Last Letter home... I will see you next week! Saying goodbye is hard.

Well this is it. To be honest I never really thought this day would come. My last pday. I remember in the beginning of my mission thinking my mission would never end or that is was WAY far away and now it is a week away. It is a bitter sweet thing. I am so excited to see my family and be able to move on to the next part of my life but I am sad to take off the plaque and stop being Hermana Showalter. But life is always changing and I just have to roll with it. 

So here is what happened this week.

Tuesday. Hermana B Silva and I received our new companion. Everyone say hello to Hermana Marquis (mar-key) from Lindon, Utah. She speaks super well and is awesome. I am pretty sure she came pretrained because she is an amazing example to me.

Wednesday. We had a meeting with president and the trainers and new missionaries.

Thursday. So we had a lesson with a Josefina. Her friend from work had to pass by to pick up something and guess what? Her friend is a member of the church and even better a returned missionary! So Coni ended up staying and teaching Josefina. Then we went to visit Jorge and Maribel with our mission leader and we invited them to be baptized. They accepted! Their date is for the 3rd of September! Then they gave us pupusas and hot chocolate. Then correlation.

Friday. Studies. Lunch with the nanny of some members because they were working. They just got a REALLY cute puppy named polo (see pictures). We visited Juan Sepulveda. Spent the rest of the day walking and contacting. But a reference that we received from the first counselor in the bishopric gave us a reference, his niece, Valentina. She went to mutual!!

 

Saturday.We had lunch with Familia Fernandez. They are such a sweet family. We visited Hermana Veronica and helped her start her family history.

Sunday. Church. Lunch with Hermana Cobo. She made us pie de limon. It is one of my favorites here on the mission. After all our citas fell. But we did visit Familia Ampuero and they gave us completos. 

Monday. Zone class. It was good. We ate lunch and then planned. We visited Hermana Juana Diaz. It is always very humbling to visit her. I am reminded how blessed I am truly am. I know my life isn't perfect but I am grateful for the good life that I have. 

Tuesday. Had a little good bye Hermana Showalter party. With Hermana Jacinto, Wright, Alderete, Gonzalez, La Serna, Araújo and my comps. 

A quote that I love from Elder Holland is "I am not asking you to pretend to have the faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith that you do have." And another quote I love that my mom sent me is "Prayer does not always change my circumstance but prayer always changes me."

Well I imagine that I will see most of you very soon. I know it sounds cheesy but this past year and a half was really the best. I have come to know my Father in Heaven and my Savior on a very personal level and I have been able to become a better disciple of Jesus Christ. I love this work with all my heart and I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church that can help us return to our Heavenly Father.

I love you.

Signing off once and for all as

Hermana Showalter

Helping paint a house and 2 WEEKS left!!

ALOHA. hahah just kidding I am in Chile, here we say HOLA.

So here is the run down of my crazy life.

Tuesday. So we walked some more and contacted.

Wednesday. We had lunch with Hermana Gilda. She is so sweet. I love hearing her mission stories. Then we visited Jorge and Maribel with Javiera Palma. Jorge and Maribel had a friend over who is from Colombia and we were also able to share with her too!  Then we found a new investigator named Josefina. She looks ten times more gringa than me but she is one hundred percent Chilean. She has four little crazy kids and makes a killer kuchen.

Thursday. So Hermano Aldo and Hermana Patricia called us and asked us if we could help them paint and we said YES of course. I think I might go pro because I really love painting houses and my technique isn't too bad. They gave us completos to say thank you. Then we had a meeting with our new mission leader, Nicolas Tidie from Argentina. He is great and super pumped to help us. WAHOO missionary work.

Friday. Day of honor in the temple for all the missionaries that went home on the 1st and me. We did a session in the temple. What a blessing it has been to have the temple in my mission. Then we went to  President´s house to eat lunch. We had sloppy joes and ice cream sandwiches. Then President gave us some advise, we read some scriptures and then wrote in a book for the Morgans. It was a little strange because it was a very relaxing day.

Saturday. Lunch with the family Ampuero. They are really sweet. I don't know why but they seem to like me a lot which means I must be doing something right. Then there was a Relief Society activity on healthy food (with free samples) and when there is the words free food the missionaries are there. But Hermana B Silva and I went to support the Relief Society... Also I had an impression to call the Hermanas in Ñuñoa 1. I gave them a call and they told me that they were so happy I called because something had happened to them that had scared them and that they were grateful that I was there to help them. I know it was a little thing but it just showed me how much heavenly father cares about us and that he puts people in our way to help us.

Sunday. JORGE RODRIGUEZ came to church. And our teacher of gospel principles is an RM who is awesome. Jorge really loved it. Then we had lunch with familia Galvez. They are another family that I love. They are so dang sweet and one day going to visit me in New York. So then we visited Gozalo and Fabiola. They are super awesome and have like a million questions. After we went and visited Hermana Veronica and she is doing a little better.

Monday. CAMBIOS. Transfer. So I only have 2 weeks left and I am going to spend them in ÑUÑOA 2 with HERMANA B SILVA and Hermana B Silva is going to TRAIN A GRINGA. So I am going to be spending my last 2 weeks in a trio. ​A scripture that I really like this week is in Mosiah 2:34 "knoweth that ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father." I think something that I have come to learn on the mission is how much my savior and father in heaven have done for me.

Love you all. Have a great week.
Hermana Showalter

Bipolar weather and 3 weeks to go..

So, Maddie didn't send any pictures. So, I thought I would show you how hard we are working getting ready for her return!

Hey everyone! 

Well this week I feel like we passed through all the seasons. We had cold rain, hot sun, windy cloudy days and perfect spring days. Let me tell you it is very hard to get dressed in the morning because you never know! 

Well here is what happened this week:

Tuesday. We had a lesson but it fell through so we walked and contacted.

Wednesday. Intercambios. Hermana Mendez came to visit me! We visited a man named Juan who has like a million amazing questions. It is always pretty intresting with him. We taught him the plan of salvation. Then we visited Juana, who forgets everything in 5 minutes but she is very sweet. 

Thursday. We had a family home evening with Aldo and Patricia to celebrate that  Aldo passed his English exam. We ate pancakes with peanut butter and some really yummy Argentino desserts.

Friday. Intercambios again. I was with Hermana Cordeiro. We visited Jorge and Maribel. Then Hermana Carmen. Then there was a family home evening in the church for a missionary who just returned from Africa. And Jorge and Maribel came to the FHE!

Saturday. We painted the house of Patricia and Aldo. IT WAS SO FUN. I have tried to paint something my whole mission and my dream came true.

Sunday. We got a new mission leader who is pretty awesome. Then a FHE with Hermana Cecilia and her family. We made brownies.

Monday. District class. Lunch with Hermana Lockling. Planning. We visited Hermana Veronica and Vernanda.

Tuesday. We had a completado with Hermana Garcia and Hermana Jacinto. Then we met up with Javiera. I said goodbye to Javiera.

No photos this week because we forgot the cameara cord. But next week there will be lots!

Something that I learned this week is that angels are messengers from God. That means everyone of us can be an angel. I invite you to be an angel to someone this week.

Have a great week! I love you all.

Hermana Showalter

A Plane Wreck....

Hey everyone.

Tuesday. So good old walking and contacting.

Wednesday. We visited Jorge and Maribel. We talked about who is God and His plan for us. They are really sweet. And their daughter Helen is a cutie. Then we visited Jose Andres with Hermana Cecilia and we talked about missionary work. It has been a while since we have seen him but he is doing pretty good.

Thursday. We visited a less active named Juana Diaz. She has short term memory loss. We told her that the last missionaries who passed gave us her name and she got all emotional and started crying. She told us that her family left her and she doesn't have anyone and it means a lot to her that so one cared about her. We told her this like 10 times and she reacted the same every time. I loved it because it was a really humbling experience for me. I am so blessed.

Friday. I had leadership meeting. Which was so good. We talked about the atonement. Then we ate lunch with Hermana Gilda. After we went and visited the Hermanas in Macul 2.

Saturday. More meetings in the morning. Lunch with familia Fuentes Diaz. We ate Chinese! Then we visited Hermana Gladys and she said she has been thinking a lot about what we had said before and she wants to change.

Sunday. Church. Lunch with Lupe and Rayen. Then we went to the stake center for a missionary activity. It was called trip to Easter island. Where everyone gets on a "plane" they watch the movie of the plane crashing and then they go to different rooms where the kingdoms of glory are and they see how they are really like. It was really a neat experience. And Jorge and Maribel came. Hermana b silva and I sang a duet on Families can be together forever in 3 languages!

Monday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MALLORY. Zone class. I taught about the atonement. We did an activity where Elder Bravo had to do 10 push ups so that everyone could get a cookie whether they wanted it or not. We then were able to not only explain to them the atonement but to help them really understand. I loved teaching it because I learned so much.

Tuesday. Went to a park with the other hermanas and played there for a little bit.

So that was my crazy week. I love you all and I hope that you have an amazing week.

Hermana Showalter

I know I say it every week but time is passing WAY TOO FAST. Ahhh.

Hey everyone. Another week come and gone. I know I say it every week but time is passing WAY TOO FAST. Ahhh.

Tuesday. We met a really sweet less active that wants to return to church. She shared with us her testimony. It was sweet. It was a kind of a rough day for us because my companion got some bad news from her home.

Wednesday. Interviews with President and Hermana Morgan. I love them. President said, " The changes you have made are not changes to be a missionary but are changes to become a better disciple of Jesus Christ. You can take these changes home with you." We ate lunch with familia Martin ( you pronounce their name Martawn because it is french). Then we visited Hermana Veronica and Marcos and Cecilia.

Thursday. So we had no citas so we walked all day trying to find people. So we had a list of people. We decided to pass for a less active that we have never met before named Gladys. She invited us in. She told us her story and turns out after she was baptized and only active for a year and a half. We started talking about temples and she told us with tears in her eyes that she wants that peace. She told us that she did something that has effected her for so much time and has hurt her and her family. We were able to testify of the power of the atonement. It was one of the most spiritual lessons that I have had on the mission. I know that God sent us there because she told us normally she is never in the house at that time that normally she gets home from work late.

Friday. So I had a meeting on self sufficiency with all the missionaries going home this change. I learned more about studies and budgeting. Then we found 2 investigators from El Salvador, Jorge and Maribel.

Saturday. For lunch we ate Pupusa which is typical dish from El Salvador. Our investigators made them for us. They were so good! Then we visited the hermanas in Macul 2.

Sunday.  I gave a talk. It was kind of big deal because missionaries haven't given talks in a really long time. But the bishop felt inspired to ask me. I feel pretty special and honored. So I gave a talk on how the restoration applies to us. All our appointments fell so we spent a good time walking. But one conserje(like a apartment manager) said to an Asian lady that we were "elders that talked about Buddah" hahaha'

Monday. District class. I hit my 16 MONTH mark. Wow. Time goes fast.

Tuesday. Pday. I finished up buying gifts and then some hermanas came over and we ate tacos and bem casados which is a Brazilian dessert.

I love you all and I appreciate the love and support.

Have an amazing week.

Hermana Showalter