Everything is different now*

*References this moment from Gravity Falls

Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes! The Hermanas made French Toast. So Gringo. So good, and now I´ve completed my first Birthday in the Mission. One down, one to go.

Hermana Bazaes is now safely home, because I totes killed her. In a missionary sense. May she rest in Peace. But boy was it a wild ride to get everyone packed and ready to go.

In other news... the sector of Curanilahue is now Closed for missionaries until further notice. oops. I guess I just have that effect on people and places...

And because there are no longer missionaries in Curanilahue, and Hermana Chavez and Hermana Bazaes left, Hermana Rocha and I spent the last day of the Cambio cleaning the Casa of Curanilahue. It was.... a hot and crusty mess. But now it´s all clean! And also empty. Except for maybe one yogurt which we may or may not have forgotten in the fridge. heh.

I'm now in Cabrero, Los Angeles. It´s a little Pueblito. Very, very small. so tiny. But SO HOT. It's like a sauna.... it's like someone's barbecuing in a sauna. What in the fweet happened? like, 40 degrees Celcius. I don't even know how to convert those numbers. [that's 104 F]

But wait, There´s more....
I'M IN A TRIO HERE. 3 companions in 3 transfers. I´m 3 for 3 here. Now I´m with Hermana Lopez (of Honduras) and Hermana Fança (of Brazil). And it's just us here. But it´s completely different from Curanilahue. Very, very much the opposite. Everything is different now. But different isn´t bad.

Here's one thing I learned this week: Change is hard. Change is really hard. But I like what Elder Christofferson said in his talk about the little tree that is cut down by the gardener. There´s a really great video, something like, "The Will of God," that I would recommend to y'all. Anyways, change is hard, but hard is good. Hard means we are doing things that will help us to grow and become more like our Savior. Hard means we aren't doing things easy or lazy, or for ourselves. God loves it when we do hard things.

We will see you all for Christmas!!!
Feliz Navidad!

-Hermana Baer

Someone Broke that.... But I'm gonna fix it*

*references Kung Fu Panda
Subject line because of that one time when I accidentally broke our dryer. I straight up ripped the door off the machine....scripture power is real.
But don't panic because we did fix it.

This week:

-we worked our little buns off serving the members. I made Gringo cookies with all the things the fam sent in the package and we visited the members in their houses, sang to them, watched Iluminar el Mundo, and reminded them to serve others and not forget the true meaning of Christmas, dagnabit! Then we gave them a little cookie and speedily departed to visit other members. We hope that doing this will remind them that we love them and that they can invite the spirit to their homes for Christmas through service.... And you can too!
(Author´s note: If the dear reader has not already seen the Light the World video and/or is not participating in the 25 ways for 25 days, they are strongly urged to begin doing so.... now [please begin this video clip at 7:40 seconds and end at 7:50].)

Since we were focusing on the members this week, we've had little to no contact with our investigators - mostly because they aren't in their houses and never answer their phones. But turns out that God is good and our two (2) investigators showed up at church all by themselves! Miracles and what have you.

One thing I've noticed this week is that when we feel inadequate...inadiquite? (lol sorry i can't remember how to spell words) it's because the Lord is teaching us how to use our weaknesses. It's like when we first begin to exercise a muscle that we've never used, it's hard and we don´t like it and our eyes might be a little sweaty, but we can trust that when we are through we are going to be stronger and more prepared for what comes next, maybe helping others with the same experience. And when we do this, turning outward after or during hard experiences, we understand more the work of the Saviour, because that's what He did for us, and really, He is the One who knows what we feel and need. Trust Him!

 Okay. That is all.
See y'all rull soon.
-Hermanerm Baer 2.0

P.S. thanks to all for the Buthuthday wishes.

Cookies!

Churches and stop me if you've seen them...

I'll put that box in another box*

* References Emperor's New Groove.
Hey! Good news, the Xmas pack from the fam arrived! Sad news, it was definitely opened and rifled through. Good news again, this made it much easier for me to open. So..... lol Vive Chile, I guess.
But thank y’all so much!! I may or may not have openly wept at the sight of brown sugar and also everything else from my family in Sweet, Sweet, Free Country USA.

This week:

-Christmas Devotional. So gr8. We woke up at 4:30 so we could travel by bus with the other districts to Los Angeles. At 7:30 we stopped because the driver was like, "Hey the bus is leaking fluids and is about to explode.... Imma call my other bus driver buddy so y’all actually arrive." And we were like, "ok coolcool. We'll just wait, then." So our 4 hour trip was actually 6 hours and we were extremely fashionably late for the Devotional. :]

-For the devo we contacted in the streets and then had a flashmob in the plaza and everyone gave their Christmas-wrapped Libro de Mormón to the people who gathered. So great. Then we had some lunch and sang songs and listened to testimonies. Then we got our Xmas packages and hit the road again. Also I saw my favorite CCM companion Hermana Ellis. She’s the best.

-Good news. Raul our negocio friend/investigator loves the Book of Mormon. We are gonna work to get this man to Church.

-Also I have a new goal. Imma take a photo with every church here in Curanilahue. Photos attached for your viewing pleasure.

-We worked for a day with Hermana May, the mission President’s wife. She always brings cookies for interviews. Also her sweater was made of llama fur. She’s fabulous.

Okay. I think that is erething.
Stay in touch, but no touchies...
-Hermana Baer

Photos:
Dem cookies do

Hermana May

And when it arrives.....

Contacting at the Christmas devotional

Hermanas at the Party. I mean Devotional.

We love to travel.

Tired but alive.

We worked with the mission president’s wife for a day here in Curanilahue. She’s pretty much the best.

Them churches

Also the most terrifying nightmare dolphin yard decoration I have ever seen. Enjoy.