March 17, 2015

This week has been jam packed with miracles and exciting things.

First of all I had a mini cambio this week with Elder Barnes and Elder Evelo.  Yeah we were in a tri-companionship.   Elder Barnes was my district leader when I was in Yungay! So we had a blast to work together again, and Elder evelo has like 2 months in the mission and is still working on his Spanish, so I felt like a trainer again and it was fun!

In their sectors they have been having problems finding new people to teach, so as a tri-companionship we decided to make that the focus of our mini cambio…

We get to working, laughing, talking to everyone and teaching... Always focused on our goal...and by the end of the day we found 2 new families to teach.

I really believe that the attitude and work ethic is everything. If we do our best, God covers the rest.

This week we also contacted a girl named Carolina, well she actually contacted us. We were just walking through the street when she shouts at us, waves us over. She said she was interested in learning English and asked if we offered classes. We said yes. And as we got to talking, she started to tell us that more than learning English she wanted to get closer to God and get to know the church.

This past Sunday she went to church and loved it!

Also…Raul and Jose got baptized! We had the service at the Bella vista river and everything went so well. The spirit was very strong I am 100 sure that everyone felt it. I think that is what I like most about being a missionary, getting to see people change. Not just a change of actions but a change in their hearts, you can literally see it in a person when their heart is changed,

Alma, an ancient prophet in the Book of Mormon talks about this very change. He said...

And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.

 …and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.

And now behold, I ask of you…have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

(Alma 5: 12-15)

It is so cool so see this process of a heart changing. God takes raw material and refines it and polishes us to his liking, and he does it through many means, through other people, through life experiences and challenges, and through the Holy Ghost.

As missionaries our job is to help people Find and accept Christ and His gospel. That means we are inviting people to walk an unpopular path. The path of Christ is not an easy or popular one, only those with a changed heart are able to see and follow.

33 And it came to pass that when Ammon arose he also administered unto them, and also did all the servants of Lamoni; and they did all declare unto the people the selfsame thing—that their hearts had been changed; that they had no more desire to do evil.

 34 And behold, many did declare unto the people that they had seen angels and had conversed with them; and thus they had told them things of God, and of his righteousness.

 35 And it came to pass that there were many that did believe in their words; and as many as did believe were baptized; and they became a righteous people, and they did establish a church among them

 36 And thus the work of the Lord did commence among the Lamanites; thus the Lord did begin to pour out his Spirit upon them; and we see that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name.

(Alma 19:36)

These 2 weeks have not been easy for Raul and Jose, they passed through a lot of problems but now they have felt and now they know where they need to be.

I love you family and friends!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Brown! I love you!

March 12, 2015

I love you mom! Hope that all goes well this week and that you can enjoy your birthday... next year I will be there to celebrate with you (or at least I’ll be in the states so it will be a little bit easier)

This is my first p day in 2 weeks! Because of the leadership ‘conference that we had last Monday we just had time to write the family and go back to our sectors to work.

I definitely needed this day to chill. So we planned a huge zone activity on the beach in Penco with 4 other zones and spent the morning playing beach football and eating Chilean fried sweet bread with cream in the middle (their called berlines)

Heyyy quick shout out to the Hoopes family for finding my blog! You guys are awesome!

Now I know not to say anything bad about him...

Haaha just kidding... He’s the man. We are getting along great and are loving our time here in Tomé.

This week our stake president asked us to help out in a community/church activity called 1000 lights! It was a non-profit organization that is trying to save the fishes and the beaches from pollution. The scouts and the church helped organize a concert to raise awareness! We played out 1000 lights on the beach in white bags and it looked really cool!

 Camera and film students from Utah Valley University were there too, to film and document the whole thing... I told them that when they go back to school... if they see a red headed girl with dreads walking around campus to tell her hi for me..... So Taylor keep a look out.

 Just for the record. We are still doing that insanity program and it is kicking our butts... but we are definitely going to be looking good when we get home.

Last week we actually didn’t have a baptism in a river... but no need to fret because we will be having both this Saturday instead.

Raul, one of our investigators has a bad case of gastriteous and was having some complications this past week and couldn’t follow through, and our other investigator Jose needed a little bit of a review on some of the commandments, but they are so excited and a lot more prepared. we are focusing on them a lot and helping them get through their hard times.... everyone who has ever been baptized or has served a mission knows that the week before a baptism is usually really tough, the adversary try’s his hardest to stop people from taking this very important step.

It reminds me of a quote from Thomas S. Monson when he said "Our greatest opportunities will always be found in times of great difficulty"

(That is so not quoted exactly by the way... he probably says it better than me...)

This week in my studies I have been reflecting deeply about my time on the mission and what I have learned. And from what I feel and what I think, some things that have changed the most in me is my personal conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ, it definitely is a cliché but my best convert on the mission is myself. I have grown in knowledge and in understanding of my personal purpose here and the reality of God’s hands on the earth. I feel that I have gained a lot in strength and in faith thanks to all of the trials and hard times that I have passed through during the mission.

I heard a quote this week that said "you don’t know how strong you are, until being strong is all you have left"

Through our trials we get to know ourselves and just how strong our faith in Christ is.

Which leads me into what has changed most in me, and that is my deep love and gratitude towards my Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement. This week I am studying the events that took place in the week before his death and resurrection. Studying the atonement, or even talking about it in lessons brings a special spirit into the room, a feeling that testifies what he did for us and why. I love it.

I don’t believe that it matters much what words are said or shared,

What truly counts is the conviction in the hearts of those that are sharing them.

I always try to plan what I want to say in my blog, so that I can inspire, help out and lift up those who read it...  but honestly I don’t  have time to prepare, I’m not too inspiring, and pretty much all the time I make spelling errors....

but if I can, through these words express my testimony and my convictions about what I know to be true well enough to touch the life and heart of at least one person, It will be worth it.

Every soul is great in the eyes of God.

 I love you family and friends!

Here are some pictures

March 3, 2015

Elder Hoopes and I have officially made up our house, and its awesome. We made a ping pong table out of a broken door, we have new shelves, a new curtain, a new shower curtain and a member gave me a papaya:)

We’re living large here in Tome.

The bad news in that we have not had time to even try out our new ping pong table, nor have I even had time to or eat my papaya!!

 We have been so busy.

This Saturday we are planning the baptism of Jose and Raul in a river! After a couple minor complications and problems they are both ready and prepared to take this important step in their lives to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We had a huge family home evening with them and the bishop and both of their families this week and explained the 5 steps in the gospel of Jesus Christ which are faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the holy spirit AND enduring to the end. We then explained that these simple doctrines help us truly find joy in our lives.

Also I ripped my pants trying to lift up a huge cement tube... it was embarrassing.

We ran to a member’s house and I sat on her couch pant-less and uncomfortable, wrapped in a blanket as she sewed my pants back together. It was funny

This week we also had interviews with the president of the mission. He came down to Tome and we got to talk a little about the zone and our personal progress as missionaries.

He talked a lot to us about obedience and the blessings that come to faithful servants of the Lord

He said that there are 3 steps that we need to all pass through to reach consecration.

·         Recognize it.

·         Do it.

·         Enjoy it.

 We need to recognize the need and gain the desire to follow, then we need to act on that desire, and then find a way to enjoy it.

Simple right. Happiness is through obedience.

This week we taught our zone class about making and setting goals.

We raised a bar 12 inches off the ground and asked a missionary in our zone if he thought he could jump over it.

He said that we could jump a lot higher than that.

So we told him to jump over the bar.

He then, without difficulty skipped over the bar and looked at us and said "see? You happy"

We then asked him, Why did he just jump 12 inches off the ground when he knew that he could jump a lot higher?

He replied "because that's all you asked me to do"

We then taught about raising the bar and not working just to complete rules but working to complete our divine potential that the Lord has for us.

I love you family and I have no more time to write!

Have a good week-

Elder Stewart

February 23, 2015

This week we had a conference with elder Di Giovanni and his wife. He is a member of the quorum of the 70 and was assigned to tour our mission and get to know the work that we are doing here,

It is always so awesome to have a conference with church leaders because they are just always so inspired! I learn so much then they speak...

Some things that they spoke on is our faith in Christ and just how willing we are to act with the knowledge that have gained.

Every one said that they have faith, but not many are willing to act on it. Even as missionaries, we say that we have the faith the find, to work to teach and to baptize but that will only be achieved if we put our trust in the lord and act according to his will.

President Hinckley once said that "you can’t guarantee success, but you can deserve it"

We can only work hard and do what we should... and wait for the tender mercies of the lord to pour down upon us.

The Lord is bound to keep his promise when we do what he says... so our biggest challenge throughout our whole time here on the earth is to be obedient... and that’s it.

Elder di Giovanni also said that when our expectations go up, our efficiency goes up.

So we need to raise the bar. And set it high.

We have prepared for many thousands of years to be here on the earth, so we shouldn’t give up now, or just work to get by... that doesn’t fly by me.

Also this week...

-we had the Concepcion cup round 2!  Dodgeball! And we dress up like thugs... we tied for first. No big

-Jose is progressing great and will be baptized in that river on March 7!

-we did an awesome service with the community painting the walls of the city... the wall with the crabs on it and the colored bubbles is the one that I designed and painted! It was great and we got to meet a lot of new people.

Serving the community! yeahhhhhh

I think that’s about it for the week... I can’t think of anything else right now. I love you family and friends!

February 16, 2015

Well cambios are a lot more stressful when you are a zone leader.

What happens is that the Tuesday morning of cambios everyone that is changing sectors, or picking up new missionaries meets in my old sector of Colloa in the Concepcion bus terminal... there we have to make sure that everyone leaves and comes when they need too.

It was crazy. I feel like every 6th Tuesday the people in the bus terminal hate us, because hundreds of missionary’s with hundreds of bags full up the place and make a missionary barricade causing serious traffic and delays.

A Hermana missed her bus, we couldn't find a group of elders, buses were delayed, disorder everywhere. BUT after a good 5 hours in the bus terminal all arrived safely to their sectors.

My new companion is awesome. He is from Oregon but moved to Utah for college. We are having a blast together.

We started insanity this week. It is a workout video that is the hardest thing in my life....

I AM SO SORE

But I am going to come back from the mission looking good! If I survive insanity... i am only 34 days into it but it is tough.

Elder Hancock my friend that I lived with in Cerro Verde ended his mission and came to visit tome with his parents. It was awesome to see him again! He lives in phx so we will definitely hang out after...

This week we revived permission from president to go to a ward activity in the middle of the forest to a river called Quillay. There the members stayed all day and swam and played... we didn’t do that. We stayed only for a couple hours to help out and plan some ward games and activities and get to know you games that were a lot of fun!

ALSO some of our investigators and a lot of our less actives that we are working with came too!

This week in tome is the week of TOMECINOS

It is a celebration of the city of Tome. We live in the center of the city and had to listen to fireworks, music and people shouting outside of our apartment all week long. The city is trashed with confetti and glitter.

We are going to have 2 baptisms on March 7 in a river! Hooray!

February 10, 2015

Well my first cambio has rolled by here in tome and the Zone is changing dramatically.

-half the zone is going to be training newbies

-Elder Ainge is going to Lianares, the farthest sector north of the mission to die in peace training (he has 8 weeks left...)

And my new companion is named elder Hoops!

 I am very excited to work with all the new people in my zone

One of my favorite parts of being a zone leader is the chance that I have to do mini cambios or exchanges with a lot of people. This way I can get to know different sectors, different people, different missionaries and different ways to teach and work. This week I had the chance to go to a very touristic city called Ditchato... it is very famous because that place was one of the most effected from the earthquake of 2010. When it hit the city it was completely wiped out and covered by the ocean, and many houses, cars and even people were sweaped back into the sea. Tragic...

But now it is back in action and a hot spot for vacationing Chileans because it is very beautiful.

I had the mini cambio with Elder Incil, from Peru! He is a great missionary and works very hard.

 But the bad part was during the cambio we were walking through the town square and I got attacked/molested by a clown mime...

I was just walking minding my own business and this mime who was doing an act in the middle of the street stop what he was doing when he saw me, ran up and hugged me and wouldn’t let go. Everyone who was around started to laugh so he went even farther and tried to kiss me. He was really going in for it so I put my mission plaque up to my lips just in time and he kissed that instead. I pushed him away and he fell to his knees and hugged my legs... and I pushed him away again and ran out of there... he then ran after me and squeezed my butt.

Mime clowns suck.

I also had a mini cambio this week with a new missionary named elder Rojas from Santiago.

He is a missionary with a powerful 7, we had a lesson with a new less active that we found and she was explaining that she couldn’t go to church because she lives far and has bad joints. Elder Rojas then explained to her that he was diagnosed with arthritis when he was six and lives with pain almost every day BUT has received health and strength through living the gospel principles... She then committed to go to church.

The knowledge of what we know of Christ and his gospel gives us power to do good and to help others that have fallen.

I love a scripture that is in Jacob 1: 7 Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest...

That is the reason why we are here.

Here are some pictures of Collao that I found during Christmas that I don’t think I posted... and of my mini cambio with Elder Rojas and Elder Incil...

And a Hermana in my zone is leaving... so after our zone class we had some cake... and even made her a grave stone... Hermana Mendoza is going back to her house in Honduras.

Feb. 2, 2015

The struggle is real with the less actives in Tome. Seems like everyone and their neighbors have their complaints and sob stories and criticisms... but none of that matters to me. I'm not a therapist I'm a missionary... if you want to talk about how unjust the world and its people are go talk to Judge Judy... 'Caso cerrado'. (Case closed)

I am here to talk about God, and his infinite love for all of us.

We can't love God without loving his commandments.

And that's all I have to say about that.

This week I got to have 2 mini cambios.

One with Elder Santos a big Brazilian black guy in my Zone, and the other with Elder Calder, the president’s assistant.

 "IF you do today what others won't, you can accomplish tomorrow what others can't.” -Dan Clark

Sorry that's all I can say this week. Love you!