Pictures, Pictures and more Pictures

 Happy SinterKlaas, since Katie's mom is from Holland her family has carried on the tradition of Sinterklaas, which is basically the celebration of Santa Claus. Here she is with the package she received for this occasion.

Mum, enjoying bread with chocolate sprinkles. Yes this is a dutch treat.

The Hermanas with their Christmas tree.

Celebrating Christmas at a Mission activity

Katie with President and Sister Laycock and a couple of other Sister missionaries.

Last week Katie told us about her visit to the Temple in Santiago. Here is one the nativity scenes on the temple grounds.

Katie and Hermana Verastegui with Ronald (standing next to Katie) is a investigator who hopefully will be baptized soon , Camilo (in white, whose brother was baptized two week ago) and Felipe who is now baptized but was an investigator.

Temple at Night

Felipe's baptism

Look they have Starbuck's in Chile, Katie stopped to get a strawberries and cream frappuccino. This is active she likes doing at home with her brother Kevin. In the background you can see the Cinica Indisa ( medical clinic that she and her companion had just visited because her companion is struggling with knee problems). Katie was so excited at the visit because she could understand the spanish medical terminology the doctor was using.

Presents under the tree.

Christmas at the Hermosilla Family's house. This is were Katie went to Skype with us on Christmas Eve. They are a wonderful family. Katie told us it was about 90 degrees that day and this family has a pool in there backyard. Of course Katie obeys the mission rules so she stays away from the pool.

Katie opening her Christmas package back in her apartment. She was initially planning on opening while she was using Skype but the home they went too was up hill and a 30 min walk away from here apartment. She decided that the package was to heavy to carry on that walk.

Yummy gluten free food.

  Katie is looking a Steve wedding pictures that he sent her for Christmas.

Lucia got baptized.

Skyping with Katie

It was so good to see Katie's face and skype with her. These were screenshots her brother took during the visit.

Katie, enjoying some food as they were at a members house and getting ready to eat dinner after she was done with our visit. We had a wonderful visit. I really think we got to see her better than she could see us but at least she got to hear us.

December 19, 2011

Hola,

Well I was hoping to be able to send photos but I may not have the opportunity to send them this week so here´s the run down.

Last Sunday we went to the temple to see the lights and many nativities they put up. It was so beautiful. There was a Christmas tree with a bunch of gifts underneath but the gifts were unique they all had words on them. Words like, meekness, service, forgiveness, love and many others along that theme. There are some many traditions and things that we do during Christmas time that I think we forget the things that are most important. Christ did so much for us in his life at this time of year we should focus on the gifts that we can give to him to show our appreciation for what he did. But what kind of gifts can we give to our savior? surely it´s not a new cell phone, or gift cards, or the the latest technology (i´m very disconnected from the world so I can´t come up with good examples. haha). The best way we can give to Christ is by humbling ourselves and looking for opportunities to help others.

Wednesday we had a Relief Society activity to celebrate Christmas. Us Hermanas sang a few musical numbers and corrdinated a get to know you game like speed dating. :)

My 9 MONTHS!!! I´m getting SO OLD!!!! We didn´t do anything special for my nine months other than what the pictures show. (if there aren´t pictures wait with anticipation for them :) )

FELIPE GOT BAPTISED!!! This week has been so amazing with teaching him. I have really seen and felt the change he has made in his life. He seems so much happier in the church. I pray and hope that he will continue strong and live the gospel everyday of the rest of his life. I know it can bless him so much and I´ve already been able to see how much it´s blessed him.

Yesterday we went to Ñuñoa to watch the Christmas devotional and Hna. Verastegui participated in a Choir of missionaries that sang right after the devotional. I loved the devotional. President Laycock bore his testimony right after. He mentioned that each one of us can find ourselves in Christ story. I´d like to think that I´m like one of the shepard who knew that Christ would come. They waited for his coming and during that time tended the sheep. Then once Christ came they RAN to the light to find their savior and learn more of him.

I love you all and I promise I´ll send the pictures next week.

-Hna. Howe

December 12, 2011

Hola,

 

Alright so today we had changes, well for I didn´t. I am staying here in the ward Lo Cañas with my companion Hna. Verastegui. In this sector there are two other hermanas, Hna. Castellón and Hna. Mancia. I am very excited for this change one of the main reasons being that Christmas is in this change. This Christmas is going to be very different for me, instead of being in the cold winter in Utah I am in the Hot summer in Chile. 

Monday I celebrated my own Sinterklaas, thanks to the package my family sent me. I made some gluten-free bread and ate some dutch food. OH MY GOSH I don´t think I can even express how happy I was.

 

This last Tuesday (Dec. 6) We had an activity as a mission. We all went to a park where we played games, ate, and had time to sit and talk, we then went to a chapel where we had lunch, a devotion by President Laycock and we watched "A Christmas Carol" I really enjoyed the activity. President and Hna. Laycock gave us all 3 things for Christmas. 1. A pillow case sown by her kids, they have a tradition in their family where they sew pillowcases each year and the kids use them for the month of December to help remind them of their savior and dream of him during this time of year. It´s really cute. 2. A journal that has Chile Santiago Este engraved on the the outside with the mission logo. 3. A book about Christmas that Pres. and Hna. Laycock.

 

This week has been a really busy week. Hna. Verastegui and I have had a lot to do outside of our sector which unfortunately means we haven´t had a lot of time working in our sector. We do have an investigator name Felipe that´s progressing really well and is going to be baptised this coming Sunday. :)

I love you ALL SO MUCH!!!

Thank you for all your support.

-Hna. Howe

November Activity with the Mission

During District and Zone Classes in November, we took the opportunity to review what Elder Quentin Cook and Sister Cook taught us during their visit in our Mission. We will be better Missionaries because of their wise counsel and good example.