Flying Soccer Ball

Hey y’all!!!! It has been an awesome week here in Las Americas! We had such a good week!! Each day with Elder McKane is an adventure!! So we live with Elder Brown and Elder Batista and we share this ward! It is a blast living with those guys! We have funny stories and memorable moments! Namely this week! 

Chilean Cowbiy

So we are on our way back from lunch, and we are in a bit of the rougher part of our sector. These 5 kids between 10 to 15 years old are  playing soccer and are greeting at us GRINGOS. So they pass us the soccer ball after we walked by them and it goes right to Elder McKane! Elder McKane is 6 3 and has crazy long legs, (And the most hilarious Cristiano Ronaldo / Alexis Sanchez free kick impression) hahaha So he takes a few steps back and does his Ronaldo impression and then goes to kick it.....The ball flew straight up and to the right. If there hadn't been electrical lines, it would have flown over the house! We all died laughing hahaha! It was so funny and those kids laughed too! We then talked with them, and now they are coming to mutual this Friday with us!

Elder McKane and Elder Hendrix studying.....

We also had some killer lessons this week! Mainly with Victor! So we finally got to meet back up with Victor after him being out of town for a week!! With Victor, our other investigator that has a date for his baptism, we taught him a lesson on the plan that our Heavenly Father has for us! We shared about what happened in the premortal life, our purpose here on earth, and what will happen after! It was an awesome message and we knew he liked it and then asked him what he thought of everything that we shared. He looked down at the folder that has each step of this plan and sat there for a second without saying anything. A few seconds after, he looked up at us and said, ¨”this plan is true. With all my heart, I know that this is the truth¨" We sat there in silence, and really let the spirit manifest itself to him! we put some goals and set a baptism date with him!!

Overall, A great week! Day in and day out! Trying to find people, trying to figure out problems, and serving! It is a blast! I think that as we put our efforts in good works whether that is missionary work, our normal jobs, or in our family, the better we feel inside! Our good efforts bring good recompenses!

chaoito

 Elder Hendrix and Elder Brown enjoying some Little Caesars Pizza! Elder Brown was friends with Elder Hendrix's best friend/cousin Elder Wettstein back in Arizona.

Full Circle Spanish Moment

WOW! What a week it has been!! It was really busy! I had to do two divisions in all for this week! Anyways, we have really been making an even greater push to find people as a companionship! Last week we  taught a lady and her daughter that we found contacting a week back. We had one of the best C.C.E's(first lesson)  that I have had as a missionary. The mother told us about her cancer and how she is only promised 5 years more of life from the doctors. We transitioned that lesson perfectly into Lesson 2 as we talked with her. A really neat experience. 

I would say the most cool experience we have as missionaries is finding more people to teach and discovering what they need! Each person is like a puzzle! Its fascinating trying to put that puzzle together to help each person to understand what we teach them! 

We also found another family that is golden! (Even though they arent in our sector):) We were able to set up 4 baptisimal dates and they were so receptive! Their youngest son named Albert is awesome! He went with us to mutual, and loves Soccer!  

This Sunday, I gave a talk in Spanish for the ward. The bishop called and wanted me to give a talk on missionary work. I prepared the talk Sunday morning and then gave a 20 minute talk in Spanish! Its crazy how that is! I had a pretty cool full circle moment there! I remember giving a talk my second week in Chile and only reading word for word of what I wrote. Now I write ideas and just talk. Its pretty amazing. I feel that learning a new language is so cool! At first, it was hard. I struggled so much. But I look back now and am so grateful! I have much to go, but It really hit me. I worked so hard and hard to get here and now being where I am at now is really fulfilling. 

I think that can be applied to many facets of life. We work so hard to get to where we want to be in life, where we want to be spiritully, economically, and then as we work, practice and get there, they can be very fulfilling and even relieving moments! We need to enjoy those moments when we get there, and then keep striving to improve and push our limits even more. 

Its awesome walking around streets, talking to people, and representing the Lord and Savior in HIS work. 

These are years that are truely gained, not lost! 

 Birthday package arrived 

The Week in Photos

Only the legendary missionaries sign Ivan's ceiling. :) 

Elder Hendrix and Ivan 

 The view from Elder Hendrix's home

 Walking the streets Santiago, Chile

 Birthday celebration with Elder Hendrix's fellow missionary roommates

Baptisms,Good-bye's and a New Area/Companion

WOW. What a week it has been here in San Bernardo!!! This Saturday was the baptism of Quenne and it was incredible! She loved it and was baptized 7 months pregnant!!! She is such an amazing person and has really progressed in the gospel. The baptism service was great, and she loved it! All of her family showed up, and came for her confirmation Sunday as well! It was a very spiritually filling weekend for her family and for us. Just before the baptism, I received the notice that I would be leaving to a different sector. Quenne and her family are pretty bummed about it, but we were able to explain the situation with companions and changes and everything, so she understood! On Sunday, she had her confirmation, and then gave her testimony (it happened to be the fast and testimony meeting we hold every first Sunday! She gave the most sincere and beautiful testimony I have ever heard.

 Saying goodbye to them was tough. Quenne’s mother now has desires and is even talking about her own baptism in the future. On Sunday, Quenne bore her testimony and said something that I will always remember. There are certain things that happen in my life that are heavy evidences that God really prepares His children. She talked about our first encounter in the street. It was the day of the earthquakes that happened some 2 months back that we had here in Santiago. Whenever there are earthquakes, she always goes out to her patio in the back to be outside, but for whatever reason when the earthquake hit, she left outside to the front off her house and saw us at the corner of the street. We were sitting there for a good 2 minutes waiting for one of us to receive an idea of what to do. She felt like we were there for a reason and left to go and talk to us to ask us as to where the LDS church was at that corresponded with her direction. fThe rest is history and then some! I will never forget that memory she shared fast and testimony meeting! I marvel at how it all came together 

Now I am with Elder McKane!!! He has 8 months in the mission and is a stud Missionary!!! He has served here for 1 change and then his comp left and I came here! We are serving in Las Americas! We are so pumped and getting out and working hard!! We are going to have a good time!!