09.02.13 I made it through August!

Hey everyone!

So these last couple of weeks have been kind of crazy! Here in Chile they have parties the beginning of September for the old people that lived through August. Because August is the month where the most people die from being sick! I am happy to say I made it through August! Barely. Last week was kind of adventerous... I found out that I am allergic to Chile.. Which is why I have been sick with bronchitis the whole 4 months I have been here. This last Monday I went to the Doctors because I was coughing lots and lots and I couldn't breathe. Then he sent me to the emergency room place here and we were there 7 hours. Worst P day ever! But thankfully I got medicine to help me breathe.. seeing breathing is kind of important and all ;) Also I had to rest Tuesday and Wednesday except for studying and appointments so I got some sleep in! This week was really hard with our investigators. Miguel doesn't want to be baptized any more, and we are working with him with his doubts. When he told us that he wasn't sure anymore it was the hardest thing ever. It felt like my stomach dropped to the floor. It is crazy how Satan works with people and puts so many doubts into their minds. He told us it is because he isn't sure that he will be able to follow through with his side of a covenant because he hates going to church :( It makes me so sad! We are praying and fasting so hard for him! Mauricio is this close to having a baptismal date... and his son wrote from his mission and told him not to wait, but to prepare for them to get sealed in the temple. We were praying for a letterl like that from his son, and It was amazing that he sent one :) Best day ever :) Here it is really rainy, but it is supposed to warm up really nicely! woo hoo! everyone is getting ready for 18 de Septiembre.. and I am so excited to see them dance the cueka and to try new foods :) I am going to try on the traditional dress and send a pic to you:) My spanish is still aweful, but it is getting semi better! Lets see what else.. Oh yeah!!! We are finally getting floor in our house!!! woohooo! It is a good thing too because now that it is warmer there are more and more bigs in there.. and i don't think I could handle seeing another spider on the floor or wall! It is getting warmer here and things are starting to be green again! I am so blessed to be in this beautiful part of Chile :) We have changes in 3 weeks again.. Insane how fast these weeks go by!  But I am pretty sure my companion is going to go open another sector so I will still be in Pirque. Um.. Not sure what else to write.. because this week was unproductive to say the least. but now that I can breathe I am sure this next week will be so much better! I love you guys tons and tons! Hugs and big huge kisses! 

Mwah!

Hermana Sommerfeld 

hailey.sommerfeld@myldsmail.net

Mission Chile Santiago Este

Cristobal Colon 6824

Casilla 27.144 Las Condes

Region Metropolitana

Santiago, Chile

08.19.13 Spring is in the air!

Hola!

Hope everything is great back in gringo landia! This week has been beautiful! It is finally starting to warm up! It is wierd because usually around the time that it is my birthday, things are just starting too cool down a bit! It will be weird to have a b-day in the winter-spring! Everything this week has been going pretty well! I was sick.... again..... Seems like I never have gotten over this darn cough thing. But we all went to the doctor last friday, because we all have like a rash on our arms.. mine isn't that bad, but the other sisters' arms are. The doctor gave us medicines to see if it helps and also said we get to get new matresses! Yay! Also, he told me that I am probably allergic to Chile, so I get to take allergy medicine my whole entire mission. Woop Woop. But at least it should help! I just hope it is that, and not the fact that I just have lousy immune system. The work really is progressing more here, and it has been so cool to see how the Lord really has prepared people for us to hear the gospel! Miguel is getting baptized September 8th. He was supposed to get baptized this next Sunday, but he was really sick so he couldn't come to church last week, and the next week is stake conference. We are so excited for him! It has been really cool to see the change in the way that he acts and he even said he has a suit he will wear to church! It is cute because he is worried about people seeing the tattoos he has, but we keep explaining to him every time we see him that it is okay! It is really fun to see someone become converted to the gospel and to gain a testimony of the truth. The last lesson that we were at he told his mom, "I am not joining this church because it is just some good church, I am joining because I know that it is the true church." I wanted to cry when he said that, because it is like watching someone grow in their testimony and their love for the Lord. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be able to see his conversion :) His mom and dad are a little bit of a different story, but we are working really hard to help them too. OH yeah! also Miguel said he wants to serve a mission! SO COOL to hear that from someone who just started listening to the message, but already has a desire to share it with others! AWESOME. What else? OH yeah we found a new investigator in a really unique way! 

We have been praying so hard for miracles in our sector and for the chance to be able to find more people. This thursday was a holiday, and we were not finding anyone! We were walking down a really long road past a line of cars coming back from the mountains, and the people in one car waved us over. They said "I am Alejandro, this is carmen. We are mormons and live in Huingan number 5." Then they drove off. We were like, okay! MAybe they just moved in, so lets go visit them tomorrow. So we went the next day and we took forever to find the house, because the numbers on this street are insane. Seriously it will be like 2546 then 890 then 10 then 3468... There is no order! But we eventually found the house, and we asked the lady in the yard if Carmen or Alejandro was home. She went and got Carmen. BUt as "Carmen" was walking up to the gate, we realized that it wasn't the same Carmen we had met! She was confused too, but eventually she said are you mormons!? We said yep. and she started laughing really hard. We told her that we had gotten her address from some guy and lady in a car, and she said that that was their friend who is a member of the church and he had been joking about getting missionaries to their house. She invited us in and we got to meet her family too. She asked sooooo many questions and was super interested in learning more about the church. Her friend wouldn't answer very many questions, and said she just needs to talk to the missionaries. She said her Mormon friend is a super great guy and that she could tell he had something different about him. I am really grateful for his example! So we taught the lesson, and she expressed her doubts and her feelings about religion and how she really wants to know what the purpose in life is. She said she prays every day for answers,but she hasn't been able to find them. We introduced her to the book of mormon, and next lesson we are going to teach the plan of salvation :) She was really excited to have us in our house, and she kept asking so many questions! The great thing is that we had an answer for every single one. I am so grateful that we have this truth and this gospel to help us answer all the questions about this life. I am excited to go back and teach her this week! Anything else exciting? Don't think so.. everything else is the same old same old! Walk.. teach...walk.walk.walk.walk.walk.bus.walk teach... But it is the good life :) I love you guys and I am so grateful for your help in the mission work too :) BTW there is a great talk that would be good for everyone to read. It is called "Preach my gospel-the unifying tool between members and missionaries" by Elder Erich W Kopischke... in the october 2007 Liahona. It is a great talk that explains how members can use preach my gospel as well to help them become even better member missionaries. I challenge you guys to read it and to incorporate PMG into everyday family scripture study! There are so many tools in there that help us to find people and help us to share the gospel in the best way :) I love you all and I want you to know how much I miss you! I am so grateful to be a member of this church and to know all the things that we are able to know! Hugs and Kisses!

Mwah!

Love,

Hermana Sommerfeld

hailey.sommerfeld@myldsmail.net

Mission Chile Santiago Este

Cristobal Colon 6824

Casilla 27.144 Las Condes

Region Metropolitana

Santiago, Chile

08.12.13 yaaaaaaa Po

Hey everyone!

This week was a really really busy week, but it was awesome! 

Tuesday:

we had intercambios, because my companion is the zone leader for sisters. She went to a place called Soterro Del Rio, and Hermana Nava came to our sector. It was interesting to teach with someone new, but it was alright. We had a rocky time with some of our lessons, because of diffrences in teaching style, but we figured it out!

Wednesday: 

I got my companion back :) thank goodness! I missed having my "mama" around to help me out, and translate some words for me! We went to a less active members house, named Indira, the one with adorable little girls! She is part native chilean (she looks like native american) adn she fed us like this natural fish soup. It was absolutely delicious!!! I never knew that fish could taste good ha ha! After that we had a lesson with Mauricio, the eternal investigator. He went to the store and bought meat and grilled it just for us. He told us that in Chile, the people show love with food. It was really sweet because he basically told us he loves us! Hermana Hernandez is really direct with him, because he needs it! But he usually laughs at us when we talk about baptism. We are seeing a change in him though, and even if he isn't baptized with us, we know that one day he will :) 

Thursday:

We went to Santiago central! I had to get my visa and my I.D card thing. Santiago central is where all of the awesome tourist sites are! We went to Plaza de Armas.. so awesome! I took some great pictures that I will send to you :) We listened to some folclore latino americano band.. they played the flute thingy and everything! It was really awesome. Also  there was a family from Holland that was touring there, and they stopped and talked ith us. They don't know spanish, and only a little bit of English... so another Elder and I were the only ones talking to them. It is awesome to see members from all over the world, and how the church is spread everywhere! Also cool that we had some language in common so we could communicate :) After that we went to a food place to eat. I was sick with the flu, so I just ordered a drink and a little empenada... but it was nasty! Everyone else was really upset with their food too... so we know not to eat there again!

Friday:

We had a lesson with Bertha's daughter.. Bertha is the one that has cancer. So her daughter took a book of mormon from her mom, and she nad her daughter were reading it (berthas granddaughter.) They say that they are going to read more and pray about it, because they are looking for their religion. We really felt the spirit strong in that lesson, and she is such a great person! She is so fun to talk to! I can't wait until next friday to talk to them again! 

Saturday:

Spent the whole day knocking doors in a rich neighborhood. Not one lesson. But it was fun to see the fancy houses!!!! Also we saw peacocks! Yep. pretty much explains the whole entire day! 

Sunday:

Miguel came to church! He is on the right track for his baptism on the 25th! He is awesome! I want you guys to meet him! He might go to New York to study in a couple years, so maybe you can meet him! 

and thats my week! The days are getting warmer, which means spring is coming!!! They don't have groundhogs here... so I don't know when exactly it will come ;) We are just working hard.. sharing the gospel and such. Oh yeah and Changes passed and I am staying in Pirqueeeeeeee!!!! Happiest day of my life.. I was not ready to leave! I love it out here!!!!! Okay.. yep. Love you all!° have a fantastic weeek!

Con Amor,

Hermana Hailey Bailey Sommerfeldailey

hailey.sommerfeld@myldsmail.net

Mission Chile Santiago Este

Cristobal Colon 6824

Casilla 27.144 Las Condes

Region Metropolitana

Santiago, Chile

Chillin’ like a villian, workin like a boss

Hey Everyone!

Oh how crazy it is how fast the time goes by! I feel like I just barely emailed everyone! It is kind of sad, but it makes me want to work harder!!!! So I am sorry my emails aren't organized in anyway at all.... I am going to attempt to organize this one. I am pretty sure I have ADD so I apologize...

Tuesday:  We had intercambios (changes for the day), because my companion is the leader for girls.. like a zone leader, but a sister. I went to Trinidad, and my companion for the day was Sister Jackson, from Utah. She has only been here for like 6 weeks more than me, so it was kind of scary  because we both have limited Spanish skills, but it turned out great thanks to the spirit!! It was awesome to have an actual long conversation with somebody  in English that has stuff in common with me. She is really smart, and loves all the kind of nerdy stuff that I do :) Also Trinidad is really pretty! The sisters live in an aparment on the 18th floor of a really tall building.. and their apartment is actually nice! I have heard that we have the worst house in the whole mission... Its okay though, because I know that whereever I go next will be nicer.. We have changes coming up in a week, and I am really nervous that I am going to change, because it seems I just got used to Pirque, and finally got the trust of our investigators! I will be kind of bummed if I have to leave this beautiful part of Chile. 

Wednesday: We changed back. I ate lentil beans for lunch.... again. :( seems like everyday I have garbonzo beans or lentils.... well at least 3 times a week! We visited Hna Troncoso, a recent convert who is really sweet. She got married when she was 12 and never went to school, so she can't read. It is hard to teach her because she doesn't understand a lot, but it is fun. We talked to her about hte temple and she said she wants to go, so hopefully we can get her there! Also we taught a family in our little neighborhood. We met their son while he was out playing soccer, and he introduced us to his mom. They are such a cute family! The kid is 14 and reminds me of Bronson! Whenever we are in the neighborhood, he and his big group of friends always calls us over to say play with them or talk to them! We have gotten lessons with 3 of their families!! yay! Sometimes it is good to be a little immature.. that is how we get contacts :) Anyway we invited them to church, but they said it was a big decision for their family so they will have to talk about it with each other. We told them that they aren't commiting to anything by going to church, and they were like" OHHH! we thought we had to join if we went".. No not yet... maybe the 3rd sunday... ;)  

Thursday: We had lunch with a less active member, Guadolupe. She is my favorite! She is this cute little rolly polly lady, and she treats us like we are her grandkids.. I love her to death! She fed us a delicous lunch! Complete with icecream! I want you guys to meet her, she is so awesome! Anyway after that we had some lessons, but the best lesson was at night. We taught Miguel and Margarita, a mother and son that we contacted at a little grocery store place that they own. We gave them a Book of Mormon last time, and this time Miguel had read like half of 1st Nephi! Awesome! We taught about Joseph Smith, and he asked a lot of questions. He has been searching for a church, and has been researching different churches, and on one website it had a lot of lies about Joseph Smith. He was really grateful for the information we gave him, and said it was better that he just talked with us to hear the truth rather than other people that don't know anything about hte religion. His mom is a little bit harder. She loves having us over, but she doesn't understand what we are telling her about hte restoration. Hopefully we can get through to her! We want to invite them to be baptized on our next lesson... We asked them what they would do if they prayed and found out that this church was true, and they said they would join it... So I am praying praying praying that that is a good sign!!!!! 

Friday: We had a lesson with one of the "eternal" investigators, Mauricio. His son is on a mission, and his wife and daughter are mebmers, but he won't commit to baptism. When we first started teaching him, he was really shy, but this last lesson he really opened up and actually answered questions with mroe than 1 word! It was a really good lesson, and we felt the spirit really strong. He said that he would actually read this time, and he went to church! YAY! I think he is a really really good guy, but he doesn't want ot commit to anything unless he knows for sure that he is going to do it. We have a lesson with him next friday, and we are really going to try to set a baptismal date. (we try everytime with him but usually he says no). 

Saturday, Sunday:Lots of walking,and contacting. We need more people so this is what our day consisted of! We taught a less active who is amazing! and she is quitting her job so she can come to church! I am so excited! 

Yep that was it ...... sorry I forgot the little details inbetween but this was my week! Are you guys going to see Despicable me 2 ? or monsters university! I want to watch those when I get back! every little kid we talk to jabbers on and on about one of those movies! 

Miss you guys! I am sending you all my love, and trying  to send you some of the  cold from down here! Hugs and kisses!!

Mwah!

Hermana Hailey 

Best Views in the World.

Hey fam and frienz!

Okay this week was full of excitement and fun!

Wednesday: the new old missionary couple got here. they live right next door to us and they are adorable! They are going to be the next MTC president down here, but that is in 4 months. so for now, they are helping us in our area! Yay! They are Elder and Sister Doll, from California... He was the mission president in Chicago, and now they are here! Sis Doll is absolutely adorable! She calls us her daughters, and it is nice to have a "mom" here. 

Thursday: We walked... and walked and walked like the pioneers walked... literally forever!!! it was the most beautiful view in the world though! I forgot to take my camera :( Then I had to pee.. and we were in the middle of fields and vineyards... I just started walking behind a tree and my companion was like "what are you doing?" I said... watch for cars.. and that was the end of it! Best view I have ever had while I was going to the bathroom! I am soooo roughing it out here! just kidding. So it got dark after a beautiful sunset... and we were still in the middle of nowhere with only some cars passing by once in a while.. and a guy started to follow us all creepy like! then he dissappeared! we were so freaked out that he was still following us but hiding in the shadows! We are still alive though, so it is all good! 

The rest of the week was uneventful... so.... yeah.

love you all! 

Choose the right and stuff!

Hermana Sommerfeld

Chi chi chileeeeeee

Hey fam and friends!

How is everything going  back in gringolandia? That is what the members say when they are talking about the united states, like "how is the food in gringolandia? what is your favorite thing to do in gringo landia?" etc., etc.,.. Here in not gringo land everything is going pretty well! We are having a problem with investigators keeping their commitments and their appointments.. .literally every single appointment fell through this week :( boo.. but we still found ways to find and teach our people! No baptisms yet..but I am working on that ;) We had some funny things happen this week so at least I was laughing a lot.

funny thing #1... So there are five of us that live in our little ghetto house... the other group of sisters is a trio. Okay so we played a joke on one of them and we pretended that the president called to say that we had changes. Hna Gonzalez told Hna Perez that she was going to be changing to another companionship in a different sector because the companionships there were having problems and some people needed to be switched around.. Then they made up that her companion was going to be this one girl that is really lazy and a super bad missionary and that she yells at members and all that sort of thing. Hna Perez was freaking out and was really sad that she was leaving Pirque... Finally Hna Gonzalez gave her a letter and said this is for you for your goodbye.. the letter said like sorry this was a joke. Hna Perez freaked out and we all laughed forever... The best part was her reaction :)

#2... So the other companionship was contacting this drunk guy on the street, and he went to give Hna Tax a kiss goodbye (its not wierd it is the culture here), but we are sisters so we can't kiss guys goodbye. Hna tax said Oh we can't sorry. Then the drunk guy said like "why not? Jesus taught people to love one another and he gave kisses." Then Hna Tax said... "Yeah I know but remember when he was resurrected and he wouldn't let anyone touch him until he went to heaven? You can't touch me." At this point Hna Tax was like hiding behind Hna Gonzalez and she looked up to Hna Gonzalez and said "this is part of lesson two right?"... I wasn't there but when they told us this we all died laughing... some cheesy missionary humor for you...

I don't know why everything seemed funny this week! It was good though :) Also this week I had the goal to not say "I'm tired" outloud, and to try to not to even think it in my mind. I only said it 3 times, and I feel like it really helped me feel less tired. Seriously I feel exhausted every day, and sometimes I can't even keep my eyes open I am so tired! I am going to try to do the same thing again this week, and see if it helps me again. 

As far as weather goes.. it is still freezing here! But today was really warm :) I hope that that is a sign that it is going to warm up! I didn't even wear my coat today!! 

We got to meet the newest group that just came in from the MTC... there were so many gringos! I talked to one of the girls and she was like "Oh! you are sister Sommerfeld.. I have heard a lot about you!" I was nervous at first because usually that isn't a good thing, but she reassured me that it was all good things that she heard. She told me that the Mtc president and his wife say hi.. made me smile :) Also I guess some of the girls in their group read my blog to get an idea of what it was like here in Chile... Hope I didn't say anything wrong! ha ha! 

Sorry about the disorder of this letter... I just say what comes to my mind!! Oh yeah so I might get glasses... I have to go to the eye doctor and find out.. I haven't been able to see very far lately and things are blurry... don't know why my eyes would suddenly get worse.. but hopefully if I fix my eyesight it will help with my migraines... Im going to get hipster glasses for sure ;)

The food is the same. I am getting fat! Means I need to start excercising in the mornings so I don't come home looking like the michelan man!

I still sound stupid when I speak Spanish, but hopefully that will keep improving! I feel more comfortable talking to people though.. so its a good thing! 

Uhh yeah.. sorry don't know what else to update you on!

Love you all!!!!

XOXOXXOXOXOXOXXOXOXOX.. X.. O....x ooxxoxoxo 

Hermana Hai Hai

The Mish Mish With Some Pics

Hey fam! How is it going!?

I hope your 4th of July was awesome! It sounds like you guys had a fun time with all of your summer activities and stadium of fire! Sorry mom that you had to stay home... and that Dax is a baby lol! He would never survive Chile as a street dog! I am glad he is there with you guys in a nice warm home :) Fourth of July here was uneventful... except for we had a zone class and the majority of us are gringos so we sang the star spangled banner and had cookies and milk in behalf of Independance day :) That was fun! To be honest though... i would have rather had a barbeque and a parade.. I can't complain too much though! 

This week was pretty rough! We had some struggles with some of the ward members, but we prayed and fasted and are trying to do the Christ like thing. I think it is good I don't know much Spanish, or I might have said a few words that I regretted... I should always wait like 20 minutes before I respond when I am angry lol! I am learning so much here... like patience and how to be more positive. I really needed this mission.. no lie. 

This week I gained a stronger testimony of who I am and what my purpose in life is... it makes me sad when I talk to people and they don't know that they have eternal potential and that they are children of God. I am so grateful that I have the gospel to help me remember what I knew in the premortal life, and that I know the atonement can help me with my trials. I know that through sharing the gospel our testimonies are strengthened. 

Love you guys so much! Sorry about the short email.... I am sending over some pictures from here so that you can have more of a gestimation of where I am :) I love you guys!

Hugs and Kisses!

Hermana Sommerfeld

a view from a members house

the pollution makes it so there is a pretty sunset

another sunset

Hermana Hernandez and me

It is cold outside, and wet

making gringo food for the members... brownies

one of the roads that goes on forever

our puppy!!! I feed him sometimes and he sleeps right here when it rains

sloppy joes for the members.. Im such a great cook!

so you know you are in the country when.. you walk your donkey

another sunset