May 6, 2013

Hey, Everyone!

We have had a very inspiring week to work a lot harder but, more than anything, a lot smarter. We have always been working hard, por lo menos. But we were really spiritually fed at the mission conference this week with President, and really inspired and instructed in the ways we can improve. Very excited to make some changes and start to help the ward here a lot better.

We are putting a lot more focus on working with members and showing them our love, but more in a way where they will always respect the nature of our call. This is something that the mission has not really put much focus on but something that I had been thinking a lot about and I feel like this is going to give the ward the push to really explode this ward.

We also had a lot of fun this week--Elder Ames and Elder Hernandez were back and they sent me to Penco Centro to stay for the night. I slept on the floor, and it was the worst, and I got eaten by pulgas which is bad because from past experience I do not respond well to flea bites. Doing better, but every one I get swells up and hurts a lot. It is not highly desirable. The weather here is changing as well--there have been a couple points in the week when we have just been soaked, with all the wind, cold, and no one will even open their doors to see who it is. Bummer. But there it is. So it should be a lot of fun experiencing more of that coming up here! Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven, after all—hopefully, we will see some of those blessings coming our way!

Had some great spiritual experiences this week, more than anything just talking with members in hard times. Our converts are doing a lot better but we have talked with lots of members and investigators having marriage problems, and IT IS THE WORST: these people are tearing each other apart over the stupidest things. But we are working hard to help them out, basically just hand them over to the poor bishop to deal with. Tough stuff.

When I was working in Penco Centro this week, with Elder Clawson, we randomly stopped by a house of one of their old investigators, because we saw her son outside and I had to go to the bathroom. Elder Ames, the traveling assistant, and Elder Holt, my bud, had just taught her, but we were there so we just decided to share something as well. We talked with her, I got to know her, and basically just called her out on all her doubts. I asked her why she wasn’t baptized yet and she laughed and said she had a hard time with the Book of Mormon. Elder Clawson and I really just changed everything and were really led by the Spirit to teach her simply the importance of the Book of Mormon, what it is, and something clicked. It was a neat experience of watching her change, so hopefully that will help her in her progress and desires to be baptized.

I hope everything is well with all of you--weird to think a year ago from now finals at Duke were finishing up! Crazy stuff. Crazy. We have started reading the Book of Mormon as a mission, and it is great every morning to really just dedicate more of that personal study time to just reading, and still thinking how it can apply to the needs of our investigators and members. I am convinced that every word is inspired, and that there are things we can really apply to our times and situations in every way. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, written by ancient prophets, and together with the Bible is the way we can come to really know our Savior Jesus Christ and apply his atoning sacrifice more fully in our lives. And I would definitely encourage all that have never read it, or never prayed and specifically asked our Heavenly Father about its truthfulness, to do so. Definitely changes lives.

I hope everyone is doing very well! Keep working hard with everything! Have a great week! That’s it from my end! Love you all lots! Saludos to the family, friends, and everyone!

Zach

Chilean Kronk and Yzma toys--"the AWESOMEST!"

 Eating Ecuadorian food they prepared together--"Delicious!"

 With Sister Tidwell, another Timpview Thunderbird--"Look who showed up in Chile?!"