Volcano Calbuco erupted

Hola,

Well this week was probably THE weirdest weeks I have had on my mission. For starters on Tuesday we had a lesson with Daniela and she said that her and her boyfriend want to get married!! Like WHAT! So happy for all these marriages!! (only because I am living through her...planning her wedding) That was such a great way to start off the week but then the week just got weirder and weirder. 

Wednesday we were inside with Hermana Karina helping her with her wood boards that she makes (by the way I am going to buy one of her boards one day!) and then all of a sudden I looked out the window and there was a HUGE smoke cloud. Nothing I had ever seen before!! It was CRAZY!! We ran outside and took LOTS of pictures. The funny thing is that we just hiked up that Volcano in Feb. That was kinda scary. Wednesday night we slept with a member of the High Priest quorum and his family. It was so weird to sleep with members. We slept on the floor. I was so GRATEFUL for my sleeping bag. Seriously it is the best thing I brought! Everyone was freaking out and saying WE need to save water!! Because they were going to cut the water lines for some reason...I have no idea why so when we got to the family's house they were filling up all the buckets they had in their house with water!! Everyone was running and buying food too. Like hello...this is why we have 72 hour kits. haha. #prepared 

Thursday was good we woke up and went back to our house. During the night there was another HUGE explotion with lava. The pictures that people took are pretty cool. We slept in our house Thursday night because we thought that everything was fine. 

Friday we went to lunch and the volcano was still erupting but we had to eat so we left to go to a members house. As we were eating lunch we got a call from our district leader asking us where we were and telling us to go to the Bishop's house as fast as we could. That is when I started to freak out..just alittle. But I still had faith everything would be okay. 

We stayed there for just an hour and then we got another call that we could leave the house. I felt like I was in 5th grade again with those fake fire alarms! But I was obedient and followed what I was supposed to do. 

That day we were allowed to go out and work only if we had appointments. Lucky for us we had 2 lessons planned so we actually were able to work. It helped me keep my mind off of everything. We visited Pamela and another sister Susan. It was such a great lesson with Susan. She is amazing but is having problems with the Law of Chasity. I shared 2 Nephi 18:32 with her and my companion was freaking out because she was like "Hermana NO" the scripture is about how everyone is welcome in the church and how Jesus Christ won't cast us out of his synagage. It was a good scripture and it was exactly what she needed to hear. I have never felt the spirit really work through me to help her. I have NO idea what I even said but my Spanish was so clear. Usually as missonaries it is hard to be clear and straight forward with these touchy subjects (at least for me) but I felt like I just needed to ask her if she wanted us to teach her anymore or not. Because she isn't really progressing. But she was so clear and we felt so much better after having that lesson on what her needs are now! I am so grateful for that experience. After the lesson Hermana Marinho said she was praying so hard for me to say everything right. haha. Thanks to her prayers we were able to help Hermana Susan. 

Friday night we slept over at our Sister Training Leaders house on the other side of the city to keep us away from the Volcano. It was so crazy. I am grateful for our area because it is so nice!! Saturday we had to stay inside all day but I am grateful for the time I had to really write in my journal. 

Anyways so sorry the letter is sooo long but I had lots to update!! 

I am grateful for this crazy experience. My lungs feel like they are going to burst from all the ashes but I am good. This week should be better! Most of the ash from the Volcano went to Argentina. I hope they are alright!

Love you all

Hermana McClary 

Sleepover at the District Leaders House

I'm so glad I have my sleeping bag!

We ordered Pizza

Volcano Calbuco

Volcano Calbuco

Volcano Calbuco

Volcano Calbuco

Puerto Montt District

Canales family

District Sisters!

Puerto Montt District

Peace out Sisters in Puerto Montt

Such a long week

Well I don't have much time because I was too busy reading everyones emails about everyone GETTING MARRIED!! What is that about?? I cannot even handle it. Everyone is moving on. haha. Just so you guys know I am still in Chile preaching the gospel...I hit my 10 month mark! So crazy. The months seem to go faster than the days. I am not even sure how that works but it does. 

This week we had exchanges with our sister training leaders. Guess what!! Hermana Pierce (she was the sister training leader in Osorno when I started my mission) is in my Zone now! It was a BLAST! We had lots of stuff to catch up on. She told me that my other converts Diego and Daniela are doing so great! I was so happy to hear they are still strong in the gospel! 

I have also learned this week a lot from Hermana Mariho and how I need to have patience. I am used to having my companions doing everything and I just follow. But with our companionship I am realizing that I have to do lots more. I am working on trying to walk slower because I am always like 10 steps ahead of her. haha. I am used to walking fast with my other comps but it is a good change. We had a really great inventory this week and I realized how awful of a companion I really am. I was doing everything and just letting her bare her testimony. I have really been humbled this week to realize that I need to really listen to her ideas and to not always do what I want to do. (I know that my dad just rolled his eyes at that remark! haha) 

We had a GREAT lesson with Pamela. We made "kits" for her kids so that way they would have things to do during church to keep them busy because the last time she left early because they were wanting to leave. It was so awesome to see the change this Sunday and to see that Pamela was so happy to be at church with us and her 2 boys. Now we just have to get her boyfriend involved and we have to help them get married! It is hard work but we are PRAYING for miracles. 

I love this mission. It is hard right now because we are really trying to find more people to teach but I am trying to be obedient and I am praying to feel happy everyday and to live in the moment. I know that this church is true. I feel so insignificant because I am 1 missionary out of thousands but I feel so much love and I know that Heavenly Father really knows and cares for each one of us individually. I can feel the love for my family when they email me and when I see that everyone is happy and getting married. Even though I know it will be hard to miss everyone's weddings I am praying for the strengh to help me forget myself and help others. 

Until NEXT week! 

Hermana 

McClary 

Kissing you from Chile!

Batman is in Chile!

Hermana Mariho 

Reunited with Hermana Pierce and Batman!

a boat by the beach

Hermana Marinho from Brazil

Well this week was really fast! We have had lots of miracles this week! We worked really hard to get more members in our lessons and finally we were able to meet our goal. It feels so good to meet goals sometimes! I know that that isn't the most important thing but it sure does feel good! :) 

So to start off we had a lesson with Daniela and her boyfriend Julio. They live together so on Tuesday (my last day with Hermana Smoot) we taught the law of chasity. We want them to progress and it is hard to tell someone "You have to get married in order to be baptized" like okayyy. haha. So we really had to follow the spirit. We focused on the temples and how we can be together forever when we are sealed in the temple with the ones we love. It was great and then we led into commandments and how they are a blessing and then we brought up the Law of Chasity. It was so funny because Julio said so what do we need to do in order to be baptized because we live together...everyone just looked at each other and then Hermana Smoot said in a really funny voice "Get married??" hahaha. Like it was a question. SO funny! Everyone just started laughing and the members that came with us for the lesson just started laughing so hard. But then we calmed down and the spirit was present. hahaha. Oh Hermana Smoot I miss that girl OH SO MUCH!!! We commited them to pray about the law of Chasity. 

We then had a Family Home Evening with them and their neighbors who are members and are the same age. It was perfect!! We watched a video on the Plan of Salvation. It was a great video..made in the 90's but very good! haha. 

One high this week was the fact that 4 of our investigators came to church! I am seriously so shocked!! WE are working really hard and seeing some of the fruit of our labors. Daniela came to church and asked for a priesthood blessing and she was so touched. Her and her boyfriend said that they have found the right path and are so happy in the church!! I found them watering their garden in January and now they just have changed so much! When we first contacted them they didn't believe in anything. And now she was asking for a priesthood blessing because she is going to have surgery tomorrow and she wanted some comfort. AMAZING!!!!

Also Pamela came to church. She also isn't married but lives with her boyfriend and 2 little boys.  But we have a family home evening tonight to talk about the law of chasity with the Santana Family! I cannot believe my converts are so willing to help with the missionary work! I love it. Hopefully it will go well. We are going to teach with the spirit!!

I love the mission! Winter is starting now...lots of rain!! LOTS of RAIN! I cannot even describe it is so crazy but I am praying I can make it through another winter. It is just so so cold. Please pray for me. 

My companion is great! It is just hard getting adjusted to someone else and the way they teach. She is super sweet and little and just so inocent. haha. She is teaching me Porteguese! I will be so intelligent when I get home...look out WORLD!

Love you all! Have a great week! 

Hermana McClary 

Hermana Marinho from Brazil

The Church at Puerto Montt

At the Open House we made badges from our Country

Puerto Montt

Easter and General Conference

Hello everyone,

Well this week was soo crazy. LOTS have happened. First off we had an Open house at the church this week for Easter to get people to come in and have a tour of the church. We showed the video "Because He lives" and everyone loved it. We even had one girl ask us how she can join our church. She started bailing and said she has NEVER felt like this ever before. It was AMAZING. Hermana Smoot and I were in shock...like for reals...but too bad she doesnt live in our area. She actually lives in another Zone in Puerto Montt. Sad day but HEY she is going to be baptized!! 

Also we had our Easter Activity!! It was super special. We had lots of people come and we had lots of help from the ward. We have one sister that has a cricket machine and she loves doing scrapbook so she helped us LOTS. We made a banner and made over 100 cupcakes. Everyone ate them SO fast. I cannot even believe it. It took sooo long to make them and they were all gone in like 5 min. But it was a great turn out. 3 of our investigators went too!! Daniela came and she had so much fun! 

 

On a sad note...WE have transfers!! Hermana Smoot is going to Puerta Varas, which is like 20 min from where we are now. haha. And my new companion is Hermana Marinho from Brazil. I am excited but SUPER sad. I loved being Hermana Smoots companion. She really helped me so much enjoy the mission. But I know that we will see each other after the mission. I am so excited!! 

We also had Conference!! How amazing was that right?? I was searching for more help this week. I want to share one of my questions that I was trying to get answers from. I hope that this can help you know that we can really recieve personal revelation from Conference. For times sake I will share one of my questions 1. How can I live in the moment and really enjoy my mission more? 

I felt like the talk by Elder Neil L. Andersen really answered my question. He talked about having an eternal perspective and how we need to believe in miracles. He asked if we could see the hand of the Lord in our lives. He also encouraged us to Pray with faith to view the hand of the Lord in our lives. I really love the fact that we can have lots of help from the apostles in our days. I also want to note that the talk by Elder Holland cut out so we didnt get to watch it but I am going to look online to watch it in English!! haha. 

Also Elder Uchtdorf really hit the nail on one of my other questions. 

2. How can I learn to love the mission rules? Sometimes I just feel like I do the things I am "supposed to" but I hate doing them. But he talked about being obedient to the commmandments because WE LOVE Jesus Christ. That hit me like a ton of bricks. I was like DUH Bryce. Come on. I love how he talked about Grace and how it is a gift from God but when we obey the commandment (or mission rules) we are showing our part of HIS gift. I am also going to read his talk in English again so I can really understand more the Grace of God. But I know that this church is true and really that we can recieve personal revelation. 

ALSO 2 of our investigators are needing to get married in order to get baptized so I will be PLANNING weddings here in Chile while my brother is getting married without me. Shoot out to Blake! hahah. 

Love you all. Tell me what talks were your favs.

Love, 

Hermana McClary 

We had an Open house for Easter!

We had help with our ward members!

A member had a Criket machine and made all the decorations!