Isabel and Julio

Bike repairs helped, but the bike still doesn´t go nearly as fast as I want. I really have been enjoying the shredded beet and carrot salads that I have had with lemon juice in them. Beets are great. I don´t really like prebre that much. I don´t usually eat it. It is still cold and no people aren´t on vacation. They just make excuses not to go, because it is winter....

Braxton likes this salad made with shredded beats and carrots.  

Braxton does not like this dish called Prebre made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro and peppers.  It is a type of salsa served with meat.

My companion Elder Leyva is a convert from around 3 years ago and he is going to go to his new house, because his family moved. He is the only member in the family and will probably be working and dating until he can pay for the final cooking tests for his degree for the 2 years that he has studied. Then he is looking into another line of studies. He also is going to be helping his family to be baptized. My companion is past trunky. He knows how many hours he has left.... Things are good he is still working hard and we are working toward having at least 1 baptism before he goes home. We had 16 lessons after the change of the levels of excellence in the mission to 20 lessons a week and we found 9 new investigators this week. We had a couple that attended for the first time yesterday. They need more help, but we are going to visit them today and invite them to accept a baptismal date. They accepted the idea of baptism, but not the date when we extended it before.

We had zone conference last Thursday so the pictures will probably show up soon. I don´t have a clue what will happen with changes and I don´t want to start guessing. I am just going to keep working until the changes come to be focused on baptizing in the 2 weeks that we have left.

I am doing well. A little bit of a cold, but allergies are on and off. They go down when it rains and then come back. Rain is on and off. My asthma is doing fairly well and only acts up when I push really hard biking and everything and I am using my inhalers and having my emergency inhaler with me to help. I hope that this answers that majority of your questions.

You should ask Carlos and Soley for their new direction. They moved to Pajaritos in 5 de Abril. You can send this phrase to them and they should respond. "¿Por adonde están viviendo ahorra? Por favor avisa nos para notificar a Elder Goode. El quiere enviarles cartas pero no sabe adonde enviarles." They should understand this and send you their new direction. If you can find out where it is I can use the mission maps to find out what sector to send them cards. Thanks Mom I love you!

Hi Braxton!  If you go faster on the bike, there is more chance you will crash!  Slow and steady wins the race. 

Thanks for the answers.  I appreciate it.  Now how about some stories and experiences.  Tell us about the people you are teaching.  You said couple.  Are they married?

I will send a message to Soley with your Spanish.  Thanks.

Yes, they are married and we have been visiting them for several weeks and they came finally. They are Isabel and Julio. I didn´t tell you about them, but last change Julio had a stroke or something along those lines supposedly. They are normal, because he had a tumor in his head and it has grown back. They have many difficulties and we are working hard with them. We are going to invite them to be baptized again today. I was visiting Isabel and Julio the day I had divisions with Elder Harrah and Julio had a stroke or something along those lines and we gave him a blessing and he has been improving a lot. We are doing really well and we have seen many miracles this week and things are going really well. Thanks for all of the support. We are finding many amazing people to help be baptized quickly and we are doing great. I don´t think I can send pictures this week and I only have 2 more minutes.

I will pray for your success with Isabel and Julio.  There is never enough time to hear from you.  I miss our long talks.  Keep working hard and know that you are loved and missed.  Have a super, awesome, fantastic, amazing, successful week.  I love you so very much and I am so very proud of you. 

Love always and forever,

Mom 

One Year Anniversary Luncheon

I had my 1 year lunch in the mission last Tuesday it went really well. Here is a picture from the lunch.

Lunch was great we had enchiladas. It was nice to have Mexican food. We had a reunion that was based mainly on reflection and progress and goals to improve in the next year. Things went really nicely and it was enjoyable but it was very odd.... It doesn`t seem like so much time has gone by so quickly. We haven`t had a ton of success lately. The attendance went up to 33 from 20 last week, but I still have a whole lot more to do. I am overhauling my bike right now so that is going to be a little expensive. There are some parts that I am changing out. I doubt they will ever get us new bikes, so I am doing what is necessary right now to keep going and improving everything. I will write a little more in a bit, but I have a couple things to do before.

Sounds like everyone is doing well. I hope that you enjoy everything. I am fairly certain that I remember Ben, but it is hazy right now trying to remember everything. I am doing well it has been a very interesting week and we still don`t have baptismal dates or investigators attending. We are working to find the miracles that the Lord has lined up right now, because we are running out of time to baptize... We have several potential baptisms that are lacking a little in their desires to be baptized and commit to doing everything, but this week we are going to have success.

Thanks for all of the support I still have 15 minutes if you manage to write something. I am basically done, but I can`t send pictures from the computer that I have other than those that are available through emails that I already have.... Thanks for all that you do and I don`t need anything else right now. I will probably end up converting my pair of pants into rags that is torn or something along those lines. I also have one that has come unhemmed, but I haven`t had time to hem it again. I am so busy. I spent 2 hours today doing bike maintenance and found many problems with my bike that I sent it into a shop to fix, because I don`t have the parts and I did all the repairs possible this morning.

Things are going well. The mission changed the goals awhile back to 20 lessons a week only with investigators and recent converts. The lessons don`t count if they are with less actives. Our Mission President feels like some missionaries are turning into Home Teachers only working with less actives so the goal is less actives with potential to baptize. We are working on baptizing like crazy and helping the less actives where possible, but we can`t devote a lot of time to them. We only had 14 lessons this week and last week we had 15, but things are going well. We still have a ton of work to do and little time to accomplish it. I am down to 10 minutes now.

Hi!  If you need to use some of your money to fix the bike there should be plenty in your account. That will make life better for you, especially if you stay there for a while. Do the slacks you took still fit well, because I bought the new ones the same size?

I have a belt that I have been adding new holes to but I need to add some more holes. If the pants are the same size I will be fine. I am getting skinnier.... I have lost weight a couple weeks ago I was around 180 pounds or 82.5 kilograms and last week I was at 80 kilograms or about 175 pounds. I haven`t gained weight and might lose more, but I am doing great. Don`t stress. I know that I have money available. I am frugal and I don`t run out of money, plus here they give us extra for the bikes from the mission. I have 45.000 to take out today. It is around 80 dollars. I am doing fine and have plenty. I don`t think I will be pulling out personal money for a while. Maybe before I come home. I only have a minute so I will be quick.

How were the cheese sticks I sent?  Do you want more of them?  Tell me more about your companion and what was interesting this week. Tell me about the people you are teaching. What do they do for a living?  If they are farmers don't they get up and start work early. Why is it so hard for the people to get to church?

Many people work temporarily picking lemons which they work in the afternoon to export and in avocado harvests and other things. There are many forms of farming and other industries. Many people leave our sector to work in Melipilla and other areas. Things are going well and because on the weekend there isn`t transportation. Chileans have a custom of sleeping in on the weekends.... So many don`t work Sundays and there isn`t transportation to get to church so many don`t go and it is very difficult waiting more than 1 hour is common to get to church for the people on Sundays....

Grandma, Kathy and Makayla said to tell you hi. I talked to Makayla on FaceTime Sunday.  

That`s great tell everyone hi and to enjoy there camping time. I have to go. I love you! Thanks for everything. Talk to you next week!

Lots of Photos

Sounds like everyone had a great time camping. I am doing really well. My cold is lessening since it rained and most of my allergies are gone. I am doing well and asthma isn´t too bad and cold is almost gone, but it might come back with the rain. The house is always cold and we have electric heaters, but we have an electricity limit with our breaker and 4 missionaries, so it is difficult. We haven´t gotten bikes and I have stopped hoping for them and we have few issues with bikes. This week my companion´s tire went flat once and other than that minor things. I forgot to tell you that I crashed my bike twice last week, but I am fine. The second crash was worse and I tore a pair of pants.... They aren´t usable now. The thing I might lack more than anything are normal work slacks that aren´t part of my suits. I don´t like using the suit pants a lot and use others, but I can get by without if I need to. 

Exchanges went fine. I was with Elder Ludeman Tuesday in his sector that is bigger than mine and they can only use buses to work and I am with him today as well as Wednesday I will be. Tomorrow I have my 1 year lunch with Elder Harrah and will be staying with him tonight and doing lots of changes around the area. We met a family in Maria Pinto on Saturday that are really great and we are slowly getting progress with reading with investigators. We just haven´t gotten them to church. 

Church was bad. I got assigned a talk Saturday night and gave it on Sunday. It went really well. I chose to talk about the Fall and The Atonement sharing my experience from last week on Thursday when I fell and it applied so well to the Doctrines. I also teach Gospel Principles every week, but nobody came that goes to that class this week. The attendance was 20 this week. Like I said it would be low without anyone from our sector coming to have numbers. (Due to the time change from noon to 10:00 a.m.)  Things are a little difficult right now. 

Overall I am doing well and today I have a computer to send pictures, so I will be sending them with the time that I have left. Sorry that I haven´t written more, but it is going to be a very hectic and stressful week. I love you!

Elder Orozco´s Birthday!

Aji de Gallina. Peruvian food made by a sister in our sector for lunch from Perú.

Close up of Aji de Gallina

Division´s last change with Elder Harrah!

One of our investigators has a parrot!

In Elder Ludeman´s sector on a hill contacting people. Gigantic and only a portion of what they have.

Pictures with just the waterfall.

I enjoyed the sunset so here it is for you.

We have a waterfall in Maria Pinto!

Division with Elder Bello! Elder Bello knows Kelton because he left with the missionaries and is from Curitba where Kelton served. They are friends and it was awesome spending time with him.

Elder Bello was really enjoying his first and only day so far on bikes in the mission. We took several pictures and he is now in his 3rd change or just after his training time.

My last district with a special change of Elder Vasquez for Elder Vargas. Other than that it was my district.

My time is up for the day I hope that that helps a little with pictures and I will look for more pictures this week. Thanks for everything and my district right now has the Zone Leaders, Elder Cummings and Elder Parker. My companion and I. Elder Brophy and Elder Lozano. Elder Brophy is training Elder Lozano. Hermana Campbell and Hermana Pino and Hermana Campbell is in her last change as well. That is a brief update on my district that changed entirely since last change and Elder Harrah is a District Leader now if I hadn´t told you yet. Thanks for everything and I´ll talk to you next week! Love you all! 

A Little Discouraged

Things are going well, but they aren`t very easy. They just changed our Sacrament Meeting from 12 to 10 at the beginning of the meeting and it will be extremely hard to have people come when we can`t get them to come at 12.... It is really cold.... and it rained yesterday and we got soaked which made it even colder today.... A little frustrating but my only goal right now is to find someone ready to be baptized this month that will pay the price necessary to have the remission of their sins.... It is frustrating, but things are that way lately. We haven`t had investigators that attend that are in position to be baptized right now. Things really aren`t progressing and it is really frustrating the amount of work that we do without results. I`m just waiting for things to improve and trying to use all of my time efficiently but the results are slow.

Sorry it is so cold. Are you feeling any better or is the cold still hanging on?  

Unfortunately, part of your mission is to give people a chance to accept or reject the truth. I know it must be terribly frustrating to work so hard and see so little success, but you are doing your best and should be happy with that.  Don't beat yourself up when the numbers aren't there.  People still have their agency and only those willing to pay the price will see the rewards. 

I am writing right now and was looking to send pictures and realized that I don`t have a single cable or connector to send pictures so honestly I don`t know if I could have sent pictures or not and my companion forgot as well. I took everything electronic out of my bag yesterday, because it poured and I didn`t manage to get them back in today. Sorry. Things are all against me sending pictures. I am getting frustrated with things, but it was nice to play soccer today. I had a great time and scored several goals today and had many assists. It was a nice morning and now that it has started raining things are going to get more difficult and colder for us.

The mission keeps adding new rules that make it harder to be successful at least for me. Now all of our visits with less active members don`t count toward lessons. They only count if there is an investigator in the home and in the lesson. It makes it hard to use the rescue, because we don`t really know if the people that we find will have investigators in the home or if we will be wasting time. I am going to have my lunch for 1 year next week on Tuesday the 14th with Elder Harrah, because he didn`t have changes and is in this sector for 5 changes. We have been fighting against the investigators to have them read and pray.... Something so simple that if they do it and are persistent they will have their answer and they will do all the necessary steps toward baptism.... So simple, but so frustrating right now.

I am happy you got to play soccer. I know it is something that brings you joy. Congratulations on the goals and assists.

It is like in the story of Moses with the serpents.  All the people had to do to be healed was to look at the snake on the pole, but because of pride they refused to look.  It is so easy to be lazy in our day where there are so many distractions.  

Ask Hermana Barreiros to take photos at your dinner and post them on Facebook. At least I will get to see your pretty face that way. Does your umbrella work?  Probably not too useful on the bike. 

Exactly, using an umbrella with a bike doesn`t work. We have taught that to investigators and they don`t apply it to themselves and we have tried giving palos.... (It means hard, sharp or cutting scriptures toward the people to open their eyes), but they don`t learn and don`t apply. Really they don`t progress in their lives and in the end if you aren`t progressing you are dying..... 

The problem right now is that nobody is willing to pay the price and my leaders judge our success by the numbers, because they don`t always believe that we are doing everything. Even more so since my companion is in his last change. They start to believe that missionaries get lazy and stop working, but we are doing so much and hardly having success this week. We only had 15 lessons and 4 new investigators. It is frustrating, because it is so gigantic and the members don`t do anything to help. Last month there were around 4 visits by home teachers and it looks like they were done by only the Branch President and a couple others.... Every missionary that passes for this sector comes to know it as the purifying fire, because if you don`t become much better from it, you either go home or you aren`t obedient and don`t work.... I am working more than I have in my mission up until now, with less success and it is driving me crazy..... Sorry about the ranting, but even among the members there is so much personal apostasy and they mainly are only Mormons on Sunday here.....

I believe your leaders are probably aware of the area and its lack of success.  I am sure there is a long history of low numbers there.  Be completely obedient and continue to work hard. Pray for the Lord's help and guidance.  He will bless you. Maybe this area is as much to test your faith as it is to test the members.  Remember to speak kindly about your leaders. They are guided by inspiration to lead you. Be humble and teachable and let the spirit work through you.  

I appreciate my leaders, but when you feel like they judge you more than trust in you, it becomes harder for everything. I do what they ask and I worked hard, but when the results don`t come, it becomes frustrating. I know that it is a hard area and I am doing my best. It just becomes hard when the closest people that we have live 3 kilometers from the church. I am out of time. Thanks for everything.

Maybe your purpose here is to warn them. Just make sure you remain humble and do not become haughty. They will not listen if they perceive that you are judging them to be less than yourself.  It is a fine line to teach them without offending them. It sounds like the branch is struggling and needs help becoming organized.  

The problem is that there aren`t sufficient people to be organized to cause a dent in anything that there is to do here. The people also don`t have the means to do more or the desire to do anything hard for them. Many it is a miracle when they manage to show up at church. Thanks. Talk to you next week.

Try not to be discouraged.  How is your cold?

Hanging around, but I am doing well. Things should improve.

I am really happy!

They (The Soto Family) wrote me once and I responded to Alfredo the Dad for the whole family. They are great and I am hoping that they stay strong.

I am staying another change here with Elder Leyva, but Elder Brush from the other sector had changes and now Elder Cardona will be here with Elder Orozco for the next 6 weeks. I am really happy though, because a family of 3, that has their son who is 17, who is inactive and the dad that is inactive and suspended, with the mom, who is an investigator, are starting to progress. The parents got married 2 days ago and I am so happy. They still have issues, but I am hoping and praying that they will come to church this next Sunday, because we can baptize the mom and activate the family. They have their doubts in the gospel and it is keeping them from progressing.

We have heard all about the new laws in the States. The people this week have mentioned it to me several times and our Mission President talked about it today. It`s still frustrating but will bring out the best and the worst in the people and the truly converted will live correctly and others could fall into personal apostasy. Things are going to be different but not impossible. Thanks for all that you do. 

It is good to hear from you.  I am glad you are happy with the changes.  Please try to do some things to keep you warmer so you can get over the cold symptoms.  Do you have a heating blanket for your bed?  Are you wearing the thermals?  I worry that you have been sick for so long. 

You might try writing to the Soto family again and encouraging them to pay their tithing and stay active.  It couldn’t hurt.  Are you able to talk to the missionaries in that sector to see how they are progressing?

Any word on your new bicycles?  Did you get the package?

Congratulations on the work you are doing.  That is exciting that you have a family finally progressing.  That is cool that they got married.  Was that because of your teaching them about chastity?  What kind of doubts are they struggling with?

It will be interesting to see how things change with the new law.  Right now, I am seeing FB photos all colored like the rainbow.  Many people are doing it and I am sure not even realizing that they are supporting this movement by their actions without even knowing it.    You are definitely right.  Many will now leave the church or fall into inactivity.  It is really the story of the Ten Virgins.  Only half of the members of the church will be ready when Christ comes again.

Did you get to go to the Musical Presentation?  I saw some photos posted of it this morning.  Hopefully you will get to participate next time.

Photos today?  Please write more details about what you have been doing.  Tell us a miracle or two!

Also, I recently tried to send pictures and the computers only want to format my camera, but I don`t want that to happen, because it will erase everything on my camera. I will have to wait longer to send more pictures, sorry. It seems like a feeble excuse and I know it is frustrating for you and I`m sorry that I can`t do anything else about it to make it work out better. I love you and I only have another 7 minutes to write. I hope that everything is going well. 

I didn`t get to go to the presentation. We had to take an investigator and I can`t really even get mine to go to Bollenar for church so.... It didn`t happen and it is really far away. I did get the package thank you! I am using the new tools. We haven`t heard yet on the bikes.... We have heating pads for our beds that the mission gave us when we got here.

The parents are Juan and Jenny. They live around 20 kilometers from the church and they have a car. They used to come to the church, but they haven`t come yet, but I have visited them a couple of times and tried visiting them other times, but they haven`t all worked out. We are going to work hard from here with them to get them to church and progressing toward their answers.

Are you feeling any better?  If not, it might be time for a doctor or a blessing.  I can’t do much from here to help you, except to pray, which I am doing daily.  Please tell me how you are doing with the cold.

I am using the USB SD card reader and putting my micro SD card in the SD card and then in the USB and it isn`t reading it. It wants to format it anyway. I don`t know. It is frustrating and I don`t have another answer because this is the lowest version method that I have right now. Still frustrating and they have doubts about some doctrines like tithing because they don`t understand the scriptures very well. We are going to do our best to help them work toward praying more and asking The Lord for their answers to their doubts. Thanks for everything! I am out of time. I love you! Talk to you next week!

Okay.  I love you, too and will have to trust that you are in the Lord’s hands and He is taking care of you. 

Love always and forever,

Mom

Still no new bikes!

We still haven´t heard anything about the bikes. It was a slower week on numbers. We had interviews with President this last week on Tuesday in Melipilla and I had divisions with the Zone Leaders in Bollenar as well this week. We only had 16 lessons this week and 5 new investigators, but things are coming, only we don´t have anyone close to being baptized yet. We are working on a lot of things. Yes there is a musical program and I wasn´t invited to participate, but that is fine. I haven´t gotten the package so it should come. I also can´t send pictures this week either. I already tried. I keep switching computers and only one has been able to send them so far and every time that I get there lately someone is using it.... I am going to have divisions tomorrow with Elder Bello. He is the missionary that Elder Harrah is training and is about to finish his training. We had a few bike issues this week, but my bike more than anything has just been stiff and really hard to work with and exhausting to use, but that is fine. Things are going well. I finished the Book of Mormon again yesterday. I also finished reading Doctrine and Covenants. I finished it today in the morning. It took me 22 days. I started this month. I believe it went fast. I am going to read the Pearl of Grand Price in a couple days and then decide what to read next. I am going to try to go through The Book of Mormon quickly this time around. How are you coming along as the family?

Hi Braxton,

It sounds like you are working really hard, but not seeing as much success as you would like.  Just keep trying.  I am sure you are planting lots of great seeds.  Have you oiled the bike chain and gears?  I know that could be messy if the chain keeps coming off all the time, but it might make it less stiff.  Did your Mission President say anything about the new bikes when you had your interviews? 

 I am sure it is fun to do exchanges with other missionaries.  It lets you meet more of the missionaries and more people and see different areas and maybe get some ideas on how to work differently or better.  Did you learn anything great from the Zone Leaders? 

I am glad you are reading so much in the scriptures.  I have not been doing well on my own at all.  I need to be better.  I have been reading some books about the last days and I do look up scriptures and things that are referred to in the books, but I need to also be reading the Book of Mormon on my own.  As a family we are reading in the Book of Mormon.  We just read 2 Nephi 25 and 26 Friday night and Sunday night.  We missed Saturday night with the grandkids there.  We did have prayer.  I noticed in chapter 25 some new things.  In verse 8 Nephi talks about how in the last days the people will understand the prophecies of Isaiah.  I realized that only today with the internet and the ability to search for things are we able to really understand what Isaiah was talking about in all of the Isaiah chapters that Nephi quotes.  For thousands of years, before the internet those would have been so hard to understand.  We also have all the Latter-Day Commentaries on the Book of Mormon that help to explain them and teach us what the obscure references to trees and stuff mean.  We just finished all of those Isaiah chapters again and I admit I don’t get as much out of them as I should.  We have been listening to the chapters mostly on my phone and too many nights we are each pre-occupied with other things while we are listening and so I know we are not getting as much out of them as we should.  Clain is so tired each night.  He wants to just get it over with so he can go to bed.  I know we should all do better.

I wish you could send photos, but I understand.  Keep trying.  One of these weeks that computer will be free.  I will keep hoping. 

 I should finish up at work tomorrow, I hope, if I can get the district to commit to come pick up my computers.  If not, then one day next week.  I can then get back to some of my projects.  I did accomplish two clean up jobs this weekend and I am going to do one more today.  Then I can work on getting the photos for Grandma’s Descendency Chart.  I don’t think I am going to get it done on time.  If you can, have your companion take a nice photo of you and have him email it to me.  I assume his camera works with the computers.  I need it for the chart, but I am still short a lot of photos.  I will try to contact each one this week and see what I can get. 

I love you lots.  Write more please. 

He had given permission to my companion and everything to ask for them. I didn´t talk to him about the bikes, but I don´t know. Things are fine. I just have to keep working with everything that I have and do my best. I am really tired lately. I am trying and sorry about the picture that you want. I still haven´t taken one. I just haven´t been able to remember or get around to it yet. Sorry. I am doing my best in everything right now. I hope that Dad had a good day yesterday. Thanks for all of the support and always writing sorry that I don´t have much time. I only have 5 more minutes.... 

Things are going well and I am glad that you are doing well with all of your summer work. I know how exhausting that can be. I understand the being exhausted and how the family feels. It would probably be easier if you set an hour or time when everyone meets together for scripture study. That way it is planned and focused so that it isn´t such a chore.... It shouldn´t be a chore. It should be something enjoyable. I honestly enjoy my studies more than the rest of my day.... I don´t like when they end. Keep looking for it and you will find it. I hope the family is well and enjoying the summer. Enjoy your week and all that you have going on. Everyone is always so busy.

The other thought that came to me as we were listening to chapter 25 was that The Book of Mormon is supposed to foreshadow our day.  In verse 19, it tells us that Christ would come 600 years after Lehi left Jerusalem.  I wonder why we have not been given a specific time period to help us prepare for the second coming of Christ.  I know there are many prophecies that have to be fulfilled and so far some are still not fulfilled, so I doubt that Christ will come just yet.  The temples are supposed to be built in Adam-Ondi-Amen and in Jerusalem and the gospel is supposed to be preached to all peoples on the earth and I know there are still countries where we are not able to preach yet.  Yet, there are neat signs in the heavens that must have meaning in God’s plan.  Many people try to interpret them and say that Christ will come this fall because of the four blood moons.  I think they will be disappointed.  I think those signs mean something, but maybe not what the people want them to mean.  Yet it is all part of God’s great plan.  I am interested in all that is going on in the heavens and in our world, but there is much yet to come.  There are so many natural disasters happening all over the world.  Flooding and earthquakes and storms.  In fact, there was a 6.4 earthquake in Chile on Friday, at 9:10 p.m.  Did you feel it?  The epicenter was 430 km or 267 miles SW of Santiago, Chile, so out in the ocean.  I was grateful it was not closer.

I hope that this week is enjoyable. Next week there are changes, so I don´t have a clue when I will be on or anything. Sorry things are really short and everything takes so long to do here.... I am starting to get worn down..... I definitely don´t feel like I am at 100%..... I am doing my best though. The branch here is hard because everyone knows everyone here and they are all so judgmental.... Yesterday a sister in the ward had to tell me off for not shining my shoes.... The entire area is dirt coated and the attitude of the branch is hard to work with and they don´t help at all in The Missionary Work.... Frustrating but what I have right now....

Busy and tired.  I think those are two of Satan’s greatest tools in our world today.  He likes to keep us going so hard that we don’t have time to do the important stuff.  I am glad you are loving your studies.  I need to do better.  I will try. 

How is your cold?  Has it gotten any better?

I love you and I will keep praying for you and try to get to the temple again soon. 

Have a really great week.

Love,

Mom

My cold is still bad. I am doing everything that I have to help it. I don't know and I don't worry about the signs of Christ´s coming. I don´t have the time to puzzle over things that aren´t even revealed to the Prophets. I am happy just living the Gospel to be ready and worthy to receive the Glory that I want at his coming. If it is the time it will be, but I just hope that people don´t wait too long to change and lose their opportunities and the possible glory available to them. It will be a miserable day for the majority when Christ comes again. I just hope to be able to get married and sealed to be able to achieve the highest degrees of glory before his coming and I don´t worry too much because of the promises that the Lord has made to me.

Don’t let it get you down.  It is only dirt. It is really hard when people judge others and don’t allow people to change and grow, repent and forgive.  Keep teaching those principles.   

Have you had your special dinner with the Mission President for being out a year, yet?  Please tell us about it when you do.  I know that will be fun for you.  Please encourage Hermana Barreiros to post photos of it on Facebook. 

I love you so much.

I got a message today saying that they made a mistake and that it will be next change. I thought that it was too early. It will be in July or August after a year in the Mission Field not counting The CCM. I am fine. It works out and things will be a little different when changes happen, but oh well. I will live with it. Thanks for everything and I am out of time. Sorry. I have to go... Love you and talk to you next week!

A Better Week!

It was a better week. I only had to make minor repairs with my bike and we are doing our best to take care of all of the issues that we have with everything. I am doing my best and enjoying everything even though it has been really cold lately. I am working on people. We have a baptismal date, but it isn`t very firm and we are working to help her attend. We also had a less active sister come with her daughter that is an investigator, but we would need to activate her and then baptize her daughter that wants to be baptized. It will be a process and we want to be sure that she will stay active.

Things are really cold lately and it has been around 20 degrees Celsius. (That is 68 degrees Fahrenheit.  I am sure it feels cold while riding a bike in it all the time and sleeping at night with no central heating.)  I have a cold that has been going on for around a month. Also my allergies are acting up lately.

Things are going well overall, but we are doing our best to keep having success and looking for the Lord`s miracles and doing all that we can to find the people that he has prepared right now to receive the gospel. I don`t have a lot of time left because I have been writing so many people and I will try to get some pictures sent really quickly.

This computer is like the other ones I had in Lo Espejo where it wants to format my drive.... It won`t work to send the pictures. I have only had one computer that has worked and it is being used right now in this cyber.... This is the best cyber in Melipilla.... I just have to work with it. It seems like another week without pictures... Sorry....

Thanks Braxton. We are at Grandma Goode's. Get back on your allergy medicine and use your inhalers regularly so you can get on top of the cold. Wear warm clothes. Wear your hats and sweaters and thermal underwear. I love you so much!

I am wearing my warm clothing and it is still cold and I am taking my medicines, but still it isn`t solving everything. I am out of time. Thanks for everything and I will talk to you next week. I love you and sorry that I wasn`t able to write more or tell you more about my week. Sorry about the pictures.....

You may have to find something like Mucinex DM to help with the cold.  Enjoy the cold weather. I am too hot here already.