August 29, 2011

Dear friends-

Yay for news from the mission. Here we go:

Sickness

I got sick this week with something gross, but luckily it only lasted one day. It was one of the few times when I have had to stay in because of my own sickness. 

The work rolls on

There isn´t too much new things from the sector. We have had lots of learning about how to set goals and using faith to set and complete them. We also finally have one progressing investigator. He is a 17 year old (we are teaching the entire family) named Felix. He is really nice and seems to have a sincere desire to know the truth.

Changes

So, guess what? Big surprise, Elder Barrett is leaving. He is following in my footsteps and will be having a 5th comp in his 5th change. Want to know the real surprise? I am going to be training! Yep, the only details I have is that my comp will be a gringo fresh from the U.S. of A. I am not sure if he will get here tomorrow or on Wednesday. I am really excited to train.

Well, that is all for know folks. Have a great week and I will have fotos next week!

Love-

Elder Taylor Thomas

August 15th, 2011

Hey Friends-

This email should be a bit more interesting.

Progress?

I guess it depends on how you define it. In terms of investigators progressing to baptism, nil. However, the ward is progressing. The Bishop is still doing well and we had an awesome PEC (for those of you who are deficient in the realm of Church acronyms, Priesthood Executive Commitee) yesterday. We actually talked about people, plans to help them, and that next week`s meeting is to follow up on the assignments. So cool, I was really impressed with these new leaders we have in the ward: new second counselor in the Bishopric, new EQP (Elders Quorum President), and a new Dry (intentional mistake) Priests Group leader. I will inform all of you next week of the moment in which we have a progressing investigator.

Pizza Night

So, now that I am back in the city, I have started eating Pizza again (because it basically didn`t exist in the Coast or in the campo). It has been great tasting and makes me miss American food.

Weird divisions (what we call splits)

So, Elder Call (one of the elders in the pension) is leaving today for the USA 2 weeks early so that he can go to school. Because of this, we had a strange day of divisions. I won`t lie that it is absolute terror leaving your companion with another member of the ward. Yes, the members are trustworthy, but it is companion seperation anxiety. I actually had to have Elder Barrett stay with the Bishop while Elder Tialavea and I went to pick up his comp from President King. But, no one died or got lost. Anyway, sorry for the random thought. Maybe it will shed some light on missionary life.

Up next week...

I now have in my possesion a voice recorder; therefore, I got the idea that I would record "A day in the life of a missionary" (a very unimaginative title). So, if I have time this week, I will record roughly every hour a little note about what is going on with the goal to satisfy the curiosity of what actually happens during a normal day here. This proposition depends on whether or not I have time and if I do not get lazy/forget. I hope you all enjoyed this final, very noncomittal, paragraph. I also hope that all of you are doing well.

Love-

Elder Taylor Thomas

P.S. We got our portable DVD player, it rocks. 

Miracles

NOTE:  The first paragraph is answering Vallen's question about a program in Chile that is helpful in the reactivation efforts.


Dear amigos-

So, quick updates

The reactivation thing he was talking about is called Permaneced (literally the command form of the verb "to remain, stay") and comes from the vine and the husbandman in John 15. I really like it, but the members still don´t completely understand the purpose of it in my opinion. They just think it is a program to get people back to church and only really think of it as the paper that has the message. Really, Permaneced is about the meaning of Endure to the End and how we need to do anything in our power to keep the Spirit with us. Elder Amado of the seventy (the old Area President) emphasized it with a message he gave in the area Chile add in of the Liahona. He talked about the it isn´t some glorious attempt to increase the attendance or home teaching numbers. He said that it was a review of the plan of Salvation and something that we need to do everyday. 

Miracles

We have seen quite a few miracles with our Bishop here. When I got here, all I heard about was problems with the Bishop. Since then, Elder Barrett and I have worked with him a lot and he has become so cool. We had a FHE with him last week, and yesterday he accompanied us on visits for 3 hours. He wants our ideas and help and is working really well with us. Now we are helping him get the ward fired up to do missionary work! We have seen the hand of the Lord in our work as we have done this.

Our Zone activity and pictures

So today we went to Santa Lucia (again) as a Zone. I found some cool things and took some cool pictures. Today was really clear because the rain yesterday cleared out the smog. One picture is a zoomed up view from the hill on my sector, one is me with Elder Barrett, and the others are some hopefully artistic fotos that you all should like. I have to say that I really like downtown Santiago.

Love-

Elder Taylor Thomas