November 3rd

hola familia...

I received a package from Cindy and Greg. looks like Mr Greg bought a boat and is now going frogging? If you could relay the message back to them telling them not to worry- that I will get my frogging gear ready for when I get back. Tell Ms Cindy that I am trying to collect some box tops for her to send back and that I will try and send in a couple of weeks.- I have collected a couple and I will see if some of the members have so to send so that I can send them. I also got a letter from Hailey Persons... just a few months late it seems like. I also got a Christmas card from the Hampton family. according to the card, Devin will be turning in his papers in the next week or two.. gotta love the mail system in Santiago!
(editor's note: Elder Devin Hampton has been on his mission since May)

sorry for the short email. It was such a good week. Mainly for yesterday with our investigators coming to church. yes! 

Hermana Salazar also surprised my with a small get together. I had no idea she would be celebrating my b-day, but here is a foto. 

thank you for all of the updates. hope to write a little more next week. love  you !!!

August 18th

Hey Yall!! 

Elder B, congrats on the baptism you had with L____! You are right, keep teaching the family and give them hope. I am writing a short email this week. Overall, not a lot has happened this week. I included a few pictures from last week. We took M______, our investigator to the temple. It was quite the experience for her. We are hoping to put a date with her this week to be baptized in September. A crazy situation, but we have to talk with her husband. 

We had a ward activity this past Saturday. The youth in our stake put on a show of dances from Europe-. Our ward chosen for Russia. Super hillarious becuase we don't hve a ton of youth, so the leaders stepped in. In the end it turned out AWESOME and the members made small things to eat from the country they were given. 

I was also able to go to the temple again with Hermana Salazar. We are only given one temple enterence during one year of our mission, so we were able to go through the morning session on Thursday. I loved it... It was such a great experience and just what i needed. We are also planning to try and go this week with one of the converts from our ward- J___ Z_____. 

On top of that we have a few investigators who are progressing. I told you about A_____.. he is awesome! He came to church for the first time this past Sunday. He´s already made friends at church. Such a great guy. We hope he continues coming. 

 

The weeks are really flying by. It seems like yesterday that I sat down to write y'all. I ask myself where the time is going. We have changes next week, and it is most likely that I will have a change in Compañera. Well i will keep you all informed.. Love you and I am praying for a lot of our friends. Thanks for keeping me updated as well. :))

 

D&C 101:16

Hola Familia

I don´t really know where to start this week. Just a full week of work I guess. When I get to sitting down at the computer my mind goes completely blank as  to what has happened during these 7 days. To start with the news from the two new missionaries, I cant tell you how proud I am of both of them. The feelings of doubt or nervousness pass after a time and I can totally relate to Elder Hampton. Dinner just doesn't exist. Like I have said before, They usually gather once more in the late afternoon to eat (here it is called once) but yes they load the missionaries up during lunch. Hermana or Elder... it´s practically the same. 

 

This week has been a good week to say the least- Although we didnt celebrate the 4th of July with Fireworks...We have a new investigator named R______. He is about 30, a musician with a few health problems, but he is super receptive and lives right next to the church haha. 

We have also been able to teach Y____ and E____ again. With the situation of the two of them, we have been teaching the plan of salvation.

Yesterday we were teaching N______... The investigator that I took the photo with. A few weeks ago, we were able to teach Daniel, his older brother too, and well we asked if we could come back and teach him some more and so we came over yesterday to teach the both of them-D___ and N_____. Their Mom J_____ is super Evangelica. Yesterday when we came over she got upset when we told her that we were there to teach N_____ and D_____ (really we asked if we could teach the whole family). She had a moment where she went a little crazy telling us that Nacho was the one with the problem and that we were only there to teach N_____ and no one else. And after she stomped up the stairs upset. As we taught the Restoration to both D____ and N_____, we asked if we could show the movie The Restoration, and a good part way into the movie, J____ came down and started to watch from the bottom of the stairs. 

Really, it was such a powerful moment to share testimony with the three that were there. J_____´s face completely changed both Hermana Veron and I shared our testimonies of Joseph Smith and the Restored Gospel. 

I also got a phon ecall yesterday in the middle of 3rd hour at church. There was a boy that I mentioned in a couple of my emails to you guys named J_____. He pretty much came to church by himself for a while. He and his mom and older sister are all converts. And his dad wasn't a member. Hermana Salazar and I taught the whole family for a while, and well, I got the news yesterday from my mission president that his dad, P_____was baptized yesterday. N_____, J___'s sister, also told me that she is planning on serving a mission. The two kids kind of have a relation like Alex and I have. I am so happy for the whole family. That P_____ is now a member and that all are active in the church and I can bet that the next goal (for the family) is to be sealed eternally. The story is better in person, so you might have to wait a while. 

 

Eldr B. Pienso yo que nuestro barrio parece a veces como tuyo con 31 personas que lleguen dia domingo. La cosa que es lo más dificil para nosotros es para llevar nuestros investigadores/Ma a la capilla. A veces no sucede, pero todo es sobre la fe cierto? Te entiendo perfectamente cuan dificil es para encontrar nuevas personas para enseñar y que es muy necesario la idea de las referencias. Sabes que, no recibimos casi nada de referencias. Pero, aun que no es muy efectivo, he visto la necesidad tener fe y confianza en el Señor por trabajar por nuestros propio esfuerzos. No se frustre. De todos modos estás un gran ejemplo para mí.

(Eldr B. I think that our neighborhood sometimes seems like yours with 31 people arriving day Sunday. The thing that is the hardest thing for us is to bring our researchers / Ma to the chapel. Sometimes it happens, but it's all about the true faith? I completely understand how hard it is to find new people to teach and the idea is very necessary references. You know, we get almost no references. But even that is not very effective, I have seen the need to have faith and trust in the Lord to work for our own efforts. Do not get frustrated. Anyway you are a great example for me.)

So I am super grateful for this scripture. We invited everyone to church this Sunday, super frustrating when they don't come, sure. It's actually always like this with commitments, and invitations, etc etc. . But I have to learn time and time again to not get upset with myself if things don't happen like I plan and that the will of Heavenly Father is greater than my own. The agency of another is nothing that I can control, but I just have to have faith and do my part, and the Lord will work in His own time. 

Glad to know everyone is well. sounds like you had a good fourth of July with shrimp and everything!!!!! and fireworks and the sandlot. miss it. 

Lots of love,

May 5th

Hey Famm

Sí! feliz cinco de mayo. Nadie se lo celebra aquí, pero asi lo es. Hope you were able to eat tacos, burritos, drink lemoñade, etc. This week has been a little crazy. There are days with absolutley nothing, and days with a lot going on. Hey- Guess who came to visit? One Direction... We were practically at the concert with everything that happend there where a lot of fireworks and the few YW that are in our ward all went. tons of fireworks we had a pretty good week.

 A lot of contacting more than anything and we are working harder to ask for references from everyone.  One cool experience- we noticed a hurse coming out of an apartment building parking lot a couple of weeks ago as we were going to have lunch with a member. We asked the members if they knew the person who passed away, and they told us yes, not that they knew them very well, but that they knew them. We ended up contacting a person who lived in the same apt building as the family with the person who passed away. we went with a member to visit this contact that we had after our first plan failed. the plan de respaldo also fell through, but we contacted a woman in this apt buildng- at first the woman was pretty stubborn and didn't want to hear us, but the member who came with us has so much excitement for the obra misional. She pretty much gave lesson 1,2, and 3 to this lady who didn't want to hear us. But her heart completely changed in the end. She told us that her mom had passed away. the daughter of the lady who passed away just a week earlier. Although she didn't accept our invite to teach her or for her to come to church, we had a great lesson with the member who came with us and the member bore her testimony. I was very impressed and grateful for this member who was so persistent in sharing the Gospel with this woman who is a great example to me. A lot more has happened this week. Not too many progressing, but incentive to find more people to teach. 

 

........

I received good news from my old sector. that A____ had her baby and that J_____ that i have mentioned in a few letters came to church with all of his family. He has pretty much been attending alone for the past 6 months. hermana salazaar told me the good news today, :)) I am so happy for this. 

I wish I had a bit more to tell you. time always escapes me, but hey I will talk to you all on sunday hopefully. 

I am grateful for so much... and although the results don't always follow, I know that everything works out in the end and that Heavenly Father knows what is best. I am here to do my best, and to share what i know and believe. I love you guys. 

 

Yes if you can i would be so grateful to receive something warm. I am planning on buying more warm clothes. Depends on our pdays but in the next few weeks. ....... I love them so much :) 

 

cool to hear congrats to ELDER CLARK! and to the new bishop lol!!!!! how cool

ELDER B. such good news i will be praying for ____ as well cool with your ward in prov. how awesome is that?? 

 

 

a few good views fromm my apt and our faithful Menos Act hno Cofree. Very stylish. 

........

have a good week i will talk to you sunday!!!!!

April 7th

Hola Family

I don't have a lot of time to write this week. I LOVED conference. It is that much more special as a missionary and listening to the talks and thinking of how some pertain to the people we are teaching. It was a blessing to hear our Prophent speak to us. An ongoing topic from what I heard was the theme of the love of Jesus Christ. There is never an end of learning or knowing more about our Savior and our Relationship to Him. There is not an end to knowing what the Atonement is and how to apply it. And I am taking on the challenge of studying it and applying it more. I am so grateful to know that I am a daughter of Heavenly Father. And that as a missionary, I can testify of this truth. 

This might be the shortest of all of my emails, but I hope you continue on this week and ponder on the truths we´ve heard from the servants of the Lord. I love you all and am grateful for your examples of faith. Faith is an incredible divine attribute. 

pics- A___, P____, V_____ (holding her cousin____) F____, her friend and C______

baby shower for A____

pic with my comp after conference

Please keep in prayers also the people in Northern Chile. very terrible earthquake. Don't worry about us here. We are safe. We do get some cool temblores though :)

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!

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

Moses 1:39

Hola Familia!!

We have had a pretty good week! First news is that we have a Baptisimal Date for one of our investigators: RD. She is absolutely the sweetest lady I have ever met- just all around sweet! She is super creative, not only a grandmother, but great-grandmother. She is so full of energy and loves children. She is single, but keeps herself busy with projects and things. We met her about 2 months ago when we passed by this house with a giant  Viejito Pascuero (Santa Clause). . but anyways, we passed by and took pictures (pic attatched) and upon entering, we asked if we could sing her a Christmas hymn. 

So we did, and we had had little luck getting in touch with her after that. But we were able to pass by her house a few weeks ago with a member. Since then we have had lessons with her and we were able to put a date for March 2nd. One of her daughters was baptized about 25 years ago, and so she understands what it means to be baptized and she is preparing. I ask that you can pray for her, so that she feels prepared. Our biggest challenge over the past few weeks/months is getting in touch with her. She is a busy lady! but we have stressed the importance of our message and the commitments we give her. 

 

Yes I am still in El Parque (answer to dad´s q) and I will be for at least another 4 weeks. But the mission is not known for doing changes very often-- at least during my time here. So It is pretty normal that I am still here with Hermana Salazar. But bright side of things, it has been the coolest thing to see changes in people. For example, there is a less active lady in our ward named M_____. She has three kids who are members of the church. All who live with her and are less active. It was a complete blessing to find her in the first place because we have asked so many members and we don't think they know that she exists. But anyways, she was completely against us coming by- this was in October. So over the past few months we have been visiting her. Slowly she came to warming up to us. None of the other missionaries were able to visit her, because she lives far behind a (sort-of) abandoned house, because she is single, and because she just doesn´t like people visiting her. But we have been working diligently with her. We invited her to read the Book of Mormon, something she hasn't done in over 15 years. Although we haven´t gotten her to come back to church, we invited her to do a temple tour. Hna G_____, her daughter A____, and her granddaughter are coming with us to the Temple this Wednesday. And with the challenge to read the BOM, yesterday she told us that she completed the first book of Nephi. How cool is that?!?!

 

Other than that we have been doing well. Yes, it is getting colder, but we are working hard. A lot of people are coming back from vacations, so it will be getting easier in the next couple of weeks. 

 

I have been studying a lot about our Potential to become like our Heavenly Father. It has really opened my eyes this week just how blessed we are because we have come to this Earth to come and to prove ourselves, but just with being on this Earth, we have the responsibility and privilege to be like Him already. I have studied almost all of the scriptures in the topical guide that says. - Man, Potential to become like our Heavenly Father. I have learned a lot with this scripture alone. 

Moses 1:39

 

Time has escaped me. I love you Dad, K, Elder B. I pray that you are doing well and that you find joy in the blessings of the Spirit this week... Especially with the Temple ;) love you

Alma 43:9

Familia- So we didn´t have transfers. In fact, very few missionaries had transfers and so I am still in El Parque for the time being with Hermana Salazar. The work is moving verrry slowly. We are still working with R____, but we are figuring out how to start on a clean slate. There wasn´t a lot going on this week but we had a pretty cool activity with the youth in our ward. We have what are called Farrias which are the flea markets that are set up by workers. Since one of the families in our ward works in the Ferria (which is located directly outside of our chapel) we were able to set up a table and have the youth help us contact people. The youth also made giant Book of Mormon/Bible replicas. They had a really cool experience with a lady that they contacted. They were able to go to her house and invite her 12 year-old grand-daughter to attend church! Unfortunately, this time of the year everyone is going on vacations. So there haven´t been a lot of people to teach this week, and we hear that February is worse. It is very hot and everyone is leaving Santiago. 

We have started teaching a man named R_______. He is awesome! He was a contact we made while trying to call to someone else. We left him to read a chapter in the Book of Mormon last week and we passed by again this week to find that he read and really loves the Book of Mormon! The only problem we have is that he lives alone and we can´t enter unless another Hermana is with us. I´m super excited to work with him.

I hope you like the píctures! A couple from the Ferria, one of me and Hermana Ekins with "beignets", another with me and a Charungo (guitar of Chile), and our District.

 

 

 

I have been reading a lot in Alma.. the war chapters. We were able to have a good lesson with a less-active couple about this verse. It is super important to protect the things we have that are important to us. If we value something, we protect it. These chapters apply to us as well. It is also important to protect our beliefs and to use our testimony as a shield. I also love D&C 93 and am glad K attatched it in her email. The Glory of God really is intellegence. It is also the chapter in which we learn what truth means. And yes, I am excited to go to the dentist for my check up next year! Dad, thank you for the email about temporal and spiritual assistance. Our Mission is hard. There have only been a handful of Baptisms in our Zone with all of the time I have been here. It´s hard with the customs in Chile. But we have been blessed to be able to work with a lot of Menos Activos- a ton. It is always a blessing being in the Service of the Lord. 

 

Not much else- Hoping for a good week. I haven´t been hit by the sun too hard, although I do have a pretty nice tan ;)

Love you!

1 Nefi 17:15

Hola Familia-

This week has been a little crazy! Sounds like like it was fun on the other end of the world haha.  I know K and Dad had a fun time according to the letters! Glad you were able to visit the Temple w the Hathaways! Makes me miss Louisiana just a little! But.... I was able to have a kind of beignet this week that some of the members made for us. Doesn´t have the powdered sugar, so it´s not the same. One of the blessed discoveries of Chile is a topping called Manjar! It is like a thick caramel but 50x more delicious. I have decided that when I come back home, I am going to make beignets and bring manjar with me. Not healthy at all, but super good. Hermana Salazar and I decided to make a dinner for one of our members, K____ O____ this week. Enchiladas! It was delicious. I even made mexican salsa. Gracias a los 3 días en Mexico! Unfortunately, I stink at picking out avacado, so yep. The guac turned into salsa. 

 

I have come to find that a lot of our small encounters have turned into giant blessings looking back- We were contacting a just a month ago we found a 17 yr old boy, J_____, who had just moved into our sector. He had mentioned that he was a convert along with his mom and sister- all of which had been less-actives for the past couple of years. We had told the Bishop and YM presidency about him and we were able to visit him a few times. There was EFY this week where all of the youth in our ward went and the day before, the Bishop was able to visit him. The Bishop pretty much told him he had no choice and he had to go (especially since it was his last year). So all of the youth were able to go. They came back and bore their testimonies on Sunday. His was especially cool to hear. We heard that he wants to and is going to start preparing to serve a mission. 

 

A few of the Young women have decided to as well. K´s fb friend J____ has decided to go and I am sooooo happy for her! She is the only member of her family with little support. Please pray for her! We have also had a lot of success with our Menos Activos. We have challenged pretty much all of them to read the Book of Mormon. We printed off sheets for them to fill out, and we have seen progress with a few of our families. 

My scripture this week above is one that I could fully put into application for the mission. Just to be obedient in keeping the commandments. You can´t make anyone do the same, but you can encourage them to be faithful and diligent. My companion has helped me put into perspective Article of Faith number 11 as well. That we are not here to judge another´s relationship with our Heavenly Father and that We are blessed to help people come unto Christ how they choose to. 

 

Other things of this week?.. R____ invited us to her birthday party. With M____ A____ from Peru and J____ who is diligent in feeding all of the blind dogs in the park. Hilarious, but there are many stories of her. There was also this dog that followed all throughout our sector one night and i was feeding him the cappucino cookies we received from a MA. 

 

 

 

The other pic is a few of the hermanas on p-day. 

 

I received a package!...... love the headbands and pens .. etc! esp the light up one. I am constantly trying to finish writing in my journal every night before the lights go off. ....... we have cambios (changes) at the end of the week, so we will see what changes. ..... Love you lots!!!!!! have a great week!

Words of Mormon 1:7

Hola Familia

First, I want to tell K, FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS!!! I hope it was wonderful and that you could enjoy it a little. We celebrated it over here by having a lot of lessons with Menos Activos haha. Second (which is directed towards K) Hermana Ekins -from the other companionship- wants to go to your Tech party. She is from Missouri, and wants to be your friend but I have told many stories of KJB and everyone wants to know you, K. 

 

We celebrated New Years at the Bishop´s house up until 10:30. We also watched Fireworks up until 12 from our balcony. We are still teaching Rosa, but it has been hard because she hasn´t been reading the Book of Mormon. We were able to have a lesson with her and the Bishop´s family where she could really feel the Spirit. And a few days later had a lesson on Baptism with little results. Ugh... stressful. 

 

But with this and said scripture above, Both Hermana Salazar and I can say that we are at work in the Lord´s timing. We are doing what we can, and with that we can always do better. It feels like a matter of trial and error right now, but we can really have joy in the positive miracles that each day brings us despite what might seem like hardships. 

 

There hasn´t been a lot happening other than that. A few new investigators with lessons, and we were able to have a couple FHE´s with the families in our ward this week. Haha, sorry I will try to have more news next week. 

BUT... I was able to just read Elder Berthelson´s letter.. That is awesome!!!! Wow- the Holy Ghost will just work with people and am glad for that example of following the promptings of the Spirit. It is really incredible what the Spirit can accomplish if we are willing to listen and act. How cool, AB such an exciting time for B_____ and keep working with him! :) Thank you K, Dad, and Alex for the letters. It is cool to hear of what is going on. I like the news about what is going down in B Rouge aha.. enjoy going to the temple with the Hathaways. Also was really glad for the message K sent about cousin Leona. Very cool what blessings can do. With a last thought, like they said in conference, I challenge/ask that if you already aren´t doing it, ask about the investigators from the missionaries in our ward and pray for them BY NAME. And be their friend on Sunday when they come to church. Put the face to the name. Lots of love! have a great week!

 

 

Words of Mormon 1:7

DyC 50:26-29

Familia- 
It was so cool to get to talk to y'all on Christmas!! I hope it was enjoyable for everyone. It was pretty hot here, and we had a lot of ice cream that day... We did a lot to lead up to Christmas this week. We were giving out the rest of our cookies, we did some caroling in the plaza in our sector, we had lessons with our investigators about the Spirit of Christmas. Over all it was a good week. They don´t celebrate Christmas like they do in the states. And it definitely didn´t feel like Christmas- it passed pretty quickly actually. But we had a fun Christmas morning, the four of us in our pension. I told them about dad, and how he has to shower, get ready, eat his bowl of cereal before we can open presents. And about Karen`s delicious Christmas breakfast creations... haha. It was fun though. We opened presents that we bought for each other and I made pancakes and eggs for everyone. After, we caroled for the man who works outside of our apartment building and went to the Lopez´s house to eat lunch and talk to our families. But we worked like normal on Christmas after I finished talking with you guys. 

It was Hermana Salazar`s birthday on Friday. We had planned to go to the Temple with a couple of other Hermanas, but it ended up taking a lot longer to get to the temple than planned. The horario de la Navidad with all of the micros set us back, and we ended up getting there a lot later than planned, and so it was just Hermana Salazar and I who did a session...... In general, it was just wonderful to go back to the temple. I will get to go once more next year, and then at the end of my mission. 

That day I had called up a less-active family (familia A_____) to see if we could have a surprise "Once" for Hermana Salazar. They decorated their backyard with balloons and we had a Pan de Pascua cake with other snacks which was kind of cool under their tree decorated with Christmas lights. Hermana Ekins, Perez, and I made a piñata for Hermana Salazar and I made a pretty sweet ice cream cake. 

R____, our investigator is progressing. We had a lesson on the Plan of Salvation with her, and we could feel the Spirit so strongly. You could see her eyes light up  when we were explaining that we were created before this life and that this earthly existence is not the end. Unfortunately, she has had, and is having a lot of family problems, but it was a blessing to be able to teach her about the Plan of Salvation. She gets so excited when we come to visit. She is progressing slowly, but I am grateful for that because I feel like with the questions she has and her understanding, we learn together. She has been able to go to a few of the ward activities and is getting to know a lot of the members. Stay postponed with baptismal date-

There have also been other miracles that we have seen this week with visiting families, getting into homes that we couldn`t get in before, contacting, etc. It`s hard work, especially with the heat, but fun none-the-less. 

I don`t know if I have ever told you about our Bishop, Bishop Llancoñanco. He is like Michael Scott.. anyways, we had our third hour, fifth Sunday yesterday. He had everyone gather into the cultural hall and we watched a Mormon Messages. I was thinking a lot about my papi yesterday with one of them. The one about our Earthly Father and our Heavenly Father. I also was studying in DyC. A lot about the Priesthood. I was pondering on just how special it is that Alex and my Dad have the Priesthood Power. In vs 26 it explains that this power is ordained of God. And not to be looked upon as a power to Rise above, but to fall below and to buoy up and serve others. I know that we are human, and we all have sins, but it is pretty cool to know that worthy Priesthood holders have the ability to do ALL things in the name of Christ according to their faith and worthiness. I would always hope that the Priesthood holders I know have a life reflected on Christ even for those small moments where God will provide Earthly miracles on account of the worthiness of the Priesthood holder. I hope that Karen will find the video and that you guys can watch it. 

Editor's Note - see below for this quick Mormon Message or you can click here:

I don`t know if it is possible to burn a disc of mensajes mormones (mormon messages, spanish?) thought of that after i called  you. I don`t know if there are really any new years traditions here, but we did see some fireworks the other night. USA has a pretty big influence in Chile, I am guessing we will have fireworks for new years. Cool for Tyler Mander and way awesome for Kennedy! She is going to be an incredible missionary.  

Grateful for you guys and your goals, no not finished w LDM yet, but I am going verse for verse with my Journal of it so it will hopefullly be finished  by next year. And thank you K! I am excited to see the glue-ins. Hermana Salazr is going to love them too.. 

Keep workin hard Elder B! I put together a very small package for you. I will let you know when I send It.

Have a good week and Happy 2014!

Con amor,