Como estamos
familia!
Thanks for all
your emails and love. Sorry I couldn't write yesterday, we were traveling all
day yesterday so I ended up not writing, but we are here in the office so we
are taking a little time right now. We don't have too much time though so I'll
make it fast! Anyway, I'm feeling so happy right now. It was a week of a lot of
personal progression. I'm really trying so hard to take advantage of every
second i have out here and it's helping a ton. This week i went through a lot
of experiences that really made me think and I was really grateful for. So....
Alejandro got
baptized! I was actually super grateful that I got to return back to Los
Angeles this week and do his interview for him, because I happened to be in the
city. He is that Dad that I had talked to the week before with Elder Watt and
Elder Ehlen. He was 100% different. He had huge smile on his face, he had been
studying his little pamphlets all day to get ready for the
"interview" which is basically just a conversation where before
someone gets baptized, we ask them if they really believe in the church and
have the desire to get baptized and are willing to live by the commandments and
stuff. It's super simple but he was so nervous because he wanted to pass for
his baptism. Awesome guy. So that was cool to see the before and after for
that. He mentioned that in a year of all that he had been listening, that day
where Elder Watt and Ehlen and I went just touched him right in the heart - he
said it got him "deep down inside me" but in spanish obviously. Very
cool to teach him that the spirit does that and told us what to say because God
wanted him to get baptized and stuff. SO cool!
Another
experience was Tuesday. I was in a small little city called Mulchen with Elder
Cruz (a Colombian) and Elder Shapiro, a rather new missionary from the states.
It was a good day but we just hadn't had the results we wanted and were still
looking for people to teach. So we stopped and said a prayer, asking for a
family to teach that was ready for the gospel and needed it. We asked for some
really specific things in the prayer (Also, specific prayers are the best thing
ever. God gives us what we ask for. 100% sure witness of that. If we ask for
"blessings" he gives us "blessings" in general, but if we
ask for the ability to smile through all afflictions and be happy during
trials, he gives us that. like he just WANTS and WAITS for us to ask. So
incredible/sad to realize how little in my life i actually asked for things
from Heavenly Father. How often have i just said "Please help, please
bless." But like what does that even mean? Its so useless. I imagine he
must be quite bored of me saying "please bless...." Anyway, try that.
Be more specific in what you want from God and you will see wildly different
results.) Sorry for that side note but the first house we knocked on, this kid
named Naxon comes out, like 16 years old. Turns out he is a family of 4 (just
like we had asked), his parents are married and already members of the church,
and he and his 12 year old brother have no religion. But want to get baptized.
We started teaching him and I almost started laughing because it was just too
perfect, like everything he said was 100% true and perfect answers. He
committed to being baptized and his brother did too, and this dad who said that
no one had come by the house in 10 years said that he wants to baptize his two
sons. Just seriously....such a miracle. They had moved houses so no one knew
where they lived, but that day we walked by after having prayed and felt to
knock there. God knew it was the right time! I'm super jealous that I wont be
getting to teach them because it's not actually my sector, but I'll stop by
another day to see how they are.
Last two
stories....
Rodrigo! WE
HAVE AN INVESTIGATOR! haha elder White and i have worked here in San pedro
probably about 7 hours this entire month. Like we just don't have time
to work here. We are always traveling and whatever time we have we do
intercambios and help out other sectors. But this guy Rodrigo is a bread-maker
who elder Townsend (elder whites old comp here) found with elder white. His
wife Lorena is a member inactive and he has two kids as well. We are teaching
them little by little (its a super slow process because they own a bakery and
are always busy). but we are working with them. He is progressing a
ton and we are doing a FHE this week with them so we will see how it goes! It
was crazy how happy I was teaching him this week though. it was our only lesson
the whole week in our own sector and we were just beaming happy. haha They are
an awesome family and I have really big hope for them. Anyway, keep them in
your prayers! Rodrigo, Lorena, Natali, y Raulito. Love ´em.
And me. This
week...I've realized how much i still lack in my own personal conversion. It's
been a very interesting week to be honest. Because we travel alone on buses
sometimes to get to other sectors, it's a lot different. Theres no companion
next to you 24/7, so it's time to think more. and HECK I've got a lot of work
to do. haha this week i started listening to talks more and i just realized how
grateful i am for the restored gospel. We have prophets and apostles that talk
to us in our day, people that tell us what God wants us to hear. This week i
actually listened to the talk "Profile of a Prophet" by Hugh B Brown,
the talk that Mom had listened to right before she became converted. It made me
tear up as i imagined Sharon Propst 30 years ago, sitting and praying about
whether or not to believe in this crazy vision of this "new prophet"
Joseph Smith. Whether or not to join a church she had never been a part of. And
as i listened to it i was just so immensely grateful for Mom and
Dad for having the courage to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. I never feel as
happy as when I live it. I've always been a part of it, but thats a
lot different than living it. I repent of the times i didn't live it, and look
forward with hope knowing there's a lot more people that i can help to not
waste time like i did. But surrounding myself this week with talks, with
articles, with the scriptures - really trying to make my daily life based
on the gospel has made a huge difference. We have so much more available to us
than we think. I thank the people that have been before me and have made it
possible that i can live and be a part of the only 100% true church on the
earth. Its not just about the name or the title - but about having access to
all of the blessings available. As i saw this week, we are so often conformist
to the things we have, and forget that God has so much more. I thank every day
that i belong to this church and have the knowledge of modern prophets and
apostles, of the restored power and authority of the priesthood, and that I
know my potential. God is awfully nice to us when we let him in.
I love you
all. You're amazing examples and I thank you for it! Lets all keep working
until the end. And no telling me how much time i have left! I'm not trunky and
you aren't allowed to be either!
Elder Tengberg
we went to a
national park last p day in Temuco and i acted 5 years old the whole trip,
there were big mapuche statues, there was a "friends of the trees"
sign and i laughed, theres a picture of what the buses look like here (cool,
huh? super comfy for long distance), and i think thats it. Love you all!
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