June 27th - Week 57 "Goooooooooaaaaaalllllllllll"

Well...everyone in Chile is beyond happy today (besides Hermana Chamorro) since we are Copa America Champions again!!!!! Yesterday I would be lying if I said we slept since there was so much noise all night. We were able to watch the Chile v. Colombia game on Tuesday, or at least the first half but didn't watch the final yesterday since it was on Sunday. But I'm just happy Chile won!

Argentina beat USA in the Copa America. Catie had to wear an Argentina jersey to deliver on their bet

This week was great and I was able to see Hermana Challco again!!! On Monday night Hermana Challco, Hermana Palomino, and Hermana Pebbles slept in the pension. It was so fun to get the scoop on Tocopilla and know that everyone is doing well. Hermana Challco took good care of Tocopilla and I'm excited to have here nearby. 

Catie and Hernama Challco!

An investigator Fresia came to church yesterday with her faimly. Her son is a recent convert and we are trying to help Fresia also prepare to be baptized. 

We found lots of new famlies this week which was fantastic! We also went to visit one of our investigators Erika this week who is 7th day Adventist. She always tries to bible bash us and this was our last attempt. Whe we got there her grandson let us in and when we walked into the living room here daughter was there and 2 preachers from church. We listened as they talked about the bible and then were able to teach about he pre-existence and the fall. Erika's daughter was attacking us but we continued to bear testimony and pulled out a few scriptures from the bible and Book of Mormon to help her understand. The spirit was super strong and at one point her pastor got mad at her and told her to listen to what we were saying. It went silent and she quietly listened. In the end her pastor accepted a Book of Mormon and a pamphlet. I think we touched his heart.  

Sorry for such a short email. Today is a holiday here and it's been hard to get a hold of internet! 

Love you all!!

Oh and change of mission president this week! I feel so blessed to have served with the Daltons but am so excited to meet the Ferreiras!!! (And family, pretty cool that you could meet them this week!!!)

Hermana Freedman

June 20th - Week 56 "Feliz Dia de Papa"

Happy Fathers Day Dad!!! Thanks for your example! Te amo mucho!!! This week was the last week of the transfer...but i won't be having any changes. I will be staying here in Maray with Hermana Chamorro for at least 6 more weeks! But, tomorrow the house will definitely be divided. Argentina vs. USA. The loser buys ice cream. 

This week we were able to watch the Chile v. Panama game which was super fun. I have definitely come to love soccer. And on Saturday we didn't sleep thanks to the Chile v. Mexico game. Chileans know how to celebrate a goal. Haha. 

This week I also got stuck on a micro bus! Hermana Chamorro and I were coming back from centro and it was super full. I'm not sure how but we had kinda gotten separated and when the bus stopped I didn't make it off in time. I touched the doorbell but the bus driver wouldn't stop!!! Hermana Chamorro was running down the street after the bus. A block later it stopped to let me off. We had a good laugh. I almost made it to Paipote all by myself. 

This week we also saw progress and miracles. 

-Daniela (my convert from Pimientos) has really been struggling with the idea of the temple. Since after her baptism I have felt strongly to continually talk about the temple. This week the Lord softend her heart. We had a lesson on the plan of salvation and I was able to testify of the importance of the temple in our progress. Daniela for the first time understood the importance and has plans to go in July to do baptisms!!! I am so excited!!!

-Aurora is progressing! We left her a chapter to read after our last appointment and she had read 8 chapters more! She committed to come to church next Sunday and has agreed to be baptized the 16th of July if at church she feels it is really right. We have been incorporating the members as well which has really helped. I love how Aurora always has questions and is really looking for the answers! She told us she feels that God is leading her to a new life. 

-The biggest miracle of the week was yesterday night. We hadn't found any new investigators all week and Hermana Chamorro and I were pretty bummed. We had put future investigators in our plans all week with no luck. On Sunday night at 8 we had an appointment with a future investigator that fell through. We went to all the other future families in the area to try and find someone but nada. We were close to our apartment so we entered quickly and offered a prayer for help finding a new family. With 40 minutes left in the day we went to the bishops to ask for a reference. They passed 2 references. Neither family answered the door. We decided to knock the neighbors door but they didn't have time. So...we decided to just make the best of it and at least have a lesson with a member present. We went to a recent converts apartment to visit him and his mom who is an investigator. They didn't have time either but we asked for more references. They started talking about all neighbors!!! It was 8:40 and only one apartment had the light on so we knocked the door. A woman opened the door and her two dogs came running out. She started saying enter, enter and we thought she was talking to her dogs! Finally she said, do you want to come in and share or not! With 20 minutes left in the day we were able to find a family. Claudio, Cristina, and their 2 daughters. Claudio is Catholic but has attended lots of church, including ours for a month or so. He prays every night. Crisitna says she believes in everything but has gone to our church for a few activities (for the food...). We shared the Restoration in 10 minutes, like President encouraged us to practice and they invited us back this Friday! We were so excited and it was a testimony builder that God blesses us for our diligence. 

I know this church is true and there is nothing better than being a missionary!

Besos y Abrazos!

Hermana Freedman

Natalia

Hernama Beatriz

June 13th - Week 55 "Viva Chile"

Well it's pretty crazy that its time for the Copa America again. I feel like just yesterday I was in Santiago watching the Chile Argentina final. Just in case anyone doesn't know, or forgot, Chile won. Haha... Hna. Chamorro has made my love for Chilean soccer grow since she is always cheering for Argentina, and... President Dalton has given us permission to watch all the Chile games which has been really fun. 

Last Monday we went to Caldera with Hna. Cinthia, Pia, the hermanas from Palomar and the hnas. from caldera. We went to Bahia Inglesa which is the prettiest beach. Caldera has the best beaches in Chile. We had so much fun and Hermana Chamorro and I got ready for the Chile Argentina games and both went sporting our jerseys. 

This week we had such a great lesson with Gladys and a member from the ward.  Gladys was so excited for her baptism, she had made tons of progress with her goals to quit smoking and we got her interview set up and everything. When we went on Saturday to pick her up for her interview she told us she doesn't want to be baptized which was such a bummer. We are now deciding if we should just let her go or if we need to keep working with her. There is definitely a lot of praying going on. It's sad seeing her let all the temptations of the world get the best of her, and in such a short time (less than a week) she has backtracked tons....

But there is always something good that happens. Yesterday a recent convert that Hna. Chamorro and I have helped reactivate brought her 2 sons who are 8 and 9 because she wants them both to be baptized! We have an FHE planned tonight with them. 

Also we have a newewr investigator Aurora. We had an appointment for Saturday scheduled but on Friday she called us cancelling. However while planning we felt we should put plans in her area and Saturday morning left to start working. We ended up running into her in the street and she told us she was busy because her mom was over. We asked if we could head over just to introduce ourselves to her mom and she got super excited. We were able to share The Plan of Salvation with both of them and Aurora was super interested. She still doesn't want to accept baptism but we are seeing progress which is exciting! 

This week during zone training I was able to teach about Luke 5:4-7

 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

I loved this small set of scriptures and loved how Peter said they had diligently worked all night without results. But then they enacted their faith when they obeyed the Lord and they were blessed beyond measure. Then in verse 7 I loved how they invited others to come and help! President recently has been reminding us of President Monson when he told us that now is the time for members and missionaries to work together. I know that if we do that we will find so many people to teach that [our ships will sink] or we will have success beyond what we can imagine. 

I'm so grateful to be a missionary and to be serving here in Copiapo!!!

Love,

Hermana Freedman

June 6th - Week 54 "Cumple Ano Feliz"

Well I can hardly believe that one year ago I was saying goodbye to all of you! I think this has been, without a doubt the fastest, most fulfilling year of my life. 

This week was super busy (nothing new) but really great and we were able to find a few new families! Christopher and his girlfriend Sandra and their 3 daughters. We got to their house just as they were moving furniture and were able to help them and also teach a lesson on the atonement! They are excited to come to church next Sunday which would be great to see a new family there!

We also had another lesson with Yobana this week and were able to teach the restoration. She has been talking to her mom who now wants to be baptized too! But...her mom lives in Talca (south of Santiago) and they want to be baptized together. Yobana will be moving in the next month or two to Talca to help her mom with her cancer treatment and found a new job in Talca too. But, a baptism is a baptism no matter where so we will just keep preparing her. 

Gladys has been having a really hard time quitting smoking and hasn't been progressing like we  would like. We have been trying to get more members involved, but Gladys isn't understanding the blessing and opportunity it is to be baptized. She has a baptismal date for the 18th so we will just keep doing everything we can! 

This week we had our last zone conference with the Daltons. We talked about consecration again and giving all we have to the Lord. It was also excting to see the progress the mission has made since I got to the field. When I got here the month before they had had 14 baptisms. This past month we had 70!!! During zone conference we were all able to share our testimonies and it was a great experience. 

For my one year mark, Hermana Chamorro and I went to Antofa for leadership council. It was sad saying by to the Daltons but I'm excited for President and Hermana Ferreira to get here!!! (June 29 is going to come so fast). It was also fun to see Hermana San Martin and the other STLs! 

Yesterday, some members Daniela and her husband Edward invited us over so we could get to know each other. They recently moved here but I know Daniela from Tocopilla! We made sushi together and it was definitely a fun night. 

Que tengan una buena semana! 

Con amor,

Hermana Freedman