05/15/23 Paradise

 Hiiiii 

Hows everyone doing? I hope really well. 

The good news: im really happy here  

The bad news: no hay 

The details: 

This was my first week in Angamos (my ward in Antofagasta, at the south most part of the city) and it is literally the wealthiest ward in the whole mission, which normally sucks for missionary work, but im actually kind of a fan. This week felt like we were in parade of homes, we got to see inside these crazy huge beautiful houses with beach front or mountain top views of the ocean... but those mountain top views were super tiring!! (My legs hurt so much hahahah.)  It legit looks like California in that part of our sector. 

My comp is Hermana Cabrera who is Chilean (although she was technically born in Mendoza Argentina), and I LOVE her. She's in her last transfer and quiere puro trabajar (she wants to work!!!!) and we've already seen so many little miracles thanks to this attitude. We've both been really obedient and really focused this week, with really good attitudes, and as far as I can tell this is going to be the best transfer of my mission so far. 

Things about antofa: 

-it's a huge city in the middle of the mission. It's where the mission office is, and there are no less than 4 zones in this city (out of 12). 

-I live in an apartment literally across the street from the beach. I have a giant window in my room that has a beautiful beach view, and we have a huge balcony as well. This is the apartment where all the hermanas stay when they come to antofagasta. The kitchen works well and is big for a missionary apt. I live with 3 Chileans which I'm really enjoying!!! My Spanish is gonna get so good this transfer  

-our sector is all big hills, and we're a 100% walking mission so I'm gonna have some nice leg muscles   

-there's an American food place literally next door to my apt, a Mexican food place a block away, and a sushi place (I like sushi now!) a block away in the other direction. And a bakery by the Mexican place. And a mini market (with flour and bread and anything else I could need) also next to the Mexican place. 

-as I said, the members have huuuuge beautiful houses, and they all serve really tasty food. Ok not all the members live in huge houses, but ALL of them serve good food. This week we had arepas with this salsa and tuna filling and it had PAPRIKA in it!!!! You guys, I'm not kidding I just about died  (I love paprika, like, a lot.) 

-sunsets here are to die foooor 

-presidente Wu lives in my ward... but he is almost always traveling so, I wont see him much. But we do walk by his house sometimes on the way to other peoples houses 

Some other things that happened: 

I got to meet all the new girls because they stayed at my apartment and they were so excited to just like be in the mission, and I loved the energy!! I got to know 5 of them pretty well, and one of them ended up being one of my roommates, and another one is in the zone next to mine! 

Theres this old guy who is really funny and reminds me a lot of my grandpa, but he won't quit smoking so he can't get baptized. And he's real stubborn so I don't know how much he'll be able to progress. 

We're teaching a YSA who's in his last year of orthodontist college and he's super intelligent and science minded. Normally that means they're prideful and don't keep commitments, but in his case he's super humble and curious about the gospel and probably gonna be like an apostle some day or something. He's definitely getting baptized this transfer. 

I made french toast. Y eso. 

We met these cool people named Carmen and José, and they came to church! They're super curious and interested, and they're also definitely getting baptized this transfer. Carmen has a sister who joined the church in santiago and the sister sent a reference to us, through the missionaries who are there, and we sent them like two texts and invited them to church, so it's literally a miracle that they went. And they really liked it!! 

This ward is huge!! I had to give my testimony and introduce myself on Sunday and standing in front of everyone was crazyyyy, but like I've been in so many branches and really small wards that it was a shock to the system to see so many people there. I guess that's how it is in Utah as well, but it was just really weird!!

Something I love that has to do with prayer: when we end our prayers we say "in the name of Jesus Christ" and its such a strong habit that we don't even think about it! But I was reading in the Bible dictionary about prayer and when we say "in the name of Jesus Christ" it's like we're signing his name at the end of a card we just wrote. With that in mind I've been trying to align my prayers (or cards) more with something Jesus would actually write instead of simply what I want. And it's changed a lot for me. Several weeks ago I wrote in my journal how I was sick of feeling like I'm always walking through peanut butter, and feeling like I can't progress, and I started studying prayer. I studied the Bible dictionary about prayer and I discovered that little insight and so much more, and I've seen a complete change in how i feel towards my companion, towards my leaders, towards myself, and I haven't felt really depressed or negative in like 2-3 weeks. Tired, yes, but depressed, no!! Its been beautiful to see the way the Lord answers our prayers and helps us when we ask for his help. I love life! And by not being miserable, I'm also making Satan a loser 

Okiiiis, that's all I've got for you! 

Love you all so much!! 

xo-hna griffin 

Fotos: 

-random old guy gave us a plate of fruit and wrote my name in chocolate hahahah

-love my comp!! (Us being dorky hehe) 

-gorgeos sunset 

-arepas with the best freaking tuna