Week 68/76 The Redirection Effect

In Chile, maybe other places tambien, but I just heard of it here, they say you should pay attention to the first 12 days of the year, especailly the weather each day, because each day cooresponds with a month (1-Jan, 2-Feb, etc.) and the weather that day reflects how the weather will be in that month. For example on friday the 5th it was overcast and cold, so supposedly May will be a very overcast/cold month. Interesting, no? 

Not one, but two old ladies called my companion out for wearing pants this week! On different days! And the second time, she wasn't even wearing pants! 

The first hermana was like "Well I know President Nelson is a prophet, so if he says it's ok, I guess I can't complain." She then told me she loved the dress I had on and strongly encouraged my companion to wear a dress the next time we visit. 

The elders asked if we had an extra mattress that we weren't using. I guess they had just been taking turns sleeping on the floor?? We moved a mattress into the hall and while we went back to fold the blankets, they stealthily took it. In the elevator? Down the stairs? The world may never know.

We had transfers, but me and my companion are staying together so it was just a normal day. 

We took down the Christmas tree that we helped put up a month ago. But it was full of silly string from a new years celebration and so we spent a fat minute shaking out all the branches before packing them into the box nuevamente. 

We ended up going for a surprise morning run.

We met a 95 year old convert of 8 years. Chatting with him is what I imagine it'd be like to talk with President Nelson, if President Nelson was a little younger, Chilean, and inactive. 

We took a trip down to Hualqui, it consisted of an hour waiting for the micro, an hour in the micro, accidently knocking the door of the members that we're giving the elders lunch that day, waiting 15 minutes just to take the wrong micro and almost heading into the campo, and finally getting on the right micro that drove up and down the streets of Hualqui for another hour before making the hour long ride home, just in time to be an hour late for our lunch appointment. Let's just say if I never have to go to Hualqui again I wouldn't be upset.

In Chile, garbage day is actually like Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. With the holidays this last weekend there was lots of trash, and you wouldn't think that would be a problem except that in chile, most people don't have garbage cans that they just put out on the street. Everyone just puts the bags of garbage on street corners, hung on the fences, in a huge pile next to a tiny public trash can, or really anywhere else where the trash guys might find it when they come by. So almost every week, from Tuesday to Thursday all of Conce just smells like trash. And we walk by, around, and sometimes through piles of trash. 

We went almost the whole week using our last garbage bag. It was getting a little gross by the time Saturday rolled around, so we finally found a store that sells garbage bags close to our apartment! 

Fortunately, we don't have to toss our trash on the street, we just drop it down the 15 story trash shoot! 

While sitting in a park one day there was 4 little boys squishing onto the bench across from us, even though the bench was sufficiently wide enough for the four of them, they were all squished to one side. We thought it strange but carried on with our contacts. Then the same boys went and found a ball and started playing Spud in spanish! 

Then yesterday our friend Aroldo came to church, after what we thought was ghosting us for like 4 days, we were about ready to give up, but he sent a message saying he's just been busy and that we'd see him on Sunday! 

This week I learned about the redirection effect, basically if we are really diligent and give it our all, sometimes it still doesn't work out how we think it will, but the Lord blesses us in a different way! For example, we worked hard to talk with lots of people in the streets this week, and almost no one wanted to listen, but because we were working diligently, with faith, and trying our best, we were able to have a lesson with a part member family (that have also been ghosting us a little bit) and now Agustina could get baptized in this month! 

Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name. Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.

Alma 26:35-36

I love all the scriptures, but especially ones like these that highlight so clearly the characteristics of God. That help me recognize and remember just how great He is! Have we not reason to rejoice? 

-Hermana Pratt