Families Can Be Eternal

Cheers!

Scout and Mama in one happy photo :)

Carol's Goals: Smile, Pray, Read, Go to Church :)

Feliz Cumpleaños Hermana Briggs!

Mission Conference: Farewell President Morgan!

WOW this week was a crazy emotional ROLLERCOASTER! Lots and lots of reasons. Ready set go: I talked to my family of cute guys!!!!! I said goodbye to my favorite mission president I've ever had. We dropped an investigator; we invited others to get baptized. We shared our testimonies. We went to the temple. We saw lots and lots of miracles. We were gifted about 20 lbs of food. We shared our testimonies. We celebrated Hermana Briggs' birthday. I found a new favorite scripture. We got rejected a lot; we got accepted a lot. We shared our testimonies. We had 3 investigators come to church. We went to a baptism. We shared our testimonies. We laughed and cried and sang and so many other things!!!!

Talking with my family was really great! I'm a huge fan of them. It reminded me of why I am here and how important missionary work is. When people ask me why I decided to serve a mission, it's kind of tough for me to answer, because it was and is an accumulation of sooooo many things that have brought me to where I am now. But something that is so important to me, and something I want everyone to know, is that our families can be eternal. That the relationships we form here on earth can be more than just "'til death do we part". That the family is something so sumamente importante to God that he would make sacred covenants with us so they can be forever. I am so grateful for my family, and for this knowledge that gives so much hope and comfort. I am here to share it! I have heard missionaries say "I can sacrifice 1.5/2 years with my eternal family to help others form their own", and it's true. I can do that. I want to do that, and that is so much of why I am here! Can't wait to be with y'all for eternity!!!!!! 

i am going to miss the Morgan family and President Morgan! He is the personification of unadulterated love I think. But, my new mission president, president Brotherson, gets here on Friday and I am excited to greet him! I have gained a firm and abiding testimony that Heavenly Father most definitely knows what He's doing when He calls His leaders. 

We decided to eat reeeal healthy this week, so we bought almost only fruits and vegetables. Then everybody and their dog started giving us food. Sushi, a full pizza, chips, cake x4 (not exaggerating), bread, strawberries. You name it. DEMASIADO! But it was so kind of them to share, and all so tasty, so it was only half bad. 

Juan Pablo update... we taught him the law of chastity. He thought it was crazy and dropped us. Then he came to church on Sunday. We were pretty confused when he walked in, but hey! As long as he's putting himself in a position to feel the spirit, that's great! Super, really!!!

We made some good old goals with our friend Carol, and she was excited to meet them! It is a happy thing to see people who want to improve their lives make the changes and take some steps toward that desire. Go Carol!!! 

I have been studying a lot about the atonement of Christ and I have really grown to love and appreciate my Savior. In Alma 7:12 it says, "And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." He died so that we could live. That is so special. He must love us so much to sacrifice so selflessly for each of us. But what I want to focus on is where it says "infirmities". In Spanish it uses the word "debilidades" which could be translated as disabilities or weaknesses. I like to take all of these many meanings of the same word and think about them together. Jesus Christ has felt literally everything that we feel, whether it be the result of a sickness, physical or mental, a disability, or a weakness that we are trying to overcome. He has felt it all. and he did that willingly, took them upon himself, in order to know how to succor us, comfort us, and give us relief in any moment. I am so grateful. Eternally grateful. 

I encourage y'all to study the atonement of Christ. It is changing my life.

I love y'all like crazy! I hope you're looking for ways to be with Christ and bless God's children! Besitos! Un abrazo!

Love, Hermana Siebach

Just happy :)

Cute Mom and Daddio <3

Marn and Spence <3

Mare and Pearl <3

Trying to Follow Him

Super week! Super duper de verdad! This week we did less contacting because we were so busy with AWESOME THINGS!!! Here are some examples:

- JUAN PABLO UPDATE!! He's still looking for his answer about baptism. He's very logical and maybe not so good at listening to the spirit, but he's on his way. This week we set up a movie day with a couple members and we watched Joseph Smith: the Prophet of the Restoration (such an amazing movie go watch it RIGHT NOW!) Juan Pablo was really touched by it and it was a really great experience for all of us there to be able to testify of the truth of the restoration and all the hope and knowledge that it provides.

 

- Tuesday, during preparation day, we went to eat ice cream with Ines. She's 80 and has more style than I do. She told us that she has her religion, but that she thinks the church is really great and wants her son Felix (we're also teaching him, he just didn't make it onto Ines' ice cream invitation list) to keep investigating. She knows that as missionaries we can't be alone with men, so she is "accompanying" us in the lessons with Felix. She says "accompanying," but all the while she keeps all her commitments, reads the Book of Mormon, AND went to a baptism and the temple with us an hour away in metro on Saturday night and loved it She's already doing all the things!! 

This week I have been thinking about Christ. Right before his Great Atonement for all of mankind, he goes into the Garden of Gethsemane and leaves Peter, James, and John to wait and watch. When he comes back, they are asleep. Such a simple thing that he asked them to do, but their sleepiness overcame them. Jesus says  "What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:40-41). Jesus asks us to follow him, to be with him, but how often do we let little mundane things like this take us away from Him? So often. So, now, being more aware of this, I am trying to follow Him more closely, to really be with Him. 

Love yall!!! I hope this week is the greatest one yet! Hope you can feel my love over all the kilometros!!!!!

Love Hermana Siebach

Trying to be better at pictures, here are some!!!! 

​We sang a song; President Morgan said we sounded like the Andrews' Sisters. 

Not sure who they are, pero gracias

Cute lil' Ines and the temple​

​Cute lil' Ines and ice cream

Aldo! He's a recent convert, he gave us scarves:)​

Gianella​

Zona Las Condes​

Hailstorms and Humming Along in Las Condes

Hi cute family! I'm writing you quick b/c elders are trying to steal the computers from us!  

So! Another transfer with Hermana Briggs WOOHOO!!! things are going well! We're workin' hard and doing some good things and all is well!!

President Morgan is really amazing. I have learned so much from him! I know that he was called of the Lord and I was put in this mission with him as my president for a reason. I1 cant believe sometimes how inspired he is...  Every talk and meeting and council and everything seems like it was planned and delivered just for me; it's always exactly what I need to hear. He leads with patience, and love, and kindness, and real concern and interest for each one of the people who are under his care. I really love him and he has taught me so much. I'm excited for the new President Brotherson to come next month, but I will definitely miss President Morgan. He's made a real impact on my life. I'll write down more of my thoughts and feelings on that and share 'em with y'all someday :-) 

Here are some things that happened this week:

- it hailed! and it's so so cold!!!!! 

- we found Valeska and Franklin after over a month of no contact!!! It was awesome!! Then we ran home in the pouring rain, probably 1 km.​​ It was fun and cold and I was 99% happy. Not 100% because I was worried about my shoes. Pero al final, they're good and everything is awesome! Franklin gave us garbage bags to use as umbrellas. I'd give them a 2/10 in functionability. 

Garbage bag umbrella...hmmm!

- Natalia wants to be baptized!! We're planning for July 7th!!! She's 24, from Colombia, and she is awesome. She listens more intently than anyone that I have taught and she truly wants to learn and apply what we are teaching her!

- we had THREE whole people come to church this last Sunday! Juan Pablo, Ines, y Felix (they're all progressing really well!). I think that is record breaking here in Las Condes! It was amazing and each talk during sacrament meeting could not have been more perfect for them. They talked about forgiveness, men and women's equal roles in the church, and the happiness that comes from keeping the commandments 

Life is good! Love y'all! Hugs kisses!! Cariños!! (that's the closest thing they have to snuggles in spanish)

Hermana Siebach

A Superbly Super Week!

We were in a trio with Hermana Henson two whole days
and it was weird to be three but it was AWESOME!

HOLAI! I'm in the chapel writing and there are some maestros here painting the walls and they are listening to Funky Town. Of all the worldly songs i have happened upon during my 11 months (!!!!!!!) here on the mission, this is my favorite. I'm happy :)

What a SUPER week! It really was superb!

First of all, as I'm sure y'all are dying to know, here's a JUAN PABLO UPDATE!!!! He came to church again!!!!!!! What a guy. We had a great lesson with him this week as well. We taught him about the importance of prayer. We have talked about this actually countless times with him, but this time we really made it. Patience and persistence. They get you places. He has always refused to pray in the name of Jesus Christ because, although he is learning more about Him and starting to really feel He is an important part of his life, for JP, his conversations with God are very personal and he doesn't like to include Jesus Christ in the equation. But, at the same time, he's not receiving answers to his prayers. We have shared many reasons why we pray in the name of Jesus Christ over the weeks and months, but this week, Hermana Briggs and I did some studying. In the bible dictionary we found this handy little guy:

 We pray in Christ’s name when our mind is the mind of Christ, and our wishes the wishes of Christ—when His words abide in us (John 15:7). We then ask for things it is possible for God to grant. Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ’s name at all; they in no way represent His mind but spring out of the selfishness of man’s heart.

Better than I could've said it. Although Juan Pablo is still a little shaky on whether or not Christ is the Savior of the world and redeems us of our sins (we're workin' on that, no se preocupen), he does believe that he is a perfect example for us and that he was the only person ever who has fully aligned his will with the will of the Father. Explaining how we pray in the name of Him to align our wishes with his was just what he needed to hear to start praying in the name of Jesus Christ and now Juan Pablo is on his way to some major prayers answered. WOOHOO!! Go JP! Tune in again next week!! 

This week everyone decided to start doing the great things we invite them to do!!! We went to visit Ines, Marcos, and Felix. the first thing Felix said was "I read the homework you gave me, but I don't know if i understand it. I need help". We went through it with them, taught the plan of salvation, answered some great questions of the soul with the Book of Mormon, and Felix says "Awesome. Okay whats my homework this week?" Yeah Felix!! The first time we met him he told us he doesn't read. Now he's asking us for more. MILAGRO!

We had transfers yesterday but don't worry, I'm staying in cute little Las Condes with Hermana Briggs!

There were lots of other things that were great, but I'll have to tell you later! Love y'all! Hope you're having a great week! Get out there and do something great! Besitos!!!!!!

Love, Hermana Siebach