Service

This week in an effort to be a better disciple of Christ I really focused in on praying for and searching for little opportunities to serve, and we were blessed with at least one opportunity every day. We pushed several cars to get them started, changed a couple tires, we helped fix up an investigator's ceiling, we have been teaching an Evangelical priest English, and a couple nights ago, we had a very interesting experience. It was 10:20, and we were within just a couple minutes from getting back to the house when a woman ran to us and told us that a man was following her. I went to the corner to see, and didn't see anyone, so I asked her if she had a place to stay. She told us that she was on her way home. She was shaking and almost hysteric so I told her not to worry and that we would walk to her home with her. I took her bags to lighten her load and just told her not to worry as we walked to her house. The only thing I said regarding the gospel was that she should say a prayer when she got home. We actually ended up walking for quite a ways and in a dangerous part of the sector, and I began to be concerned that she could be leading us into a trap. I have heard a lot here about even old women working with gangs to lead people into assaults. Elder Johnson and I both felt very safe despite the concern and where we were at that time of night. When we got to her apartment, she gave us her name and number to come and teach her about the gospel. We did arrive home late, but I think it was one of the exceptions President talks about. I'm sure that that experience was an answer to our prayers for opportunities to serve and I hope it will also be an answer to our prayers about finding people prepared to find the gospel.

As far as progress in the sector, the family we have been working with wants to be baptized, but they say they don't want to be baptized yet because the mother of the family will have to return to work at the end of August and won't be able to attend Church. I think we can help them to change their mind. I know that they are ready and I know that they know that they are ready. On a high note, the father has had a radical change and went from not having much interest to reading the Book of Mormon cover to cover, reading just about everything he can get his hands on, and watching Mormon Messages on the computer. It's amazing how much I have gotten to see this family grow.

I think that's it for the week.  It was a good one.  I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! I love you all!!

Birthday reflections

Monday was Ben's birthday. It was raining in Santiago.

It was another good week in El Pino. I turn 20 today and I have spent a lot of time thinking last night and this morning about the kind of 20 year old that I want to be. I prayerfully did a self-evaluation and pondered about what I would like to improve on this year of my life. Paul's words about becoming a man and putting away childish things kept coming to mind. These kinds of self-evaluations and goal setting always make me a better disciple of Christ. I should do them more frequently.

We had some great success yesterday with the family who I have been telling you about. The entire family of 6 came yesterday and now each has come three or more times. The father, who was last to gain a testimony, thanked me for what we brought to his family. There is nothing more sweet in the mission as those moments when less-active members or investigators thank you for what you have brought them. We are going to invite them to be baptized on the 26 of July.

First week of July

Here's this week's update:

We hiked a hill today as a mission.  The idea was that we look back and think about how much the mission has achieved in its first year and then have a vision for the following year at the top. We had a mission fast this last Sunday with the purpose of recieving revelation about what our vision for the mission is.

From the hill you get a great view of how much polllution there is in the air.  You can't see the city very well.  My new companion is from Gilbert, Arizona.  He has a great attitude and he knows his stuff pretty well.  His spanish is decent but he can't understand much.  I had the same problem.

Training and being a district leader is hard but its good.  I am learning a lot.

I only got one letter this week and it was from April 4.  It was missent to Guyana.

From Ben's letter to the mission president: Another week gone by. It was a tougher week with a much smaller number of lessons than I am used to. I suppose that's OK because it gives my new companion and I a lot of opportunities to practice contacting with all of our plans falling. He's also learning that we walk fast in this mission!

I have been telling you about the Sandoval family lately. The father was hit by a car while riding his bike last week. The front of the car was badly damaged and he could not feel his legs after the accident. He prayed in the ambulence that he would be able to support his family and was blessed not only to be able to feel his legs, but to wallk. Despite not wearing a helmet, his only injury was a chip in his tailbone. He took that blessing as a sign that it is time that he started placing a little more importance on the things of God. I very well beleive that it could have been a sign. The Lord works in mysterious ways. He and his wife went to Church for the first time together on Sunday.

As far as becoming a better disciple of Christ this week, I have memorized several more scriptures including Mosiah 27:14, Moses 3:19, Doctrine and Covenents 4, Alma 32:21, Mosiah 2:41, and a few quotes from Joseph Smith in Joseph Smith History. I have really grown to love memorizing scriptures in Spanish and have found it to be a great language study activity.

My companion is doing great. He bears simple and powerful testimony and he always has a good attitude. I am glad for the opportunity to learn from him.

Ben is a Trainer

This week's email from Ben. He is continuing his duties as district leader and also is going to be training a new missionary for the next three months.

From his letter to the mission president: Finally done with days indoors for the world cup. This week I finally took your counsel to start memorizing scriptures. I memorized a couple of my favorites- Juan 3:16-17 and Mateo 22:36-40. Memorizing has absolutely made me a better disciple of Christ. It keeps me focused on my mission in moments of boredom and makes me a more independent missionary.

As far as progress in El Pino, we are working on getting an assignment for a reactivating member and I will feel comfortable calling him a complete reactivation. We also still have the Sandoval family near ready for baptism.

From his email home: I was mistaken when I said that people destroy stuff whether Chile wins or loses.  It turns out that they only really destroy stuff when they win.  We were allowed to go out and work on Saturday after the game.

It has rained a few times, once for a few days in a row and it drizzled this morning.  They say it rains a lot in the winter here but it's nothing in comparison to NY.  The mountains have snow and right after a rain they are completely white.  They're beautiful in winter.

The mission birthday party was really cool.  I was surprised to see myself in the movie they made.  Have you seen it? Its on President's Facebook. video

Week Ending June 23

We had decided that since we hadn't received any letters from Ben in a long time that we would share stuff from emails. It turns out that this week he shared more than usual, making it much easier.


We were able to do a lot of service this week apart from the weekly helping people push and jump-start their cars.  I will just copy and paste from my letter to the President.  "This week we did a lot of service. The first activity, we fixed the leaking roof of a less-active single mother living with her disabled mother. On Wednesday, we went to the temple and we bought an audio Book of Mormon because the grandmother had expressed a desire to read the Book of Mormon but could not because her eyesight is poor. I felt the Spirit very strongly as we delivered the gifts, shared a message of Christ and repaired their roof. That experience alone made me a better disciple of Christ. I love to serve. 
In addition to the service we did at the less-active mother's house, we worked at an elementary school doing some needed upkeep work. We also did some work to deliver wood and insulation to a member in a campamento. I think you might like to see the campamento if you haven't before."  You should search campamento Chile in google images (see below, Ben has been introduced to real poverty).  It is incredible.
We had particular success yesterday with a family we have been teaching for several months now. The mother and daughters want to be baptized with the dad still unsure. Last night on the way to visiting them my companion and I were pondering what we should share. We decided to watch the Joseph Smith movie with them. When we arrived, they told us that we were just in time to watch one of the movies we had given them. The disc of the Joseph Smith movie was already in the DVD player and ready to press play when we walked in. We began with a prayer and watched the movie. Afterward we bore powerful testimony. Rarely in my mission have I felt the Spirit guide my words as it did last night. We testified simply of Jesus Christ and the restoration of His church through the Prophet Joseph Smith. After, we asked if there were any comments and the father softly said that he would have to reconsider some things tonight. I believe that family will be prepared for baptism in just a couple weeks more."

World Cup Craziness

We haven't posted here in a bit and that's because we haven't received any letters from Ben lately. We decided that we might start posting some things that Ben sends us in his weekly emails. His emails tend to be mundane, but we thought his experience with the World Cup competition might be worth sharing. It's short and sweet, but better than nothing. Ben's words:

The world cup is insane down here. If Chile wins, everyone destroys stuff. If Chile loses, everyone destroys stuff. We have to stay inside from 3 to the end of the day on days when Chile plays. It's not hard getting in (to teach) but it is impossible to teach. Everyone invites us over to watch the games.

Week of April 4

That's a lot of watermelon

On Saturday one of the other missionaries in my apartment was asked to be a zone leader. I was surprised, however, that my companion wasn’t called to be a trainer or a district leader but he is being transferred to another sector. It looks like we will both just be normal companions this change.  We spent the day at the stake center watching General Conference (in English). I have never enjoyed General Conference so much. The words of the prophets and apostles of the Lord are so inspiring, uplifting, and full of valuable counsel. I took lots of notes. I hope all that couldn’t watch the conference will read it either on the internet or in the church magazines.  Sunday we also watched conference and spent the rest of the day saying good bye to people my companion was going to miss

On Monday I got my new companion. He’s a young missionary from the group just after mine. He’s a great guy with a lot of desire to be obedient to the mission rules and to work hard. He is my first Gringo companion, and I’m a little worried my Spanish will suffer but he does speak Spanish very well. The other new missionary in my apartment is a friend of mine from my last zone, and he was in the same group as my companion and the other missionary in the apartment. That puts me with the most experience out of the four of us with only five and a half months out. It also puts three Gringos in the house with one Latino – oh how the tables have turned!

We have been working with a less active family whose two daughters have come to church several times but not consistently, and the father came to church for the first time in years just a couple weeks ago.  The mother has always been more stubborn, but today she said she would come to church before I get transferred. Her husband joked that I could get special transferred next week, so she would have to come this Sunday. 

We have also been working with a man and woman who are living together and have a child together. They want to be baptized, and the guy would like to baptize his girlfriend. That can’t happen unless they are married first. We talked to them about setting a date to get married and everything was calm and they opened up a lot to us. We also invited them to come to church on Sunday, it was a great lesson.

We spent some time contacting members from the list generated by the program I talked about before. We didn’t have much success. I’m used to that but my companion isn’t used to the constant failure and negativity. It’s obvious that he is getting frustrated. I am also a little embarrassed I have had some trouble finding my way around the sector – everything looks the same to me. I did apologize to my companion.

This week has been tough, but missionary work should be tough. You’re not working hard enough if it’s easy. I know we are being blessed for our work and obedience, though – we are teaching more, finding more, and working constantly. It’s exhausting, but rewarding.

As missionaries we are supposed to study the scriptures two hours every day. Sometimes we have meetings or service opportunities in the morning when we would normally study, but we are to study two hours every day regardless. That means sometimes we are out working less, but it’s interesting that even though we spend less time outside working but we’re finding more people to teach.

The District

Moving in (That's Ben's stuff)

A view out the window of the new house. This is a large gated development where there are many houses that all look exactly alike

Ben and his alpaca wool sweatshirt