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.

Happy Holidays!

I am doing great. This past week we have been walking in the hot summer sun most of the time. Yesterday, Monday, we had activity at the mission home for Christmas; all we did was take a tour of the house because it is being converted into a MTC.  We also watched a few of the new bible videos the church has.  We had lunch with two zones.  I got to visit with my old MTC companion. The week really was quick, as normal. Nearing Christmas we see a few lights here and there and plenty of trees. Everyone is all in a buzz for the holidays and when we went to the center of Santiago for a p-day everyone was Christmas shopping. In our sector there is a Christmas Feria in Cortijo.  That’s where they sell random stuff for gifts. That’s really the highlights of anything new.  I am loving the mission though.  We work very hard but it is so much fun doing it.  I get along really well with my companion, Elder Gomez, and we chat and laugh whenever we are just in the street knocking.  We have an investigator named Cruz who is excited to go to church and knows the church is true.  Another is a father, Sergio.  He isn’t a member but his daughter is and he is bound determined to get baptized. Also a young man named Ivan, who we get along with because we all like being nerds.  I also have finished the Book of Mormon for the first time in Spanish and have started on D&C and find it so enlightening.  It’s just awesome! I know this Church is true and we have the knowledge of the fullness of the gospel.  Happy Holidays!!

Hot, sick and loving it!

Well this week was a busy one and a hard one, but I still loved it all.  Monday we just hung out and tried a bunch of times to get money.  It’s hard right now because the only supply of money we have is from tellers (ATMs) around town and there is only one in my sector.  After we found it out of money, we had to leave our sector and look for other machines.  All the other ones close by didn’t have any money either—due to every one pulling out money for the holidays.  We then ventured to a mall a ways off and again found none.  We got home tired and hungry, but thankfully the owners of the home we live in gave us a lunch. The week has been very hot; yesterday was the hottest and the day we were out the most.  We knocked an entire street and nobody let us in until literally the last one.  I learned the lesson of sacrifice there. (Even still I look white as a gringo here.)  Thursday my companion got sick and threw up.  A member gave us an ounce (?).  We had to do everything to tell her we can’t eat ounce and had to take it home.  When we ate it my comp got sick and threw up, then Saturday I got sick (a delay or something) and the same thing happened me.  Sunday was Stake conference and it was fun, we had an investigator come and she loved it all. There were great messages.  It is still awesome that I can talk and understand Spanish like I do. Also there was a choir with a few members from my ward which was very good sounding for just 15 people or so.  I just love the work and thank my heavenly father for all the strength he gives me; I say this just so you know I am growing in every way.