How Firm a Foundation

Hola familia y amigos míos!

How Firm a Foundation has been running through my mind this entire week! Because of the one line that says, "Fear not, I am with thee, oh be not dismayed, for I am your God and will still give thee aid! I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand. Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand!"

I remeber singing this at womens coference with Mom, Raechel, and Ashley and we were all balling, lol. And now I am full of gratidud for my God who has been with me this week, given me aid, strengthened me, helped me, and caused me to stand. Gosh, this week has truely been one of milagros! 

First of all Alan (our investigator with a baptismal date) has recieved all the lessons this week and we had a pre-interview with him and he passed with FLYING colors! And his baptism is this saturday! And honestly the best part has been seeing how happy he and his mom are. I remember the first time we taught his mom and she was so depressed, timid, and reluctant. And Alan was SOOO shy he would barely say anything. And now everytime we go to their house There are huge smiles on their faces! Alan is constantly giggling, moving around, and you can just see the changes that the Gospel brings into the lives of children of God! I LOVE going to teach them! 

Then there is Antonia (9 years old) and her mom Araceli. Her mom is kind of a less active. She works out of town for 2 weeks every two weeks and her parents are hard core catholics. So when she is gone her parents wont let Anotnia go to church. But Antonia is this sweet, smart girl who really wants to do the right thing. So she is our other investigator with a baptimal date! For the 29th of Nov. Because her mom leaves this friday for work. 

Then there is Manwel Jesus. He is an older guy. He doesnt really understand a lot at first, so we have to explain things really well. But he definitley has an intrest in learning more about our church, etc.

And this week as most of you know was fast sunday. And we were fasting with all our hearts that these people would all come to church yesterday! We have worked  VERY hard this week with them and they all said they would come. So then came sunday. And we waited and waited, and waited and no one. But we didnt give up hope. We knew we needed to have faith. So we were sitting in the sac meeting. And first comes Alan and his Mom. Then during the testimonies comes Manwel Jesus, then lastly comes Antonia and her mom! I was SOOOO full. Full of gratitud, of love, of the spirit. And on top of that our recent converts were all there and most of our less actives! In fact there is this 9 year old girl (Catalina) who is a recent convert and her mom is a less active, but her grandma is super active. But Cata hasnt been coming to church. And there she was on sun! And her Grandma told us that she didnt say anything to Cata, but that she woke up, got dressed and ready all on her own! So I am sitting there full of gratitud and happiness when Cata gets up, walks over to where we are sitting, and tells me she wants to bear her testimony. And I say, "Oh, you want to bear your testimony? okay..." but I didnt understand why she came over to us to tell me. Then she asked, "Will you come with me?" Ugh, I was so honored that she wanted me to go with her, but then I knew I was going to have to bear my testimony... but I couldnt say no to her. So we went and she gave the sweetest testimony! I didnt even tell her anything to say! And then I gave my testimony and it was short and simple. But really I just wanted to cry I was so happy! 

So I just want you all to know that when we truely have faith and do OUR part (this is very important!) God WILL be with us, lift up us to do the impossible, stregthen us, and cause us to stand. He hears our prayers, and he DOES answer them! 

I love you all with all my heart and I know that Heavenly Father has you all in mind. If you dont believe me read Alma 26:37. 

Con todo mi corazón, fuerte, amor, y mente, 

Hna Logan 

Me and my compañera. 

Our investigator Alan with his mom.

Alan again.

Alan made a cardboard cover for his scriptures!

Antonia was a zombie for halloween.

Us with Alan and his mom after he passed his pre-baptism interview!

Me with Antonia and her mom.

Classic God, Another Milagro!

Hola! 

So where to begin... ? First of all time is starting to pass super fast! The weeks are like this: Monday, Tues, Wed, Sunday, Monday, Tues, Wed, Sun... Really I cant believe that my compañera leaves in less than three weeks! 

So on to our week:

Remember how we didn't have anyone at church last week and that our person with a baptismal date didn't show up either? Yeah, so we went by his (Jaunito) house this week and taught him to keep the Sabbath day holy. Then we gave him a new date and told him *firmly* that he needs to come to church and partake of the Sacrament. He said yes he would and that he would for sure be at church this week. 

Then we were contacting and we came a cross this old lady who only has one tooth (reminded me of Grandpa, lol) And turns out she is a member (active I might add) but I had never seen her before in our ward... it was weird. But she told us she lives with her daughter who is a less active and her grandson who isnt a member but REALLY loves to go to church. So we asked her if we could accompany her to her house and teach them and she said, sure! So we went to her house and taught her daughter who really has a SUPER awesome testimony but she has had some trouble with members and she is in the middle of divorcing her husband and so she just stopped going to church. So we taught her and committed her to going to church with her son this week. 

So sunday comes around and we are waiting and waiting and biting our nails for Jaunito... and he didnt show *typical chileno flojo* but the less active and her son did! So this was our miracle! Because throughout all of my time here I havent had an investigator come to church! So after church we went to their house and taught them both. And Alan (age 10) committed to a baptismal date! And really he is a such a special spirit! And we are reactivating his mom who REALLY wants this for her son.

So what I learned this week:

-God gives us miracles. ALWAYS! He really does hear our prayers and though he doesnt always answer them how we want or think, they are ALWAYS answered! 

-That the people here are "flojas". Which doesnt really translate well but the closest thing is "lazies" lol. They are all talk but no action! So it is really nice to see that there are people here who have a desire to change strong enough to act.

-The importance of the Sacrament. With all this time of our investigators not coming to Church is has given me the chance to reflect just exactly HOW important the Sacrament is. We have the opportunity to be CLEAN and new EVERY week! We are totally forgiven of our sins when we worthily partake of the Sacrament and remmber the Sacrafice of our Savior! Not to mention that partaking of the Sacrament and keeping the sabbath day holy are commandments! And what do we do if we love God? KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS! 

Also, we had intercambios this week! Which was really great because Hna Cook was my companion and I was able to speak english for a short while! We had some fun:) We found a new family to teach so I am super stoked to teach them! 

I want all of you to know that I love you all! That the Atonement is REAL. It is infinite. It is personal. And it applies to EVERYONE. His Atonement is always there, we just need to apply it in our lives. Go to church! Its a blessing and a commandment! 

Thank you to all who write me and read my emails. I am truly blessed to have you all in my life! 

Con todo mi gratitud, amor, y corazón,

Hna Logan

This is a delicious fruit called Chirimoya

The Strength of the Lord

Hola!

Ok so this week was pretty interesting... it had its ups and its downs... And your probably ALL wondering what happened??!! Because you have nothing better to do than read my exciting letters(right Bishop:))? So, this week none of our investigators are progressing. None are assisting church and none had a baptismal date. But this week we went to the house of the 17 year old named Jaunito. My first mamá and I went to his house many times but he never had time to sit down and have an actual lesson. But this time he did. So we taught him and it was amazing! During the lesson my compañera asked him if he had any questions for us. Guess what he said?? HOW CAN I BE A MEMBER OF YOUR CHURCH? So we went ahead and taught him Lesson 3 (The Gospel of Jesus Christ: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Endure to the end) and invited him to be baptized on November 2nd. And he said YES! So we were stoked! Like, full of the spirit and rejoicing! Then on saturday our Zone had a fast for all of our investigators, etc. And so we fasted especially that we could have at least 1 investigator at church and especially Jaunito because they have to assist church at least 2 times before they are baptized. And guess what happened??? NOTHING. We had NO ONE attend church this sunday. And so you can imagine how disappointed we are. And I´m having to learn how I can deal with this whole agency thing...BUT, now he is sick and I believe its because he didn't come to church, but thats just me. But we are going to try to figure out how we can help him and what exactly his need is. 

Also one day we were contacting and this guy came up to me and said, "Yeah, tell me your message." And I was pretty taken aback and so I started sharing pretty shakily our message. Then he said, "How long have you been in Chile?" And I said, "Seven weeks," and he said, "Okay, tell me your message in English because it will be more sincere." So I was still a little in shock, but I did. I shared our message in English and gosh the difference in the Spirit was SO apparent. And after my compañera told me that my testimony in English was super powerful. So I learned this week something that I had been struggling with a lot lately. Because Satan has put in my mind many doubts of why I'm here on a mission and whether or not I can really do this. But after that I remembered why I'm really here. That I do have a powerful testimony to share with the world and I just need to rely on it. It's there, waiting to be shared and I'm worrying to much on HOW to say it than what TO say. 

Also, this week my compañera and I had a few REALLY powerful lessons. The spirit was SO strong and I have definitely found that Heavenly Father has been helping me and supporting me SO much this week. There have been times where I feel like I just can't take another step, like I can't go on but there I am still going. And I know it's because of my Heavenly Father and your prayers for me.

Also I feel impressed to tell you that you should read Preach my Gospel. Really it isn't only for missionaries. It is for EVERYONE! The apostles spent YEARS praying over what should be in the book. And it is truely all we need to know! So your homework this week, is to start incorporating PMG in your lives. The words are simple but powerful. And I know you will find in there things you really need to know. 

I love you all SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!!!!!! And think about you every day! 

Con todo mi corazon y amor,

Hna Logan

I'm Going to Be a Murderer Again...

Hola! 

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS PARA: Marilena! I hope you have a wonderful birthday!!!!!! 

So I killed my mamá! And now she is back in her home! And my new mamá is from Perú, Arequipa! And this is her last transfer! So I'm going to kill her, too. But she is the only member in her family! She converted to the gospel (just to be clear she was baptized in FOUR days!), completed one year and then left for her mission! Isn't that incredible?! I don´t have a pic of her this week but the next I promise I will! She has a strong testimony and she is SUPER enthusiastic about finding new investigadors and so we contact a LOT. She reminds me a lot of Mom, lol. Her conversion, her enthusiasm, her powerful testimony- it's awesome:)

Also I got a hair cut which I also don't have a pic of... but she cut off all my dead hair (which was like 4 inches) so its definitely shorter, but it's soooo healthy and I love it! 

And I just want to give you all a little challenge... Yes it is the missionaries job and calling to teach and find people but the members are a HUGE part, too. Because we are only in an area for a short amount of time and so our converts need friends in the church! And a lot of old people too! We have a recent convert/less active, Luis Plaza, and he lives alone because his wife is in the hospital and everytime we visit him he starts crying because he feels so lonely! It's terribly sad! And he doesnt have friends in the church! So if you see that the missionaries have brought someone to church please try to befriend them! Every convert needs to have an awesome hand-off from the missionaries to the ward! Because we aren´t going to be there for very long. So I DARE you to jump out of your comfort zone and befriend those special spirits that the Lord has prepared to receive the Gospel. So... DO IT! :) 

This week I have seen and the felt the hand of the Lord in my life SUPER strong! I have only been in Chile for 7 weeks almost 8 and I can almost understand everything that people say! It's amazing! Like last week and the week before I was struggling big time with understanding and talking (because I couldn't understand a lot) and now it's like a 180! I feel like the Lord has definitely blessed me with extra strength and power this week and I am SUPER SUPER grateful for this ENORMOUS blessing in my life! Granted, I can´t understand everything, and some people I understand almost nothing because they talk differently or something, but for the most part it has been a great improvement! 

So I am soooooo glad that all of you are doing well and I want you all to know that all is well with me:) Yes a mission is HARD, harder than testimony hill during Trek, (yes Mom and Ron it's true!) but I wish I could explain how it feels to be able to sit down in a house everyday with someone and feel the spirit super strong! It's an incredible feeling and it's going to be something that I miss when I come home. I love this gospel, the hope and true joy it brings to people, and the opportunity I have to share it with the people of Chile! 

les quiero y amo muchísimo!!!!!

Con todo mi corazón y alma,

Hna Logan

A cute little boy!

Killing off my mamá!

Two Conferences and a Death

Hola!

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS PARA:

Raechel, Jen, and Ron!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope all of you had (and will have) an amazing and awesome time on your bithdays and know that I am thinking of you and wishing you a happy birthday with REALLY good cake:)) I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Also that picture of Jane is SUPER ADORABLE! She looks SO much bigger! Someone needs to tell her she cant get any bigger until I get home and then she can grow as big as she wants!

And I have officially killed my mom (mission-wise, since your trainer is called your mom and her trainer is your grandma, etc.) and will get my second mom on Wednesday night! So for right now I am in Compañías with the sister training leaders in a trio until then. And I should find out tomorrow night who my new compañera is, her name, etc. So I am super excited for the new change and I know with the Lord that all will be well! 

 

And can we all just stop and be in awe for a minute at HOW AMAZING COFERENCE WAS?????!!!!!! Man it's like when you're on your mission Conference is ten times more spiritual and ten times faster than usual! Or maybe I just haven't appreciated it as well before now... but MAN I had three questions that I wrote down before and ALL were answered during the conference, like the promise, and even more! However, We didn't have ANY of our investigators show up:( But I did find two new members that we can have at our lessons which is a huge blessing because we have been struggling in that area these past couple weeks! 

And I really can't spend the entire time saying what I love from General Conference the most so I will tell you that I REALLY loved these talks:

Jorg Klebingat

Jeffery R. Holland

Elder Christofferson

President Uchtdorf

Lynn G Robbins

The prophet!

Richard G. Scott

DAVID A: BEDNAR

and again the Prophet!

And really I love EVERY talk, but these talks I received personal revelation that was awesome and their perfect stories, analogies, etc.

Okay and also this week I had my first Zone Conference with the President and his assistants and the message he gave was AWESOME for me! Because my first transfer I have had quite a few doubts about myself and my abilities and thats EXACTLY what he talked about! We read this talk and I don't remember the name cuz I didn't bring it with me, but it was AWESOME and exactly what I needed! 

And during the zone conference I got my mail! So I got 3 dearelders two from mom and 1 from Ron and one letter from my friend Kelsey and it was like christmas! Thank you! And don't worry about how far behind they are because I only get mail twice a month so they add up until then. So feel free to send me more and longer ones:) and that applies to everyone! 

And now I just want all of you to know how much I love you! How much God loves YOU and that He, the all powerful creator of all things and people, KNOWS YOUR NAME! TAKE the time to read the scriptures and pray. It is not a matter of IF you have time, it is a matter of your priorities! If you say you don't have time for these things that means you are putting other things above Heavenly Father. So take the initiative to talk with Him and read His holy words! I can testify that they are the WORD OF GOD HIMSELF, that Heavenly Father IS ALWAYS LISTENING AND WAITING to hear from you! 

I love you all and am so glad everything is going well! 

con todo mi corazón,

Hermana Logan

I'm Going to Be a Murderer...

Hola mi familia y amigos!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANE!!!! I LOVED YOUR MESSAGE AND DON'T YOU WORRY, WHEN I COME HOME WE WILL SPEND ALL OF GPA´S MONEY AND BUY YOGURT AND HAVE HOT CHOCOLATE WITH MARSHMALLOWS!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEVON! Just so you know I have been praying for you and your interviews so you better study hard! :) But I know you are going to do AWESOME! And whatever happens is what the Lord has in mind for us!

 

Ok so this week wasn't a very productive one :( The people here in Chile don't do ANYTHING when they´re sick, which is weirrd cuz in America if you´re not dying- you´re working! Lol. So many of our investigators and people we contacted didn´t want us to teach them, couldn´t come to church, or blah, blah blah... yeah so that was great... but on the other hand we got to listen to the General Womens broadcast! But I couldnt really understand it cuz it was in spanish:(( But the music was in English and that made me cry, lol. So even without the talks it's powerful! And we had an investgator come! Which was really awesome because two lessons ago she had a TON of questions about prophets, etc. Her name is Maria Jesús and she said she liked it and would come to General Conference this weekend so yay! We think that she will be baptized next month! And I should be able to listen to General Conference in English so that will be a LOT better! Also, I REALLY LOVE CONFERENCE because we get to invite a ton of people to listen to it! And it is something SO special and unique that people are super interested in it. So basically I friggin LOVE this church and General Conference!

 

If you´re wondering what I mean about being a murderer, it means I am killing my compañera next week! In mission language when your companion goes home and you were their last companion you "kill" them. lol. And pretty much this entire day we spent in central getting her passport and papers, etc for her leaving. So this is her last week and I am super nervous because I have to train my next companion with our area and investigator, etc. Which I do NOT know all that well! So yeah, but on the other hand I´m super excited to see if I get a gringa or a latina... either way I will be helped IMMENSLEY!

 

ALSO, EVERYONE I HAVE A HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT! I HAVE OFFICIALLY HAD MY FIRST DREAM WITH SPANISH! Ha! Mom said it would happen at six months! TRY TWO! Lol. It was super weird, but Mom, Ron, Dad, Ryan, Jen, Jane, Ronnie, Kelly, Marshall, Kaden, Kieren, Raechel, Taylor, and Andrew were all there and I remember talking spanish with Raechel. I dont remember what we were saying or what my dream was really about but, yeah! It happened! Lol. And Raechel was the lucky person I spoke Spanish with, lol. Yay, Raechel:))

 

Also, this week I have my first Zone Conference and I get to recite the first vision in Spanish... yay...

PRAY FOR ME!

 

Have I mentioned that I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE the book of Alma? Because let me tell you, I LOOOOOOOVVEEE it! I have been studying it and You should see how marked up it is in my Book of Mormon! I just love Aaron, Amulek, Ammon, the sons of Mosiah, Alma, and the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi! I just finished Amla 27 and when the A-N-L all just let the Laminites kill them because they buried their weapons and refused to defend themselves, I just cry! And then the Laminites are SO astonished and just fall to the ground and beg for forgiveness because of the thousands of innocent lives they just murdered! And the A-N-L are SO forgiving and humble! Gosh, I LOVE THEM! And I love ALL the AMAZING examples of missionaries in the book of Alma! It has helped me to know what I need to do to improve my teaching! So I can teach with "power and authority" like they did. The Book of Mormon is freaking true! I know it with all my heart! And I KNOW that we have modern prophets today like unto the times of old because we follow the same order of God that has always been. I KNOW that Joseph Smith was a prophet and saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and that he restored the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ after years without it! And we invite ALL people to read the Book of Mormon and pray and ask God to know if it is true. Because it is either true or it is not. And you can know for yourself the answer.

 

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YOU ALL SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH! You are forever in my prayers and I know that Heavenly Father is blessing you!

 

con todo mi amor y corazón,

Hermana Logan

The hill of death!

This is Catalina, she is a recent convert and after we were teaching her she got out the cookie monster and put a cookie in his mouth, lol! I was dying!

Fourth Week in Chile

Hola!

HAAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRTTHHDDAAY TAYLOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I realized after we left the computers last week that I forgot to say it, but I did remember and I actually said Happy Birthday to you on your birthday... maybe you heard it??

AWWWW Jane looks awesome! My district leaders and my compañera and I have been praying for her health and looky here! Man someone give her a big hug for me!

So this week wasn't very eventful... the days are starting to pass by faster and I can't believe my compañera is leaving in two weeks and I am going to have to teach my new compañera about the investigators and where they live, where everything is, really... yeah, wow.

My spanish... hmmm... well it seams to come in waves. There will be times and certain people where I get everything they're saying, and then others where I got nothin. Also, there are a lot of times where I understand the words but not the meaning of their sentence... I dont know it's wierd. But my ability to understand improves everyday:) Thanks to a very loving and merciful Heavenly Father. Not going to lie the hardest part of my mission right now is the language. And so its pretty frustrating. But I know that it allows me to humble myself and that way I can feel and share the Spirit easier. So it evens out... but they say it takes about 3 months to finally start understaning and speaking the language pretty fluently... so only two more months! Yay...

This week was the Fiestas Patrias (Independence day of Chile: Sep 18th) and so the 17, 18, 19. and 20th was pretty hard for finding and teaching people because they were visiting with family and there were like NO people in the streets! But we had Almuerzo with some recent converts (for about 2 months) and the big thing to eat on the 18th is bbq! So we had bbqed beef and pork which was super yummy! And then the next day we had Almuerzo with them again and they make a stew with the bbqed meat called "ajiaco" which was frapping good, too. And my compañera made no bake cookies but here they are called "caca de mono" which is monkey poop hahahahahahha.

Oh and we found some new investigators this week but we can't visit them until after this week with the holiday. Its really amazing how accepting the people are of the BOM and with speaking with us. Even if they aren't interested they will be really nice about it. And last night we were contacting and we came across this woman who was not interested and yada-yada and my compañera asked if we could come in and sing a song for her, so we went in her house and she started telling us about her work, etc... and she started crying! And I don't know why because I couldn't really understand her crying voice, but we were able to sing and share the BOM and a scripture with her. And it's amazing sometimes how the Lord does prepare people for us to teach and also for us to listen to!

Gosh, we receive tender mercies from the Lord EVERY DAY! My testimony of His hand in our lives has been strengthened this week a LOT! So I challange all of you to start writing down a tender mercy or miracle that you receive every day! I promise you that if you do this, you will be overwhelmed with how much the Lord has you in mind! I love my Heavenly Father with ALL my heart and yes, this work is hard, but also my testimony has been strengthend SO much. I love all of you SO SO much and I know that Heavenly Father KNOWS and LOVES each and every one of you!

I hope you all have an amazing week and that Jane continues to improve!

con todo mi amor,

Hermana Logan

Our District

Me and my compañera

My Week of Firsts and Milagros!

Hola everyone!

SO GLAD JANE IS IMPROVING!! MY PRAYERS FOR HER HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!

Also, not sure I mentioned this, but one of the rules of our mission is we cant drink Coke! I KNOW IT KILLS ME!!! Man it's like one of the biggest sacrifices cuz coke is EVERYWHERE here!

Also one of the goals in our mission is to read a certain number of chapters in the Libro de Mormon (LDM - Book of Mormon in Spanish) every day. And so I was reading the LDM and the BOM side by side so I could understand it. Then one Elder told me I should read the LDM only with my dictionary for all the words I don't know and then it would help me with my Spanish. So I started doing that and the first day I read 3 verses in one hour... yeah I know, LAME. So that was about 5 days ago. This morning I read 12 verses! I improve with my reading every day and now I can understand the wording in the scriptures SO much better! 

So this week I call my week of firsts because I had a lot of firsts this week, lol. And milagros means miracles. Everyday Hermana Maldanado and I write in our agendas like at least one miracle a day! There´s a lot so here I go:

Firsts:

• Zone conference. There are five Elder companionships and only us Hermanas in my zone. But yeah it was a pretty cool thing and I cited the missionary purpose in Spanish in front of them... good thing they pounded that into our heads in the CCM because my compañera didn't tell me I was reciting it until like 5min before the meeting started... lol. MILAGRO!
• Intercambios. Or splits with the sister training leaders! Oh gosh did I LOVE that! I was with Hermana Page (whose brother also served in Tucson at the same time as Taylor, spanish speaking, and so she is convinced they know each other! So Taylor if you know an Elder Page from your mission it's her brother!) and she is freaking AWESOME! First off it was nice to just speak English a little bit! That day I had SO many milagros from Heavenly Father it was crazy! And her spirit and confidence in me, made me more confident in myself! Which brings me to my next first...
• El Libro de Mormon. Thats right everyone I place my first LDM with only a little help from Hermana Page but it was mainly my doing:) It was pretty great!
• Rain. That wasn't too big of a deal... but the Chileans are like super freaked out by the rain and they like WON'T go outside lol.
• Service project. So it was changed because it was raining so we just helped set up the ward activity for independence day. AND I GOT TO WEAR PANTS OUTSIDE MY HOUSE! WOOOOOOO!
• Ward activity/Fiestas Patrias. So the day of independence isn't until the 18th but they have already started celebrating. Our ward activity was awesome, lol. They had dance competitions, karaoke, and costumes. It was awesome! They take this holiday pretty SERIOUSLY!
• Baptismal service. No not with our investigators, but with the Elders'. But it was still really nice! It was a sister and brother. One 9, the other 11. 

Ok now for my day of MILAGROS:

• On the way to meet the Sister Training Leaders we couldn't get a cab for like 20min and then out of nowhere this totally empty taxi honks at us and so we get in.
• 5min into the ride the taxi gets a flat tire, so the driver pulls over and fixes it. Then when he's done he goes to start the car and it won't start. So I said a prayer in my heart that it would start PLEASE and the next try it started! MILAGRO! 
• Then for Hna Page and my goals for the day we wanted to pass out both of our LDMs. And it was 9pm and she still hadn't passed hers out. And we were going to a less active´s house so there wasn't a chance she was going to. Then as we were talking the women said she wanted a LDM to give to her dad! MILAGRO!
• Then by the time we left her house it was 9:57. We had THREE mins to get home! So we RAN OUR BUTTS OFF and guess what? Made in the door by exactly 10pm! 

The church is freaking true! I love you all SOOOOO much and I know Heavenly Father is watching over you for me! 

You are all forever in my prayers!

The cast of one of the member's hands - he wrote "Me gusta" on his thumb, lol! (Like a Facebook like)

Me and my compañera

Sombreros!

This dog looks just like our old dog, Billy!

Ward activity decorations

Cute little Chilean boy

Week 2 in Chile

Hola everyone!

Well my first whole week in La Serena is over! Man what a week! All I can say about my Spanish is that it improves every day... and I can understand now a whole lot more than I could my first day, lol. Which I am SUPER grateful for because Heavenly Father knows I need it! I am SO glad that Jane is doing better! I fasted for her yesterday and I pray for her multiple times a day! It really sucks not being able to hold children on your mission! It makes me miss holding Jane and Kieran a lot! But esta bien! 

Ok well I am being tested here. The members here drink this drink that is coffee but it's wheat based, so not exactly coffee, but it tastes super nasty! And we have to eat or drink whatever people give us, right? So I have had three full mugs of the nasty fake coffee, thats right be proud! lol. Oh and the bread! The bread here is fabulous! In fact the food here in general is pretty great! But my companion says that this area is the area with the best food and everywhere else it isn't that good... so I guess I'll find out! Oh and a new thing I tried this week was pasta with avocado as the sauce... it was actually pretty freaking good, you should try it! 

Anyways, so yesterday was fast Sunday and in our district we HAVE to bear our testimonies EVERY fast and testimony meeting... so I bore my testimony. It was short, sweet, and to the point, lol. But on a happier note one of our investigators came to church with us! Her name is Amanda and she is a very old and interesting lady hahahaha. And she smells just like Grandma- smoke and perfume. And one of our other investigators, Luz Maria (who doesn't like to keep commitments!!!) came to church for the last hour... But she said she was late because of the time change (the hour was changed one hour ahead) but who knows? At least she came with her two kids, too! 

Also, there is this old man (less active) who cant hear very well and literally shuffles (like slides his feet two inches forward back and forth to walk) and it's so sad but hilarious! We went to his house to sing and pray, etc, and we were in the middle of the first verse of the hymn when he gets up and shuffles to his bed and just lays down... lol! We couldn't stop laughing! He said we were taking to long and he didn't want to listen to us anymore! Gosh, it was so funny! The people here are pretty strange, lol. 

Oh, and don't worry about my love life- I have had at least three old, drunk men profess their love to me... so I've got plenty of options lol. 

Well there isn't much more to say... I cant send pics because my camera just died:((( 

Things to be grateful for everyone:

• Hot water that doesn't require you to go into another room and turn on a heater, that is run by gas which needs to be replaced when it's empty. 
• Carpet
• Dishwashers
• Dryers- all clothes here are hang dried and they get stiff:(
• Shower heads! Ours doesn't have one, it's just a flexible pipe thing (kind of like hose) and you have to hold it yourself...
• Heaters- our casa is freaking COLD ALL THE TIME I wear a jacket, two pairs of socks, a scarf, and gloves during study time...

Also something spiritual:

Heavenly Father hears our prayers! He is ALWAYS waiting for us to talk with Him and when we do He is overjoyed! He loves us SOOO much! More than we can even comprehend! SOO much that He let His son suffer for our sins and die for our salvation. And through Christ we are all as clean as the day we were born. ALL sins can be forgiven, if we just repent and give our will to Him. Talk with your Father! He IS there and He is ALWAYS listening! 

I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are ALWAYS in my prayers!!!! Endure to the end, its NOT easy, but it will be worth it! 

Con todo mi amor y corazón,
Hermana Logan

Week One in Chile!

Hola!

Okay wow what a couple of days it has been. So the plane ride from Mexico was 8 and a half hours,but it all went pretty smoothly- one of the Elders in my district gave out two BOM on the plane lol. When we finally made it through customs our Mission Prez was right there and they immediately put us on the bus to Viña- so sorry I didnt get to call or email when we arrived:((( Then when we got to Viña my mission prez said okay we are going to put you in companionships and you need to give out a BOM, write down one contact (get their address, name, and telephone) and have someone give you the directions to this address(the mission home address) and make your way there when you are done! So the first like two hours in Chile I was roaming around the unkown city (luckily with a latina companion who spoke Spanish- and she was from Trijillo, Peru!- and another gringa who knew spanish better than me) trying to get a contact, give out a BOM, and find the mission home. It was intresting lol. But we completed the task! When we finally arrived to the mission home we had a lot of videos and information to watch, etc. The first night us new Hermanas slept in a hotel,  oh and by the way its pretty dang COLD here. I did not bring enough winter clothes! 

Then the next morning I found out that I am going all the way to La Serena which is a 7 hour bus ride from Viña and is the most northern part of our mission. My new companion is Hma Maldonado. So I arrived in my first area at around 2 in the morning and arrived at my house with my companion and was in bed by lik,e 3:30. So it was quite a lot of traveling for awhile, lol. My first day I just wanted to die. I could NOT understand ANYONE! Oh, gosh the people here talk SO fast. And my companion is Argentinian. She knows quite a bit of english which I am SO grateful for. Oh,sidenote: all the latinas in our mission have to learn English, too and take a test on it. She only has six weeks left in her mission and so I have to learn our area and the people here really well in the next six weeks! My companion is pretty awesome, she is super patient with me and will tranlate the best she can things I dont understand. But still we both carry around our dictionaries to communicate, lol.
But so far our lessons have all been great. I love the people here! And with girls you always kiss cheeks when you say hi and bye(which is Chau here). I love it! Plus the Bishop and some people know English (in fact I get to teach them English- which is a nice break for me lol.) And two of the Elders in my district are grngos so we can talk in English:)
So this week has been both great and crazy hard! There have been times where I  just want to break down and times where I want to jump for joy! Each day I can understand more and more of the spanish here and I know that the Lord is blessing me in all my efforts to improve in the language. 

Funny stories:

My companion told me my feet were on fire... found out later she was trying to say they were tan, lol. 

I told our bishop that I have 19 siblings cuz I thought he was asking me how old I was...

Well I love you all so much! Cant wait to hear from you next week!!!!
Con Dios!
chau!

Hermana Logan

My Last Day in the CCM! Off to Chile!

Hola mi amorosos!

I cant believe I am leaving here in just 3 and half hours for the airport! It still hasn't totally hit me yet! But I am so excited to see Chile and start teaching real investigators! Soy muy agradacido por todo aprendo en el CCM y todo español aprendo aqui. Although I am not quite sure if I am ready to speak spanish with all the people in Chile... I have a funny story that I want to share about my spanish:

So yesterday I was called to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting (I dont know if I have mentioned this, but every sunday they call on people right then and there to speak without letting them know ahead of time. So you just sit there sweating your skin off, anxiously awaiting your name to be called). So I get up and I give my talk and afterward the Zone president told me he was very impressed with my spanish and the spanish of our whole district. So there I was feeling good about myself and my spanish and all was well with the world. Then, we were eating lunch with the zone presidency and our zone president´s family, and I, being the overconfident person I was, tried to tell his little boys that they were very handsome. Then his youngest boy tells his dad he thought I was speaking french... So yeah now I am not feeling so great about my spanish lol. But I learned something pretty great via the Spirit this week. We were reading in Ether 12 (Quite the coincidence ha Mom?) and we were discussing how Heavenly Father gives us weaknesses that we may be humble. So I realized that Heavenly Father has missionaries learn a new language so that they might be humble. And so when I am bearing my testimony in broken spanish, I can bear it humbly and simply. That allows us to have the Spirit better than anything else. And just like the experience with Brigham Young: a simple and humble testimony is the most powerful. So I know that Heavenly Father will bless me and qualify me for this work and for Chile!

I am sooooooo excited to go teach the people in Viña and to bring the world His truth. I know this gospel is true. I KNOW it, God KNOWS it, and I CANNOT DENY IT! I love this Gospel and I all of you. I pray for all of you EVERYDAY and like 10 times a day! And guess what? Heavenly Father answers our prayers! 

Well, goodbye for now! I'm off to Chile!!!!!!

Adios! Con amor,

Hermana Logan