A month in Gambino

Independence week was celebrated here in Chile  Tuesday and Wednesday were spent at a church building getting fat off meat and watching shows.  I really admired how they all get together and have fun, all day long from 11:00 am to 2:00 am early the next morning.  My companion and I got there around noon played games for a while.  Games included hitting a bunch of cans with tape balls, sack race, volantines (a kite), and playing soccer.  Lunch was great considering the amount of people; we had pork and rice with potatoes. The desert was one of my favorites, tuti fruti (a Chilean version of fruit salad but better).  Next was a little more games and then back inside for shows.  They were fun and entertaining, near 9:00 pm, they began to dance and as a missionary we can’t dance obliviously.  We helped clean up a bit and went home, filled with the classic empanadas de pino. The rest of the week was great and had plenty of spiritual lessons.

 Ana Zuñiga isn’t a member but her husband is the Elders quorum President.  Many elders have tried to baptize her with no success, so we decide to try.  The lesson we had with them on Friday I will never forget.  The day was going well and we had prepared two lessons and decided how we felt would decide how we taught. Right before we entered we said a prayer for guidance. As we went I and began to teach, I felt the spirit as I began to speak and it took over and words began to come out, it was very powerful and honestly don’t know how to describe it to you, but it was just a warm feeling and Ana began to open up.  After the lesson, her husband left us at the gate and said she had never been so receptive.

  Another was Mauricio and Gabriela; these two also have been visited by many missionaries and hadn’t ever progressed.  We taught them on Sunday.  We found his concerns and let him talk.  Mauricio opened up and began to share.  He said something that made us feel good.  He said that of all the missionaries we were different and let him talk.  In the end he promised to ask God if he should get married and be baptized, and said it with conviction.

  Also yesterday we taught Maria a 14 year old who said she wanted to go on a mission.  Now this lesson was great but funnier than anything.  After watching the Restoration movie we began to talk serious about her testimony and what not.  Then out of no where the member, Bro. Muñoz, said “Maria we invite you to the water the 12 of October..."  Maria didn’t know what that meant and looked at him funny as he had a serious very face.  I couldn’t help it and laughed as my companion sat there shaking his head.  In the end she accepted to be baptized.

Well the baptism went over great. Betty Villasagua is her name. It is a wonder to think that someone can get baptized so fast, she already seemed like a member. It was a nice ceremony with plenty of members and the spirit strong. In the past month and a half my companion and I have seen the ward grow. It’s great to find that we have trust with the members and have worked hard and see fruits of our labors.

It was another great week, I get a long great with my companion, and we teach so well together the best in my experience. I love it here in Gambino and am having a wonderful time, even though drunken people contact me and this week was a bit crazy with all the parties.

Good by El Salto, hello Gambino

After seven months in El Salto I am was transferred.  My new sector is Gambino, Zapadores.  It is almost right next to my old sector.  My companion is Elder Concha and he is from Chile.  He is 26 and this is his last exchange be for he goes home.  It was sad to leave El Salto.  After so many months I had made many, many friends.  There were a lot of good byes and gifts from the members and investigators.  I also really enjoyed working with Elder Pereira—we got along great.  I also became friends with many of the youth in the ward as we played soccer together on about every p-day.
After a couple of weeks I have easily come to really enjoy the new ward and my companion.  We came into the area together and soon meet with the ward mission leader.  He planned a meeting for us to meet the ward members.  We were very excited at their enthusiasm for missionary work.
One experience I would like to share is about Betty, a woman who had been searching for the missionaries forever.  She even went to the temple to ask and that’s when we were sent to her house.  During the very first lesson we found she had been reading the Book of Mormon and was in Mosiah!  She already has a testimony of the Book and the prophet Joseph Smith.  Sunday she came to church and was instantly befriended by the Ward members.  She accepted a date to be baptized.  She is a blessing from heaven.
The Spirit is strong here and the Lord has such mercy with me and blesses me way to much—more than I feel I deserve.  It is interesting to think how much I have changed and what I have left behind in my life.  I have had so many experiences that I remember that just testify plainly that the church is true.  In the end it all just makes sense, God loves us and wants us to be happy.

It has been awhile.

Well have had several baptisms since my last entry. And we continue to find people and teach the gospel. We have moved into a new house. It is great and big enough. We really only occupy one room. There is not much time to really enjoy it because we are always out working. I did have a fever recently. It is ridiculous how many times I get sick here. I am sure it is all the city smog. I continue to serve in El Salto, now over 7 months. I have a new companion, Elder Pereira is from Uruguay. He has been out for three months has it is wonderful to see his energy. Being in the same sector for a long time is interesting, and sometimes a little hard. Members and investigators get so used to you, and many times want you to spend so much time with them. Yesterday was a test of that, but I feel good when I say we need to go and work for the Lord. The mission is going well; we have others with potential to be baptized. We have spent so much time working on the ones we have, helping them get ready and all. We now need to refocus on finding new ones. That is how it goes, we find and teach and then find some more, I like it a little better to be honest. I feel great walking in the street and talking to people, it is different than running from one appointment to the next. Last week was ward conference. The Bishop, being who he is organized as he is, held a week long conference. Bishop Rojas is a very inspired person. Every day but Monday there was something in the church. We the elders went to the meeting on Wednesday. This meeting was “every member a missionary" and all were invited to go and share the gospel with everyone in the street. Sadly only about 6 people came....but those people are the strongest and went out with excitement. All were given flyers for the conference week inviting everyone. I, with my companion, went with Sister Reyes and Sister Aguilar. Sister Reyes talked to everyone and did such a great job! She was the first to talk and when she saw someone she went out of her way to go and talk to them. It was a great experience doing contacts in the street with the members. On Saturday we had a talent show, which went over well and the 5 elders did a little mission day skit. Sunday was the grand conference and we heard talks by both our Bishop and the Stake President. I was lifted up and had a great day at church. Today for p-day we played soccer with the young men and a couple investigators. Wednesday it was raining all day, and no one opened the door. Surprisingly I was happy, but really happy; it was just fun to be out knocking doors and working. This work is of God, it just has to be, what 20 year old boy goes out in the rain to preach? I love it! Friday was funny; we did a service by taking out the ceiling in a house. The ceiling was made of Styrofoam so we took a broom and just punched it all out. It got everywhere. We and the three children that helped us cleaned it all up. We have gone on splits with members almost every day this week. The mission is going great. Yesterday I had an interview with the Mission President. He lifted my spirits having him tell me I am doing a wonderful job.

Having great experiences

This past week we have changed where we live and now live in the Calle Uruguay.  It is part of a little building that a family owns and converted it into 4 apartments.  It is a nice little place, bigger then the last and in a good location.  It is all new and we will fix it up more.  We got new stuff from the mission to have all the supplies we need for the house.  Saturday we did a service project for a family that the other elders in our ward are teaching. They are a little poor and lived in a house that’s not the best ever.  We went there with the Bishop and started with the walls.  I was privileged with painting the ceilings...being one of the tallest and all.  The paint was a mixture of with quartz and when you paint the ceiling it tends to rain little white specks.  Soon a little bit of painting the white specks get all over you.  Needless to say my face, arm and jacket where spotted white.  The family seemed really happy with the work and like the loving Chileans I know they bought us some Coca-Cola. 

    Work wise we have been very, very busy.  First was the house change, which took time; and then we found the water heater didn’t work.  The water heater is a gas powered thing that cold water goes in and hot comes out, well this was not working.  So we had someone from the mission office come and look at it; that took plenty of time.  We have been greatly blessed with people to teach.  First story is a man named Angelo who lives with his girlfriend but is married to another.  Now I assume you know that he or she cannot be baptized.  Angelo, with his testimony of the truthfulness of the church has decided to move.  He happened to find a house in the ward!  He is sacrificing a lot to change and to follow the Savior.  He is a great person and has great faith.  He has a date to be baptized for the 21 of July.

   Another bit of experiences I have been having is the families we are teaching.  First is the Valdes family.  The parents are less active—well were—and we are teaching the three daughters.  Two of the three should be baptized this coming Sunday. They all love going to church.  What has impressed me is the father, Victor.  The other day, after a lesson, he asked for a moment and gave his testimony and thanked us for sharing the truth with him.  He mentioned that before he didn’t really understand what it all meant and told us he believed it was all true.  The Lord has blessed him with a firm testimony and it shows in his eyes.  Secondly, is the Moreno Hernandez family, a family of four that came to church yesterday.  They are very kind and have a big interest in finding their faith again.  All four have accepted a date for baptism on the 21 of July.  The past lesson was watching the video of the first vision and it impacted all of them.  The oldest daughter gave her testimony of how she felt it was true because she had a simple desire to continue to share with us.  They are great people and always love having us over.  Thirdly, and I’m sure have heard about them, is the Abarca family.  We baptized the daughter recently and are helping the boyfriend of another daughter get things arranged to be baptized as well.  It is always fun to visit them and see the diligence that the mother puts in to going church. She has a leg that is longer then the other and walks very slow but has gone to church the past four weeks.  Finally is the Pavez family.  The mother and son are converts but the step father has a different story.  He had a conflict a while back with an elder and when I arrived in the sector I was forbidden to even go near the area where they lived.  As of yesterday the man, Andres, has a date to be baptized and has gone to church at least two times.  I am seeing so many miracles here in Chile.  The Lord has blessed us and these wonderful people so much.  I am so happy to be part of the changes that I have seen these people go through. This Church is true and the Holy Ghost is true and it works within us to change us through the atonement of Christ.

June update

We had a hard rain one evening and it blew some transformers causing the power to go out.  It has happened before.  The city’s (Santiago) power was still on and lit up the night sky.  We have had several families to teach, even some less active members.  The Bishop, Obispo Rojas, has gone with us to teach.  That has been great. 

One p-day, we had an activity and a birthday/going away party for two elders.  As always we played soccer and had food—this time prepared by a professional and it was soooooooo good.  I was the goalie and am getting better at soccer little by little.

Changes came on the 17^th and I am in the same sector, El Salto, but with a new companion, Elder Figueora from Chile.  We get along fine and enjoy working hard.  We had two baptisms, Millaray Abarca and Jose Marambio.  We had a lot of people attend and most were investigators or less active members.  It was wonderful.  We are walking and talking and teaching as much as we can.  I am doing great and grow everyday, the spirit works through me and in me to strengthen my testimony. I’m blessed to be an instrument in the Lord’s hands.  I love it here in Chile and honestly don’t want to leave.

May Update

We had changes and I am staying with my companion Elder Xavier here in el Salto. Also this week we did service and painted a house for a member. The two Mexican elders in our house left and one went home and we have yet to meet the new elders. 

Well to answer the breakfast question, I eat oatmeal to cereal to a sandwich.  Today my companion made me a Swedish pancakes and filled it with caramel sauce, which made me sick afterwards.....but my week was a fun one.   Monday, my comp and I went to downtown in search of stuff my companion wanted to see.  We found a building full of little stores, mostly hair care and doctor stuff, but I found a shop that sells medieval weapons and armor; it’s was just interesting to see.  I saw Viking stuff and that was the highlight for my p day.  My comp walked everywhere looking at everything.  Almost every day of the week we have been teaching a family.  Marcela is the mother, Yeneli is the daughter with her boyfriend Cristian and their two daughters.  Millaray is another daughter, Oliver a grandson; and also a nephew of Millaray.  It is a little complicated, but here it is normal.  We teach them and it is going wonderfully.  They attended church on Sunday and a member picked them up!  I love sharing with them and they love having us over, since we pass by every day.  The two young ones, Millaray and Oliver want to be baptized, especially Oliver.  Cristian does as well, he’s about 20.  He is just a little lazy so we have to push a bit.  I am finding I love this sector and all the people in it.  We are also teaching Angelo and Carolina, they came as well to church and everyone in the ward welcomed them and was nice!  Sunday was a great day, well the morning.  Friday, here in Santiago we had a freak hail storm with thunder and lightning.  Luckily we were in a house right as it happened and it was funny because no one has seen that before and it actually scared a lot of people.  It was all over the news, my comp was yelling ¨snow! snow!¨  I explained it was hail and he along with the Chileans were so fascinated by it all.  Saturday we had an interesting day, we met a lady the day before who is the community leader and had a visit planned at 10 in the morning.  It fell through and we had to run home to prepare for English classes and run to get the keys for the church and then go get set up at the church, in final no one came....so I am tired and ending the English classes.  Afterwards, we had lunch with a great family.

The couple we have been teaching, Angelo and Carolina, we taught them the law of chastity and it went over really well.  Angelo, being married, talked about getting divorced and married to Carolina so he could be baptized.   They both have attended to church and are learning and reading a lot.  Before the lesson on chastity, I was worried a lot how they would take it, so I said a prayer with my comp before we knocked the door and it seemed that I didn’t speak and that the words just flowed out of my mouth.  I have high hopes for them.  Saturday we had visits 4 to 7 every half hour.  The first told us to come by later....the next one we passed by was a nice lady...and told us to come by later, and finally we talked to Nicolas, a man about 25ish and he said to come by later, in about 10 minutes later.  I thought ok yeah lets go talk to someone and get a visit and come back.  We come back and he let us in and we taught; it was great.  I found he is looking for answers about life and why bad things happen.  I felt the spirit as we taught and he promised to read before we even asked him.  We plan to visit him today with a member about his age. Also the Abarca family, Millaray the little daughter, and Cristian the boyfriend accepted a date to be baptized! I love teaching them and it’s always fun to go over, they love us and say they feel something different when we are over there.  Of course I tell them it’s the spirit. Friday we had interviews with president and it went well.  He seemed happy with the work I am doing.  We walked home instead of taking a bus, to save money and surprisingly we meet a kid and invited him to church and it seemed like he would, even though he lives in a different sector.  Thanks for all the letters.  Elder Shelley

Monthly Update

I’m healthy and happy.  The weather is changing and the cooler days are settling in nicely; that makes me happy.  I have read the Book of Mormon, the D&C and the New Testament in Spanish.  I’ve read a lot and am now in Mosiah reading in English.  I love the scriptures and think 2 Nephi is my favorite; that’s honestly really where my testimony grows the strongest in the scriptures.

The field in front of our apartment building caught on fire...and being a little later at night and had finished planning, we all went over and took pictures.  It was pretty cool and we watched on the corner as the firemen put it out.  The work is going well and we have a couple people progressing and other decent investigators who we teach.  One investigator went to a session of conference.  Conference for me was good and I felt the spirit and learned how I can better my life.  It’s different to go to a stake center and listen in Spanish.  We get it here live, but it is translated in Spanish of course.  Also for the questions about the other elders we live with, there is Elder Garza and his companion Elder Olvera.  Both are from Mexico and the first goes home in a month.  We see them plenty and talk a lot; I have made friends with Elder Garza since he was here last exchange as well. One p-day, my companion and I went to a part of our sector we found one day that is at the end of our sector.  We will played soccer and enjoyed the time.

We have a few people with a date to be baptized and many others who are great investigators.  For example, the other day we had all day set with visits, but they all canceled or just weren’t there.  I had an idea to stop by a guy we had taught before with a broken foot and see how he was doing.  When we got to the house a lady was sitting outside.  We asked her if Jorge was home.  He had left.  My comp, being the great elder that he is, asked her if we could share a message.  She accepted.  I taught and basically told her who we are and what the message can bring.  She told us she had been looking for something to get her closer to God and that made my day.  She’s real nice and we will be teaching her again tomorrow.  In this sector the elders make their own food; so I have learned basic stuff, like rice, fried rice, salsa, stuff with eggs, and ways to cook meat.  I make my own food and it’s all supported with fruit; but the fresh fruit season is coming to a close so it’s getting pricier.  I sing in lessons and in church now.  It’s funny because everyone expects me to know every hymn.  We are teaching plenty. Marcel is one, and he is doing great and reads a lot and prays and has gone to church every week. José is a kid whose mother is a convert of 3 months or so and he wants to be baptized.  A guy named Angelo is the Bishop’s neighbor and he is really humble and is doing great.  Saturday we had a baptism.  We went to the Temple here in Santiago and I had a wonderful time, it’s quite pretty.

El Salto and Easter Week

Well I am doing fine, but changes have hit.  I am staying here in el Salto, while Elder Roberts goes to the island of Juan Fernandez!  It was sad to say goodbye.  We had become good friends, but we both are from Utah so the possibility to see each other again is always there.  I am now with Elder Xavier, from Uruguay, the capital city I think.  He is a great Elder.  We already get along and he seems cool and super nice.  The week was alright, it went by really fast and I don’t remember much.  Saturday we had FHE at the church.  A lot of people came and it was quite fun.  We had a lesson and played games.  The Elders did the games as well.  I think that was the best part of it all and I’m sure everyone had fun.

Easter here is a week long thing that has been morphed by commercialism.  It’s the weekend that does it though.  Friday is doing nothing but watch videos about God.  I did see a little bit of The Ten Commandments.  They only eat fish, so fish prices sky rocket; other meats are cheap so we take advantage of that.  It is supposed to be a week to remember Christ and his death, thus, it makes great contacting and bringing up that He lives again.  This week with my new companion has been fun and we have worked very hard.  Thursday and Friday are kind of a holiday, where if you are young and rebellious, you go be that.  We had to return home early on both Friday and Saturday.   There was a lot of noise and activity—such as gun shots and cop cars patrolling the streets and such.  My companion and I hung out with the other two Elders in our apartment.  The work is going great and we have 3 people with a date to be baptized.  One investigator came up to us yesterday at church and asked if we could teach him.  Our gold investigator is Marcel; he’s an older fellow about 50 or so and is looking for the truth.  He has lots of belief but lacks just that little push, but we teach all the time and he progresses.

Thanks for all your love, support and prayers

The work is going great!

The work is going great.  We have a lady and her sister who want to get baptized.  One is 100% on going with it; well, at least she says that.  There is just one thing she needs to give up and that’s the hard part.  Saturday we were with her and her family and were teaching and sadly the idea of gold plates came up.....and I had to do all I could to get that out of the way because she thought gold was from the devil.  I tried to explain that it is not, greed is what comes from the devil.  Then the word of wisdom came up and they thought it was ok just to drink a little.  They don’t understand why we have such "strict rules".  I put my foot down and told them it is a commandment from God and we must therefore follow it—even if God tells me to go and bark on the street like a dog.  Well it felt powerful; I was very scared but they stopped with all that and we did our best to end with the spirit.

A couple days ago we had been having a very long day and could not find anyone to teach and ended up on a corner not having any plans.  Well, the next thing is a miracle happened.  We just saw a man entering his home and started talking to him.  He was nice and let us in which of course made us happy.  The whole time my comp was and his prayer was answered as this man let us in.  We get in, talk a little, get to know him, and then we teach.  It was one of the most spiritual lessons I can remember, giving the first vision made me cry and we taught with such power and the spirit was so strong.  Near the end, we asked him how he felt; with his watering eyes he said he just felt important and special.  I don’t know how else to explain it except the love of God our Father was there in that moment and we all felt it.  He promised to read and pray with a firm promise.  We left with a good feeling and high hopes.

Sunday came and we arrived with our investigator, the lady from before January, sitting in the back and reading.  She greeted us with a smile and stayed for sacrament meeting.  We had a tiring week and lots of times we could have just said, “Well we did enough”, but keep going.  I love it here, it is the hardest thing I have ever done, but am grateful for the experiences my Heavenly Father gives me.  I have learned so much here.

Off to Pudahuel

For the mission, my week has been a little blurred because I had changes.  The weekend was remembered because I said goodbye to a lot of people I care about and they the same for me.   It is weird to think 4 and a half months passed by so fast.  I am now in a sector called Corona Sueca, Pudahuel.  It’s near where I first started actually.  Also I am with a gringo after the string of Latinos, named Elder Roberts.  He is from West Valley City, Utah.  We will be opening a new sector.  Yesterday was goodbyes.  I also meet a Swedish woman the other day.  It was at a house where a member rents in the back and she was a daughter or something of the owner.  I had the chance to talk to her a bit.  I found she was a translator and knew Swedish (of course), English and German; also a bit of French and Spanish.  She is self employed and said there is lots of work here, since it’s Swedish and German and she does other stuff.  She goes on lots of trips and knows quite a few places.  She was really nice and I did get to share a little about the missionaries and the church.  I was just happy to meet a Swede other then family.  So that’s my week and we'll see how all the change go this next month.  It is crazy to think I have been here a year.  Well thanks for the letters.

-Elder Shelley

Soccer in Chile and my birthday

Chile is doing great since they won a very important soccer game against Peru yesterday.  I have no idea how the soccer game works, my companion tries explaining and I get most of it, but it’s a whole different world.  Apparently soccer matches affect politics, and that’s not being sarcastic people down here are fanatics from the street bum, who I saw at a pub watching on the TV with the room packed, to the President of the country.  Sadly it affects the work too, there was not a soul outside yesterday, and one house we got into was with a less active member.  He let us in and then sat down watched the game for a minute then finally looked at us and said "elders how can I help you?"  Well this should have been a question directed at him so.  We said we just wanted to see how he was doing and that we would be stopping by later and left.  Another time we were let in and the guy who let us in told us to sit and be quiet while the game was a play and we talked during commercials, but let because it was pointless.  My birthday was spent in the street with all our visits failing.  My companion, being the weird loving person he is, bought me some ice cream and a sandwich and told me happy birthday.  He also bought me an Inca Cola, a soda from Peru.  Sunday I had a surprise visit at the church when I arrived.  There was a convert, her mother (non member) and her uncle.  I was shocked and happy, because I care about that family a lot, and it was great to see them.  I am doing great, just continuing teaching and preaching. I love it here.

Working hard, doing great

It has been almost 11 months in the mission for me.  I am in Conchali 14^th Ward, a ward near the center of Santiago.  My current companion is Elder Arcos, from Argentina. We get along great and we are both working hard.  I have been here in this ward for 3 months and know it like my ward back home.  I will be here for another month and a half, so it has become a little home for me.  The work is going great.  We have plenty of people interested and teach lots of lessons.  The Chileans are in vacation now and the weather is as hot as can be; I look like a native—except for the hair.  The language is also great with many times people thinking I am my companion on the phone (because if they saw me they would know I was a gringo).  The mission is a wonderful place and my testimony grows everyday.  I love studying the scriptures and know of their truth and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has the restored gospel.  Thanks to all for your support, it’s a wonderful work and a privilege to do it.

-Elder Shelley

Transfers, staying put in Conchali

Nothing comes to mid as new and exciting the past few weeks.  Elder Gomez and I knocked so many doors and asked all the members for referrals, but nothing.  Sergio and Ivan left us and we are still teaching Cruz but she is struggling a little.  I guess I got blessed to be in the hardest sector of the mission, which is what all the other missionaries and members say, anyway.  We walked and talked to everyone we could this week, but nobody seemed to want us to come in; but we still work hard and long and I love feeling good at night knowing I tried my best.  We have gotten close to a family that treats us like their kids almost, I think it’s because I shared my candy with them, but I am doing great and love the work and enjoy talking to people and learning about Christ from the scriptures.

The weather is in full swing with boiling dry heat, but I think my body is getting used to it all.  I can’t see the mountains or the ocean, sadly because it is all city, there are a few hills, one which is Cerro Renca.

Yes, transfers have come and I am staying here but my good friend Elder Gomez has left.  I got along really well with him and am sad to see him leave.  Now I am with another elder from Argentina, Elder Arcos, he seems chill and I met him before in Estrella Sur. This past week we went to the Centro on Monday which was fun, I got a couple of shirts I liked and it was all pretty cheap as well, which helped.

I love you all and appreciate your prayers and letters.