Well....I'm
out of Angol. haha I leave in about 3 hours and I'm just biding my time before
I head out. It wasn't that sad of a goodbye to be honest because I've kind of
gotten use to this. In the beginning it was all sad with every transfer but now
its just kind of like "well this is life!" and say goodbye: Haha kind
of lame. But It was very very hard saying goodbye to the familia. They are just
awesome....Seriously they have been prepared far before I ever got here to hear
the gospel. They are buying dresses for church, white shirts and ties, buying
stuff on the church website, the grandma is getting baptized february 1st now,
they want to send the kids on missions and have plans to go the temple in
Concepcion once its open to start their eternal family....like its just
ridiculous. A family that was made for the gospel. All I did was tell them to
pray and TIHS happens....haha kind of cool. Makes me realize how little we
really are in this work. So much change happens because some people had the
courage to truly pray and ask God if they should get baptized, and they did.
Honestly incredible.
The baptismal
service was awesome. As you can see they all look great! Priscila was the heart
behind it all. We asked/forced her to bear her testimony during the baptism and
that was the coolest experience, she started to cry and thank the ward for
their kindness and their example, and that she was so excited to start this
path of the gospel on her way to an eternal family. She teared up and said that
she loves her family, and loves seeing the peace the church has brought to
their home. Pretty incredible stuff. I just kind of sat there like a big baby
to be honest and didn't say too much. Haha it was actually really cool because
ElderKelly and i
were the only ones who didn't participate in the service. We had
Elder Salazar baptize Priscila (and yesterday in church she told us that she
had like a vision/dream/something where when he pulled her down into the font,
she distinctly remembered that at one point either before or during this life,
she had seen that moment. She knew it had to be him). It was awesome because he
and his comp got to participate. Elder Ochoa played the clarinet as a special
musical number, other families spoke. The ex stake president and his son
baptized (familia Lopez) and they are best friends of the family now. It was so
cool to just kind of watch and not actually be a part of it. Like I
realized how little I am in the gospel again. We did SO little, then I leave
right after it happens, and now this family is left with a WHOLE branch of love
and support and Elder Salazar got to baptize his last weekend in the mission
(he went home yesterday night). It was just a really cool experience. I love
the family and there is so much more at play here than just us. Any missionary
who starts to get a little prideful and thinks he is anything special is just
plain dumb, because its so obvious that we do so little. WE just go out and
walk around and tell members to say hi to people in church and the spirit does
the rest. Thats truly how I feel. but it was an honor being a part of their life
and I know I will be a part of it for years to come. It wasn't sad at all
because i know i will see them again now before I leave and then when I come
back after the mission to visit. Anyway....wonderful experience. Love that
family so much. And Odi is a yellow lab so really...what more could i ask for?
That's all for
this week. Tough seeing Elder Salazar go home....Elder Ramirez too. Two of my
VERY good mission friends. Elder Salazar and I reminisced about our Coronel
times, when we literally hated each other and let so much pride get in the way
of a potentially great companionship, then our miraculous change from the
familia of Marcelo and Paola there in Coronel, then how we became best friends
and literally cried when we got separated. Then how we got to be housemates at
least here in Angol, and how that was such an inspired thing for the both of
us. Right before he got on the bus we made a little pact that neither of
us would EVER leave the church, pase lo que pase, and it was just a really cool
experience. I sure do love that guy. Crazy to think that a little bit of pride
made that so rough....and what to me was the hardest time of my
mission (if you read my emails from that time you'll remember!) has now become
one of the closest and most life-changing friends I have ever had. I would give
my life for that kid. Anyway...hope he gets home and finds a wife soon! haha
best of luck to you bud. And Elder Ramirez! my papi. I still have this week
with him because I'll be heading up north and his mom comes in tuesday so I'll
see him again. but for real...sucks seeing your friends go home. Makes the time
seem a lot more short!
As far as
photos, there is me with all the familia Romero Espinoza, me with the familia
Lopez (Carlitos was acting like an idiot and put on the camo), me with my
bishop and his family (Obispo Torres, Lydia, Carlos and Camilo, Martin and
Vicente are the two little boys who were in the pool and didn't want to come
-_-), la mamita (left to right Camila, Sofia, Pabla, Coni) and her family, and
then thats it i think. if I forget one it's probably just the baptism fotos and
thats self explanatory. Also my companion thought he had fungus on his
fingertips so he has been soaking them in BLEACH...hahaha i was like ELDER YOU
CANNOT DO THAT! and this what happens. His feet are worse. All peeling and he
is kind of losing his fingerprints #missionprobz
I love you
all. Gods work done in Gods way never lacks Gods supply...we just need to align
our will with his and he will change our lives for the better!
Elder Tengberg
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