Chile, Week 47 – Intense training, LDS filmmakers, and a quick trip to Santiago…

(San Fernando District, San Vicente branch, with Sister Nogués)

I think this week is the craziest week I have EVER had on the mission. EVER. Also it was my one year mark. Although I feel like way more than a year has gone by. Way too much has changed to have only been a year. The crazy thing too was that this week I was in the MTC in Santiago the same day I entered the MTC a year ago in Provo. It was super weird. But I’ll get to that in a little, let me start at the beginning.

President and Sister Warne with some of the sister missionaries

What feels like a month ago, but really was just last week, I started off in the mission president’s home with the monthly leadership meeting. It was SO INTENSE. I wasn’t the only one who taught a class, a bunch of zone leaders and sisters taught 10-minute classes for 4 hours straight. I was super worn out after. But it was awesome. The mission president had a meeting with other mission presidents in South America and Pres. Ballard and Elder Rasband were there and everything. So they were filling us in on all that they learned and it was crazy. Elder Archuleta goes home at the end of this transfer so this was his last time singing in our monthly leadership conferences. Afterwards we all took a bunch of pictures because a bunch of people are finishing their missions.

A few of the missionaries at the leadership conference

BUT the coolest miracle of all (for me anyway) is what happened after, at lunchtime. I saw some guys hanging out on the couch who weren’t missionaries so I went to go talk to them. I thought they might be family members visiting President Warne and his wife. But they told me that they’re filmmakers for the church! (Blair Treu and Tom Garner) MY DREAM JOB. They came to film a few things with Elder Archuleta for the next movie that will come out in Legacy theaters this year. So I was super excited and almost didn’t eat lunch because I was being a film nerd again talking to them the whole time. They told me that they could use more female filmmakers and especially people who speak other languages because they travel all the time and film things in all different parts of the world. Does it get more awesome? So anyway, we took a picture together and they both gave me their emails so I can contact them in August when I get back. God has always blessed me to meet the right people in the right time to be able to make movies and have lots of great experiences with filmmaking. I really feel like it’s part of my purpose on the earth to make videos for the church and keep being a missionary in that way.

Tom Garner (left), Hermana Berbert, Hermana Nogués, and Blair Treu

Ah!!!! I’m out of time to tell about everything else. Basically I had to go to Santiago to do another check up to make SURE I don’t have TB. And it was so last minute, I was on a division with another missionary so she came with me. Craziest division ever. We got to take pictures in front of the temple and eat lunch in the MTC and see all the newbie missionaries. haha. Then we got back JUST in time for the ward talent show and my companion and I hadn’t even practiced out part! But it all turned out all right and about 12 investigators showed up! It was so awesome. We’re teaching a bunch of really great people who are all friends and family of a member named Fransisca. Just goes to show the influence of one member who can open her mouth to share the gospel! So great!