Hermana Kristen Hilburn: 2016-08-28

First week of cambio 5 and we are off to a great start!!!!

Well to start out with personal stuff. I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON THIS WEEK. hahahahh I know it's the 7th month that I'm in Chile and that's a little lame but I have an excuse. I started in English then started in Spanish then went back to English, but I finished it in English and now starting again in Spanish. I just wanna share with you all a little bit of my testimony and how I came to know the truth of that great book. In the CCM I was a loco brain and I doubted everything I ever knew. One day when we were in class I was like I have never done what Moroni 10 challenges us to do. I have never meditated and prayed about the Book of Mormon. So that night I really did just that. I really meditated and I knelt down and prayed to know if the Book of Mormon was true or not and I recieved the most clear answer in the world that it is really the words of God and if I read it all I will come to know.

So this week as I finished the Book of Mormon after 7 months I really can say that I know that this book is true. I read it, I pondered it's message in my heart and I prayed with faith in the name of Jesus Christ and I know it's true. I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON and it has brought me so much direction and peace throughout my mission. I am so grateful for that wonderful book and hey,,,, if you haven't read it you are missing out on Gods top seller and top rated book. So read it!

Ahhhhh but other than that goodness this week was super awesome. We had our fist capilla abierta? idk if you guys know what that is but it's basically bringing a visitor center to a capilla(chapel tour). Literally the most special thing in the whole world. We were tour guides and we taught the first lesson with banners and pictures in under 7 min. I was so nervous because I didn't think it was possible but it turned out so dang well. The spirit was so strong, I was in tears almost the whole time. So ahhh so incredibel. I felt like a real time temple square missionary. Well minus all the makeup and perfect shoes. But it was A Maze Ing!

Also we had a ward talent show put on by yours truly the obra missional and it was a HIT. HOLY COW. THIS BARRIO PIDUCCO REALLY KNOWS HOW TO PARTY. The missionaries and our ward mission leader did a skit that we planned literally when the curtain was closed and it turned out pretty well .(thank you senior year musical! Shout our Mr. Holmes) We had the whole crowd laughing and it was super fun. But the best part was that we had 2 family investigators there. Loreto, her husband and son and a less active lady named Rut and her children.

Loreto is the one that I told you all about the other week. She has A LOT OF FEAR. She's afraid of everything. She is just a nervous Nancy to try anything new but we told her it would be a good way to feel more comfortable in the capilla. So she came to the activity but she didn't go to church the next day but lil by lil right????

Rut is a menos activa but none of her sons are members. Her oldest son Jaime wants to learn more and find out for himself what is the true church.

I'm learning even more patience in this change. I didn't think I could even learn more from the last change but here I am. I understand that God's timing is different than mine and I'm working every single day to accept and trust Him.

Well everyone I love you all so so much. I also love the people here in Rancagua to the moon and back. The mission is really teaching me so much about how much God loves all of his children. He loves each one of you and if you aren't sure of it, just pray and you'll feel it.

Have a good one and do good things.

Hermana Hilburn