Hermana Egbert in Osorno Chile

I love Punta Arenas so much. I really feel at home here with the people and the area.I have been able to actually communicate with the people and understand them. I do not know how to explain the culture down here. Half the time I feel like I am in a classic Brittish novel or watching downton abbey by the way people act ( makes no sense but its the only way to describe it)  I love being able to talk in spanish all day everyday with my companion.  

I saw dolphins today out in the straight and I almost started to cry because dolphons are the next best thing to whales;) It is such a random thing but being able to see the ocean everyday is a huge blessing.

My companion was so sick this week:( so we were in the house for 4 days. She is doing better now and we are excited to get outside to work. I think I will leave Punta Arenas with my hand permantley formed in the shape of holding a pen. When we do contacts we catn wear gloves because we need to write. But after about 20 minutes its fine because they go numb so I cant feel the cold anymore haha...but seriously:) 

I am coming to know a little more every day that Heavenly Father answers prayers. When we pray for something with the companionship of the Holy Ghost we can have confidence in knowing that God with answer in his timing and His way. We need to keep working, trust a whole bunch and keep the commandment and "All things will work together for our good"

We have a literal Father in Heaven. He loves us more than we know. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Jesus Christ knows exactly what we experience because He HAS experienced it before. He knows how to succor his people.

Love you all! Have a really good week!

Love Hermana Ashlyn Egbert

How is everyone? 

So this has been a crazy week. I am here in Punta Arenas with my new companion Hermana Rojas:) It has been quite the adventure because we both arrived with out knowing anything about this area. So we both have a map and have been getting to know El Estrecho a little better.

So I basically had the best birthday I could have ever asked for. I didnt expect anything because a new companion and area that didnt know it was my birthday. I was going to not tell anyone because I felt like it would be weird as a missionary to say "hey its my birthday this Saturday" but I ended up telling my companion the night before so I didnt have to celebrate it alone. She surprised me by calling the members when I was upstairs and telling them. The next day the members started calling me and dropping off presents at the house. I can not believe how kind everyone was to a missionary they didnt even know. There was snow on my birthday, I saw the ocean and at district meeting we sang a christmas hymn... I am not sure it gets better than that.

Okay im not sure where to start with Punta Arenas. I feel like I have been here before and that I have already met the members and investigators but I just dont know where. I am so happy and grateful to be here. Its a really special place. The ward is small but really strong. We have been working with a couple less active members and have found a few new investigators. It is all going a lot smoother than I thought. 

On Saturday we entered the home of a woman and her daughter. They are both amazing. We showed a quick video of Jesus Christ and then asked them how they felt. Marriana (the 25 year old daughter) said that she felt sad because she knows that she has been furthering herself away from Jesus Christ. I just sat there with my companion and listened. While I listened I tried not to focus on what I was going to say. I tried to know how she was feeling and to see her how Heavenly Father sees her. Then when it was time for my companion and I to speak the words were there. We were able to testify with all our hearts that the message we bring should not bring feelings of saddness. It should bring feelings of joy and hope. We testified that we have a Savior because we NEED a Savior. 

I am so grateful to be here on a mission. I am learning every day. I am in awe that Heavenly Father calls young 19 and 20 year olds to do His work through missionary service. Its true that He takes the weak and makes them strong. 

I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father.  Jesus Christ is our Savior. The church of Jesus Christ has been restored upon the earth.

I love the song I know that my Redeemer lives because of the line}

"What JOY this sentance gives, I know that my Redeemer Lives!!"

Thanks for your examples. 

Love you all a whole bunch! 

Love Hermana Egbert

Okay so this week was really good. Zone conference is about my favorite thing! This is a very special mission. There have been a lot of miracles happening and even though the mission stretches over 1000 miles it is very united. 

So knowing transfers were coming up I was planning that my companion and i would be staying in Los Lagos, she would finish her mission this coming transfer and I would stay for one more. OH was I so off. We recieved a call from the AP last night and my companion will be staying in Los Lagos and I am being sent to Punta Arenas( very southern tip of chile). My companion will be Hermana Rojas from Argentina and we will be opening an area called El Estretcho (the stretch:) ).

 My whole time here people always talk about how cold it is in Southern Chile but after every complaint of the cold they say "but at least we arent in Punta Arenas " haha that was comforting until now haha:)

No it will be good and cold. Its not possible to drive to Punta Arenas and stay in Chile because of Patagonia. So I will take a 5 hour bus ride to Puerta Montte  then a  2 hour flight to Punta Arenas. Its about 1000 miles from  Los Lagos. I felt like I opened my mission call all over again. 

 I am so sad to be leaving Los Lagos. I was here exactly when I needed to be. I am so grateful for the transfers and companions I have had. Its true that as soon as we start to get comfortable, its time for another challenge:)

This week we were teaching the mom of Gladys and Nicole. So many miracles have been happening with this family. I dont want to leave. I dont know how I grew to love these people so much. I will miss the branch members that were so patient with me as I started here and all the investigators. 

Well, love you all a lot. I am so grateful to be a missionary at this time and I am so grateful for the knowledge that we all have of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know this is His church upon the earth

I want to finish with a quote that I know to be true

"The joy that we experience in this life has very little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the FOCUS of our lives" -Pres Nelson

 When Jesus Christ is the center of everything we can be happy. We can be in the deepest trial and still find a reason to hope because we have a Savior. The best thing about the truths of the gospel is that we can testify we KNOW them to be true, with the understanding that we are going to know them even better as we try to live them and bear testimony of them. 

Thanks for all you do!

I sure am grateful for all of you. 

Love Hermana Egbert

P.S. I attatched a map of the Osorno Mission so you can see. My area will be number 11 down at the very bottom 

 This week has gone by so fast I dont even know how to explain it. Each day I would hear the alarm clock go off roll out of bed say my prayers and the next thing I knew I was back on my knees at night going to bed. 

We had such a good family home evening this week with one of the members! Familia Urrutia. They are great! We taught them the restoration and the spirit was so strong. It basically turned into a testimony meeting. We started out teaching and each family member started to share their feelings about the Restoration and what it means to them. At the end before we asked the 21 year old son said "Hermanas I have a friend I would like you to go visit". Wow! Its amazing. As people are reminded of their testimonies and as the spirit touches their hearts they have a desire for others to experience the same "change of heart".

So my companion and I left with a new idea. We are going to each members house and we are going to teach The Restoration. But its better we are going to help them feel comfortable in sharing the gospel. We started to reflect on what we did in the MTC for 6 weeks. We Practiced. Practiced and Practiced some more!! Its hard to share the gospel of Jesus Christ at first, even if we are willing it is hard to know how to go about it. So we decided to do practices with the families in the branch. 

On Saturday my companion and I did a practice. She was the non member friend and I was a friend who  shared the gospel with her (we were putting ourselves in the members shoes). It was such a special experience. I wish I could explain it all but I had my companion  write down a question and it was my job as her friend to figure out what was the question and then use the Book of Mormon to help answer it. 

 We will see how it goes this week :) 

Zone conference is tomorrow! I am so excited!! 

I feel like lately I have been wondering what faith is. Faith is exactly what the Book of Mormon says it is:) The witness comes after the trial of your faith. Dont be scared if you dont know sometimes. Dont ever stop asking. Heavenly Father will answer your prayers as many times as you kneel down to pray. If you ask a question and the answer doesnt come while you are on your knees that is when you can excersize your faith:) before you get off your knees tell yourself that you believe it and then get up and keep going. The answers ALWAYS come and while you wait patiently, the Holy Ghost will be your companion. 

The Book of Mormon is true. I know it is. I choose to believe it is true everyday. It is the fruit of the Restoration.