Cursing, a miracle?

My companion´s name is Karen del Rocío (Karen of the Dew) and I love her to pieces. She is very similar to me, but better. Every time I read about dew in the scriptures (D&C 121:45 , etc...) I think of Her. She has distilled the gospel on me! haha Such a cutie.

Hna Juarez and I had a hard night where we didn't enter houses and she pointed to a house and said Here's our next miracle. We knocked and a man came out yelling and cursing us, and told us to get out of here. The next contact asked us why we were wasting our time and told us to go home and shower. (Don't know why. But okay.) We laughed and thought of the miracles she makes.

The next day was similar. We had many people committed to church, passed for one, she wasn't home, passed for the second, no one answered. passed for the third and fourth, their brother (CONVERT) was home and told us to wait for him. ,....we ended up hitchhiking late to church without him and praying that we could get to church on time to take the sacrament. Luckily the brother in charge of the bread forgot it, and my miracle came true. I love that the Lord answers our smallest prayers and loves us enough to give us agency (even if we use it to curse missionaries) .

We learned about family history a lot this week. how cool that we need to seal ourselves to our parents and our ancestors. I was looking at photos with our convert, Lily who gave me a pic of her. Its of her on the beach in her swimming suit. hahahaha What a lady. Cracked me up so much. 

I think the greatest miracle going on here is not so much what we are teaching others, but what we are learning together. I"ve learned so much of how to truly communicate with someone (and believe me, its been hard to truly communicate in another language) We have solved so many problems, she has taught me things that i do weird or wrong, and I have taught her too. I'm looking forward to another miraculous week. Sorry for the novel. I better book it out of here. I wish someone paged me for my poor puns. but no one will pa-per me. 

haha have a good one!

Quarantined

April  27^th 2014

Sometimes when you are in a third world country you get quarantined in the house because your companion tested positive for tuberculosis that she contracted in the mission and she has a cold and everyone worries that she’ll pass it so they leave you in the house for a while and make the other sisters move out, just to take precautions. And that’s how my week was. 

We have been traveling to Santiago to take some tests for my companion. We have been twice and have at least three more times to go. Here is an experience firsthand from my journal about the metro-subway that we took this morning. 

I just survived the craziest thing, the metro in Santiago, Chile. I was going to say that I have never been that close to anyone in my mission but actually I’ve never been that close to that many people in my life. I think it was worse than sardines. They should put that ride in Disneyland and call it claustrophobe. There was a man in my chest, my shoulder in someone’s face a kid with his butt to mine. It was so close that when the metro would change velocity, I could feel him flexing to stabilize himself. To get on the metro you have to push and have no fear. People suck in so the doors can close... I made a great analogy. There were tons of people holding on to the handrails but I couldn’t. I was falling. A kid reached out to stabilize me. We each have each other to support but without a fixed bar, a stabilizer we will always fall. Whether it be the forces of where we are, where we are going, where we have been, or others around us, we cannot make it without a constant support. That’s what I learned from the metro. 

I don’t feel like my companion is sick, but we have to make sure that nothing gets out of control like it did the last time in another part of the mission. I appreciated prayers. I hope that we can leave soon to preach. It’s been 5 days, and I’m antsy to go teach. The good thing is that more recent converts went to church when we didn’t. They brought us the sacrament at home. I felt the spirit so strong.

One more story. One day when we couldn’t leave, our neighbor asked if we wanted to buy some completes (hot dogs). We said sure. I kept thinking all day how I should share my testimony with them when they delivered the completos . I wrote it, I thought NEVER POSTPONE A PROMPTING from Pres. Monson. I gave them a card with my testimony ... I asked why they were selling completos. They said it was to raise money for their brother with cancer. It was a cool moment for me and I saw them reading the card. I hope that maybe the reason we were home that day was to share with them and I hope it touches their lives. 

I know the lord has a purpose for all that he does. I have felt so much love this week. I’ve read most of Alma, most of the cards from my parents and friends from the beginning of my mission and feel close to Him. I hope you all have a good week and find the reason for your circumstances.

 May 5^th,2014

Its not tb. don’t even fret 

But I had an enjoyable week. We didn’t leave once. So there’s all my email. The Lord loved me enough to send me one of the worst colds I’ve had when I was at home (luckily not before or after.) I didn’t leave bed for two days and slept most of the days. My companion watched 5 movies, I only saw one. The rest I slept. Wow. I’ve never slept so much. Its nice when there are possible tbcations that make you have to stay home. Other than that we traveled to Santiago a few times, cooked good food and I read a lot a lot. 

I finished what I had left in Alma and read OUR HERITAGE in one day. I loved to hear about our great ancestors and to think about how truly blessed i am. Like really, we have so many blessings.

Also getting a new companion tomorrow. It always feels like if I want a companion to stay, she or I go... if i want her to go she stays... the Lord has always surprised me and I’ve grown so much. What a great opportunity we have to see quickly how His ways are better than ours. I hope you all have a week of great growth. Look for the little miracles, they really are there. its true.

If you haven't read up on your German music composers, you should probably read up. George Frideric Handel was the coolest guy who had a lot of opposition and then great inspiritation to write MESSIAH and become famous. I read about him in a random Liahona in the house from December 2010. (elder spencer j. condie)  I learned seven important life lessons from him.

         we have to be confident in ourselves but grow from criticism

          quantity is no substitute for quality and variety

           when we act with inspiration, we are doing heavens work

           we must acknowledge our source of inspiration
           we must never underestimate the power of the word

           we must invite real spiritual meaning into a work-that being invite the Holy Ghost.

           power is in God and His works, not our words.

Also, Rudyard Kipling said Trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too.

Basically this is a great work that we have ... and it's important to trust God and trust ourselves with what we have to do. One of my friends inspired me to ask God if I were pleasing Him this week and what I could do to please Him more. I exhort you to do the same. It will bless your life!

Our two investigators, Marilyn and Tamara have baptism dates and went to church! wahoooo. Okay. thats it for this week. I hope all is well with all y'all. love ya

We have been teaching our cute recent converts how to be ward missionaries. They kept praising us and saying how professional we are to teach. I think it's the spirit. ....me and the spanish language and professional would never be in the same sentence.
We had an awesome zone conference. I loved it so much. We learned about the life of christ. I want to go to Israel. We had an awesome musical number. just kidding. I got to sing a solo. It was fun. It was the first solo I really got into and tried hard (so hard that un gallo salio) ...my voice cracked. haha but it was fun to develop my talents and many people complimented me. Someone said I sang like adele. ahha...
I felt the spirit so strong on sunday. It was so long since we had renewed our covenants and I just knew that this is his work and that the church is true. Since I know its true it's time to act, keep trying my best and share with everyone I can. The spirit gives me so much help. I love it. anyways.
We did yoga as a mission zone. The worst thing ever. I have the body of a ninety year old man. I'm all downward dogged out. hahah have a good one! love, Hermana Nokes

In like a Lion, Out like a Lamb

 They say that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb and I think that was basically how it went for me too. It was a good March. I still can’t believe its over, but I’m stoked for general conference.

I am up here in Buin, seven hours north of where I

was last week,...(just under Santiago)  living the dream. I’m finally feeling like a better missionary and I love this companion because we are obedient and diligent and crazy. And go to bed early (earlier than the latest possible moment) what more could I ask for? Plus, she cooks way good. Arepas, Frijoles, homemade cream of mushroom. I’m in latina paradise. Something that happened to me that was neat was we taught this little recent convert about the 10 commandments.As we talked about not coveting I looked around her apartment and saw darkness (they cut her power), a few plates, a homemade table, chairs falling apart, mold, her sitting in a homemade wheelchair and the smell... 

but she went off about how many blessings she has. I know that the things we have in this earth are not what make us happy. I may or may not have left the house crying hard and feeling very touched. It was the perfect night.

My spiritual plug for today. Pray for conference, and you’ll receive an answer. I know that for sure.  Its happened before. 

The Beach ( My new area)

This week was like that horrid machine at the gym, of never ending steps. Partially because we climbed this huge hill twice this week, where my feet are too big to climb normally, so I side step the whole way. Also partially because I am taking things one-step at a time to better myself. It was hard but amazing. Sunday was a day of champions because I felt the spirit so strong. Whenever anyone said something I knew was true I felt the spirit testify to me of that thing. It was really neat. I started writing them down. I know that we have a living prophet, that Joseph Smith restored the church, that our families can be forever and that the church is true. How cool to have this little foundation in my life. 

I finally figured out my comp. It took a few weeks. Just don’t take things personally and just love her to pieces. It’s going good. haha that was a huge step.

We had a big wedding in the ward this week, and then the investigator got baptized on Saturday. It was fun to see a Chilean wedding, even though we aren’t allowed to  dance (thank heavens. I would probably  kill someone. )MY comps been teaching me how to dance. I hope to learn the salsa. She’s got the moves. In Chilean weddings they do toasts, the bride and  groom dance a waltz and most importantly they eat like vultures. 

Speaking of many birds devouring things, we got to go to the lovely beach today with 2 zones. I loved to be in the dark sand in the fresh air. It’s getting chilly, Chile, here. Well it was always Chile. This next week is more chill. Not too many things to do, I hope we get down to the nitty gritty work. I am ready for some more success! haha but life is good. Just taking it one puny step at a time. 

p.s. the best part of the week was when we were at the train station and this drunk guy was all in my face saying joseph smith, no sé como, no sé cuanto and then finally leaves. This other guy comes over and is like man! Sorry about that drunken guy, I wanted to protect you two. Then he gets going and is more drunk and worse than the first. Yelling about his son and how he wants to be a good dad and how he’s seen aliens. The best part was when he just looked up at me and yelled CACHAI?! Which means do you understand in chilean. hahah me and my comp have yelled that while fake crying all week. CACHAIIII? =) 

p.s.s. I saw a walrus

Baptisms

This week was so fun. It was amazing to see the fruits of my efforts. I was so happy for Arturo (72) and Camila (15) (not related) on their baptisms. Arturo was so happy that not knowing it was against the rules, hugged and kissed me. I´ve been kissed by a seventy two year old.- Hahah.I loved to think about how great my joy is to bring others to Christ, although I know that baptism is not the only way. I have felt that many times on my mission, so I know that even if we dont have measurable success, it is still there.

We met a cute little lady who is very deaf. We screamed all of the lesson. I wrote in her steps to pray ïn the name of Jesus Christ, Amen! haha oops. She thanked us a million times for making her know that Heavenly Father is aware of her. 

My first Baptism.. 72 years old

I was praying hard to think of God´s presence in my life and how I can strengthen my conviction. They shared Alma 30:44 in sacrament and I thought about all the times He has blessed my life. I really know that He is making his arm bare for me and helping me through my mission and my life. I am eternally grateful for the things I am learning here. I know I have changed. 

I hope you all have a great week. I hope you know that He is aware of you and you´re probably doing more than you think. 

Lots of love,