May 23, 2012 Los Angeles

This last week has been great as well. When I got to this sector there was not anybody to teach but we have found some families and are teaching them. One man named Richard lives with his two daughters Gabriella and Carla. His wife and child died in a car accident five years ago and so he is a little mad with God. We taught a powerful lesson and at the end we all kneeled down and prayed and he offered the prayer. He asked that he could have a relationship with God again and we are going to teach them tomorrow. His daughter is interested also. We are really feeling that they will be baptized. Richard could be a very strong leader in the church.

My comp is great.  We work well together and he has one transfer more than me so we work well together and he is a really great guy. That is about all for this week. The members here are really amazing. 

I have made some very close friends already so I am loving life here in Los Angeles. I hope all is well and I love you all!!!!

Mother's Day 2012

These are notes from our call with Elder Butterfield on Mother's Day.

He looked really good - looked happy and has lost a lot of weight.  He said he looks really funny because his pants and suit are really big now.  We suggested that he find a sister in the ward who can alter clothing and pay her to do it.  He said that he thought that he knew a missionary who could do it.  We didn't think that was a great idea... :)

When we were first trying to get the skype to work, he could see and hear us but we could only see him (not hear him).  Savannah waved the Chilean flag and he smiled really big and sent us an im "Chile!!!!" She knew that I had the flag in my van.  It was her idea to show it to him.  When Allie was telling her that she would get to see him on the computer, she said,  "I will say hi Bruhzer and he will say hi Savannah."

 We did have technical difficulties, but finally he was able to see and hear us and we could hear him (but not see him).  It was still really cool though because we could all be in the conversation with him at the same time.

He said, "My personality is still the same.  But, I've changed a lot."

Weirdest thing he has eaten:  chicken feet in soup; he said he asked his companion what it was and he said he would tell him after he ate it

 

 

Most shocking thing that has happened:  when he was teaching a lesson to a lady she started breast feeding right there without a blanket over or anything; he was in the middle of bearing his testimony...  And the same thing happened in sacrament meeting - the Elders were sitting right next to a lady when she did that.

They don't knock on doors.  They call out "hallo" and people come to the door.  At night sometimes people throw rocks at the house to get your attention.  That happened to them earlier in the week.  They didn't know why they were doing that at first. He said they thought the gangsters were mad at them or something.  Then he said, "Actually, we're friends with the gangsters."

They buy their milk in pouches.  You have to cut the top corner off and pour it out that way.  A lot of other things come in pouches too like yogurt.  He said that they gas their milk (carbonated milk...) They like lots of things carbonated.  He said he has to drink the water with the blue cap - not the red cap - because he got sick when he drank the ones with the red caps.

They have a really big lunch and no dinner or just a small snack like bread or something.  In Lebu they ate at members houses about twice a week.  In Los Angeles they eat at members’ houses almost every day.

They have a sister in the ward who does their laundry for them.

In Lebu his nickname was Superman because they think he looks like Clark Kent with his glasses.

Alejandro - started going to church with his aunt and uncle who are the YM and YW president and also went to seminary; He got baptized and is still really active.

Gloria - when they first talked to her she told them that she had been looking for religion and had attended several other churches and didn't feel they were right.  She told them that she knew the Church was true on their first visit.

He said that he is way happier in Los Angeles than he was in Lebu.  He really likes the area.

Most of the roads in Los Angeles are paved.  Lots of the roads in Lebu were cobblestone.

They don't have cars or bikes and don't ride buses except to go to the mission office.  They walk everywhere.  His shoes are getting worn out.

They lived in a big house in Lebu.  There were two bathrooms - one in their bedroom.

They live in a house in Los Angeles.  Two other missionaries live with them.  Three of them are from the states and one is from Columbia.

Lots of people he meets think he is from Argentina.

The ward he is in now in Los Angeles has lots of really supportive members.  It's a big ward - like at home.  The Lebu ward was quite small.

The people in big cities have more money.  A lot of them have computers in their houses.  In Lebu not as many people did.

There is a volcano near Los Angeles.  He can see it from Los Angeles.  He hopes he can go visit it sometime.

 

During his first week in Los Angeles they had five people commit to baptism and they expect to have a total of ten by the end of this week.

His new companion (Elder Craven) told us that Elder Butterfield is amazing and told us how great he is doing and that he is a great missionary and was really excited about their baptismal commitments.

Nate said that the next time he gets a new companion he might be a trainer.  He is kind of scared about that. (But he'll do great if he is.)

He told us that he was really lucky to have Elder Corliss as a trainer.  Sometimes the trainers are not very good.  But, Elder Corliss was great.

Elder Corliss and Elder Moss (his companion from the MTC) are now companions.

They are allowed to have instruments in their mission.  His companion gave him a guitar. He can play it on p-days and at the end of the day before bed.

Jessie asked if his companion is cute (that's always the first question when he gets a new companion).  He said that he is.

It is almost winter now.  But he said the weather is nice - kind of like fall in Utah.  But, the houses don't have good heating.  He said that they have a wood stove for heating the house.  They probably get cold at night.

He said that he was sorry for not sending pictures and that soon he will spend a p-day sending a whole bunch.  I told him I have to google pictures of where he is... I even found pictures of food that he might be eating...

They were at a member's house using their computer.  Jessie showed him her prom dress.  One of the girls in the family said she really liked the dress.

In Concepcion he has seen a Burger King.  In Los Angeles they have McDonalds.

He gave his Perry the Platypus away to a boy in the ward.  He said that the boy was really happy about it.  

Leaving Lebu, May 7, 2012

We had the baptism of Gloria and the week before of one youth named Alejandro. It was really sad saying goodbye to them yesterday because I am being transferred to a city called Los Angeles. It is a pretty big city and I will be working right in the middle of it. My companion’s name is Elder Craven. I don’t know him but he is another North American comp!! I have heard that the sector that I am going to has a lot of awesome things going on so I am pretty excited. I am excited but really scared. It’s like changing my home for the second time. But all is well. I am leaving tonight and will be in a new place tomorrow.

I am sad to leave my friends in Lebu but oh well more people to meet. I met one of my best friends in the world named Elder Clark. You guys will meet him someday. He is awesome. He only has four months left in the mission.

April 30, 2012 Lebu

This last week has been better. We worked hard and the baptism of Gloria is Saturday and then she will be getting married the next week and then sealed in the temple after the year is up and I will still be in the mission. It is cool how the Lord guides us to the people that are actually ready to receive us. We are really excited about that baptism and she is as well.

Other news is well lets see.. I got attacked by three dogs. That was fun. I kind of kicked them. Actually there is a power here in Chile. A rock. A rock here in Chile has all power over dogs. When a dog sees a human with a rock it just runs like heck out of there haha its actually kind of amusing.. 

What else, uh, we watched Tangled and Pirates today cause it’s rainy outside. That was fun! And also it’s my sixth month mark on Wednesday and this transfer ends after this week and it is very likely that I leave Lebu and go to another part of Chile. Nobody knows yet but that is what could happen so I will let you know.  But there is not much other news just working and trying to be better. I love you all!!

April 16, 2012 Lebu

Hey mamma!!!

So this last week not to much happened. But a couple of funny things happened. First off you should know that my ears got clogged and I hate going to the doctor for it but know that I went today... and I can hear!! Yay! 

Oh and the funniest thing happened today. So we are in Concepciòn - me and Elder Clark another Elder that lives in my house and is like one of my best friends. We are here because I had my appointment today and he has one tomorrow in the morning so we came up together. We were talking to president and he saw that my buttons on my sleeves were not done. He, being president, came and started buttoning them up haha and he told us the name of the button hole in Spanish and asked what it was in English. So we told him button hole of course but when he tried to say it back to us he said butt hole instead!!! We were laughing so hard! Oh man, one of the best memories of my mission. 

But to answer your question yes it is getting colder. It is fall right now and we are getting closer to the rainy season. And we live next to the ocean but its most likely that I leave Lebu next cambio. Weird!! leaving Lebu.. crazy. I am excited to get to know more parts of Chile though!! 

I am really starting to love the mission but it was really hard and I am going to work way harder and be way more obedient to become the person and missionary that God wants. Satan is trying to destroy this work and it’s only harder as a missionary. And for that reason we learn faith and trust in God. When we do all we can he will protect us. I am so grateful for that. That he would protect me even though I am a sinner.  

Our investigators are doing really well. We have two baptisms this week. One’s name is Jaime and the other Alejandro. They are both young men who go to seminary now and love church. It is really great and I hope to see them go on missions someday. And then in the beginning of May we have the baptism of Gloria.  

And then El dia de madres!!!!! Mothers day and I get to call home on skype and talk to you guys!!! wooo!! But this last week was another week of work trying to find the people that are ready! Oh and mom tell Alex I already sent her a letter she should be getting it soon. If she doesn’t get it I’ll write another one. But I am really excited to work hard these last weeks in Lebu. It was my first sector to get out all the bugs and now no one will stand in my way to become an instrument in God’s hands!! Thanks for all the prayers and emails they help me keep going strong. I love you all!!

April 9, 2012 Lebu

 Dad!! Dude that play house is legit! Knowing your wonderful granddaughter, she will want to furnish it right? ;) Thanks for writing even though you’re so busy and thanks for working so hard for our family!

That’s good you had someone over for conference. We got to watch all the sessions in the chapel in English so we could get everything out of them. We have three gringos in Lebu and one Elder from Peru. He watched it with the ward. 

I am doing really well here. My new companion is pretty cool. We are seeing some miracles and working hard to become better and it’s pretty fun.  We are trying to establish this plan we set up in Lebu and it is going really good. We are getting more baptisms and more investigators. On Sunday there was an activity that we did as a branch where we gave out papers to write down names that they felt were ready to receive the gospel. We got thirty four references which is really good considering that’s more than we have received my whole mission. We shared the story in the Book of Mormon about Alma and Amulek when Alma tried to preach to the city but they didn’t receive his message even when he was a prophet. But Amulek, a simple member, made the people astonished after he preached. That just goes to show you the power of the members. It was really cool. 

Also we had kind of a miracle. We went to conference and at first none of our investigators showed up but then one did. After conference I went to go say hi to him and noticed a couple that I had not seen before. They looked like normal members from the district but I felt to go talk to them anyway. I talked to them and one was a member that was living in Santiago and his girlfriend who is not a member and a reference. So I told her what we did as missionaries and she said quite frankly and straight up that she wanted to be baptized. Wow! I was kind of shocked but we set an appointment and we taught her the restoration and we challenged her to read and pray to know if it is true or not and she told us she already had prayed and she knows it is true. So we set a date and she will be baptized this month. What a blessing. She told us that she had been searching for years in different religions and we told her that she found it. We recently had a lesson with her and her boyfriend and they were beaming talking about her baptism and their goal to go to the temple. I love them a lot and I will be here in the mission when they are sealed. Sometimes as missionaries we work and work for something and then we are blessed out of the blue by a blessing like Gloria. You work blind not knowing who is ready to be baptized and then the Lord shows you who is. 

I love this work for the chance I get to see people change in every way to become closer to Christ. Anyway we are now working again waiting for the next person that God shows us. I love you and all the family!! ¡Gracias por todo que estas haciendo para nuestro familía! Hasta ver en dos años.Bueno un poco menos pero no mucho:)  (Thank you for everything you're doing for our family! See in two years. Well a little less, but not much.)

 

Hey mom, I sent my big email to dad this week. But I am doing really cool and I have heard a lot about that show (the one about the two brothers) but never have seen it. I am so happy Jess is seeing success after working so hard in school to be good. She deserves it. 

I got the pictures and I have used some. The Chileans think it’s funny to see gringos so they enjoy it a lot haha. It’s funny to get stared at all day and lots of the people like to say hello in really horrible accents and it’s so funny cause I like to speak in Spanish and pretend I have no idea what they are saying. It’s really funny. 

My new companion is really awesome. He is from Colorado and works hard. He is a really funny guy I think Jessie would like him. We are getting along and working hard. I am glad to hear all the good things happening at home. It’s crazy I will be completing five months soon.. Almost six months out of my whole mission. It has been pretty fast but I hear it gets faster.. lame.. oh well I have a great life ahead!!

Love ya Mom. Thanks for all your support!

This is a movie about two brothers growing up.  They follow the brothers for 10 years.  The oldest brother goes on his mission to Concepcion, Chile and is there during the earthquake.  There are lots of interesting clips of the missionaries tracting, teaching, and talking about his feelings being a missionary. It's cool to see it and think that Nate is there now.

http://byutv.org/watch/152c381b-b220-481a-869a-b077b9aa5354 

April 2, 2012 Lebu

That’s cool you got to go on that trip (Branson). And that is funny that David (Archeleta) is coming to Chile hahaha so funny. 

Conference was really, really great!! I loved it. It was the first time I really paid attention to every session and I got so much out of it. My testimony is really strengthened from that. Especially the quote that says, “We do our best and let the Lord do the rest.” On a mission that is something really important. You just try your best and the Lord helps you with everything that you need. Missionary work can be very hard but it’s worth it. I am doing better and trying to find ways to see miracles here in Chile as well in my own life. But I know the church is true. I am slowly learning that God loves me even when I feel like he does not. And I am not alone even when I think I am sometimes.

But the work here is good. Trying to get used to my new companion and find people to baptize. We should have quite a few baptized this month if we work hard and the Lord wants it. There are a lot of good people here that could use the gospel in their lives.  I hope the members start to do better help to now that they have goals and want to work. 

But I am doing pretty good; sad that conference is over but looking forward to the next in sixth months. I am going to try to be a better missionary and person trying harder to focus on others rather than myself. It’s hard but it’s going good and I hope all is well there in good ol Utah.