Homecoming!

Sarah returns from a successful mission! Well done though good and faithful servant!! We are so proud of you and sooo happy to have you home!!

Blessings on Blessings

LLUVIA DE BENDICIONES

One being our new friend Decil! We met him looking for a different person. When we went back to meet with him he told us the day he met us he started praying for the first time again and he is ready to leave his worldy past behind and start his new life with Jesus Christ. It was a pretty big miracle, at the end of the lesson he asked us when he could get baptized and then when he could start being a missionary like us!

Another blessing but mostly testimony builder for me was an activity we attended and sang at. The ward read lehis vision in the scriptures together then sent them off to the cultural hall to eat and it had music and distracting things. Then there was a pole that extended from the cultural hall leading to the sacrament room that led to a tree with tons of lights and fruit. Next to the tree a choir of missionaries sang and tried to help the other people hear our voices so that they could come [take part of the fruit.[ It took a little bit for people to hear the music or figure out what was going on. Some followed the pole and saw the tree and us singing but then went back into the cultutal hall. Some stayed at the halfway point being able to take part of the "worldly things" but still look at the tree of life.

 It made me reflect a lot on all of the people who have come to baptism in my mission, my family, my friends and where they all are right now. I felt the spirit so strongly, testifying of the true joy we can feel from obedience. I know that no temperal happiness can exceed the joy we will feel when our Savior comes again and we are prepared and have done everything we could to help prepare our families! I know the fruit of the gospel is for everyone, though it is hard to choose between the temperal or lasting joy in this life, I know that God is aware of our situation and is there to answer our doubts or tend to our needs. I love my family, my chilean-foreigner family and I love my Savior and I love this gospel with all my heart! 

The best line I got this week was when someone asked if my companion was my daughter. 

My heart is extremley full. Words can not describe how much i love this gospel! I love and thank you all so much for your endless support and prayers!

Hermana Pulsipher

Fotoitos: Easter egg hunt for the hermanas in our apartment, closed down a street to have a soccer match, and the ward activity

Countdown!

FAM!

These past couple of weeks have torn my heart left and right. This contact we had yesterday explains it all, "My son only told you guys you could come by another time so that you woulldnt feel bad, ps. we have one of your books of mormon sitting in in our house collecting dust, could i give that back to you." Ahhh. I felt like someone was breaking up with me. It is the honest truth, i have never felt so disanimated in my entire mission until now. We always get rejected but i have been taking it so personal lately and have just been feeling so such sadness for the people who are missing out on these blessings we are trying to give them. How can hearts be so hard that they look at two smiling gringas outside their door and then slam it in their face? They dont know just how valuable our message is. And then I think about the people who have had this treasure in their life and then they threw it away for temporary happiness.

I have never prayed harder to find the chosen people, i have fought harder to have a more pure and patient love for my companion and I have never felt so much power testifying of my my Savior Jesus Christ. Maybe even if the people I was testifying to didnt feel anything, I did and i cant deny what i have felt!

Conferance was so powerful. I had a lot of questions going into it but to resume them all into one it would be, how can i trust God in the promised blessings He has for me if i do all that i can, and then how can i be patient in waiting to recieve those blessings. I learned two new things from Elder Renlunds talk small acts of faith are required to ignite Gods promises, i cant go crazy asking, "how much more can i do?" and smaller blessings are given to us while waiting for the bigger ones. 

I have literally felt God lift me during this change, I am training a new american missionary and opening a new sector so i have been having to do a lot of things on my own due to the language barrior my compaion has (but shes doing great)! Its really scary at times and really tiring but ive never felt alone. Heavenly Father has put at least one receptive person in our path each day to help me have the faith to keep going.

Our biggest miracle has been Soñia. We met her knocking on a members door. She is the housekeeper of the member. We asked her if we could enter and sing her a song because she said she was having a rough day. My companion sings very silent so it was basically a solo, it went awful (if youve ever heard my voice you know) but she felt the spirit so strong and agreed to let us teach her about forever families and how she could be with her son again, he had died just one month before. After a couple weeks of visiting her she is now on the path of repentance. She went from smoking 7 ciggarettes a day to now only 3 in a week! She has SO MUCH DESIRE to become new again through CHRIST. She has definitely been our biggest miracle and I feel so blessed to be able to be an instrument in Gods hands with Sonia. 

I know these things are true, my heart hurts to see people reject or fall away because I how much joy these things can bring to someones life just as they have brought to mine! I extend the same invitation as Profet Nelson do the spiritual work to find out for yourselves. God knows you, hears your prayers and will answer you!I testify that President Nelson is called by God to lead and guide our church. I know that Jesus Christ directs this church! And I know that families are forever, i cant wait to see my forever family in a few weeks ;)

I love you all more than you know!

Hermana Pulsipher

The best pic I could get with my comp, Spa day with the zone, and my cute niece ;)

fam bam

FAMILY,

Im going to send a letter to just the fam this week so i can be completly honest about how this week went. Amazing. Despite the rocky conversations i had with my companion after pday and many prayers to be able to see her the was God does, I had a big coming to Jesus. We actually get along really good and make a good team. We arent necesarily bffs but we both have what eachother lacks. I am learning a ton from her. Patience is one of them. New missionaries just arent accustomed to the schedule or do things a little bit different so i constantly have to learn how to give her correction which i had to do when i was an hermana leader but its completly different with hermana Wilkins. She doesnt like compliments or me serving her, she just likes the cold hard truth which is great but i also feel like a witch sometimes haha. Im mom after 9 o{clock. I am the old lady in the mission who just wants to crash into bed at the end of the night whereas the other hermanas we live with want to play games and talk about boys. Im growing up mom. But we have had a lot of fun experiences this week together and even though she doesnt say it, i know she respects me as her superior. Im gaining her confidence little by little.

THIS WEEK WOW. I have never felt Gods presence more in my life . He has been giving me the strength and energy to do so much. He has given me so much courage to contact (its still a little scary to initiate contacts). Its not that my comp doesnt do anything, she is very dilligent, its just that she cant because of the language barrior. So its on me to do pretty much everything. I have never prayed harder to find people to teach. We were thrown in a brand new sector with no people to teach but God has put SO MANY people in our path to teach this week. Everyday i pray that we can at least find one new person to teach and it happens!! Every day!! People have even strated walking up to us to see what we are all about. This guy today told us, "WRITE DOWN MY NUMBER AND COME BY ASAP" That never happens! Or we met this lady we lived in our complex and we set up an appointment but she wasnt there, anyways we receieved a knock on the door at 10Ñ30 at night and it was her! She was so upset that she had missed the appointment and came to apologize and set up another day and time! They are mini miracles but i know they are directly from God Himself helping us to keep moving forward! 

As for the tronkyness, its really not a thing! I would be lying if i said i didnt think about home, thats a given, but im not longing to be there, I know i still have a lot of time left so i chose to not let it consume me. I have been a little bit more emotional testifying during lessons. After a the third time crying when testifying, my comp says to me, "I thought you told me you dont cry very much." I said, [i really dont! I dont know whats wrong with me." and she goes, "I think youre just tronky." haha I think shes right. But I think im relaly just going to miss knocking on random peoples doors just to tell them about this awesome message we have about Jesus Christ and eternal families! Im going to miss the power I feel/have when i testify about truthfulness of all these things. 

But anyways!! General conferance is just around the corner and i am going to miss watching it in our pjs and eating homemade omlets but since im training i will still get to watch it in english! YES! I LOVE Profet Nelson, Im so excited to hear him speak! Im sure he has a few more chnages and revelations up his sleeve so im extremly anxious for those also. 

LOVE YOU GUYS TONS!!! 

CHAU San Bernardo, HOLA Los Nogales!

Hey fam!

I am going into my last change here in the mission and I think its going to be the best change yet. I am opening a new sector with my new daughter hermana Wilkins from arizona! She has two days in Chile and is killing the game. She is EXTREMLY intelligent (i dont even know how to spell what major she is taking at BYU), always wanting to do her best and very brave from what i have gotten to see so far!

Yesterday was we set out and about in an area we had never been to before trying to get around with a little hand sized map and asking locals for directions. We got lost a few times but it was all for a specific reason! We were looking for the house of someone that the previous missionaries were teaching but instead found Mariela! As we walked up to her she begins to tell us that she thought we were two angels that had fallen from heaven. We started up a conversation with her and after sharing a scripture from the book of mormon she tells us that she had one in her house! She said she had only read a few times but wants to pick it up again to start reading it! She was really grateful for our visit and wants us to visit her son the next time we come over! MIRACLE.

The best thing about this change are how many miracles we are about to witness opening a new sector! My companion told me she came out on a mission hoping to feel the spirit more in her life because she couldnt recognize it before. Boy is she in for a treat. 

I feel so strongly that this is the work of the Lord!! I know that He LIVES adn LOVES us so much. I feel His love constantly! I love you all a ton, thank you for your prayers, i sure do feel them :)

Hermana Pulsipher

Pictures!!

Today we scaled a mountain, watched the sun rise and drank mate (a tea everyone drinks in south america). Love you guys tons! 

No Mass Email, just pics :)

Let me buy you a cake

I am exhausted. Physically. My body hurts haha. But it feels good to feel this way, its weird. My body feels very heavy as I lay down at bed at night. We have been working hard under some hot hot heat lately. Its killin me. But the big moments like watching the friends we are teaching make big changes in their lives makes it all worth it.

Our friend Fernando who just got baptized on Saturday was sitting in elders quorum and heard them talking about how assistance numbers are dropping. He says to us, “ÿou guys work so hard every week trying to get people to come to church and maybe if your lucky two new friend comes every week.” I sat there for a minute but I all I could feel was a lot of gratitude for Fernando and it didn’t matter how many people came to church that week, the fact that Fernando did made that whole week of work worth it.

Its been a big blessing in my life to be a part of his conversion and see his “light” grow brighter and brighter. I feel a lot of love for him and i have loved inviting him to live his life closer to God.

This week a guy stopped me in the street, pulled out a ten dollar bill and insisted on buying me a cake. He was obviously a little drunk and kept spitting his food on me accidentally as he kept insisting onthis cake thing. After saying no and trying to escape he then pulled out his credit card and says, "ïs this what you want??? Or this??” as he pulls out his bus card. Chileans have made me a more bold person. I politely put my hand out as he kept pulling in closer to me, and tell him “Chill. No I dont understand.”(in the worst uncongigated Spanish posible to get him to leave us alone.) Then my comp grabbed me and we ran. That was my brave story of the week.

The atonement of Jesus Christ is real and works in our lives but only if we let it. Along with the new program "Come follow me" can also have a big impact in our lives but only if we DO IT. Faith requires action. My favorite quote by elder holland is that everyone is waiting for a blessing or an answer from God in our lives. But what are we doing while we are waiting for that blessing or answers? 

I love you all and i hope you have a lovely week! Here are a few pictures from a family home evening we did with fernando, his baptism and our trip to the museum this pday!

Hermana Pulsipher

-- 

Divs on divs

This week I felt a little anxious to be honest. I went to have divisions with my daughter (the hermana I trained) and I was excited to see after all this time how she had grown and what she had accomplished. I learned a few things during this division and my thoughts are a little scattered so try and keep up with me.

During the division, she told me how much I had changed and how “consecrated”  I was. Her sector had few set appointments that day and we contacted for hours as she told me how mad she was at leaders in the mission or how hard her ward was because the members didn’t give them lunches. Little by little I got more and more disanimated and looked for all of the little things she didn’t improve on.               

Eventually, we prayed for a specific miracle to find a prepared family. As soon as we said "amen." We saw some Haitians and literally chased after them. We ran 5 blocks… not even joking. After getting done with the conversion of an uninterested Haitian we spot out of the corner of our eye GINA. Gina was a Haitian that Hna Martinez and I taught together in Parque Subercaseoux. Gina had moved to Hna Martinez{s sector! We ended up teaching Gina that night and meeting her husband who was pretty receptive to our message. After that I realized that when we pray for specific things God gives us specific miracles.

After the division we had a companionship inventory. I asked her if she was going to bed on time, she wasn’t, or if she was using her time wisely, she wasn’t, the little things just kept adding up. I started to feel my heart ache a little. I felt a strong impression to share a spiritual thought with her that Hermana Gwilliam had shared with us in a leadership meeting. I asked her if she had faith in herself. She told me no. I then asked her if maybe it was because she knew God knew about her disobedience. She started to tear up and replied yes. 

I shared a scripture with her in 2 Nephi 25:26 which talks about all things Christ. Christ is the reason we are out here, why we wake up and do hard things. I didn’t explain the scripture much but I did share with her how much I loved her and how proud of her I was that she had not given up. We sat there and cried for a bit like a mother daughter moment and then we made a joke so it didn’t get too sentimental. I knew that whatever I said to her was not going to make her change her ways. I knew that it had to come from the desire of her own heart. I love my mom because she always taught me that the pure love of Christ cures everything. After having this experience, I couldn’t agree more. I don’t know if what happened in the inventory impulse her to make better decions but I did feel a more Christ like love for her that helped me to withdraw the expectations I had for her, seek forgiveness for judging her and look at all of the ways she had grown. 

In my studies this week, I learned about loving those you serve. I put the question, "How will others know that I am a servant of the Lord?" I concluded with charity. If others are able to feel a bit of the love Christ has for them through me, they will recognize that a 20 year old American that doesn’t speak perfect Spanish isn’t asking them to change, Jesus Christ is. 

I invite you all to develop the Christ like attribute of charity. If it doesn’t come easy, because usually it doesn’t, pray to have it. It works, ive seen it work out here with the stubborn Chileans. ;)

I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves each one of you! I thank God everyday for giving me the opportunity to come to know Him better and help others do the same.

Hermana Pulsipher 

Divs with Hermana Martinez (argentina) and Hermana Meza (Peru)

-- 

Sarah Pulsipher

Change is good when inspired.

I just wanted to write you all and tell you how much I love this calling and the Lord. At the end of the mission, I hope to become the person He had me planned out to be all this time. Looking back, I was no where near the person who He set out for me to be and I am still far but little by little Im trying to be more like Jesus Christ, especially since im representing His name and not mine! 

I love you guys. If the spirit is telling you to change something about yourself right now, do it right now. Dont wait until an easier time in your life comes. God tells us exactly when we need to make a change in a specific time. Sometimes i think He invites us to change in the hardest times to make actual sacrifices. If the spirit is telling you to make a change right now, do it. Dont wait!

Love you all so much, thank you for your prayers!

1. Our zone leaders ordered a magician for pday 2. Divs with Hna. Hausdorf 3. Breakfast with the Hermanas!

Hermana Pulsipher

CUANTO TIEMPO

CUANTO TIEMPO! 

I just wanted to write a quick update with all of the little crazy things that have happened these past few weeks! 

Im still in San miguel with Hermana Warner in a humble little sector called Departamental with LOTS of miracles!

We just found out that our recent convert marie is actually in the witness protection program! We tried signing her up to start her family history work and the next second the is pulling us into the sunbeam room at church to tell us her name is NOT actually Marie. She has some drug lords from Haiti running after her?? I think i have some time in the mission because this was all to natural hearing this from her. No worries though because she is always safe at church with us :)

We also had a church talent show the other week and the talent forgot to show up so the missionaries in the ward had to pull something together real quick. We decided on a traditional dance from the United States called the "Hoe down Throw down." (Hannah Montana movie) Come to find out when the music started that we do not know how that dance goes. Probably one of the most embaressing moments in my life.

Liz and Fernando are a couple we have been teaching and the continue to light up our world. Liz is an inactive member and Fernando is investigating the church. At first he didnt even want to touch the book of mormon, now is waking up Liz to go to church, fasting before reading the book of mormon, and activiely comments and participates in the elders qurom. He is the MAN. Im falling in love with this couple as they are now making the temple next goal after he gets baptized!

ALSO, my companions brother came to visit her???? He was visiting his mission in argentina and on his way back had a layover in Santiago so he took an uber to our church building and started contacting in the street asking people if they knew any members of the church until he was able to find US eating lunch at another members house. He just clapped his way in (they clap in argentina) and ran up to hug my comp! He ended up staying with us all day until he had to go back to the airport. So siblings, i will be waiting for a knock at the door at lunch sometime this week. 

I just want to testify of God's plan. I know that it is perfect and that He has made it possible for every single one of His children to return back to Him! He loves you all so much, I know that for sure. I love you all too, thank you for your prayers. I sure do feel them!

Hermana Pulsipher

1. Divisions with Hna. Allasia 2 & 3. Temple trip with the zone 4. Hna warner and her brother 

Snap ya fingas

Hola cabros chicos!! Como estais?? 

I want to give you guys a taste of the life in departamental. We have the lovely blessing of living right next to a sausage factory so every time we leave the house we bring the scent of sausages with us all day. That is probably why we also attract so many stray dogs on the street. For morning workouts we run to the park to do circuits and the dogs just plop themselves down right in front of our face and chew their ticks off (which hna. Knight doesn’t mind, she likes to stop every 5 seconds to pet one) haha.

We have also been meeting with my man Walter. He is a an 80 year old from Peru and is really hard to understand. He has been seeing the missionaries for A YEAR but he finally has made the decision to get baptized! Anywho, we always meet with him on the corner outside his house to teach him. The other day we were teaching him and hna. Warner just stops talks and stares at Walter’s shoulder. He says, Ä bird just pooped on me didn’t it.”Us, “Yep.”He then casually takes a wad of toilet paper out to have me wipe it off. I actually didn’t mind because I love that guy with all my heart. 

Then yesterday, we were watching the restoration with him (on a portable dvd player) and all of the sudden a Chilean fight broke out on the street! Walter was not even phased! He kept his eyes glued to the screen and didn’t even pay attention to the shirtless guys snapping their hands off. In the U.S. ya know when girls fight and clap at eachother? Yeah, well Chileans snap at eachother and point at eachother with their lips.

Our friend Marie got baptized this week! She is the cutest haitian mama. She gives me the biggest hugs and makes me feel right at home. She was SO EXCITED to get baptized. She spent the whole day before buying all of the essentials and was GLOWING all day!

I love changes in the mission because it gives me more opportunities to fully rely on the Lord. I learned that if we truly live our baptismal covenents and aways remember Him the blessings of heaven really do start to pour out over us. He has so much in store for us, I love Him and my Savior so much!

Light the world this week!

Hermana Pulsipher

Eliminate the World

 Its December and so we are passing out “light the world”cards! But the word “light”in Spanish is ïluminar”and there is a similar sounding word called ëliminar”meaning “eliminate.”So we are contacting and my comp starts to explain the light the world card saying, “The church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints is doing something called, Eliminate the world.” The people we were talking to sat there silent for a hot second and then we quickly realized the error and corrected her saying, “LIGHT LIGHT THE WORLD.”I love Spanish guys and I also love that I get to spend one more Christmas here in Chile!

MILY GOT BAPTIZED! I could not stop crying during the whole program. All of their family is officially baptized and are now working on getting sealed in the temple! I love this family and the arepas they would make us with all my heart. God is a God of miracles and we should never doubt what he is capable of. It was only through Him that Mily could be baptized ! This family has strengthened my confidence in the Lord so much!

                12/4/2018 Do not underestimate how much you are capable of eating on the mission. You will offend people if you do not lick your plate clean. I Walked home with my hand under my belly as if I were 6 months pregnant. It is not recommended to eat two huge Chilean lunches and a Peruvian dinner within the same 5 hours. Pic down below.

              We met a less active lady this week who told us the reason she stopped going to church was because the hymns hit too high of a note for her to reach. Hay de todo en la viña del senor. 

This week I was able to think a lot about the doctrine of Christ and how hard it is for some people to hear the truth. Sometimes when teaching people that were living together, I was really embaressed and scared to lay it all out there. But in the scriptures we see many times when the prophets taught “hard things”to the people not to flatter them but to flatter God. Ive learned that Ive been set apart to teach these “hard things”because people are making real changes in their lives, we aren’t here to give them the good word and live it at that. Through teaching the true doctrine of Christ, the spirit will testify the truth and these people can not deny the holy ghost. Im thankful for the opportunity to know the truth, and to have the confidence in my Savior to be able to share these things with these people.  

Also went on divisions with my best bud Hna Bever and was able to visit my first convert Lucie! I was filled with so much joy seeing how firm she is in the gospel!

I love you all so much, this month is filled with so much JOY! What does joy mean to you?? Joy to me is seeing the changes that people make when theycome unto Christ and partake of His goodness! He is so GOOD! We are so lucky to havethe gospel in our lives, share it with someone this week! LIGHT THE WORLD!

LOVES Hna. Pulsipher!!

JB volvió a mi vida - Nov 28, 2018

BUENOS DIAS FAM!

This week has been tons of fun in my new TRIOO! They are some good friends of mine in the mission and the work is always a little more of a party when you got two of your best gal pals right by your side. 

I am back in the ghetto with some good humble chileans. There arent very many foreigners but we got a good scare the other night when a guy on a motorcycle jumped up on the sidewalka nd tried to rob my companion when he came past us but instead just punched her in the gut. My comp is okay, we have just started to do p90x kick boxing for our morning exercises. Aint nobody messin with my clique.

Yesterday I was able to finally meet the one and only Hector. He is a 70 year old machine. He has been giving out Books of mormon to his friends and inviting them to church. This guy contacted Warner and Knight last change in the street and has been a super star friend ever since. We go over yeterday and he was listening to "Preach my gospel"(The missionary guide book that we study)!!! He says, "Yeah, I was just taking advantage of time and started exploring whats on this lds app on my phone and I started listening to this book."He even has a favorite prophet, Brigham young. Do I even have a favorite prophet?? He also brought a bomb friend to church today!Keep calm and find more people like Hector.

Today we contacted a couple from Venezuela. They were full on rejecting us. They were SUPER catholic and were trying to politley push us out the door but Ive never had the spirit touch me so strongly during a contact. I had so much love for this couple after a short 2 minute conversation. We were able to make it into their house, gift them a book of mormon, commit them to read a chapter and bless their home. I dont know why the spirit was insisting so much to persist with this couple but I trust that Heavenly Father knows what He is doing!

Also, we celebrated thanksgiving, kinda! Turkey doesnt exist here, neither does stuffing but we made do with a rotisery (i know I spelt that wrong) chicken and some deviled eggs. Then we topped off the night putting up the christmas tree and blasting Justin Biebers new christmas album (President approved). 

We ended off the week with a stake service project! We have 600 members and 40 people showed up. 19 of those people being missionaries... It wa lit.

Have a stellar week, God loves you and so do I!!!