responsibility to help our investigators prepare but I am so grateful for the oppurtunity to stay in Los Lagos with Hermana Gardner with our investigators. 

Well have a really good week! 

Nos Vemos

Love, 

Hermana Egbert

I will send pics in a couple minutes

This week was short and long...if that is possible. It is getting so cold in the mornings because it is fall here. In Chile they dont have heaters it is all wood stoves! Every family is getting their wood supply delivered for the winter. 

We have a wood stove in our little house so every morning we make a fire. Guess who gets to chop wood? Me! Its pretty fun. I thought it was a joke at first but no we really get an ax and wood and chop it to make kindling etc. Pretty cool.

Also today we went fishing with an investigator who lives in Antilhue (20 min from Los Lagos)

Not many women fish here I guess haha so they were all pretty impressed I knew how to fish and cast haha thanks to Dad and many trips to the windrivers ( the whole time I prayed I wouldnt catch a fish because i didnt want them all to see me squeal when I had to take it off the hook...my pray was answered..we caught nothing phew!) How crazy is that? I was fishing in the South of Chile this morning. Life is funny. 

We had a branch activity on Friday. President and Sister Isom came. It was focused on the Book of Mormon. This was really cool because since my first Sunday here in Los lagos Hermana Gardner have been working so hard with the Branch. It was a lot of work to get it planned and all together. It made me have so much more respect for all the leaders that always worked so hard to make things happen in my wards at home. 

We had 25 people come! That is A LOT for here! 

I always get nervous for Sundays because everyone is talking in spanish and  I just cant really understand. So I was nervous for this activity because I knew I needed to talk with people and that I had to present the activity all in spanish. Hermana Gardner and I said a prayer before the activity together and then I said my own personal prayer that I would recieve help in understanding the people and that when it came time for me to bear my testimony I could do it with confidence. Well we went into the auditorium and I just thought "Well, here I go" and I seperated a little from Hermana Gardner so I was forced to talk with the people and it was great. It wasnt very scary and they were patient with my spanish and talked slow with me. When it came time for me to explain the instructions I did it and the people followed them I was shocked they knew what I was saying haha. I am mostly grateful for the very end when Hermana Gardner and I bore testimony of the Book of Mormon. I know with all my heart when we read from the Book of Mormon every day we are protected and remember our Savior more. In my Junior year of High school my Bishop challenged the youth to read from the Book of Mormon everyday. I felt that I needed to follow this counsel . I am grateul I chose to do this then because not only has my testimony grown in the Book of Mormon and my Savior but it has prepared me for this specific area in my mission. I am grateful for the blessing and challenge of serving in Los Lagos because its hard but also in someways easy because I know the Lord has me in this little town for a reason.

Investigators!-

Luciana is progressing! She is keeping her commitments and she is praying for an answer about her baptismal date. I love seeing the promise in Moroni 10 prove itself with our investigators as well as me and everyone! If we read and pray about the Book of Mormon we will recieve an answer! 

Gladys- She has committed to being baptized however we are still discussing a date. She is 25 years old and has been so prepared for the message of the gospel!

Well I am almost half way through my training, we have zone conference this week and transfers next week! 

Wow. I am almost at my 3 month mark. 

Thank you all for your prayers. This week I had a couple tough days where I remembered family and friends at home who I know are praying for me and other missionaries. It really helps thank you!

Until next week! 

Also here is my plug for missionary work! If you have the oppurtunity to go to lessons with missionaries please do it! It helps so much when the investigator sees a member and hears their experiences and testimony!

Love Hermana Egbert

p.s. sorry for typos the keyboards are different here.

This week went by so quickly! We had intercambios which is where we do 24 hour companion exchanges with the Hermana Leaders. I was nervous because they asked me to dirrect my area with Hermana Bernal (from Columbia) who does not speak any english. So Hermana Gardner left to Valdivia and I was in charge of the phone, money, keys and leading the sector... haha doesnt sound like a ton but when I its a different language, the money is different and I have only been here for 3 weeks it was a bit scary. However, it was my favorite day in the mission so far. Why? Because It was like a test. I was able to evaluate how well I knew Los Lagos, how my spanish has been progressing and other things. I was surprised in some areas and found out where I need to improve in others. It was just a great day! Hermana Bernal and I visited investigators, taught a few lessons, knocked doors (lots and lots of rejections) and did street contacting. I Loved being with her because we got to know each other, laughed, had really special discussions about the gospel all in spanish! With Hermana Gardner we speak very little english, only when I dont know a word we speak in english. Haha but with Hermana Bernal if I didnt know a word I described it until she understood haha. I saw so many mini miracles because Heavenly Father was aware I was nervous and really helped me with the language, lessons and dirrections.

Also I had empanadas for my fist time this week and they were soooooo good. 

Our investigators are progressing. I am participating a lot more in the lessons. I am understanding the people more but still it is a daily struggle. However I am grateful for the struggle with the language because I really have to listen and pray for promptings from the spirit. He really does bring scriptures and experiences to our remembrance. 

I have realized their are two distinct faces the people make when I am talking with them. 

1. when it is me talking and they are just confused haha

2. When they dont understand me but the spirit is touching their hearts helping them understand.

I try to aim for the second. When I can see they understand I know that the spirit is acting as my translator.

Oh!! Yesterday in church was really special! Luciana came to church with us! She is keeping her commitments by reading and praying about the Book of Mormon!

Also 3 of the less active families we have been praying for and teaching were at church and they shared their testimonies in the meeting!

I cant really describe the joy I feel when I see people changing and really gaining a testimony of the gospel and then acting on it. 

Haha actually I know some people do. 

Hermana Gardner and I are 19 year old girls, the only Americans in Los Lagos, Chile. We knock on doors of people that have been studying the Bible their whole life and we tell them we have a message that can change their life. 

Missionary work seems impossible but it works because it is true. It works because this is the true church. It works because Joseph Smith was a prophet of God who in faith prayed to know which church to join. It works because the priesthood was restored. 

I love to think about how different we must appear as missionaries and as members of the church. Because as we are following our Savior Jesus Christ we are different than the ways of the world. 

Last thing, I read this in Jesus the Christ this morning. It is about Peters walk to Christ on the water

"His attempt (peter), though attended by partial failure, was a demonstration of the efficacy of faith in the Lord, such as no verbal teaching could have every conveyed"

This was so special to me. Like a mission or really anything in life that causes us to grow, it is an act of faith. It is something we cant do alone. We tell the Savior this is what I want to do and He in His great mercy allows us to do it, like Peter wanting to walk on the water. And like Peter I get scared, I fall short however every single time I ask for help and guidance the enabling power of the Atonement is there. Sometimes we are allowed to suffer in a trial because our loving Heavenly Father knows we will learn better in the experience than being taught by words. 

I love you all. Thank you for being examples to me. Thank you for your prayers. 

Hermana Egbert

Well this week went by so fast! 

This past week my focus has been to immerse myself in Chile. I really want to love the people, the culture and the language but for some reason it doesnt come natural to me to just love new things. This week Imade the goal to speak only in spanish....it was really hard and thankfully I have a very patient companion. I also have been really trying to learn everything I can about the chilean culture like their foods, sayings, traditions etc. It helps me remember I am in a different country haha because sometimes I forget. It really has been helping. It helps me love the people more. 

I have been realizing how easy it is to judge people who are different than me whether it is culture, backround, ideas etc. However it is impossible to love someone if we judge them. It might not even be a big judgment but little thoughts like "oh in my country we do it this way" or "its easier if you do it like this" they dont hurt the person because they dont know what I am thinking but it hurts me because it seperates me from fully loving them. As I have replaced any negative thought about the language or the culture with a positive thing I have noticed or why I am serving a mission it is soooo much easier to love the people. In just on week my love for our investigators and really my mission has grown! 

Things I love about Chile! The people are so close! They are friendly! I love that they are honest about the way they live, they dont pretend to be perfect and they love freely. 

Things I love about the language. The scriptures are beautiful in spanish. There are different words in spanish to express feelings.

The word escudriñar means to search dilligently with all purpose of heart or with yearning. This is such a beautiful word because it expresses how I feel when I am really desiring to learn something in the scriptures.

This week with our investigators was a lot of trying to understand what their true needs were and not just what we thought their needs are. (Hopefull that makes sense) It is a lot of listening to them and to the spirit. Ana maria had a baptismal date for this week however we prayed and felt we needed to talk with her and see if she felt ready. She admitted to us she has been smoking again and not reading the Book of Mormon. I was so so sad. In my mind I was a little impatient because she has been working with missionaries for almost 5 months now. I then had the thought " I have been so patient with you" come into my mind. I then remembered that everyday my Heavenly Father is so patient with me and my weaknesses. How could I lose patience with her. I then started to think of Ana maria and what she needed to hear. My companion and I changed the course of the lesson to her needs and I think she is going to be just fine we just need to be patient. Elder Holland in a response to the questions many missionaries ask of "This is the true gospel so why isnt the only trial of a mission having pneumonia because of standing in the font all day baptizing people?" "Why doesnt everyone flock to font?". He answered that it is because Salvation is not cheap. I love this. It is so true. When I feel my testimony burning in my heart I sometimes think these exact questions, but when I remember how precious the gospel is and that it is the most important thing in this world I understand why is it so hard to find people and to teach people. It is definitley not impossible.

Well the work here is continuing everyday! I am so grateful to be a part of it! 

Thank you all for your emails!

Love Hermana Egbert