I am His Hands

Well family, this week was truly another week of chaos, but good chaos.  I had to head to Neuquen again to do Tramites (2 days of travel), but hey ya'll guess what...

I'M LEGAL!!!

After traveling to Neuquen we then had to head back to San Martin to do exchanges, and then from San Martin one day to Junin to do exchanges with the other hermanas.  So, let's just say I only had 3 days to work in my area this week.  But, I will testify that when we are in the service of others, we truly will receive SO many blessings. Our area ROCKETED above the Andes mountains this week.  HOLLAAA!!  It was just miracle after miracle.

We found 2 new investigators that are of gold.  One is 23 years old and doesn't really believe in God or Jesus Christ, but she wants to.  She is so receptive!  I just love her!  Then we have a boy who is 14.  He went to a convention with all the youth of the church because he has a friend who is a member, and he LOVED it!  But not only does he want to go to church, his mom and family do too!!  Ah let's all just cry a little.  YAY!  I know I have been chosen at this time to teach them.  I am so excited for this next week.  It's going to be a great one!

I've decided to write down a few things that my mission has taught me so far:
1.  How to read and study the scriptures.
2.  How to follow the promptings of the spirit.
3.  How to think of inspired questions and expound my knowledge.
4.  How to truly love!
5.  How to accept the Lord's plan for me.
6.  How to teach in a way that all can understand.
7.  How to laugh when things aren't going my way and work harder.
8.  How to be more like Christ.
9.  How to challenge myself.
10.  And most of all, How to accept the Lord's timing!

I have truly learned to accept that the Lord's timing is not my timing and that sometimes we cannot control everything.  That's been one thing I know I have learned here.  Sometimes we as humans, or maybe it's just me, or maybe I'm not human...umm...anyways, sometimes we humans want to have the control in our hands.  We want to know what is for lunch, what we are going to do each day, what our purpose is in this life, etc..But, I've learned that on the mission the control is definitely in the hands of the Lord.  And right now, I am His hands.  How privileged am I to be His hands in a time so crucial?!  I've given up my control to be guided by the Master Himself.  If that is not a a gift, I don't know what it.

I have made memories here I will never forget.  I have had experiences I will always cherish.  But one thing I truly have done is change.  I have changed!  I have become somebody better.

Seeing miracles each day is such a blessing.  Seeing miracles with the Hermanas that I am with is just incredible.  I have seen us grow together, and I have seen the Lord work through us!

Love you all.  Please pray for me this week :)

Hermana McChesney

Shoutout:
Shout out to Grandma and Grandpa Bird.  I GOT THE CALENDAR!!  It's only been 6 months since you mailed it. ha! Now I can be on top of all the birthdays like Austin is!  It looks so good :)

Interview day with President.  Here I am with Sister Lovell (President's wife) and other hermanas in my zone.  Thanks Hermana Gonzales for the picture!

He LIVES

HAPPY EASTER (or Pascua like they say here)

So, because I'm in a great mood, I'd like to start out with some Funnies!

FUNNIES:
-- I received a 2 page typed love note from an investigator.  He pretty much said that the only reason he went to church was for me and that he's in love....sooo...we definitely dropped him.
--We were teaching an old lady and she couldn't stay focused.  She said something like, "the man's been sleeping on the couch and.."  As she finished I said, "But I know that Jesus Christ knows how you feel, for He has suffered for our sins."  It was like that the whole lesson.  She'd say something so random and then we'd testify of something. HA!
--I had a dream I came home and I walked into the house and the whole family was there.  I greeted everyone with kisses on the cheek (like they do here) and Uncle Brent got so confused..HA!  I'm scared this really will happen.  It's such a habit.  I never thought I'd be so loving! HA!
--I sleep with a stuffed Mickey Mouse every night, and because I wasn't in my bed this week, the other hermanas got to sleep with him.  Let's just say they all think I'm officially a little girl.

Well, there's just a few funnies.  So many more, but we'll leave it at that!

So this week....I was only in my area Monday (for P-day), Tuesday, and then Sunday.  I traveled to Neuquen and slept on the bus for 2 days.  Got back right in time for interviews with President at 8:00 am.  Then that night I went with Hermana Gonzales to her area.  Then the next night I was with Hermana Rainsdon.  So, let's just say, Saturday night I slept REAL good in my own bed. :)

I would like to talk about an experience that I learned from the Assistants.  We have an assistant that bore testimony if we pray for somebody specifically, we will find them.  So, that is exactly what me and Hermana Gonzales did.  We prayed and thought of someone that we wanted to find.  We came up with a lady who is older, that has glasses, and is wearing an apron (yes, very specific).  Then we decided to describe the house she would be living in.  We said rose bushes outside and 2 windows.  We were on the hunt to find her and we began looking.  As we were yet to find her we still prayed and had faith.

We had a lesson with a less active and her daughter and then in the back of the room we saw HER!!  She had glasses, was older, and was even wearing an apron.  We were in the middle of the lesson when I noticed and I freaked out.  I was nudging my companion and trying to get her attention.  I was so excited!!  I ended up inviting her to listen and she listened to us sing and even prayed with us...but she was very shy.  As we walked out of the house, we saw that the house had roses in the front and 2 windows!  WOW!  I don't think my faith has ever been strengthened more.  I know if we pray specifically we will get a very specific answer.  The hermanas will now be passing by to teach her :)

I truly have learned so many great experiences in exchanges.  So happy I get these opportunities.

Also, with it being Easter here there are a whole lot of tourists.  I have actually been able to bear testimony and talk to people in English.  I was so awkward.  HA!!  It's the best to know that my English is bad...it makes me feel like I'm accomplishing the Spanish language!  Oh, also, I got asked out by a 14 year old boy from Nevada.  He said he'd wait for me. HA!! Oh the joys.

But, with it being Easter, I've really been able to think about why we celebrate Easter.  We have so many activities here in Bariloche and I got thinking, "Do they know why we celebrate easter?"  I have truly been able to learn this Easter season that it's not all about the fun and chocolate, but my testimony has been strengthened and I can truly say that HE LIVES!  Just like Joseph Smith wrote in D & C, and just like the prophets and apostles have testified, He Lives!  I have not seen Him, but I know it.  That is the testimony that I have strengthened here this Easter season.  I've never been more sure that He truly lives.

Love you all.  So glad to hear from you!! :)  Best wishes this week, and remember, He Lives and He LOVES you all!

Hermana McChesney

  

                            Playing futbol in the rain..ahh!  So many people got sick!  HAHA!

                                           HUGE life size Easter egg.  Biggest in the world.

                        Me with my companion.  Yes, I've become a pretty good hairdresser.

Called to Endure to the END!

Helloooooo!!

This week was great!! It's been a great time in Bariloche! :)  We have a great district leader and we are truly pushed to be our very best here.  We were challenged to do a 40 day fast.  Yes, I'm doing it!  It's obviously not a fast from food (because we would all die), but a fast from things that will restrict our growth.  It's helped me so much to think about what I'm doing here...and what I could give up to do better.  We are doing it as a companionship and we have learned so much in just the few days that we have been "fasting".

So, here's the challenge.  What are you willing to do to be better?  Think about it.  Maybe it's praying every morning.  Or maybe it's writing in your journal every day.  Who know.  But think about it.

This week was just way too crazy.  Ha!  We are in charge of 7 companionships of hermanas.  That pretty much means 2 exchanges every week.  So we are working hard to help them, but it's a little hard for our area.  We also have to travel 3-4 hours to get to some of the area, which means there goes 2 days of being in our own area.  We will start all of this training next week.  It's definitely a sacrifice, but something that I've learned is that I'm here to help other areas, too.  It's all the same work, right?  Yep.  It's true.  It's all the same work!

I was out with another hermana earlier.  They don't have ANYTHING in their area.  So, I went to her area to help.  I won't go in to detail, but I saw miracle after miracle.  We found 2 new investigators, had 2 lessons with members, got references, and the best thing was that we knocked a door and there was a lady waiting.  She said, "How did you know I was waiting for you?"  Then she instantly wanted to pray and start the lesson.  WOW!  It was one of the best experiences EVER!

Also, one lady we contacted in the street didn't live in our area, so we sent her to the other hermanas.  When I was in that area we went to go see her.  She was so great, and guess what....SHE HAS A BAPTISMAL DATE!!

Good news this week:
-"J" accepted another baptismal date and also committed to quit smoking before the 26th of April.  It's true!
-Everyone has been sick, but I'm as strong as ever!  Like Lauren always said, "I have an A+ immune system".  Ha!

Well, overall it's been a great week!  Thanks for the email and pictures and videos.  I laugh way too hard!

Tu hermana, hija, amiga, y loca.

Hermana McChesney

Sea feliz, sea fuerte, y sea firme

Shoutouts:
- Shout out to Lauren, TJ, and Bethanna, and all those headed to the MTC this week!  So proud of you all!
- Shout out to the boys and the family who are killing it with all the yard work (so glad I'm not there right now...ahahahah).
- Shout out to Taylor Swift for cutting her hair....WHAT??  (thanks Stephycat for the photo) ha!
- Shout out to all those celebrating Easter!  Remember the reason for why we celebrate!

And just a little quote:
"You were called to endure to the end...."

LET'S DO IT!!

                                                                  The lake...so pretty!

                                 I bought chocolate for the first time here.  Bad idea!!  Too good!

                                                        Living the life in Bariloche!

              My companion was sick..... so I read Jesus the Christ all morning!  LOVED IT!

                        All of us missionaries in the Bariloche ward.  Such an awesome ward!

                      This cute boy wanted to have a picture with us, so of course, we obliged!

Conference. Oh Conference!

FAMILIA!

Hello, let's all just talk about how incredible conference was..Yeah.  I felt like I was in the movie theater watching a new movie or something, that's how great it was!

But anyways, I want to talk about some other things quickly before I get carried away. :)

This week we got to head to Neuquen.  All of the Zone Leaders, District Leaders, and Sister Training Leaders had to head for training.  It was super great!  But, just picture this...Leaving at 11:30 pm and traveling 6 hours or so in the night, sleeping on a bus and then getting to the terminal at 5 am and hearing that we have to stay there until 6:30 because that is the time we were getting picked up to get to the church.  Yeah it was rough!  We were so tired!  I slept under a bench..so...yeah, we'll just leave it at that!  ha!  Hey, you got to do what you got to do.  :)

The training was great!  I love being surrounded by leaders who have so much knowledge.  It makes me grow!  We learned a lot about teaching better and how we need to make our lessons shorter and more powerful.

We then did the same thing and traveled back to Bariloche in the night.   So, for 2 days I truly felt homeless as I did not sleep in a bed.  I don't have any pictures because I didn't really want to remember what I looked like. ;) HA!  I'm sure my mom will find some off the mission blog.

Remember the man that had a baptismal date and wants to be baptized?  Well, we came to him and presented to him a program how he could stop smoking..it was incredible!  We bought all the stuff an we had so much faith.  Then we got there and he couldn't accept it :(  It was a rough day.  But all is well.  I know that Heavenly Father has others ready for me and the gospel.

It got me thinking.....Why is missionary work so hard?

I printed off a talk during our online study hour and I found my answer.  It is a talk by Jeffrey R. Holland called "Missionary Work and the Atonement" (I believe).  I found the answer to my question.  He said, "Missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience".  WOW!  He goes on to express that we should not think it should be easy, because when we think about Jesus Christ..was it easy for Him?  No.  Why should it be easy for us?  I encourage all those planning on serving a mission to read this talk (hint...little brothers). xoxox LOVES!

Back to conference...I loved watching it in English and singing in English and just being with all the gringos! HA!  It was the best!  I truly have a testimony that the spirit can be felt so strong in our native language...I've missed it a lot.  That's why we've been told to study in our native language.

We had 3 investigators at church :)  YEAHHH!!  They all loved it.  We are planning on putting baptismal dates with them today.  Pray for us!  They all were so interested and they even sang loud when we all sang.  I spent one session in Spanish with them and I understood but it wasn't the same to not hear the real voice of the apostles.  I then again was so grateful to know English and have a better desire to help my companions learn English so they can listen to the voice of the prophet!

Well, that's all folks.  Things are great here!  Love it in Bariloche.  I'm learning a LOT!  I can't wait to look back on all my mission experiences when I'm an old grandma and say, "Remember when.." and then relate it to what I've learned in life.  But for now, I'm just a twenty year old girl trying to learn and help others find the truth.

Best wishes this week.

Love you all!!
Tu Hermana, Hija, y Amiga
Hermana McChesney

Shoutouts:
--Shout out to Katie Beifuss for having her baby!  So adorable!!
--Shout out to Myranda Thurman for the email on her conference experience!  Loved it!
--Shout out to all those going into the MTC this week :)  YAY!
--Shout out to Steph Barrett for the email and the photo of little Paisley!  So cute!
--Shout out to Janie Squire for the email and update!  So good to hear from you!  Thanks for the prayers!