La Pascua, April 1, 2024

Happy Easter everyone!

There wasn't to much Easter celebrations here. Some chocolate eggs here and there. We spent Easter at a members house, talking and eating. I hope everyone had a splendid Easter as well, focusing on Christ and spending time with family.

Not much happened this week, we've found three Venezuelan houses which is awesome! Basically there are these houses and every time you go to the door there is a different Venezuelan. And when you go in there are about 10-15 people that live there, a range of cualquier age.

Our friends are meeting more people in our congregation at church which is sweet! This ward here is awesome, if I were to live in Santiago I would definitely want to live here. The people are super friendly, there are a lot of families, a lot of guys around my age, and more. But I might be leaving them this week, we have our transfers. I want to stay with this amazing ward for another month and a 1/2 and with Elder Sorensen but it would also be exciting to leave and go on a new adventure. We'll see next week.

Spiritual thought: Helaman 3:28

"28 Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God."

I love this scripture because we need to have faith and believe in Jesus Christ, the living Son of our living God. This scripture shows the mercy of God and the purpose of Christ's sacrifice for us. I like that it says that gate is open unto all. Everybody. Todo del mundo (all the world). Everyone that was ever on earth and will be. So long as we believe in Him and follow Him! I am very grateful for this knowledge in my life and the opportunity I have to share it to the people in Chile!

Question of the week: How have you felt this week while studying and remembering the holy week? And if you don't believe in Christ, how was your Easter?

Elder Spencer

Yo y Cristobal

"Elder what language did that man speak?" "That... was spanish"

Hay un michi

Atonement of Christ, March 25, 2024

¡¡Buenas tardes!!

Had some more cool experiences this week!

- Camila: we knocked her door a week ago and she seemed hesitant, so we passed our number to her and told her to call us when she felt like it. Anyways later that night we receive a reference, amd it turns out it was her! So we sent a message and invited her to church, turns out she couldn't go... but she was open to the idea of visiting with us. So on Tuesday we set something up in the morning! But it fell through and she didn't come, but we receive a text 2 hours later explaining what happened and if we could meet later that day. So we pull up at her house and she comes out and we all walk to the church. Her first question is where we are from and as soon as she finds out we are from Canada and the states, she switches to english! She studied in England for 6 months and traveled Europe for about 2 years. It turns out when I was England for 2 weeks we were in London at the same time! We had a great lesson with her and she is excited to read El Libro de Mormón!

- Braulio: A random point from last week. We visited him Tuesday night and put a fecha bautismal with him so that was awesome!! Then we got out and just missed our bus. And it was already 9:15pm. And we were about an hour from home, and the next bus was supposed to come 30 minutes later. So we went to the mall and a restaurant was still open so we ordered some food while we waited. The bus finally came around 9:45 and it was pretty full. Then we got to the place to change busses and it is this little stop in the middle of nowhere couple street lights. Bus didn't come for another 20min so we chilled, hoping we wouldn't get robbed. Then our bus came around 10:10 and we were the only ones on there, the lights half worked and it was covered in graffiti it was a little spooky haha. And we got back close to 10:45pm.

- Wednesday we had our interviews with our President. We were supposed to be at 1:30pm so we got there at 1 and they were behind. We didn't end up leaving until 6:30... but it was fun to catch up to the missionaries that were waiting there! We rarely get to see each other so we disfrutared our time together!

- Thursday was pretty wild. My ZL and good friend Elder Plane had the opportunity to pick his grandparents up at the airport in the morning! (I'll explain why later) and so his companion Elder Jones came and stayed with us for the morning. But then he had a leadership meeting at the office which is an hour away that we had to bring him to. Anyways we got there and realized we had two options, immediately return and eat lunch and leave again after 30min or stay there. We had this crossroad thanks to a mission wide conference being held near the office. Anyways we decided to stay and chill at the office and do some phone work, which ended up being: eating burgers with the leadership, talking to all the young missionary leaders, and helping move some things around. Then President, Elder Plane, and his grandparents walked through the door and came and greeted us before going to the meeting. Afterwards we went to the missionwide conference, heard incredible messages from Planes grandparents who turned out to be a general authority for our church. Then we ate some food, got to talk to all the amazing missionaries I've come to know in my 8 months of serving! And then we left.

Spiritual thought: This is my favourite takeaway from the mission wide conference. It was mostly focused on the Atonement of Christ and how it has two powers. The redeeming power which helps us go from bad to good to better and the enabling power which helps us go from better to best to saint. Is how the general authority put it. Anyways we started talking about the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000 and related it to how it is the Atonement and it is enough to feed EVERYONE. But then it gets better, we looked over two verses that sometimes get don't get as much attention, at least that I knew of.

John 6:12-13

"12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 

13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten."

Jesus asked the disciples to gather the leftovers. And there were twelve full baskets. And if we relate this to the atonement it shows that the atonement was enough to full everyone there AND still have a lot left over. The atonement of Christ is for everyone and anyone who will accept it! It is infinite! You can't fall far enough from the light of the atonement, there is always more then enough to fill you up. This is especially a wonderful time to appreciate the atonement with Easter being right here. When we celebrate when Christ atoned for you, me, and everyone. 

Question of the week: How can you remember and appreciate the atonement this week?

Love you all! God loves you! 

Elder Spencer

Sun setting on the bus

                                                                New profile flick for our whatsapp

Me and my comp at the late night bus stop

I got some el fajas again!! First time since renca! It was amazing.

Morning sunrise

This little 2 year old would not stop talking to me in his spanish gibberish, started calling me tío (uncle). I kept giving him our little pass along cards to keep him distracted to focus on the lesson.

 Me with my mission "grandma" and my mission "brother" 

Prepare Now to Meet God, March 18, 2024

This week we had a lot of lessons morning afternoon and night! It was great! We had 21/32! A lot of them fell through though, but that was ok because it gave us an opportunity to find new people! We started finding in different ways, top 4 from this week (name/description/effectivness):

1. Library- there was an outdoor little library so we put in a book of mormon and some pamphlets about the restoration, plan of salvation, and gospel of Christ all having our number. 5/10 because we don't know if anyone will read them, but we passed by the next day and one was gone

2. Thirst- Walked around far from our home without water, using this as an excuse to ask people for water. It's pretty risky if no one gives you water. 9/10 if people give you water it makes them to stay and talk to you as you slowly enjoy the iced water. And like Einstein (I think) said, "if you get someone to do something for you, it makes them like you more." We had a lot of success with this

3. Washroom- similar to the water but you ask to use the washroom. 8/10 because no one is really going to reject you. But one less then the water because it is a little different then staying outside with the water, you are actually entering the house

4. Are you Daniela- you knock a house and ask for a specific name, and ask if they live there. If they don't you tell then why we are looking for them (because they wanted to hear a message which is true) and then ask if they are interested.

Miracle 1

After church there was a mother and son chilling outside. We went up to them and talked. The conversation going as such: (W- woman, M- missionaries)

W: I'm looking for a church to go to, I've been to a lot and I've liked none of them. Haven't felt good in any of them.🫤

M: Ah yes? 🙂(Giving her time to keep talking)

W: Yes, is your church only available to certain people?🤔

M: No it is open to everyone!😁

W: Oh really??😃

M: Yes! Would you like to come next week at 10am with us?🧐

W: I'd love to! Is there anything else during the week that I can hear the word of God?🤔

M: As a matter of fact, our role as missionaries is exactly that, to visit people and spread/share the word of God! Could we visit you this week?🧐

W: How much does it cost?🤔

M: It costs nothing! As a matter of fact we pay to be here and share the joyful message of God and Christ!😇

*exchanges contact information*

Miracle 2

We were out in a part of our area an hour by bus from 3pm-9pm without water and food (a lot of the strategies were used here) knocking doors and talking to people. We didn't have to much success. Made some catholics who gave us water, met a woman who likes tennis that let us use the washroom, met some other people in a small diner. But no one that seemed prepared by God to hear us. We were on our way home as we were tired from walking up and down a mountain side in the sun. And we decided to pass by one more house that called our attention. And a Columbian opened the door and ushered us in! He told us he moved recently to this area and that he took the missionary lessons before. Told us he wants to come to church and get baptized! He excitedly told us he overcame his drug addiction and can finally get baptized! So we will pass by him again tomorrow.

Spiritual thought: Recently I've been thinking a lot about the purpose of life and the second coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And this scripture stood out to me. Alma 34:32...

"32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." It says it right in there why we are here on the earth. It's a probationary state and our time to prepare to meet our Maker. And we do this through our labours. And my thoughts of the Second Coming are this: we don't know when, put it will be soon based of the signs and fulfillments of prophecy. We need to start now to prepare for that time; to meet God and Christ. Joshua 24:15 "...choose you this day whom ye will serve;..." This day, not tomorrow, not next week. This day. Start preparing to meet your maker, and if you already have been, help others. For it is God's work and glory “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39). Because "the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10). So by preparing yourself, and helping others prepare, you are helping to bring to pass the work of God. Which is a glorious work and a wonder to behold.

Question of the week: What is something new you can do to prepare to meet our God or to help someone else?

Love you all! Have a fabulous week, eh?

Elder Spencer

What the cat doin'?

Eating my Berlin while chillin on a swing

The Library strategy caught in 4k

Ciudad de Los Valles

                                                            Me wishing we could use bikes 

                            This amazing fry place I found on an intercambio with Elder Pippert