Thank you for your prayers this week. I could feel them.
Especially after I sent the email last week.
Stuff:
There is a girl in our branch that looks so much like
Camille Swenson. I did a double take.
In Chile, they pause for a breath between “Christ” and “amen”
in their prayers. It is becoming a habit for me.
Dogs: Last week I said I heard dogs are like cats here. Now
I have a testimony of it. I saw a German shepherd jump a fence as tall as I am
4 times in a row just cuz, and I’ve seen a lot of dogs on top of fences. There is a dog that barks super mean at us
every time we pass and he sounds straight up evil. I call him Judas.
It is getting warmer. It is becoming spring.
Elder Ryan and I are house shopping for a casa in our
sector. It´s funny how just two months ago I still had to ask for permission to
use the bathroom [at school] and stay out past midnight.... and now I’m house
shopping in southern Chile. Haha. #growth
Yesterday we also found a guy whose grandpa is from Ireland.
He looked, laughed, was as tall as, and spoke Spanish like and Irish guy would.
His last name was the same as my companion´s. So cool. They bonded really fast
and we are going to help him back to activity in the church.
I´ve really worked on my focus on the work this week and my
desires. I poured out my soul to our Father in Heaven. I’m giving him my
desires. After doing this, I’ve seen a change in my happiness. EVERYTHING we
have is God´s. He has given us everything. The only thing that He doesn´t have
is our agency, our desires. That is the only thing we have. When we give our
desires to Him, we are giving Him EVERTHING. I encourage you all to align your
wills with His will for you. Give Him your desires. It changes your life. And
in the end, it is the easiest path to follow.
I´ve seen this be true for me this week. Yesterday we had a
lesson with Pamela, a less active member. She knows that she needs to be
praying, reading, and going to church, but she isn´t. She always feels tired.
Her family situation isn´t happy. We taught her what we needed to. I shared
John 14:21 and how if we want to feel God´s love in our life we need to keep
His commandments. God totally helped me with my Spanish during that time. It
was a miracle. We left as her family was scrambling out the door to leave
somewhere. They were chippy with each other, the spirit wasn´t in their home. As
we walked to our next cita I started to cry. Because I wanted her to read so
bad, and I knew what blessings she could receive, and I felt so grateful for my
family and that they are living the Gospel. Those were Godly tears for her. God
has blessed me with the desires for his children that I have been praying for.
I love you all. I have taken immense comfort in the fact
that I am sealed to my family for time and all eternity. I feel that covenant
so much stronger as I am here on the other side of the world. I love you all.
Your faithful missionary,
Elder West
To the family:
Things are getting better. My Spanish is too. I can now
understand what people are talking about most of the time, but I don´t know
specifics, only the subject. I love you all.
Family home evenings are huge. Please make them a priority,
the whole night. With games , food, lessons and time together away from
technology. Everyone here in Chile is glued to a screen. And it’s sad to see
them not interacting. I regret my screen time before my mission and how it kept
me away from time I could have had with the family. I love you all.
Elder West
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| View of the mountains, the town, and a basketball court |
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| At the home of a man they met this past week |
