Sandy Watermelon, pica la jiva, and a trash can baptism -Email 2/11/13

HEY FAMILY! ahhhh this was such a good week. Seriously so crazy and so bizarre and random but such a good week.

So first...Julio got baptized! I will pùt the photos on here but they seem to be not working really well so we´ll see how that goes. Anyway, it was the craziest baptism ever. First off, we went early to fill it up and when we came back like 30 minutes before theservice, it was about half full and BROWN. hahahsomething had happened to the hot water and it wasnt coming out very clean. So we quickly drained it before anyone saw and then were looking at an EMPTY font with a baptism in 20 minutes. Good thing chilean time is about an hour late, right? And then add mormon chilean time on that....nothign EVER gets done here hahaha. But i love it because then we could fill the font. SO we opened up the faucet thingy and we just did cold water because it was a lot faster, and then we brought a TRASH CAN down from upstairs (after we cleaned it out...mostly) and used it to fill up with water. We were using every single pot or pan or water container we could find in the entire building. Seriously, we had EVERYTHING, every faucet with a pan or dish, filling up and dumping it into the trash can, which we then dumped into the font in a giant raging cascade of water. SO then we had dirty water, and it was cold. No this time it was actually a lot cleaner but it was stil so funny. Like pooor Julio was just sitting outside watching us fill up this trash can. Thanks missionaries...im getting baptized in trash can water. Real cool. But he didnt say a thing because he is the nicest guy ever and he totally understood. Haha he is just so tranquilo, i love it. SO anyway that all ended up well and him and i actually had a really cfool esperience in the font after the baptism. I Gave him a big hug and was just like "You know this is the cleanest you have ever been, right?" and it was a really cool moment. YEsteday when he got the spirit he started to cry too. We are just awfully proud of him and he is going to be such  great member and leader of the church. So thats part number 1. 

Sandy watermelon. Haha we went to the beach today as a zone and it was so much fun. I love going to the beach together because we play volleyball, futbol, and american football. My favorite part of playing football with latinos is translating the words into spanish...they make NO sense. Like try explaining the word "Flea Flicker". "Pulga....tirador?" hahahaha he gave me the WEIRDEST look and was like this is the stupidest game ever. Anyway elder page who lives with me broke his collarbone today doing a bicycle kick, and i got a cut on my finger because i was so excited to eat my watermelon that i cut too far and cut my finger. Injuries of life...theyre rough. I dont know whats going to happen to him but i think he´ll be okay. Everyone was real worried about me too. But i just sat on the sand and ate watermelon and was so happy. I really am sucha  blessed missioanry. Way more blessed than i deserve but whos complaining? I know me and my watermelon - soaked chin are not. All is good here in coronel :)

Lastly, I eat crab. Well better question is, do i eat crab? Do we eat crab in our family? my favorite part was elder salazar, because he was like "oh yeah i love seafood yum seafood i love crab". I was like "Elder Salazar, you know this is not fresh enough to eat, right? a 2 DOLLAR crab sold on the streets by a man with 3 teeth does not meet the "A" requirements last time i checked. So little buddy Elder Saladbar told me that he would be fine. I had the TINIEST bite because i wanted to taste it. It was good, but not fresh. Haha and saladbar just kept going, telling me how good it was and everything. Yeah, how good was it when YOU WERE THROWING UP 4 HOURS LATER??? I thought you would be proud of me dad. But we had  a fun time laughing about that, and it was super funny. I told him i already had a month straight of that so i was more than fine not eating crab. Anyway.

Also really funny this week has been some of the most ridiculous things i have ever heard by some chileans. Myabsolute favorites are "The Earthquake machine" and "Calzones rotos". So first off EVERYONE here is convinced the united states has an earthquake machine. That we point something at some satellite and it causes earthquakes across the world. Nevermind the perfect logic that we like to spend money so that we can then spend MORE money to help the country, adding nicely to the perfect lack of debt that we have, but WHY THE HECK WOULD ANYONE MAKE AN EARTHQUAKE MACHINE??? hahaha i just go along with it every time and am like "man how did you guys find out about that? I thought it was like a super secret thing." it makes life awful fun with the chileans :) and then calzones rotos. what....hahaha calzones is underwear. Rotos is ripped. So im at dinner one night and some mom was like "Hey elder do you want some ripped underwear?.....umm.....no? Im awfully confused hermana!" and then she explained that thats the name for a FUNNEL CAKE here. Really guys? Ripped underwear? Its also called nuns breath. I mean....obviously, right?

Anyway, we are loving it here in coronel. Things arent getting any easier in some respects, but the success is coming. its frustrating because i dont feel like we deserve the success we are having right now. But the peace i had in arauco with my work isnt even matched here, so i think its just heavenly father helping me to know that numbers DONT matter at all, but its all about obedience and the spirit.But needless to say, i am thrilled to see the fruits of my efforts and see that angie and antonella are so excited for their baptism next friday, and some other people are planned for early march. I just know its heavenly father doing everything because we certainly do not deserve it. But anyway, i love you guys! Hope all is going well! Here are the fotos from this week!

Les amo y les quiero.

Elder Tengberg

Julio is getting dunked!- Email 2/4/13

Hey family! Aw man it has been such a good week. I just got done reading marys email (she is in the MTC now getting ready for her mission to Hong Kong, China.) and i am so proud of that girl.  She sounds like she is already killing it and is just so dang happy. Go mary! Also, i dont know how the heck you are speaking cantonese already, youre ridiculous. So proud of you!!!!

My week has been pretty crazy busy. All good though! I sprained my ankle though which kind of sucked. It was all big and swollen after a game of soccer which made working a little bit harder, but it was crazy how as soon as i prayed for it to go away, the pain went away for the day as we walked. and as SOON as i got home, it was right back again! Little blessings of being a missionary! Anyway, that was the only real bad part. My companion and I have also been having some struggles but we are starting to work a lot better together so thats definitely helping. I cant say its been the easiest cambio but i have definitely learned a ton about humility and loving people for who they are. Thats something thats not easy to learn, but everyone has to. Anyway, good stuff there!

I dont have a ton of time so ill just go throuhg a few things. Hector and Cecilia got married on friday and baptized saturday! They were my investigators from Arauco. Hector called me saturday and just thanked me a ton for eerything. I was super bummed that i couldnt go especailly since it was so close, but rules are rules. Anyway, that was so cool to hear from them. They are an awesome family and will be great members of the church.

Julio is getting baptized this week! I am so proud of that guy. He has just been a stud from day 1 and has taken everything we have taught without doubting for a second. Its so obvious that the lord had prepared him and angie and Antonella long before we got here. All 3 are 100% certain for their baptism right now and just lack 2 more sundays of going to church! Julio will be getting baptized on friday and he asked me to baptize him, so thats really cool! Im super excited. He has this incredible desire to be led by the spirit, and needs it more than anyone right now. There is really nothing like getting to see the changes in these people over even just a few weeks of teaching them. Its so cool. God prepares people and does SO much for them in just a few short weeks of following him, and then he changes us our entire lives. We are just so pathetic and he does it all! I love being a missionary and seeing him change that.

Angie and Antonella are both set for the 23rd! We are really excited for them. During class on sunday, the teacher asked julio about his baptism and then antonella shot her hand up and was like "I get baptized the 23rd though!" and then angie was like "me too!" hahaha so funny. Anyway, they are so happy and it makes me so happy to see this incredible change in their lives. Angie more than anything. She comes from such a hard life and it just breaks my heart to see what she goes throuhg. But at church she truly has found people that love her and there is onthing better than that.

I dont have any more time. It hasnt been one of the easiest weeks ever. Im beyond exhausted, im not feeling like my 100% self, and my ankle is sprained. Sounds like i need to go back to the MTC to get some fire like mary has! I hate to think that im already almost 7 months done with my mission. 7 freaking months! It has flown by so fast and i hate to think that that means i will never get that time back again. Just have to keep looking forward with hope and make the most out of every second i guess!

Also mom, thank you so much for the valentines day package! I opened it early. I LOVE the reeses and they all came in fine. a little melted, but delicious nonetheless! Thank you all so much and i love you more than youll know!

Les quiero mucho -

Elder Tengberg

Living the Dream in Chile- Email 1/28/13

Hey there family! Well i literaly haveno time left, i am so sorry. This email is 100% going to suck but i will still try to do the best that i can to give you some of the highlights!

First off, SISTER MARY MOODY! Goodness i cant believe that this time has come. Six months ago we had no idea what was going to happen. Literally no clue. Now, looking back, we have seen the most miraculous story unfold where it is just so blatantly clear that he lord has blessed both of us and our families and people in hong kong and chile. His hand is so intricate in every one of our lives, and i know rigt now he is preparing people in Hong Kong to hear your unbelievably powerful testimony. I am so proud of you Mary! Good luck in the MTC! And dont eat the scrambled eggs there with orange juice at the same time....just a warning. Youre going to kill it and ill be praying for you extra hard as you go in this week!

Its been a hard week. Coronel is a hard sector and there are SO many catholics and evangelicals here. The average conversation is "I have my religion, go away. You guys worship John Smith." Well NO WE DONT. Good thing im like super patient, right? But its just a had sector. There are literaly churches on EVERY corner but we are still finding lots of success. Just so you know what im talking bout, we probably have knocked aroud 400 doors this week. And gotten into...about 20. Haha never have had so many doors slammed LITERALY on my hand or foot as i try to get somethin in the door. But it wasnt easy for Christ, and it wont be easy for us. But we are going to keep trying.

Julio is pure gold. Honestly, i love that guy so much. He has such a sweet testimony and is already praying in church, singing the hymns, reading like crazy, and is just so ready for his baptism. He will be batized on Feb 8, friday, because we have a church activity saturday. So keep him in your prayers! He is our only seguro fecha right now, but we have some other people too that i mentioned last week who are progressing as well. Its just hard to get people to church, because EVERYONE here goes to the beach on sundays or wakes up at 11 or just doesnt go w hen they say they will. Its really frustrating, but its okay! Other people to keep in yourprayers are Enrique and Angie. Enrique is about 50 and we contacted him outside of a bar. He actualy just works ther and is going through a REALLY Hard time. About a year ago, his family left him and he has nothing right now. Anyway, he accepted a baptismal date the first lesson and he is realy excited to keep progressing. He got kicked out of the house he was living in here in Coronel, so it might be a little harder to progress fast, but i am so happy for him. As he prayed that first night, he just started to cry and said "thank you heavenly father for these kids who came to me. Please bless them so that they can help other people like me too". We are realy excited for him. Keep up the prayers! He has some hard habits to drop but the lord is obviously very mindful of him and will be helping him a ton.

Angie is about 28 and was left by her mother and father and has NO family.She is part of a special program here in chile and i think was born from drug parents because she is jsut realy slow in talking. but she understands like crazy and she has the biggest faith ever. She went from smoking 15 cigarrettes a day to 1. In one day. Like she was saying  "I want to get baptized in your church" and is reading a ton and is super excited. She had to go to the fair to work on sunday because she needs to earn money to buy new glasses, but she is coming this next sunday and will be working to a feb 23 fecha. 

Thats the main people for this week. We have been working really hard with them and are focusing our efforts there. Its hard because we want to focus on everyone but they are the most seguro right now. We are praying for them like crazy! Keep up your prayers too.

I am happier than i have ever been. Its odd, because its not like a happy all smiles and stuff. Heck, yesterday i sat down on a curb and just wanted to quit because i was SO sick of people that are so hard of heart and dont want to accept this gospel. But then Elder Salazar picked me up, and we prayed, and we immediately talked to a less ative lady where i said things that were answers to my own prayers. we talked about mosiah 2:41, where the lord blesses those who keep his commandments. Its foolish to think that they come in your time. As i talked to this lady, tears just started streaming down my face and then hers because i was listening to myself say (seriously, weirdest thing ever. It was obviously the spirit because i was listening to myself talk!) that the lord is more mindful of you than he ever has been, and wont let you suffer. He will blss you, but it has to be in his time. Just trust in him and let the miracles come in their own time. 

Anyway, thats the biggest thing right now. So although im not happy in the sense of smiles and wooo and dance parties and playing NBA jam with andrew (when the HECK ARE YOU GETTING YOURMISSION CALL??? EMAIL ME BRO!) and in n out, i have never been so content with my life and my relationhip with the savior. And thats all that matters. I know who i am, i know god loves me, and i know this is his work. I love you all, and ill write more next week! 

Les quiero mucho.

Elder Tengberg

the photos are of elder salazars year mark! he completed one year on the 26th. We burned  shirt....and had cereal. its th end of the month and thats the best we could do.

Baptism sign in the street wooo! We are such hoodrats, huh?

the boat in the back is called Esmeralda. It was here in the port for a day and the line to go on was over a mile long. WHATS THE BIG DEAL? It apparently captured some peruvian ship (i let elder salazar hear plenty about that) the Huascar, but to me it just looks like a crapy version of the star of india. Is that bad? Ill take on the esmeralda with the USS Midway...how about that?

Life in Coronel- Email 1/21/13

Well first off, congrats Mary on giving an amazing farewell talk! I seriously have heard it about it from like 6 people (and considering i hear from about 6 people that actually means a lot) and they all said you just absolutely nailed it. You are the master of those bullet-point talks so i bet you just absolutely killed it. I am so so proud of you for serving and although this will be a hard week as you get ready to leave, you are way more prepared than i ever was and are going to be such a good missionary. So congrats and enjoy your last week of sunday naps, normal food and relaxing! 

Okay so about my week. I could not have possibly imagined how hard it would be to leave Arauco. Seriously, it shocked me. I found it so so so hard to leave there, and that last night just broke my heart. Haha it was really hard. I went on monday night to visit my mamita in arauco, valentin and juliana, hector and cecilia, camila, estefania, and thats it. And hermano temer obviously. It was just so sad to realize that my time in the lives of these people is over! Valentin and Juliana were really sweet. they gave me some photos of them to keep, a little stuffed animal, and a chilean apron that they all signed stuff on and said "nunca te olvidaremos" or we will never forget you. It just melted me so much! I would say that was the hardest one. Ill try and send some photos but i dont know how good this internet is here so we will see if they go throuhg. Later we said goodbye to hector and cecilia, and that wasnt too hard because i think ill be going back for their wedding in about two weeks. i am not quite sure whats going on there but i think i will be able to go back for it! Saying goodbye to estefania and her family was hard too becaus eshe cries like a baby. When elder ramirez left she bawled, but this time she was more prepared (or maybe she just had a crush on him, im more convinced of that) and didnt cry too much. They had a little party for me and we had lemon pie, grilled cheese sandwiches, and mint tea. You know, the usual party food.

Lastly saying goodbye to camila was probably the hardest one. I was kind of surprised by that, but i had just put SO much of myself into teaching her. She knows everything about my life. Every hard time i have had, every difficulty, every time i missed mary, every thing i could possibly use to help her, i used. So it was just so hard because i watched her progress to the point where i literally WATCHED her get an answer to a prayer, and it still didnt get to the final result. I dont know how she is doing because i havent been able to talk to her all week, but as i said goodbye to her and her daughter Mati, she started crying and just said thank you so much for blessing my life. She is an awesome investigator and will be a great member of the churhc one day. I dont know when, but i know she will. And i sure am glad that i had the opportunity to be a part of her story and be able to help her in a little way! The good thing is we know the lord is always in charge and the new elder that comes in wil likely be able to help her in a way that i couldnt. Its not so hard when you know he is in charge, and know he is taking care of you, because then you just know that every trial or challenge is just a secret blessing! Its not like a heavenly father who loves us is going to punish us. So we just have to really look inside change or trials and find that good.

But as i left that night, i got up to my room and just broke down. Haha most embarrassing thing ever. But i seriously broke down because i never imagined my life like this. I never imagined having this connection to chilean people so deeply, or imagined being so deeply moved and affected in the gospel, or being so happy being millions of miles away from every person that i love. I never thought my life would be this blessed. As i look back and see how selfish and self-centered my life used to be, and how unbelievably blessed i am now, i just broke down because i coudlnt believe heavenly father had let me take part in a work so special. I truly am grateful for my time in arauco.

NOW! For Coronel. So we are in Coronel 2, and i dont konw if i told you last week but we are opening up a new sector. So with that being said, we literally had 0 investigators. We talked to the other elder who worked in part of this sector before it got divided and he was like "find new ones, they all dont attend church." Hahaha so we literally had no one to teach this week. my first day, we contacted doors from the lovely hours of 3:00-10:00pm. Haha seven hours straight of knocking doors. But it has actually been surprisingly fun because there are no expectations, so we just are doing the best we can. We had a really good week though! Because we were knocking so much we obviously had a ton of success. We found like 17 new investigators this week, and we have 3 fechas for february now! one of them, julio, is super awesome. We taught him 4 times in 5 days, he came to play soccer with us, and he came to church. He is going through a really hard time right now. He separated form his wife about a year ago, gets to see his 6 year old son once a week for like 4 hours, and got fired from his job recently. When he heard about the gospel and the spirit, it touched him so deeply. Any person that believes god doesnt prepare people LONG before the missionaries get there is crazy. I am so excited to keep working with him. His fecha is for the 9th along with Joshua, and the 23rd for Antonella. They are two other people we found this week and are going to be working with! They are super great and i cant wait to see the work progress here in coronel.

It has been crazy in some aspects though. We havent had ANYTHING. We have no phone to call members or investigators, no desks to study, no beds (we slept on couches and sofa chairs in the house), no utensils, no area book. Hahaha they just completely forgot about us here! Its been fun though because we have just made the most out of what we could and are really trying to do everything we can. I love the sector though and i love my companion. He is Elder Salazar from Peru. He doesnt speak a lick of english (minus "I have to take a tinkle...the things other missionaries teach each other!) so we just talk in spanish all day long. Occasionally its frustrating because i want to talk in english, but for the most part its really good. We get along really well so thats good too! Its always different getting with a new companion because people have different tastes and teach different ways, but he is a good guy and we are having some good success together so far. Things are good! 

Anyway, i love you all so much. Mom i got your valentine day package today! It came awfully fast. Haha i also got christmas cards from you all, the westerlunds, the browns, the clarks, the davis´s. Thank you all for your love and your cards! Hope all is going well and that the lord keeps blessing you.

Love you all. Que nuestro Padre Celestial les cuide y les proteja siempre! 

Les amo y les quiero

Elder Tengberg