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

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,