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October 31 -November 6, 2017 Week 12

Hey Guys,  
     Transfers were this week and I found out that I am going to .....................................stay.  Yup I am going remain here in Arica for another 6 weeks with Elder Campos.  I am actually pretty happy about it because the work is really picking up over here.  We were able to baptize a super awesome family of 4 this past saturday and we have another family of 3 to baptize this Saturday.  The Lord is blessing the work over here and I get to be a part of it.  Sorry I don´t have a lot of time to write a whole lot, but I do want yall to know that the work is true and that families can be together forever.  One of our converts received the Priesthood this  Sunday and it was really cool for me because it is the next step for him to salvation and to be sealed with his family.  We also were able to find some new people and also the ward is becoming super supportive.  We just need more to attend the baptism services.  :)  We have a great week ahead of us.  The Lord is always mindful of us and is willing to help us with our problems and trials when we try to draw closer to Him.  All things work for our benefit, they are not always easy but they make us better.
Zone before transfers


Enjoying the Coast on this preparation day

A member's alpaca


An excerpt from the the family letter
     I love you guys a lot.  Glad to hear things are going well over there.  It comforts me a lot when I see pictures of the family being happy and doing stuff together.  Talia told me all about the trick or treating and it sounds awesome.  We did nothing for it which is super fome.  The holiday is really only a thing for kids and since almost all our investigators have kids, all our appointments and people were unavailable to teach, but we were able to get a lesson in that night.  So unfortunately Talia, I did not get to dress up.  My parents are getting to be that old age.  Good for you for embracing it. I'm glad you got to meet with others in the ward. It is really important to develop relationships with people--- especially in the ward.  We are trying to get people to warm up to the converts and invite their friends because it is really important.  I am realizing more how big of a role the members play in missionary work.  One of the indicators  we report on every week is lessons with a member, and when a member is present, it is so much easier to teach.  Also super important to have Family Home evening with a spiritual message even if it is one verse.  That is also one of the indicators for people to remain active.  
     So I am staying here for another 6 weeks with Elder Campos.  We only had 3 missionaries in the zone transfer.  One of them is the Zone Leader (from Ecuador) and he is returing to his old barrio in Iquique.  We are getting Elder Shafer from Canada so it will be 3 gringos and a Chileno.  Our baptism didn't fall this past week! and so we baptized a family of 4.  It was super great.    We also helped this one guy named Simon on Friday for like an hour and a half.  His wheelchair tire broke and so we spent some time looking for a bike shop and then took him to his house.  He has epilepsy and some other issues so we only were able to help him.    Also Gabriel (el Boliviano que yo bauticé el mes pasado) recieved the Aaronic Priesthood on Sunday and that was actually really neat.  It reminded me of the email you sent last week about the purpose of missonary work and bringing families together forever and I really think that he is going to make it and stay faithful and be sealed and that makes me happy.  With cambios happening today, I was thinking about the AP that was going home today and part of me got really homesick.  I am working hard on trying to forget myself and usually when I am actually out there it is easy but the mornings are sometimes difficult.  I bore my testimony in Sacrament yesterday and afterwards Abraham got up and practically gave a testimony of me because he believed I was getting transferred and we all laughed about it at the bishops house that night.    It helps me to see that I am actually making a difference and helping people return to Christ and I think with that my homesickness just left. 

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