Merry Christmas crazy extended fam!

Family,

     Merry Christmas from the bottom of the earth!  We are enjoying lovely summer weather and I am so happy. Right now, I imagine you all sitting comfortably together, well fed, and poking fun at someone (probably my dad...)  I love our family.  We really do have something special.  I've never met a group of more stubborn, smart, hilarious people, who, after endless experiences (good and bad) together, still have such great love reside in their midst.

On the days that I remember I have a family, I am overwhelmed with love and gratitude.  Every single one of you has influenced me or shaped my life in the some way- whether great or small- and  I love you for it.  I often have flashbacks to the happiest times of my life up to this point- and they almost always involve the fam-the BNC with the Wilde sisters, learning how to waterski on the celebrity, skiing into the cabin at Alta, sneaking into the Ricky Martin concert in Italy, learning how to play bridge, dinners galore, hearing tale of someone trying to touch Lance Armstrong, finding a "genuine" arrowhead (that Aunt Steph left for us) family fasts, seeing Halsy in Guatemala, weddings, church history trips, Hawaii, new babies, conference in Midway...my list of memories could fill a million more pages.

  My mom and I always joke that our family "mission statement" is "We're the Bournes...we're not much, but we're all we've got..."  Family- it's true... We are all we've got.  OK since I don't get jammies this year, I'm asking for something different.  Let's all give each other a huge break, live the principles of the gospel like we know we should, and just enjoy this time we have together.  I've only been out two months, but I've learned that the only two things that matter in life are: the Gospel and the family.  I thank Heavenly Father every single day for you guys- nobody has a family like this- it's incredible.  Fam, the gospel  is true.  The church isn't some club or a way to make people better- it is the only manner in which we can progress in this life to eventually become like and live with God.  Jesus Christ was exactly who He said He was- our Savior and Redeemer- the literal son of God.  He left us no other option.  I love what C.S. Lewis wrote about Christ-that He was either exactly who He said He was- or He was the devil of Hell because if He was just a really good guy or incredible teacher, He wouldn't have proclaimed himself the son of God.  He left us no other options.  Joseph Smith is the exact same way.  Elder Holland said something like "An evil man couldn't write the Book of Mormon, and a good man wouldn't. 

 Aside from these logical points- I know the truth of these things, because I have studied, pondered and then asked God if these things are not true- He has responded and I know with upmost clarity that they are.  Of course I don't know everything (although I'd like to!) I know the path dictated by God is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism by the correct authority, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and then perservering in faith until the end of our lives.  I don't know why it is like that, but I know it's true and I'm taking the rest on faith in my Heavenly Father- that He has all knowledge and power and knows what He is doing with my life.  Fam, I love you all so much.  Thank you for your lives well lived.  Thanks for your love and support my entire life and especially now that I'm down her in Chile.  There's not another big group of loud, happy people with whom I'd rather be stuck with for eternity.  I love you all!  Hna Emily Bourne 

Padres and bloggers:
Familia, I´m already calling you tonight but I just want to write to say...see you in a few hours BRAU! I´m glad Christmas is commencing without me back in the states. The Chileans really don´t do ANYTHING for la Navidad and it´s really, really sunny and hot so Christmas hasn´t been on the mind at all until a few days ago when we sang in the main plaza in Osorno a bunch of hymns. A crowd of 200 people gathered and I saw a bunch of people from Camino Real--My heart just burst open with absolute LOVE for these people. I met a man from Spain who followed us to the chapel after we sang and he´s searching for something more in his life. He said, ïf it´s possible, I´d really like to go to your church on Sunday.¨ I´m sure we can pencil him in... We walked around our neighborhood all day yesterday and sang carols to people and some people even entered a few houses and met some really great new people! Singing with the Salvedorenians is always a hilarious experience because they are completely tone deaf and have no shame...it´s a combination for the Spirit :). 
PS Hal Waldo, I love you more than you know. I´ll be praying for you as you go back to Guatemala and baptise that girl you taught. The joy at seeing people you taught choose to get baptise is indescribable. I saw a girl we found and taught in Camino Real at the choir in Osorno and she has a FECHA! She´s getting dunked in January...JOY.
I don´t know what else to say. What the congrats to Brooke Wagstaff and CJ Miller!!!! That was something I didn´t know about until today! CONGRATS YOU TWO! We always knew you´d get married. Bwah ha ha! Thank you to EVERYONE who sent letters, emails, and packages. Family, you are the best. I love you all more than anyone else on earth. Everyone else, I love you too. Thanks for your examples,thanks for your love, thanks for your testimonies. It´s an immense privilege to be here in Chile serving. I love the Savior, I love to study His life, teachings, plan, sacrifice, qualities...everything. Jesus Christ and His atonement are everything. I fall into bed every single night here completely exhausted, but full of love and joy for the Savior and for the people here and for all of you. There is joy in the gospel, wickedness never was happiness, we are here to experience joy and progression. Simple. Merry Christmas everyone...love you all.
Hna. Bourne

"Seeing..."

Journal Dec 17
Its been a really interesting few days. For about a week now, I´ve been so disappointed in humans. With the reality of it all...the fact that we always take the easy way out or don´t do what we should because its easier. I feel like I see human nature...the natural man...more clearly than ever before and I don´t like it. God has given us everything...and we live so far beneath our privileges. 

My disappointment basically got to the point of despair...how could we all be this bad when the gospel of Jesus Christ is so good? How can we..even though we´ve been given the formula for perfect progression, joy, and peace...let stupid and petty things blur our vision and obscure our path? I didn´t understand. Luckily, I had my interview yesterday. President´s calling is directly from God. He shared with me Moses 7 in which God looks at the world and weeps. Enoch can´t believe that the God that is all powerful, the God that made the worlds who is full of glory, can weep. He asks God and God gives the painfilled response that these, thy bretheren, are the workmanship of mine own hands and I´ve given them a commandment to love one another and to choose me...but they are without affection and hate their own blood. And that Christ suffers and pleads on their behalf and yet they remain wicked. God then tells Enoch of the doings of the children of men and Enoch understands and he weeps. 

This understanding and this sight...the ability to see and understand other people comes with a horrible price...the price we pay is to weep bitterly..to have our hearts swell wide as eternity, to have our bowels yearn...I feel like I´ve experienced the beginnings of this sight. To know, to see, to understand the ugly nature of man...selfishness, pride, apathy. The cold things of the world are more black, more obvious, and more cause for sorrow than at any other time in my life. I´m repulsed and saddened when I encounter these things..and that is the price we pay. We hurt. The amazing thing is, however, that this sight comes with joy, peace, and light that can and will outweight, brighten, and illuminate any dark parts. The all consuming fire and joy of rising above the dark..of fighting against it for the greatest good...to not ride the easy wave of apathy but to actively and brightly seek the Savior is a joy and peace beyond description.

 Of course I want to ¨see¨of course I want to understand because although it hurts, this pain I feel has been swallowed up in the joy and mercy of the atonement of Jesus Christ. He has plead before the father for everyone of us and it is ultimately our own decision whether we will love one another and choose God. I hope my knowledge of the world, of God, of everything can continue to grow because I know I´ve only been introduced to the topic...

Anyways, that´s what I learned. I think you two understand. I´m still trying to wrap my head around it. With your calling especially, dad, you see. It hurts. I love you both so much and have never been happier. Merry Christmas! Be waiting by the PHONE! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Love you both!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

First of all...HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMES. YOu are incredible. The biggest holy shrapnel of the week goes to Grandma Cynthia and Grandpa Hal. I got Christmas in a box from the fam. THANK YOU SO MUCH that package just brought a big smile to my face and to my comp´s faces! We LOVE the pjs and there is a picture of us enjoying the package! The other picture I love because we were running by the bishops house to ask to have a lesson there, and he opened the door in full santa regalia. We died laughing and subsequently took pictures. THANK YOU kort and jasy-poo for the letter. I thought about the two of you this week and hoped I´d hear from you! This blog entry is lame, but just know that I´ll be sweating the Christmas down here at the bottom of the earth and I´m loving it. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

SUMMER IS ON IT'S WAY!

Familia,
Im in a short sleeve shirt today! SUCH BEAUTIFUL WEATHER! Finally!
Once again, too much to say and no time to say it. Shout outs to the fam, to Noah for the dear elder and to the spaffs and the Bagster! Thanks Brookie, it was awesome to hear the update! Hal...I love you more than you know. LOZ you have a letter coming. Mikey and Katie THANK YOU! Mikey and Ash...Love you I pray for you two and the baby all the time. Katie HOLY SHRAPNEL YOU GOT 99% on your anatomy final. Smarty pants....I´m so proud. James, I love you and pray for you every single night. You are amazing and such an incredible example to me. Keep truckin along...ps you have a letter coming for your bday!

Family, I can only send one...maybe two pictures per email and I can only send one email every pday so thats all you´re going to get. Love you! Ah yes, the phone call. I´m going to call on the 24th at 7pm my time (I´m pretty confident that would be 4pm your time) I´m stoked to talk to you all! Let me know if that time works. I have one hour to talk.

Dad I love the theme! The first commandment is to love God. Since reading that commandment, I have wondered how to love God... what can I do to show Him that I actually love Him? The way we demonstrate this is by serving his children. Simple. Ill think more about this and get back to you.

Okay, people...I had my first dream completely in Spanish! It was amazing. It was me and two Testigos (Jehova´s witnesses) chattin it up over lunch in my dream. In real life, we´ve had some run ins that are just wonderful. I woke up smiling. And I smiled when I read that Soph prayed I´d have good dreams!! Thanks lovebug. The thing with the language is...when I focus on the people we´re teaching and their needs as opposed to my own...I understand everything. I´m not translating anymore and it feels so great. Yes, there are hilarious moments in which I don´t understand anything, but I´ve found that the Spirit is my most powerful tool to understand and be understood.

Some funny things went down this week. I have had the soundtrack to Hercules in my head NONSTOP. Someone watch that movie for me. 
JOKE: one day, a missionary was walking along with a Book of Mormon in his pocket. A man shot the missionary. The bullet hit the Book of Mormon and stopped in the Isaiah chapters. Bahahaha! This is the kind of hilarity you can expect on the mish!
Chilean equivilent of the week: mom, I found the chilean equivalent of A BIG HUNK, ate it, and thought of you. It was gross and wasn´t as good of quality but I still thought of you!

My comps are constantly breaking social norms. I don´t know if its a centro-americano thing or what. THey love to blow their noses during lessons or tell random people that they should serve missions too or describe one of our members as ¨la gordita¨ (the little fatty) who lives down the street. Ahhh....Salvedorenians. Gotta love em.

In companionship inventory, I asked what I could do to improve and Guevara said ¨Gringa...ARREPIENTESE!¨ (Gringa...REPENT!) We died laughing. I can´t even describe the trio. The first few weeks were a tad difficult...but we´ve really figured out how to work in this trio. We´ve seen so many miracles...especially this week and I am so lucky to be here with these two sisters. I have never been this happy in my entire life. In Kathy´s Christmas letter, she said that parts of her have been filled and there is a depth to her testimony that wasn´t there before. I feel the exact same way. The experiences out here are irriplaceable (once again, I don´t know how to spell). 

I feel like Im starting to understand human beings out here a little more than before. I´ve seen selfishness and apathy absolutely destroy a family´s chance at true happiness...I´ve seen pride drag down a once incredible member into daily bitterness and resentment...I´ve seen so many people just throw away their opportunity to progress in this life because there was an easier option. I´ve seen some really ugly and cold things out here pertaining to human nature. Watching literal children of God refuse blessings that I know God is yearning to give them has been my biggest struggle out here. Apathy, pride, selfishness, hatred, laziness. These are all such powerful tools that destroy, desensitize, and drag down. On the other end...my greatest joys I´ve felt out here have been when I´ve seen people rise above these horrible things, even though it´s hard or uncomfortable, and reach for something better. To rise above that which is easy, that which is comfortable, that which is normal is incredible to see. It has cost these people their pride, comfort, work, friends, and even family in two cases. I´ve seen the stone face of one mother turn into something full of softness and light. I´ve seen a father rise above his comfortable apathy and lead his family back to righteousness and now they´re walking towards the temple. I´ve seen a woman excommunicated from her evangelical congregation...her life...because she testified that the Book of Mormon was the word of God. I´ve seen two young women rejected by their families because of their faith...and yet they press on in joy. To see what human beings are capable of (both the good and the bad) has been a blessing and a curse. It is so easy to not to what is right...It is so easy to be too busy...it is so easy to fall into the comfortable arms of apathy. But from what I´ve seen...its those who understand that there is ALWAYS time to do what God wants, those who lose themselves actively in what they know to be right and good and true, those who REALLY understand the gospel...these people live brightly. They receive all. Their lives are full and moving and beautiful. That´s the kind of life I want. 

It is so beautiful to be a missionary. I can´t believe I haven´t been preparing for this my entire life. 
Thrust in your sickels! :) Love you all

the pictures (if they show up) one outside my chapel with carolina and vicky (their families have either rejected them or threatened to kick them out of the house) and the second my area Ovejeria on a good day. It´s gorgeous!

"Pure Gratitude"...

Familia! 
I have officially burst through my first skirt...I think I´ll celebrate with some more food! JOKE! But seriously, my skirt ripped as I sat down this morning...Don´t worry mom and dad! Diet starts Monday! 
Birthdays! Auntie Steph-happy birthday! You have always been amazing. Hunter-happy birthday buddy! Love you!
Shout Outs- ELIZABETH ALDREDGE! I cried when I heard your are going to LATVIA. OH MY GOODNESS! I´m going to try to get you a letter! LOVE YOU! oooo....call to repentence to EVERYONE but my parents and the grandparents Bourne. Thanks for the emails. But the biggest shout out goes to.....MY MOM! HOly shrapnel, I received TWO packages this week with a record 8 dirty looks from the other elders in my zone. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! The Christmas newsletter was phenominal and will continue to be so for the rest of my mission. Mom, the tights were exactly what I needed and I love the picture book (it makes me trunky). Wow, the hymn books and liahonas are flying out of the box thank you mom thank you mom! YOu are amazing!
Wow, a lot to say. We had our first really good weather two days in a row this week. I sweated for the very first time and it was beautiful. I am in Ovejeria which is a lot more beautiful than Rahue Alto...Still kind of dirty, but a lot more campo (fieldish). That picture of me with the cow is at the very end of our area in la calle averena. That street is FULL of investigators who are amazing.

People, I´m not going to lie, my comps have the awesome combination of LOVING to sing at every cita and absolutely NO singing ability whatsoever. They also have no shame either. This makes for super awesome slash awkward moments with me deciding whether I should follow THEIR tone or the tone of the song...still haven´t decided which to follow yet. Wow, I could draw so many spiritual parallels from this example about obedience to what we know is right, or about the atonement...but I won´t. YOu can all draw your own spiritual conclusions from my parable of the singing latinas.

BLob LeBlaron. I saw the Chilean YOU walking down the street the other day. (Ps you are still on my call to repentence list...get me your address,... or a letter)

I had my favorite day of the mission this week.This week was a week of Little miracles. Monday through Thursday we did everything we could to help members, serve them, share with them, and have them come out with us. When Thursday arrived, we had TWO lessons with member (around this time we should have around 10). I was so discouraged and didn´t understand. We had also fasted for Viky (the cute 18 year old who was taking discussions in secret) who spoke to her parents. We called her 5 times on Thursday but she didn´t answer because she had lost her phone. I did everything I could all morning on Friday to be perfectly obedient and learn and serve and then when three o´clock hit, we prayed that somehow we´d run into Viky and headed for the church where we were going to meet Carolina (most recently baptised amazing woman) to do divisions. To our surprise, Viky was standing there next to her with the biggest smile on her face. I felt like crying for joy! We all hugged. They told us that Caronlina had fasted for Viky the same day we had and Viky had spoken to her parents and they are changing. They didn´t forbid her anymore to listen to us and she couldn´t be more excited to be baptised on the 26th! We asked her why she came down to the church and she said ¨so you could teach me more.¨Wow. Its moments like that that make all the walking and rain and wind and closed doors completely seem like nothing. That moment when we saw viky at the doors of the church with a huge smile filled me with pure joy and I´m so grateful I got to have that experience. My favorite part, however, is that Carolina has taken Viky under her wing and they are very close now because they are in the same situation. (Carolina´s grandparents still haven´t spoken to her since the baptism). To see this kind of love and support between people just fills me with such joy. I´ve never been this happy (or stressed, tired, discouraged, or FULL of happiness and joy!) This is why I´m out here!

All of yesterday was sunny and breezy and lovely. I had about a million moments of pure gratitude and love for people or my comps or Heavenly Father and then we ended the day with an enormous Noche de Hogar (Family HOme Evening) in the house of an investigator who lives where the cow picture is (thats what the other picture is). We had the best time and the neighbors were bumping Enya´s ¨Sail Away¨ for hours. I loved it. Perfect day. It´s funny how something as small as someone wanting to listen, or someone who comes to church, or someone like Carolina who takes someone new under her wing and helps her grow while she herself is growing! Pure joy comes from the simple, happy things.

I love Ovejeria, I love my companions, I love to serve the Lord, I love a lot of the people out here, and I love you all. This morning I read in Luke 10 about the good samaritan. I love vs. 34-35. CHIRST is the good Samaritan and SAVES the people. We are the host who is expected to ¨take care of ¨them and whatsoever we spend more, Christ will repay when He comes again. Christ has essetially given me a blank check out here. I realized that I need to ¨spend more.¨ And I aim to do it.
President Lovell spoke about Samuel in the last conference and how he said ¨here am I¨ every time the lord Called. I love that and plan to be a ¨here am I¨ missionary. Dad, that´s my vote for your awesome Ebeneezer idea. (or you could just carve ¨bah, humbug¨ on it. Love you and your crazy ideas.
I have Pday on Saturdays because we are in the zone with the office elders and they have to work on mondays. If I get transfered, Ill have pday on monday. But for now...Saturday. All of us hate it because saturday should be our last push...but we have pday. LAME.
Well, my time is up. Sorry I can never write all that I want to or all that Im learning or all that jazz. But know that I love you all and am happy and working down here in the extremities of the earth. And please pardon me for all my spelling errors...the Spanish keyboard combined with limited time and the fact that I can´t speak Spanish OR English anymore all contribute...and I never was a good speller anyways. Love you all!
Hna. Bourne

E mail Emmy!

sister.bourne@myldsmail.net