Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Earthquake Fund
Family and Friends,
Wow...so much to say but its hard to put into words what i feel. I will be honest.. reality has hit and this country is going through a very difficult time. Things are picking up in my town, but every town surrounding is just destroyed. I was able to see some of them...and the news is not exagerating. Its awful. But we are doing all we can to help. All week we have filled up 2 liters of water (thousands) bagged food, collected clothes and done whatever we could to help. We have been feeling the aftershocks still everyday. But the problem is no longer the earthquake it is the economy. Most of the people lost everything.
I cant explain the feeling of holding a mother in your arms who has just lost her children...We just hold these people and give them all the love we have and show them we are here to help. I could easily breakdown but I know I was sent here to be strong for these people. They need smiles, they need to laugh..and they need that security to know that everything will be work out. They have No money. No Food. No Home. NOTHING. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints has sent trucks and trucks of goods which has helped THOUSANDS. But its a process trying to get entire cities back on their feet when they have No money.
I hope this is not inappropriate to ask, But I am going to start a fund. If anyone of you want to donate $5 $10 to this Earthquake fund Please send a check to
1105 Stratford Place
Keller, Tx 76248
I will then use that money to purchase food and goods from the warehouse here, to help these people. I feel so bad because us missionaries are so protected and we dont have to worry about going without food. In fact we are being overfed. But these People (especially in constitution-which is in my mission) are suffering. I would appreciate your help anyway possible. I will work it off when I get back!
I want you all to know that I have felt your prayers everyday. I am so protected here. This past week and a half has been difficult. Only because my heart goes out to these people. I never thought I would ever experience anything like this.
I love you all with all my heart and I cant wait to let you know things are back to normal. For now we will continue to serve these people and do what we were sent here to do.
thank you for everything,
Paige
Wow...so much to say but its hard to put into words what i feel. I will be honest.. reality has hit and this country is going through a very difficult time. Things are picking up in my town, but every town surrounding is just destroyed. I was able to see some of them...and the news is not exagerating. Its awful. But we are doing all we can to help. All week we have filled up 2 liters of water (thousands) bagged food, collected clothes and done whatever we could to help. We have been feeling the aftershocks still everyday. But the problem is no longer the earthquake it is the economy. Most of the people lost everything.
I cant explain the feeling of holding a mother in your arms who has just lost her children...We just hold these people and give them all the love we have and show them we are here to help. I could easily breakdown but I know I was sent here to be strong for these people. They need smiles, they need to laugh..and they need that security to know that everything will be work out. They have No money. No Food. No Home. NOTHING. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints has sent trucks and trucks of goods which has helped THOUSANDS. But its a process trying to get entire cities back on their feet when they have No money.
I hope this is not inappropriate to ask, But I am going to start a fund. If anyone of you want to donate $5 $10 to this Earthquake fund Please send a check to
1105 Stratford Place
Keller, Tx 76248
I will then use that money to purchase food and goods from the warehouse here, to help these people. I feel so bad because us missionaries are so protected and we dont have to worry about going without food. In fact we are being overfed. But these People (especially in constitution-which is in my mission) are suffering. I would appreciate your help anyway possible. I will work it off when I get back!
I want you all to know that I have felt your prayers everyday. I am so protected here. This past week and a half has been difficult. Only because my heart goes out to these people. I never thought I would ever experience anything like this.
I love you all with all my heart and I cant wait to let you know things are back to normal. For now we will continue to serve these people and do what we were sent here to do.
thank you for everything,
Paige
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
"All the missionaries are safe.."
Wow, so im sure you all heard about the earthquake. At 3 a.m. I woke up to my window shaking like crazy and the house started to move and we heard things breaking in the kitchen. JUST LIKE THE MOVIES...but way worse I have to say. My bed slid and I jumped to my companions bed we held each other and just prayed. We felt helpless...but someHOW we felt at peace. From then on people from the church were checking everyones houses in the city. Our church leaders wouldnt let us leave the house until all the roads were somewhat safe. THAT sure will be a memory I NEVER forget! Um im okay though! I love this church. We have food storage beyond belief...to last for weeks. Other cities...well they are not doing so well..but thats what were here for to help! I am doing fine! We have been keeping smiles on our face and IM sure the news is showing yall the worse. I got to talk to my parents which made it hard because I know they were so worried about me.
Some areas are horrible and Iv seen and heard some things I never thought I would in my life...but there is a peace that has come over us missionaries. We are here to help. We opened up the church since the day this has happened and have been cooking and feeding people who are sleeping at the church. We have water and electricity and PLENTY of food. ARE YOU KIDDING!? dO YOU THINK THESE CHILEANS COULD GO WITHOUT FOOD?! Were working on helping out the cities along the coast... its very bad there. Some of them that made it out ...are staying at the church. Some of them Lost everything. EVERYTHING.
I sure have become closer to my Heavenly Father. And I know that I am supposed to be here for a reason. I can still barely communicate with these people but I can hug them and help relax them with a smile. I think things in the city where I am in should go back to normal pretty soon... Just a lot of buildings are down. We moved into a different house yesterday...much more secure. The military took over for a while because people were stealing EVEN KIDS!! Im sure you have seen it all on the news..but things are okay here. We are feeling a little bit of the aftershocks here and there but its kinda become normal. ALL THE MISSIONARIES ARE SAFE. My 2 old companions were in contitution (which is one of the reallly bad areas) I am just so happy to hear they are okay. Im not sure whats going to happen with our mission...we might have some changes. I sure will have some stories when I get back. I wrote alot of them in my journal...but dont have time to write them all out in detail.
Just please know that I am safe! we have the most amazing people watching out for us! Please pray for the many people who lost their families. Several of them I know...
I love you all! I will write probably next monday! And dont watch the news!! Its too scary!!
LOVE HERMANA PAIGE CONLEY
Some areas are horrible and Iv seen and heard some things I never thought I would in my life...but there is a peace that has come over us missionaries. We are here to help. We opened up the church since the day this has happened and have been cooking and feeding people who are sleeping at the church. We have water and electricity and PLENTY of food. ARE YOU KIDDING!? dO YOU THINK THESE CHILEANS COULD GO WITHOUT FOOD?! Were working on helping out the cities along the coast... its very bad there. Some of them that made it out ...are staying at the church. Some of them Lost everything. EVERYTHING.
I sure have become closer to my Heavenly Father. And I know that I am supposed to be here for a reason. I can still barely communicate with these people but I can hug them and help relax them with a smile. I think things in the city where I am in should go back to normal pretty soon... Just a lot of buildings are down. We moved into a different house yesterday...much more secure. The military took over for a while because people were stealing EVEN KIDS!! Im sure you have seen it all on the news..but things are okay here. We are feeling a little bit of the aftershocks here and there but its kinda become normal. ALL THE MISSIONARIES ARE SAFE. My 2 old companions were in contitution (which is one of the reallly bad areas) I am just so happy to hear they are okay. Im not sure whats going to happen with our mission...we might have some changes. I sure will have some stories when I get back. I wrote alot of them in my journal...but dont have time to write them all out in detail.
Just please know that I am safe! we have the most amazing people watching out for us! Please pray for the many people who lost their families. Several of them I know...
I love you all! I will write probably next monday! And dont watch the news!! Its too scary!!
LOVE HERMANA PAIGE CONLEY
Monday, March 1, 2010
Earthquake in Chile.
Hello, This is Monica. If any of you have not heard, there has been a massive earthquake in Chile where Paige in serving her mission. We did receive word that Paige is alive, not injured and doing okay. Her house is no longer livable and she, along with other missionaries will be living in a church building.
Please, continue to keep her and the people of Chile in your prayers as there are still aftershocks in that area. I'm not sure how mail will be reached to her, or if she has a place to email, but please continue to write her.
Thank you,
Monica Johnson
Monday, February 22, 2010
"I love this work. I love life."
I am laughing right now as i Start this email because my companion just asked me if she spelled roller coaster right. She spelled it like rolor costor. SHE WAS SERIOUS! She is losing her english. Its funny. She will say to me…Do you shower want to first. I´ll be like what?? And she will say Do you shower want to first? Im like omg you really are losing your english! I love love love my new companion we have such a good time together! I have already learned so much from her. She is very good at telling stories and relating to people. But she also is straight to the point. For example…the one big grocery store they have here is called Lider. Its kind of like a walmart. The lines are like 25 people long. We were finally like 3rd in line and this man comes up to us and he´s like hey I got the staff you wanted (he was pretending to know us so that he could cut in line) And she looked at him and said, What. And he´s like I got the ketchup you wanted and she said, Um im sorry but I know what your trying to do and I have No idea who you are. And he said, Yes, I know you missionaries …one of you visited my house. And she goes oh what was her name and he said Igred. Hahaha we just busted up laughing!! She said,¨ Ingrid! Of all names you pick Ingrid. ¨¨ then we started to be really nice to him and he continued to lie. I have tos ay …that is Hermana Egbert SWEET but straight to the point. She is not gonna let nobody push her around.
I love her..but there is one thing she does I cant stand. I tell her this everyday. Haha She has to go to the bathroom like every 20 minutes, so we will go in someones house and she loves to stay in the bathroom for as long as she can just so she can listen to me try and carry a conversation on with a chilean when i have no clue what they are saying. She seriously just waits in there…
Ahhhh we have sooo many funny stories and work so well together!! This week we were teaching this really old old couple and they were sooo funny!! But they were hard of hearing so we had to yell when we were teaching. Not just Talk loud but literrallly YELLLL. I have to say, everyday is interesting in its own way. But We are doing so well! We have been doing sooooo much service!! And plan on teaching a lot of people this week!
I can´t Express in words how much my testimony has grown on this misión. I have Developed a new love for my Father and Heaven and have SEEN the miracles that happen if you put your trust in him. This is not just something to teach. THIS IS REAL. This gospel Works miracles in peoples lives. I know this with my whole Heart. I know this church is true. We have the fullness and Whole truth. It is amazing to see peoples hearts change when they allow the spirit to touch them. I love this work. I love life. I LOVE chile! And I love and pray for you all! Thank you for everything!
Hermana Conley
P.S. MY NEW EMAIL IS paige.conley@myldsmail.net
Monday, February 15, 2010
New companion!
Wow! This was the fastest week yet! I got my new companion on Tuesday! I was sad to say goodbye to Kory Williams. She teared up… I am going to miss her but I´ll see her at conference once befote she leaves to go HOME! My new companion is C. Egbert! She is hilarious!!! For example…There is 2 mcdonalds in chile. ONE of them is about 2 hours away in Talca. When we took the bus to Talca to take hermana Williams to get her other bus, we were craving mcdonalds. And so we were in the very back of the bus heading back home from Talca! And she walks up to the front of the bus and asks the bus driver, üm…small favor. Can you please make a quick trip to mcdonalds. We will run in really fast! Funny thing is we were like 15 minutes from mcdonalds! He is like i cant go that out of the way! She begged him. He couldnt… but we almost had him convenced. ANyways…thats her! She is hilarious!
This week was awesome! We talked to sooo many people. She is really helping me with my spanish because she has always known spanish ((her mom is from south. America))! She is very easy to relate to and I know we will always be good friends! Im excited to work with her because we are always happy together!
Funnies of the week…
I stepped on a dog. Um it was not funny at the time. In Fact it scared me to death. DOGS are everywhere on the streets. They sleep in the middle of the roads everywhere so normally you see them. Well i happened to not see this one and all of a sudden I hear feel this flip under my foot..and this dogs body like flies in the air. and it like literally flipped! I screamed and then kept saying sorry to the dog like he could understand me or something haha. I didnt hurt him.. i think i just scared him to death! haha..
Yesterday was a good day! We did a lot of service and they asked me to sing again in church. I was really nervous for some reason this time... because I had no music with me. FUnny story about church...so we sit in the back because alot of people come in late that we invite to church and so we get to observe everything. So this old old mans phone goes off in the middle of church and it was sooo loud. And then you think he would turn it off really fast ...well instead he answers and LITERALLY YELLS, ´WHAT DO YOU WANT! IM IN CHURCH´ and then he starts carrying on this conversation hahaha
i about lost it. I laughed sooo hard (inside)! it was funny! As im writing this email this little spanish girl next to me is just staring at me. haha shes adorable. ... I keep looking over and smiling and she just is like investigating me hhaha.
I am so happy to be here in chile! I dont have a lot of new things tosay because everyday is amazzing and hard and wonderful all at once! I Miss everyone so much yet I know this is where Im supposed to be! Thank you for your letters! talk to you soon!
I love this church, I love this work!
Crazy crazy time is flying! Today I found out that my companion is changing to a different area to finish off her misión so I get a new compañón tomorrow! I already know her because she lives in the same house as us and shes awesome! I am going to miss Hermana Williams so much but I know that I am being put with Hermana Egbert for a reason! Shes soooo girly and she studied in Italy for fashion for the past 2 years before her misión! So i think we will do just fine! We already laugh alllllll day long and make fun of everything! Basically we make fun of ourselves…because I tend to say some dumb stuff at the time. Like for example this week we ate lunch at this ladies house 2 days in a row. The 2nd day, it was the most amazing meal. I meant to say to her, ¨this meal was the best meal ever¨ but instead I said, ¨this meal was much much better¨! everyone died laughing because we had just ate lunch with her the day before... it was funny. I was kinda embarrased because she just looked at me like, Um okay. hahaha Good thing, latinos have a sense of humor. most of them atleast.
Im starting to understand a little better... As long as the people have teeth, i can understand most of what they are talking about. Yesterday this old old old man with no teeth was asking me about the texas, and he said, ¨that is right next to mexico, huh¨and I was like yes it is! And I THOUGHT is said, what is that river that seperates the U.S. from Mexico, its really big... and so i said, Ummm I dont really remember the name, but yes it is really big. Well as we walked out And i was talking to Hermana WIlliams I told her what we were talking about and she said, that he had really said, YEAH the RIO grande seperates texas from mexico. I FELT so dumb...I thought he was asking me the name of the big river that seperates the two. Gosh. haha
One of these days I´ll write ya´ll and say, YAYYYYY i know spanish. That wont be for about 4 months im sure!
Okay, so something funny is people here dont have much but most of the time they try and take care of what they have. 99 PERCENT of people dont have grass in their yard. PURE dirt. BUt for some reason they water it. LIke there literally is not a speck of grass in the yard but they water it....we cant figure it out. Oh and chileans.... everysingle one of them think that they are a doctor! If we have a head ache or a stomach ache they will tell us...Oh did you eat watermelon and then drink sprite... or did you eat tomatos with meat. ITs so weird they just make up stuff for everything... its so funny.
But im starting to really love the taste of natural foods. They dont season their foods here really but I am starting to enjoy everything...!
We had some really cool experiences this week! There is a woman we have been trying to Help. I love her! she has 5 kids and her husband left her and just got another woman pregnant.. It breaks my heart because this week she hit rock bottom! literally she like broke down right in front of us. We were able to calm her down...and we are working with her. I love her so much. Good thing hugs are universal because i just hug her her and want to give her so much love. She calls me ¨chicitito¨ which is little bitty. AHh i wish I had more stories, I just can´t think of what else happens throughout the week! Everyday is amazing! We had 2 baptisms this week. THe day was unforgettable! amazing!!!! I love seeing people change and watching how having faith in our Heavenly father can work miracles. It really can. I have witnessed it many many times! its amazing. I love this church, I love this work! I LOVE LIFE!
Oh and i love ice cream. Im obsessed! And people always like to buy us an ice cream cone just because! And i dont mind it at all. Ice cream cones are like fifty cents here...but they are amazinggggggggg!!
haha I just have to say, I am sitting here at this internet place and these 2 guys are sitting across from me..and they are trying to speak random words in english so that we will look over. Most of the words they know are like may the force be with you. haha. funny.
Oh and I forgot to mention..There are gypsies here. They wear long skirts and everything and they try and steal from people. Its crazy. THEY are so slick and try and do it all the time. WE stear clear from them! but its crazyyy!!!
ANyways, LIfe is good! thank you all for your emails and please forgive me if I cant write back for a little while! we have lots of packing to do. She leaves first thing in the morning!!! lOVE YOU ALLL!!! write me write me!! letterssssss please.
its so much better. i know i know. emails are easier. but I would love it!!
thanks
paige
Im starting to understand a little better... As long as the people have teeth, i can understand most of what they are talking about. Yesterday this old old old man with no teeth was asking me about the texas, and he said, ¨that is right next to mexico, huh¨and I was like yes it is! And I THOUGHT is said, what is that river that seperates the U.S. from Mexico, its really big... and so i said, Ummm I dont really remember the name, but yes it is really big. Well as we walked out And i was talking to Hermana WIlliams I told her what we were talking about and she said, that he had really said, YEAH the RIO grande seperates texas from mexico. I FELT so dumb...I thought he was asking me the name of the big river that seperates the two. Gosh. haha
One of these days I´ll write ya´ll and say, YAYYYYY i know spanish. That wont be for about 4 months im sure!
Okay, so something funny is people here dont have much but most of the time they try and take care of what they have. 99 PERCENT of people dont have grass in their yard. PURE dirt. BUt for some reason they water it. LIke there literally is not a speck of grass in the yard but they water it....we cant figure it out. Oh and chileans.... everysingle one of them think that they are a doctor! If we have a head ache or a stomach ache they will tell us...Oh did you eat watermelon and then drink sprite... or did you eat tomatos with meat. ITs so weird they just make up stuff for everything... its so funny.
But im starting to really love the taste of natural foods. They dont season their foods here really but I am starting to enjoy everything...!
We had some really cool experiences this week! There is a woman we have been trying to Help. I love her! she has 5 kids and her husband left her and just got another woman pregnant.. It breaks my heart because this week she hit rock bottom! literally she like broke down right in front of us. We were able to calm her down...and we are working with her. I love her so much. Good thing hugs are universal because i just hug her her and want to give her so much love. She calls me ¨chicitito¨ which is little bitty. AHh i wish I had more stories, I just can´t think of what else happens throughout the week! Everyday is amazing! We had 2 baptisms this week. THe day was unforgettable! amazing!!!! I love seeing people change and watching how having faith in our Heavenly father can work miracles. It really can. I have witnessed it many many times! its amazing. I love this church, I love this work! I LOVE LIFE!
Oh and i love ice cream. Im obsessed! And people always like to buy us an ice cream cone just because! And i dont mind it at all. Ice cream cones are like fifty cents here...but they are amazinggggggggg!!
haha I just have to say, I am sitting here at this internet place and these 2 guys are sitting across from me..and they are trying to speak random words in english so that we will look over. Most of the words they know are like may the force be with you. haha. funny.
Oh and I forgot to mention..There are gypsies here. They wear long skirts and everything and they try and steal from people. Its crazy. THEY are so slick and try and do it all the time. WE stear clear from them! but its crazyyy!!!
ANyways, LIfe is good! thank you all for your emails and please forgive me if I cant write back for a little while! we have lots of packing to do. She leaves first thing in the morning!!! lOVE YOU ALLL!!! write me write me!! letterssssss please.
its so much better. i know i know. emails are easier. but I would love it!!
thanks
paige
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