Letter #41: October 15, 2012

Dear Family,

This week we had interviews with our Mission President.   He told me the Lord knew that I was strong enough to handle any situation I was put in and he gave me lots of comfort.  It was real nice.  :)  Also, we have transfers this week instead of next!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m not sure why and we’re actually not even supposed to know (our zone leaders accidentally told us), so we find out who leaves and stays tomorrow and we are moved Thursday.

We also have Elder Dallin H. Oaks coming to speak to us this Saturday!!!  I’m pretty excited! And if you remember, I’m singing in the choir for him.  The choir practices in Viña have been great.  So here is something that was super crazy this week... I had to go to emergency last Friday... Ha! Ha!  Let me explain.

Ever since I started wearing mascara I’ve used a needle or a safety pin to separate my eyelashes (for the past 5 years I’ve been doing this).  Well, I must be out of practice because I hardly wear make up here and I accidently poked myself in the eyeball Friday morning.  It hurt really bad, but I didn´t think anything of it...  So then on way to Viña, I mentioned it to my companion who just shrugged it off.  Then at choir practice in Viña, I told Hermana Ortega and she told me I should call the nurse (we have a mission nurse).  I didn’t want to so I told the Secretary of Health Elder.  Practice ended and we headed back to Quillota.  On the train back, I got a phone call from the Health Elder frantically telling me that he needed to take me to emergency and we had to come back to Viña.  So, we turned around.  We went to emergency and it turns out that I cut my cornea.  I had to have an eye patch for a day and then use dark sunglasses the next day.  It was great. Ha! Ha!  Everything is fine now.  I just have to put this goo in my eye twice a day for a week.  Crazy story huh?  Don’t worry, the mission insurance paid for my stupidity and we won’t be charged anything.  

On a good note we managed to find a man in the past week a half who is ready for the gospel!!! He has a baptismal date for the 27th of this month!!  WOOOHOOO!!  He has attended church the past 2 weeks and is doing great!  He is soooooo ready for the gospel.  He has terminal cancer and 6 months ago, the doctors gave him 2 months to live.  His name is Miguel Angel Castro Rosas and he is the cousin of one of the members in the ward.  I’m so excited for his baptism, even though I might not get to be there!!!!  He is a champ.  :)

Well, that’s all I really have to say for right now.... Thanks for all of your prayers!!! I have felt a lot of comfort at times and have learned SO many valuable life lessons, but more importantly, I have come to know my Savior on a very personal level. I LOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH!!!!!!!

-Hermana Hermansen

Letter #40: October 8, 2012

Mama,

Thanks for Laurel’s address!!! Finally.  :)   So, didn’t you just LOVE conference!!!!! It was soooooooooooooooooo nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The gringo missionaries got to watch conference in a separate room in English.  It was Heavenly..... With the package ordeal, I’ll leave that up to you.... I remember that I needed things, but I’m pretty much the most patient person that I know right now and I can’t even remember exactly the things that I needed. (I do still need them, it’s just that I have so many things in my brain that when I write it down, it’s like I give permission for my brain to forget.)  I’m ok waiting.  In my Christmas package could you include a copy of the Ensign with all the conference talks? That would be great!

Anyway back to conference.... I LOVED it soooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I now have the faith and strength that I need.  Remember how I told you before my mission that I needed to be humbled?.....Well.... mission accomplished.  I never want to be forced to be humble again.... I choose it from now on.  Luckily, conference gave me the faith, hope, strength, and motivation to try yet again at make the best of all things.

Also tell everyone Happy Birthday for me!!!!!!!  (Brett, Brandon, Dad, and Preston)

Anyway, I wanted to tell you something mother.... and that is, thank you for raising me in righteousness!!!! I am so eternally grateful that I was born in the covenant with a wonderful, righteous mother.  You are incredible, mama and I love you soooooo much!!!!

And now that I’m done writing about my feelings (which I’m sure you loved because you love feelings), I have something very urgent to tell you.....

That thing being, my permanent retainer fell off... crap.  So I have the number of a dentist here who is a member.  The mission nurse told me to call him and set up an appointment, but I’m scared to do anything until I have yours and dad’s approval.... What I’m thinking is that I could get a removable retainer made to use for the next year while I’m here and then get it all fixed when I get home. What should I do?  I have one tooth that is getting real crooked.... I think a removable retainer would be best.  And should I just go to the dentist and see what they say or do you want to search insurance stuff first?  From what I hear, orthodontics and dentistry is a lot cheaper here than the states and it’s pretty good quality too.  But again, this is personal money that the mission does not pay for. Let me know please. I won’t act until I hear back from you. Thanks!

Ok so that is all I have to say for today.  I completed 7 months in the mission yesterday.   I LOVE YOU LOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Thanks for telling me all about the fam!!!! Glad everyone’s doing well.  Anyway, I must be off!!! Until next week.

-Hermana Hermansen         

             

Letter #39: October 1, 2012

Dear Family, 

First off…  

Happy Birthday, Brandon!!!!  On the 27th, right??  Are you 30 now??  Wow! Crazy.....

Anyway, I don’t really have much to say….

Rachel, I sent my memory card last Friday.  Hope it gets there.  

I get to see Hermana Ortega once or twice a week right now.  I love her and I miss her.  I hope that we get to be companions one day!!

On our way to choir practice the other day there was oldies music (from the states) playing on the bus... It made me happy and it made me MISS those long drives with Dad listening to oldies music.....

Anyway, thanks for all your love and support!!  I love you all soooooooooooooooooooo much!! Hope you’re all doing well.  Until next week.

-Hermana Hermansen

P.S.  HAPPY OCTOBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And HAPPY GENERAL CONFERENCE this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go listen to the prophet’s voice; it’s a commandment.  :)  And one more.... HAPPY 7 MONTHS on the MISH to me this next Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!

-Hermana Hermansen

Letter #38: September 24, 2012

Dear Fam,

Hey ya’ll.  I’m still alive after all the crazy Independence Day festivities, so no worries! Ha! Ha! They were really fun and we got to spend some time with the members at their ward activity to celebrate. It was really fun!  I took some awesome footage, but I received 15 e-mails today from different people, so I’m trying to get everyone written back and don’t have time to download stuff.  

We are trying really hard to be obedient and work hard!!  It’s finally Spring, too!!  From what I hear, it’s more like summer.  They kind of skip Spring and Fall here and just have Winter and Summer, so some days have been quite hot and I’m a little sunburnt.  The other day when we got home in the night, I had a blister.  HAD a blister.  It popped during the day and bled through 2 pairs of socks.  Fun stuff!  We walked A TON this day.  We passed by 15 different houses and hardly anyone was home.  It was great. 

Well, we have Elder Dallin H. Oaks coming to Chile on October 20th to speak to our mission. The assistants of the mission asked me to sing in a special choir for the event because they heard that I sang in General Conference and assumed that I have singing capabilities….. Ha! Ha!  Jokes on them, because we all know that I can’t sing!....Suckers…HaHa.  So, anyway, my companion and I have to go to Viña twice a week for practice.  Luckily, Hermana Ortega got roped into it, too, so at least I get to see her twice a week for the next three or so weeks. WOOT! 

Well, sorry I’m lame.  That’s all I have to write today.  LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and miss you too!)

-Hermana Hermansen 

Letter #37: September 17, 2012

Hello Family!

So I don’t have much to say from this week....  We had a zone conference finally and it was AWESOME.  We had Elder Viñas of the area seventy speak to us and I loved it.  He said something really cool that I want to share with you.  He said that everyone is here in this life to suffer and what the gospel allows us to do is to SUFFER WITH JOY...  I loved that.  It has definitely helped me and I thought it might help all of you, too.  My Spanish is doing really well and people tell me, I talk as if I were about to finish my mission instead of just starting.  I don’t feel like that though... I still have a TON to learn, but it was a nice compliment.  On the way home from the conference, I contacted a cute little old lady on the bus.  It was a good time.

I LOVE YOU ALL VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY MUCH!!!  And I miss you all too!

Hopefully next week I will have more to say.

Love, 

Hermana Hermansen 

P.S. Pics to come next week.  I forgot my computer cable.....

Letter #36: September 11, 2012

Hello Dear Family,

Well... I did not get transferred.  And neither did my companion.... I am still in the same area (Quillota, Ward- Troncal 1) with the same companion (Hermana Palomino from Columbia).

I don’t really have a lot to say this week, but I do have some homework for everyone... Heheheh.

Things to Read:
-“Mountains to Climb” (last April general conference talk by Elder Eyring)

This talk is AWESOME!! Super insightful, super inspirational, and super motivational.)
-“Our Search for Happiness”

This book contains a concise, but powerful summary of what every Latter-day Saint should know about gospel and the basic foundations of our religion.  Plus it’s funny; I love how subtly witty Elder Ballard is.

-“Beware of Pride” (talk by President Ezra Taft Benson from 1984 or 1986)

This talk is SUPER great!!  When you read this, don’t just read it.  Study it.  Look up every scripture reference.  Take your time.  Meditate.  Ponder.  And let everything you study sink in. There really is only one sin in the world and that is PRIDE.  All other sins are a result of not being humble enough to repent.

And that’s your homework... for now :)

Well I’m not sure if I told you all or not, but I have learned how to knit.  Yes, just like the grandmas do for fun.  I have knitted a scarf over the past 3 month, of which I will send pics next week.  One of my old investigators taught me, a member has helped, and another current investigator is helping, as well.  Knitting has actually turned into a good conversation starter and a way to connect with investigators... Heheheh.... Almost EVERYONE knits here or crochets...it’s cool.

Mama- I loved your letter last week!  I loved hearing about everyone and it sounds like everyone is doing really well!!  This makes me happy. :)

I’ve come to the conclusion that being in the mission is like being stuck in a fire pit... AND I now have scriptural evidence to prove it... (See 1 Nephi 20:10, Doctrine and Covenants 103:12, Doctrine and Covenants 4:10, and John 16:33.... in order please)

I don’t have much else to say at this point...

Brandon, my old Mission President and his wife are from Vancouver, Washington.  Sorry that information is a little late now since you and Lindsy are going to be busy moving back to Utah!! WOOOOO HOOO! Super happy for you guys!!

I hope that everyone continues to be strong in the faith and recognize all the blessings that the Lord has given you!!!

 
I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!!! I miss you all, too.  Until next week.

-Hermana Hermansen

Letter #35: September 3, 2012

Hello Dear Family!!!!

Ok, so I’m going to try and send a lot of videos and photos today so this letter is going to be short!  Just a bunch of tid bits.... ;)

1.  The weather is finally starting to warm up!!  Yay.  We had 2 REALLY nice days this past week.  So nice that I got a little sunburned and was sweating..... Ha!  Ha!  And it’s still winter.  The summers here are ridiculous so I hear, but I’m sure I’ll adjust.

2. We had daylight savings yesterday and we sprung FORWARD.... That’s the 2nd time this has happened to me this year... Ha! Ha!  It’s almost 2 o´clock here, what time is it there?  Or what time did you receive this e-mail?

3.  This is the last week of this transfer and I’m kind of excited.

4. Next week our p-day will be on Tuesday most likely so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me on Monday.

5.  This Friday I complete 6 months in the mission!!! Woot.  Woot.  How crazy is that! I still feel like I just got here and in some ways I’m still adjusting.  I’m one third of the way through my mission... so weird...

6. So the Independence Day of Chile is on September 18th.  Celebrations last all week so I’m told!  Ha! Ha! But they seem to have already started….Ha! Ha!  We can smell BBQ in the streets and there are a lot more drunk people out at night.  That may be because it’s warming up now, though. 

7.  So there was this dance festival thing that the stake put on with native dances from Chile and I took some videos of, so that is what I’m going to try and send.  Also, I’m sending some pics of my crazy companion and me at this festival.  The native dance is called the “Quaka” and its SOOOOO COOL.  I loved it!!  Chileans are definitely very proud of their country and heritage. 

8. Yesterday in Relief Society, I fell off my chair...in the middle of everyone and everybody gasped... it was a good time... :) Ha! Ha!

Ok, I’m going to try and send stuff now!!  LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Hermana Hermansen