November 5, 2012

 

 

 

 

Hey mother, while Stephen is in the MTC can you send him my letters via Dearelder? Thanks :) Te quiero mucho!

Dear Family and Friends! :)

Cultural Notes:

This week I actually saw a chicken cross the road :P I laughed out loud and my companion thought I was crazy :P

I´ve been blessed to start my mission out in a sector that is relatively flat. To get to the stake center for the district meeting we have to go up and down two `Ward hill´s´ in a row :P It's cool though to see the roof tops going up and down like waves when you're on top of the hills and look out over the towns:)

This week two people told me that I look thinner than I did when I first arrived in Chile :P But I feel like I´ve been eating more than I did in the MTC. Then I remembered that my teacher in the MTC said the same thing happened to him. One because of all the walking and secondly because all the food here is fresh and healthier. There are farmers markets all over the place where you can get fresh vegetables and fruits for cheep :)

First of all, congratulations Emily Heeb [she received her mission call] - That's awesome!! Concepcion Chile Whooo! The people of Chile, as far as I have seen, are super loving and open. I´m surprised everyday at how receptive the people are if I just open my mouth and talk about our marvelous message!! :) Even though marriage isn´t a big thing here, talking about eternal families has been the key to finding people to teach so far :)

As far as I´ve heard, there isn´t anything to do that will ensure the packages will get here safely; but generally it is safe if it's not something like an Ipod :P I have found out how the mission mail works now :P So I only get mail once a month. The first Friday of every month the zone leaders go to Viña for meetings and to pick up mail. From there it, including dearelders, is distributed to district leaders and then to me :P

This week I noticed that I´ve started to write things in "Spanglish" in my agenda :P Spanish words that are really common and I use every day come to my mind first instead of the English equivalent! :)

This week I had an interesting experience. In a lesson, the investigator started out buy saying, "I remember that you, Elder Hall, said, 'that if... then... '" I honestly don´t remember saying this particular statement, but it was true and it's something that I would say, so I don't deny that I said it. But I realized the effect that I have on the lives of the people here in Chile. And I´m only 19! I´m a child and the Lord has trusted me with a stewardship in his vineyard. People remember what I say. But what really caught my attention was that while I have this nametag on, people act on what I say, exercising their faith in the words that I use! I realized that that is why it is so important to have the spirit. So that the spirit is the one telling me what to say.

This week also a member told me some experiences he had shortly after his baptism. I remembered the story of Grandpa Farley's father and how Grandpa wrote it down. I challenged this man to write down his experiences so that one day his posterity can look back and realize what great blessings and things the Lord has done for their fathers. :) The Book of Mormon teaches us so many good things :)

Fasting brings blessings, it puts your mind on the things of the Lord - His will not your own. With this mindset you act according to your faith, which brings the spirit into meetings, lessons, contacts, prayers. Everything with the spirit is more powerful :) This week I witnessed another mini miracle for a family through fasting :) Coincidences that are too big to be simply coincidences that happened to happen while we joined in fasting with them :)

All is well :)

Elder Hall

PS. Pictures attached:

The famous flower clock :)

From the airplane :)

Some interesting architecture :P