It's a Two-Fer!! Two Awesome Letters in One Post!!

23 JANUARY 2018 -- Misericordiosamente: That's Nine Syllables, Now Say it Four Times Rapidito!!

This week we found a man who got in a car crash recently and has iron rods sticking out of his arm. Uh... But he's fine. Everything is fine. His name is Gonzalo and you can bet your bottom peso we're gonna share the sweet word with him! Stay tuned! 

Heavenly Father is really good at answering people's prayers when they ask in faith. If you're not already doin' that, try it out. It's the sweetest! I've been praying that He would put people in our path who are ready to receive the Gospel, and to help us have the courage to talk to them. And that is exactly what He is doing! I'm so grateful for the ability to speak directly with my Heavenly Father and to receive answers and guidance in return.

This week has been cooler, even a little cloudy! Tender mercies, cuz I am gettin' tired of being a sweaty hot mess. Apparently autumn starts in February and I'm PUMPED.

This one's a little baby email because I don't have time to write much more. I'll tell y'all all my stories when I get back! Promise! Just know that I love y'all and I'm happy and smiling all the time.

Besitos!! 

Hermana Siebach

Whoever can find the one star visible in Santiago gets a galleta!

30 JANUARY 2018 -- How The Nuts Did I Get Here???

Here I am, writing from my second area WOOHOO!! Our (last) area got whitewashed, so both Hermana Ence and I got transferred to new areas. I miss Hermana already, but she's gonna do great things without me. My new companion's name is Hermana Karstulovic and she's AMAZING. I already love her and I've only been with her a few hours. She's from Viña Del Mar, Chile so I'm about to get slapped in the face with 24/7 Español and I could not be more excited. She also only has one transfer left in her mission so she's gonna teach me allllll the things. I got moved from Javiera Carrera to Las Condes and I'm now serving as an Hermana Capacitadora. I think that's sister trainer leader in English? This will be a little crazy, but I'm excited to learn and progress a lot. I kinda feel like I'm still a baby in the mission. and I don't know how to train people. But, I'm good at listening! And praying! God will make the way! I live in the zone where the mission president lives. And there's a member of the Quorum of the 70 in my ward. And there are no dogs running the streets. It's a whole different world from my cute little ghetto Javi Cavi and I'm a little bit in shock. But it's fine. I'm fine. Everything is fine.

All my news and fun stories are from my last area. Old news, QUE FOME, but I hope you still wanna hear it :)

Gonzalo. The man with rods sticking out of his arm. He's wild! He wanders the streets and comes home every few days to eat. So when we went to his house, we found his family rather than him. They're so worried about Gonzalo and were amazed that he had talked to missionaries and even invited them to come to his house. We were able to share part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them and give them a hope for the future and for their family that I know they did not have before. We met with them just one time and I am so sad to leave and not be able to help them myself. But I have faith in the next missionaries :) 

Martina, our cute little 9 year old friend, is on her way to baptism! She's so pumped and her family is all up for it. They're a mix of active and completely inactive members and little Martina is being the example for all of them in her faith and desires to follow the path that Jesus showed us!

This week everyone who arrived in Chile here with me, and who got here the next tranfer after us, got their visas. Except for me. I had a good-sized panic time, thinking that I'd never see my family again. But everything is fine. It's all good. I'm fine. Hah!

This week in church we talked about service. Mosiah 2:17. When we serve others, really we are serving God. Mosiah 4:21 if everything we have comes from God, why, then, can we not share at least a little bit of what we have with others?? I've been thinking about this a lot and invite y'all to apply it to your lives. What more can we do? There's always more!

I love y'all! I love the mission! I love life! I love people that I don't even know! What a wonderful thing it is to love!

Besitos! 

Hermana Siebach

PS - I have soooooo many pictures to send but I forgot my camera. Lo siento mucho:( Next week!

God loves EVERY. SINGLE. ONE!

All my friends! Hermana Vasquez is maybe a little overwhelmed in a house of gringas, but she's tough, she can take it!

Hola! Here's a Dad quote from last week: 

"You know what is amazing?  The most vile, hopeless, dirty, drunk sinningest person you see tomorrow is capable of exaltation through the Atonement of Christ.  Isn’t that amazing?  That’s your message.  Everyone will know it someday.  Who will know it tomorrow because of you?" 

I thought about this, took it as a challenge, and we went and found Jaime!!! Jaime is not vile or dirty, but he is a little bit hopeless and was definitely drunk hehe. There is one street in our area that we don't usually go to in the evening because it's lined with bars, lots and lots of men, dark alleys, and hideaways, BUT! This night we felt like we should go to it anyway. We didn't know why and we were a little baby-bit nervous. BUT! One man called out to us and asked, "Do you share about Jesus?" Claro que si! "My friend here needs Jesus, talk to him!" And that is how we found Jaime. We were able to share with him about how God has a plan for each and every one of us and that he loves us dearly. That's something that Jaime has never known, which makes me want to CRY. We have so much joy to share!!! 

This week was a happy service week as well! Usually, people get a little bit upset with us when we try to serve them because that is the way that they are. BUT! this week we chopped a tree down! In dresses! We took a cute little menos activo, Carmencita (93 yrs old) to the fruit and veggie market outside her front door because she is blind and hasn't left the house in over 6 months. It took us two hours to walk 100 yards, buy an onion and a dozen potatoes, and return, but it was a hot and happy two hours. Cute Carmencita was able to stretch her little legs and feel the sun on her cute little face for the first time in forever and that is happy.

This week we also got all together as a mission and were able to watch the funeral of our dear Prophet Thomas S. Monson. What a lovely life he lived. I loved his daughter's talk and her comments about all the people he loved and served during his lifetime. "I think we've done something good today" (correct translation? no se.) I want to be able to say that every day!!! I'm grateful for a Prophet who not only leads us in word but by example as well.

I did a study on charity this week during my personal study and wow do I have a lot of work to do!! I used to think loving everyone was easy because I always interacted the most with people I already loved and who loved me back. BUT! Charity is more than that! It's also loving the people who are unkind to you. 3 Nefi 12:44 says, "But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you." What?!? That's hard! But it's what Christ did and it's what we need to try to do too:)

Besitos!! Love y'all with my whole heart! The mission ROCKS!

Hermana Siebach

Zone activity. Ice cream eating contest. I lost.

LIFE IS REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD

I'd like to apologize for the last letter. It was probably a big fat downer on your Tuesday morning. Life is hard! But it's good! Being a missionary is hard! But it's also so, so good!

This week, obviously, I have been thinking a lot about Thomas S. Monson. His life was so full of service and love for God and all of His children. I think serving a mission for a year and a half is a long time, but imagine doing that and more for the rest of your life?! I want to have that love and selflessness some day. I was reading one of his talks this week from the October General Conference in 1998. I read it in Spanish so my translations might be a little wack, but I think it was called Be thou an Example. Algo asi, he had 3 points on how to be an example of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Fill your life with the truth, fill your life with love, and fill your life with selfless service to others. Prophet Thomas S Monson was an amazing example of all these things. Love and truth and service just oozed right out of everything he said and did. I know that the Prophet is truly called of God and is here to lead and guide us on the Earth! 

Something that I did this week is FINISH THE BOOK OF MORMON! Another thing i did this week was HIT MY 6 MONTH MARK! Another thing I did was DO THESE TWO THINGS ON THE SAME DAY! I love the Book of Mormon and I am so grateful for the things it teaches me in every single page. No man could ever, on his own, write something so full of truth and light and guidance. I'm so grateful for this book and I recommend it to all my new friends every day because I have gained a testimony of it for myself. 

Another something that I did this week was sleep on a bunk bed on the 18th floor of an apartment building right next to an open window. Great view; could have died. But didn't! I got hot at one point in the night, so I stuck my toes out. Riskyyyyyy!

I love y'all and hope you're all snuggled up drinking hot chocolate! I'm melting, but I'm fine!

Besitos! Ciao!

Hermana Siebach

Modeling...

...my "new" old dress!

Feliz Ano Novo!!

Look at my cute hermana! She's growing up so fast :'-)

OYYY! Getting rejected all day and having all our lessons fall through is soooooo 2017. This year's gonna be even better than the last one, I feel it in my soul!! For the week between Christmas and New Year's the people of Santiago stay in their houses and don't particularly want to be bothered. Not the best week for contacting or lessons really, but a good week for walking around and practicing Spanish and trying all the things to get past the initial "No, I don't want anything". Not sure if we found the key yet, but we definitely tried a lot of things and know a lot of things that don't work! 

Recently we walked past a house with the window open and sneaked a peak of a STEELERS vs PATRIOTS game. WHAT! What could be better? Hermana Ence likes the Patriots and obviously I like the Steelers so we did not find it hard to talk to Fabian, the man in front of the TV. So much in common, jajaja! We talked about football and, not really sure how we related it, but quickly changed the topic to Jesus Christ. He's atheist but open to hearing what we have to say! Rock on Fabian!

Something else that happened is we found out that the things growing on the tree in front of our house are PLUMS and they're scrumptious! Never have to go to the supermercado again. Also there are hollyhocks growing everywhere and they make me smile. Also we go stargazing on our back patio sometimes and it makes me smile too. The world is so beautiful.

Here's a burning question I have for y'all (ie., anyone who will write to me!):

- What are some good ideas for finding new people to teach other than knocking on doors and street contacting? I have found some ideas in Preach My Gospel and talks and things, but I wanna know what worked for y'all

I love you!

Okay. that's all. Y'all are my favorite! On the whole planet!! Besitos!

Hermana Siebach