Bolivia Bound

Feliz Lunes!

January 13, 2014

Hello everyone, and happy Monday!

Well Mom and Dad, looks like your found the house pretty well on Google Maps, good job, ha. To answer your question Mom, no we’re not in either of the barrios (neighborhoods) you listed (Barrio Los Olivos and Barrio Guaracal), but those are close by, they’re other areas with other missionaries. But those barrios also go to our same church building, so they’re close by. And we’re close to an elementary school, but I don’t know what it’s called. If you can find the Mercado Primavera on Google Maps, Barrio Primavera is close to the 5 anillo, you’re looking at the other edge of our area. In case you want to keep looking, ha. :)

Well, as always, this was a great week! It started off a little crazy, since I had the mission leadership counsel with all the zone leaders and hermana capacitadoras of the mission, which is Monday night and Tuesday from the early morning until early afternoon. We were richly instructed in faith, and what is "faith sufficient" to see miracles in our lives. In 3 Nephi when Jesus comes to the Americas, He says that He sees that they have "faith sufficient to be healed" and He performs many grand miracles there. Do we, in our lives, have faith sufficient to be healed spiritually, to come unto Christ, and to see miracles in our personal lives and in the mission? It left me with a lot to think about and a firm resolve to deepen my faith through more dedicated scripture study, more fervent prayers, and with a desire to work even harder as a missionary.

Then Tuesdsay, Hermana Hincapie, like every missionary here at some point, got sick with a stomach infection, and Wednesday in the morning we were off to the clinic. She’s a trooper though, and kept working as hard as she could despite the stomach pains. She rocks! I seriously love Hermana Hincapie. She has a fantastic attitude, works hard, and we’re very similar in a lot of ways. I love that we can work hard together and she truly has a desire to work hard, and that we can also laugh together LOTS. :)

Well, things here in La Colorada keep going great! We’re getting four people ready for baptisms these next few weeks, and I’m pretty excited about that! It’s wonderful to see that these people have seen real changes in their lives thanks to the things they’re learning, and I love love love having just a small part in helping them find hope and find their way back to the Lord.

We’re also working with TONS of menos activos, and we have definitely seen miracles from the Lord this week with them, which are a testimony to me that the Lord is in this work. For example, we went to visit la familia Laura, where all the familyare members but only one is active. As we visited with them, the Spirit was strong in the lesson and the mom expressed her desire to return to church. Then we started to talk to the girlfriend of one of the sons in the family, who happened to be visiting. Turns out, she is also a member, but hasn’t gone to church in about ten years. All this time she has wanted to go back to church but has been afraid because she has made a lot of mistakes. She started to cry as we talked, and said simply, "This Sunday I’m going to church and I’m going to talk to the bishop." We were thrilled to hear that, and the Spirit testified powerfully that it wasn’t a coincidence that Maggie, the girlfriend was visiting from another part of Santa Cruz in the exact moment that we came by. The Lord is SO aware of His lost sheep and I’m so grateful to have a small part in finding them and bringing them back into the fold. This was just one of several miracles we’ve seen here in La Colorada, and I love it.

As for a little bit of fun news, I got my assignments for what areas I’m "in charge of" as an Hermana Capacitadora, and one of them is Braniff! So in just a few weeks I’ll be headed back there and I’ll be companion with Hermana Lopez for a day. Fun! Also, I don’t know if I told you that last week Naireth from Braniff got baptized. I wasn’t there, obviously, but I’m thrilled for her and Hermana Lopez sent me photos. I’ll try to forward them. Finally, I attached a few photos.

Love you all! Have a fantastic week!

Love,

Hermana Chelsie Faulk

  This is me with my family in the mission - my two daughters,

Hermanas Lopez and Hincapie.

 

 

 

Here I am with Hermana Hincapie the first day we met.

 

 

 

And then one of me with a bird that I really liked at an investigator’s house. :)