Week of Difficult Trials

12 September 2016

Alright this week was not easy for Hermana Falslev.

So Monday night we had a Family Home Evening with familia Villanueva in our ward so that we could help the dad with English. Well I just had this feeling to ask him how long he has been in the Church and he told us an amazing conversion story! He was baptized when he was 18 and got married to his wife who has always been a member... After being baptized he took up smoking and drinking again and was not doing well at all... He would do really well and then he would do really, really bad and he was involved with a lot of drugs. His son Bryan when he was 15 told his dad that he needed to change his life around and become a dad and he said that when his son said this that he felt as if God was talking right to him. He started crying while telling us all his story and now he is such a strong member in the Church... He teaches institute and NEVER misses Church. It was so amazing listening to him tell his story... The Atonement of Jesus Christ is sooooo real! It literally had such a big impact hearing his story and he is now 6 years free of drugs and alcohol! This Gospel is amazing and can truly help anyone... Mauricio Villanueva is an amazing example of the Atonement... it was probably one of the favorite moments of my mission to listen to his story. 

Monday night when we got home, my knee, that I have been having problems with, was really bothering me, so I called my cute Hermana Arroyo and she told me that I needed to stay in the house until Friday.. I’ll be honest I started crying because I DID NOT WANT TO STAY IN THE HOUSE ANYMORE. But she didn’t change her mind so Hermana Cook and I stayed in the house until Friday night when we left to take a member in our ward a card for his birthday... Well... We were walking down our stairs, and there is no light to help us see, so I missed the last step and fell right on both of my knees and it hurt so dang bad... I finally got strength to walk back up to our apartment and I look down and my knees are all bloody... So much pain as well... So Hermana Cook called Hermano Moreno who is in our Bishopric to come and give me a blessing with another Hermano because my knee was already bad and so this just made it so much worse. I called Hermana Arroyo and she told me I would need to go to Osorno in the morning.

Saturday morning I went to the hospital and had an x-ray and they said I had a lot of swelling in both of my knees...So there is my bad luck story. I am doing a lot better now! I’m just really frustrated but I’ve been able to stay positive through this! I found a scripture in Doctrine & Covenants last night that really helped me so much... D&C 24:7-8 “For thou shalt devote all thy service in {Chile} and in this thou shalt have strength. Be patient in afflictions for thou shalt have many, but endure them, for lo, I am with thee, even to the end of thy days.”

I think this is one of my new favorite scriptures. I love Chile and my mission so much and so I was so frustrated with myself that I couldn’t work. But I truly feel the love my Savior and Heavenly Father have for me. I’m so grateful to be here in beautiful Rio Bueno. I’m so grateful for the Priesthood! I’m still happy as ever and my companion has taken really good care of me and kept me super happy! I know that these experiences are just preparing me for the future... that is exactly what the mission does for me, prepares me and makes me strong for my future! I know my knees will be better this week! We have sweet Carla Ruiz that we are hoping can get baptized on October 24th for her 16th birthday! 

I love you all and I’m so grateful for all the prayers that are sent my way! The mission is amazing and thank you for all your love and concerns about amazing President Obeso! Our new President is President Isom from Wyoming and he will be here Friday I believe! Ahhh time is going by so fast! Love you allllllllll.

I CANT BELIEVE I HIT SIX MONTHS!! I hope you all enjoy my bloody pictures... the cow leg was so nasty, haha culture shock.... 

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Hermana Falslev

Heart Breaking Week in the Mission

5 September 2016

Wow, so much happened this week.

Friday we had a Conference with President and the unexpected happened. He was telling us all how much he loves us and getting super emotional and then he told us he has cancer and he will be returning to his home in Mexico by the 16th of this month! WHAT! I think all of our jaws dropped and then he started to cry and so did his wife! I think every single missionary was crying, some were bawling.

All I know about our new President is that he is from Wyoming and his wife doesn’t speak any Spanish and they have three kids! I didn’t hear what is name was because I was still trying to take in what President had said. I still can’t believe it! He didn’t say what kind of cancer, just that he needs to receive treatments! He then bore his testimony to us and so did sweet little Hermana Obeso! Then we all got to take a picture with them and President gave all us Hermanas a hug and he told me thank you for all my excitement to share the gospel! I love him and his wife so much! So in two weeks we will be getting our new President.

This week was good just like always. I love Rio Bueno so much! We are teaching a girl named Carla and she is 15 and loves our Church. She comes every week with her uncle literally every week! So we are going to work and fast for her parents to let her get baptized on the 24th of this month for her 16th birthday! She is amazing! I love the families here and they are always so willing to help us out! Chile is getting ready for their Independence Day which is 18th of this month and I love seeing red, white, and blue everywhere! Also spring is coming and I didn’t even have to wear a jacket today. Everything is getting more and more beautiful! I love Chile so much! Not much really happened this week but every day we are looking for more people that are ready to listen to us! I love being a missionary and sharing this light with others! I feel so blessed to have had President Obeso! He is such a power leader and so loving and has the strongest testimony ever! He said he wants to see us after the mission with our spouse and to tell him that we are married in the temple and doing well! Sorry I wish I had more to write but I want to send more pictures of my beautiful Chile! Thank you for all your love and support! 

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Hermana Falslev

New Area & New Companion - RIO BUENO

29 August 2016

Hola everyone! The mission just keeps getting better... My new area is Rio Bueno! It is a town a little bigger than Preston, ID I think, and it is about 40 minutes from Osorno! It was hard to say goodbye to my sweet Hna Arroyo. She was so cute and sad that I was leaving her. My suit cases were packed to the limit and so heavy, haha, I’m in trouble.

My new companion is Hermana Cook from Columbus, Ohio! She is 20 years old and she has 4 brothers! She is a huge fan of Ohio football. We are so much alike and are already best friends. I know that companionships come from our loving Heavenly Father and I feel like I just keep getting the best companions. Rio Bueno is so big.... I want to say three times the size of my old sector! We have lots of people to teach and I will talk about them more next week. The ward here is amazing and so loving. I feel like me and Hermana Cook are going to see so many miracles together this cambio! My birthday was fun and celebrated all week haha it was great! Thank you for all your love! 

Something I wanted to share was this week; I and Hna Arroyo went to Presidents house to talk to the new missionaries about their health and what they need to do to stay healthy and happy... So we begin our presentation with Hna Arroyo talking in English and I in Spanish and it was funny. They all thought we were so funny. But then we started the presentation and I could not speak English for the life of me and I was embarrassed... It was the craziest thing I could not speak haha all of the ones from the states thought it was so funny even my companion thought it was funny then I got a hold of myself! It was just a cool experience for me because I feel like I was just in their spot a week ago and I now I can speak SPANISH! Then I was talking to President and he was like Hermana Falslev I’m sending you to Rio Bueno because they need your excitement... Can you do that? And of course with the biggest smile I said, Si Presidente voy hacer lo! And that’s what I did these last 5 days. I’m giving everything I have and I really have seen so many miracles with my amazing Hna Cook! 

Sometimes I just think to myself that the mission should be harder or why is the mission so easy. And really I think it’s all about the attitude we have... Because it’s not easy to be far from family and friends in a different country speaking in a different language but I AM SO HAPPY and I believe it’s because I choose to be happy in every situation and it’s helped me rise above everything! Me and Hna Cook during our companion study on Friday morning just starting sharing our testimonies about the gospel and the mission and all the things we have learned and the Spirit was so strong! 

THE MISSION IS LIFE CHANGING.... I’m so happy here in this little part of the world sharing this beautiful gospel! I feel so blessed every single day and I know with all my heart it’s because I have amazing people at home praying for me! LOVE you all! 

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Hermana Falslev

Birthday Week

22 August 2016

Hola!! This week was crazy just like every week haha. I went to work in Fresia with a Hermana Piscoya because her companion is sick so I was working in a different sector for three days! It was fun to leave my sector and help a different sector. This is the first time in over 20 years that Hermana’s are in this sector... So to see a blonde missionary for them was very different. I felt like everyone was staring at me... but no worries in about 4 months I believe I will be brunette. Anyways I don’t have much to talk about my sector and our investigators because Hermana Arroyo was working in our sector. Fresia is a small like town that reminds me a lot of Preston! I was so happy there... and there is a view of four different volcanoes and its breath taking! CHILE IS BEAUTIFUL!!!

This week we had Stake Conference and wow what a special experience to see so many beautiful members from all the different wards and our Stake President has been a member for eight years and is amazing and so bold! President Obeso and his wife talked in both sessions and it was all about FAMILY! And all the missionaries were dying about how trunky it was hahaha. There are truly no words to describe how much I love my family. Being 5000 miles away has grown my love for all of you more than I could ever imagine. I am so extremely grateful for my mom and the amazing example she is to me. I’m so grateful for where I come from for my sweet grandparents, for all of my cousins and aunts and uncles. I truly feel overwhelmed to have so many amazing people in my life. FAMILY IS SO IMPORTANT and we get them for ETERNITY if we endure to the end! I’m so grateful for the power of the priesthood and temples that allows us to be with our loved ones forever. I loved conference as you can see. 

After we got to the house my companion, Hna Barrios and Hna Piscoya decorated our house for my birthday because cambios are this week and who knows what is going to happen! I was so happy haha I love surprises! This is going to be an amazing week. I’m excited to see what this cambio has in store if I stay or go I will be happy! I’m so grateful for this amazing journey and all that I am learning every day! The mission is unlike anything and I’m in the most beautiful place in the world!!!! Chile Osorno!! Love you all!! 

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Hermana Falslev

Week 23

15 August 2016

Wow what a crazy and amazing week!

Tuesday Elder Packer came to our mission and he and his wife and President and his wife all talked to us and it was amazing! The Spirit was so strong and all the talks were based on the Holy Ghost and how important it is to have the Holy Ghost with us in our companionships, houses, and most important when we are teaching! We got to have lunch with them and everything! Such a special experience and he told us that Elder Rasband is going to be coming in November!! Whoooo so exciting!

Thursday was one of my favorite days of the mission so far!!!!! We had a cita with this lady named Sofia! We started the leccion and she was telling us how she doesn’t really believe in God because there is so much horrible things in the world and all this stuff and me and Hermana Arroyo just started testifying and teaching from the Book of Mormon and it was as if a light went off in her and she started crying and we bore testimony. My companion asked her that if she prayed and new these things were true that she would be baptized the 10th of September and she said YES! It was one of the most amazing experiences of the mission... To literally see an investigator change in a lesson... She then ended the lesson with a prayer and it was the sweetest prayer ever... I cannot put into words how I felt during this lesson...Sofia has been an answer to my prayers... someone that was ready to listen to us!

Sunday I was in Fresia with Hna Piscoya whose companion was with my companion because of sickness... so I got to experience a different sector and ward which was super amazing... This ward had 10 people show up and I had to give a 12 minute talk and lead the music! I was leading the final hymn and we were singing The Spirit of God and I just started crying... Looking out seeing this little rama and the Spirit that they had was amazing and the Spirit was so strong!! I love the power of the Holy Ghost! I cannot even write all the amazing things that happen each week because there are so many!!!! I LOVE MY MISSION!!

Today I am writing later because we went to Volcan Osorno!!! Let me just say that I believe that I am in the most beautiful mission in the world! The drive was MUY MUY BONITA! Familia Rodriguez took us and it was so much fun! I say it every week 100 times but truly I love my mission! This sector has my heart... I’m so nervous for cambios! I love this work! Thank you for all your love and support! If anyone is reading this and deciding if they want to go on a mission or not, GO!!! Best decision of my life!!! (Don’t be to jealous of my photos this week) haha

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Hermana Falslev

More Prayers Answered

8 August 2016

Another amazing week in the mission! Lots of things going on down here in the bottom of the world! Tuesday we did a service project for Hna Yesica and cleaned her windows since she does so much for us!

Wednesday we had consejo de zona and it was amazing! Our focus this month is to be leaders... and how Jesus Christ is the perfect example for us. The Hermana Leaders always share the most perfect message and the Spirit was strong. As they were talking about Jesus Christ and how He is always there for us... I just thought about my five months and how Jesus has been there for me every step of the way... He’s reached His hand out to me when I needed it most! I think everyone was crying a little bit even those Elders haha. After our consejo THEE Hna Norton came with me to Pichipelluco for my third interçambio with her. She has literally changed my life! We had such an amazing night together and had a leccion with our investigator Arthor under his barn haha it was great! The spirit was so strong and something me and Hna Norton have in common is we always cry when we feel the spirit... it was so special! We are sisters for life, she is also another angel in the mission!

Thursday when me and Hna got back together we had a leccion with Carlos our investigator that is 19 years old and we couldn’t find an Hna from our ward to come with us so we had a leccion with him sitting in his house and us sitting outside of his house on his nice chairs for his dining table it was funny and luckily it didn’t rain! We had a powerful leccion and again the spirit was so strong. He loves learning about the gospel and it’s so amazing to see his process and change! He went on vacation so we haven’t been able to see him more this week!

Friday we went on splits with two Hnas in our ward and I went with Valentina who wants to go on a mission in less than a year! And it started to rain so hard hahaha I felt bad for her cause she was not prepared! But it was another amazing day!

Saturday!! Wow this day was different... An Hna had a really bad back so my companion was in the hospital all day with her while Hna Piscoya came with me to Pichipelluco! We had such an amazing day together and she has such a sweet spirit! We came to the mission the same time and ever since I saw her in the airport we have been sisters! She is from Argentina, Buenos Aires! It was so fun to teach with her... And after lunch it was literally pouring like crazy and so we found this spot next to a house to shelter ourselves and start our fast together! And then we walked for many hours in the rain haha and there was SOO much water in my boots! I was starting to get a little discouraged so I told her we needed to pray. So again we found shelter and I said a prayer asking to bless us with excitement and a house to enter. And literally the first house we knocked on told us to enter! She was the sweetest lady named Rosa and she has shared with missionaries when she was really little!! PRAYS ARE AMAZING! We had such a good talk with her and it was such a blessing!

Saturday: Sunday after church and lunch we had a member Melissa accompany us and it was so special! I love working with members and having them testify with us! We found familia Quiros and they are ready for the gospel I know it!! They moved here 2 months ago from Columbia and the wife is pregnant! I’m so excited to have a leccion with them this week! I’m so wanting to teach a family!!!

I wish I had more time to really tell you about all my experiences but there is just so many! I love my sector and there is so much work to do! Praying I have one more cambio... hoping Presidente pulls through! I know me and Hna Arroyo can teach and baptize so many! Thank you all for you love and support! This week was such a blessing... can’t express enough how much I love my mission! This mission is perfect for me! Thank you for all your love and support! My birthday is coming up haha I would love to get letters from you all!

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Hermana Falslev

My Favorite Week of the Mission / A Week of Miracles

1 August 2016

This week was amazing!! It was a week of miracles... I didn’t know that I could be this happy 5000 miles away from all the people I love! I love my mission! 

Wednesday we had met with a lady Marcelo Castro who served a mission and is menos activo and it was amazing! She was so happy showing us pictures of her mission and talking about all her memories... I think that we really helped her a lot! She has a daughter that is 17 years old and can speak English really great and she loved getting to practice with me! It’s actually hard to talk in English I already can’t think of the words haha I love it! 

Also on Wednesday an Hermana in our mission hurt her knee really bad so we had to call Santiago and talk to the doctors in English so Hermana Arroyo would tell me what I needed to say and then I would tell them in English!  

Thursday was amazing! WE ENTERED HOUSES AND TAUGHT LECCIONS! We had a leccion with a girl named Macerana and her mom. They were so nice and let us in when we were dripping wet head to toe haha. We had an amazing leccion and Macerana started to cry and it was super special! Then we go to leave and I can’t find my placa anywhere... we searched their house and then left and searched outside and I just wanted to cry because it’s the one I got from the CCM!! So we said a pray and had to leave... I was so bummed and Hermana Arroyo was so nice and trying to cheer me up and then we are walking and we hear something hit the ground behind us and it was my PLACA!!!! Literally an angel dropped my placa it was amazing me and Hermana Arroyo were so excited hahaha we said a pray right after... I was so happy!!! 

Then right after that we knocked on a door and entered a house and taught a leccion! He is a new investigator Carlos... He is 19 years old and lives with his girlfriend... His girlfriend doesn’t want anything to do with religion but he had so many questions for us and about our mission. We went back Friday morning and had a leccion with a member his age and he again had so many question and wanted to see the capilla and so we have keys and so we headed for the church house! He loved it and then SAID A PRAY! The spirit was so strong and he promised that he would come to church! He is super special! 

Friday night we headed to Osorno to attend a doctors meeting with an Elder and so I got to meet a bunch of new missions! Every week I get to meet new missionaries and I love it! Elder Garcia told me my Spanish was really good for being out for 4 months... Haha I love when Latinos compliment my Spanish! So crazy to be back in Osorno where I first got here three months ago and it just made me think about how far I have come! 

Sunday Carlos came to church and loved it! Hermana Arroyo gave a talk and he honestly just loved it and asked so many questions about the santa cena and more! I don’t have time to write down all the amazing things that happened this week because there was so many! I literally have an angel as my companion! We have three new investigators and I know it’s because we are giving our all to the Lord every day! There isn’t enough time in the day and I just want time to SLOW DOWN… I need 3 more months with Hermana Arroyo! 

Friday there was sooooo much rain and now today is beautiful! Last night we had a leccion with a RC Leandro and his wife Masarrat who is a returned missionary and they are expecting a baby girl!!! I love them so much and they love us. It’s amazing to see the change in Leandro... He was the first baptism I attended in the mission and he has such a strong testimony... I love this gospel and seeing it literally change lives! NOTHING MAKES ME HAPPIER! Everyday I’m learning more Spanish, more about the gospel, and more about myself! I cannot begin to express how much I love my mission and how happy I am! ESTOY MUY FELIZ! Love you all! I know I have all these blessing because I have amazing people praying for me! Remember that your Heavenly Father and Hermana Falslev love you!

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Hermana Falslev