Great Quilicura Estaca YSA's

Estaca Quilura YSA, (pronounced “HAAS” en Español)
Fireside in the Mission Home
This evening was a culmination of a long, full, tiring week for us in the mission, but maybe was like the icing on the cake after all. It was busy starting out Monday with a special departure for one of our fine missionaries, Elder D. from Alpine, staying in the mission until the very last minute he could and still be ready to start back to BYU on the next Monday for classes. We had a separate departure meal, Mike did the interview, took fotos, did the departure thoughts and the 59th trip to the airport with him. We will miss him, his contributions and experience in the mission.
Wed we went to Colina and spent the day with the missionaries. I loved talking and visiting with each one of them, hearing them try to speak English and practicing. Many of them wanted to ‘pass off,’ their memorized version of DYC Section 4 in Spanish/English, and most touching was hearing our Latin missionaries barely able to say the words completely, working their way through the verses by heart that they had been practicing so diligently and faithfully in English.

They impressed me with their desire and faithfulness, to obey Pdte to memorize, practice speaking English, just doing what was asked and expected, and the Lord really did magnify and teach them. Usually I bring homemade cookies for them after their interviews, but this morning I forgot, so I ran to a bakery and bought some delicious looking éclairs, and none of them complained with the substitution! I have to say here, that I so enjoy talking with them, when they talk. They have great personalities, and with my counseling hat on, I try to get them to open up and talk about their lives, joys, happy things, families a bit, but not too distracting, and then what they are enjoying about the mission. Sometimes I ask them to teach me something that they have learned in their scripture study, and I feel like a child/student learning such great thoughts from these powerful missionaries. Their insights and moments of learning are inspiring, and motivate me to study in areas that they have shared with me. I am among giants spiritually, and I love them dearly. Some were even helping me with my Spanish and pronunciation as I was reciting DYC 4 to them. I tell them, “You can tell when I recite Sect 4 in Spanish, that it’s not native sounding or perfect, but that doesn’t matter. Do your best and I will love it.” They then hear my version and it gives them hope that they surely won’t embarrass themselves with me. One taught me that I need to say, “ante Dios” not “antes de Dios” which I had no idea. Then I also discovered in my studies that morning, that “helpmeet” in the bible is described in Spanish as “ayuda idonea,” which translated means ‘ideal help,’ which sounds like a perfect translation of the thought I’d like to think we women are for men and our husbands.
Tues, the day before, I spent the day shoring up my talk for Zone conferences, including a Power Point on Oposicion, including points from Elder Robert D. Hales talk, “We count them happy which Endure,” from Ensign May,1998. Since he told a story about this African marathon runner, I decided to go to the Boston Marathon race site and look up fotos, hoping that they had some, featuring runners at the finish line to describe Elder Hales’ point of this man finishing the race. What I found there instead touched me so deeply, that I began the point point to show and explain my message in zone conference. I won’t describe the whole talk or PP here as I share some of the thoughts I learned while preparing this message, but while I was looking at the fotos, I had my Mormon Tab choir songs, and appropriately they began to sing, ‘Te necesito Si,” or as it used to be called in Spanish, “Te quiero sin cesar” or “I need thee every hour.” As I scrolled through these fotos of miraculous runners, I was literally brought to tears as I was impressed with the challenges and trials these athletes had to overcome, and set out to accomplish, to FINISH, not just start or enter the race. Wow. This is the ‘winner’ who crossed the finish line first, with an incredible time of 2.08 (2 hours 8 minutes to run 26.2 miles? Unbelievable. I am reminded of MY goal when I ran my first 5K to just FINISH before the marathon runners came in behind me!)

However, as I scrolled thru other fotos in the ‘finish line’ category, there were many others who then became my champions, heroes immediately….I can’t show all here, but many on PP for the missionaries to see, and this was a phenomenal person, who RAN, but without feet!


I discussed with the missionaries that the idea of having trials is part of our life here on this earth. We knew we would have them before we came, 2Ne 2:11. Also that we have to be disciplined and chastened, DyC 101:4, but why does the Lord allow us to suffer afflictions, and why does He also discipline us?
• He loves us/ Nos ama (Dyc 95:1) so therefore he teaches us and shows us how to be better and correct our behavior to improve…shows He loves us.
• To learn Obediencia (DyC 105:6) He wants to see if we will simply obey. Simple, but sometimes we are stubborn and want to do it our way, and not obey. Example of Abraham and son Isaac. He wanted to see the extent of obedience.
• To Remember Him (Helaman 12:3) He chastens His people, because they forget and don’t turn to Him. The Lord also turned to His father in His suffering on the cross, but didn’t forget to look to our Heavenly Father for help.
• Then he will comfort us, DYC 101:16, and DyC 103:12.
• He will help and strengthen us, and lighten our burdens Mosiah 24:13-14.
• We receive blessings AFTER the trial of our faith (DyC 58:2-4, DYC 24:8, Romans 5:30 and Provervios 3:5)
• Elder Maxwell said, “In opposition there are no exceptions, only varieties.” I believe that is true. That we will all have extensive, unique, challenging trials to test our faith, obedience, testimonies and love of the Lord. He knows which we need and which we will learn by watching others experience. No one is exempt, and it doesn’t matter the trial, it is the outcome of what we do, respond, and act in facing the challenge.
• Elder Hales ended his remarks, like the thoughts about the runners, “Our mission in life is much the same. We were not sent by Father in Heaven just to be born. We were sent to endure and return to Him with honor.

As we went through our conference with these great missionaries, several times I found myself thinking that this IS what it is like to be a missionary. I am doing it. This IS my mission, and then I realized that this is what the Lord needs me to do. I shouldn’t be complaining or tired about being in heels, exhausted of hugging and kissing each one of these sisters MANY times in the day, shaking hands with each and ALL of the missionaries several times in the day, or trying to cheer up some lonely ones, encourage our discouraged ones, listen to the newly arrived ones, and try to get the quiet ones to talk. This IS why I am here with Mike, to help in THIS way, and not only knocking doors, walking the streets with the hermanas, or share my testimony in meetings with members/investigators. It is really to help and like our missionary purpose, “invite others to come unto Christ by faith in Him, repentance, baptism, receive and maintain the Holy Ghost, and perseverar to the end…. And that means including our missionaries. They are our important converts and we are here to help them learn these things personally. This comes in teaching and touching individual lives, one at a time. Just like the Savior is touching my own life, I need to help these great missionaries feel and know Him in their individual lives and help them understand the Atonement in their own lives.
Back to the culmination of the whole week and our Single Young adult fireside….needless to say, after two, back to back zone conferences, with approx 150 missionaries, Fridays usually catch up to me, and by the end of the day, I drop into bed. BUT, we returned home at the end of this tiring week about 4:30pm, to prepare for a fireside at 8pm. I’m grateful that we have Keka here to help, and she had made the double recipe of Chilean brownies, with my old recipe for homemade brownies from my Newport Beach/Uncle Don’s house recipe that I figure must be in my box for 32 yrs! Also, during the zone conference, I had the thought, (which I now can see was the spirit prompting me to act,) that I called Keka during our break and asked her to please go to the store nearby and buy 2 bags of potato chips, 2 bag of cheetos, 6-8 avocados for guacamole, carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, eggs to boil, for tonight. (earlier in the zone conference I had to run to the store during our workshop time for one of our sisters who needed some emergency female supplies that I had run out of in our trunk supply, so while I was at the store, I bought more paper plates for tonight, and a few more snack, treat, candies to put out.)
When I got home, Keka had cut up the veggies for the relish tray, and I made the deviled eggs and guacamole and began cutting the brownies, putting out the bowls of chips, treats, candies, etc on the table. Even though Mike was told we might have 50, I really doubted, and thought that they never could that many youth here, and yet the spirit really kept prompting me to put out more, you might be glad and need it.
To make this already too-long story end, please, I’ll say the evening was a huge success. More than I really imagined. We were literally lying on the bed, trying to squeeze in just 5 minutes of rest because after the long day in heels, walking up and down stairs in this chapel, rotating the workshop classes, walking through the supermarket, cutting food, cooking etc, my back was killing me. I didn’t have time to cry, but took some Advil, laid down for 5 minutes and the doorbell rang. I realized I hadn’t even put on lipstick or checked my bed-head hair, but ran to open the door and let in our guests. I opened it, and there stood one young man. (Did I feel relief, or disappointment?) I invited him in and asked him to make himself at home, and please answer the door if anyone else rings, and we let them in thru the gate. Then I quickly dashed back upstairs and combed my hair, put on some color, touch of makeup to look perkier and ready for another activity. However, I was soon overwhelmed with a great surprise. Not only did these great young adults begin arriving, but they kept coming and coming. Waves of people came in groups, carloads full, and then the BUS arrived. Out poured all of these wonderful, happy, enthusiastic young adults, ages 18 through 30-ish and the kissing and hugging began. They don’t just shake hands like in the states, but here all the women hug while they kiss your cheeks. And then here, as these are not missionaries/elders, these young men shake my hand as they also kiss my cheek in a warm and loving gesture we know here in Chile. The thought crossed my mind, “How many are there here, and how many people am I going to be kissing here tonight? So much for concern of the swine flu in chile!” The older leaders started coming, Mike greeting so many that he knows personally, Bishops, Stake Prescy members, wives, and outstanding young people, great RM’s and wonderful young leaders. This was quite a different feel from the YW/YW groups we’ve had, as they want to wander, investigate the house, ask lots of favors and are so inquisitive. Tonight these were so well behaved, wonderful, outstanding students and accomplished adults who are leaders and serving here in their various wards. One young man sat at our baby grand piano and began to play church hymns for all to enjoy, and in a few minutes I heard the beautiful sounds of a violin accompanying this great pianist, without even a hesitation. They were making the room sweet with this contribution. They began packing in the room, and I mean literally as we had standing room only. It was nice to see them greeting and cheering each other. Some were more shy and these young adult leaders were taking on the roles of the typical OLDER adults who are there to include others. These YSA had the vision, they had served missions, they knew how to look for the sheep who needed encouragement like I had been doing all day at the zone conference earlier in the day. They were incredible to watch, and see how they included each other. This was a stake activity and many mentioned that they had YS Adults who they hadn’t ever seen out to an activity before. We were all pleased with that. The fact that they rented the bus made me think that they really wanted and expected the crowd, but I was the doubter in the beginning. But they told us that they had advertised this as a ‘spiritual activity’ and that they wanted to do something meaningful, and this is the kind of response they had. I was impressed that these great YSA have the desire to follow the Savior, want to feel His spirit, need to be nurtured and fed on spiritual things. We started with a beautiful song, with what I thought wouldn’t be enough; 5 hymn books we have in the mission home, and soon they all started pulling out their own personal small hymn books they carry/have with them. Again, I was touched with their commitment and faithfulness. I was again with great members of the church, and they had inspired and rejuvenated me. Honestly, I never thought of my back until I sat down later. I was so happy to be with them. We had the song, prayer, introductions, I told them that we loved seeing so many people, and that after the meeting we will go into the double dining rooms, and they will have a bit of food and that we will bless it like the fishes and loaves of bread to be enough for this size of a great group, and they all laughed, and I knew then that it WOULD be enough, and that the Spirit had been prompting and preparing me to help it be enough. We were all warm in the room, and we used this moment to tell them that we would love to invite them back in the summer, for another activity they can have with the huge pool, perfect for this size group…just that they bring the food! They all laughed and cheering; liking the idea of coming back again. We then moved into the formal living room where we had set up 50 seats and we had to get 7 more. I won’t bother describing what we discussed and talked about, but the spirit that they had there was so sweet. They were grateful, attentive, interactive, contributing, and real, outstanding adults. I looked into their happy, smiling, beautiful eyes and faces and thought, “These are wonderful children of our Heaven Father, and they know it. They know who they are, and they are trying to follow Him.” I thought of Elder Hales talk that I had been teaching earlier in the day applies to these great youth, “Our mission in life is much the same. We were not sent by Father in Heaven just to be born. We were sent to endure and return to Him with honor.” These YSA know that. They are winners!
It made me realize the church is safe here in Chile. The Lord is planning and preparing such capable and effective leaders to help with the church here in Chile. This was just one stake in our mission, and I imagine that this could happen all over our mission. I was humbled and repentant that I had been so troubled before the whole event, and realized that again, this is the Lord’s work. He does miracles right in front of me, and I’m still like child, but trying to learn. This is His church, these are His sweet spirits He loves, and I’m thankful that He loves each one of us. What a blessing to be part of His work here, which takes on various forms, not just knocking doors. As I told Mike that I was very hesitant about sharing my thoughts with others, even the family, he reminded me that, “Others don’t have to read all of your thoughts and ramblings if they don’t want. This is just an offering on your part to share your testimony and the spirit of the things you are learning. This is another way of doing missionary work.”
So in now sharing this, I want to record my own thoughts with my testimony here. I can’t express verbally or written well enough about how grateful I am for this blessing of being a missionary here in Chile. The Lord is so merciful with me, and I need to be more valiant in my efforts of faith in sharing about Him. He is my Savior, and I love Him. That is why I am here. I want to be a missionary to testify that He is the only way we can find happiness in our lives. He can forgive us when we have faith, want to change, and turn to Him to help us repent and improve. He is the answer for us in all aspects of our lives. I don’t ever want to tire of ‘singing His praises’ as I know He will never stop helping me. For that I want to be worthy and show Him my devotion and gratitude by serving in His name. I’ll leave these thoughts with you, sharing them in His Holy name, Jesus Christ, amen.