Happy Easter!

I am doing fine health-wise. It has been asthma related my medical experience and it was an asthma doctor. I am eating a lot and am doing fine. I feel great. I hope that everything is going well for everyone at home. I am doing better. I had an additional medicine for 5 days was all, but working hard to help me feel better. We played soccer today and I am feeling much better than before. I have seen a lot of blessings this week. We had 4 investigators this week at church and we have 2 investigators with baptismal dates for the future. We have Brian an 18 year-old kid for the 9th and Gloria that we met on Saturday that came to church working towards the 16th. We are doing so much right now. We found 7 new investigators this week, but 2 of them came to church. We have a washer. I live in a new apartment building. The house is great. We didn`t have anything special for Easter. I haven`t heard more from Camila. Hermano Salvador is a convert that is really special from Peñaflor that works hard in the Mission and helps us a lot it will be cool. I don`t remember the exact date, but it is here in April, but it will go well.

Hi Braxton!  We are at the AT&T store buying phones. I am glad you are feeling better. Do you have more energy now?

I am doing better. Yesterday I was slightly light-headed, but I am doing well. I don`t know much about the phone models and everything, but supposedly the Gold one is really nice, but I don`t have a clue or idea about what I want. I really haven`t focused much on that either, but I am doing much better and working hard to have success, just working hard and seeing many miracles in the work.

I chose space gray which is basically black and silver. It is a 5S which is about the same size as the phone you had before your mission. We ordered a nice case for it. It will be dark blue and light blue so you won't even see the black and silver. It has 128 gigabytes of storage. The phone case has the ability to charge your phone when the battery gets low and it seals it from water, dirt, snow and protects it if it gets dropped. Awesome phone for our awesome son!!!

I am glad you are having good success. I hope you are able to have some baptisms in this area. Did the lady who got robbed come to church?

No, this week she was at the beach and didn`t come. We are going to see how she is doing this week and if she is still interested.

Did the mission do anything for Easter?

No, the mission didn`t do anything special. We have been sharing the video Hallelujah with everyone and focusing on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and we have seen so many blessings from it. There is a lot to do and we have to walk 5 minutes to the bus stop from our house and 5-15 minutes in bus to our sector depending on traffic. We are doing great. I think she will be interested. Her name is Aystia and she is 22 and has a 5 year-old kid. She is great and has most of the lessons, but we are doing our best. Here in the sector we have 7 people that have attended church recently, so we are going to keep working hard to prepare the most possible right now. There are so many people that The Lord has been preparing here that we are going to see what we can do now for them. Thank you so much for your support and worrying about me, but I am doing really great. I know that everything will be fine. The time is really short and the mission goes by really quickly. Before you know it, I will be home. I can`t believe that things go so quickly. I don`t want it to end and there is so much that we are doing now to be able to help everyone to come unto Christ. I don`t know the exact date yet with Camila, but I should know when she writes back. Keep in contact and ask her to let you know when they have the date so that I can get permission. I am going to be waiting to hear.

I love you and I am out of time! Thanks for everything!

Visit to the Doctor

I´m sorry that you have been sick. I had my Doctor`s appointment that the mission set up. It seems like my sickness is influenced by my asthma. It appears that my last sector, before we changed houses caused a lot of it, being a poor quality house. And now I am still sick, because of that. I am doing fine though. I have a few changes and another medicine to take to help with my asthma. 

Our investigators are a little complicated. They didn`t attend this week. Our baptism is not on track. She didn`t attend this week. She is a little discouraged, because she got robbed on Saturday. We went to pick her up Sunday and she didn`t want to go.... Oh well. We will see what happens this week and if she is willing still or not.

It has been a really long week. I am sorry that it is going to seem like I am on for very little time, but I have had to write a lot of things for the mission today and am just getting around to writing so I will do my best. The computers here in this area aren`t really good for reading my camera so pictures aren`t in the options.

I am really glad that Camila and Guillermo are doing so well and happy to hear when they go. I also got invited to Hermano Salvador´s temple endowment. He invited me to that and it will be in April. I must have had a positive influence on him because he was just in the stake and I was fairly far away, but he is an amazing convert that has done a lot in our mission.

Hi Braxton!  I am glad you were able to get to a doctor and get some help.  Hopefully the new medicine will help you to feel better.  I hope you will get better quickly.  Is your current house newer and better quality?  Is it clean? 

I am back at work today, but coughing more than I have for several days.  I also coughed a lot last night so I didn’t sleep well.  Oh well.  I have heard from others that this sickness is really hard to shake. 

Keep working with your investigators.  Share your happy smile with them and love and serve them as you can.  You will bless them and help them. 

I understand about the camera.  I was afraid you would be back in a poor computer area again.  I guess I can wait a few months to see your smiling face again. 

I will let you know when I hear more from Camila.  I hope that you will be able to attend.  I am happy you will get to go with Hermano Salvador.  That is neat.  

I am happy about Camila`s reply. She is going to have her interview with the Stake President fairly quickly and then they are going to set up the appointment for the Temple. And they said that they are going to send you a message, so that you can send me a message, so that I can verify and get permission to go. Thank you for everything that you do. I am doing well. I am just a little frustrated with slow transit and having to travel to and from my sector every day. I miss being able to work faster. It is frustrating sometimes. I also forgot that the people in the city are slightly rude.... Oh well. I am doing great, just that I am short on time....

Use your travel time to de-stress.  Relax and enjoy the time with your companion.  You can still accomplish a lot in the time you have.  I am sorry that people are rude.  Just keep smiling at them. 

Please drink lots of fluids and keep yourself hydrated.  That will help you get better sooner.  Try to get lots of sleep. 

I know you are very busy and working hard.  I love you and I am so very proud of you.  It is tough to work when you don’t feel well, but you just keep doing it.  I love you so very much!

I ran into Carlos on Wednesday last week.... I was shocked we talked for a little and I am going to write him again. I really hope that things start changing. He hasn`t been going to church and he told me that, but I am going to remind him and help him a little more when I can.

I love you and sorry that I am so short on time. I am doing my best. I need to start preparing my farewell letter to send to all the people from my sectors, so that they come at the end of May for my Farewell from the mission. I am doing really well. I appreciate all that you are doing for me and the help. I am working hard and we will see what happens in the next little bit. Sorry that I can`t write much more, but I am out of time sadly. Thank you for everything that you do and sorry it is insufficient and I know it is frustrating, but I am doing my best to write as much as I can.

I know you are doing your best.  You always do.  I would love to hear more, but I understand.  Have a great week and BE GOODE!  We are praying for you!

Love always and forever,

Mom

More About New Area

This is a screen shot of Braxton's current ward.  The blue outline is the Ward Boundary.  I divided it up with lines and numbers and asked him to tell us which parts he is covering.  His church building sits in the middle of 2, 3, 5 and 6.  

I have sectors 9, 10, 6, 3, and a portion of sector 5, and a little of 1. The sisters have 1 below the line from 2 and they have 2, 4, 7, and the majority of 5. We have from the street Gandhi above or towards 6 and 10. We might have parts of 8 but I am not certain.

Hi!  How are you? 

That is a lot of area to cover.  That puts the church in the middle of the two areas, which is nice.  Which section do you live in?

What kind of work do these people do?  There are warehouse looking buildings up in section 3.  Do they work there in manufacturing?

It depends I don`t really know that much. We don`t live in the ward.... Or even in the mission. We live in the street Las Rejas a little north of the street Ecuador in apartment buildings that are close by. We have to travel every day to the sector and back, but oh well. 

That is interesting.  Is your apartment nice?  How are you feeling?

I think that I have an infection of some kind most likely respiratorial because it isn`t going that great, but it could just be my asthma acting up lately....

We do have Haitians in our sector that are members and investigators so I am practicing my French and Creole again.... I understand a lot when they talk. The Haitians are really receptive and one that is a recent convert comes with us most of the days to visit people which is really great.

The apartment is small and I have been much better, but I am working hard and just doing my best. Always hungry and I don`t know if I have a problem because I eat everything and stay skinny. I feel tired a lot, but work hard. I can run normal, but I get tired quickly. We played soccer today and it was hard on me today.... We will need to look into it afterwards to see what is going on. I used all of my medications and everything like I should and it was still complicated to play.

Who would have thought that you would be speaking French and Creole and teaching Haitians in Chile.  I guess they had to go somewhere after the big earthquake and flooding.  I am glad you’re are having some success with them.

It has to do with financial situations as well. They speak Spanish and English on occasions. The majority have some Spanish. I know a little French, but it is not enough. I can understand it when spoken and know what they are trying to say, but teaching is something else. That is why we bring a recent convert that is Haitian. Like you know I have a convert that is Haitian in Lo Espejo. I am doing great, but there is a lot to do and always be focused on.

You can spend extra money from your account if you need to and buy more food.  I don’t like that you are hungry all the time.  I will keep praying for you to have the strength you need to finish strong.  We will get you into whatever doctors it takes when you get home to make sure you are healthy and recover your strength.  Take care of yourself the best you can and if you need to, please talk to the mission medical person.  A priesthood blessing may help.  Are you okay emotionally?

    

I am glad you are being exposed to some different languages and cultures.  It is good for you.  I am happy you have a recent convert willing to go teaching with you. 

It sounds like you are still stressing a lot!  Just do the best you can.  Don’t beat yourself up for things you can’t control and things you can’t accomplish.  I realize goals are such a huge part of the mission life, but be realistic.  It is not your fault when someone cancels an appointment or doesn’t follow through with their commitments.  You can lead them to the gospel, but you can’t force them to partake of it.  Be happy with your best efforts and smile and have a little fun now and then.  How are things with your new companion?

I am fine. I just pulled out around $60 today. I am eating a lot. I am not bad off. I feel fine. I am fine emotionally. I am just doing my best. I talked to Hermana Barreiros and she said that if I keep losing weight that they were going to have me go through an exam. I am doing my very best and I don`t think that it will go bad.

I am glad Hermana Barreiros is aware of the problem.  I worry about you, but you are great at dealing with problems on your own, so I will let you make the decision of whether you need an exam or not.  When you get home, you know you will have to deal with me being Mom again and making sure you get into the doctors and get healthy again.  Dad, Clain and I all went to the dentist this month and after two years, we were all cavity free.  Hopefully you will be, too, when you get home.    

Do you and your companion live with any other missionaries or just the two of you?

Are you still there?  You haven’t told us anything more about your companion.  How did your lessons go this week?  Please say goodbye before you go.  Your letters have been so short lately.

Things are going really great. I am not stressing over things. I am just working hard to accomplish all of my goals. I have taken on a lighter aspect in the work to be serious when working and relaxed in the street talking and working as we should. I am not stressed. I work hard to have success everyday, but we can´t always have the best day of our mission. I know that there are tons of blessings and miracles that the Lord has placed in all parts. I am grateful for all of the blessings that I have seen in my life and the gratefulness of the people that have accepted the message. I am working hard and here I am going to be able to do a lot more to help people to get to the temple and see the blessings that are waiting for them.

Sorry I was writing to My President. I am still here. My companion is in his 3rd change. I told you last week that he is from the areas near Concepción. He is 23 and is a convert of a little over 2 years now. He is really great. We had a great week. We had 25 lessons and 10 new investigators. We were so close to having the 12 that is our normal amount weekly goal... We are doing great working hard. You can go back to the pictures of the 2015 Christmas calendar to see pictures of him. I haven`t taken pictures yet with him, but I need to. I will look into a few more things, but things have been great. I am enjoying the work with him. He is shorter than most of my companions and a little chubbier. He has lost a good amount of weight, but he still walks slow, but it goes well here.

That is great.  Getting people to the temple is even more important in my eyes than getting them baptized.  I hope you are able to do that and to go with them to the temple.  Being there makes it so special and memorable in your heart.  Have you heard anything from Camilla and Guillermo?  I hope so much you are able to go with them to the temple.  I hope they will keep their commitment to get there.  I wish so much that Carlos and Soley could make it to the temple while you are still there, but I doubt that will happen.  What about that family from Lo Espejo that Elder Chuquel baptized?  Have they gone to the temple?

I am glad you are not stressing, but it feels like you are by the things you have written lately.  Maybe I am just worrying about you when I don’t need to.  I will pray and try to relax and hope you will do the same. 

I am happy you are getting along well.  Maybe you need to walk a little slower for a while and notice the trees, bushes, flowers, bugs and birds.  I hope there are not lots of dogs in your area.  I have seen some photos lately of missionaries in your mission being chased by lots of dogs.  Scary!!!  I will try to look him up on the calendar.  Please take some photos of the two of you.  I want to see your smiling face and how skinny you are becoming. I hope you will put some weight back on now that you are walking slowly instead of riding so fast. 

Make sure you buy a few souvenirs that you want to keep the rest of your life during these last few weeks you have.  Get a wall hanging for me and one for you to keep that will help you always remember the wonderful people and culture of Chile. 

I am happy you had so many lessons and new investigators.  That is great work.  I hope that will give you a great teaching pool to work with.

Is there anything fun or exciting to see in your new area? 

The family from Lo Espejo moved back to the United States. Can you verify with Camila and Guillermo by Facebook to see what day they are going to go to the temple?

Can you send this? "Solo quería preguntarles cuando se van a ir al Templo y que me pueden averiguar cuando para que consigo los permisos para estar allí si me pueden hacer este favor sería genial. ¡Gracias Elder Goode! ¡Les extraño nos vemos entre poco!"

Yes.  I will send it to Camila today.  Do you know where in the United States they moved to?

I don`t know. I have a few things so far that I have received from members as souvenirs. I have a good amount of things to help me remember. Don`t worry about that. I am out of time though. I love you and thank you for everything! I am doing my best to still give you as much information as I possibly can.

No.

Have a great week!  I love you so very much!

Camila’s reply.  "Elder! Este miércoles tenemos la entrevista con la estaca y tenemos que pedir la hora, apenas la tengamos le escribo a su mama para que le avise. Muchas gracias por su preocupación. También lo extrañamos, falta poquito!Cariños"

Curtis,

Braxton asked me to send this to Camila today.  She replied and sent a message back to him.  I did a Google Translate.  Can you do a better one?  What is falta poquito! Cariños"

"Solo quería preguntarles cuando se van a ir al Templo y que me pueden averiguar cuando para que consigo los permisos para estar allí si me pueden hacer este favor sería genial. ¡Gracias Elder Goode! ¡Les extraño nos vemos entre poco!"

"Elder! Este miércoles tenemos la entrevista con la estaca y tenemos que pedir la hora, apenas la tengamos le escribo a su mama para que le avise. Muchas gracias por su preocupación. También lo extrañamos, falta poquito! Cariños"

"I just wanted to ask when they will go to the Temple and they can find me time so that I get permission to be there if I can do this favor would be great. Thank you Elder Goode ! Strange We see ourselves between little! "

"Elder ! This Wednesday we have an interview with the stake and we have to ask the time , just have it I am writing to his mother to alert you . Thank you for your concern. We also miss him , little foul Cariños "

Curtis said, “I rewrote the google translate so it is translated correctly.” 

"I just wanted to ask when they will go to the Temple and they can find me time so that I get permission to be there if I can do this favor would be great. Thank you Elder Goode! Strange We see ourselves between little! "

"Elder! This Wednesday we have an interview with the stake and we have to pick a date and time, as soon as we have it I will write to your mom and have her tell you. Thank you for your concern. We also miss him, just a little time left. Take care. 

Transferred to Cinco de Abril Zone & Peñaflor Zone

Photos from Zone Conference last week.
This is the Peñaflor Zone

 March 2016

I did have changes today. I am in the Zone Cinco de Abril in the sector Lo Errázuriz 1. I am companions with Elder Huenumilla from Chile, Concepción. Chiguayante is the name of his city, but he is from that area. He just finished being trained by Elder Baker. I should finish my mission here. We will see what happens. Supposedly, there is a family that is going to get married and then get baptized here and there are 3 people. I don`t have any details, so I will have to get back to you on that. I also talked to President Barreiros about Shara and as a mission when we had our fast from Saturday to Sunday it was added in for Shara as part of the Fast. So she has a lot of help coming as well from the Heavens. I am really excited for this week to meet everyone, but it is going to be a hard one for me. I am still a District Leader and I only have 2 other companionships now. I had 3 before, but I have the other 2 and my own now. We are going to be working really hard and I will let you know how everything goes. I am sad, because I don`t have a bike now.... I am sad.... I really don`t want to be walking, because my body is so used to biking now, but walking will be good, but my feet are going to hate me for a while.

I don`t have a clue about phones to be honest. I don`t know what they look like or anything. I don`t really know about the whole color deal or type. I don`t know the difference in them anymore. I don`t know... I am just going to be working hard and doing my best in the time that I have left here to work and do all that I can. The details aren`t that important to me in the moment. I am fine just working hard and doing my best to serve and bless the lives of those around me. I have no clue what would be better or what color more than likely it would be fine what you choose. I don`t have a big difference in opinion. I don`t know what space gray would be anyway.... Silver, Gold or the other. I don`t know and size I don`t know either, because I can`t see any of it.