2/25/14 - WEEK FOUR - HOLA FROM CHILE

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S BEEN A MONTH?

 

The Food Surprise!

 

Hola!!! 

It has already been a month, and I feel like it was just yesterday that I was stuck in Atlanta! Time goes by so fast and it is not even fair! Can I be a missionary forever? I love it. I have learned SO much. I only have two weeks left here in the CCM and it is such a bittersweet feeling. I will miss my district and Hermana Evans SO much, but I am ready for new adventures in Vina! I am thankful for this journey and I hope more than anything that I have helped you build your faith through my emails. If only I could have brought you all here with me!

Chile is still beautiful as always. I am so blessed to be in such a pretty place with the most amazing and kind people. 

My Spanish is finally coming along. It is definitely not 100% but I do see some progress and when I think, my thoughts are usually half in Spanish unintentionally. So if that isn´t progress than I have NO idea what is. 

Hermana Evans is still as amazing as ever. Satan really does not want her to be here. Since she has been here, she has had pink eye, then after that she had a bad cold, then the other day she chipped her front tooth and didn´t even cry. I would have bawled. She is a trooper! We get to take a taxi to the dentist on Monday by ourselves which will be interesting considering our very limited Spanish speaking abilities and the fact that we have only ventured out of the gate a time or two. So we shall see! 

So I finally have a food story. I was hoping this day would NEVER come, but alas, it has. I asked for the usual, rice and meat. Just a normal day, right? WRONG. Took a bite of it, knew something was off, then Elder Hansen runs up to me and says ¨NOOOO! That is LIVER!¨  Why. Why. Why. So there you have it. I´ve eaten liver. I would rather eat 100 tacos. For those of you who know me, that is sayin a lot. 

I have been so grateful for all of the love and support I have recieved from all of you. Your sweet words and thoughts have made all of the difference, and I am a much stronger missionary because of it. When times get hard, I think of all of the people who love me and are rooting for me, and it makes the journey so much brighter. I have such a great love for all of you, and so does your Heavenly Father. How great is it that we can all be together forever? This isn´t the end! I invite all of you, no matter what your circumstances are, to pray. Pray and ask Heavenly Father if He will manifest into your very heart and soul how much He truly loves you. I don´t care if you never pray or if you always pray. Either way I promise you, if you pray to him with a sincere heart, with real intent, you WILL know that we have a Father in Heaven who LOVES you. What is amazing is that His love is unconditional. And sometimes, that reassurance is all we need to keep on going. 

I love you all. Thank you for everything. 

Love, Hermana Watt

WEEK THREE! Feb 18, 2014

Hola mi familia!!! 

Can I just say, I love you ALL! I love getting all of your emails. It makes my week so great, and inspires me to be and do better. I love being a missionay. I feel so great when I serve others. It has been a blessing to have this calling, and I pray for all of you everytime I pray. Which is a lot just in case you were wondering. We pray a lot here in the CCM. hahaha. Which is good. Prayer is good. 

So I have been trying to send pictures, but I only have a certain amount of time to email, and it takes that same amount of time to upload only two pictures. I decided I would rather write then send pictures, so hopefully in the future I will somehow be able to do both, but until then, just imagine my life in your mind! haha.

This week we had 3 new investigators. I am only going to tell you about one right now, due to time. His name is Juan. He has been going to church for 15 years. His wife is the relief society president, and his daughter is on a mission in Concepcion, Chile. He has met with the missionaries before, but hasnt been baptized. You could only imagine how challenging this investigator might be, considering the circumstances. Hermana Evans and I prayed and prayed and prayed before we taught Juan. We made 3 different lesson plans and kept revising and revising. Finally it came time to teach. We talked to him, and immediately the spirit filled the room. I knew that what Juan needed to hear wasnt what we had on our paper. Why does it always happen that way! haha. Luckily Hermana Evans and I were on the same page without even having to say anything. We started talking to Him about how much God loved Him. We saw Juan as a Son of God. A Son of His loving Heavenly Father, We saw Juan and all of his potential. We helped him understand His great worth, and how God doesnt want Him to be baptized because He is just a number, He wants Him to be baptized because He loves Him and wants Him to BE HAPPY. The gospel of Jesus Christ is happiness. Without it, we are nothing. This life means nothing. May I be so bold? We have no purpose without the Saviors atoning sacrifice. HE LOVES US. That is the reason we have meaning. That is the reason we have hope. That is the reason of our very existance. Many tears were shed in that lesson with Juan, and He knew without a shadow of a doubt why the Lord wanted Him to be baptized. God needs Juan in His Kingdom. 

I have loved being here. I cannot believe we are coming up on our month mark here as a district. In two weeks, we are off and  on to our missions in the field. I feel SO blessed to have met such amazing people in my life. My distict is a blessing. My second family. My teachers are amazing guides, who help us through because they all know what it was like to be a missionary. I have made friendships that I know without a doubt will last beyond the veil. I challenge all of you to treasure your relationships. ALL of them. They are SO important. 

So this week they are painting Hermana Evans and my room! We are the only ones in ours, so they moved us to Hermana Vanderheydens room! I love her! For those of you who dont know, she is from my hometown, and we went to high school together. We have become so close! It has been a blessing to room with her and Hermana Taylor. We got latina roommates as well! They have been a huge blessing when it comes to learning the language. I am forever thankful for them. They are so sweet. 

My testimony has grown so much in these past few weeks, and I cant think of anything more joyous and more amazing than the gospel of Jesus Christ. How blessed are we to know of its truthfulness? I know that this church is true, and I know that it blesses lives because I have seen it with my family, I have seen it with my investigators, and I have seen it within my own soul. I know that God has called a prophet to guide us and direct us so that we can have the privilege to be guided in the right direction. I know that the Book of Mormon is a true testament of the Savior Jesus Christ. What it contains could not be anything but the truth. I know because I have read it with a sincere heart, having faith in Christ, searching, pondering and praying to know of its truthfulness. I would not be here today if I didnt KNOW with every fiber of my being that these things are true. I KNOW that these things are true. 

Dont deny yourself of the great blessings of this gospel.If you find yourself on the outside, please remember who you are and what blessings await you if you turn your life to our Heavenly Father. 

I love you all. You are so dear to my heart, and I think about you always. You have helped me get here. I would not be the missionary I am today without any of you. You are ALL so important to me. Thank you for helping me be the best missionary I can be. 

With all the love in my heart, 

Hermana Watt

Santiago, Chile Mission home

HISTORY OF THE SANTIAGO CHILE MTC

The Chile Missionary Training Center was established on July 13, 1981, occupying a few classrooms of the former Deseret College of the Church. It was the second MTC in South America.

Elders William Grant Bangerter, Area Executive Administrator in Chile, and A. Delbert Palmer, who had been the first president of the Chilean Mission in 1961 and 20 years later returned to Chile to serve as a regional representative, played a key role in the creation of the MTC.

On January 14, 1983, the MTC was moved to the second floor of the Church offices at Av. Pedro de Valdivia 1423, where missionaries were trained until 2001. In that year, it was relocated to the third floor of the patron housing of the Santiago Temple, where it remains today.

WEATHER IN SANTIAGO, CHILE

During the summer months (December to March), the weather in Santiago is dry and temperatures are typically warm, but not uncomfortable. Spring and autumn are also pleasant, with clear skies and sunshine. The rainy winter season lasts from May to August, when fronts and depressions bring clouds and cooler temperatures.

Santiago sits in a valley between the coastal mountain range and the mighty Andes, all reaching altitudes of over 23,000 feet with constant snow capped summits that can be seen year round. Among Santiago’s sights are the neo-classical architecture of the Presidential Palace, the Plaza de Armas and the Pre-Columbian museum with over 700 exhibits. There is also the opportunity to shop through one of its many traditional handicraft markets 

2/11/2104 - WEEK TWO! HOLA FROM CHILE!

Hermana Watt's second email home.  Sounds like she is settling in and already into the work there in Chile.

Her email:

Hello! It is week 2 already and the time has absolutely flown by. I can´t even believe it sometimes! I love it here. Every P Day we get to go outside of the gate and explore Chile. Me and Hermana Evans found an ice cream shop and it was so good. I want to eat there every single day, eight times a day. But I won´t. Only because I am forced to have self control. Whatevaaaa. (; 

The CCM is still great. I love learning. It is a ton of hours in class, but my spanish is starting to improve slowly but surely. Thank goodness. Everyone laughs at how I pronounce my words but it is so great and it makes me feel better that all of us North Americans here sound that way. My teachers here are out of this world amazing. I love them so much. They are truly inspiring. I learn so much from them and they are so willing to help ALWAYS. 

My district is my family. I LOVE THEM. We are all best friends now, and it is perfect because it has kept me from feeling homesick. But it is so strange to think that people here have first names. I don´t believe them when they tell me. They only look like hermanas and elders. It is the strangest thing. Also, I forget my name all the time. Kamryn is just a weird thing to be called now. But I still love it! 

I love my investigators. In fact, I want to tell you a really neat story about one specific investigator Hermana Evans and I had the opportunity to teach. Her name is Karen, and she is a less active member. She fell away from the church when she was 16 because she became pregnant, and she got no support from anyone in the ward. So she hadn´t gone back since. She is 27 now and has 3 kids. Our plan was just to go and get to know her better, and then end with a short message about families. But when we got in there, the spirit was prompting us to go in a completely different direction. WHY??? Heavenly Father, don´t you know I can only give a lesson in spanish when it is written down word for word on my notes?? How am I supposed to teach Karen about how much the Lord loves her when I don´t have notes for that? I said a prayer in my heart and felt prompted to share a story with her about a friend of mine. I started talking, and all of the sudden all of these words came out that I had studied but didn´t quite know them off the top of my head. Some words I didn´t know, but the message was given, and she understood. The spirit was so strong, and after my story I cried, and beared testimony that the Lord loved her so much and that if she went to him in prayer, she would be forgiven, and that she would also be able to forgive herself. It was SO powerful. 

Me and Hermana Evans make a great team. I will be sad to leave her. She has been my rock, and we work so well together. She is perfect, and amazing. She always makes me want to be better! 

This past week we went to the temple here in Santiago. It is BEAUTIFUL. I loved doing the session. They had headsets so that we could watch it in English (: That was nice. It was one of my favorite parts of the week! 

I have a quote I wanted to share that we heard in one of our meetings on Sunday. 

¨Perhaps faith isn´t faith until it has been tried.¨ I love that. 

I know this church is true. I know because I have been on both sides. I have lived in a time of doubt and unsurety. But I know God is loving, and He is merciful. He is our strength. I know that the Savior knows exactly how we feel in our times of trial because He suffered ALL of our sorrows and afflictions with no maximum capacity. Why would He do that if He, in His infinite goodness and love, for some reason didn´t care? I assure you, He loves us greatly. And He has given us a gateway to fix and heal our imperfections, our broken hearts, and our broken spirits. He is the ultimate healer, and through Him, greatness and enduring till the end is possible. He is our second chance. And our third chance. And our fourth. And every chance after that. What more could I say to make this touch your hearts? I think that the atonement speaks for itself. And even if it isn´t sin, the Lord our Savior suffered for our sorrows. I know without a shadow of a doubt that this church is true. What a great blessing that is! 

I love you all. Until we speak again! 

Love, Hermana Watt

FEB 4, 2014 - WEEKLY EMAIL

Here is Hermana Watt's email for this week.

Dear Everyone,

We finally made it to Chile! I am SO happy to be here. It was such a long process but I am grateful to be here!

My first  companion is Hermana Evans. She is from San Diego and we are both super white and super blonde. We are so grateful that we are companions. Chileans LOVE taking pictures of her and I because we are a rare species apparently. She goes to school at BYU Provo. We get along really really well and I am super happy to have met her! We are super good friends now and it hasnt even been a week! She was one of the missionaries that I found when we were all stuck in the airport.

The first person I saw at the MTC was Hermana Vanderheyden!!! I literally ran to her and gave her a hug. We see eachother all the time, and it makes me feel so much better seeing someone from home all the time!

The MTC is amazing. There are only 80 people total in this MTC, so we aren´t crowded at all. Half of us are North American, and half of us are north americans. It is so crazy because they seperate us based on language ability so all of us crazy white folk sound like greengas and greengos so we are made fun of ALL the time. Even our teachers are latino so they love to laugh at us (: But they love us so much. So we all get along really well.

The food here is really good. There is TONS of bread and they eat it with every single meal, even breakfast. So me and Hermana Evans decided we are just going to eat it once every other day so we don´t get chubs.

I love my MTC mission presidents. They are so sweet, and so loving. Me and Hermana Evans have to teach releif society on Sunday, which is crazy because I thought I escaped that calling once I left college (; hahaha. Just kidding. We are excited.

Chile is beautiful. It is crazy but I feel like I am not even in a different country. And I can´t understand anyone at all because my Spanish isn´t happening very fast hahaha. Oh if only you guys could hear me try to speak Spanish. My teachers call me a greenga. ALL THE TIME. But it´s okay because I know that Heavenly Father will help me learn. It hasn´t even been a week! So I will be fine (:

The people here are so sweet and genuine. I have no greater purpose in life at this time than to be a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I love having a nametag. I feel like a different person with it on. The moment I got it, I knew I was excactly where I was supposed to be. The only thing is Sister Watt is my mom. So I had a hard time getting used to it, but now I don´t even remember what my real name is.

We are starting to teach investigators, and it is SO hard. We have to do the WHOLE lesson in Spanish, but I am no where near fluent or even close. I don´t even know how to put sentences together. But I write it all down, and then speak it. It is amazing how much the spirit can change your attitude towards your hardships.

Me and Hermana Evans taught one investigator named Carolina, and it was the most amazing experience. We taught her about the restoration. I had a feeling to bear my testimony, but I didn´t have it written down. So I decided to do it anyway in English, and we all felt the spirit SO strong. I feel so blessed, and this work is amazing.

Well, that´s all I have time for this week. Can´t wait to write again next week! Love you all. The church is true.

Love, Hermana Watt

Kamryn's Mission President and his wife

Federico Maximiliano Kahnlein, 42, and Sabrina Tundidor Kahnlein, four children, Escobar Ward, Buenos Aires Argentina Escobar Stake. Brother Kahnlein is a counselor in a stake presidency and is a former stake executive secretary, high councilor, stake Young Men president, counselor in a stake presidency, elders quorum president, family history consultant, Young Men president, counselor in a bishopric and missionary in the Arizona Tempe Mission. Area meetinghouse facilities department manager of the South America South Area, Corporation of the Presiding Bishop. Born in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Werner Carlos Enrique Kahnlein and Noelí Herbon.

Sister Kahnlein serves as a Primary teacher and is a former stake missionary, Relief Society president and counselor, Young Women president, counselor in a Primary presidency, gospel principles teacher and missionary in the Argentina Neuquen Mission. Born in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Federico Alejandro Tundidor and Cristina Tizzano.