February 1, 2016 Become as a Child

I'll tell you about some of the investigators we've been teaching.

José lives just around the corner from us. He's always sitting out on his lawn chair in front of his adorable house. About a month ago we FINALLY stopped to talk to him. He told us his wife had passed away in November and his life felt very empty and pointless. They weren't able to have children so he really doesn't have anything. We shared a little bit of the great message us little missionary girls have to offer. He's 84 years old and said at this point of his life he wasn't looking for religion. 

A few weeks later we passed by again with a member, and entered his house. After realizing he was terribly confused about the unknown state of his dead wife, he asked us what we had to say en cuanto de what is happening with his wife. He was drastically comforted to know that he can see her again, and thus he was interested in learning more (not to mention, his wife, too, is being taught). With a little more time he acquired a desire to be baptized, however he was doubtful that he was capable of gaining a testimony due to his retention of new information. We simplified our teaching and his commitments, we passed by each day and retaught what we had taught him the previous day; sin embargo, his discapacity of retention continued! Each day we would arrive and he couldn't remember much of what we had taught or what the small scripture he had read five minutes before explained. 

He's 84, and from all the diplomas on the wall, he's a wise and intelligent man-- you can imagine the frustration he must have! It got to a point that he felt bad to ''waste our time'' and said it would be better for us to focus on other people. He was in tears. He simply want to learn! After he said that, we sat there in silence for a few moments.  His likeness to a child brought to my attention a very child-like solution! My Children's Book of Mormon that I bought in Santiago! We told him the story of the tortoise and the hare and told him to wait just a bit! In a few minutes we ran back and gave it to him. He laughed seeing all the pictures and simplified chapters, but he said he'd try it out. 

The next day, he sat us down and said, ''This book has moved me. I found two chapters last night that arrived at my heart. I just reread them, and I am equally amazed.'' He had found 3 Nephi 11 and 12 and gave us a summary of it all in his amazement. Then he opened up to it and said, ''Did you know this was in here?! Can I read it to you?'' So he read, and as he read, the Spirit testified to all of us the truthfulness and the grace that the Book of Mormon has. Josè wept. The spirit was so strong. At the end, he shared with us his testimony of the Book of Mormon. Then he said, ''I know I have a purpose in my life even at the few years I have left. Nothing has made me feel more complete as did this experience. I feel like I'm beginning to live again, but this time with a purpose.'' In church he introduced himself to the gospel principles class, ''I'm José. I have 84 years. I lost my wife 2 months ago. Shortly after, God sent me the sisters. I'm born and raised Catholic, but his gospel is conquering me so much that it makes this old man cry.'' Everyone laughed. He loved church. 

José said he feels so energized that he polished his entire chandelier! He was pretty proud. It was worthy of taking a foto...and I guess for him to take my hand? hahah JOSÉ!!!

Isemenia is another child of God. We met her out on a bench in front of her house. She's mute and the whole left side of her body is paralyzed. We ended up singing a hymn and passing by the next day. We sat outside on her porch and told her the story of Jesus Christ coming to the Americas. To perk her interest a little more, we taught her with the same enthusiasm as Dad's hole-in-the-roof story-telling powers. She loved it! Then we invited her to come to Claudio's baptism that day. We came back later.  She showed us her little wheelchair with deflated tires. She lives at the very end of our sector and the church building is close to the entrance. There is a super fast shortcut up a little hill and across the train tracks and down a mini rocky road...but that with a wheelchair would be (almost) impossible. We tried figuring out which way would be the best route to the church (....because we had 30 minutes before the baptism. oops.) And we finally decided to speed down the mile-long Chuquicamata road which half was in the middle of construction to get around the corner and run a quarter mile down the road back to where the church is. Boy oh BOY did she have a blast! Her hair was blowing behind her and all she could say with the biggest smile ever was ''EEEESSOOOO!'' I think it's one of my most cherished memories on the mission. We got to the baptism super sweaty but with 14 minutes to spare! Our church is two stories and so it was another ''ride.'' 

We've visited her everyday since. The members absolutely love her and she always has a giant smile on her face. she can say, Hola, sí, no, eso, chuta, po, and a new one she picked up ''men'' or Amen when we finish the prayers. We have really needed to adapt our teaching and not only for her to understand our lessons, but for us to understand her needs and what she really thinks. It's been a challenge, but it is so special and fun! 

Victor is the most dedicated student of our English class. We met him in a cyber and invited him to come the day of our first class. And he lives literally right in front of the church. He's 40 years old and very silly. The first thing he said when he walked in the classroom on the first day was, ''I'm just here to learn English! I'm not going to pray or anything!'' ---and then in English--- ''Do you get me?'' We told him not to worry, but we knew at one point or another the time would come that we would teach him.

Welp, this last Thursday, very oddly, NO ONE showed up, except for Victor. There wasn't another woman in the building so we had to teach outside, but we got to know him better and he is AWESOME! He created his own job of providing and serving those with disabilities. His parents are both super sick and he just serves and serves. We started diving into the gospel with him just by relating everything he was saying to what we teach. haha And he was getting all excited and asking us questions and then after a few minutes he like flinched and said, ''WAIT! Hold on...I'm not going to commit myself to anything!'' We told him not to worry, we don't obligate anyone, the desire to listen will just come naturally. He said, ''NOT FOR ME!'' And we said, ''Ok that's fine.'' Then we had to go home, but we told him we were teaching someone with disabilities the next day and invited him to come. He perked up and said, ''Of course!'' 

So he came and he also learned. He and Ismenia, actually, hit it off. She chose him to pray and he willingly did so! We invited them both to church, and as new buddies, they both accepted! haha it was pretty cool. 

English Class is so much fun! We've been doing it for a month now and it's people of all ages and understandings. It's fantastic! And SO. FUN. We are all laughing the whole time. It's pretty cool to see everyone all on the same child state, innocent and willing to learn ....and in childish ways. On Tuesday we taught them the I'm a little teacup song! And to end the class each time they all sing Barney's  "I Love You" song. 

And well, those are a few of the many children of God we are teaching. This is truly amazing to be here. From the sound of things, I bet you all think the mission for us is just whistling a dandy tune all the day long and skipping our ways to citas. haha, When it all comes down to it, that's the way it ends up! But let me just tell you, the mission is hard! But it's the most intelligent thing I've done. 

Hermana Gardner and I are continually humbled that we, these dinky younguns, are allowed to be a part of so much success and progress in the lives of others, when neither of us really feel like we know what we are doing! But by having a portion of the responsibility of these dear people, we've needed to work on overcoming the natural man. 

Mosiah 3:19 

When we open our heart to the Lord, he fills it with his power and helps us realize the potential we have of being his servants and becoming perfected in HIM. It's organized in such a way that our opportunites to succeed are maximized. And if you think about it, it's easier! For his yoke is easy and his burden is light. 

This week we got to have another newby for a day (actually I just so ended up already knowing her because she and I shoveled water out of her apartment when the Rexburg flood happened a little over a year ago....how small this silly world.) I felt a twinge of desire to just start everything over again.... be better! ...but the critical measure of success is by my own delegation of who I have become and in relation to my own abilities and comparison to my past self. And ever since my 13 year old birthday, I've never felt more like a child. I am doing my best. I have a lot of weaknesses and a lot to learn. But am withholding nothing from the Lord. I am serving with all my might, mind heart, and strength. And when there comes a time when I falter, the Spirit simply makes it clear that there is yet another weakness I must strengthen. 

Truly truly dooly this is the easier way to live. Life is hard. Not the gospel. 

Let us all becometh like children :) 

I love you all---you fantastic children of God, you! haha

Hermana Olson

And hermana Hoskins, my neighbor in BYU idaho. We had a blast. It oddly rained the entire day and we literally were rejected by everyone. What a comparison to hna. Gardner's first day in the mission. hahaaha WOO! 

My companion is da bessssss. Seriously, we love being companions.