The heavens are opening!

This week has been absolutely incredible!!! This week was crazy but we worked so hard, and the heavens literally opened!!! We had an amazing zone conference this week! It literally was such a spiritual feast! And it gave us the motivation and determination to keep working, and to become better!!! It was especially remarkable because I saw a new spark in Hermana L that I never saw before! I saw an urgency and determination from the Spirit, and we put some great goals for ourselves and our sector and companionship! But I really love the theme of faith, and the more I learn about it, the more I realize I can always develop a stronger faith! But in my studies this week I read about Nephi, the son of Nephi, in 3 Nephi 7:18, and the kind of faith he had that says, ¨no era posible que descreyeran sus palabras, pues tan grande era su FE en el Señor Jesucristo que angeles le misistraban diariamente.¨ It was amazing to find that verse the day after zone conference! I know there are ministering angels! But more than anything, I want to develop THAT kind of faith! 

So Hermana L just shot right through the roof this week! I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW MUCH SHE HAS PROGRESSED!!! She is taking the initiative in lessons, and she is learning how to focus her studies! And she is smiling during the lessons, and now she gets SO excited when we teach and she gets to explain a principle!!! IT´S INCREDIBLE!!! She especially improved with the mornings! This morning she got up and did her exercises and didn´t fall back asleep in the morning! She has REALLY improved in all aspects of the work! In contacting, in working, in climbing the mountains, in focusing during studies, oh man, she really is going to be the GREATEST missionary ever!!! This week we had intercambios with Hermana E and Hermana L, and might I just say they were SO inspired!!! Hermana Eand Hermana L found four new investigators in one afternoon here in Conti!!! And three of them were a family! A family that the Lord has totally been preparing to receive the gospel! We taught them last night, and it was probably the best lesson of the restoration that I have taught in my whole mission!!! The heavens are opening! But as far as our goals for our sector, every day we want to invite at least one person to baptism! Whether it be in lessons, contacts, with investigators or future investigators, at least one person! And the Lord is totally giving us opportunities to do so! We invited Y to baptism on Friday and she said yes!!! We know God is preparing so many people!!! :)

With that being said, we have had some problems with our fechas. We have done everything to help V progress towards her baptism, but she still hasn´t come to church, so her fecha, along with J´s, fell through. So we are going to have an important discussion with those two about the importance of covenants, and if they really want to make this covenant, what that would mean for them.  Ju. is getting really close to being ready! He is really changing and really has shown he has a broken heart and a contrite spirit! He is excited to have an interview with the bishop to help him a little bit with this repentance process! But he is SO GOOD!!! He is really striving to be ready and clean before his baptism, but that´s all he wants! A remission of his sins! 

Hermana L is doing GREAT in 12 Semanas! This week she filled out the Informe de Progreso for our correlation meeting, and we made goals with our mission leader to work more closely and involve the members in missionary work! It was great!! Hermana L is really incredible! She is learning SO FAST!!! I am so lucky to be her companion! I love her so much! :) 

And from her weekly email to her mission president:

There was just one more thing I wanted to share. It was a story my Dad recently sent me while he was traveling and attending a ward in Thailand, and this is the experience that my Dad shared with me: 

¨It is amazing the power of the missionary work going on in Thailand. It truly is a miracle. There was someone who arrived just on Sunday to move back to Thailand.  In 2001, he and his family have lived in Thailand for nine years while he worked as an investment banker. He said that when he was there back in 2001 the mission  baptized about 20 people a month.  Today they are baptizing around 80 to 100 per month and in some months as many as 300-400! There's also a new temple announced to be opened in Thailand! It is amazing to see the church grow!¨

As I read that, I couldn´t help but think of our Mission Chile Rancagua, and our average for baptisms every month, but I know the Lord has bigger plans for us and our mission, and I know that everything you are doing for us missionaries, the members, and our investigators, is what is laying the foundation for us to elevate this mission, just like what happened in Thailand! So, I just wanted to say thank you President for all your hard hard work, because it is changing people’s lives, and allowing the Lord to accelerate his work! 

 Have a great week! 

Hermana Christensen