December 2011

Hello Hello!

It is so weird that I already have 2 weeks here in La Serena and that it is December! Ahh it is going by so fast! I feel like that next time I blink I am going to be in my last change. It has been a pretty crazy week. First of all I would just like everyone out there reading to know how much I hate lice and I never want to go through that again! We were up until two in the morning last Monday treating our hair and cleaning out the pension and we just finished getting all of our stuff washed. We are all paranoid now and are starting to wear our hair up more. Now when I go into bathrooms the first thing I look for and have seen are lice combs. I have a feeling that it is something very common here, that a lot of people have because they don´t wash their hair as frequently as we do. But I think right now we are doing good.

My companionship has been going very well so far and we are having a lot of success. I have been so surprised at how many doors are opening and the people we are meeting. The people here in La Serena are great! We are teaching a Pastor from and Evangelic church and he came to Church with us this week. It was sweet and he is reading like crazy the book of mormón and taking notes as we teach. I am really excited to see how he progresses. Also we had the best contact and lesson the other day. We had received a reference from someone last week and when we found the house and knocked on the door a lady came out. We found out that the person we were looking for didn´t live there but we started talking to the lady. We have a card that has a bunch of questions on it so I passed it to her and said, ¨have you ever had one of these questions before?¨. She looked at it for awhile and then said, ¨I know the the answer to this one already... (Is there life after death?).. we just die and that is it. There isn´t anything more.¨ I looked at her and then I ask ¨Did someone close to you pass away recently?¨ Then she said. ¨Yes my dad died two months ago and I know that I will never see him again.¨ I then said, ¨As missionaries we share a message about this plan that our Heavenly Father has for us and part of that means that we will be with our families forever, in this life and the life after this. And in this book, called the Book of Mormon it can tell you all about it.¨ She just  looked at us for a minute and then wiped a tear away from her face. At the end of the contact we left the book for her to read about where her father is now and made an appointment to visit her. Yesterday we went to her house and she let us in right away. We sang families can be together forever and then started sharing the plan of salvation. At the end of the lesson we went back and focused on where her dad was right now. Then I asked her, ¨If you knew that these things we taught you were true, how would that change your life?¨ She paused for a minute or maybe two, it was awhile, and then said, ¨How would it change my life? It would be a joy so immense that I couldn´t even describe it.¨ Then I started to testify telling her that I know these things are true, that she has a Father in Heaven that loves her and because of that he created this plan so she could live with her dad again. And as servants of the Lord we promised her that if she prayed sincerely wanting to know if it was true she would have a huge feeling of peace and calmness come over her. When I finished testifying she started wiping away the tears again. When we left the house I said to Hermana Cárcamo that I think she(the lady) felt something in that lesson. Hermana Cárcamo said when I started testifying at the end, the Spirit entered the room very strongly and she could see it in my eyes. It was such a powerful experience, something I wasn´t expecting.

But anyway it has been a good week and we are expecting an even better one this week. Senor companions have a training this week for two days, so tomorrow and Wednesday Hermana Norton and I will be training and our companions will be out working. Did I tell you that we live in our area this change. I am so happy because for the last 7 months of my mission I have had to do A LOT of extra walking because we lived outside our area. So this pension and area have been a huge blessing in my life. :)

Well I have to get going! Love you all and I hope you are all enjoying the snow!

Love,

Hermana Lichty

La Serena

Oh what a week it has been! Can I tell you the worst news ever! Not only do we have a flea problem here but yesterday we found out that..... some recent converts have lice AND the other Hermanas think that they have it as well. So all morning we have been washing everything in our pension and when we get back we all have to use the special lice shampoo and comb. Yeah I am not too excited about it I'm not going to lie. We stripped all of our beds and sprayed them down, some members are helping us wash some of the clothes, we are hand washing clothes, and we have a lot of stuff in big trash bags tied up and sitting in the sun(to fry them), and all of our hair stuff in a big bucket of bleach water. Oh the things that happen in South America!  But I would like to clarify that  I am like 95% positive that I don´t have it. We are just trying to be cautious. :)

But other then that things have been going really good. My companions name is Hermana Cárcamo and she is really nice. I think we are really going to enjoy our time together. This area is great! I have been so surprised because the people here are different then those in the interior. They seen to be much nicer and receptive. I love it because almost everyone stops to listen to you. So that has been great. We had a lot of success this week and even my companion who is going into her 3rd change here was surprised. We already have a couple of people that are progressing and will be baptized this coming month. But we are looking for a couple more :) The bus ride was good,but a little long. It was great though because we got to see so many parts of Chile and the coast almost the whole way. We only stopped once for lunch and a bathroom break but it was good. I was the only Hermana coming here so I got to know a couple of the Elders. Out of the 200ish missionaries that we have here only twenty are here in La Serena.

La Serena is wonderful! It is so beautiful. It is the coast. That is the only way to describe it. It think it is like the size of Casper. You can see the sea line from everywhere in our area. But when you look in the opposite direction it is mountains and hills. It is great! The temperature here is a lot different here. It doesn´t get so hot like the interior. It usually is cloudy because of the sea so it is just a cool temp. Perfect for a skirt, short sleeved shirt, and a sweater. So that is going to be amazing for the summer! I am looking forward to that.

I loved the thanksgiving pictures. It looks like it was fun. I don´t ever remember making rootbeer though. But that's cool too. I totally noticed that Steph was wearing my shirt! Did she take all my clothes. Oh dear, what will I have to wear when I get home? Well it will be okay. How is everyone doing? Zach is getting bigger!

Well I have to go do a lice treatment.. lol

I love you all, thank you for everything!

Love,

Hermana Lichty

Happy Thanksgiving!

That is so funny you already heard that I was leaving Villa Norte! But I am really really bummed about it. I thought I had least one more change here. I almost started crying when we heard the news! I just sat there at my study desk staring at my wall. Both me and Hermana Garcia have been in a state of shock about it. We had talks yesterday in church that went really well but at the end when I told everyone that I was leaving I had to take a couple moments to collect myself so I wouldn’t start crying in front of everyone. It is so sad. I am just praying that I a can have a positive attitude about where I am going right now because I just don’t want to leave. Everyone in the ward has been really sad to but really good about it.

But on a different note I a going to La Serena! It is the most talked about Zone in the mission. Every that goes loves it there and everyone that hasn’t gone wants to go there. So it will be good. I will be with another companion from El Salvador. It is kind of funny because she will be my 3rd companion from there. I have heard I lot of good things about this area so I am excited. But it is far from here. It is like 7 hours by bus. So I will be traveling all day tomorrow to get there.  I think almost for sure that this will be my last area because it is so far from everyone that the president keeps the missionaries there for a longer amount of time.

But this week has been a good week in Villa Norte, we found a lot of new people to teach which means the Hermana that will be taking my place is very lucky. :) This morning I was starting to pack all my stuff and it is so hard for me... I have too much stuff. SOO I am going to try and mail 1 package home with my coats and some other random things.

So are you all excited about thanksgiving? They don’t celebrate that here so it will probably be another normal day here in Chile. I actually forgot about it. lol But you will have to send me some pictures of everyone that comes to celebrate with you guys. Then send me them on Monday.

Zach got is wisdom teeth pulled? How is he doing with that, no swelling or anything? How unfair,when I got mine pulled I got so sick and swollen. lol How is he doing with the girls? Tell him that dating is overrated and he should just focus on something else, like another project with dad or something. I was telling a member about how my brother had started dated and how weird It thought it was and he asked me if I was jealous. I was like.. what?? No no. haha But it has been weird because random Elders that I have met throughout the mission have started trying to write me. It is kind of funny but weird at the same time. One from Mexico and one from Peru.

That is crazy it is already getting so cold there. I can’t really remember that type of cold because it has been so long and it is getting so hot here. But I have heard that la serena is not as hot because we are right next to the beach. How sweet it that. It is a very touristic lugar because it is so beautiful and because of the beach. I will have to send you fotos. Also I have heard that the pension is sweet! Like a castillo(castle). SO I have a lot to look forward to but a lot of people to say bye to as well.

I am glad everything is going so well! I hope you have a very happy thanksgiving!

Con amor,

Hermana Lichty

Last week of the change

Did I ever tell you that I love Villa Norte? We had another baptism this weekend and it went great. Everything just fell into place and I really feel like it was just Camila´s time to get baptized. I am so happy for her because she is going to be such a great example to her family. Right now her parents don´t want anything to do with the church, but I feel with time that will change. Camila has been changing for the better since we started teaching her and her grandpa told us her mom had noticed what a positive effect the church has had on her. So anyway I am praying for at least one more change here so I can continue to help my converts and the investigators that we have. I don´t feel like my work is done here yet. I think there will be at least one more baptismal service here before the end of the year. 
I have been learning to trust more in the leaders here, especially the bishop. He has been the key to all the success that we have been seeing here. Recently we had a big problem come up that could have turned our really really bad and the bishop was able to handle it very smoothly, I was very impressed and grateful. It is one of those stories I will have to explain in person because it just has so many aspects to it. But it gave me a greater appreciation for all the rules that we have as missionaries and a better understanding to why we have so many. It is to keep us protected.
Elder Cook came and talked to us. It was really good, he talked about how we are ¨branch builders¨ and we need to be helping the members first and from there we branch out and help their families and friends. He talked about how we need to be more loving and gracious in our words and actions so that everyone can see that and have a trust in us. It was a really good conference and the whole mission came. It was so fun to see everyone from my old Zonas.
I can´t believe this change is coming to an end, this is the last week! It seems like just yesterday I picked my companion up from the office. The time is passing so quickly. But I am really happy because my Spanish continues to get better and sometimes I have to tell my companion what the people are saying because they talk so fast. lol
I am glad you are having such a good time in California, it sounds like you found a lot of good food to eat! Oh how I miss the good good. But its okay, before I know it I am going to be back and in Casper and missing the food here. lol I am starting to really love sunscreen again. It is getting hot! The good thing is my companion is use to the hot weather so the only comments about the hot weather come from me. :)
How is everything else going? Anything new and excited happening? I have been hearing a lot, from the members about new movies that have come out since I have been gone. I feel that I am going to have a pretty good list of thing to watch when I get back. haha
Anyways, sorry this letter is so short. I will try and make the next one better.
Love,
Hermana Lichty

Nov 7 2011

What.... Ashely´s dad got baptized? That is so crazy! I would really love to know how that all happened, the story behind that and how the sister missionaries started teaching him. I don´t want to brag or anything but the Sister missionaries bring a little something different to the table. lol We can touch people´s hearts a little differently than the Elders can. :)
The work here is going very good. We are preparing for a baptism this Sunday. I have been very humbled by the work here these last 5 months ( can you believe I have been here since June??). I have been noticing more the work of the Spirit in the work and how much we are being directed to knock certain doors and ask certain questions. I have really been trying to humble myself these last couple of weeks. This week especially I have been trying to become a better teacher, to focus more on listening and asking questions. I have been very touched by what a difference it has made in the work. The people we have been teaching and talking to have really started opening up and talking from their hearts. I have noticed that it is really our job as missionaries to show people the love that God has for them. My companion and I have made it a goal to share that with all the people we teach and talk with and it really makes a difference in their attitudes and words.
Camila the investigator we have that will be getting baptized this weekend has completely changed since we started teaching her. We hit a point with her where she just was not progressing anymore, she stopped going to church and stopped ¨having time¨ to see us. So we had a very straight forward talk with her. While we were talking we shared about the love that God has for her and why we were here as missionaries. We told her how much we loved her and how huge of a plan God has for her in her life. After that she just opened up and has been progressing so fast. We are so excited and happy for her.
I am trying to think of anything else that is going on here... Oh we have a conference on Friday and Elder Cook is going to be the guest speaker. SO we are very excited about that. It is a long conference from like 8 in the morning until like 5 at night so that should be fun.
It is getting really hot outside! But its good, the evenings are really nice to work in.
I like all the pictures that you sent. Zach looks so different and so does Steph! That is so crazy. Thank you for all of the updates and everything. SO much seems to be happening!
We /I have to get going but I love you all and I am glad that you like my letters :)
Hermana Lichty

Halloween! 2011

Hola Hola!

How is everyone doing? How was your week?  It sounds fun. Everything here is going very well. We are still looking for people to teach but the people we have right now are really good. We actually got a really really good reference from my converts this week. They have two cousins that are amazing! We went to their house to check up on them to see how they were doing and to teach a lesson and their cousins were there. They just happened to move into our area a little while ago and live really close to the church. There mom was there too and so we started talking to her first just to see who she was and what kind of things she knew about the church and everything. Come to find our she is a member but inactive so her kids found out about the church because of the their cousins( my converts). She wasn´t to interested in hearing us because as she was leaving she said to her kids, ¨okay if you want to be baptized like your cousins you have to listen to the missionaries really well and understand what it is they are teaching, you have to know what you are doing.¨ My companion and I were just like.. whattt... It was sweet so we are looking forward to helping them and getting their whole family active and baptized into the church. I know that their cousins are huge example to them and I am very proud of them. :)

I have been noticing more how the Lord has been directing us this last week. It has been very humbling to recognize. I think that sometimes as missionaries we don´t always notice the Spirit because it is always with us therefore we can´t distinguish our thoughts from those of the Spirit. One morning this last week we were getting ready to leave to work and at the last minute the thought entered my mind to look for a few more people to visit. I found this page that was from 2009 of people that the Elders had contacted with their directions. So I wrote down like 5 names from this list of like 30. Then latter that day we were working and a couple of our plans had fallen through and we happend to be walking through and area that was close to one of the names. So I said to my companion lets go look for this person she lives close. We found the house very easily and when we approached it I yelled .. ¨aaa-low¨. This lady came out from the door, saw us, and then started walking towards the gait. That was kind of a surprise because usually they make us yell from the gait to them. Then I said, ¨Hi we are the missionaries from the church..., and we are looking for Maria¨. She said I am Maria. So I said, ¨oh great, I while ago you talking to two Elders, those boys that walk around with white shirts and ties.¨ She said, ¨Yeah I remember , but that was a really long time ago because after that I left to go live in the United States. I have been living there for the last two years and I just got back yesterday because my sister died.¨ There was a pause and then I said,¨we are really sorry to hear that, I am sure that must be difficult. As missionaries we share a message about how our families can be together forever and we have this book that testifies of our message. Can we leave you with something to read about the life after this and come back later when the funeral has passed and share this message with you?¨ She said, ¨Yes I would like that because I just got into town late last night and we have to plan the funeral and everything but I would like to read your book and listen to your message.¨ It was the craziest experience. After we finished talking to her my companion and I started to walk away, in silence just thinking about everything that had just happened. It was amazing to look back on everything that had just happened that day that lead us to knock on her door.

But everything is going good. The weather like I said has been getting hot! And no we never got any snow, that would have been horrible since we only have a little space heater to heat our house with. lol I forgot that today was Halloween. But from what I heard Halloween is growing into a big holiday here. The idea here is still pretty new because all of the little kids seem to know about it and are excited about it. It will be fun to see them in there costumes tonight. :)

I am glad you guys got a little vacation this weekend. I am looking forward to seeing all of the pictures. How is everything else going? Are there any new engagements or anything that I don´t know about. lol How is Grandma Norma and Grandpa and Grandma.

Thanks for everything! I hope you have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Lichty

One YEAR Down!

One year down......

I can´t believe that I have already hit the one year mark! I am feeling so old right now! But its okay. The day after I celebrated my one year, my companion completed one month in the mission. It is crazy being a trainer. I understand now why it is when you are training the missionary you are training is called your kid. It is because they are just like a baby in the sense that they really don´t know much about what is going on. They follow you and do almost everything that you do. You know how babies just pick up and everything you do really fast, especially the things you don´t want them to pick up on. Yeah it is like that here in the mission too. lol So I am trying to be extra careful so that my ¨daughter¨ doesn´t pick up on any of my bad habits. She reminds me a lot of my first change when everything was new and different. I find it so weird that all the stuff she has is in English. haha Like her lotion, shampoo, body soap, everything and I keep finding myself reading it and then thinking to myself.. hmmm that is so weird to see it in English. But it is good. Sometimes it is tempting to ask her about the outside world because she has only been out a month so she knows everything still, but usually I do pretty good.

The weather here as gotten hot! I am already getting a good tan on my legs, feet, arms, and neck. But I am doing really good remembering about sunscreen so that is good. If you could just send me one more medium bottle of sunscreen that would be really nice and I know it would last me the next 6 months. We have been walking a lot this week contacting and looking for new people to teach. Right now we have a couple good investigators that we are excited about but we could use more. Last change we baptized all of our investigators so we are on the search yet again. :) I really enjoy talking to the people on the street. Although most of them are busy or not too interested, they are for the most part very nice to talk to and we are doing our job giving them a chance to learn about our message.

For my birthday yesterday we went to church and a lot of the members remembered it was my birthday and wished me happy birthday. A couple of them brought gifts. The family with Santiago gave me a present on Saturday night and Sunday morning in church. Then that night they had a cake for me with candles and sang happy birthday. I just love them. It was so nice to be able to celebrate with them. They are the family that we reactivated like 2 months ago. Yesterday they both got set apart for callings and gave classes that went along with the callings. It is so rewarding to see how far they are coming. Also Ignacio has started to prepare and pass the sacerment so I have really enjoyed watching his family progress too.

The area that I am in right now is a little smaller than Belloto is and the people have a little bit more money then those in Belloto so it is different but I love it. The pension that we are living in now is SO much better then the Belloto pension but it is actually in a different sector then Villa Norte. So we have to cross an underpass everyday to get to our area, but I like it. We live with another set of missionaries and they are both Latina. We sometimes talk to them but not too much. It is a little strange but we are here to work so its okay. Our pension is about 30 minutes walking distance from our Church and takes about an hour to walk to our farthest investigator from our pension. SO we do a lot of walking but I really don´t notice it that much any more. It is just normal for us to walk long distances. I am sure my companion notices but she is holding up very well. :)

We live pretty close to stores, that is really nice. As far as clothes go.. I am doing pretty good. I bought like 3 summer shirts a couple weeks ago and some new shoes because mine are slowly wearning out so I am hoping the two pairs that I have right now will last this last 6 months. If you see any cute knee length skirts that would be kind of nice to have but if not its okay. Did you know they changed the dress standards for the sisters so we can wear knee length skirts. It is really nice! And remember those two shirts you sent me in the MTC the blue and red one from Maurice's that were the same shirt but different colors? If you find one or two of those they were really good for the summer. One of them got lost and the other is getting worn out.

I am sorry to hear about Stacy.  That is sad but a least she doesn´t have to suffer anymore. How is Zach doing with that? I am glad you are going to hang out with Steph tomorrow. Tell her I said hi. Try and take a picture together so I can see you two. I haven´t seen her in a really long time. How is your work going? How is dad? Have him and Zach found anymore projects to work on? Is Zach still working on the weekends? Anyway I gotta run! Love you mom! Thank you for all the updates on everything!

Love,

Hermana Lichty