09/25/2023 Último testimonio 😰
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| Ewe! |
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| This hedgehog totally pooped on me! |
Good morning amiguitos!!
This week was crazy and good and hard and happy and sad... let me explain, no no there's too much, let me sum up!
Early in the week I was really struggling, my comp and I are very different people and I was really tired of everyone assuming I don't know any Spanish, and just the general attitude of our companionship. It was like anything that I said was white for her it was black, or anything that I thought we could do one way, she wanted to do another thing. And like, we're still getting used to being together, and it's just been a little bit challenging. I said a lot of prayers!
One thing that was really cool was we met this elderly couple (members) and the wife creates all sorts of crafty things, and most recently she's making dolls for Christmas and selling them!! We looked at how cute the dolls were and she offered to make some missionary dolls with us!! So I think next week we're gonna go over and she's gonna show us how to do it 
we're also gonna go over and teach her to make gringo cookies haha. We shared a really spiritual message from mosiah 14 with them about how the lamb of God was taken to slaughter and didn't open His mouth and everyone was crying 
we're also gonna go over and teach her to make gringo cookies haha. We shared a really spiritual message from mosiah 14 with them about how the lamb of God was taken to slaughter and didn't open His mouth and everyone was crying  |
The hermana who makes dolls gave us flowers that she crocheted!!! Mine is yellow! |
) and it was so good! We talked about methods of finding people and the importance of talking to literally everyone! There's a thing in the mission where when you go to your last zone conference you have to share your "last testimony" and I was literally SO anxious during lunch time because I knew it was almost time to have to do that. I guess it's just very anxiety inducing to think that I'll never go to a zone conference again 
and that I have to share a testimony about all of these 17 months so far, it's like, how do I even draw a conclusion from all that's happened? I've learned a million things! I really didn't know what to say. But I said a little prayer in my heart and brainstormed all my ideas in my journal (instead of eating lunch... I was literally too anxious to eat). And decided there were four things I wanted to share with those who were listening (mostly new missionaries, and I guess almost everyone had less time than me haha).  |
| Hermana Chavez and Hermana Griffin |
1. Time is a lot shorter and faster than it seems. Take advantage of every moment!!
2. I learned to pray 
and to cry unto the Lord and to plead with Him, to invoke His name and feel His presence
and to cry unto the Lord and to plead with Him, to invoke His name and feel His presence3. I learned that every day we can ask ourselves, what else can I sacrifice for Him today? I told the missionaries that in this sector I was sacrificing my legs hahaha, but that every day we can wake up and sacrifice something more, and that's how we go about getting a little better every day.
4. I learned that I dont need to compare myself to others. If I'm doing my best, that's enough. It doesn't matter what anyone else is doing. (Thinking less about yourself helps you to compare yourself less... focus on others!)
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| The hermana who makes dolls gave us flowers that she crocheted!!! Mine is yellow! |
I was very nervous to talk, but I got up there, took a deep breath and spoke from the heart. Giving that testimony was a powerful experience. I felt the spirit speak through me as I expressed how hard the mission is sometimes, and how worth it it is. I didn't cry, but some elders did (haha).
After zone conference I went to Alto Hospicio for a day and a half on an exchange with Hermana Carrillo (from Venezuela). It was a really good time!! We saw so many miracles from putting into practice what we learned in zone conference, and found and taught someone who is totally gonna get baptized in three months when she gets her Chilean ID (she has to get married in order to get baptized)!!! She also lives in a house where toonns of people live, so I'm betting they'll find more people in the house!
I also got to see lots of people I taught and knew when I was in alto hospicio. I kinda felt like I didn't do much while I was there and like I hadn't helped many people (I was only there one transfer), but being there helped me see the fruits of my little time there, and that many people even still remembered my name 6 months later.
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| Hermana Griffin and Hermana Chavez |
Back in Iquique we had a morning of miracles where we found a TON of people, and then in the afternoon we were gonna make pizza with a family, but it ended up being I make pizza while everyone else sits around and does nothing. I was a little annoyed because I thought it was gonna be a fun family activity and it turned out to be just me. It took way too long (because I made 4 big pizzas all by myself), but they turned out tasty. As I was putting the first pizza in the oven, the elders showed up, just in time to eat. Sigh. I guess some days are like that. I felt like that red hen from the story, where no one wants to help make the cake so she makes the cake herself and then everyone wants to eat it but she won't let them. Except that I had to let them. Is that what motherhood is like?
Also during this week we had a moment where we showed up to another members house and they had been making a ton of food and invited us to eat with them, and it was the tastiest food I've had in all my time in Chile. It was Bolivian food... ribs and wings with cheese rice and cheesy empanadas (with Bolivian cheese). I was in heaven!!!! The best food in Chile never is and never was Chilean food.
On Sunday we had a weird day, because our sector is a long walk up a mountain, so we didn't really have time to go up there between all the meetings we had. So we stayed down closer to the beach, and everywhere we went they gave us lots of food. Including some American candy! They had airheads and twizzlers and milky ways. It was a good time! We also had a super spiritual lesson in the nighttime and when we went home we had to talk to the elders about our numbers this week (which were really high!) And my comp started crying... we were able to talk out what was bothering her and I feel sooo much better about our relationship now. Like complete change from earlier in the week. And I'm so grateful because I felt like I was on survival mode for the rest of this transfer (or the rest of my mission) but at the end of the day, I think I'm actually going to be able to really enjoy the rest of the transfer! It wasn't the bracelets that made the difference, but the peace offering that came with it I think.
and so as I ponder how the end of this chapter of my life is coming to a close, I keep asking myself if I did enough, learned enough, progressed enough, etc. I think the conclusion I'm drawing is that when I focus on serving others, I'm freer from my own burdens. When I sacrifice for the Lord, I'm blessed more abundantly. And when I center myself in Christ, se efectua un potente cambio en mi mismo corazón. I don't remember how to say that in English. But the point is, in these 25 days of mission that I still have left (a lot can happen in 25 days!!) I plan to center myself on Jesus. I plan to take advantage of every moment to share the gospel and serve and love the people. I plan to trust in the Lord and do all I can to do His will and not my own. I found this quote a couple weeks ago, and i dont remember if I sent it before, but I like it so I'm sending it again.
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| The best food I've had in Chile!! |
Love you all, so much!!
xo-hna griffin
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| 18 de septiembre (Chilean independence day) with all the elders |
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