oh Santa Baby...

I don´t think I can put into words how great it was to talk to you guys on Christmas day. To have to old banter and old laughter..and old cats. It was so great!! Thank you for y´alls counsel and support in my mission :) It really means everything.


It suddenly got HOT HOT HOT in Chile. Seriously, I wanna fan soooo bad. Like the little touristy ones that everyone has at Carowinds and Disney world that squirt water. Ahh yeah, that would be nice haha. Plus there´s a big ole hole in the ozone above Chile, so when I say hot I mean HOT. I feel like I can feel my skin baking when we are walking around. BUUUUUUT, atleast I´m getting a pretty sweeeeet tan (with really weird tan lines)!! Whooop whoooooop!


So on Friday, we were visiting our recent convert Carla, and we were about to leave when she suddenly said "Can Oscar (her son) get baptized tomorrow?" Uuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh DUHHH! He already had his interview a few weeks back and he has all the lessons but there were problems with his dad, so he could get baptized before. But when Carla said that I thought I saw the heavens open and a chorus of angels came down singing "It´s rainin´ [bautismos] HALLELUEHHHH! It´s rainin´ [bautismos], AMEN!"
So we spent all Friday running around and telling everyone and calling all of the ward counsel and all that jazz. And it turned out that this baptism had the largest attendance than any other! It was super sweet and special. Carla started crying when Oscar actually was baptised. Everything was just super cool how it all worked out. A miracle of the Lord!! (I have such a firm testimony of miracles cause of my mission....THEY EXSIST. everyday!).


But that´s all I have time to tell y´all about this week cause the timers tickin´.
Just know I love you all there and back again.
Go on an adventure. Use 2014 to be a little better and stretch a little farther...especially dad with the stretch part in his yoga. I believe you´ll reach your toes one day!! Si se puede!
Try not to conquer the world while I´m gone.
Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page

holy guacamole with sugar on top...

First things first: I´m gonna call/Skype you guys on wednesday 25 around 5ish on the afternoon. Esta bien? I hope so cause that´s when it´s goin down. We only have 40 minutes to talk though :( so maybe we should note the important stuff to make sure we cover it!

Second things second: FELIZ NAVIDAD PARA TODOS!!!!!!!!

Now onto the real news report:
Well y´all are never gonna guess what happened in the past week...
My Argentina Hermana Barros got transfered and called as a Sister training leader in a different zone. So (sorry mom!) we had an "early christmas" and opened all of our presents cause we wanted to do it together. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!!!! I was in Heaven! And Hermana Barros was too. Thank you so much :) So I know have a new companion se llama Hermana Perez de Salvador...and she is a baby in the mission (like only has 5 days).....which means......................... I´M HER TRAINER!!! :D Yep that´s right, I´m training Hermanita Perez. Crazy right? That´s what I´m sayin..
Getting the news that you are going to train is like finding out your pregnant...and that your due the next day.
I don´t even know what to say about everything. I feel so inadequet, but I know that the Lord is supporting me. I´m so sad and I miss Hermana Barros sooooo much cause she literally was my hermana and is such a great missionary. I´m excited the President and the Lord have such great faith in me to trust me with a new missionary. Nervous cause now I have to lead out in finding, teaching, talking, helping, and in everything when I still don´t know Spanish. Excited to see miracles in the work and to help a new misionary start out. No sé.... lots of different feelings mushed together, causing me to be a squishy mess that is on the verge of a nervous breakdown at any moment... All I know is that is this is what it feels like that have kids, I dont know if I want ´em! Haha

But that´s all the time I have to explain all the nonsense, so I guess I explain more when we talk in 2 days!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...it just hit me that we really are gonna talk in 2 days! I´m so excited :)

Hasta miércoles!
I love y´all to the states and back!
Have a great Christmas Eve and do something nice for someone else!
Love always and always!
Hermana Page


____________________________________________________________

Happy Birthday Zachary!

Happy Birthday Zachary! This was one of your many birthday parties, I believe your 4th, so cute. Last night you celebrated again with a few of your dear friends. What a joy you are, so happy you are in our family. May you have many many more birthdays to celebrate through the years. Love you!!!
.

4 months...

Hola mi familia! Como estan?
Sabe que? I have 4 months in the mission. Can y´all believe that? I can..but can´t but can... Eh, I don´t know. It´s weird. And then after this next transfer is my "yearish left" mark. Que en el mundo?
But I´ve been doing a lot of reflection this past week about the mission. And honestly, it sounds cliche cause it is what everyone says, but it really is the best time of your life...and the worst time, all wrapped up into one. One day you are on the verge on tears and super depressed cause...tons of different things. And then in a different moment, you couldn´t image being happier in your life because of simple things or steps of faith oooorr I don´t know, lots of stuff!
In a mission, I think that this is the time in your life when you are going to be closer to God and the Savior than in any other time in your life. You learn to literally rely on them in every moment, with every problem, saddness, and doubt. And yeah, at times we all forget stuff like that and then we learn it again and our testimonies of the divinity of Christ grow. It´s kinda funny isn´t it? How in one moment we have a super strong convinction of something and then after time, we forget or we lose it and then we learn it again....siiiiighh human probs I guess.
But really, this week, I have spent a lot of time on my knees. And now, I can testify that prayer is real. God really listens. He listens to every question, every sad event, every happy moment..He listens. And He answers. Always, He answers. It´s not always through the means that we are expecting. Sometimes He answers through ourselves, sometimes through feelings, sometimes through things that happen in our day, and sometimes through other people. But it doesn´t matter in what form He responds to our needs and questions, because the point is that He does. I know that with all my heart. And I am so grateful for the peace and rest our souls can find through prayer. And I´m so grateful for the miracles big and small that we can see in our lives through prayer.


And about Christmas, apparently we use Skype in this mission, so Mom, if you would be so kind to send me my old skype info (like username and password) so I will be able to skype you guys on Christmas, I would be extremely grateful. As for the time...I have no idea. Sorry :/ We are going to be in the house of a less active and her family so we need to confirm the plans with her first. So I´ll let you know next week at what time exactly...we are thinkin in the late afternoon though.


But that´s all for this week! I love you guys sooo much, and I´ll talk to you in 9 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page

Nativity Night

Last weekend we had a Nativity event at the church. It was a lot of work to pull it together, but it turned out to be a beautiful couple of evenings. There were nativities from every where, all over the world, different renditions of the Saviors birth, it was a sight to behold.

Baby it's HOT outside...

To start with the most important news first... (coughcoughcough) I GOT 3 PACKAGES THIS WEEK!!! Woooooooooooooooooooooooo and a boat-load of letters!!!!! Whooooopwhooopp! But now all the elders in my district officially hate me haha. Poor fellas who don´t have a ´Momma Page´ like mine ;) I´m so excited to go home and open ´em all up...EARLY CHRISTMAS! whatwhat!
After mom told me that a package for Hermana Barros was in the mail, I told her that I was going to pray for a package for her. And she (on multiple occasions) called me crazy and told me no and didnt believe she could get one. But I just kept asking her, "Donde esta su fe, hermanita??" tehehe....Secret Santas are the best! Today she was so confused when the elders handed her her big ´ole package! She is so grateful for it Momma, so thank you! She kept telling everyone "this is from the family of hermana Page!!" :) (she is gonna write you an email to say thanks, mom.....but it´ll be in spanish. so dallin or matt...or google translate should be able to help you).
Oh, one more things about packages that is super funny but slightly uncomfortable. Our zone leaders and district leaders pick up our mail about once a transfer and then bring it to us. But of course they are curious, so they read the customs form on the outside that says whats inside...eh ya mom, next time PLEASE don´t put "tampons and bra" on the customs form!! Oh how uncomfortable it is when the other elders ask the ZL´s/DL´s what I got and they turn a little red and say "ask hermana page youself". Bahahaha...poor little guys. (I LAUGHED WHEN I READ THIS BUT THEN THOUGHT HUM SERVES THEM RIGHT FOR SNOOPING)


Summer Christmas is so weird. I don´t think I´m gonna get used to it anytime soon. In general I´m just really confused with the other hotness and Santa Claus and Christmas lights and the sun not setting til 9 stuff all at the same time.. Eh, whatdaya do.


Anywho, to be honest, I don´t have much to say this week. It´s been a crazy week...but crazy normal for a missionary. Lots of walking (and sometimes running). Lessons...spanish (ha)...more walkin.. ya how we do.
Oh! We are in a trio until 18 de December with one of the hermanas of the other side of Limache (there are 2 areas en Limache), pero ahora we have both areas to manage. Limache is en our control!!!!!! Nahh, just kiddin´. The only difference is that know, we walk and contact TWICE as much. Wooo. But I really like Hermana Lopez and Hermana Barros, so ´erdays a fiesta...but all we want is una siesta. Haha, see what I did there? Ahhh, I crack myself up sometimes.


Oh pucha! It´s time to leave!
I love you all and I hope the you all are enjoying the Christmas season! Please remember your Savior in this of the year. Through Him, we are never alone; through Him we have hope and joy in this life; and through him, we truly can live again. Of this I am certain. Oh what joy this sweet sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives. With all my heart I know He lives. Turn to him, and watch the miracles.
Love you all to the moon and back again. More than words can describe!
Choose the right.
Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page

Thanksgiving was a little different this year...

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving has already come and gone. I really can't wrap my head around time any more, it just goes much too quickly. We were missing so many that we love this year, it just felt a little different than in years past. I miss my Aunts, and Uncles that are no longer with us, but most of all Momma. Holidays are so very strange without your mom there to make things like they are suppose to be...you know, perfect. There were missing siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews and some of my children...they are what make everything perfect too. My heart was in many places this Thanksgiving, here with family, in Utah & Chile with my children who were not with us, with Mom...but it also caused me to stare away thinking of memories I have made with all of them, which made me laugh and also cry. I have so much to be thankful for, so very much.

Cowboy take me away...

This week we had intercambios (splits) with the sister training leaders..and it was my turn to stay in Limache. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous after they called us cause it was going to be my the first time in Limache without Hermana Barros. And then after the sister training leaders phone call, our district leader called and asked if I could teach in the district meeting the next morning...and that the assitants were going to be there. Of course I said yes, but after I hung up, I kind of had a panic attack (not gonna lie). The next day, there were no buses in Limache so we were late to intercambios and then late to the district meeting...and so when we got to the district meeting we started opening the door saying "lo siento, lo siento, lo-- PRESIDENTE??" ...Yep, the mission PRESIDENTE was sittin´ in one of the chairs cause he had decided to attend the meeting as well. I about turned around and left the meeting..or died right there, one or the other. Talk about crazy day, ya?? It was crazy when ya think about all the stuff that happened. But to be honest, it was one of my favorite days in my mission so far! I think it´s because I kinda of proved to myself that I know more than I think I know, that I can lead out, and that I am a good missionary. It was a day of...progress? Ehh, that´s not the right word, but my english is failing me and I can´t think of the one I want. That´s a good sign right??
And there is no doubt in my mind that the only reason things worked out okay and I was about to do everything during intercambios is through the grace and power of the Lord. I prayed like the dickens during all of this, and I know that the Lord was there helping me every step of the way..with spanish, with confidence, with remembering stuff, with the spirit, with TODO. I am so grateful that we have a merciful and powerful Savior who can help us with each unsure step and make our weakness strengths. Surely he is a God of miracles :)

yyyyyyy Yep, but other than that, it was a normal ´ole week in the life of a missionary...and I´m here, livin´ the life :)


(Oh and yes Mom, I got more letters! But I myself won´t get them til our next district meeting....and the zone leaders are going to Viña next week, so I´m hoping they will come back with my Christmas package! YAAAYY CHRISTMAS)


Let´s all for this week folks!
I love you all there and back again!! Thank you for your prayers and letters and emails and for being my family/friends. Y´all mean the world to me!
Til next week!
Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page

Every member a missionary...

I HATE PULGAS. Oh wait, y´all don´t know what pulgas are...pulgas are fleas. And I swoney they are minions of Satan that LOVE to eat missionries in Chile alive in the dead of night. It´s terrible cause when we go to bed, we are so ready and excited to sleep, but then we don´t want to sleep at the same time cause we know that we are going to wake up with new pulga bites... Eh.

But on a more happy note, Saturday was the baptism of SUPER SERGIOOOO. Well his name is actually just Sergio, but we always call him "Super Sergio" because he was probably the easiest, most golden investigator in the history of the world. He actually was the first person I taught a lesson to here in Limache on my first real day...and now he is a member! Crazy, huh? My first contact-to-baptism experience.
Funny story about his baptism real quick: Gustavo (the baptizer) didn´t explain the whole process of the actual baptism by immersion. So Sergio only has his nose hand in the palm of Gustavo, the other is hangin by his side, and the arm of Gustavo that´s supposed to support Sergio´s back has recently had surgery so it doesn´t have any strength. So after the whole "having the authority...lalala", at the dunkaroo part, Sergio starts leaning forward to go heads first, Gustavo tries to stop him, Sergio then doesn´t know whats going on so he grabs the side of the font for dear life as he is trying to squat in the water to go under, Gustavo´s trying to push him down in the water backwards, finally Sergio lets go and goes down in the water but them Gustavo´s lame arm cant lift him up.....hahaha. It was quite the process...but it counted! And that´s all that matters right? In a few years from now everybody will laugh about it. But Sergio is still super and the most adorable slightly oldish guy every so it all turned out well :)
Other than the fact that he was so prepared by the Lord beforehand, another thing that really helped with Sergio was the fact that for almost every single lesson, we had members present.
Honestly, with how perfect everything was with the coversion of Sergio, I now have such a testimony of the role of members in the conversions of investigators. Without the members working with us missionaries in every phase of the work, we aren´t going to have much lasting success. EVERY MEMBER A MISSIONARY. I know we get tried of getting the "missionary work" speech..trust me, I know. I´ve been on the other side. But now I´m on the other other side. And I can see that missionaries need members, and members need missionaries. One without the other doesn´t make much sense.
So this is my invitation to you all este semana. Work with the missionaries. Be a missionary without the tag. When the missionaries call needing your help, drop what you´re doing and answer. When they ask you to fellowship an investigator, do it. When you see an opportunity to open your month and talk about the gospel with friends, be bold and trust in the Lord. Make sacrafices so the work can progress! I wish I would have done that before my mission with the missionaries.
I know that if we all labor a little harder in the Lord´s vineyard, we will see miracles. Cause I know with all my heart that miracles exsist. We just gotta trust in the Lord and put our best foot forward in faith.
That´s all folks. Not too too much this week that I have time to share... Time? What is time? They don´t have that here... Mom, maybe you could ship me some, cause I miss that stuff..
Be good this week. Remember who you are and what you stand for. Have the day you have!
Chau chau mis amigos!
Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page

Elves with Attitude...

She thinks its Thanksgiving week here for some reason, she is off a week! But she sounds so happy...

Happy Thanksgiving this week!! Wow, I´m gonna miss Thanksgiving and good ´ole American eats this Thursday. It´s so strange to me that´s Thanksgiving time cause here it´s all opposite-like (and cause they don´t have cool stories of Indians eatin´ once with gringos here), and also it´s so strange that I´m gonna be sweating at Christmas..Summertime Christmas...Qué en el mundo?? My mind and body is just confused all around with this opposite hemisphere nonsense.. But I had hot chocolate (with marshmallows!) the other day, and I felt like it was Christmas at home :)


There´s the news you´ve all been waiting for... I GOT MAIL!!! WOOOOoooOOHHhhoOOOoOOooooOooo! And lots of it. In fact, I kind of got my whole zone mad/jealous with all the mail...hehe. 16 letters! Talk about it´s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Half from Mom and Dad, and then letters from Sis. Gardiner/Ben and Lucy, Sis. Mitchell, Leslie, Rachel Schmitt, Stephanie Nanto, and Bro. Hamby! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank y´all sooo much! I stayed up late that night and read them all cause I couldn´t sleep knowing I had them haha.


This week I wanna tell y´all about someone in our ward named Marcel.
Some background: Marcel has only been a member of the church for about 6 months. He goes to every activity (clase ingles, baptisms, noche de capilla...you name it, and he is there), and he knows every person. A few years back, he was jumped by some friends of his ex-wife, so now Marcel has a lot of health problems...like he is on the verge of mentally and physically handicapped in lots of ways. But to be honest, I don´t think that I have met a sweeter soul in my life.
He collects boxes (and the such) and gives them to the recycle people for income, so obviously he doesn´t have a lot to go around. But always Marcel is the first to buy you a "regalito" (gift). For example, he bought us sodas at the tienda the other day because it was super hot; he bought Hermana Barros a Disney English/Spanish activity book to help her learn english; he bought a boy a new white shirt and tie for his mission; and when I was sick a while back it brought me cough drops and soda.
I don´t know how to tell you guys just how sweet he is, but I can assure y´all that I know for a fact of is one of the most choice spirits our heavenly father has. He makes my day when we see him, and he is such an example to me of selfless service and charity and kindness. And I honestly want to be more like him in a lot of ways.
So this is my invitation this week to you guys: (I know you don´t know Marcel, but I´m sure you guys know someone in your lives who is just like him...someone who has nothing and gives everything..) This week, serve some. Love someone. Help someone who maybe never asks for it. I know that if we all do this this week and every week after for that matter.. we are going to begin to feel the purest form of love. We are going to start to feel Christ´s love. And then we will begin to take steps to be more like Christ.
..Besides, it´s Thanksgiving and Christmas time. what better time to serve people??


That´s all I´ve got for this week though. I love you all, and I hope with all my guts (ew, graphic) that you guys have a great week!


Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page

At Day at Biltmore

Finally we got a day to get away with just Tory. We have been looking forward to this for a while now. After last fall, Tory decided he wanted to go away with just us again (that was comforting) The weekends seems to always be full with something else and the first chance we got we headed to the mountains, actually Asheville, to the Biltmore. What a beautiful place. We enjoyed the outside as much as we did the inside, maybe even more. What a view this place has. Could you imagine waking up to that every morning.

It could not have been a more beautiful day.

Noche de Hogar

First off, Hermana Barros and I are together in Limache for another transfer... whoop WHOOP!
Second off, this email isn´t going to be too long because this p-day has been crazy, so lo siento ahora por eso.
But I want to share a quick experience that I had this week:
This week we had a Noche de Hogar (Family home evening) with our recent convert Carla, her family, our other recent convert Jaime and his girlyfriend, and also with lots of other families in our ward. To be honest it was kinda a gathering of almost all my favorite people in Limache. Hermana Barros and I were teaching a lesson about the tatics of Satan, honesty, and fortifying ourselves. At one point, everyone was going around sharing experiences and their testimonies, all squished together like a big ole family in the little living room, and I was sitting there soaking it all in.. listening and feeling and enjoying. And then BOOM, the spirit hit me like a ton of bricks. It was one of those moments when the stars align and everything seems clear, ya know? Anywho, in my head this was kinda sorta what went down: "Wow, the spirit is so strong right now. It´s so weird that I don´t even know hardly anything (the spanish) that´s going on but I can feel of the truth and spirit and the love in this room. Wow, the Church is soo true. I feel so much love for these people right now. I literally feel like a family. These people ARE my family here. Wow, I love the people of Chile and I love the people I´m serving and I love my companion and my mission so much. WOAH, lots of love and the spirit.....don´t cry, don´t cry......"
Before the mission, Dad told me "love the people and love your companion, and you will have found your pearl of great price".
Well, sitting in that living room on Friday night, I think I found my pearl of great price :)


Sorry it´s short but that´s all for this week!
Thank you so much for all of your support, and emails, and prayers, and everything else you all do in my behalf!! It literally makes my week when I get to enjoy it all. I love you all like no other, and I pray for you guys all the time. I hope all is well, and you guys are finding blessings and miracles every day. I know miracles exist, and I know my Savior lives.
CTR cada día my peeps.
Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page

Our Halloween

Tory was with friends this year so we dressed up to hand out candy, was a steady flow of trick or treaters there for a while, but not too many over all. We got our regular knock on the door at 10:00 and our light was already out! The come every year...don't think they understand the lights out rule no more candy :0
We watched The Curse of Frankenstein for our scary movie. Hope everyone got lots of candy!

"Hola Satanas! Tenemos un mensaje sobre Jesucristo.."

(not a recent picture, I just had to post her pretty face :)

Happy belated Halloween!
People here "try" to celebrate Halloween, but it´s too American for some people, so it´s just an awkward holiday down here to tell ya the truth.. Some people get REALLY into it, and others think you are a devil worshipper if you even think about muttering "dulce or truco (trick or treat)". So yep. As a missionary it´s even more awkward cause you´re like "Hola little boy dressed up as Satan, tenemos un mensaje sobre Jesucristo para usted" ...or "Hola little children, come get dulce and salvación" OR "(eellllllllllooooo knock-knock equivalent) Hola como esta? Somos misio- Uh, no we aren´t here for candy--uhh-awkward. Podemos compartir-- ehh--no quiere? Okay nevermind. Tenga un bien noche." All around it´s just a lose-lose situacion. But I realize one thing...being a missionary is just glorified trick-or-treating in a way...but backwards. We go door to door offering "candy" to people.....yep, that´s pretty much it in a nut shell.

When I went on exchanges this week, my feet and legs got attacked by fleas (pulgas) in the other area. My feet liked like a red shrek or somethin...muy feo. The next day I felt like I was walking on fire. Not fun, incase you were wondering. But after some magic cream-gel-stuff from my sweet compañera, all is well that ends well, and my feet are back to their normal color and size..WOOO.

Miracle for the week: my very first day as a missionary in Limache, we contacted and did a quick first lesson with a man named Sergio (my first nuevo). We didn´t think much of it cause in the next weeks you couldn´t find him again.....(time passed until yesterday) POOF. He has a baptism date...and I INVITED him to be baptized! :D Long story short, Sergio is in his 50´s, loves to ride his bike, is kinda quieter, but literally the sweetest little guy there is! He kinda reminds me of Dad now that I think about it!! Woah... anywho, once we found Sergio again about two weeks ago he has been golden! Seriously! Sergio has come to church both the past Sundays and reads and chose his own baptismal date and loves the "paz interior" of the gospel and he loves to listen and learn lots and he is a straight up G to be frank. I just think it´s really cool cause he is my first "contact to baptism" ya know?

Anywho, that´s about it for this week. Wednesday is transfers, but I think I´m safe cause I´m mid-training, so that´s good. I´ve been here a whole transfer??? So weird... Seriously time is so weird. Days are long, weeks blur together so quickly, and then after a blink of an eye a whole transfer is over!
I´m learning to enjoy every moment good, bad, early, hot, cold.....TODO!
I am so grateful to be a missionary. I am starting to see what people were saying when they say it´s the hardest two years/year and a half but also the best. That´s my new goal...to make this without a doubt the best year and a half of my life. Wish me luck!

Hasta próximo lunes, I LOVE YOU GUYS..more than words or thoughts or emails can describe. Be good while I´m gone.

Love always and always,
Hermana Page


**For Christmas (or any other time if I´m too late por Navidad): I want an etsy bracelet like Jaclyn´s that says "Have no fear"....it´s my favorite line from my pat. blessing and it helps me a lot in my mission. Ya know, casual and comfy like I like it...something I can wear ´erday.

"Getting to know you, getting to know all about you..."

Sup my peeps.
So anywho, right to the point.. last week Momma made the comment that I didn´t talk enough about the basics (town, companion, pension-apartment...) when I first got here. So this week, I thought that I would rewind a bit and fill y´all in a bit more about those sorts of things.

President Kahnlein: He is really nice, and he cares a lot about the missionaries. He is a letter of the law kind of person.. But he is patient with the missionaries and he is always proud and uplifting with their work. He expects a lot of us, which makes us work hard. He served a mission in the United States, so THANKFULLY he knows english, but it´s the funny "missionary" vocabulary english... ya get me? It makes me smile haha. But yup, that´s him in a nutshell.

My Area (Limache): Limache limache limache....what can I say. We´ve got some narly hills in Limache. For example, this week I spilled going down a everest-scale dirt road hill. Haha...yeaahh I had to take a shower when we got home that night cause their was dusty dirt all over me. It´s kinda suburby in parts and then some more ghetto-y types of areas...like literally 4 "walls" and then something covering it. But I like it! It´s a comfy type of ghetto if ya know what I mean. Like a "crappy first house" kinda feeling..You acknowledge that it´s struggling but you still love it.
The people in Chile are generally really nice...except the cat-calling dudes..that´s just slightly really awkward. I love Limache though...it´s my first home in Chile so it has a piece of my heart.
The weather in Chile is SUPER bipolar....kinda like a desert in the fact that it´s super hot during the day and then freezing at night. So at times, deciding what to wear is confusing.
Que mas...Oh, our ward is really great! There is another set of sisters of our ward as well. The members are all so loving and kind. We are struggling a bit with getting the members to help out with the missionary work (times like that when I wish I was serving in Kannapolis Ward! ;) ...but really). Our apartment pension is in the kinda suburby area. It´s pretty beat down cause missionaries have been using it for over 13 years, but I like it. So yep...that´s all I got about that stuff.

Compañera: Hermana Barros es mi amiga mejor en Chile :) She is a sister to me lots of ways and a momma in others. She is so funny. She doesn´t know english, but she learns random phrases like "I have a toot" and "What´s your problem besides you face?" It´s so funny....ohhhh Hermana Barros. I am so grateful that she is latina!! Because now, I am learning spanish the right way, ya know? But it´s funny cause now I´m learning some words with an Argentinian accent cause she is from argentina.....eh, oh well! Atleast I´m learnin right? She LOVES to be EXACTLY obedient. At times it drives me up the wall, but it´s teaching me a lot and I´m learning that it´s just her faith outwardly demonstrated, so I´m gratful for her example. She keeps me uplifted and always encourages me, even when I feel like I am no help during lessons. She watches out for me like a big sister and then lifts me up like a mom :) She is always happy and excited about the work and her whole heart and soul is in it. She is such an example to me cause she is only a convert of a year and a half..and the only member in her family. Her faith reminds me a lot of Zachary Ward :) I love her so much, and literally everyday I am reminded about how grateful I am for her.

So yep, there´s the background stuff for you guys! Sorry I don´t send pictures through email anymore..most of the computers here are messed up with that kind of stuff, so I´ll just wait and send my whole card home later.

For Christmas..I want my christmas pjs still pleeeease! And maybe some socks ooorr I don´t know...surprise me! Maybe some fruit snacks (cause those don´t exsist here....yeah the food market is a bit different) or maybe stickers for the little niños. Anything! Anything in a package will be Christmas to me :) Oh! But definitely send me my recipe book! (but the measurements are different here..hmmm ..so maybe just a few copies of things like cookies or brownies or stuff like that)(I don´t wanna lose my real book so maybe just send copies) ...and the steps to make rice cripy treats please!

Welp my time is up once again. You guys have no idea how much your emails and prayers help me every week. Thank you thank you thank you soo much with todo mi corazón! I love you all like the dickens. All day every day.
Please be good while I´m gone and search for ways to lift others up every day...cause everyone is going through their own form of Gethsemane in their lives. Seek for ways to lift the burden and help them bear their cross.....through love, faith, a smile, and Christ, all things are possible.
Until next time, remember who you are and what you stand for :)
Love always and always,
Hermana Abigail Page

A sweet letter from Abigail...

Hola familia,
So since today was such a rushed day, I did not get to finish my email to you guys, so as I said I m going to write y'all a letter and get it mailed off next p-day.
To get right to it, I didn't get to tell you guys why the mail was titled, "I never let go Jack.". It's cause for the past week, I was sympathizing with the members of the Titanic. Apparently right before I came, the hot water broke, so we haven't had any for showers and such. If we want hot water, we have to boil some, and then mix it with the cold water, and then put the (now) warmish water in the pots. Then bring the pots inside the shower and use a cup to pour that water on us if we want to rinse. It's quite the process! But sometimes, I get tired of using the dinky cup to rinse so I suit turn on the regular water...I literally forget how to breathe, it's so cold! Be grateful for your water in America! I didn't know how good I had it til I left...(we have been blessed once with hot water for about 15 mins! It was a a Christmas miracle)
Sorry this is the first "family" letter I have written to you guys...there is just letter ally no free time to do stuff like this! (Even less so out in the field)
So I can't remember if I did or not, did I tell you guys about out pets (Monsi, Bermudes, Diego, Samson) in the email? Well either way....I honestly think that sad dog/cat commercial (the one with the Sarah Maclaughlin song) was filmed in Chile. There are scraggly animals everywhere, and I wanna just hold/hug them so bad...but then I remember that they have tons of ticks and fleas...so I let them be. (Great now I am gonna have In the Arms of an Angel" stuck in my head all day)
Que mas...
Oh, public transportation! Did I talk about that in the email. Gosh, I don't remember. Oh well, I'll tell ya again I guess. Before my mission, the extent of my public transport life consisted of the school bus...here, we live off of them! I actually really like it! Even though they cram us in like cattle and drive like they're asleep, it is rather enjoyable! It's an adventure every time.
So to elaborate a little more about our baptism with Jaime, it was so neat :) he is so nice and happy all the time, and I really enjoy being around him! The ward loves him and welcomed him with open arms. So I'm not worried about inactivity or anything like that.
ADVICE to Tory: learn to play the hymns on the piano!!! If you get called foreign, not many people play piano, so we sing acapella almost every song...and it can get pretty rough sometimes, haha. So develope your musical skills for this! You will be grateful later!
ADVICE for the RM's of my family: something that I found in Preach my Gospel the other day I found interesting was the advice to continue to develope your language skills of your mission language AFTER your mission. The Lord called you to speak/learn that language for divine purposes more than for simply 1 1/2 - 2 years. If you keep working on it, He will use you to further His work for your whole life! :) I thought it was really cool!
Momma, could you look on Pinterest for flea remedies for us please! We would great appreciate any suggestions!
Other than that life is normal here. The only thing I'm struggling with is the language...I know I'm progressing and learning everyday, but I can't understand when people talk to me/ during lessons so I fell like I can't. Contribute much to lessons or conversations. It's hard cause I already love these people and I want to tell them, and there are so many things I want to tell them that I know will help them,but because the language I can't. Everyday is a roller coaster of feeling like I can do it, then going down deep in depressed-like discouragement where all I wanna do is cry, to okay okay, and so on and so forth. Sigh...I'm trying to trust completely in the spirit and Christ to be able to get through those rough moments. Some times are better than others...but I am trying. Advice for me?
Other than that, I love being a misionera por nuestro Salvador :)
I have to go none cause p-day is about over. Know I love y'all and pray for you guys everyday!
See you when I see you
Love always and always
Hermana Abigail Page

Visits from the little people

Visit to dad this week. We met up with Ashley & little Violet, and Debbie & Little Claire bear. Dad loved visiting his littlest girls. As always we picked up Katie to give her a taste of home.

Claire loves her new little cousin, Violet!

4 Generations Together! What a wonderful sight!

Friendships are pretty special

Love being a great aunt, and a daughter :)

Now these are some glamourous girls with their own paparazzi!