Wednesday, November 17, 2010

November 15, 2010

Here are some pictures from Paige's week, since she didn't have time to write.












November 1, 2010







Hola! Como esta!!
I dont have much time to write but I´ll give yall an update on everything! This week was good... A little hard on the feet but Good. I hit a year in my mission this week.. CRAZY.
Lets see. What new happened this week. I didnt get bit by a dog. But I do have 53 bug bites. I dont know why but when I get bit I get bit alllll at once! Im itching like crazy. I have cream so it helps!  Last night was halloween. Well Chile recently just found out about halloweena and so they are starting to do it. But its so sad because all the kids use all the left over costumes from the U.S from like 1992. I know you adults don´t think that that is like that long ago but It is. Sorry. hehe. But it was cute...to walk around and see kids last night in costumes.

I have realized that I am definetly getting used to chile. I feel so much more comfortable in someones house that has a dirt floor than someone that has a big house with leather couches. I guess I have just learned to appreciate how humble some of the people are. One family in particular. Just built a house. It is the size of my sisters bedroom at home. I walked in and just complemented them on everything from the sheets that were hung up to seperate the kitchen from the bedroom... to the old wood floor and tin roof. I love these people. Some of the lower class people have nothing materialistic but THEY LOVE THE little things. And so do i!!!! Most of the dads sell fruit from their trucks. AND if you know me u know I LOVE fruit. Especially strawberries. And Avacado!! I eat them by the pound! So everytime I just walk by their house the run to faucet clean off some fruit for me and run it out. I freak up and Yes I like to over exagerate. BUt its just because I reallly just LOVE these people so much! 

So yesterday in church was my favorite church in my whole mission. A bunch of the people that we recently helped get baptized were in one of the classes we have after sacrament and one of them began to bear his testimony how he never wanted to be mormon. He said he always had this fear of knowing that the church was true but he almost didnt want to know because he didnt want to change. He said with time he started to feel things he never had before and the spirit begin to convert his heart. Until one day he knew. He said I just knew. This really was christs church. I didnt look at him when He was talking because I knew i would break down and cry but I felt so great knowing I could help him in his progress. There were so many other people in there that bounced off of his thoughts and began to share how they recently have come to know that this is all true. It was amaziing!! I had chillls.

I love this gospel so much! It really mends a broken heart and brings TRUE happiness into peoples lives. THINGS...the World can not give. IT doesnt fase one with happiness for a few hours or even days... Its forever happiness.

Funny experience of the week.

So we were walking and we started talking to this 19 year old guy and were telling him a little bit about why we were here and figuring out a time when we could come by and teach him. Then these kids playing soccer kinda kicked to ball over towards us (happens everyday) So I looked at em and Im like ya wanna play? I was like bring it on!  So my companion and I dropped our backpacks on the ground and kicked butt for a little bit and then went on our way. They beg us to come back and play everyday because NOOO girls play soccer in chile. We fell like every 7 seconds though because we don´t have good shoes and we were in skirts. haha.  It was fun though!


Anyways,
thats all I got for the week! I love and miss yall!!! sooooo much!
Hope everything is going greattttttttttttttt!
write me!!

Love paige

October 25th, 2010







Hey fam! How are you all doing!! it was good to be able to talk to brit on friday and get an update of everything. Its hard wondering about everything... wishing there was more I could do from way down here. Until I can, I will continue to pray and do the best I can to send things and make calls when I can. 

Lets see. I had a rock in my soup.

Yup. Here I was just sipping away at the Typical Casuella. Which is soup basically made up of leftovers and OIL. and then I kinda bite down on something but it was big and hard. I tried to not let the lady that made it see... so I snuck it out of my mouth and looked at it. It was a rock. The size of a penny. haha. ohhh chile.

What else...
The bads of the week.
On saturday we were walking along a main road and there were these 2 little kids that walked by us and a few others right around us. Then out of knowwhere...this German Shephard just starts moving his head like around and around and Runs up and Just Starts biting me. My thigh. I wish I could say that it didnt hurt. BUT IT KILLLLLLLLED. I was in so much shock that I couldnt even cry. Good thing is...is my thigh muscles are sooo strong. so he didnt break the skin. No.. actually it was because I head to layers on. So he didnt break the skin! And I am so happy or else I would have to go to the Hospital and get rabies shots (its a mission rule) So anyways, Everyone around ran up to see if I was okay. And then they called a bus over to come bring me to the consultorio....(the ER for the town) and they check it out and bandaged it up and everything. So that hurt.

But its starting to get better. Just verrrry bruised.

Other than that, I dont really have too many updates. Its so great because its starting to get a little warmer out and I just LOVE when its sunny out!! It just makes me That much happier
--
Hermana Conley
Paige Conley.
Concepcion. CHILE

October 18th, 2010

Hey family!
What a week of miracles.
First off...the whole country cried together as the Minors came out of the ground. What an emotional special experience that was. Many Many fathers work in the mines here and so that story touched the hearts of many of the Chileans.

The other miracle was that Sigfrido was baptized. He is a changed man. Wow! It was such a great baptism. So special. He is just such a happier man with a huge desire to keep progressing. It was very special to help him in his journey thus far. Also Christian was also baptized. Christians wife is a member of the church and so is her mother. Its been hard for them to stay strong without the support of him. For 2 years straight he has been taught by the missionaries everyweek. Sometimes 4 and 5 times a week. He just did´nt really have much of a desire to change although he knew the church was true. When I arrived here to Santa Sabina, I Saw that he had been taught for soooo long and many of the missionaries talked about baptism because that was the only step he had left to take before he really could progress. So I decided to take a different approuch on teaching him. My companion and I taught everything based around the families and the importance of the Preisthood in the Home. We worked with him for Months and Months. One day he said, I need to be baptized. I JUMPED up in the AIR LITERALLY!!! He said he wanted to be baptized Oct 14 on his birthday. Wow! What a beautiful baptism. Almost all the missionaries that have come through this mission know of him or have taught him. My mission president and his wife even came to the baptism! It was beautiful!! Now his family is complete and He will be able to baptize his daughter in a few weeks. He has a whole knew light about him, Im not kidding. Its amazing!!!!!


Sad news is my companion is leaving me... She got transfered. I am very sad to see her go. My new companion is part chinese part american. She reads the book of mormon in chinese. haha. She comes tomorrow. Im a little nervous because the President Pulled me aside today and said he put me with her so I can help her. She is older than me in the mission and knows spanish way better. Im sure he just wants me to help her be a little happier. I can do that.
I will be honest though. Im a little nervous...

Also 16 missionaries finished their mission today. We were in the office when they were all saying goodbyes. WOW! Some soooooooo sad. Some soooooo happy. Its just mixed feelings Iv heard. SO happy to see your friends and family again...but yet so sad to leave something you have lived and loved for 2 years. Two of my best friends Elder Reynolds and Elder Jaar are leaving. Elder Reynolds was my Zone Leader. Two of the best funniest missionaries ever!!

What elseeeeee....
I miss everyone sooo much! I just love my mission to death. I just also love my family and friends back home too!!
--
Also. We also have been teaching a couple.. Josue and Lyceth. They are a great couple that live together and have a son together. They have been wanting to get baptized but they need to get married in order to do because they live together. SO They asked us to be the witnesses at their marriage... And Im gonna be able to plan a lil wedding!! Yayyy a chance to be creative again!!

Every second Im not doing something I am thinking and praying for my lil sissy. My heart is broken in peices. I wish that I could be there for her...but I know that Heavenly Father will bless her even more if I continue to work hard here. This really is the work of the Lord. There is no question in my mind. We are not just teaching people about christ or serving people. We are helping people change their lives and really Come Unto Christ. I know that I need to be here... even though I cry as I write this thinking about how much I wish I could hug her. Please please pray for my sis.

beat it brit. Beat it.

Love paige


Hermana Conley
Paige Conley.
Concepcion. CHILE




*Side Note From Monica: Pictures from this week, to come soon!*

October 11, 2010






Family and friends

The pics are of the beach and my two like besttttttt friends in CHILE. They end their missions in 1 weeeeeeeeeek! crazzyyy

Wowww what a week. Just flew by!! I feel like I just wrote u all!!
This is prob. my last week with Hermana Rockwood! She has been in this area for a while. We have had like 10 weeks together...But we work really well togther!! I dontk now what he is going to do. We will see. It all depends on the Lord. Lets see lets see! 2 of the people that have been going to church are getting baptized this week! Its going to be amazing. Two men. Two men who have made some HUGE HUGE HUGE changes in their life to get to this point! I am so excited to be at their baptism to just see how they feel after. A baptism can be sooo special especially when Those getting baptized are baptized like christ...with Immersion, with  an age of accountability and with the Authority of God.

Hmm Lets seee. Let me think of some interesting things to tell you about Chile. We kiss everyone to show respect. Actually we GET kissed on the cheek. Or else we get yelled at. Well we don´t kiss drunk people. Oh one thing I found interesting is they serve everything on a plate. Even if its just a little cookie. They put it on a plate for u before they give it to you. All drinks are served in a cup on a plate and everythingggggg else. just a little fact. It costs 70 cents to take a bus around the area. Sometimes we get it free because the bus drivers feel bad they we walk 3948729348 miles a day. We smile and say mucho gracias! hehe Im starting to like some of the music here. But Everyone knows that I can´t dance if someone knocked me with a beat... so I just pretend.

I love the latin culture. They people here are so welcoming IF THEY LIKE YOU. That usually isnt a problem.. hehe

My spanish is getting better. Only becauase Im getting better at studying. Iv realized I don´t like to study. I need to be using my hands making something. I just can´t sit and study words. I have also realized how much I LOVE to be with children helping them and teaching them to act and be someone... I love these people. I just love people. All kinds shapes and sizes. I wish everyone could have an opportunity like this to share something they know to be true... I just love this work. Don´t get me wrong, WE HAVE HARD DAYS. Days that we just feel like we want to curl up on the floor and cry... But it is sooo worth it when you get to realllly help people. It reminds you of why your hear.I know that before this life... There were people I met that I promised I would find in this life. I promised them I would help them. And Im finding them... I really am. And i have 6 months left to find the rest. Please keep the Chilean people in your prayers.

As its starting to get a little more chilly for you. Its starting to warm up a little bit down here. Thank goodness!

Here is my favorite lil chunks singing and dancing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjZPlwGpHRw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od6WzlIB6nQ

These should get you to laugh. These girls are the bessssssssssssssssst!! so strong in the church and always reading and studying the scriptures.

love you allllllllllll

September 20, 2010

Hey Everyone!!

Wow, What a crazzzzy week! Chile celebrated its 200 years of Independance so it was crazy here!! FOOD FOOD AND MORE FOOD! And we ate like crazy!! Its also tradition to wear the Clothing from back in the day, so we went all out! It was fun, and we really got to learn and feel apart of the culture here in Chile. Did I mention we ate A LOTTTTTTTT!!!

I am back with Hermana Rockwood now, and its fun! We work really well and get along really well! We laugh alot! We met some great fun people this week. 2 infact happen to work for an oil shipping company or something like that and so they know english and  can speak it perfect!! They want us to come back to teach them tomorrow, so were excited! Hm What else... We had a girls activity this past weekend. It was fun! It was nice to just relax a little and have girl talk...
actually it was us mostly getting caught up on the people that were in our old areas that we used to be in. I love this mission. It really has changed my life. Its opened my eyes to soooooo many things. I still have the same personality, I still goof off all the time and have stuff spread everywhere because Im always working on something, BUT Iv really realized the importance of this life. How we need to enjoy our time here on earth. Have fun! But also cherish our family and put the important things first in life. I love the people Here!! They are soo great. And i love you all! I miss you like crazyyyy You dont even know.

But life is good. Spring starts today here.
Yayyyy hopefully itll start warming up!

p.s. Its a Law to have a chile flag out on the Independance day weekend so There is thousands of flags everywhere. Want to know something even funnier. Chile and Texas have the same flag. So, I feel right at home. hehe.

I love you

Love paige.

p.s. write me letters!! I never get mail anymore!!

Make sure you tell me if you dont recieve the pics I send.