Elder Zach Brown- Chile Concepción Mission: February 24, 2014

Saludos a todos!

Here we are in Concepcion, good times, good times. We had a classic consejo today--in the middle of the meeting, we all went out to the street and did contacts for an hour or so. It was great; I was with Elder E, we did work. I felt like a European missionary where you just gift materials and stuff (or that’s at least the impression I have from The Best Two Years movie) and met some real good folk. Good times.

This week was a good week for us. We were able to work a lot better with the members of the ward here to really get work done. We visited a lot more people with them, their neighbors, friends, and just got stuff done. But we need to work and find more time to teach more people and really just talk with all the people that are out in the street all the time. That’s really going to help the attitude of a lot of the missionaries as well here, I think, so we are excited to put it into practice. And see the miracles that come.

This week we have seen some miracles as well. I think they could write a Church News article about this one neighborhood here--there is a block (department building) that was ready to be torn down, but that people moved into again, pretty humble circumstances, lots of vice, etc, there. But this entire block loves us. They all came to play soccer at the church on Saturday with us, we said a prayer to start, they behaved themselves well, and the next day in the afternoon we went by and all of them want us to teach them now, super fun. Hopefully something will come of it; they all are pretty complicated with drinking and smoking and drugs and chastity etc, but their souls are precious, too.

So there’s lots to do but we’re seeing good progress. Elder G is doing a lot better, as well; we are getting along well, and having fun. Trying to be really diligent and show that to all the zones—that’s really what the Lord needs from us right now, I think, so we are going to make it happen, and show it to the missionaries.

I love you all, love being a missionary, and being on the front lines of the fight of faith right now—that’s what it feels like down here in Chiguayante--definitely feels like enemy territory. Pero estamos agradecidos.

Have a great week, and find the spiritual experiences! If you can’t feel how you felt the first day after your baptism, do the analysis and look for ways to feel the Spirit--there is so much joy in the journey to be found when we just look for it!

Elder Brown