eMail of May 3, 2010

First of all for Mother´s day this time we are going to need to be in the house of a member family. We actually don´t know what family right now as we got the information about that today. Also, I just had changes today. I have a new companion Elder Jacobs and I´m in a new ward. That also makes it difficult for the thing with Robert, because I don´t know where this chapel is at all. I´ve never been there. As for the call later this week we are going to figure out who you can call and the times and the phone number and give it to you. It should be in the afternoon, like 4 or so your time.
As for the rest of life I´m in a new sector today with a new comp. I am looking forward to seeing what we can do to bring about the work. As for this last week Fabian was confirmed and received the priesthood. He is doing great and should be going this Tuesday to the Temple to do baptisms for the dead. As for the other family they are doing well too, except for this last week the mom´s boyfriend was really drunk and it seems he gets drunk just about every day. There are some difficulties there but we are moving along. I really hope that they keep progressing. A good experience from this last week would be we got to paint a room for a couple of somewhat less-active members which was great. It was fun and the room looked much better afterward. More than that I don´t know. There was a bad experience. On Saturday we had a zone activity and one of the Elders that is leaving today lost his camera. Better said someone stole it. That was an interesting experience that I will have to tell you later. Well, I love you all and am grateful for your prayers and support. I am happy and having fun and looking forward to what the future has to bring. Have fun, be happy, and don´t doubt anything!

eMail of April 26, 2010

It rained once, hailed really, a week ago Friday. But it is still just getting cold right now. It is cold in the morning and at night and gets dark quick, and hot during the day. I don´t have to use sunscreen anymore though. As for the missionary work right now, things are going really well. Fabian was baptised yesterday and for me it was a rather special experience. When we got there Fabian hadn´t arrived yet. We went looking for him at his house but we learned that he had stayed at his friends house a ways away. We went back still hoping but not knowing if he would come. Suddenly we see him coming and I felt so happy. The baptism went great and everyone left happy. Also another lady Blanca who started coming to Church again said that she wants to get baptised too. She could this coming Sunday but we are going to see when she wants too. This last Saturday we also got to do a service for another investigator family. We fixed up the electricity and put in some lights and switches along with the cieling in their back room. It took most of the day but they gave us lunch and everything. The family is really beginning to open up and I have high hopes for them to get baptised. Anyway I am happy and grateful for everything that you have done for me and your prayers. This is an amazing work and the Church is the true Church of Christ. I love you all and pray that you are all safe and happy.

eMail of April 19, 2010

First of all what I´m not telling you is about someone else, it´s not about me. I am doing great right now. My companion is doing great as well and it doesn´t have to deal with him either. I think it is sufficient to say for now that the Lord is just and wise. I am glad to hear that Deborah is moving forward and taking the Temple classes. She will enjoy the Temple and learn a lot there. As for things I am learning, I must say I keep learning more and more always. This last week I learned a great deal about the Atonement and the power the Lord has to heal. I also learned greater patience and just plain discipline. This last week we did our best to prepare our investigators to come to Church and provided ways for them to get there. However, not one showed up at first. We went looking for several after the Sacrament but none of them would answer or wake up. As the meeting was ending, Fabian finally walked in. Fabian is the investigator that had his prayers answered and everything as I told you before. Before he came I was feeling down as no one had come, and the members that had been commited to bring the investigators either forgot or didn´t come either. But when I saw him I felt an immense joy and peace. Several times I started thinking bad about the investigators and members, saying to myself that they really aren´t reliable, but I decided just to try and be patient, and was rewarded for it. Well, I love you all and pray that you are happy and protected. I pray that Randy enjoys his mission and does his best. It brings me joy to know that he is finally going.

eMail of April 12, 2010

I hope that Ariel gets better quick. That has got to be difficult especially during the school year. As for Marc I´m sure he will get the project done. He works hard and doesn´t let up till he´s done. My week went well. None of our investigators are progressing though which is frustrating at times but we are moving along. My comp this last week got his "trunky papers," the papers to fill out that say how you are going home and everything. They have already bought his airline tickets and everything and he got his itenerary today. As for some experiences, yesterday we had an interesting one. For some reason the MTC here in Chile came to the other ward for sacrament meeting. It was an interesting sight to see 20 or more Elders walk in suddenly. The MTC President here spoke with us for a minute, President Kemp. His son is going to the Concepción South mission, but had to stay in our mission for a few weeks because the mission couldn´t receive more missionaries because of the earthquake. I guess that today and tomorrow they are receiving 44 missionaries. That would be a nightmare I´m sure. As for another experience, we are going through an interesting one but rather shocking and depressing. I can´t really tell you what´s going on right now but it´s a sad story and I will probably tell you later. Anyway, I love you all and hope that you are doing well. Thank you for your love and support.

eMail of March 29, 2010

I had a good week this last week. We had a great ward activity and one of our investigators, Fabian, said that he wants to get baptised and everything. He now just has to work on his schedule to be able to come to Church. He says he should be able to from this week and on. There is a great story going along with that too. I asked him on Friday if he believed in the Book of Mormon, and why. He gave his conversion story and testimony. He said that a few years ago he had learned that a friend of his that lives in Spain was diagnosed with an advanced brain tumor. He prayed that she would heal and be okay. Nothing had happened for a while, and the possibility that she wouldn´t survive treatment and everything was around 75%. These last weeks he has been reading and praying to know whether the Book of Mormon is true. He just learned that from one day to the next his friend´s tumor had completely disappeared. He said that it was an answer to all of his prayers. It´s an amazing story and I´m grateful to have been here to hear it.

The Lord loves each and every one of us and knows what´s best for us in the long run. As for the weather it´s just hot. It´s gone back to normal really. Down south though it will be starting to rain soon. The Church News website talks about that, trying to get temporary homes ready before the rainy season hits. It won´t be a problem here as there is very little real damage. Only a few buildings took serious damage. They were all newer ones too.

Anyway, I am excited for Conference this coming week and hope that everyone enjoys it. I love all of you and pray that you continue to be protected, blessed and have fun.

eMail of March 22, 2010

We did have a great week in the end, although my companion has been sick. With the little extra time I had the opportunity to study a lot. I´ve read the last couple of weeks Isaiah and Dueteronomy through 1st Samuel. I learned a lot, especially about the consequences of sin and disobeying the Lord. The Lord really does require exact obedience to all His commandments.

I am glad to hear that the play went so well. Marc will be okay as well.

As for everything else we have about six people we really feel can and want to be baptised right now. We are working on getting them ready now. We also just had changes, or transfers. I stayed with my companion for the first time, nearly a year and a half in. We are doing great and I am learning a lot.

As for some great experiences, we´ve gotten to teach several great lessons and such. Probably the most rewarding experience this week was at Church. None of our investigators came that we had been working with, but suddenly an old investigator that should have been baptised before I got here came to Church for the first time since the beginning of December. Seeing her there I felt great and really happy, and she seems really exited about everything again. While there she asked for a priesthood blessing and we got to help her with it with another brother in the ward. Everyone said hi and she felt really welcome. The earthquake she said scared her a little and now she wants to get baptised.

The Lord truly does work in amazing ways. I can honestly say that baptisms in a mission are not dependant so much on the missionary. The Lord will bring who he will to the Church regardless. There are other forms of success that are really more important and dependant on the missionary. I am grateful to be here and looking forward to what is to come this next month and a half. I am excited for General Conference as well in a couple of weeks.

Well, I love you all and hope that you continue to be protect and lifted up by the Lord. I pray that you are happy.

eMail of March 15, 2010

Every week seems to be busy, but moving faster and faster. It´s hard to believe I´ve been with my current companion for 5 weeks already. Time just keeps moving blindingly fast.

As for the aftershocks everyone is okay. We actually happened to be in our weekly zone class at the Chapel at that moment. Probably the safest place to be in an earthquake. We are doing well in every aspect. Last night the power went out just as we were ending the day and as I was talking with a devout Catholic, apparently in most of the country. The power came back really quick but still it was interesting. We could see the Milky Way for a time which was great, the first time in months. In fact, the power came on just as we got into our apartment after climbing the 14 flights of stairs.

As for the investigators and everything we are working on getting them to progress. We have several that want to get baptised and others that are continuous. There are a lot of kids popping up right now as well. We should be getting a few baptisms really quick here.

I had a funny experience this last week. We were walking down the street and a drunk stopped us and yelling at us told us to go home to our country. He made us stop and started swearing like crazy and trying to tell us we were stupid and didn´t know what we were doing. He got up in my face and stuff but I could tell he really didn´t know what he was doing. In the end he asked us for money and then left in a rage because we didn´t have any. Anyway, I found it funny as it was just a classic drunk that just wanted to get angry at someone.

As for some good experiences I have seen the gospel in action in several peoples lives and we are being led to people that really need our help and want the gospel. Today while grocery shopping a lady stopped us, asked us for our number and said that she was going to need help with some things within the next few days. It´s really amazing the gospel and this work. Probably the best thing this week has been reading in Isaiah. I learned a lot about Christ and everything. There is another name for Christ in Isaiah and a lot of symbolism with it, as well as the symbolism of Zion and Jerusalem.

Well, I love you all and am grateful for you. I pray that you all are happy and safe. Love you!