Jeffrey R. Holland- None Were With Him - Easter Message - HD

March 24th - no scripture

Hola Familia!

I hope all is well! I will just say first off, If Florida is still in it, there is still hope, right? Haa I can see dad is super excited this week with the brackets. Crazy that Wichita got knocked out! Props to Elder B and his bracket. He has always been the lucky one. Oh well. Next year lol. 

It´s been a pretty busy week. I have a description with all of my pictures down below of what happened this week. 

One of the biggest blessings this week was being able to see a family (entire family!) make a goal to enter the temple together. A____ G____ told us that a few weeks ago when we cam by for the first time, he was praying for help in one way or another to come back to church. The way he put it, we came in the exact time he needed it. We have had a few lessons this week with his wife, P____ and his children V____ (11) and C____ (7). They also have a 3 month old, F____. Their kids are so wonderful!!! The last lesson we were able to have with them was also with A___´s parents - one who is a counselor in the bishopric and his wife who is a less active. We were able to talk about the temple. A____ told us that he and P____ have a desire to be sealed together as a family. Like I mentioned in the letter from last week, the only obstacle as of right now is getting married civilly. They told us they were going to look into the tramites (paperwork) for it this Thursday to be able to get baptized as soon as possible. We are still teaching them and helping A____ worthily prepare to baptize his wife and kids. So many prayers are being said for this family right now!! I hope you can keep them in your prayers.

I have been studying the Harmony of the Gospels. I started about a week ago. I have also been pondering a lot in the characteristics of hope and grace. John 1:16-17 is where John bears testimony of Christ and the term of "Grace for Grace". I also read a talk this week by Brad Wilcox that was in the Liahona about this concept. How Christ paid the price for all of us and everything about us, not just the part that we don´t amount to, and that we will really be saved in the end by the Grace of God. But our obedience and our dilligence will determine how comfortable we will be in the presence of God. 

Well to explain the pictures, I got my haircut like I told ya'll last week. 

We also had a Noche de Hogar (FHE) with the youth. We watched a conference talk by Elder Holland "No One was With Him". It was about 18 minutes long and we had a contest to see who could keep their arms up holding two cups of water and paying attention to how Christ felt as He made his Journey from Gatsemane to Calvary. Pshh them youth dont know how to keep their arms straight. I was dying in the end, but was able to keep my arms pretty much straight the entire time. 

We also had another C____ A___ where we did tours to explain to people what we believe as Latter-Day Saints. It was a privilege go to a region called San Jose de Maipu. It is a lot of country and a really pretty part of Chile up higher in the Mountains. We were asked to go and help out Saturday. The total number of members make up a branch and they hold their meetings in an old home in the middle of the town. Here in one of the pictures are all of the members of the Branch. There were also a TON of people who came! it was a very successful night.

I wish I had gotten a better pic of San Jose De Maipu. From what I hear there is snow in the winter in this region. It kind of looks like AZ desert from this pic, but it is really pretty.  

I hope everyone is well. I always look forward to writing yall and seeing what yall are up to.

Praying that all is well. Prepare for General Conference and keep on the straight and narrow. 

Con mucho cariño y amor  

March 17th

Hola Familia 

Sounds like a great week for yall!!! Especially being able to take care of Abuelita, although it sounds like she was taking care of you guys. How funny! I like the pics in front of the Anderson´s house as well (I'm pretty sure it is the Anderson house) It looks like a great tourist spot for a photo with a giant cactus! WOW you all look happy esp in front of Portillo's. What a fun week you guys have had. Congrats to Josh Preston as well. Elder B, I like the pictures! Awesome for G____. What an awesome day! Ill be praying for O___ and B____. Keep Working hard! Dad, I was thinking about our trip too :) buenos recuerdos! Those were fun times and really strengthened my testimony to see the historic sites of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the early Saints of the Church. 

& To answer Karen´s Question- no they do not celebrate st patricks day. But crazy. I looked at the calendar this morning and it clicked that we are in March. If you think about the middle of September, we are experiencing the crisp weather change, so it doesn't feel like March at all. But I am more sure that the American-Made St Patrick's day falls into the drinking holiday along with Cinco de Mayo which the Mexicans don´t celebrate at all according to Hermana Salazar. We don't even have the delicious Lucky Charms. Cereal here isn´t the same, so that will be one thing that I will be excited for when I get back.

It was a really great week! Our investigator, R____ is progressing. She still doesn´t want to commit to baptism quite yet, (R__ J____) but we can see her testimony being strengthened. We constantly invite her to be baptized, and she doesn´t want to commit to be a member quite yet. .........but we have faith that it will be soon. We are being patient though. A few weeks ago I mentioned that we found a menos activo, A____ and his wife- We are teaching him and his family now. He has 3 children- 11 and 7ys old and a baby a few months old. We are teaching him and his family and it is really cool to see them accept the commitments we extend. They have been having family prayers all this week. The father of this less active is a counselor to the bishop and actively comes to church, but his wife is a less active who hasn´t come to church in years. This past Sunday, she came to church, and sat by her son, A____. The family of A____ (and his mom and dad) were in our Principios de Evangelio class. A____ and his wife P____ are not married, but we have taught them about the importance of marriage in order to be baptized and they don't have much against the idea. We can really see a desire for them to be baptized and know that they can legally marry soon. It was absolutely awesome to see this this past week! 

Other news is that I cut my hair again- Short. one of the sisters was able to do it for me. photo coming soon. I also have Florida winning it all. If you cant read the final score- 69-65 over Wichita. Do what you can with the bracket if you can't read it. lol

It would be nice if you could send some more glue ins. I am sure I can find someone who would like them! I was also wondering if it were possible to send a/some .2 pens to mark my scriptures with. A really really fine tip in a nice color or so. A few people have them in the mission and they are so awesome! only if you are able to find them though :)

The family that is in the picture is the familia Y____(from the other email) and the familia Ismail who are in our ward. We had a great family home evening yesterday, and to top it off, we had Completos! 

Sorry I don't have a scripture this week, Don't have them with me at the moment, but I will send something next week. I love you all and hope that you all have a great week!

Doctrine and Covenants 76:10, March 10th

Wow!!! How cool, I LOVE the letters and the events and everything that is going on back home. Sounds like everyone is doing well, Que Bakan that dad and K were able to meet Abuelita! Jajajaja. I can imagine that it was quite the reunion to meet her. I can also see her having her screensaver be a pic of my lil bro. It is hard not to fall in love with his personality and handsome charm, ha! & Congrats to (Elder) Richardson. It really is a small world!!! K- I am grateful for temples, too. The PHX temple is really making progress! Maybe I (and Elder B) will be home for the dedication? and thank you dad and k for the package! excited to receive it!!!
 

There isn´t much to report this week. Not too much has happened. One awesome thing is that we have been visiting a less active family, familia Y____, since we came to el Parque. The family has had a lot of problems within the last year or so where the dad had stopped going to church, and we have seen the decline in his wife and his two daughters in coming to church. We have been persistant in having the dad bring his family to church, and he finally did this past Sunday! He was also able to have an interview with the Bishop.- This family is so wonderful, so it was wonderful wonderful to see their family come back to church!

 

One of my favorite things to study, read, and understand include the mysteries of Godliness. The temple is the place where we can learn and understand more of this topic. We learn who we really are in the temple, who we were and who we can become. It is our relationship with our Heavenly Father that can illuminate our understanding as His spirit sons/daughters. 

 

I apologize for the short email. Little time. But I am so grateful to be here and love serving here. 

I hope all is well. 

 

Love you- Hna B

 I also included a píc of our  family, Figuaroa/Marin. Their family is one of our absolute favorites! When we came to the ward, Hna Figuaroa was MA, and over the past 7 mon we re-activated her. She lives with her son, Cesar, and Grandson, Daniel who recently returned from his mission. It was Daniel´s birthday this past Tuesday, so of course we celebrated. We count that as progress because Hna Figuaroa doesn´t celebrate birthdays. We call her as a Test. de Jehova (they don´t celebrate bdays).

We also had cambios. Well, we didn´t, but the other companionship did. Hermana Pérez left, So we took a picture of the four of us early in the morning. All 4 of us have been together for 7 mon. 

2 Nephi 2:25, March 3rd

Hola Familia-

I am happy to hear that everyone is doing well. That Karen was able to take Grandma and Grandpa on a vacation of a lifetime, that dad got to enjoy the Gilbert Temple dedication, y que Elder Berthelson estaba poniendo anuncios en Nashua esta semana (Elder B, todavía no puedo creer que esta en Nashua). Karen, I love the pictures! I don´t think I have seen that big of a smile on Grandma, I bet she was in heaven! And I'm sure that it was wonderful for the two of them to vacation together. K, you´re awesome!! And, I received a package from you this past week with cow tails and scripture glue ins! thank you so much! Hermana Salazar loves them and was so happy to receive them. She says thank  you and I think she is planning on sending something. 

 

This week has been a little crazy. We were able to do a lot with the members as well as an impromptu visit from a member of the 70, Elder Evans. It was awesome to hear from him. He talked about our objective as Missionaries and our finding efforts in teaching not only those who will accept the Restored Gospel, but teaching those who will help build the Kingdom of God. Although it was long, it was a powerful message.

   

Something I am grateful for is blessings. And for learning experiences. Did you know you shouldn't drink milk around lunchtime? After a long morning of traveling in the Micros/Metros of Santiago, and a bad decision to drink chocolate milk we arrived at a members house for lunch. I didn´t feel good at all, but Hermano Lepe was able to give me a blessing which helped me feel a lot better for the remainder of the day. Funny part is that there was a ward activity right after that, and everyone was concerned for me at church yeterday, haha. But I am fully recovered.

 

During the week, we were able to invite a member to have a lesson with us. Unfortunately, the appointment fell through and we weren´t able to have the lesson as planned, but the hermano was able to give us a name of a less active whom he hadn´t seen in years. We were in this apartment block for a good 45 minutes asking different families for a man named A___ G____. We looked until we were able to locate the section where the tenants had told us we could find him. After knocking on a few doors with no results, we were able to find him. He invited us in and we got to know him. He is the son of one of the members of the Bishopric that had left the church about 6 years ago, not for any specific reason. He said that we came at the right time because he had been praying for some help to come back to church. He is the only member of his family. His wife is not a member, and they have three kids. We invited them to church for this past Sunday, and both he and his wife were able to come! They were also able to bless their 3 month old baby. Unfortunately, his father (who he wanted to surprise) was on vacation, but he wants to surprise him this next week.- 

Hermana Ekins (from the other Companionship that I live with) let me read a talk that her father sent her. It was so cool, Explaining for of the Plan of Salvation in how we live within the basic laws of God. It explained more of the Fall, how it was necessary, what sin really is, who Satan is, and how Our Heavenly Father does not lie, nor go back on His words. I was able to understand more of why it was important. All in all, the whole talk falls back on this scripture, 2Nephi 2:25. We are here to have joy, and that is the reason for the plan.

 

I hope all is well and that you are able to have a wonderful week, I am praying for our friends and family. 

 

 

Love yall! 

 

 

 

an Elder I ran into at the conference! (keep in mind there were about 1,000 missionaries :) pretty cool, eh?

Elder Clayton Rackham

(Hermana B and Elder Rackham both were in the Parkway Ward, Milwaukee North Stake together) 

 

-- photo of a sunset on calle John Kennedy in my sector

Sister Jasmine Berthelson

Chile Santiago East Mission

Enos 1:4, February 24

Hooolaa

I hope all is well with everyone! We had a crazy week. First with an FHE that we did as a ward. We were in charge of the lesson and showed the mormon message of the light of Christ by Elder Bednar. 

 

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=1737858982001

 

 

It was great and a lot of people showed up in the end. We did Karoke and there are a few photos in the bunch of the members and our karaoke night. We were able to invite a few of our investigators as well. We also had divisions with the Temple Hermanas. So I got to work near the temple for a day. We were able to have a lesson with the Temple President, President Adler and his wife. It was different because we were able to have a lesson about marriage to a couple, D___ and L____ who both served missions, but were married civilly.  So we were able to teach them about being sealed in the temple. Crazy, because you´d think that with two return missionaries, it would be a priority to marry within the temple, but- ... it was pretty cool to have a lesson with the temple president. The good news is that they are planning on getting sealed in the Temple! And they made a plan with the Temple President to do a few things each day to strengthen their marriage. Unfortunately, I was only there for a day, but a few days after we went back with R____, our investigator that I´ve mentioned over the last few months. We took her to the temple with a recent convert, M____and her daughters. She was able to feel the spirit of the temple and told us she had never felt that way before. We have challenged her to be baptized a few times and has said it is not the time yet. I know that everything is in the timing of the Lord. We were able to have a NDH with her and the family of one of the Members- F___M___. It was really special because we talked about what it means to be spiritually converted in the Gospel. We made enchilladas again and I made K´s (coach amy´s) special ice-cream cake. They don't hvae cool whip, but I did my best. 

 

Continue to pray for R____ D____. We haven't been able to get in contact with her for about a week. Due to illness I assume, so unfortunately the time and requirements have passed for her to be baptized in the beginning of March. Its true that the adversary will come when we least expect it to. But again, it is all in the Lord´s timing. 

I was really able to study this chapter this week... hahaha short chapter. 

but I was really able to study it. It says that he wrestled with God in Prayer. Maybe we think, okay how, why or who would do such a thing, but when we think about our Heavenly Father and prayer, we should be able to tell Him everything. The good and the bad. It also says throughout that he first prayed for himself, next, the Nephites, and his bretheren the Lamanites. I have leaned the importance of having a relationship with my Heavenly Father through prayer. And like the scripture says- to have hunger and pray with power.

 Enos 1:4

 

I am praying for you all. Elder B, I hope that it isn´t cold and snowy for too much longer. I love you and hope everyone is doing well. A bunch of pics this week. oh... and we found these kids on the street. nachoooooo!

 

 

noche de hogar with ceasar marin, noche de hogar with the ward.

 

we did matching colors for church yesterday

 

R____ and us at the temple