4 of the 5

This morning we got up early to say goodbye to some elders that were being transferred to other sectors. So now it`s just me and my comp in the house. It`s the first time I`ve ever lived with just  2 people in my mission.  We`ll see how it goes. We have alot of people we`re teaching right now who are really thinking about baptism. This sector is amazing. I`m having a blast working here. I Well nothing much else. Working alot, and having fun. We taught a kid the word of wisdom this last week, and he had problems with 4 of the 5 things we shouldn`t consume! And now he`s not doing any of them! Man, I wish I had that much faith!

Missionary Shoes

So this week has been my best week in the mission when it comes to numbers. We had a TON of lessons and found alot of new people. Our p-day has been really good so far. We just got done playing another game of  futbol. It was fun. I`m planning on doing the 50-20 when I get back. Hopefully I`ll be able to do it, seeing as I walk everywhere here. The world cup is coming up here soon. Everybody is freakin out! It`s gonna be huge. Don`t worry about the memory card, I`m doin just fine with the ones I got here. So this next transfer they`re taking 2 of us out of the house. We live 4 right now, but next week there will only be 2. I guess the mission is losing some missionaries, so they`re minimizing some sectors. Anyways, sounds like everything there is lookin beautiful. It`s gonna be so nice to see the mountains again... That has been one of the hardest things for me in the mission, not beeing able to see the mountains. It`s suposed to be getting really cold, really soon.

Well, this week was good. I`m finally fitting in to this new sector and it`s amazing!

Here`s some pics of the shoes. Hope they work.

Well I`m out of things to say. Sorry if it isn`t much. Love you, tell the fam. Tell the people in the ward I said Hola [and] I still remember them, I`m just horrible at writing...

The Mish is a blast!

I`m having alot of fun figuring out my sector and finding new people to teach. We`ve been doing really good these past couple weeks. My companion was sick last Thursday so we stayed inside ALL DAY... talk about boring. I read almost all of Genesis! HAHA!

We just barely played some soccer. We won 1 game and lost the other. It was alot of fun though. Anyways, hope the fam has been doing well. We had a lesson with a new woman we found and she is so aweswome! We asked her if she would pray about the things we taught her and she said " I want to change my life for the better, so I`m gonna do whatever it takes to get baptized." We were obviously stunned by her answer, but we put a baptismal date for the 13th of june. It really opened my eyes the faith she had. If we as people weren`t so stuborn and would just change, just take a tiny step forward, the Lord will change our lives for the better.

6 months in this sector!

So this week was amazing!!! We had some baptisms, taught some amazing lessons, and ate some fried chicken!!! It was good. There hasn´t been any earth-shakes lately. It`s good to hear that the end of the week went well for you guys. I can`t wait to go to the temple on a regular bases. It`s gonna be sweet to go to the (local) TEMPLE!!! Wow, there`s so many things I`ve learned in the mission, it`s crazy. This week I really learned about the Holy Ghost. It really is the greatest gift we can receive from our father. All good, charity, hope, and faith come from the spirit. It`s awesome. Anyways, today is the start of a new transfer, I`m still in my 3rd sector. At the end of this transfer I`ll have had 6 months in this sector! Long time. But it`s ok, I love this area, I have alot of good friends, investigators, and members here to help me out, it`s like my home away from home. We have a new elder that just moved in with us today. His name is Elder Rodriguez, he`s from Columbia, and he`s super cool. I knew him at the beginning of my mission, he was my district leader. He has 20 months in the mission. He just replaced an elder from Half Moon Bay, California, Elder Ollerton. He goes home TODAY! He was a really good friend these past 4 and a half months.

Earthquake in Chile

OK, so on Saturday the 27th at about 4am there was a HUGE EARTHQUAKE in all of Chile! We were all asleep when all the sudden our beds started shaking like crazy. Elder Thueson (the Elder that sleeps on the opposite side of the room from me) started screaming "WHOA WHOA WHOA!" We got up and ran outside! HAHA, the one thing you shouldn't do in an earthquake. We ran and held on to the metal fence of our house and just waited. We were yelling for our companions to come outside, and like 10 seconds later they came out. My companion told me later that he was still asleep and out of it when we were outside. The entire earth was SHAKING!!! It was the CRAZIEST thing I have ever experienced. Cars and houses looked like they were floating in water. It was so incredibly scary! The power went out as soon as it started so that the wires wouldn´t shock anyone. People were running, and screaming, and crying. After about the first minute we decided to say a prayer. When we ended the prayer the earthquake was still going. It finally ended after what seemed like forever, and nobody was hurt! At least where we were. They`ve reported about 700 deaths in all of Chile. A town about six hours south of us called Concepcion was hit the hardest. There's 2 missions in Concepcion and our Mission still doesn`t have contact with them. There`s about 5 missionaries from there in our mission, so they are really worried about their families. They're still finding people under everything. Hopefully the Missionaries there are OK. Our President has told us to stay in the house these next couple days because of aftershocks and all the looting people are doing. We`ve counted about 20 aftershocks since the first one hit, and each time we feel one we all start panicking! HAHA, it`s funny. We now have power and water again. They both turned off when it happened. I haven`t gotten any really good pictures of anything so I`ll send you some next week. The only thing I would ask from you is your prayers. Alot of people need them right now. I`m doing fine, I don`t have a scratch on me. Hopefully all there is going better than here.

Cannon Ball Missionary

OK, These past couple weeks have been really awesome. I've been training a new missionary. His name is Elder Savage, he's from Delaware. He's super cool. He's alot more focused then I was when I first started the mission. I've really learned alot from him. He just barely got out of the MTC like 2 weeks ago and is already diving head first into the field. I remember when I first started I was so scared to do anything. All I did was test the water with my big toe. But my companion is cannon balling his way in! It's really awesome to see him grow as a missionary so quick. One thing I've definitely learned as a missionary is that time is essential in everything! Were always using our time, and if we're not, WE SHOULD BE! Time is progress, and progress consists of failure and success! We as people should always be progressing in life. That's why the Savior gave his life for US! So we can PROGRESS! Of course we're going to make bad decisions, We're human. But we have the choice to learn from our mistakes and repent, or suffer. ... But the choices we make in life really DO make us the person we are. I know this church is true, I know the power of God was restored through Joseph Smith, and that people and families can have eternal happiness together FOREVER!!! Love you guys SO MUCH! Have an awesome week.

Senior Companion

Hey FAMMMMMM!!! This week has been going super good, REALLY SUPER GOOD!!! Me and my son (the missionary I`m training) are having a blast. We had such an awesome week and worked super hard. It was a blast. We taught so many lessons. Wow, I`ve really learned alot this week. Being senior companion is alot of work but very rewarding. It`s still super hot here, we just got done playing water balloon volleyball at the stake center. It was fun. Well, hope all is going well at the house. Love ya much. Bry Guy.

Hey FAM! I`m doin really good here. It`s still super hot. Well, my companion left for his homestead yesterday, but guess what? I´m gonna be training a new missionary this next couple months!!! Isn`t that sweet?! I don`t know who he is or where he`s from. But he should getting here from the States tomorrow. WOW! Wish me luck. Hope all is going well at the Home.

Holes in my shoes

Hey Fam. Looks like you guys are doing good. That`s so cool to hear about the Temple in Payson!!! That is going to be SO cool. I`m totally going there like every week when I get back! The mission is going really good. I think it`s because I`m finally getting used to the language. I can speak and understand what they are saying like cake. It`s actually really cool to step back and think 12 months ago I didn`t know a thing about spanish. Now it`s like I`ve been speaking spanish my whole life. Ok, I`m not THAT good at it, but pretty close. We have a guy right now who is really interested in the church. He said " I don`t get it, you guys are the only ones called `The Church of Jesus Christ`, shouldn`t that be what all the churches are called?" Then we had to explain The Restoration and The Plan of Salvation and The Gospel of Jesus Christ all in one! It was long, but he totally has a strong goal to get baptized the 21st of Febuary! Hopefully he goes through with it. Well, other then that I`m pretty much out of things. My companion goes home in a week! He`s super excited and super sad at the same time. I feel for him. Both pairs of my shoes have holes in them! HAHA! We walk SO MUCH! Ok, love ya tons. Have an awesome week. Love your Elder.