December 31, 2013

 FAMILY! 

It was good to see you guys

That was like the fastest hour and a half of my life... and I didn’t even say half the things I wanted too but no matter... there’s always mother day...And that’s right around the river bend! (Yeah I know your starting to sing that Disney song)

Christmas was pretty awesome here too. Way different then in the states but I have to give them effort for trying. I just don’t understand why the Santa Claus here wears the same amount of clothing as in the states... I mean his fluffy giant red pants and coat look pretty uncomfortable to wear in the Chilean sun... I’m sure he sweats a lot.

Anyway it is tradition of Chile to have a big fancy dinner Christmas eve. And one of the members invited us over to their house and fed us until we had to loosen our belts. It was so good. But I ate shrimp. And I didn’t know we couldn’t eat shrimp on the mission... so I feel a little bad about that...but it was good. 

This family also gave us a stocking full of goodies! I was actually surprised how many members gave us gifts... I got a new tie, Chilean candy and baked goods and also RAY BANS! There so sweet and original... and even if there not I’m going to pretend that they are. But now I have the rayband song by b.o.b stuck in my head...

The best part about this week however was the BAPTISM of FRANCISCO. I gave the talk at his baptism and explained that this what he was doing was the best gift he could give to Christ. To be an example of him in all times in all things and in all places. He is 21 and thinking about serving a mission, he has already been to lessons with us and loves it.

The baptism was at 9 in the morning because he needed to work at 1030... So we needed to wake up at 4 to full up the baptismal fount with hot water... (Because we promised Francisco hot water)  BUT because of our mid night run to the church the next day I was taken ill. I tried to work through it and ended up throwing up outside of an apartment building...classy.

 I have been studying the life of Christ a lot...I mean every day I study that but this week my focus was on how we can have the spirit of Christmas, or the spirit of Christ always in our lives.

 Every one is searching for Christ in one way or another, and I think that is one reason  why people love the holiday season,  not because of the presents or the parties (okay maybe a little bit) but there is an different atmosphere, a spirit of service and  of love, and of Christ. I have been able to see this more than ever this year on the mission.

Christ is who I seek, Christ is who I serve. He is the Brother that I love. And I know that he lives because I have found him in my life

But not all have found him, not all can feel him, only those who have the desires to follow him, and allow him into their lives and hearts.

Thomas S Monson once said ¨ in these busy days there are many who have time for golf, time for shopping, time for work, time for play but no time for Christ. Lovely homes dot the land and provide rooms for eating rooms for sleeping, play rooms, sewing rooms and TV rooms, but no room for Jesus¨

Don’t we remember the story.....¨and they laid him in a manger because there was no room for him in the inn¨?

Jesus is our savior, our redeemer, our King. But sometimes we forget it.

MAKE SOME ROOM FOR JESUS PEOPLE

Merry Christmas and a happy new year and ¨god bless us, every one¨ (quote by that little kid in scrooge)

December 23, 2013

Talcahuano Sur, Cerro Verde Baby

As for my new sector it is very different than Quillon. It is in the outskirts of a big city and we are like 5 min away from the ocean! (But I have only seen in one time bummer right.) I am in a ward now and not a branch. At first I was happy to hear that, but it turns out that this ward is smaller than the church in quillon. On paper the ward is Huge, but no one goes to church. I think they must have missed the day when we taught the 10 commandments, or must have blanked on the 4th one when it said `` Acuèrdate del dìa de reposo y santificarlo. `` In translation, ``go to freaking church``

Apparently there hasn’t been a baptism in our sector for about a year. But we have already changed that. My new companion, Elder Sanchez baptized 1 person a week before I got here and my first week, we baptized another. This coming Saturday we have 1 more! WHATTTTT.

 The Lord has truly prepared people for us here in this sector. So many of the missionaries in the past have found many great people to teach here, but for some  reason (I don’t really know why) never committed them to act, to read to pray to be baptized. It is so important for us as members and missionaries to get people to do things, to develop their own testimony. They will not learn anything if we just talk and talk and talk and they don’t act.

Our new house is much bigger than the one in Quillon, and my bed is somewhat comfortable, except for that fact that it is the most squeakiest contraption of a bed I have ever had the misfortune of sleeping on. Seriously, I turn my head 3 cm and an explosion of squeaks and groans burst from every fold and bend of the metal frame. But in reality I don’t know what is more loud, my bed, or my companions snores. 

We have a great pool of new people to teach and I am very excited to get started.

 The 2 zones of Talcahuano and Talcahuano sur got together this week to sing to a group of kids and families who are in need. We joined with some charity group to help out and it was such an awesome experience. I love this season of Christmas because the Spirit of Christ is so much more prevalent.

Remember the real reason we have this holiday, and give thanks to our savior and Lord this week.

I love you all and can’t wait to talk to you Wednesday!

Grandma and Grandpa Stewart I got your package and loved it. You were right I was very surprised to see what was inside. Pleasantly surprised of course. My companions and I will enjoy every single packet of hot sauce form Del taco I received. But I decided to save the bubbles for Christmas morning.

As for the loss that has happened this week

I don’t think words can describe exactly who he was, because for those who knew him know that he was greater than just mere words. Lezo has always been a great example to me, as an athlete and as a person. I remember in high school Track I was always so excited to train hurdles with him, 1 because he is an amazing athlete and 2 also because he was just so fun to be around, except when he would do that weird thing with his mouth and glee on you, ha or give you a 5 star on the back. He always seemed to live on the bright side of life; he had a spirit of happiness and joy about him that I will never forget. I feel privileged to have known Lezo and to have called him my friend.

While thinking about Lezo a scripture in the bible come to my mind. This comes from the New Testament in parts of John 14,

``let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In My father’s house there are many Mansions, I go to prepare a place for you.
...I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your Heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
If ye loved me, ye would rejoice...for I go unto the Father, and the Father is greater than I. ``

In times of hardships and pain the Lord is close to us, he is so close, yet we cannot see him. But we can feel his presence and his love. He is here for us. And we are here for you.

December 16, 2013

WHAT THE CAMBIOS (changes)?

So many changes I don't even know how to feel? Happy, sad, excited, nervous? I don't even know. But I am heralding off to Talcauano Sur, Sector Cerro Verde. I'm leaving tomorrow morning. My new companion elder Sanchez happens to the best friend of Elder Rojas my current companion. And my new district leader will be none other than my padre en la mission Elder Barker! Small world.

I don't know much about my new sector but is right close to Concepcion and the mission office. So the package's to me quicker! Whoo hoo! Big city life here I come.

I will also be companero mayor (senior companion), and I am very excited about that! Now I will have more responsibilities and more leadership opportunities. 

I kind of had the feeling that this would be my last week in Quillon so throughout the whole week I was more aware of all the great things about this sector. I really love the people here and am very sad to leave. 

For my last Sunday it was my turn to give a talk in church. I decided to talk about La Fe (faith). The most well-known topic in existence in the gospel. But also one of the most important. I was very glad for the opportunity to study faith more in depth this week and learned many new ways to apply that principle in my life. 

I shared the story of when Jesus was walking on the water. Peter, good ole loyal Peter, wanted to join him, and with the invitation from Christ he leaped out of the boat. At first his vision never left the savior, his hands out stretched, his loving smile, peter was focused on his goal to reach him.  I imagine that he took a good few steps, 5 or 6 maybe more; full of excitement, amazement, love and gratitude for his redeemer and friend he was trying to reach.  With his vision directed on the savior, he was able to walk on the water. But I'm sure when peter was somewhere in the middle, half way from the boat  to Christ, both places seeming to be quite some distance away his doubts began to creep in, Christ still looked far away, and that wave fast approaching looked way to close. Peter took his eyes away from Christ and immediately began to sink.

It is so important for us to keep our faith, our hopes and our eyes on the savior. He is our goal and He is where we want to get to, yeah there might be giant waves in the way and we might feel very alone and scared sometimes, I'm sure Peter felt that way, but right in that moment when Peter began to sink, he called out for Christ immediately, and He was there.

There is no need to doubt, there is no need to fear when we have faith. 

Also I have learned that we need to have faith in the will of God and not in our desires- Elder Bednar

....Elder Bednar in a talk shared a story about a young newlywed couple. The husband, after 3 weeks of being married in the temple contracted bone cancer. This was a hard time for them as you could imagine. They had faith and hope to begin a family, to raise their kids in the gospel, not this, not cancer.

Desperate for advice they called Elder Bednar to came and give them a blessing and advice. And he asked this young husband a question he was not expecting. 

Do you have the faith to not be healed? If it is the will of God that you pass on and continue your work in the next life will you accept that?

WHOA, that would take some faith to accept that. As people a lot of the time we have faith that things will work out the way we want them too. But the secret is to have faith that things will work out the way God wants them to.

The will of God is always better than my will for me.

Yeah that's some quality doctrine right? I tried to share that story in Spanish for my talk... and in the most important part of the talk...I BLEW IT.

The question in Spanish is...¿tienes the fe para no se sañados?

I said ¿tienes la fe para que no se salvados? meaning do you have the faith to not receive salvation?

How HORRIBLE is that. No one wants faith to not receive salvation. That doesn't even make sense. que error.

¨pero lo que se dice no is tan importante como lo que escuchamos o lo que sentimos¨ (but what is said is not as important as what we hear or what we feel) So I hope the branch understood (quote by Robert d hales)

I am so excited for this Christmas season. The houses are full of lights, there's Christmas tress everywhere, and it feels like I'm walking around in an oven... it’s great.

love you! if you have any questions for me!

Elder Sayre Stewart

Dec. 9, 2013

The great drought of investigators has ended!

This week started out like any other, but ended with a flood of new people to teach and all thanks to the members. I really have just a strong testimony of the importance of members in the work of the Lord.

The only thing we receive while contacting door to door in the middle of the day is a sun burn... And not even that for my companion...because he’s a lamanite.

I have learned an important principle this week, and that is we need to invest our time, not spend it. Spending my time on the mission is walking around contacting all day looking for people that will talk to us, and then begging them to let using their house. Investing my time is visiting members, gaining their confidence, asking them about their friends, and planning activities.

Investing you time leads to more success in the long run, sure is requires a little bit more thought and preparation but it’s better than a sun burn.

Dec 3, 2013

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! You probably thought I forgot your birthday like your other ungrateful children. But seeing as I am on a mission, and I am now your favorite child I would like to grace you with a picture of ME for your birthday... enjoy

Dad you’re lucky you’re not my companion... for his birthday we showered him with eggs flower rice oatmeal and any other thing we could think of. Then wrapped his head with toilet paper and lit a candle on top! We turned him into a cake!

Thanks for all you have done for me in my life, I have learned a lot from you and proud to say that I have inherited many of your traits, like a decreasing hair line, and a sarcastic ¨Stewart´ sense of humor. Haha love you dad!

Sounds like the family had a blast in Idaho for thanksgiving. Thanks for the pictures you sent me! Keep them coming. You know how bad of a memory I have so if you don't want me to forgot who you are...send me pictures... that goes for everyone reading this ya hear? (Shoot now I'm talking like Austin on his mission in the south :))

 

This week was very eventful. First of all I got a haircut. And in the pictures I will send;  don't laugh at me okay? I literally look like Mackelmore. 

There was a huge triathlon this week in Quillon! And it was killing me watching the people racing pass by on our way to lessons. The swimming part was in the lake close to our house, then the running and biking part was throughout the small town. Due to the race many of the streets were closed and everyone was out of their houses watching at the constants passed by. We were biking in the same direction as the racers at one point and there was a guy filming us! So look for us on TV! Haha

Last week we had an awesome activity with the branch. We put on a TALENT SHOW! And it turned our very well. I'm not sure if it was because we convinced a lot of people to come with the promise of food afterwards or not. But that's not important... Many of the members participated as well. I played the piano! Others sang hymns and songs, there was dancing a member recited a poem......and the missionaries danced thriller by Michael Jackson. 

 

The HIGHLIGHT of this week however is our investigator Monica. Friday she was married and was BAPTIZED! We are so happy for her and the decisions she has made in her life to get to this point. There has been such a change in her from the first day we passed by and now, after her baptism. There is a light about her; there is peace in her smile that wasn't there before. She is also the first in her family to join the gospel, she has set the example for all of her family and she is determined to do all that is necessary to be with her family forever. as of now her husband and her kids (2 are grown up but live at home, except for 1 which is 6) don't really want much right now, but with her spirit and determination, who knows what’s gonna happen!