September 30, 2013

Thanks for all of your emails! And letters. Because I haven’t received any more due to the strike I decided to read all of them again, and pretend that they are new, pathetic right? Haha.

This week was a busy one. We have 3 investigators with a baptismal date and we have been working a lot with them, making sure they stay on track and what not.

One of our investigators Estefany is doing wonderful. We taught her about modern day prophets and gave her a copy of the last general conference talks to read. We called her to verify how that was going and she read like 6 or 7 of the talks! In our next lesson with her, she said that she was going to be the missionary and teach us about the talks she read.

She is so excited for General conference coming up and so am I! Even though as of now I’m not sure if I will have to opportunity to listen in English. I sure hope I can. My Spanish is improving but I don’t think I’m ready for 10 hours of talks in Spanish...

Spanish is frustrating right now. My understanding is getting better but it talks me a while to comprehend it all. for example when we are in lessons and someone asks me a question, it takes me like an extra 5 to 10 seconds to respond, and the people here in Chile are SUPER inpatient, so then by the time I try to answer their question, they are asking another question, and by the time a try to answer that question, their talking about a completely different topic. I’m always like 15 seconds behind the conversation and my brain is constantly running, trying to catch up but never gets there. I think I have a condition.

Being the only gringo in our house is much more difficult than I thought. I have so much to say all the time, but I end up only saying like 5% of it.

And I have given up on trying to be funny in Española for the time being. I have tried to make funny comments or jokes in lessons and it is just embarrassing. I get that confused dog look from so many people when I try to make jokes (you know the squinting of the eyes and the tilt of the head in confusion).

On the other hand my companion has like 3 jokes or funny comments he says to every new person we meet, I have heard them about a million times already and it has only been a week. Our companionship needs more originality.

In our mission the standards of excellence have drastically changed. Standards of excellence are the guide lines of what our mission president expects from us each week. And with our new standards everything we do, needs to be with a member, or it doesn’t count! I think the members are getting sick of us calling constantly to ask if their busy, but hey we gotta do what we gotta do.

With the cambios (transfers) and everything we have so many new people in our zone! I think it’s so awesome to meet new missionaries and learn from them. Every missionary is different, with strength and weaknesses, and also has their different ways of doing the mission work. It’s it fun to get new ideas for teaching and contacting and put them into practice, because at times it is easy to get stuck into a routine, and fall into the category of a robot missionary, and I’m not about that.

But everyone in my zone is thoroughly convinced that I am an indie hipster, just because I bought washable suits at H&M, and  wear wool ties and have glasses made by Giorgio Armani. Shoot I don’t even know that guy! But it’s pretty funny.

I think that’s it for now folks, I have been crazy busy this week, and a lot happened, but now that I’m sitting at the computer writing you, I don’t remember anything that happened.

Love you!

September 23, 2013

Mailing address: 

 Elder Sayre Stewart

Misión Chile Concepción

Castellon 1063    Oficina Norte

Concepción, Chile

Casilla 2210

"Pouch Mail"

Elder Sayre Stewart

Misión Chile Concepción

POB 30150

Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0150

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MYCHAL! Hope all is well with you!  This week we had so many fiestas for your birthday it was insane! You’re pretty popular down here in Chile.

Also because 18 de septiembre, the day of independence for Chile. This is their biggest holiday of the year and they go crazy all week long. About a block away from our house was what was almost like a carnival thing. People built huge ramadas from wood, tarps and tree branches and danced and drank for 5 days straight. The music was soo loud all of Quillon was listening... and we were trying to sleep through it.

This week because of the 18th, was very hard to teach people, all of our appointments fell through and we left knocking door to door. Which is hard, because everyone was at the giant fiesta by our house...or having a party of their own, or completely hammered with wine.

I ate like 39 empanadas (give or take) this past week and feel like I’m going to explode. But they were soo good! They also have this awesome weird dessert called mote con huesillo which is soo good. 

We had a ward activity at the church that started at 9 in the morning and lasted until 10 at night! We only ate lunch there at stayed for an activity we were in charge of but it was super wild. Everyone was dancing the national dance the quaka, in their cultural outfits! So much fun! Why don’t we have a national dance? ...we should go on strike about that...it seems to work for Chile

We also had cambios this week. And my companion, elder Barker left. I have a new companion named elder Rojas and he is from Argentina! And he speaks next to no English. I am now the only gringo in all of Quillon!  I am actually really excited to have elder Rojas as my companion; he’s really cool and good at teaching, also now I’m forced to speak Spanish always, so I’m improving soo much faster than before.

...entonces there we were, not knowing what to do, do we prayed, and asked for help.

Right after that, we walked across the street, and knocked on their door and they let us in! And we taught about the plan of salvation.

God is mindful of all of our needs, and is willing to help us when we ask in faith.

Love you all!

September 16, 2013

Our days of using a bike have ended (when I say ´days´ I mean 3 days. I only used a bike for 3 days. The other elders used them for the rest of the time, and then broke them), those poor bikes fell apart. Quite literally actually. The handle bars and the pedals fell off, all the tires flat, and the chain on one is so rusty it clicks every so often. Ah well, I don’t mind walking. More opportunities to talk to people!

 Speaking of talking to people we had the most pleasant conversation with a couple of drunken people the other night. We were walking home (it was pretty late) and we saw this man on the ground on the other side of the street. He was face down, and was struggling, trying to stand up, but only succeeded in looking like an inch worm. Now I’m a Good Samaritan so of course we went to help him up. He had no teeth and throughout our whole conversation his tongue was sticking out of his mouth.

He lived like a 30 min walk away so we were going to call a taxi for him to get him home. But then another drunk came staggering toward us. This guy was soo hilarious. He kept calling us mormonitas and talking about nothing in particular, but he stopped instantly and said, you guys aren’t from Chile are you?!

Haha we said, how did you know?

I have a gift... i know many things

What else do you know? Tell us what else?

You guys...are from Argentina!

We decided to keep playing along and said how did you know! Your amazing, what else?

I have a gift! Give me your hand.

He took my companions hard and squeezed it and then there was silence for about 10 seconds. Then he said

You have a daughter! And a niece!

After that he told us that he couldn’t reveal more to us, but another time he would tell us more.

We parted, leaving both those men with pass along cards that said mas o menos ´stop drinking God doesn’t like it, but you are invited to church to find out why! ´

The 11 de September was pretty interesting, that was the day (back in 1973 I think) that the military in Chile took over the government and killed a lot of people. I don’t know exactly what happened but a lot of the Chilean people mainly the gangs and what not) are out and commit all sorts of crimes, on that day all the missionaries

had to be home at 8 because it was dangerous to be outside. It was a pretty spooky day but everyone was alright.

This past Sunday at church members from the stake came and pretty much gave the ward a pep talk about becoming a ward. then after church, all the members split up with all the people from the stake and we all went out to visit menos activos for a couple of hours. It was way awesome to incorporate the whole branch and even the stake leaders into the missionary efforts in Quillon. I could tell that the branch enjoyed it and felt the spirit as they visited all those sheep that are lost. There is a special spirit in missionary work, and now the members are more eager to help us.

This week was pretty hard to find new people to teach. But we have 2 progressing investigators right now who are awesome. I look forward to their baptisms and for the opportunity to see the blessings that are coming into their lives because of this gospel.

Now I just have to find a way to help other people understand those blessing that come from this gospel.

Love you!  Happy 16 de spetiembre!

September 10th, 2013

Thank you everyone for your prayers and your emails! I can’t really receive letters because of the strike, but apparently packages make it through the mail system just fine. So I expect a package from everyone.

Spring is here! Which doesn’t mean much, because the temperature is pretty much the same. But it is beginning to rain more. I haven’t yet worn my rain pants yet (which also resemble parachute pants) but a look forward to the day when they are needed. I will walk proudly through the streets of Quillon looking absolutely ridiculous, but I won’t be wet, so it is worth it.

First I want to bring something to your attention. Something that is a little bit more serious. I will explain through a STORY (cause who doesn’t love stories), plus that how Christ taught, and has my favorite.

So my companion and I have been teaching this family since the first day on my mission. (Literally the first day we went to their house and taught them) they were progressing very well and had a very strong testimony of Christ and of the book of Mormon. They read together, often and personally studied the scriptures and prayed every day. They are such a great family and were eager to learn more of this gospel. The Father (boyfriend), however was not progressing very fast, and had many doubts about our message. Don’t get me wrong questions and doubts are not bad to have, but he was not willing to ask God and resolve his doubts. Tambien, he refused to go to church with the rest of the family saying he had other stuff to do. 
We gave one of the daughters a baptismal date and she was very excited and very ready to take this first step to follow Christ in her life. The father didn’t think his daughter was ready, and also his doubts were making him very cynical of our message. During lessons he would rather fight and argue with us instead of allowing the spirit to teach him through humility and faith.
So 2 days before the baptism, (I think as an eager attempt to stop his family from going through with this) searched on the internet, searching for everything bad people have to say about this gospel, and especially about Joseph Smith and the book of Mormon. 
I am telling you this because I want everyone to know that the adversary is real and is out there, and he is trying very hard to stop anyone from knowing the truth, especially families. He entered into this family through small doubts and then worked and worked on one person and now all of the family have been blinded by doubt and lose sight of the truth and their testimonies (that I know they still have in their hearts).
They way to know the truth is not through the lies on the internet; it is through reading the word of God and prayer. 
Now don’t worry we will not give up on this family. They mean a lot to us, and I know they mean even more to the Savior. 
As of now they want us to visit them (because they still like us, who wouldn’t right), but they don’t want us to talk about the gospel. Well that is not gonna happen, we are representatives of Christ THATS ALL WE TALK ABOUT.

Never stop praying and reading the scriptures, also continue to ask questions and expand your knowledge of Christ. Just do it his way.


This week we also had Zone Conference! It was so great and they fed us the biggest bread bowl I have ever seen in my life, it was literally bigger then a pumpkin.
Hermana Arrington shared an awesome story about her son who served his mission in Ukraine.
In Ukraine at the time of his mission (5 years or so ago) the church was very small. I think the specific mission he was in averaged about 1.4 baptisms a year...I don’t know how that works but that are what she said. because the church was so small pretty much all they did every day was contacting, knocking on doors, talking to anyone who was listen. Elder Arrington was on a mini cambio (change/transfer) in a city he had never been in, and was only there for one day. But during that day all he did was contact in some park and had out pass along cards to people. Fast forward 3 years later, his mission was over and was studying at BYU. A girl sat next to him in one of his classes and they started talking and she said she was from Ukraine! she said she was from that same city that he only spend 1 day in.. So he didn’t remember much.
However when the teacher called role and said his name, this girl started crying and said to him, you’re elder Arrington? ¨ 
She then proceeded to pull out a pass along card from her purse, the same pass along card that he had given to her that day so long ago. He had written a short testimony on the back and signed it with his name before handing it out. She had forgotten about the encounter for months, until cleaning out her purse one day and saw it, and contacted the missionaries. Now she is a student at BYU.

Sometimes we do not see the fruits of our labors, but does that mean we should stop trying? We need to always be examples and always share the gospel, because we don’t know who it will affect in the future.

Also if you haven’t seen the movie The Testaments, watch it because it’s awesome. We had a ward activity and watched that movie, most people here in Quillon have not seen it, and had no idea what was coming. We had some criers that night. Even though so parts are defiantly out of date it is worth watching. 
That night we also ate popcorn. But in Chile they don’t eat popcorn with butter and salt, it was cooked with powdered sugar and who knows what else...but it was divine. 

Hey if anyone has questions about my mission and the work here in Quillon you can email me and I will try to answer then in the next post. (sayre.stewart@myldsmail.net)

 Love you and I pray for you! 

September 2, 2013

 ´´Who shall treasure up my words shall not be deceived´´

The Book of Mormon is true. 

This week definitely had its ups and downs. But hey, that’s like alright because Thursday we had a wedding! the wedding lasted about 10 min, and the fiesta afterwards was for the next 8 hours. We stopped by to congratulate the couple and see if we could find new investigator there. That so didn’t happen; every one that wasn’t Mormon was hammered so instead we visited with the members there and ate ALL the food.  It was soo hard not to dance at that fiesta, they were playing half Chilean music half American pop culture music, and I was loving every SECOND of it. There were some snakes there though (snacks are creepy women who want to commit sins with us missionaries; we call them snakes because their eyes follow you everywhere you go). So we didn’t stay for very long.

I like what you said about being more Christian (Kates talk in church) that is such an important principle that I think many people forget. Many people here tell us that they believe in Christ, they have a church, and that they don’t want us to try to change their beliefs in God.  We are not here to change anyone’s belief in Christ, but to add on to it. To give them more tools to get to know Christ their savior better. Sometimes we start talking about the book of Mormon and they say...I read the bible Really you do? WELL SO DO I, and I love the bible too. Never forget the power of God’s word, whichever standard work it is in, book of Mormon or bible.

So I explained a little in my last post about our branch. In the next couple of months we will wither become a district or a ward. They get our numbers in about 30 days. So as missionaries we have created the 30 day challenge to become a ward. That pretty much means we are going to be working with the ward and its members a lot. Their ward is very small but I love it so much. There are a couple very faithful members here in Quillon, a lot of less active. We are going to fix that. 30 day challenge accepted.

We had a conference this Saturday with Elder and Hermana Gonzalez the area 70! It was awesome. Well I'm sure it was awesome, I didn’t understand all of it. Because everyone talks SO DANG FAST, but hey I will receive knowledge and blessings for trying. If I could choose, gift of tongues come my way!

Okay so who knew that my name was so hard to pronounce. S-t-e-w-a-r-t...? WRONG, no one can say it here. And then once I repeat it like 50 times and they still say it wrong I just say Si muy bien. And also pretty much every single people a meet makes a joke about my name and the movie Stewart little. Apparently that’s a popular movie here because everyone knows it, and they laugh at me, and then calls me Stewart little.

I also was asked if I was related to Ron Stewart. 

Greatest of all however was when we were in a lesson and our investigator asked us if we will marry a Chilean while we are here. We told her no and she was really bummed out, because she wanted us to mix races and have babies so she could see how attractive they would be. Haha

 Look here, I could just could tell you that, they would be attractive.

I have decided to create a distraction page. Every time I think of something back home, or songs I like, or ideas I have that don’t have to do with a mission I will write it down on my distraction page, so I will remember all the things I want to remember aft6er my mission, while still focusing on missionary work. Genius right.

I didn’t get to the bad news this week, because I don’t have time to write it. But who wants to hear about bad news anyway? Your welcome.

I love you family and friends that are reading this! And if I don’t know you and your reading this...I love you too

Also people eat bananas weird here, they take the whole banana out of the peal, and eat if from the side. Why do they eat a banana in possibly the worst way possible? The world will never know