The Count Down - 8 months

October 3, 2011
"...Great experience during the week is that we found another family of 5! ...We taught the restoration simply and talked about baptism and the benefits of following Christ.  The mom and older daughter were in tears as they all 4 accepted to be baptized on the 29 of October.  It was a miracle!  Sadly it is likely I will not be there, but I am so grateful for being allowed to experience a moment like that.  They were going through hard times and it felt great telling them with a sureness that there was someone that understands and is compassionate to their pains and problems, we talked about the Atonement and we ended the lesson with everyone better off."

October 10, 2011
"...So I`m heading up north to Coquimbo! with Elder Silva a Chilean!  I have been called as a Zone Leader there and I´m way excited for this upcoming change and a little sad that I have to leave this area.  We had 7 people in church this week and we have 6 people committed to baptism.  The family came to church and things could not be better in Belloto and in the Ward of Estero Viejo.
...I learned a lot from Elder Gasik and we had a lot of laughs as a companionship.  I learned that the positivity that we maintain can change everything. I loved all the time I have had in the mission and I´m stoked for what is coming up.

...We are running short on time but I promise to send a better letter next week."

October 17, 2011

"...This has been one of the most hectic but successful weeks of my mission.  So on change day I got on a bus for 6 hours to arrive at Coquimbo, its a port, lots of boats, amazing view, and there is a giant cross where we work that's called La Cruz del III Milenio, it supposedly will last till the next Millenium.  So after arriving from 6 hours in a bus we went out to work, and at 1 in the morning 2 new missionaries got here and we had to be there to welcome them.  It was pretty funny watching two scared American missionaries stepping of a 6 hour bus ride they had to arrive in their first area in the mission.  

During the week we have literally been running everywhere, between meetings and proselyting.  This week we found 27 new investigators and found a few families.  Elder Silva is amazing, from Concepcion, Chile and has so much faith.  It's crazy how many miracles we have already seen.  We just have a new way of going about things, having the vision that everyone will say yes and if they don't then the Lord is just trying our patience so we run to the next.  ... All I know is Coquimbo is amazing!  It's beautiful here, and I cant wait to get some photos out to you guys so you can see the views we have of the ocean coast here."

 October 24, 2011

"....This P- day we walked up to the giant cross of the great apostasy that is right above our house on top of the hill.  

I have been learning a lot about the power of faith in the last couple of weeks and how we can transform faith into the principle of power that it truly is.  When we have a desire to achieve a goal and we apply and put that desire not only in our mind but in our heart as well, the success and results of our works double or even more.  Faith is a mental effort and requires the desire and concentration, we have to cast out all fear and doubt.  

When we approach a door, we do so knowing they will let us in,  if we do so there isn´t room for fear or doubt and countless miraculous times in these last 2 weeks we have seen the blessings of this type of faith.  

We should go into the action of faith knowing we will succeed, there cannot be doubt or fear or it weakens our ability to do.  Just like faith without works is dead, works without faith are dead.   If we act not expecting to succeed why should we expect good results?  

I read a talk so that when we have a righteous desire and work with that type of faith that we receive celestial and divine help to complete our labors.  For example yesterday we knocked 3 doors and got into 2 houses, in every other part of my mission we had days when people wouldn´t open up and we just taught the other investigators.  But something we should always remember is that the faith isn´t in oneself or in their companion but it has to be focused in Christ.

....Dad wrote me something interesting - living on shared light.  Growing up, I lived on borrowed light and the only spark of light that kept me connected was attending church, and many times I didn´t recognize the light.  Since being on a mission I have seen a spark become a huge light that is fueled daily and even though there are many people and situations that try to throw water on the light, it keeps burning."