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.