Roller Coaster Ride

We had a great big rollercoaster of a week. We encountered several trials but also several blessings. We were able to find 4 new investigators that all accepted the goal to be baptized! We havent put goal dates yet, but we started right off the bat letting our new investgators know that we want to help them make covenants with God. All four said that if they felt that the message and gospel were true they would be baptized. It is always exciting to see someone take the first steps in their eternal progress. The best is that all four of the investigators are members of families and we have plans to teach not only the individuals, but for this coming week we have appointments with the entire family. We have really high hopes, and are really enjoying the mission and this time in Tarapaca Oriente. 

Transfers are coming up this weekend, so I am a little nervous. Everyone says that I am going to be transfered somewhere else,but I am too in love with Arica. To make matters worst,  it is now starting to get cold, and Arica is the warmest city in the mission. I would really like to spend the winter here, but "I will go where you want me to go" hahaha. 

As I mentioned earlier, it was a roller coaster this week. We had some problems that really lowered our excitement too. However, Hermana Alonzo and I are pushing forward. With all of our progress, the opposition is also making itself manifest, and this week it was a little overbearing. Nevertheless, we remember  to pray for help and rely on the hope that comes from Jesus Christ. We are in a battle, but we are already on the winning side. Theres a lot of courage that comes from that knowledge.

On Sunday, I was getting worn down with all the opposition. Plan after plan was falling through and the bad news we had recieved earlier in the week was the only thing I could think about. I prayed that I would be able to get through the day, fulfilling my duties and responsibilities. Just as I was convinced that it was just going to be a terrible day. We were hugely blessed! We went to give out the images of Christ that people had wanted from our hot chocolate events. When the people came to greet us and recieve their image, we took the opportunity to explain what was happening in the photo and the importance that that event had for us. It was awesome. Many of the people set up dates for us to come back and share more. It was really fun having a new way to teach. 

I hope you guys are enjoying summer break. I cant wait to see pictures of the new kitchen. I am sure it will turn out great! I love you guys. Take care.  

Hermana Biggs

An Answered Prayer

How cute! I love all of the father´s day photos. The little sign is adorable. I hope you enjoyed dad, and Happy Father´s Day by the way! I love you. 

This week was really great. On Saturday we had a zone conference with the mission president and talked about the goals that he has for the mission and how we can achieve them. We have lots of little tools now to use in order to help activate members and find new investigators. My companion and I are super excited to get working with the news tools. We also played a little game with the scriptures where the Assistants to the President read out loud a "question of the soul" or just common questions,  and we had to race to find scripture passages in the Book of Mormon that could explain the answer. It was super fun, and I was surprised with how aqcuainted I am getting with the scriptures. It was great and just a reinforcement that really the scriptures do contain the fullness of the gospel. 

We had another great experience yesterday. For the last week and a half we had met several people and had their addresses; however we had been unable to contact them or always found them busy or something. I wanted to have some new investigators, but it seemed like no one was interested or we always arrived at exactly the wrong time. Monday morning is when we report the goals and numbers for the week, so I felt like we needed to finally get through the names and addresses we had and see if we could get some new investigators. Because our tactic of showing up at their house on our own didnt seem to be working. I thought I could put Elder Spannaus´advice in practice. I prayed that we would be able to find one new investgator (which means teachng a lessons and having an appointment to return) Sunday afternoon. We started out with the list of references and contacts. Some of the people werent at home and some were but were busy. We set up some future appointments, but werent having success. However, I kept holding on to that prayer. Finally, we went to see J, who we had met in the park a week ago. She said she was only home in the nights , but I still thought we could pass by and maybe talk to her mom again for a bit. Luckily, however, J answered the door. We got to talking for a few minutes and it got to that awkward part of trying to figure out how we could enter her house to teach her. I asked her if there was a minute that she had so that we could teach her and she replied that Tuesday would be great. We set up the appointment and I was thinking " ok this isnt the new investigator, maybe the last name on our list will be". However, as we were about to say goodbye and leave, her mom came to the door and told J to let us pass if she wanted to. It was such a blessing! She let us in and we had a great lesson about the restoration and Book of Mormon.  It was awesome. Heavenly Father answered the prayer I had said with a plan. Unfortunately, I didnt asked for two or three new investigators, hahaha because her whole family was there, but they were busy so couldnt participate in the lesson. Next time,  I am praying for more new investigators haha. But I really was so grateful . J is really awesome and we are going to meet with her on Tuesday again. We have high hopes:)

For Pday today we went to the beach to play volley ball and I got some cool pictures.  It was a beautiful day with a great view. I love you guys and hope you have an awesome week. Again, Happy Father´s Day!!!

Hermana Biggs

Flirt to Convert

Emilee's Letter To Her Sister Madison:

This week I could have gotten married 3 times over. Really missionary work is a little different then it seems here in Arica. More people try talking to me than I try to talk to. However, they are all old single creepers. It is terrible. This week, we were walking to our apartment and this little kid starting to talk to us. He was only 5 and wanted to show us his soccer tricks. We started talking and soon his little sister (3 years old) and older brother (13) joined in. The 13 year old seemed to have some sort of learning disability, but he told us they were evangelicas. Their parents were standing a little ways off and kept looking at us. I figured that they didnt want us talking to their little kids, so I started talking louder so that they could hear and not worry, and then we could finish up the conversation quickly, so they wouldnt be too bothered. However, before we left one of the adults came over to us. We figured he was going to explain that they werent interested and what not, but instead he told me that I was the most beautiful girl that he had seen in a long time. That I was gorgeous and that he wanted to know if he could take a picture with me. I, thinking it may be an opportunity in disguise, agreed. I started saying that we were missionaries and all that, but all he wanted to know was if I was married or single!!! He said that he would stay in Arica all his life if I would agree to marry him! So weird. He turned out to be the uncle to the little kids and was visiting for a few weeks. I told him that I wasn't interested, obviously, and that I wasnt from Arica nor Chile. Then he said the best line ever haaha. He said "it doesnt matter I will make you Chilean with my love"!!!!!!!! I was cracking up. Later we learned that not only was he 100% sober but that he was an inactive member along with his nephews. He is single and 40 and very willing. It was so embarrassing. He kept telling my companion "just look at her, she is divine". I could not stop laughing! It looks like I have a lot of potential to flirt to convert here in Chile. 

I hope you enjoy that terrible story. I am getting really concerned that many of our investigators are just interested in getting to know me and my companion. Haha Either way we are teaching lol. 

Have an awesome week and enjoy that summer sun. I will be here turning into a little ice cube, no big deal haha. I love you.

Hermana Biggs