Friday, October 31, 2014

Another Grand Miracle

Wow that sounds like a pretty big Halloween week. I cant believe that its already holiday season again. We have seen a few Christmas decorations already at the stores, and today we went to the mall (first mall I have been to in Chile) and there was a Christmas song on the radio. I was messing around on the piano the other week and tried a few Christmas hymns. I think its going to be pretty difficult to get through the season seeing as I almost started crying during the First Noel, but I will make it through. 

Yesterday afternoon we had a stake activity about missionary work with the members. Different members shared experiences they had had with missionaries or as missionaries and then I talked about how big of an influence members have in missionary work. At the end the stake president had put together a little flyer for the members to invite us and a non member friend to once. we had a pretty positive response and now have several appointments with members that have promised to bring a friend to a fun night. We are pretty happy about everything and have hopes. Unfortunately not our whole ward attended, so I think we will have to get some more of the flyers and present it during church or something. 

We had a funny experience on Wednesday this week. We left the apartment with a lot of hope, but quickly the hope turned to dispair. Not only did our appointments fall through, but our back up plans werent home either. We tried going to several houses but nothing was resulting. We decided we could just try doing street contacts instead and wait until it was a little later and more people might be home. However, with every street contact that we did, not only were the people not interested but they all had their own negative comments and insults to say to us. One after one.

 We were getting severely unexcited when someone walking by said, "hi, how are you guys doing? I always see you guys walking all over". I thought that this must be our reward. We started talking and he was really sweet. However, quickly the conversation turned to more insults and negativity. When we finished sharing our testimonies we left tragically upset. Missionary work can be hard, but never had I had so many problems in one day in only a few hours time. We decided to sit down and relax for a minute trying to think what we could do to recover our happiness. 

After about ten minutes we decided, to try to go and visit a member that lived close by and could be in her house. When we arrived, we saw that all of the youth were gathering at her house to have a BBQ in random celebration. We were super surprised, but then she invited us to participate as well. We were more than happy! Nothing to heal a wounded misionarys heart like a good BBQ, but that wasnt the end. Not only could we help them get everything ready, but then several non member friends came and two less active youth. It was amazing. We were able to meet some new people and all we did was walk into a BBQ. It was really a testimony to me of the grand help that members really all. We had gone all over the place trying to find people and here they had arrived without thinking. It was awesome. 

I could also see that sometimes Heavenly Father just tests us and tests us more and THEN we recieve the blessings. I thought that that nice guy who approached us was going to be our reward after having such a unproductive afternoon. I was suprised when clearly it was not the reward we thought it was going to be. However, sometimes, I suppose life is just like that we give our all and then he requires a little more. His blessings come but in His own ways and in His own time. 

I love you guys. Good luck with all of the Halloween responsibilities

Hna Biggs

PS. I forgot about the photos.  There are some of me and my companion with our hard hats and vests heading to the Chuquicamata mine tour. We loved the hats hahah. The first part of the tour went to the ghost town where the workers used to live until they found out that the air was really toxic. That freaky pinocho is from a parade that the city had that was left there. The city was so odd, because it was super normal but totally deserted. Everyone just left. There are still street signs and schools with desks, banks, grocery stores, etc all just sitting there. However, the mine has been getting so big that some of  the city is now covered. There was a hospital but its covered with dugged up ground. We saw like nighborhoods and then all of sudden the giant hill of dirt. It was odd.






Tuesday, October 21, 2014

The Book Of Mormon Is True

My companion and I are doing well. It took some time for her to get comfortable because I think her past companion might have been a little interesting, but I just tried getting to know her and talking about her interests and life and I think she has become a little more loving and open.  

We didnt end up having the baptism on Saturday; it is now rescheduled for November, but we will see what happens. To be honest J has some strong struggles but a really stubborn attitude. We were trying to focus this week on how Heavenly Father has the power to do anything if we trust and put faith in Him. We asked her to share her testimony with us, and she has made some big changes. It is really interesting working with her, but we have faith that she will keep progressing and hopefully apply the gospel to her life. 

This week we had so much going on. On Tuesday we had interviews with President Dalton. On Wednesday night and all of Thursday we went to Tocapilla to do my companion´s visa. We finally got back and could have some regular days for the weekend, but it was crazy. Tocapilla is a little city about three hours from Calama on the coast. It was so beautiful! I loved it. Unfortunately we spent a grand part of the day at Immigration and the FBI, but it was still fun. 

We met a new investigator who works at a little shop in our sector. Her name is "C" and she seems really sweet. Her scheldule is really busy with work, but she is anxious to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. We are really trying to stress to all of our investigators the need to read and pray in order to gain the first parts of a lasting testimony. I love teaching about the Book of Mormon and presenting it to people. The reacctions to additional scriptures are normally pretty mixed, but we can always reason that God loves all of His children and communicates with all of them. I know that the strongest part of my testimony, the part that will and does get me through any doubt is the answer that I recieved when I asked if the Book of Mormon was true in 2011. I cant deny the answer that I recieved and for that I know that the church is really the true church of Jesus Christ on the earth today. 

In Preach my Gospel, it says that whatever person, member or not, can read and pray about the Book of Mormon and receive an answer to that prayer. We are asking all of the members and less actives (and investigators) to put that statement to the test! I know that they can receive answers. 

Today for P-day we went to Chuquicamata which is a huge cooper mine about a half an hour from Calama. It was a ton of fun and I have awesome pictures, but I forgot to bring my card reader so you'll have to wait til next week, sorry. 

I love you guys and hope you have a great week

Hna. Biggs

Saturday, October 18, 2014

We Interrupt This Mission For A Transfer

I arrived in Calama on Tuesday night after an eleven hour bus ride. I have now officially seen all of the cities in the missions expect for Vallenar,  so that is pretty cool!   My companion is Hna Wisrock from Huntington Beach California.  We dont have too many investigators but many of them are progressing, so we are super excited,  but still focusing on finding new people.

In our sector we dont have a mamita to cook for us, so I finally get to try out some of the Chilean recipes I have been gathering for the last nine months.  Maybe I will have them perfected by the time I get back to the states. Its kinda funny that I have already been here for nine months. I guess now when people ask if I know this or that missionary, I normally do. I occassionally speak faster than the Chileans (which is a true record:) and my personal studies are much more profound than just reading Preach my Gospel lessons and the scriptures listed.  When people ask if I have a story about some sort of experience, I normally can answer postively, so its kind of a weird feeling.   I have a lot of fine tuning and improving to do, but I think I am finally feeling different.  The mission has been so awesome and fulfilling, I can only imagine how much I will be able to grow in the last nine months.

I love you guys and hope you had an awesome break. I guess I should start awaiting to have an iphone when I get home then:) how awesome! Be careful of internet usage with everyone, you can easily run into things you hadnt planned on: I love you guys!
 Ghosty lives on!  (Emilee's fish she had for years that died last year)
My new companion and I.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Calama Here I Come

 The new address to send packages is: Casilla de Correo 70, Antofagasta Chile. Also, I did recieve my package! We came to Copiapo for Pday and the zone leaders brought it to me. Thank you so much! I am eating cadbury eggs as I write. The shoes are great and will be a big improvement considering the only other pair I have, have two giant holes in the bottom, so its like walking barefoot:) Thank you so much for the balloons and everything too. I really loved it all! 

Well, I have big news. I am getting a special transfer to Calama. President Dalton called me yesterday to ask if I would be ok with moving after only 2 weeks in my third transfer in Caldera. I was really depressed, but of course I had to say yes. He said that my new companion is really homesick, and her second companion wasnt helping, so I am going to be with her and her current companion is coming here. He reassured me that I was doing really great in Caldera, but I still have doubts hahaha, but whatever, he said not to worry. I leave tomorrow at 10:30am, but the other sister is arriving tonight at 7, so we will be in a trio for the night. I am super sad to be leaving and especially so unexpectedly, but I am sure Calama will be great. 

Today, we have just been running around like crazy saying goodbye and making last minute memories, so its been fun but a little hectic. 

Did you guys enjoy General Conference? I thought it was great! Plus we had a new investigator come for the last session, and Bednar´s talk about missionary work helped her to understand our enthusiam for the gospel. She has a few family members that are members and met with missionaries several years ago, but had told us that " She was too old to be baptized because she didnt have anything more to give". We thought it was a pretty funny answer, and hopefully General Conference gave her a needed spiritual experience. 

I liked the 70´s talk (dont remember his name for the moment) about how we can be more spiritually confident. He had like six ideas and talked really fast, but it was good. One of his tips was about making sure we felt good about our bodies. I thought it was kinda funny because we had listened to the Women´s meeting about "does God really care about our makeup and dress size?" and then he was like "if you need to make diet changes, make them", but I really liked it. 

Do you guys have any fun Fall break plans? I hope you guys enjoy the break. I love you guys so much!

Hermana Biggs


 Late Birthday Party with the Alcayaga family! Yum!
A nice view of Caldera. If you look closely you can see the chapel.

 My shortest time with a companion. Hermana King -2 weeks
Happy Sister missionaries with their packages from home!