Best Investigators in the World #PuertaSur

24 July 2017

My week was literally perfect!  Where do I even being?

Tuesday I had intercambios with Hermana Piscoya from Argentina and we had some of the greatest lessons together! Our first lesson was with Carina Lagos. She is a new investigator and really wants to learn more about the Gospel. This was our second lesson with her and she was so happy when we gave her a copy of The Book of Mormon to read! She has been wanting a good book to read :) She is amazing and smart and wants to read the Bible and The Book of Mormon together!!

Then we had a lesson with Yamisela and Luis. I have told you guys a little bit about them but wow they are so prepared for the Gospel!
Okay so it went like this....  we get to their house and we ask them how they are and how everything is going and then Luis starts telling us how he read the whole pamphlet on the Plan of Salvation. He was like "this is exactly what I needed to read... this is exactly what we are going through right now". Because I don’t know if I told you guys but his mom died four months ago and his grandma just died last week. So now his 9-year-old little sister will move in with them and become their third daughter! We had in our plans to teach the Plan of Salvation but after asking him a few questions about what he read he knew everything about the Plan. I then felt the spirit tell me to teach them the Restoration. So, I hurry and told Hermana Piscoya that we were going to teach the Restoration! As we began to teach the spirit was so strong and they were understanding everything we were saying to them!
We invited Luis to say the closing prayer and he prayed as if he was a member his whole life. He prayed that he and his wife could know that these things were true... and he prayed for us and said that we are always welcome in their house to share with them. It was one of the greatest prayers ever. They are so excited to be able to come to Church together next week! I will let you all know how it goes!

Friday, we had our second lesson of the week with Nataly and Catalina! We taught them the Word of Wisdom! We were just about ending the lesson when Nataly (the mom) says she has something to tell us... She goes on to tell us the she smokes but that ever since we have been coming to her house she has been smoking less and less. She said that the last few weeks as she went out to smoke she felt horrible inside like she was robbing or doing something horrible. She went on to say, "I had the worst feeling and I felt like you guys were going to walk around the corner and see me smoking." At this point we hadn’t shared with her the Word of Wisdom. She promised right then and there to stop smoking! I asked her if there was anything we could do to help her stop and she told me to trust in her with a big smile! SHE IS SO PREPARED! She is literally changing so very much and it has been so amazing watching the Holy Ghost work through her.
Sunday, they came to Church for the third time and they were both dressed in dresses and they looked so cute! They love Church so much and we are planning the 5th of August for their baptisms!

I feel like I am finishing my mission in the best way possible! I love my investigators more than I ever thought I could love people that I had never met! They truly feel like lost family members that I was sent here to find! Thank you for your prayers and love. I feel so much happiness everyday doing the Lords work!  In three weeks, my mission here in Chile will end but my biggest mission is just about to start! It will break my heart to leave my people but I know I will see them again! I can’t wait to see you all! You will meet a new Hermana Falslev. I truly feel born again! THE MISSION IS LIFE CHANGING!!!!!! Espero que tengan una linda tarde!!!

--
Hermana Falslev

Hermana Hanosek sent me an email this morning saying that Maria Triviño will be baptized in two weeks!!!!!!! Maria is from my sector in Osorno. This is what Hermana Hanosek sent me today:

"Elder Spencer from Barrio Centro said.. Maria has a FECHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! According to him, she will be baptized like in the next 2 weeks !!!!!! I'm dying of happiness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's like the best thing that I could hear for my birthday!"

As you can tell we are both very happy! Maria Triviño has such a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and loved listening to what we had to say! I love her with my whole entire heart! It makes me so happy to know she will be baptized before I leave! So many miracles are happening! Hermana Hanosek and I prayed so much for her and nothing made us happier than seeing her walk to church with members to church! She always had the best questions to ask when we went to teach her! 

 Intercambios with Hermana Piscoya my angel from the start of the mission! 

 Our District!

 We got to the members house for lunch this week and she had the salad all ready for us to eat... My companion HATES mariscos but she ate them like a champ. hahahaha I felt so bad for her.
I love them now. 

This is Nataly, Catalina, and Antonia! They want to be baptized and are so prepared for the Gospel!!! Their baptism should be the 5th of August!  I love them sooooo much! 

 Familia Mansilla!! They are the best and we always have the best spiritual talks. When Hermana Adams left we all cried together...

 My favorite food in Chile.. PASTEL DE CHOCLO. This was probably my last time eating it! 

 We saw a submarine yesterday!

Estoy feliz cuando no hay lluvia (I'm happy when there's no rain)

17 July 2017

What a beautiful week it was here in the mission (like always).

Tuesday: We had Zone Conference and it was so good to see President and Hermana Isom again and the Mcarthur’s from Osorno! President and Hermana Isom were with 11 of the 12 Apostles while they were in Utah! They shared with us all that they learned.
One thing that I really liked was from Dallin H. Oaks... He talked about how important it is that the bread is broken into different pieces for the Sacrament. We are all different sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father and we have different sins and problems. For this reason, the bread could not be crackers that are all the same. It must be broken because we are all different. I have never heard of this but it is so true. The Atonement of Jesus Christ was for all of us but in our different ways. I invite all of you to remember this the next time you partake of the Sacrament. Jesus Christ died for each of you and as imperfect as we are, He has provided the most perfect way possible to return to our Father. I’m so grateful for the Sacrament and hearing this made it even more important to me!

Hermana Isom shared an amazing video with us about how far the Church has come from Joseph Smith to where we are now. It was so powerful that in the end we were all crying. The spirit was so strong and powerful. Our work is so important as Missionaries and members. There are still SO many people waiting for this perfect Gospel in their lives.

That night we went to visit Natalie and we showed her the video that Hermana Isom had shown us and she loved it. She then began to tell us that she really does want to be baptized and about how much she loves the Church! She gave the closing prayer and prayed that her husband Miguel would be more open to what we share. She also prayed that her mind could be open and that she could understand all that we will share with her and as she was praying she began to cry. At the end, I testified to her that this is the Spirit saying that this is true! It was amazing!

Friday: Our investigator Victoria accepted to be baptized the 5th of August! She has had a hard life and it has been so very special getting to share with her and have her at church with us! Her son is five years old and told one of the members yesterday that he looked like Donald Trump and it was one of the funniest thing ever! He loves church and when we are at their house he always asks when we are going to come back!

It has been an amazing week and we are seeing so much happiness and desires from our investigators… How am I going to leave them? I have no idea. They are truly like family and bring me so much happiness. It is the best feeling in the world... the love that I have for these people. I know that this is where I am supposed to be!

Thank you all for your love and support! I hope what I write makes sense. I just have so much I want to say and not enough time to write it all out! I’ll have lots to share when I return home...
Love you all!

-- Hermana Falslev

 We had Zone Conference in Puerto Varas.

Elder Vaughn came to Conference with us but his area is about 10 hours away by boat! 

 I had intercambios with Hermana Rivero from Bolivia! I love her so much she is so beautiful and I look really white next to her.

 This is Victoria and Ignacio ... Victoria has a baptism date for the 5th of August!!! I love these two with my whole heart!


 We finally got a picture with Natalie and Antonia... Natalie has been an investigator for about 2 months now. She told us this week that she really wants to be baptized but just wants to learn a little more! She is the sweetest and has the cutest girl! Her daughter Catalina is also our investigator but she wasn't home when we took this picture!

 Are you sick of seeing volcano pictures? If so, too bad, I'm not done taking pictures of these beautiful things!! I love them so much!

 Buying surprises for all my cute friends .... I love the things they make here...

Week #70!

10 July 2017

I cannot believe how fast time is flying! I can’t believe I only have 5 weeks left... I am soaking up every minute... and today it is nice and sunny whoooo!
This week was a lot slower than last week but it was great as well!
One of my favorite momentos de esta semana was when we were knocking doors in a new part of our sector! We were looking for old investigators from the Elders... We felt to knock a door of this cute old house. This cute little grandma comes out and gladly lets us in her home. We get in and it’s the cutest little home ever and we then meet her husband. We sit down and I ask him if he believes in Jesus and he says 'claro que si´ meaning of course! Then we find out that they are members and they have been sealed in the temple! I felt so dumb hahaha... They just haven’t come to church because Jose can barely walk because of his hip. The amazing part was that they were really needing our visit. We sang for them and then got to know them a little better! One year ago, she lost her son in a horrible truck accident and as she told us what happened I bawled like a baby. She said that when she finally got to him he was all nicely dressed in his church clothes and he looked beautiful. She went and held him and on the back of his head she felt where they had stitched him up... She said that is when she began to cry... She said that in that moment she grew a lot closer to her Heavenly Father because he couldn’t help him when he was suffering for each of us. I cannot explain it as well as she did but the spirit was so strong.

I’m so grateful that one day each of us will be made perfect and whole again. I’m so grateful for Jesus Christ and all that He suffered for me... words will never describe the love that I have for my Savior. I just want everyone here to have the knowledge that I have of my Savior. I’m so grateful for this time in my life dedicated to helping others come unto Christ!

This week we had 3 investigators at church! There truly is no better feeling then when investigators have a desire to learn and grow. I love seeing them happy and sitting with the members. This work really is nothing without missionaries and members working together!
I was sitting next to our investigator Victoria when all the sudden I SEE TWO OF MY FAVORITE MEMBERS FROM OSORNO WALK IN! My sweet hermanita Agustina and her mom surprised me and drove all the way to Puerto Montt to come to church. I couldn’t help but cry these two angels are so special to me! I guess Augustina missed me so much that she kept bugging her mom to bring her to Puerto Montt! And they came!!!!!! I can’t tell you the joy I felt being with them again. She went to the temple in Santiago and did baptisms for the dead!

We have a lot to do this week... así que... Tengo que irme! jaja. Espero que estén bien. Estoy muy agradecida por cada uno de ustedes! SIENTO TAN FELIZ AQUÍ SIRVIENDO EL SEÑOR!

--
Hermana Falslev

 Noche de Hogar con familia Cou-cou

 My home Puerto Montt (I have served more than half my mission here)

 We had an activity for all the dads in our ward and this is what we ate.... Welcome to Chile.... 

 So many houses have been burning down lately and it makes me so sad when I hear the alarms going off! 

 This beet picture is for Grandpa Durrant... yo amo betarraga!!

 Also this is me with my empanada in a taxi! 

I HAVE NEVER FELT SO MUCH JOY IN MY LIFE!

3 July 2017

This last week I truly believe was my favorite week in the mission! We are teaching amazing investigators and so many miracles took place, that last night I couldn’t sleep thinking about all that happened!

Here we go...
Monday: We had a very spiritual, fun Family Home Evening with our mission leader! His family is so cute and got sealed in the temple about a year ago. We shared about the tree of life with his little girls and talked about how important it is to prepare ourselves against the world and hold to the iron rod! He thanked us for all we are doing in the Ward and for our examples and happy spirits!

Tuesday: I had intercambios with Hermana Ragauskas from Brazil! She is 24 and has been a member for 1 year and 6 months! She is AMAZING and has the strongest testimony ever.... She had a close family member pass away in a horrible accident and after that she started to go to her uncle’s church but she felt like she was missing something. She began to do as Joseph Smith did, she began to look for the true church. She was praying for help to find the true church, when, she remembered that her friend was 'Mormon' so she called her friend and said she wanted to meet with the Elders! So, she met with them on a Tuesday and they invited her to come to the temple grounds. As she was walking around the temple she had the strongest feeling that this is where she needed to be baptized. She told the Elders that she wanted to be baptized Saturday! They called their President and he talked to her and in the end said that she could be baptized in 5 days! She is now here on the mission and just barely left her training and is one of the best missionaries I have ever met! We had so much fun together and I truly feel like I was supposed to meet her! She is my sister from Brazil. I may have cried a little bit when she went back with her companion to their area!  She told me that she is the Brazilian version of Al Fox because she has a lot of tattoos! I love her and wish you all could meet her! We found a new investigator together named Karin and she was pretty much waiting for us to knock her door. She is looking for the true church!!!!!! We are going back to teach her this week!

Friday:
I had intercambios with Hermana Cookson from Utah! We had a lesson with Patricia our new investigator that gave me an umbrella that hasn’t broken in the wind. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and she loved it! She has 19 brothers and sisters! What!! She is very loving and loves when we are in her house and feels such a special spirit, is what she tells us!

Okay here is another amazing story:
We had an amazing lesson with Ximena (30) and Josefa (8). I love these two with my whole entire heart! We have taught them the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation! Josefa was so excited to tell us that her and her mom had read the pamphlets that we left, that she told us before we even started the lesson. I asked Josefa a few questions to see what she had learned and she knew EVERYTHING! We felt to show the Restoration video and they loved it! Ximena at the end really opened up to us and said that she feels like Joseph Smith... because she wants to know what church is true. Meanwhile, Josefa left the room and then came back with a BOOK OF MORMON IN HER HANDS. I was so confused and asked where she had gotten the BOM because we hadn’t left one yet. They both begin to tell us that they had no idea where they had gotten it but that after reading the pamphlet they wanted to read the Book of Mormon and they found it in their house and they don’t know where it came from! WHAT?!!?!?! Josefa then says, “Yo creo que Dios lo puso en nuestra casa porque El quiere que lo leamos.” I have never seen an investigator so excited to read the Book of Mormon. I still can’t believe it... Josefa closed with a beautiful closing prayer with the help of her mom. I love them so much! I just wish you could all meet my investigators! I wish our lessons were caught on film so I could see my face when she brought out the Book of Mormon.


Another Miracle!!!!!
Our investigators Natalie (37) and Catalina (15) came to church on Sunday!!! No better feeling then giving them a hug as they walked into church! This may seem like nothing big but it is! This was their first time and they loved it! It was testimony meeting and every time I looked at Natalie she was listening to every word being said! The young women were so loving and welcoming to Catalina and she loved church!

This is the amazing part:
After our Gospel Principles class ended Natalie turned to us and said she had something to tell us. She began to tell us that Thursday night after our lesson she was going to bed and couldn’t sleep and felt scared... so... she said she began to PRAY! She said she prayed and instantly fell asleep and then... SHE HAD A DREAM WITH ME AND HERMANA CUÑA! She woke up the next day and she knew that was a sign that she had to come to church on Sunday. WHAT?! SO awesome.
I know that this is the Lord’s work and that He is working on both sides of the coin!
I seriously have like 5 more miracles I want to share but I can’t type fast enough! :( ha-ha.

I HAVE NEVER FELT SO MUCH JOY IN MY LIFE!

I just want you all to come join me on the mission so I don’t have to come home... because I miss you all, but I love my mission with my whole heart!

--
Hermana Falslev