Aug 29, 2011
An excerpt from my letter to President this week:
" I love the mission...if you are willing to put up with me for awhile longer, I would be happy to extend the mission for a few more years... :)"
.... sorry, Mom.
Well, Family (and friends...obvio) on that note, I thank you for your GREAT letters this week! I loved hearing from you all. I just love you guys...(I miss you all too, but we won´t talk too much about that). I am glad to hear that all is well. I love hearing the mission stories, and the adventures of life. Keep up that good work. Be good!
Things are so great here in Rahue. It seems like it has been a pretty slow sector in the past. When I got here there were super poco people to teach. But we are seeing some great progress. This week we found some awesome families! FAMILIES!!!!!!! FAAAMILIIIIIES!!!!!!!! YEay! The mom of one of them, accepted a baptismal date already...in the first visit. She is SO prepared. She is a single mom, with two boys. She is working hard, and has so very much faith. She has been so prepared, it´s just incredible. I am participating in the process of her conversion. Also, we found another family, with mama, papa, and hijo. They are great...we found them yesterday. As we were teaching I asked the Mother, how she has come to have so much faith in her life....She told me all the blessings that she has seen in her life, a few difficulties, and then she just said, “I just believe so much in God.” Her little boy, 6 years old, pipes in..."But Santa Claus doesn´t exist." I busted up laughing. It was soooo funny. I then asked him, "Well, where to the presents come from then?!" His response..."el supermercado." Hahahahaha. But in the end, he and I both agreed that God exists and that he loves us :) SO funny. I am excited to teach this family.
A ver, what else happened this week....OH! I have got to tell you all the coolest thing ever. We are teaching Marcos, right? He is preparing for baptism on the 10th of September. (PLEASE pray for him). We went over to his house on Saturday morning and we were talking about his baptismal plan. He got really excited, and we set the interview date and what not. We closed with a prayer, and then he said "Oh hey, I wanted to show you all something cool…." He pulls out his cell phone and he pokes around on it and then shows me...I see the words "El primer libro de Nefi...." HE HAD DOWNLOADED THE BOOK OF MORMON ON HIS PHONE!!!!!! He was all excited that he would be able to read anytime, anywhere. I was pumped! I gave him a high five, and then was just so excited I gave him another. What a cool thing to see. He´s awesome.
So all is well here in Rahue. We are happy. I hope that you all are found happy and healthy (spiritually and physically). I love you all so, so much.
-HUGS AND KISSES!
-Hermana Bertagnole
Oh, and this is for Roddy (hermanito from Ovejeria). He´s reading my blog.-- Hermanito!!!! Estoy super feliz para saber de usted! Que bueno las noticias de su trabajo neuvo aya en Coyaihque...(deletreado mal...proablamente jajaa) Ojala que le vaya super bien en eso. Igual, sigo orando para usted y su familia. Mire, se que la iglesia esta aya en este parte de Chile igual. Busquelo para que puede seguir adelante con su progreso ayi. Conozco algunos miembros aya, y son super buenos. De hecho la Hermana Carolina (from Ovejeria) es de aya. A lo mejor pueda contactarla para poder saber mas de los datos (donde esta, a que hora empieza, etc)....que se yo. Bueno, gracias por escribirme, y siga adelante aya. Hay mucho oportunidades para usted a servir aya. Los santos aya nesicitan muchos buenos lideres y ejemplos tambien, asi que a lo mejor, eso es porque El Senor le mando pro aya. :) Que este super bien, hermanito! Nos vemos!
Ok, Family...I love you guys. Have a great week. Keep those prayers up. Be good!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Great news
Hey beautifuls,
Thank you so much for your letters this week. I love hearing from you all. It sounds like all is well...glad to hear it.
I hope that you have had a great week. We are happy and working hard in Rahue. We are seeing some great progress with our investigators. There are relatively few investigators, in general, here in this sector, but we started finding some great people to teach. We are trying to focus on inviting everyone to be baptized, and we have seen real miracles. We are still working hard with the members to try and help them participate in the missionary work. We have many, many hermanas signed up to come out with us this week, so hopefully we will be able to get quite a few investigators that will benefit from their testimonies.
We are happy. As a zone we are doing a "purification" so that we will be more able to have the Spirit. It is something that I have been praying for. I have heard that many missionaries lose focus their last cambio, and I have been praying that I will be strengthened against such temptations. I am grateful for the commitment that our zone leaders gave us to "purify" ourselves. It´s given me great direction and good goals to keep me focused on powering through to the end. I am grateful for the small miracles that our Heavenly Father provides for us.
I pray that this week will be another successful week. We are working hard with a young man. He´s seeing real changes in his life, and he is enjoying coming to Church and meeting new members. He will be getting baptized on the 10th of September. We are pleased to see his progress. HE IS AWESOME! He told us on Saturday that he was working the night shift at work, so he would get home at about 7 in the morning, sleep for an hour and then get up and go to church. He did! And even though he almost fell asleep during gospel principles, he said that he loved it. :) We are excited for him. He has wanted a change, and has now found where he can find it.
Other good news from Villarrica (Hermana Chamorro wrote me to give me all the new news). Diego got baptized on Saturday, and RUTH IS GETTING BAPTIZED THE 10TH OF SEPTEMBER, TOO!!!!!! I was so excited to hear her progress. She deserves this happiness so much!
Anyway, that´s all the news I have got right now. I am happy...in fact, never been happier.
Oh, and one other thing, Pres. Rappleye has a mission blog too: www.chileosornomission-rappleye.blogspot.com
Oh, and just so you know, I have started a wish list of the things that I want to do when I get home...such as FHE with the neighbors, washing the elders clothes so they don´t have to take it to a laundry mat, bringing the missionaries food, teaching Saturday morning English class to the Latins in the ward, buying a box of BOMs to give away, a list of inactives to go visit, people to go pick up for church, etc....if you want to get a head start for me, you are more than welcome! YAY MISSIONARY SPIRIT!!!!!!!! Hahahahaha. I might be a pain in the hiney when I get back. (lo siento) :) Sorry if this was a trunky list.
I love you all so so so much! I pray for you always, and I thank my Father for the amazing family he has given me.
Be good!
-Hermana Bertagnole
Monday, August 15, 2011
Ya'll Are Soooooo Trunky!!!!
Hey trunky little family of mine! (wink wink) I love reading your emails every week. Each week you are more and more trunky...I hear that there are countdowns? Hahahah I LOVE you guys! I am really just loving and trying to enjoy as much as I possibly can. I am trying not looking too far in advance, and I am just happy to be a missionary everyday when I wake up. Gosh. I love it so much.
I have to admit that I have thoroughly been enjoying my time here in Rahue. Hermana Herbert (my new compi) is just so great. I think I spend most of the day laughing. She is super funny, and we have a pretty good time together. It's great. She definitely has a very special, lovable personality. She is AWESOME! We are also seeing great things happen in the sector. We put the mother of one of the recent converts here with fecha this week. She will be getting baptized the 27th of this month!!!!! She is so prepared for baptism. She will be a great and faithful member of the Church. This is a great family.
The ward seems very, very welcoming. I am sad that I won't be able to get to know them a whole lot in just one cambio, but there is great work to be done with the members here. It's a big ward. They are a great group of saints. I am so excited to be here and to meet all these new and great people.
Well, THANK YOU for all the great letters, everybody! (Scott, your house ROCKS! felicitaciones...I want a movie marathon or something there when I get back...get working on a projector or something.) I am going to try and send pictures now...maybe from a different city it'll work better. Pray hard.
LOVEYOUSOMUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Hermana Bertagnole
I have to admit that I have thoroughly been enjoying my time here in Rahue. Hermana Herbert (my new compi) is just so great. I think I spend most of the day laughing. She is super funny, and we have a pretty good time together. It's great. She definitely has a very special, lovable personality. She is AWESOME! We are also seeing great things happen in the sector. We put the mother of one of the recent converts here with fecha this week. She will be getting baptized the 27th of this month!!!!! She is so prepared for baptism. She will be a great and faithful member of the Church. This is a great family.
The ward seems very, very welcoming. I am sad that I won't be able to get to know them a whole lot in just one cambio, but there is great work to be done with the members here. It's a big ward. They are a great group of saints. I am so excited to be here and to meet all these new and great people.
Well, THANK YOU for all the great letters, everybody! (Scott, your house ROCKS! felicitaciones...I want a movie marathon or something there when I get back...get working on a projector or something.) I am going to try and send pictures now...maybe from a different city it'll work better. Pray hard.
LOVEYOUSOMUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Hermana Bertagnole
Monday, August 8, 2011
Need for repentance...
Hello family of mine...
Well, the theme of my heart is a sad one....cambios are this week. I thought I would be finishing my mission here in this sector....but the Lord had other plans. I am getting transferred back to Osorno...a part of Osorno that is called Rahue. I can´t lie, when I first heard I was half-way devastated to leave this sector, right when things are just going so well. But don´t worry, I have tried to humble myself...hahah. This morning I asked for forgiveness. Hahaha. I understand and I realize that I just gotta do it with the best attitude ever, and with cualqueir fe and animo! WAHOOO FOR TRANSFERS!!!!!!! I am still in the process of figuring out tell our investigators. I feel sad for them, more than anything. I don´t want to leave them, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I am, however, excited to go back to Osorno, maybe I´ll get to do some intercambio´s in Ovejeria!!!!! Keep your fingers crossed for me.
The work here is really going great. One of our investigators is reading and praying so much! It makes me so happy to see her desire to learn. I am worried to tell her that I am leaving, but I know that she´ll be fine, and will continue to progress...she´s in it for real. Also, a young man is getting baptized soon. His interview is this Saturday, and his baptism will be next Saturday. He´s excited, as are we and his family. They are saving up little by little to be able to go to the Temple. I hope that they make this process as quick as possible to be able to receive the blessings as soon as possible. They are a great family.
Well, apart from this, things are pretty normal here. The work is progressing every day. It´s the most rewarding part of the mission work, to be able to see progress in your sector. I hope to be able see progress in Rahue as well. That´s the idea, right? Leave everything better than you found it. En eso estoy.
It´s another short letter, but it´s going to be a very, very busy day. So for now, this is all. I love you all so much. Congrats on the new houses, bro´s! I am getting decorating antsy already! :) Thanks for the updates and the letters. I love you and I miss you and I pray for you all every day. Take care, and be good.
Love,
Hermana Bertagnole
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Eyes wide open!
Aug 1, 2011
How was the week? I hope that it was a great one for you all. We had an awesome week last week. We are working really hard with the members. Ok...we are SO excited about getting this plan into action. Changing the vision of the mission work. We set up a meeting with our ward mission leader (who was menos activo, but now reactivating!), as well as our district president, President Molina, and tonight we are going to meet with our Branch President to put together a plan on how to greaten our vision of missionary work. IT ALL HAS TO DO WITH THE MEMBERS! We had a great meeting with President Molina. I feel like he´s really excited to put a plan together to make some changes. We left his house last night, all smiles! We are praying that we can help all the members catch the vision of every member a missionary. I know that literally the world would change if we followed this commandment as faithfully as we follow the commandment of food storage. I think sometimes we, as members, pick and choose the commandments that we obey. For example..."food storage is easy, so I´ll save a year’s worth of peanut butter in my basement, but the whole ´share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ´ thing is just a little complicated, so I´m going to let someone else keep that commandment."...and that is how we enter casually into disobedience. I did the math yesterday in the morning. If every member of the Church brought one person into the Church every year...the ENTIRE world would be members in 9 years! I feel so inspired by the quotes that are in Preach My Gospel (p. 12) from all the Prophets about the importance of missionary work. Let´s just say that this is our calling, both as missionaries, and members....ok, I better stop there because I feel like I could go on and on about this.
Hey, thanks for all the letters! I am glad that I finally realized what the problem was with the emails...well, it was probably the Spirit that gave me the hint. Hey, I am just super happy here in Villarrica. Things are great, and we are seeing some great progress in the sector. It´s really just turning around. We had 6 investigators in Church yesterday, and 2 of them are already preparing for baptism. We are so excited to help change the vision of the missionary work here. I know that this ward needs this revolution. I know that it is what the Lord would have His saints do. Every time I read or talk about it, it´s just a flood of the Spirit. DO IT! Be part of it!!!!!!!!!! Talk to everyone! Don´t be scared...get over it. The blessings are HUGE. Don´t let fear get in the way of eternal salvation.
We are working hard with a woman and her son. She is pretty much one of my best friends here in Villarrica. She loves us and we love her. She is so awesome. I´ll tell you all about her when the time comes. She´s just a huge miracle...and her little boy is just awesome too. Yesterday in church, he frantically was searching all the scriptures mention in the talks. It was so cute, and he´s good at it too! Pray for them lots please.
We had a great turn out in Church yesterday, as well. We are really seeing some great progress of some of our investigators. Prayers (both theirs and ours) are being answered, and we just couldn´t be happier. We are happy doing the work of the Lord. It´s the best thing ever. I feel so blessed to be able to be a small part of it.
I love you all so much. Thank you to all my friends that are writing me! (Oscar, Roddy, Karin, Steph, Chels, Jimmy, Susie, etc.) I appreciate them all...I am getting them and I am loving them. The sector that I am in right now is a little complicated to send mail, so if I can´t write for awhile I apologize, but know that I love you all and I am thankful for your prayers and support. Stay strong. Be good!
To the family, I just love you all more than life. I thank you infinitely for everything. Be good.
LOVE YOU!
Hermana Bertagnole
How was the week? I hope that it was a great one for you all. We had an awesome week last week. We are working really hard with the members. Ok...we are SO excited about getting this plan into action. Changing the vision of the mission work. We set up a meeting with our ward mission leader (who was menos activo, but now reactivating!), as well as our district president, President Molina, and tonight we are going to meet with our Branch President to put together a plan on how to greaten our vision of missionary work. IT ALL HAS TO DO WITH THE MEMBERS! We had a great meeting with President Molina. I feel like he´s really excited to put a plan together to make some changes. We left his house last night, all smiles! We are praying that we can help all the members catch the vision of every member a missionary. I know that literally the world would change if we followed this commandment as faithfully as we follow the commandment of food storage. I think sometimes we, as members, pick and choose the commandments that we obey. For example..."food storage is easy, so I´ll save a year’s worth of peanut butter in my basement, but the whole ´share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ´ thing is just a little complicated, so I´m going to let someone else keep that commandment."...and that is how we enter casually into disobedience. I did the math yesterday in the morning. If every member of the Church brought one person into the Church every year...the ENTIRE world would be members in 9 years! I feel so inspired by the quotes that are in Preach My Gospel (p. 12) from all the Prophets about the importance of missionary work. Let´s just say that this is our calling, both as missionaries, and members....ok, I better stop there because I feel like I could go on and on about this.
Hey, thanks for all the letters! I am glad that I finally realized what the problem was with the emails...well, it was probably the Spirit that gave me the hint. Hey, I am just super happy here in Villarrica. Things are great, and we are seeing some great progress in the sector. It´s really just turning around. We had 6 investigators in Church yesterday, and 2 of them are already preparing for baptism. We are so excited to help change the vision of the missionary work here. I know that this ward needs this revolution. I know that it is what the Lord would have His saints do. Every time I read or talk about it, it´s just a flood of the Spirit. DO IT! Be part of it!!!!!!!!!! Talk to everyone! Don´t be scared...get over it. The blessings are HUGE. Don´t let fear get in the way of eternal salvation.
We are working hard with a woman and her son. She is pretty much one of my best friends here in Villarrica. She loves us and we love her. She is so awesome. I´ll tell you all about her when the time comes. She´s just a huge miracle...and her little boy is just awesome too. Yesterday in church, he frantically was searching all the scriptures mention in the talks. It was so cute, and he´s good at it too! Pray for them lots please.
We had a great turn out in Church yesterday, as well. We are really seeing some great progress of some of our investigators. Prayers (both theirs and ours) are being answered, and we just couldn´t be happier. We are happy doing the work of the Lord. It´s the best thing ever. I feel so blessed to be able to be a small part of it.
I love you all so much. Thank you to all my friends that are writing me! (Oscar, Roddy, Karin, Steph, Chels, Jimmy, Susie, etc.) I appreciate them all...I am getting them and I am loving them. The sector that I am in right now is a little complicated to send mail, so if I can´t write for awhile I apologize, but know that I love you all and I am thankful for your prayers and support. Stay strong. Be good!
To the family, I just love you all more than life. I thank you infinitely for everything. Be good.
LOVE YOU!
Hermana Bertagnole
I really didn't forget about you.... I promise!
July 25, 2011
Ok, first of all, I did get word from Pres. Maldonado that he talked to my family. First reaction: panic! Second reaction: why? He then explained that you didn´t get my last two letters!? I really hope that you get this one. I am sending them to the same address, so I hope that there is nothing wrong with mine or yours. I forwarded the letter I wrote from 2 weeks ago, and the letter from last week (that I don´t know if you got or not) was very short because the time was very limited. But I hope that you are getting my letters. :( Que triste! I still love you, don´t worry! I haven´t forgotten about you!
Well, on to this week´s letter...
I can feel a change talking place in me every day. I am still (obviously) not perfect, but the desires of my heart have changed and are changing. The Lord´s mission has been the biggest miracle of my life...the biggest learning process, and I just don´t want it to stop. I want to have to push myself to the limit every day. I feel that I am on a quest to obedience. Its sounds really strange, but I have realized things change with obedience. I was telling Hermana Chamorro this morning that every day I feel like the topic I study, without even really trying to, is obedience. I guess that is why it is the 1st law of heaven...everything depends on it. I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for His perfect, flawless, and genius Plan of Salvation...and that fact that I know what it is and I understand a small fraction of it, is something that has changed my eternal existence. How blessed.
Well, things are well here in Volcán. We saw some fantastic miracles yesterday. As we were walking to Church, from the other direction we saw a family that we have been teaching walking up to the gates of the Church. They are fairly recent converts that went inactive due to family problems. We have been working hard with them for quite some time to get the back to church. They finally came! AND THEN...as if that miracle wasn´t enough...behind them came walking one of our investigators, who told us the night before, that she wasn´t going to be able to come to Church...and there she was. My eyes filled with tears at the sight. I was feeling a little discouraged on the walk to church because most of our investigators are out of town or wouldn´t be able to come to Church. Clearly, I was fighting for that faith to see miracles. And there it was. And if those two miracles weren´t enough, after the meeting started in walked an old man that we had contacted and invited to church a few days ago. He said he might come, and we smiled and told him that we´d see him there, but I never in a million years thought I would see him again. He´s an 81 year old man, that is close to blind, close to deaf, and half crippled... and he walked to church, from the other side of town...and that is why he was late. I don´t know if he saw or heard very much at church, but he said that he felt good. What an example he gave to me, and to all the members. Some people act, and others are acted upon, I guess. :)
Another change that has taken place in me this week, as well as gradually throughout the mission, is my thirst for knowledge, and my thirst to know my Savior. And with this thirst brings a huge desire that others can really come to know their Savior through His Atoning Sacrifice. This is a theme that has been occupying my mind a lot this week: how can I come to know my Savior better? If you have any advice or counsel, I would love to hear it. I heard in a talk once that it´s different to know Jesus Christ, than it is to know about Him...I think in the mission we learn so much about Him, we lose track a little bit, of really getting to know Him. This is a life goal of mine...it´s going on the bucket list. :)
Well, that´s all I got...well, at least all I got time for. I am going to send a ton of pictures...or at least try to.
I love you all so much. Thank you for your letters, and your concern for me. Know that I am happy and healthy and working hard. I love you all tons. Mucho mucho mucho mucho. Be good, and you´ll be happy.
Love,
Hermana Bertagnole
ps...tell me if you get this please!
Ok, first of all, I did get word from Pres. Maldonado that he talked to my family. First reaction: panic! Second reaction: why? He then explained that you didn´t get my last two letters!? I really hope that you get this one. I am sending them to the same address, so I hope that there is nothing wrong with mine or yours. I forwarded the letter I wrote from 2 weeks ago, and the letter from last week (that I don´t know if you got or not) was very short because the time was very limited. But I hope that you are getting my letters. :( Que triste! I still love you, don´t worry! I haven´t forgotten about you!
Well, on to this week´s letter...
I can feel a change talking place in me every day. I am still (obviously) not perfect, but the desires of my heart have changed and are changing. The Lord´s mission has been the biggest miracle of my life...the biggest learning process, and I just don´t want it to stop. I want to have to push myself to the limit every day. I feel that I am on a quest to obedience. Its sounds really strange, but I have realized things change with obedience. I was telling Hermana Chamorro this morning that every day I feel like the topic I study, without even really trying to, is obedience. I guess that is why it is the 1st law of heaven...everything depends on it. I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for His perfect, flawless, and genius Plan of Salvation...and that fact that I know what it is and I understand a small fraction of it, is something that has changed my eternal existence. How blessed.
Well, things are well here in Volcán. We saw some fantastic miracles yesterday. As we were walking to Church, from the other direction we saw a family that we have been teaching walking up to the gates of the Church. They are fairly recent converts that went inactive due to family problems. We have been working hard with them for quite some time to get the back to church. They finally came! AND THEN...as if that miracle wasn´t enough...behind them came walking one of our investigators, who told us the night before, that she wasn´t going to be able to come to Church...and there she was. My eyes filled with tears at the sight. I was feeling a little discouraged on the walk to church because most of our investigators are out of town or wouldn´t be able to come to Church. Clearly, I was fighting for that faith to see miracles. And there it was. And if those two miracles weren´t enough, after the meeting started in walked an old man that we had contacted and invited to church a few days ago. He said he might come, and we smiled and told him that we´d see him there, but I never in a million years thought I would see him again. He´s an 81 year old man, that is close to blind, close to deaf, and half crippled... and he walked to church, from the other side of town...and that is why he was late. I don´t know if he saw or heard very much at church, but he said that he felt good. What an example he gave to me, and to all the members. Some people act, and others are acted upon, I guess. :)
Another change that has taken place in me this week, as well as gradually throughout the mission, is my thirst for knowledge, and my thirst to know my Savior. And with this thirst brings a huge desire that others can really come to know their Savior through His Atoning Sacrifice. This is a theme that has been occupying my mind a lot this week: how can I come to know my Savior better? If you have any advice or counsel, I would love to hear it. I heard in a talk once that it´s different to know Jesus Christ, than it is to know about Him...I think in the mission we learn so much about Him, we lose track a little bit, of really getting to know Him. This is a life goal of mine...it´s going on the bucket list. :)
Well, that´s all I got...well, at least all I got time for. I am going to send a ton of pictures...or at least try to.
I love you all so much. Thank you for your letters, and your concern for me. Know that I am happy and healthy and working hard. I love you all tons. Mucho mucho mucho mucho. Be good, and you´ll be happy.
Love,
Hermana Bertagnole
ps...tell me if you get this please!
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