November 5th Update

It is definitely getting hotter an hotter in Chile! But honestly, you´re just better off if you just embrace it. Just like there´s no heating in the houses in the winter, there sure isn´t air conditioning in the summer. And there is some serious heat going on here. But it´s okay. I keep telling Hermana Quiroga I´m going to be tanner and tanner, but she just says I´m going to get redder and redder. Time will tell. You just wait and check out the photos :) 

I´m feeling like I get the mission more and more each week. There´s less time of the feeling that I have noooo clue what is going on, and more feeling like I can do things, and help the people of Curicó grow through the gospel. It seems like in life with changes, to start off there´s that period where you just feel like you´re scared and confused and you don´t know what in the world is going on. And then, gradually, you just kind of grow out of it with time. The good news is the gospel is with us during this whole process! Heavenly Father and this gospel is all about love, trust, faith and opportunities to become better. There sure are a lot of opportunities to be better in life! But I know that as we do what President Eyring said in conference and become as little children more, we´ll always be able to conquer our challenges, and come out of them with a smile. 

This week was pretty great. We had stake conference yesterday which changed the stake presidency. Everyone was speculating like crazy all the time. I´m pretty glad it´s over. Our mission president came and spoke, too. 

Manuel, Juan Pablo, and Veronica are doing awesome. It is INCREDIBLE how the principles of the gospel, simple as they can be, can change the lives of others. They´re growing as a family. They´re healing from their mother passing away, and they´re starting to be able to look forward, instead of just tredding water. They´re going to be baptized next week. 

We teaching a jovencita named Natalia. She´s 15, and her mom is in the hospital now, and she lives with her 22 year old sister. She is a pretty strong girl! Her fecha is for the 24th. She has so much faith, and has a really strong testimony of prayer. I love her! A small part of me thinks of you, Natalie. Happy birthday, soon! She´s strong, like you, and it´s so cool to think that I could help somebody like you have you have right now!

I catch myself comparing people to my family. Getting past the language barriers, they really are just like us :) People remind of Jess, and Ben, and Clark, and Nick and Jacob and Meg and Jamie.... Probably just because I love them like I love you guys!

 Speaking of things about the fam fam, we´re going to be planning a wedding!!!! Well, not planning, but helping. The other hermanas of our house, Hermana Castillo and Hermana Almaeda, are teaching a golden couple. They aren´t married, but they want to be so as soon as possible, and then baptized. Things are going pretty good here in Rauquén. 

Today we visted siete tasas, or 7 falls. It was so fun just to play around in the forest! It looks a lot like our forests in Utah, but there are some interesting animals around. Check out my photos of my spidey friend! It was so fun, like a dream, really. But I´m excited to work and to teach and to find. 

I love you all so much. I hope life is simply wonderful. Calan Yost, this is me, asking you from Chile, to write me and tell me how in the world you are doing. And Em, and everybody! I just hope you´re doing awesome, and I would write you, but I don´t have your addresses. 

Les quiero! 

Hermana Lovell 

November 25th Update

Hola!

I hope you're all recovering from Thanksgiving nicely. We sang Count Your Blessings here at my request Thanksgiving day, so it's basically the same thing.

It was a great week! Do we have many people we are teaching? Why no! But did we work hard? Why yes we did! Sometimes people drop you that you were teaching, and it's pretty rough, because you start to care for these people like they're your family. But! You just keep on running :)

I LOVE a talk that Erica sent me. Shoutout to all my incredible friends prepping for missions. It's called The Fourth Missionary by Lawrence Corbridge. He was actually in the area presidency for my mission a while back. It's all about how we as missionaries can choose to have our hearts, our very character changed while we are on our missions. But I think it's a dynamite talk for anybody, just take out the contexts of missionary work and think of it of how to become more Christlike. I have loved studying it, and realizing how more and more I can give everything for this short time of my life to Heavenly Father.

Did you know that it sure doesn't matter what is going on in our life, we've just gotta choose to be happy, and focus on the things that matter most? Whenever I feel a little down, it's because I'm focusing on the wrong things. As soon as I can realize it, I snap out of it by doing everything I can to humble myself, and to focus on how much Heavenly Father loves me! Do you realize how many avenues of happiness Heavenly Father has given us? Just pick one of them and go for it, whether it be flowers, or family, or hiking, or cualquier cosa! Just take it in and love it!

One thing I did love about this talk, though, is that sometimes we don't feel like doing the things we should. Like if it's a blazing hot day, we don't have to be dilusional and say, "Hoorah! Can't wait to go outside! How wonderful!!!" Maybe every once and in a while to be silly, but it's okay that sometimes that it's hard to do the right thing. Sometimes that's what makes it all the more meaningful that we do do it. If that doesn't make sense, just read the talk :)

Be accountable with your fate. That's the way to be happy. It's always just you and Heavenly Father. Take what you've got, and run with it!

Love you all :)

Hermana Lovell

November 19th Update

¡Hola!

For all my friends that are prepping up to serve some missions, I´ve got some advice for you: You fill up the font for your baptisms. And call everybody to verify they know what time they are supposed to be there. And keep your keys to the church!

The baptisms of the Quiñonez family was a success! Success meaning any of the other circumstances don´t matter, because the ordinance was carried out. But it was sure close! Our mission leader is 18 years old named Nicolas. He was going to fill up the font, so we gave him our keys. We got there, and the doors were locked to the chapel. Manuel, Vero, and Juan Pablo came, and the doors were still locked. Then the Bishop came walking up with keys. That was good. Theeeeen, we were frantically trying to prep the food, show our converts what to do and take pictures, when we realized that the floor was wet! Nicolas had left the font running, and it was overflowing everywhere. We had to clean it all up. Then one of the people that was going to baptize, Patriarca Nuvoa, thought it was an hour later to show up. But it was really great, honestly :)

The part coolest to me of course was the baptism, but also seeing them after. That night, Manuel played futbol with other members of the Priesthood, while Vero and Manuel were watching. That was cooler to me, seeing how normal it seemed that they would be there. That they´re part of this ward/family now.

Natalia kind of dropped off the map. We´re thinking maybe her mom didn´t want us to teach her anymore, or something.

Something cool I realized while reading "Of Regrets and Resolutions" by President Uctdorf is that there´s a difference between being productive and being busy. During my life, I think back of some of the times when I thought how great it was that I was just soooo busy. So busy. Because, of course that meant that I was being productive with my life. But I love the comparison President Uctdorf uses. That he can´t picture the Savior bustling around, worrying himself about things of little importance. We don´t have to be uptight and stressed to be able to be super productive. Sure I have a pretty tight schedule right now, but when I stopped and thought about it, I don´t really think it´s going to slow down anytime soon, on the mission or after. But I can start figuring out how to be happy and productive, but now uptight and stressed out all the time. There´s a big difference. And if I really am wanting to follow Christ, I can have the faith to let go of all my pointless worryings. It doesn´t solve anything to worry!

I love you all so much, and I hope you take advantage of every moment in this life to happy. This life isn´t about waiting for that phantom of a perfect life to appear. It´s about taking what you have and loving it with all you´ve got!

Happy thanksgiving. I´m sure grateful for all of you!

Hermana Lovell

PS WELCOME HOME JOEL MORTENSEN!!!!!!!! 

Pics from November 19th

17.11.2012 Curico Norte


Veronica, Manuel, y Juan Pablo



Veronica, Manuel, Hermano Orellana, y Juan Pablo








Hermana Ponce. I just think she has the coolest Chilean Grandma face.



Talent with Grafiti!

November 12th Update

¡Oiga!

I´m starting my 3rd cambio in the field tomorrow. I´m with Hermana Quiroga in Rauquen. This cambio is only 5 weeks because of Christmas, and the next cambio is going to be 7.

We´re going to have a baptism this Saturday! Maunel, Juan Pablo, and Veronica. It has been a little stressful at times, but it´s been pretty incredible. What they say is true! Something crazy always happens to your investigators right before their baptism! But It´s pretty much straightened out.

I´m still learning and working hard. I don´t really have much time to write more, but I know that my Savior lives! I know that He loves me, and He loves each one of you, too. Thanks for all your support!

Love,

Hermana Lovell

Nov 5th Pics - Rauquen

Hermana Castillo, Hermana Almaeda, Me, y Hermana Quiroga















Elder R