WEEK 11 - FIRE IN CHILE

FIRE IN VALPARAISO!

I don´t think I have ever been more scared in my life then I have been the past few weeks! A lot has been happening here in Chile. Many houses have burned down in that fire, and they are sending missionaries in to help the victims, and do some service in the safer areas. It is so hard for the people here. Many people we know have family members that lost EVERYTHING in that fire, and it breaks my heart. I ask for your prayers for the people of Chile. They have really been suffering.

I am grateful that we have been safe so far! The Lord has really blessed Hermana Lopez and I. They had to move some other missionaries, but we are all safe (:

I am finally starting to understand the people here. It is hard at first because they speak so fast, but I am getting used to it. I just need to learn to respond! haha. It is coming with time (: And I am lucky to have a companion to help me! She is so great. 

We have a really amazing investigator. His name is Manuel. He is about 50 and he LOVES the gospel. He is amazing, and he always loves having us at his home. He doesn´t have very much, but he always is giving, giving, giving. He is such an amazing example to me! He also speaks really slow for me, which is perfect. We taught him about tithing, and he kept asking us when he could pay it because he wants to help all the people in the church, and he wants to help build the temples because they are beautiful! I loved his attitude, and it inspired me to have a better attitude about tithing.

I encourage you all to read D&C 58:2-4. It talks about how we can recieve blessings when we keep the commandments.

I love you all, and am mindful of each one of you! Thank you for helping me become the missionary I am today!

Love, Hermana Watt

Kamryn's plaque on the wall at Church

Hermana Watt & Hermana Lopez

FIRE IN VALPARAISO

Her Investigator and District

WEEK 10

NOT TO WORRY.....ALL IS WELL!!

So for starters, all is well here in Chile. At least where I am in Chile. It was a scary time for sure, considering the fact I had no idea what the problem was because everyone here talks so fast, and when there is a possible emergency, they talk even faster! So, when all I heard was tsunami, I almost peed my pants, but thank goodness it didn´t touch here. We have a had a few earthquakes, but nothing crazy. So, all is well and we are working harder than ever.

So this week was April Fools day, and unfortunately, they don´t celebrate that holdiay here or in Peru. So when I would play a joke on my companion and then say April Fools! It didn´t really work. I never thought I would miss it, but I do!

Also, there is this man in our neighborhood who somehow manages to find me every couple of days. He comes up to me and always asks me for money, because I am North American. But what this fella doesn´t understand is that missionaries aren´t rich at all. hahaha. Broke as a joke.

The best part of this week was genereal conference. For some reason, General Conference is like 10 million times better as a missionary. It is like Christmas here. We LOVE it. One of my favorites (They all were my favorite) was the talk by Jeffrey R. Holland. I love it because as missionaries, and even as members, we are rejected every single day, whether personally, or just in general. It is really hard, but I love how he said that it is worth it. This is ALL worth it.

We are so blessed to have the gospel in our lives. I see people every single day who don´t see what they are missing, and they won´t allow themselves the opportunity to have true happiness. It is sad. But one thing we can do, for those of us who have it in our lives is to embrace it. Make the gospel a way of life, not just something that you do in your life. The gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the only true church on this earth, and through the Savior is the ONLY way we can return and recieve all the great and many blessings we have been promised if we do so. We are chosen! We are SO blessed to have the truth. There are MANY who don´t have this blessing and opportunity. Take advantage. Seriously. Don´t live the gospel half way. Don´t let yourself down. Don´t let the Lord and Savior who suffered more than any of us will EVER comprehend FOR US down. He did this for US. Why? Because He love us. Do you love Him? Then do what is right with no excuses. It is simple, yet we complicate it. Don´t give yourself up to the adversary so easily. Find strength in the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. That is what it is here for.

 I love you all!

Hermana Watt

PICTURES FROM OUR ZONE CONFERENCE

Kam and her companion

Her Zone

Kam and her companion studying

Kam and other missionaries

Kam an her companion and a gentleman

I think she loves the food!

MISSION, WEEK 9

Cold is Gone......

What was that about your leg?

So one thing I have realized is that the mission brings about many great experiences. And with that, a lot of very humorous ones as well.

The other day we had some missionaries from a different church knock on our door. They don´t prepare you for situations like that in the MTC! haha. I made Hermana Lopez talk to them because one, I dont know spanish, and two, because I can´t ever say no. Knowing me, I probably would have agreed to attend some church meeting just because I would have felt bad to say no!!! haha. 

I am finally over my cold, thank goodness. But yesterday clumsy me tripped down a flight of stairs and banged up my leg pretty dang good! It is a pretty nice battle wound. Satan hates me. haha. 

There are SO many stray dogs here. It might be safe to say there are more dogs than people. We were trying to contact a less active member at one of the really scary areas, and all of the sudden this dog comes out of nowhere and starts growling and chasing us. Needless to say we ended up not contacting that person. Maybe in the future!

We had family home evening as a ward, and it was amazing. I am so blessed to be part of such an amazing ward, who loves me even when I can only comunicate a little with them. They are so loving!

I have such a strong testimony of the power of prayer. This week we met with a woman who was very depressed. For those of you who dont know, I want to go into social work, and so talking to these people and helping these people is what I love. I really wanted to help her. I could understand her, I just couldnt find the words I wanted to say to help her. I said a little prayer in my heart and asked Heavenly Father to help me reach out to her. In that moment, I started to speak, and she stopped me to tell me that she understands english. She cant speak it, but she understands all of it. So she asked if I would talk to her in English. What are the chances? The Lord really blessed me, and I was able to help her, and help her know that she has a loving Father in Heaven, who was aware of her, and a Savior, who knows exactly what she is going through. It was a powerful moment, and I know that prayer works, and it is SO powerful.

I am grateful for this opportunity. The church is true!!!

Love, Hermana Watt

This Week's Mission Pictures!!!!

Sister Lopez and Sister Watt and some boy missionaries

Someone in the Ward or investigator?

Is this a stray dog?  They have lots of them in Chile!  I think Kamryn is trying to tell him that she is a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

Beautiful Scenery

Hermana Watt and cute little girl

Must be P-Day!

Kamryn and her companion

Out tracting!

WEEK 8

First Nose Cold!

Hello!

This week was a really good week, besides the fact that I have a terrible cold, and I look like Rudolph. Also, I have no learned that missionary work stops for nothing, even a super runny nose, and an obnoxious cough. Just know missionaries are working working working, ALWAYS! I love this work, and I am so grateful!

We have an investigator named Flor who is getting ready to be baptized, and I love her with all of my heart. She is such an amazing lady. Her husband recently left her, and she is all alone with her son, but she is finding the Lord through her trials, and I look up to her so much for that.

We had zone conference this week, and we had the chance to see the Mission President and his wife again. They are so lovely. Seriously, I am so blessed. I love them, and I am so grateful for their example. AND they speak English. hahaha. That helps.

Not much happened this week, but I love the mission, and I am so happy that I am a missionary. There is no greater work, and I feel so close to my Savior and my Heavenly Father always.

There is this great joy that comes with missionary work that is undescribable, and it is something I am so happy I get to experience.

I have such a strong testimony of this gospel. This lady we met started preaching about how wrong we are to preach and how our religion is false. But in that moment, I felt so much peace in my heart, and a conformation from my Heavenly Father that what we are doing IS right.

I know this church is true. If I didn´t know that with every fiber of my being, I wouldn´t be here.

I love you all, and am forever grateful for your kind words and support.

Love, Hermana Watt

Her Apartment

WEEK 7: ALIVE AND WELL IN VENA!!!!!!

FINALLY IN VINA DEL MAR!!

Kamryn and her Mission President and his wife

Hermana Watt & Hermana Lopez

So, I am alive and well her on the west side of Viña! I am super close to the ocean, and I see it every single day! I love it. My new companion is Hermana Lopez, and I love her a lot. She speaks english which is great because my spanish is terrible. I am at the point where my english and spanish mix together so badly that I seem like I don´t know english or spanish! haha. Please pray for me!

So I experienced my first earthquake! It was awesome. It shook the whole building, and woke me up from a dead sleep. Those of you who know me know that that is almost impossible. It was my favorite part of that week! There have been a lot of earthquakes here though, and I am hoping that doesn´t keep happening.

I met my mission President and His wife, and they are absolutely amazing. They are the sweetest people in  the world, and I am so lucky to be serving here with them as my leaders.

The street contact Hermana Evans and I found while we were at the CCM is getting baptized, and we are so excited. We won´t be able to go because it is not in our area, but we are so happy for him.

The members of the ward here are amazing. They feed us so much food I don´t even know what to do.

I love this gospel. Serving a mission is hard, but it is so rewarding. We had one of our investigators come to church yesterday, and she loved it. Seeing people find true happiness through the gospel gives me so much joy. It makes all the hard times worth it. I know why I am here, and I wouldn´t trade it for anything.

Always remember how important it is to have the Lord in your life. He loves us all, no matter where we are in our lives, no matter what we have done, or how far away from him we may think we are. HE LOVES YOU. Do you love Him? Then talk to Him. There is a humbleness here in Chile that I love. The people are so receptive, and so willing, because sometimes the Lord is the only hope they have. These people literally sometimes have nothing. It brings me so much joy to see what happiness the gospel brings them.

I love you all, and I am so grateful for the chance to serve.

The church is true!

Love, Hermana Watt

MISSION PICTURES

Kam's Mission President and his wife are in the middle.  Mission President's wife is in green shirt.

Pictures of Vina del Mar

 

Mar 4, 2014 - WEEK 5 (WHAT???)

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK

So I leave for Vina del Mar in a week from today!  I am so excited. We have been starting to talk to real investigators out on the streets, and it has been amazing. Hermana Evans and I started talking to this man, and how we did it in Spanish, I have no idea, but we understood him, and as we taught him, he asked us when and where he could come to church!! Here we call those golden investigators because it usually is not that easy at all. So we got his address and contact information and sent the missionaries over to teach him. Sunday rolled around, and guess who we saw?? Fernando! It made my heart fill with so much joy. He LOVED it and he wants to keep coming back. We got a picture, and the other sister missionaries are going to keep us updated (:

Last preperation day Hermana Evans and I had scripture cases made and personalized. So we are so excited to see those today! It takes a week, so we have been so excited to see what they look like! Also the ice cream here is delicious, and I could eat it all day every day. 

We went to the temple for the last time in 18 months and it was just as beautiful as ever. I love the temple, and the one here is stunning. We see so many brides, and they are so beautiful! 

I wish I had more to write about this week! It has mostly just been a week of really studying and practicing. I will definitely have more to talk about next week. I love you all!!!

Love, Hermana Watt

FIRST MISSION PICTURES!!

Kamryn in Santiago

Reflexions in the window

Kamryn and her companion Hermana Evans. She is from San Diego. They are twiners.   She said they like to touch their hair (kam and Hermana Evans)  and they yell out "Su pelo es muy bonita" Your hair is very pretty.  She never liked her hair until now.  lol.

Kamryn in front of a church building.  The sign says of Latter-day Saints

MORE PICTURES FROM THE MISSION HOME

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