Transfers, Quenne and being Christlike

Wow. What a week it has been here in San Bernardo. We had transfers and I am with my new Companion Elder Bellido! He is from Argentina, and loves playing soccer! 

It's getting cold in Chile.  Sleeping with three blankets.

We have really had a good first week together! This week was really spiritual. Each day we had a distinctive miracle happen! We have really seen the progression of an Investigator by the name of Quenne! 

She contacted us in the street some 4 weeks back, and came to church on Sunday! And she loved it! Her son Lucas loved the nursery too! This upcoming week, we have stake conference and will be having a general authority coming up to talk with us! We are trying to get all of our investigators to go to this conference! Looking forward to that so much this Saturday and Sunday!

This past week, we had a dear member in our ward pass away from Cancer. We attended his funeral this week and were able to say parting words to him and to his family before he passed away. They are a family that love the missionaries, and are a beloved family in this mission. I really feel for them and will 

be praying for the Ortega family. keep them in your prayers. This family has really impressed me with the way they have carried themselves during this tough time in their life.

In my 3 months here, Brother Ortega has had cancer and has not been able to walk. He has been isolated to his chair and hasn't been able to use his body as he could before the cancer. During all of this time, not once has this family batted an eye. Their son left for his mission in Ecuador two months ago. And his wife has not once complained. This family is a shining example of charity and love, and of happiness. Amidst this challenge and difficult time in their lives, they have shown true Christlike character which has made me marvel. 

We really see who people are in their challenges, and this has and will be a huge one for them, and they have showed nothing but exemplary Christlike attributes. When life hits us, may we all dig down deep, and let some Christlike charity show in our countenance like this family has shown me...

Family Matters Most

WOW, what a week it has been!! I have really had a great week with seeing the family! and having the chance to go to the temple today! 

This week has been a very unique week in my mission. To begin, last Thursday, we had a lesson planned with an investigator that Elder Vargas was teaching with his companion. She changed schools, changed schedules, so it was impossible to find her when she was in her house. A week back, we finally encountered her mom and planned a lesson for a week in advance. 

When we got there, their family was so nice, and asked us all sorts of questions about our mission because they had never talked to missionaries ever (never happens in Santiago). They just loved us! We were able to share our message with them, and it was very spiritual. As we left, their grandmother came in and wanted for us to go by her house too!! We were just pure money!!! haha. WE will be passing by them this week! 

We also had a very spiritual message with an investigator by the name of Nancy. She has been talking to the missionaries now for 2 years, and really cares for us! She lives out in the woods so we have to bike around the mountain! We talked about baptism and really had the spirit working on her. We were able to help her with her doubts and get her to come to church for this Sunday. Today we went to the temple, which was a very spiritual experience always! Love the peace and spirit I feel there!

This week, we had a zone conference on the Holy Ghost, and how we as missionaries can best utilize it and bring it to the people we teach! It was a really good conference. 

This week I have been pondering on the importance of the family! and why we have them. I am eternally grateful for the family that I have, and for all that they have done for me! The skype was great this past Sunday and the opportunity to talk with them lifted me! It is a reminder to me of the eternal family that we have. After 5 months, I was anxious and so excited to talk with them! Imagine ourselves with our loving Heavenly Father. After a lifetime, and then returning to His presence will be something amazing for us., The opportunity to return to Him will be absolutely worth all the difficulties that we pass through. Returning to our Father is the purpose of why we are here. Keep that in mind!

Keep Your Room Clean

This week has been an incredible week for us in Lo Blanco. We had the baptism of Mathius this past weekend!! It was amazing!! He was really excited and all around happy! He showed up to church the next day with a new suit and we could really just see the difference that his baptism did for him! Seeing his progression and happiness makes me happy for him as well!

This week, with the city of San Bernardo, we went to a lady’s house to clean it! She was a hoarder and it felt like torture more than service.  We had to throw away all of her garbage in her house and she was throwing a fit!! The house was filled with junk!  Anyway, we had to get dressed up in masks, gloves and a cloak thing! It was cool and we played ninja in our suits! Even though she now hates us, we helped her down the road!

This week we had a Miracle!! So it was around 6 in the afternoon and we pulled to the side of the street thinking of what we would do for our ¨plan C¨. Nothing came to mind. We looked in our agenda and at our weekly planning page and couldn’t figure out what to do. After about 2 minutes of communicating and trying to figure out a plan. 

A women walked up to us and asked if we were the Mormon missionaries and if we knew where the Sunday reunions were held for church!!! With shock, We told her we were missionaries and told her about where she could go to church. In that moment, we asked if she had time to talk with us. She did, and we were able to go into her house and teach her lesson 1, and we were able to set a baptismal date for the 20 of may!!!!!!! MILAGROS! I love it! Her grandparents were recently baptized and really saw the change in them after their baptism! She explained to us that that was what she was wanting in her life, and was really interested in learning about our church! It gives me surprises each and every day!