Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Family and Friends! Hello!
Happy Mother´s Day!
I just want to give a shout out to my mom. She is the greatest mom anyone could ever have! And I am so lucky that she´s mine. Mom, I love you! I hope one day I can be as good a mom as you are to me. :)
So! Interesting story. I was in Valparaíso, writing my emails home, and halfway thru writing this email, BAM! The electricity goes out. In the ENTIRE CITY. Yeah. All of Valparaíso, one of the biggest cities in Chile. The entire city without electricity. So. Lame. I wish I had more time to write, like I wish every week, but I dont. I have even less time!
But to all you mothers, Happy Mother´s Day. :)
This week I got to talk to the fam! AH! Family, it was so good to hear your voices and see your faces! It was heaven on earth. Distance makes the heart grow fonder! I miss you all so much, it´s insane. Like, for real, I've never missed anyone so much in my entire life! I love you guys so much!
I got to Skype home from an iPad, the iPad of the Relief Society Pres. Pretty cool.
:)
After I left the house, I just started crying! Ah! Haha I love you guys! I think its unfair that we can only call for Mother's Day and Christmas. How bout Father's Day? Huh? How is that fair? Haha but I look forward to Christmas. :)
Thank you thank you thank you! I love you!
And yeah, thats really all I can say this week, but transfers are next week, next Wednesday, and I will talk to you all the Monday before. We shall see what happens!
Write me!
Love you!
Hermana Schrader
P.S. No pics this week - no time. Maybe next week! :)

Saturday, May 4, 2013

The Big 22!


Hola familia y amigos!
Cómo están todos?!
I am fantastic. I had a great week. It was a little different but it was suuuper good! MUCH better than other weeks. First of all, I am 22! Yesterday was my birthday and I am old now. Just kidding. But everyone was really kind and my companions made me french toast, and gave me a bracelet, some hangers (which I needed) and a laundry bag! Haha they are the sweetest. We also got to hear an all male MTC Choir recording of Called to Serve, in Church, in ENGLISH! And it was sooo beautiful. Even just that was a birthday gift for me. :)
We also had a baptism, an 18 year old girl named Maria Fernanda. She was an investigator of the Elders in our area. So thats awesome! It was a beautiful meeting and we got to help out a lot! 
Second of all, I got sick! Food poisoning I think...my comp got it too! We were in bed Friday and Saturday all day...I didnt eat a thing. But at least I wasnt sick for my birthday! haha. Also, yesterday, my birthday, after the baptism, we had FHE with Maria Fernanda's family and the Lopez family. We played games and had a lesson by the dad, and had Once! We had crepes, and they put candles in the crepes and took pictures and I made 3 wishes. (Its 3 wishes in Chile, not just one!) :) So that was awesome. 
Oh! And thirdly, like I said last week, I am now in a TRIO! My new additional companion is Hermana Jane Keller, from Salt Lake City, and holy cow she reminds me of Ashley Nygaard! Hahaha she has the same laugh, the same face, the same facial expressions, she studied in China, and studied philosophy! Of course no one can ever replace my Ashley, but it is good to have a companion that reminds me of my best friend. 
I love Hermana Keller! She is such a blessing to me. Our trio is sooo much better with the 3 of us and not just the 2 of us. I dont know what Id do without Hermana Keller. I am so glad shes here. She is so sweet and amazing and I love her! We are training her (Yes I am a co-trainer) Haha and it is so fun! We are all practically learning together. 
While me and Hermana Keller were sick this week, Hermana Plothow got to go out and work with an RM from the ward named Arlette. Arlette is wonderful, and a fantastic missionary. I want her to come with me sometime! But Maria, our investigator with a baptismal date, is still set to get baptized! But just one week later. 
AND! I get to call home for Mother's Day! I will give more details on that in the future, but I am so excited for that! I cant wait to see your faces and hear your voices! Its too bad that you wont get the chance to talk to Hermana Garcia over Skype too - shes the greatest. But oh well. 
Oh! That was another birthday present! Cecilia, Javiera, and Hermana Garcia called me yesterday! I didnt get to speak very long with them cuz the baptism was about to start, but man. It was probably my favorite gift so far. Just hearing Hermana Garcia's voice was AWESOME! I miss her so much. First thing I hear on the phone, "Hey baby! Happy Birthday!" Hermana Garcia and her English. I love it. :)
I have been reading in Alma... like chapters around 40-50...and its so exciting! Its like my version of an action movie. Seriously, its so entertaining. And whoever Captain Moroni's wife is...That girl is the luckiest girl in the world. Haha. Captain Moroni is incredible. And so is Teancum! Hes like Spiderman. I love how he just sneaks into Amalickiah's tent in the middle of the night and kills him without a sound. Incredible. 
I also read random verses here and there of things, and D&C 84:88 still gets me every time! It is my theme for the mission. It gives me comfort, and lets me know that I am never alone! I have His promise that He will always be there for me, with His angels, to bear me up. :) 
But yeah! I dont know what else to add... I hope everything is going well with everyone at home! You guys are one of the reasons I am here! Without you all, this would be a lot harder. Thank you for the support and love! I hope you all have the best week ever. :)
I love being a missionary!
Love you all! Miss you! Thanks for everything!
Hasta proxima lunes!
Hermana Amy Schrader