What the--? How long has that been there?

(Title references this clip from Emperor's New Groove.)

Me when I saw the temple
Because when I arrived it was a shell of a temple, and now it’s all grown up and beautiful. :*)

I would 100% recommend that if you by chance will be passing Concepcion you go to the temple. Do it. pls.

So this week.... we basically did the temple.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. SOooooo Imma cerrar la boca si cachai and send like 13000 "words"

We’ve literally been working hardcore this week. And our numbers reflect it a tiny bit. :) AT LAST. But this week we found a walking miracle. His name is Roberto and we left a pamphlet with him last week. This week when we talked to him in the street he was like, "I absoultely loved your pamphlet. Do you have more? Also, I have a few questions, for example, where can I be baptized??"

I didn’t hear much after that because of the hallelujah chorus that was playing in my brain.
So that was pretty much a miracle. Then he showed up at church Sunday. So..... God lives. he said that he loved to read 2 Nefi 32 and is extremely impressed by how he felt in the meetings Sunday. Also he stayed for all 3 HOURS. God loves His Children and His Church is true. :) Pray for Roberto who’s gonna get bautizado sept 29.

Okay that is all.
HERMANERM BAER

Fotos: The temple. obviously. The weather was SO nice in Conce and then we went back to Victoria and it’s forecasted just acid rain for weeks. :) #blessed.

Extreme Home makeover, Temple Edition.
 October 2, 2017

 September 5, 2018

The SUN is WARMING UP??

(Title reference this scene from Megamind.)

28 August 2018

Good news, the sun came out for a hot second. I think it might be springtime??

There are flowers on the trees and even cute little bees. So... I think we’re headed for a change. And just in time for the temple. "Everything was going my way. or so I thought..."
No, but we’re all good here. What happened this week??

-We went to a capacitacion in Los Angeles for the temple where they were like, "While giving tours of the temple, please at least attempt to look pleasant." And I said, "Do I have to?"
Nah. Just kidding. I’m friggin stoked to be part of the temple stuff. I’ll be as reverent as cuss if I have to. Also, I saw all my frens. Hermana Hansen, Hermana Salmeron, and all the rest of the gals. good thymes.

Apart from that we worked. I learned how to make origami butterflies to give to people as a different way of contacting. Just trying something different. Turns out.... It’s kind of the same. But I think they’re cute lil guys.

If you want to pray for some people with your magic prayers, think of Marta. She accepted a baptismal date, but then also isn’t really sure she wants to go to church because "my husband be catholic forrrever..." but we’re working with that. She’s pretty much the best. She even asked for a priesthood blessing for her little girls who were sick. So.... al agua no mas. [No more tears.]

We’ll let you know how things are gonna go for the temple when we’re a little closer. You’re all invited to know more about the House of the Lord here in Concepcion. Give us a call. I think our number is something like, 1-800-las-hermanas or something. dunno. give it a shot.

In my studies this week I was reading chapter 4 of PMG, and it was good. Sadly, I’m gonna have to read it again because I didn’t receive any of the revelation that I read about, so.... We’ll just keep working on that. But I know that there is revelation. I seen it with ma own eyes. When have you seen revelation?

L8r dudes
-Hermanerm Baer

-Photos: frens

O sea....

21 August 2018 

(pronounced oh sayah)

A coordial Henlo to all.

Good news and bad news. The good news is, I understand a little bit of spanish these days. The bad news is that I now think in spanish, and It makes hard to talk english good. Also today is P-day and i’m free according to the flesh, so Imma do what I want. Please prepare to set your internet device to espanich. (That’s gringo for spinach.... I think.....it’s really........Not.)

[Hint: until we post the translation, copy and paste the following text into Google translate.]
Hola, como estai?
Esta semana, tuvimos muchas cosas muy bakanes pasar. De hecho, vamos a ver muchas otras cosas geniales que vienen. por ejemplo, mañana vamos a Los Ángeles para participar en una capacitación. Vamo Chile.

En la semana que paso, tuvimos mucho éxito, hay una señora que dijo que quiere ser bautizado. Mich. Adelante no ma. Aparte de esto, sigamos normal trabajando todo el dia todo los dias... obvio.

Yo he estado pensando mucho recién en la oración, y como se relaciona a la humildad. Cuando queremos una respuesta, solo hay que pedir, cierto? pero... que pasa cuando no queremos la respuesta? Dios todavia va a darnos una respuesta? Bueno, también estaba pensando mucho en el Libro de Mormon, y como realmente, el libro de mormon puede cambiar las cosas. Es tan freaking verdad ese librito. Tiene de TODO. en serio, hasta negocios y empresas, medicina y amor. Tan bueno. Lo único que yo no he encontrado aun en el libro de mormón es los deportes... pero... ¿guerra cuenta no mas? ¿que piensan?

Ya po, pero realmente estoy agradecida porque yo he visto muchos cambios en mi. Si he aprendido una cosa de la misión, es que la misión no cambia nada, ni segura nada. Cristo cambia todo. solamente por la expiación estos cambios son posibles.

Hey, talking of Cambios, we’re gonna know our cambios tomorrow, que loco cierto? Hermana Cepeda and I should be together si o si, but you never can tell what with modern revelation and all.

Stay tuned. :)

Nos vemos, que esten super bien, po Hérmáñá Báér alguien me presto su gorito y me puse flaite. jaja, perdona me mama. :)) 

I've just sucked one year of your life away...*

*[Title refers to this moment in Princess Bride] 

Except that it didn’t suck that bad..... There may have been some tears, but the good kind. With lots of salt.

How does that make you feel? All I can say is, has it been that long already?? And I feel like yes and no.....

Day to day life in the mission is long and many times tedious, but overall, I think it’s pretty okay.

This week:
-We worked in the Sector Curacautin and found what we like to call una buscadora, or someone who is literally just waiting for someone to share the gospel. Literally she said, Oh wow, I’m going to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. It sounds like it’s really something I’ve been looking for.
And we said, "Probs true dat. Give it a shot or whatevs. Also church Sunday if you want." and she said, "Great, I’ll see if I can find a skirt."
Awesome. We’ll just wait to get the baptismal invitations. It’s good to know there are people who really are looking for the gospel. Also.... The Book of Mormon changes lives and answers questions. I promise you, and I do mean YOU!

-My compy was much sick this week. Good news is the area book is in ship shape.

-We just keep plugging along. good times. Weird.

NEWS: we will be helping with the temple open house! I will 100% be in Concepcion in the temple the 18th of September....... so if anyone wants to mosey on down south and take some hermanas to lunch y’all know where we’re at....;) Nah just kidding. pls don’t.
Just do it for the nice missionaries in your own wards.

That is all. See you in 6 months. Crazy.

 Hermanerm Baer 2.0

- a big little guy.

Flamy. Is that english I see??

Words. Words. Words.

[The title could reference this.  Or this.  Or maybe even this.]

¿Hola, como estai? 
Bien, po, y tu? 
Bien gracias a Dios. 
. . . 

-Conversation in the street with any given Chileno. Always.

This week we worked for a long time. But that’s okay. Then we went to CONCE and partied with disculpe, learned from Presidente and Hermana May. Que rico el jugo... na, I’m just kidding - it was awesome and I learned a lot.

 It also rained a lot. like...... A lot.

Someone once asked me about some turning points in my mission. For me, I had a compañera who was just sa dang REAL. She was so straightforward, but also loving and really hardworking. My companion, unlike the others I’d had, was quick and cheerful to say that she didn’t understand or didn’t know everything and had faults, and so I felt that a lot of the pressure to be perfect went away and I could ask for help when I needed it. Also, a lot of really crazy things seemed to always happen with her, so we were always doing weird things that put us in situations that I was never expecting. But this taught me really fast that I had to be myself and also look for the guidance of the spirit because I can do a lot of hard things, but only the spirit can help me do what I need to do as a missionary. I also kind of realized at that point in my mission that I can work really hard and be really stressed about the insanity, or I can work really hard and not worry as much about what will happen Also, I discovered that the people who are looking for the gospel are going to find it, and if they really want to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized, they’re gonna do it, dain it! So.... I’ll do my part to invite everyone, and God through the Holy Ghost will help the people who want it make it happen!

So... my mission changed when I learned to chill a little, I guess.

This last Cambio as well taught me to finally like the mission. I had companions that I really loved, but I never loved the people or (dare I say it??) Chile.... gasp. But last cambio, I had some amazing experiences in my sector that taught me to really enjoy the mission and love Chile for and a pesar de los debilidades o cosas que todavía no entiendo. (I can’t remember those words in English??? SOS  [Despite the weaknesses or things that I still do not understand.]) It was hard to leave Tolhuaquita. . . and be just in the other half of the pueblo. tan cerca... tan freaking lejos. jaja.

But the good news is I’m fine.

The work is good.

Thanks for reading so many words.
Serve yourself to some fotos.

Red sky in the morning.... something something...

Did we already say that Bruno got baptized?

Mary Poppins?

These boots weren’t made for walking...

*Screams in Spanish

* [screams in Spanish]

What the heck? Is it that time already?

We are literally flying people... or as the Chileans say: o sea... andai vola´o, compadre??

This week:

-Our buddy pal Bruno got baptized!! Sadly, he lives on the other side of the train tracks, so we could only visit for one hot second.

 -We spoke with aprox. 13 Haitianos. They all said they would go to church. Soooooo.... We will see.

-We found a lot of people with great potential. Also, we worked hard. Don't worry.

uummmmmmmmmm I gotta go.

 Fotos to be seen next week....."sorry" about that...

-Hermana Baer (ish)

I swear by my pretty floral bonnet... *

*Subject line refers to this scene from Firefly.

Just thinking about bonnets because I think it's pioneer day in the Utah land...

Also I have exactly one hot second to tell you all I feel right now, so I'll just summarize like this:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

(Now release all the sounds that are trapped in your mind...)
Okay thanks.

I will be reading your letters in the week and then "responding" next time :)

Photos:
The much anticipated Hna Cepeda from Argentina

Turns out... It's winter here

Could you please just bring it back down to an 11?

I, like, just need life to stop attacking me pl, for like, one hot second? The disrespect is UNRILLL.

But so much has happened I don't even know where to start??

Bullet points(ish)

-ALEJANDRO TOTES GOT BAPTIZED!!! it was basically the biggest miracle of all time in the history of like ever, bc he showed up an hour late to his interview, and also because he lives in the campo we could never verify that he hadn’t actually drunk coffee for breakfast, so it we were like, We’ll just start filling up the font with a lot of faith.... Then everything worked out perfectly and he hadn’t had tea or coffee for 2 weeks. I guess that’s just because the church is true or whatever. God loves His children. REPENTANCE IS SO FREAKING REAL, PEOPLE.

-We moved houses. That was crazy banana pants. But then the Elders helped us for a hot second and we all went to lunch afterwards. Delish.

-We moved into our house, and then we moved out because CAMBIOS means that they took the Hermanas out of Tolhuaca. Now we’re in Victoria.... which is just the other side of the tracks from Tolhuaca. But also... I’M TRAINING PEOPLE. SOS. pls send halp. I was losing my mind nugget for a hot second. Every second of everyday. Mostly because of new sector, new missionary, new rama, new everything. So many blessings all at once... how thoughtful... So it’s just me and Hermana Cepeda in the new house. #prayers

Soooo we left Hermana Hansen in San Pedro. Now there are only 2 Elders in Tolhuaca, and 2 Hermanas in Victoria. #Downsizing?? But not before we took some hot couples pics in the countryside :)) Then also some with the Elders of Tolhuaquita as well. Toodles, y’all. It’s been real, it’s been fun........

On the spiritual side of things, mostly I just know that God hears our prayers, even if they’re just loud, internal screaming; be it reverent or maybe less reverent.... But it’s okay. That’s why He’s God and we’re just practicing. I also read recently that "Service is the only measure of true greatness." So... Amen?

PHOTOS: -We were so happy those days...#WalkingSisters #Walknomore

Meet Alejandro Maximo Huenchullan Quilapan. #futurebabynames

Bye bye Tolhuaca Crew.

(Coming soon:...Hello Victoria Gals.)

Who turned out the sun?

This week:

FUIMOS AL CAMPO, PO!
It was fun. There were animals and Catholics everywhere! Then we accidentally walked like 3 hours in the dark to get to the bus stop (10.6 kilometers... #LegDay). Good times.
But it was actually pretty deep and spiritually metaphorical, and we saw an enormous shooting star. Testimonies were strengthened.

We also went to a little town called Curacautin to find nuevos, and we did! But they don’t want to be baptized yet?? wierd.

But Bruno wants to be baptized. He didn’t quite do it yet because he was in the hospital for a hot second, but this week for sure. July 14. Sí o Sí.

Also Alejandro. What a champ. He was like, "What do I need to bring to my baptism?" and we said, "Only your delightful presence." So hold on to ya buns for this Saturday. :) Or maybe pray, because we have a testimony of that stuff.

Also, we’ll just be hanging in there for Cambios. Nobody knows what could happen. But we hope that we stay together. :)

In other news, I encourage everyone to read the parable of the laborers in the vineyard and then the talk of the same name by Elder Holland. It blew my tiny mind nugget. :))) I love it.

We did Celebrate the 4th of July o sea America’s Birthday!! We had rootbeer floats, sang patriotic songs, and then worked in stripes and the color red. It rained. Hard. So that was a bonus. We hart
America.

Someone asked for photos, soooooo.... We went nuts. Any questions? :o]

 

Birthdays and Palos all around!!

3 July 2018

Cue the footage of Americans walking on the moon. America the Beautiful plays

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA. I do love America, but recently something strange has been happening.......
I also like South America, the slightly shorter, more spicy cousin of Sweet Sweet Free Country USA?? Weird right?
But we will be celebrating the 4th with as much American gusto as we can mustard.

This week:
Bruno moved to YUMBEL (curse you San Sebastian!!) 
But thanks to your magic prayers, he’s going to come back to be baptized this Saturday. #thetruechurch #Tolhuaca

Alejandro, our best most flaite compadre, o sea investigador tan maquina si cachai, wanted to get baptized even sooner, so, pray for his date: 14 of July. He’s kind of like a precious unicorn, so, we’ll see what happens.

We’re teaching an amazing FAMILY if you can believe it, their names are Patricio and Claudia, and they like the Plan of Salvation. They said they’d like to know a little more before being baptized, so hang in there everyone.

Also, all these good things are happening and more are on the way. Hermana Hansen and I (#The Walking Sisters) are praying to stay together and see all the miracles we’ve got coming! Join us pls.

Today we had a conference in which Elder Packer (jr) and his wife came and visited only the southern halfish of the mission, and it was only for an hour, so there was much speculation, and for a hot second many people thought we would be splitting the mission and joining Osorno, but thank goodness he only came to dar Palos o sea chew us out a little bit. But in a good constructive way guided by the spirit. Which was kind of the focus - that the missionaries need to teach better with the spirit. It was good.

Eve Alexandra Baer

We keep having good things happen here in Tolhuaca, the work is always a little crazy, and that’s why I know it’s true. Also there was an earthquake for a hot second one night. Bien fuerte, de hecho. We were like... "What do we do?" and we just decided to stay in bed.

Also, congrats to all the old people who had children! Your little offspring look cute! Nice work all around. We’ve been praying for little Eve, so it’s good to know prayers are answered.


God loves families. How has your relationship with Christ strengthened your relationship with your family?
You may begin writing....NOW.  [from the BBC Look Around you Maths episode]

-Hermana Baer

The Tolhuaca Crew eating delicious Peruvian food.
(From Left to Right: SOY YO, the Fabulous Hna Hansen (Taylorsville), Elder Cachiguango (Ecuador), Elder Hartvigsen (Utah).

My companion eating delcious Peruvian food.

Blurry bus photos again....

The day of Interviews. I’m blurring the lines between scarves and blankets.

Élder Packer con los sureños