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  

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

September 16

It has been a fun week though (and by that I mean we have been working hard) first, the weather started out great.. until it turned freezing. Again, I am always cold, but all part of the mission experience haha-ç

We have been working with a list of potential investigators. Our little Peruvian family of three wasnt there this week and We didn´t get to visit with them Overall, it has been a week of ups and downs. We have been finding new people to teach, but at the same time, our progressing investigators have been out of town, busy, etc etc... Becuase of 18, everyone is out of town or leaving. Chile has a full week of no school, no work. Entonces, we have been outside a lot trying to contact. And so, this week will definitly be the same, if not worse.

We do have a part-member family and I don´t know if I have mentioned them or not, But their names are J___, E____ and A___. They are awesome! I think I mentioned them in one of my emails from last week or the week before, but we are trying to teach them and do service for them. They are absolutely a wonderful family. It is different here in chile because no one wants to get married.. so The grandparents are not married, their son (J___) and his polola (gf) are not married they have another son who lives with them and his polola who are not married. Basically a whole family who are not married who are all living in the same house. It´s a little funny, but just the lifestyle. So it is a challenge but they LOVE the missionaries. A few nights ago, we went over and they made us sushi (suchi in cast/esp) It was great because we had a lesson with the grandparents who would never sit in and listen to the Elders before. Blessings blessings blessings!

 

What more... I was called out to give a talk in Sacrament meeting yestereday. It was un poco chistoso porque el obispo recibó "the little kid step" so people could see me over the pulpit. I was prepared though, becuase I had my notebook with my personal study notes. I also used my basketball analogy again haha. But it was good from what people told me. I explained the importance of perservering now. How we "practiced and prepared" before we came to Earth, and how we need to live what we believe and use the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I can´t emphasize it enough. We need to use the atonement EVERY DAY! 

I try to live a little bit better than the day before. I am really learning .. well the past 2 months, that I lacked a lot of patience and love and I am trying my hardest to change. But I think that everyone can do a little better. The atonement is real!

 

 

We had a stake celebration the other day. Cueca, emenadas, muchas personas.. the guy in the blue is our Bishop LLancoñanco btw. the dancers are a lady in my ward n her daughter. also a pic of Hermana Salazar and me making sushi