Hard to focus

One week til we get to skype! Is it possible? Time is just marching on and the benefit this time is really quite great. I only have a few questions for him, the thing I want to see; is him! Oh an btw, this new format is really stupid! I cannot even get it to put a space between the things I say and the the letter. I am so sorry it is happening! For those who want me to just forward the letter, tell me! I really do like audios. They´re way more convenient here in the office than outside. Looks like Skype will be which day? Saturday. Okay. One your time will be five my time, according to what I see on my world clock thing. See you there. Elder Monsen left on Monday, so I am now in the hot seat. I've already had several emergencies, but that's life, really. It's going well. Preparing for the Christmas party has been crazy (I'm spending a can-load of money and Elder Spencer has spent more time on the phone than off for three days.). It is really hard to be spiritual and focused here. I have so much not-missionary things to do that it's hard to just put them all way when I leave. Even more than that, a lot of the time people will call me between lessons to give me more emergency news. Then comes a day or two with nothing really heavy to do. Those days feel like trying to pedal a bike in the lowest gear while already going down a hill at forty miles per hour. Luckily I'd read Getting Things Done, so I have it pretty well figured out using Outlook, which is a pretty cool program, actually. I have already started getting stuff for Christmas. It makes me feel bad because I know the stuff I'm getting for you absolutely will not arrive before then. I'm not even done getting it yet. Thanks for those one socks - they are a great deal better than Chilean cloth-tube socks. I'm kind of in a problem right now, though. I understand the doctrine. I get it. But I've lately had a dip in motivation. It's sometimes difficult to care a lot for me. Elder Tialavea, a BYU foodball player who's about to go home, is in the office his last week. All he wants to do is go out and work. Today was our PDay, but all he wanted to do was work in a sector somewhere. We ran into some missionaries from somewhere close to my first sector and he left with them. Point being, it scares me a little that I didn't have that same desire. It says in Preach My Gospel that as one understands more the Atonement, one's desire to share it with others will increase. I have felt the Atonement in my life, and I do want to share it. But it is still difficult for me to want to contact people in the store on PDay, for example. So I guess I don't get the Atonement? You get to this point in your mission wherein you figure you should have changed more than you have. I'm there. I've been here a reasonable amount of time - I would imagine at least somewhat that I would be different? Have you noticed anything? I honestly haven't - not from what I can see and remember. Do you feel still young and unprepared sometimes? I do. It kind of brings my attention to marriage stuff too. Not to be trunky. I think I need another ten years before I'm capable of making that kind of decision. This has also happened to me when I went to be district leader, and to the office. Do I ever get to feel like I know what I'm doing? I suppose it's worked out okay until now, though. I kind of miss having a trio. It was more than a companionship - it was a friend group. Almost definitely too much fun. This change has been the most fun probably yet. Elder Monsen said something to a member about the mission that I think is apt: Every time you go to a new sector, or even get a new companion it's like your mission starts over. I feel like I've started over a little here, especially since it's a "faster" ward, which is to say that the members are more involved and willing to help, and people are easier to find and to baptize. We have, at this moment, some five baptismal dates - a record for my entire mission. All this with occasionally losing days completely or at least halfway. Something that is super key, by the way : young people. They like us, they want to hang out with us, i.e., go on lessons. They make friends with the investigators fast. They invite people to everything. Etc. I'm verifying my skype junk, by the way. I suggest you make sure it all works by calling Dad's office or something. We have been lucky so far. Well, I need to go. I need to go focus on missionary stuff. Hard sometimes. Ámense. Elder A Conrad Crist

I won!

I like how Alex puts that God has a way of bringing us uncomfortable situations that become beneficial experiences. Isn't that the truest thing ever? I am so happy that he is happy and doing things that are helpful to the other missionaries as well as members in that area. I am also very excited to be able to get to skype with him in just a few more days! Only like 10 more. That is such an exciting thing. And it is the last Christmas he will be out. The end in nearing! It is not as near as I would like but it gets closer every single day!
There are no pictures which always bums me out but more surprise for later on I guess.



So far this is going pretty well.

God has a way of bringing you uncomfortable but beneficial experiences.

For example, an apartment complex wanted 115,000 pesos from me. They said that we owed because we hadn't paid since July, etc. I sent them our internal payment - and they scoffed at my efforts. Before the mission I might have maybe paid it or tried to get someone else to do it. But it is my job, and we weren't going to pay that money twice. So I pulled the bank records and sent them a screenshot of their own page with the transaction numbers. They refused to admit that they had charged again something they shouldn't have... But they gave me a "discount" of the sum we weren't supposed to pay again.

When I read the capitulating email, I stood and half-yelled, "I won(!)"
President King, who is usually not in the office, happened to walk in and say, "... What did you win?"
"La Blanca's building wanted a bunch of money for gastos comunes and they backed down when showed them the bank stuff," I spouted out in over-detail immediately.

But hey, it was a great experience. I used to be a sheep for that kind of stuff, but now no. Not at all.

Not to say that I wasn't spiritual this week. We have several investigators who are simply super easy. (I will be leaving to another ward and remaining in the office next change in January, which will be the neighboring ward Monumento, leaving Esquina Blanca. (Indicating that I will have to essentially 'open' the sector, as it will have been a Sister sector until I go over there.) (We'll see how that goes a little later.))

I say they're too easy because they have all just fallen to us. As if God is saying it's okay that we are in the office, we maintain almost-normal numbers at all times. We leave to work at six or seven instead of four, which is a fair amount of time. And yet we are supported, and have more than enough people we can teach.

I find myself with little to comment about them. I don't know any of them very much, and none of them have a lot of difficulties.

Well, there is one. Raul and Ximena (that's an /h/ sound) are two amazing "eternal investigators." Such a person is created when he hits upon something, like a pending divorce, that prevents him from being baptized even though he attends church and does everything else right. Raul and Ximena would be married, but Raul's crazy ex won't let him. She wants tons of money, and Raul recently suffered a crazy property loss and cannot pay. He wants nothing more than to be baptized, but cannot afford either to move out of his house to "stop breaking the commandments" with his 'wife,' or pay off his nutty old lady he hasn't even seen in twenty years. He and the woman with whom he is currently have a child of nine together and will not split up, even if it is for baptism. I get it, but even so, things can be done. With that thought in our minds, we went to set a baptismal date to help motivate them to fix their situation. Raul started to get a little angry as we talked - not at us, but at his life. As we approached the part where we'd extend the date, he was crying and almost yelling. Then we did it. And he looked down. And he said, "si. Yo creo que si. Sera esta vez." "Yes, I think so. This time it will happen."

And so it was. God is powerful. Raul is looking at a righteous goal with no way to get it. That he knows of. If he really goes for it, he'll have it.

Faith is not the force, remember?

Well, today we went to President King's house to play volleyball and eat a huge american breakfast, so my time is short. I'll get some pictures of it. I have to go to a Christmas party. Keep being good. Read the scriptures. Love each other.

Elder AC Crist

Third line to the top!

I am still trying to figure out the writing on a different day thing! It is very hard to sit down on Friday night and write an inspirational letter when I haven't had the whole day Sunday to reflect and be inspired. I love getting the letters though! I wonder if it is hard for him to write a different day or if all the days just kind of run together? I like that he is on the top of the list of all missionaries in the mission. Not too long and he will be home again. Wow! The first year is definitely the hard one and now we just get ready for the things he needs to do when he is home. It doesn't seem possible that we can be this close already. Weird to say and think about too! 8 months and change!

Okay. The reason you can be excommunicated is that we have a pretty uncontrolled access to mission money and personal information that misused could lead to super-serious problems and crimes. That´s why. It would be really easy to, for example, give my friends 20,000 pesos for no reason. Therein lies the danger.

So nothing I'll actually do will get me in any problems.

I actually did get the tree of matchboxes. It's pretty cool. It's the envy of the senior couple missionaries who do the mail and the baptismal records. I just opened day three - holographic stickers for my study book thing. Excellent.

The missionaries haven't always been terribly diligent about getting out to the sector here, but the sector does exist and we do work it starting at six or six thirty every day. Usually we just do routine stuff and leave. Once a week we have to get some bills from the Area Office in the middle of Santiago (at the temple's distribution center thing) and go to negotiate rent and Common Costs at apartment complexes (I don't know what those are in english - it's the utilities and repairs to the whole building all put together and charged to every one). The administrations are typically very poorly managed, so you have to be ridiculous about getting receipts and and confirmations. Lots of assertive(?) phone calls.

The sector here is young and new, and fairly rich. In my last sector, in the middle-low income area, there were two people, maybe three in my ward that had cars. Here every family has one, some even have two. Most people here work in business jobs, not labor, so they are more available for teaching.

We planned the other day and came up with five people we'll baptize before March. President King's vision is one a month per companionship, so we'd be doing pretty good.

The senior missionary couples are very different. The other night we went down to wash our clothes with the Packs, Elder and Sister Pack from New Orleans. They invited us in, then gave us, in order, soda, grilled cheese, brownies and ice cream, chips, and Butterfinger bars they get from home. Elder Pack is a church educator, and Sister Pack is a big time piano teacher. He's pretty much just a Cache County guy, but she's as south as a white person can be. Jambalaya anyone? Their mission is really cool - he does the mail, and she teaches local member kids piano. (She's been here for some three years, so some are actually getting good.) I thought southern hospitality was a legend. It's not. She just had a recital. She brought three days of baked goods to the recital and the Chileans ate every single item in fifteen minutes. They really like brownies here, apparently.

(I guess this could be a belated thanksgiving theme.)

I think what makes the Packs so likable is that they give, but not only that. They give whatever completely willingly and give thanks for everything they get, be it from God or from others. They've understood that it's a pleasure to give. It sure is fun to work with them.

The voice on the audio that's not me is Elder Monsen, currently residing some five minutes from your house. He's actually related to Elder Christensen at about the same obscure level, so we've made an official after-mission gang plan. Elder Monsen just applied for BYU, having only two or three changes of six weeks to go. He wants to go to summer to get in easier.

(Speaking of this, can someone go on and find out the dates on that stuff? I will need to start doing some things soon-ish.)

Elder Spencer didn't appear in the audio, but I'll be with him longer. Elder Monsen will leave the twelfth to be a zone leader in San Miguel, near La Cisterna where I just was. He (Elder Spencer) actually is going to medical school too. He'll remain for at least another change. In the office, it is imperative that your language skills be perfectly functional for english and spanish, So it's very unlikely I have any latin companions here - and my companion definitely won't be young ever. I had been three changes with missionaries who didn't know how to speak really - it's odd to be not the only one who understands. I really like working with older missionaries - the problem is there just are that many left. I am on the third line to the top in the missionary board. Only like eight months and change left... Is that terrifying?

I talked with my office mates and we concluded that nothing is keeping Kelsey from being in the Skype. Of course, if it were distracting or private, not. But it's not. So if she'd like, invite her. I have the twenty-fourth to the twenty-sixth at whatever time for and hour or so. I'm really at the disposition of you. (that's a spanish idiom- "however you want".) Let me know - and get that dang fiber optic cable plugged INTO the computer. No wifi business.

I've already made some computer innovations, like using Microsoft Access for references. Elder Monsen is very organized, but doesn't really do computer things very much. Every financier improves in there way, and mine is upgrading the computer stuff, which I can do. And I may help with the end-of-year-movie.

It really is difficult to concentrate of the mission mission sometimes. But it's a new challenge that can already see helping me, especially for keeping the spirituality of the mission with me after. I'm happy to be here doing something at which I can succeed that really helps people.

Love,
Elder A Conrad Crist

A new P - Day!

A new P-Day? What? I used to love having all day Sunday to reflect and write to my boy. Now it is going to have to be a Friday night date night thing. I am happy to have Alex inside too! It is very hot in Chile and now he gets to be inside for most of the day. Although there is a bit of stress in the office, I think it will be good training for when he is a Doctor! All good skills to have, as well as teaching the Gospel. Go Elder!


So I guess my P Day is Saturday. Monday has too much office stuff.

In my first day, I had a come-to-Jesús with a landlord to get his security deposit back, flied and PDF´d like 4 reams of papers and receipts generated by the senior couple that does all the pension stuff.

That's apparently how every day here is. Oh, and I handled in my hands about eighteen hundred dollars and then carried it through a plaza terrified of getting shanked.

The sector and ward is amazing. The office elders before have been much busier in the past, so the sector is untouched. We had a calculated 800% increase in effectiveness from my last sector. No one even really knows us, so the people who were easy to get in other wards are still floating around. We don't have to dig that deep - the really good people are still just there for us.

There is certainly a large uptake in stress, though. All kinds of crazy stuff happens. For example, I may be in the middle of counting some money and the reference phone (which is also my job) will go off and I have to run over and answer and write something, just to come back and start over. Then let's say I'm waiting for an email so that I can actually pay rent for this month at the same time, and someone's lights just got turned off. Are you starting to get this? (I watch a huge outlook inbox as well.)

I am currently in a trio with a fellow Provoite, another relative of Elder Christensen's, Elder Monsen, the last financier, and Elder Spencer, the Secretary, who does all the visas, handouts for missionaries, etc. Being a trio is mostly fun, but also unwieldy in teaching sometimes. Elder Monsen is teaching me how to do all these things, and while I am not ready to do it alone he won't move on. Elder Spencer is my real companion.

I probably get along with them the best out of all my companions. Elder Spencer is from Idaho and wants to go to med school too. Fun all day, seriously.

This is rather different than before. All my computer skills an stuff are paying off hugely. I already started an Access Database for references, and fixed up the big numbers spreadsheet. It works pretty well so far. The job isn't that hard usually - like Doctor Snook said, "I could teach you to do an appendectomy in three hours. Med school is all about the part that comes if something goes wrong." That is my job. Once a week or so we have a nutty crisis. On the other hand, we are obscenely powerful. We could theoretically do any bad thing to anyone. And we have unlimited access to all the records and purchases of everyone. One of my assignments is to drill into weird transactions to see if there's some dishonest stuff happening. It's a 40-year-old job for a 20-year-old. President said only a few can be trusted at this level. Here we go.

It is going to be hard to hang on to the spirituality. But I am super compartmentalized, so I'l be fine. Office box, mission box.

Also, this calling is the only one a missionary can have that can in and of itself cause excommunication. Is that scary?

Well, I need to send in some pictures for the mission review christmas video.


Love,

Elder A Conrad Crist
Atte.
______________________________________________________

Élder Alex C. Crist
Secretario Financiero
Referencias
Misión Chile Santiago Oeste

So, I am going to be an Office Elder. Cool!!

I lied about getting an audio this week, wah. Oh well, there is not a lot I can do about it though. I wish I could call him up and make him do an audio right now. That would be amazing! He is in the office now so I actually think I could do that. Hmmmmmm I guess I probably shouldn't, it defeats the purpose right? Oh, but to be able to would be so amazing! I can't believe Alex is going to be working in the office. That is so great for him. I know that is the one place he said he would love to serve. He is very good about all that computer stuff and I am sure he will be able to do a great job there.


Well, this is my third three-changes sector. Because I am shortly leaving. Tomorrow.

(After having read the gospel of John (probably my favorite book of scripture), the number kind of jumps out to me - three sectors, three changes each. Three is the number of divinity, by the way.)

I also have the unique power of knowing where I am going. I am no longer a District Leader, nor will I be going to be a Zone Leader.

It all started when I wrote my weekly report and mentioned that if President King ever needed me for some video or audio stuff or general computer help, I was a professional in that. He didn't even respond to that. However, last night he called me. Personally.

"Elder Crist, how are you doing?"

"Very well. We got 4 MAC (member lessons) this week - a record." (Notice I get sort of militaryish when I talk to President)

"Well, I've been thinking and I think you should be the next Financial Secretary."

"..."

"I had been thinking that you would be good for the job, then you sent me that report and I knew it was for something. You'd be handling the references, money, and legal matters of the mission. Would you do that?"

"... Absolutely."

"Good. Thanks for what you did in Villa Brasil. I look forward to serving with you."

"Okay. See you Tuesday."

Click.

So, I am going to be an Office Elder. Cool. I probably will help do the "Retrospectivo", which is the mission's end-of-year video. Very cool stuff. (Elder Christensen was just in the office three months ago.)

The mission is going to be very... atypical now. Very, very atypical. Lots of driving around to deliver mail and packages. Lots of computer stuff and Excel. And Google Maps. And lunches with members are over - we will be eating out or cooking always, for we'll have no time to do anything else. How cool is that?

This last week has been a week of Ascension. I had my Gethsemane in the mission in Melipilla. But after every Gethsemane comes and Ascension.

In the last two changes we have had one lesson with a member. Until this week. Because we enacted something we recieved from our Zone Leaders and it worked. We decided to go to each person and ask them individually, instead of hoping our inactive mission leader will do something. It worked. Through a lot of planning and a complete fluke, we destroyed our goal, which I thought was too high. It was a victory for sure.

I am satisfied with the sector; I feel that I left it better than it was before. The ward is very strong- it wierded us out that we weren't having success. The thing was that they simply had no direction. We had to be the direction. When we were the direction, thing started happening. Nothing about having four of those lessons is impossible now that they've worked. Every time someone goes out with us his vision multiplies and his testimony puts down more roots. It's very hard for someone who goes out with the missionaries to go inactive. Or really fail in Church at all. President Hinckley said that the genius of the Church is involvement.

We did it. Elder Burk has five to seven easy baptisms now. Not a joke. I really don't even feel that someone is cherrypicking my work. I know that was what I was to do here. And I did it. And man, is the time going fast now. It seems that I was in Melipilla four times as long as I was here. But it was the exact same. Nuts. I guess not having companion issues is nice.

I also get to be part of training the new incoming greenie noobcake missionaries at the beginning, which is cool. Elder Christensen said I'll have to work out hard to not put on weight because the sector is small and we sit and drive all day. Also, the ward is supposedly the best-functioning in the mission - in such a way that the missionaries can have an emergency and not go out for days and people still see their investigators. Not bad. Just lots of working out.

I am really thirsty.

See? All that computer stuff did pay off. I knew it.

Don't tell me about Dad's iPhone. I might die. Nothing but Windows and Nokia poprietary operating systems as far as the eye can see. Did he get an iPhone 4? Oh.

Well, here we go. To the office. The office is almost always a six month assignment, so I pretty much will leave here and only have like three or four months left. Is that sickening? Yes.

As Elder Christensen would say,

"Go! You're in! Go!"

Love, etc.,
Elder A Conrad Crist
Apparently Financial Secretary

An audio next week? Yay!!!!

Today I waited for the letter, at about noon I got apparently the second half of a letter and it was very short. I was bummed because I had no idea what he was talking about and I didn't think I was going to get the real letter. I checked tonight at 7 and yay, the first letter was actually there. I love to get to hear from Alex. It seriously makes every Monday bearable!! The knowledge that He has gained since going is out is an amazing thing and I truly love to see the growth. Knowing that he is well and that he is bearing all things well is also a good thing.



Well, here we are. I'm probably leaving this sector. Nothing's really happened, besides that Fernando didn't go after a very spiritual lesson. And we found one of the fastest-baptizable families ever. Like I said, nothing much.

Every missionary knows that having members in you lessons is somewhat key. This lesson made that rather abundantly clear.

"It was a very exciting week, even thought it appears that nothing happened. Fernando is unfortunately thinking that his spiritual path does not require a baptism. We taught a very simple lesson about the most important things, and we pointed to the gift of the Holy Ghost as the thing that he still lacked. For all our efforts, he finally committed to pray to see if he should go to church. And he didn't come, and we haven't talked to him since. It may not be his time.

On the other hand, we got into contact with someone Elder Myres and I taught some time ago. We set the time, passed by with a member, and he wasn't there. We went to our plan B, and he wasn't around either. We decided to go back to the original - and they had randomly returned. They apologized profusely for having left during the cita, and let us in. Having already taught them, we started up with another very similar lesson about the Holy Ghost. He asked about what the church was like, and our accompanying member filled him in. He talked about how it's always with an "abrazo," and everyone will notice any new person. The investigators told us that they would like to reserve time Wednesdays and Sundays to have more consistent lessons. We're a little excited - new people in the chapel is what this ward needs - to see that something really is possible. I am tempted to add them to the December goal.

The district is noticeably low on animo and contacts. I am going to give a class to treat it next week. The whole zone is moving into it. I guess after so long without success the animo to contact is falling. We'll work on it, thought."


LIke I said, interesting, and very good because of the members.

I don't think I've ever wanted someone to get into the Church more than Fernando. I am consumed with it. He is so close. He just has to ask. He is so sure of his spiritual path that he won't look out. Even though what we say to him makes a lot of sense to him, it's all just truth that may or not apply to him. That's the weird thing with the Catholic-rooted philosophy of most Chileans - there can be a perfect right church, but each person can find their own perfect truth, and it can be different.

I thought a lot one time when Dad asked me, "Should every boy serve a mission?" There are some people that think that every person who doesn't is a complete failing sinner, and there are some that think that you really should, but if you don't feel like you can, or you're not psychologically ready, etc, it's not for you.

The truth is, God knows where he has everyone - could he not make a unified Church?



Anyway, that's the life.

We received a palo (when a leader tells you that you need to do something and it's a rough experience) about dedication the other day. They said we have to have our minds completely in the work too. I don't know if you remember, but I think about everything in a day. When I first received that

Okay, sorry. When I first received that, I thought, "Well, there goes everything. Time to be an automaton. Time to stop enjoying this and stop actually having a relationship with the members and missionaries. As time went on, one of the biggest things I've learned on the mission came back into my mind - "Think about everything but yourself." I've been practicing it and, even though not every word that comes out is gospel, I am not unfocused, nor robotic. Listen to the song I sent. I don't think I've ever heard something so relaxing.

Faith is not the Force.

I'll do an audio next week. I may been changed somewhere else by then.

Love and stuff. Chau.

Elder A Conrad Crist
(Did you know that that name signs way, way better than Alex?)



Note for the pictures - Ass is a kind of sandwich. I'm serious.

Attempt to focus

Am I this selfish? I want my son home...right now! Not in 10 months. I feel very selfish saying this. I just want to make him some cookies or his favorite cake or something and deal with stuff that I can actually deal with. And at the time he needs them dealt with. Like the no money thing. I have some cash in my pocket I want to give him. Make sure he has a cold drink and doesn't get too much sun. Why? Why is this getting harder and not easier? Will it get easier? Will it be like this until he actually is home? Am I just too weak to have him gone so long? I shouldn't be complaining, I know that. Other people have it harder than I have ever had it but I want him to be happy and fulfilled and loving his mission and companions and everything. I think if he was, I would be happy for him and this would be easier. I don't know, I don't want to be negative or anything, I just want him happy!



As I have said, this internet place is kind of sub-standard. I suppose it's cheap, but beside that nothing much. I am pretty sure I do not like windows. And there's a kid playing Grand Theft Auto behind me really loud.

But hey, let's attempt to focus.

Weekly Report to President to save some time:

"Fernando and Natalia have reached the point wherein they must choose to pray or stop. Out lesson ended very clearly. What we claim is that the Church is the only church. They understand now that they can only know from God. My only fear is that they don't perform the prayer with enough effort. We will only know next time we go.

We are working on MAC right now. Our zone is coming out with an initiative to raise MAC and Asistencia that I will be teaching this Wednesday. One part is seeking MAC in the Sunday Meetings, and the other is passing by or at least calling and teaching the doctrine of the Sabbath Day. We figured that if we get MAC, it will show the members that missionary work actually works. I think the opinion has drifted that way in our ward. I'm seeing it a little in the whole zone La Cisterna. We just need a little success, and the members need to see it.

I'm starting to think that the attitude is seeping into the missionaries. I'm not sure what we can do about that. Elder Van Dyke says the same, and Elder Christensen has noted it as well. What more can we do? How can we raise the animo so that we can have more success?

We'll keep doing our best.

Elder AC Crist"

*MAC means lessons with members, and asistencia is church attendence

Beside kind of being in a psychological low as a zone, we are doing okay. My companion was bitten by a dog. We were going out of a house and their normally normal mutt went nuts and came for me. He ultimately bit my companion because I already had left. We even got to call the doctor to see if he had rabies. There was not rabies. Lame.

I'm not gonna lie (as the trite expression goes that was just starting up when I left), I'm kind of disanimated. I'm kind of bored with this place. Nothing has been super amazing for a while, especially the week. We found a place in which one can buy "mayor" quantities of ice cream products - so I bought ten ice cream bar-on-a-stick things. For three dollars. Then I got a box of thirty candy bars for three dollars. I like wholesalers.

On the unfortunate side it seems that an ATM charged my account and gave me no money so I have one dollar in my church account. I do certainly hope they can figure this out, because there's no way to prove it was my money or anything. I may have no money this month. That could be bad-ish.

I just called the financer and he said, "Well. I have no idea what to do. I'm going to call President." I might be in trouble. I already used the home card for groceries once on the 31, plus got out more money. It seems the ATM misfired, charged me, and kept the money. I didn't suspect it had done this, so I continued on normally, no I couldn't make the employees get me my money. Perfect storm of terrible things. Well.

Oaky. Okay. Because your same hand types the word okay, it's easy to misspell.
It's so hot in here. And I have no money. Blast.

In our lesson with Fernando and Natalia I had something happen to me that I've never experienced before. I felt like a prophet. I felt like they weren't going to actually do the challenge - pray about the Restoration. I said, uncharacteristically boldly, "I cannot leave here without leaving it clear that you have to do this. I can't imagine a life without the understanding you can have." Fernando, tending always to be pensive, thought for several minutes before saying he would do it. That is my only hope.

Cool, I do care.

Well, that's a depressive email. Good. See you.

Elder A Conrad Crist

I like avacadoes now, btw!

I wondered how long it would take for Alex to really get into the culture of food in Chile. It looks like he has done it. I wonder though if he likes mayo, mustard, ketchup, etc yet. I think I will have to ask in the next letter. And tomatoes, forget it. But he is eating them. Now there is some growth! The only picture this week is of the whole group with a General Authority and I am pretty sure he is one of those tall guys in the back row, middle (ish). The picture is quite fuzzy and far away so I cannot be completely sure. He sounds great and I am getting excited to talk with him at Christmas. It seems far but really it is less than 2 months! I can do two months!



This holiday (holy day? I think not.) is perhaps 1/8 of what it is at home. They usually have a party at school, but there's not really anything in store windows and you don't ever see people just walking around in costumes. Today is a holiday here, but not for Halloween. It's some Saintly Virgin of the Andes day or something today and tomorrow. Which means a few less people aren't working normally. But that's all.

It's now officially hot, but still there's some wind. The things people cook have changed completely. Suddenly it's all empanadas and salads and an occasional meat and potato plate. It's fine. One must drink Chilean "Zuko" gatorade all day though.

Fernando and Natalia are doing good, but we could only see them once. At this moment they have gone to the outsides of Santiago to an area not unlike Melipilla, though a little bit more to the south insead of west. We had hoped that this would be the time for them to go to church... blast. We started to read from Alma 32 in response to their collective doubts about the necessity of scripture. We read one verse aloud, and asked a question. He was silent, as was his wife. We waited, thinking they had to think or process what they'd read. After a pretty long time, we re-asked the question. More silence. Then Fernando looked up and said, "What? Sorry, I got stuck in this chapter. I really like it. I read until 42. (We were on 28.)" They committed themselves to read the chapter without us saying anything later. If we can just get over their non-institution stuff we'll be set.

Some people have already developed quite deep Christlike attributes when we meet them. These people are the most likely to progress, I'd imagine. The Spirit and the Light of Christ work outside of the Church. It's evident that Fernando and Natalia are possessed of these attributes already. They cannot let us sit down without drinks and sandwiches. They are very good with their daughter of four.

I'm really starting to understand what Alma meant when he spoke of people having the Image of God graven in their countenances. You can simply see it. Not with your eyes, but you can see it. What is that? The light of Christ?

I did divisions with Elder Christensen again. That was fun. We worked in his sector, doing contacts and generally having a very successfull day. One thing you learn in the mission is that missionaries who get along do well. Even if two companions are good teachers and everything- if they dislike each other it's very noticeable and they simply will not have success. Elder Christensen and I get along like I get along with Brennan and Riley. It was just plain fun and success all day. We had four lessons, including two new investigators in the same day. Then to end it all we had sort of grilled cheeses (Boy Cheeses) with salami in them with avocado on them. (Have I mentioned that I like avocadoes now? I do, but it absolutely must be accompanied by something of hard texture. The flavor, I find, is of similar use to eggs. Not the same, but still close to eggs. I still don't like tomatoes at all, though I've learned to eat them raw if necessary.

Speaking of food, I ate a bad empanada for lunch yesterday and it wrecked me for the whole day. We didn't do anything yesterday after lunch. I just slept and visited the toilet. I'm wierdly better today, if feeling a little electolyte loss.

Gross. Sorry.

Okay. Have a good week and stuff.

Elder A Conrad Crist

60 Something weeks I have been gone!

I am finally getting how tough it is to be a mother of a missionary. The tough part is not being able to get an answer to a question directly. It is the worry that the missionary is not well and knowing I could make it better. It is the worrying of mental health, physical health, and then just realizing I have to leave it in God's hands. How can a mother care for their child everyday for 19 years and then not be able to even ask the simple questions like, "How are you?, "Are you eating enough?, "Do you need anything?, and "Do you know how much I love you? Being a missionary mom is so hard and I cannot even imagine not having the help of prayer and knowing I have to rely on Heavenly Father to make sure those things are being answered. I don't think I really understood how tough it was going to be. I am not really looking forward to doing this again. Even though I know it is a good thing for the missionary. No wonder all missionaries look back and remember their missions so vividly! I guess I just really wasn't ready to let my son go. Is anyone ever really ready?


Pretty normal week. Not going to lie. I had a crazy bad sty that almost kept me from working. Elder Burk got sick for a day. Our investigators are still good. They didn't make it to church, though. Blast.

Let's think.

Last monday we bought food. Okay.

Tuesday was super, super normal. It was the sick day. So it was normal until 6, and then it was rest and putting hot stuff on my eye.

Wednesday I gave a lesson about "How to begin teaching" in lessons with new investigators. It was not terribly good. I was very distracted with my eye thing so no one minded. It was so big and gross that I think everyone just looked at it and didn´t listen. The thing is, sometimes the zone leaders give a very specific tiny wierd class for me to do. And that's how the lesson comes out in the end. I usually do a good lesson. It was the eye!

Thursday and Friday and Saturday were obscenely hot. Didn't help the eye thing. At all. Thursday we had another great, though very difficult lesson. It was difficult because my Spanish was taxed to the limit in explaining the plan of God from a more... intellectual point of view than usual. I've noticed that over time we learn to teach on an average-person level. When we run up against intellectuals, like these people, we have to think a lot more like ourselves.

This guy's doubts are very similar to mine. His big problem is essentially the Church. The doctrine he knows is right. He just can't stand yet the idea of a church. Not to mention baptism. As we talked, though, he started to see the purpose of it. We then mentioned how God gives blessings for obedience. He said, "I don't like the idea of obeying just to get something."

That's just it, though. We obey because we love God. We explained that to him. I have never understood what it meant really when it says in the Bible that "They were astonished at his doctrine." Not until then did I understand. No one had ever presented such a docrine to him, or to his wife. They spoke little after we taught. It seems we certainly gave them a lot to think about.

I think it won't be long before we see baptismal dates for them.

Wierd thing related to the five-month conversion of Brother Calloway - the average person is baptized three changes, or four and a half months, from their first contact with missionaries. We hope for faster, but it doesn´t always happen. I know people who investigated for a year. As long as they progress, it's never a waste. Speaking of that, I just heard that like five of the people I taught in Melipilla have been baptized now too. Not bad. One was the one I knocked the door of on a Spirit whim. Not only that, his whole member family is active as can be. I just need some of the same success here.

I wish I had an apple comptuer. This one makes me mad.

And and iPhone.

No, let's just focus.

It's really hot now.

Well, have a good day and stuff. Faith is not the Force, even thought the Force is cool.



Vocal Point

Do you think Regina Speckter has any acceptable songs? I know The Call would be okay. (Can someone find it?)

I also with I could have a fountain pen here. Oh well. I heard there's a cross or something pen that takes refills that aren't that expensive and you can just get the refill and stick it in a Pilot G2 pen and it has the same exact amazing expensive feel for like eight dollars, not a hundred.. Maybe you can find that article. That would be cool for Christmas.

I found a shaver thing here because I couldn´t just keep using the old belt sander... it seems you got one too... I guess if it's nice you should send it, but if not maybe Jake would like it...

Vocal Point?

There's this multicolor pencil in the BYU bookstore I'd really like. It's Pentel. It has a bunch of leads in the barrel and you can eject them one at a time. They had them in the MTC Bookstore. They're cool.

I think for Christmas I would like a new set of socks. Mine are t-rashed. Maybe synthetic ones? I don't know. But mine are trashed.

Love,
Elder A. Conrad Crist

Two Elder Crists'

I had been praying all week that these two missionaries could at least see each other while they were in Chile. We also learned there would be a huge celebration in Chile that the missionaries could be at. So we were praying extra hard and it payed off. They did indeed get to see each other but not for long enough. Is it ever long enough? This will be one of the stories they tell their children and it will become more and more precious over the course of their lives. Yay, I am so happy it could happen!
Alex does not explain this very much in the letter and I will still have to figure out the attaching audio part. It was very cool to hear him speak about it though!


This week was very... different. We only had like three lessons the whole time, but they were good. We have some really good progressing people, finally. I really got shanked this week because my computer was being dumb and now everyone wants to leave without me. I hope you enjoy the audio - I did.

I think if I could put a name to this part of my mission, it would be "getting better at contacts and finding people." I've always been pretty good at teaching, but contacts have never been something I've wanted to do. I got up one morning and decided to be more personable in doing them. I don't know why it took so long to arrive at the conclusions to which I arrived that morning.

It's helped a lot. Suddenly I learn lots of random stuff, and almost ever person with whom I talk is a pretty decent investigator. We can go out at talk to ten people and get three to listen. That's just unheard of to me. It came from something I have relearned several times in different areas of life - think less, not more.

Elder Mann, my trainer, (who's now the assitant to the President, by the way) talked about how once there was a man who sold strawberries. He had a large cart full and he never sold very many. He thought to himself, "I think I know what I can do - I haven't been working hard enough."

So he bought a truck and filled it with strawberries.

Sometimes it doesn't need to be harder to be better. Take Jesus Christ, for example. Do you remember about the crazy flying fiery laser serpents that bit all the people in Israel? And what did they say to the cure of looking up at Moses' hastily forged snake stick thing? Whatever, man; ¿adónde la viste?* That's ridiculous!

So they died.

Anyway, the pension is still fun, for there are still four super white people in a house in the middle of south Santiago by that good bread place. Elder Tyler, who replaced Elder Lowry (whom was known by Kelsey from a church history trip - confirmed)(who has since gone to the most flayte-ganster part of the mission, Ochagavía) is from about sixty someodd miles from our house toward Logan. He's new, and cool. So life is still fine.

Our ward mission leader has completely disappeared from existence, unfortunately. The entire ward is looking for him, and he will not answer any phone calls. He arrives at eleven and leaves at nine so we are absolutely unable to get him. Elder Van Dyke says that it says one thing to him: sin.

Just a note here, isn't it ironic that people run from God when they sin? Can you see a guy missing a hand running away screaming from a surgeon? "No!! I like it this way! It's better because my hand won't ever get hurt again!"

Anyway, that is our fear. I'm not sure what to say to him when we meet him. But that's what the Spirit's for, right?

Well, carry on. Listen to my audio. It's about Elder Crist. The not-me one.

Listo, chau,
Love,
Elder A Conrad Crist

*"Whatever, man!"

I also just realized I now have 13 months done.

I love the letters home! I love hearing about Alex's day to day activities. It really gets so inspirational to just read of the things he is doing and the things he is working on. He will have so many stories to tell and these are the things that are going to pull him through during rough patches later in life. I think we have all gotten to that place that is just accepting. I really hope Alex makes the most of the rest of the time. It really isn't that much.



Firstly, much thanks for the music. I passed through a more or less boring music time there. It worked seamlessly with my ghetto blaster mp3 stick thing like the one I had before iPods came out. I really could only ask for "The Lower Lights". You've done a great job.

Well, there's no changes for me this time. I'm here for another change at least. I also just realized I now have 13 months. Not exactly a slow change that just passed. We worked and stuff and then it was over. That was it. We have some amazing people, finally, that we'll surely have baptized before too long. I was scared of being changed out and not being able to see it, because it is basically a sure thing.

Here's an excerpt from my weekly report so I have more time to write other things:

"I'm quite glad I don't have changes, because this next change is going to be a great one. Fernando and Natalia are going very well. We managed to have our first MAC of the change with a great member with them, in which he gave excellent testimony and allayed some doubts they had. The lesson started to get a little of track, for Fernando had always been taught that God was a Spirit. As we talked, though, he started to see more reason in our being here and living our lives. He is reading and praying - we know he reads because he always comes with questions, and because when we asked him to pray to end the lesson he did it without hesitation, and did it absolutely correctly, having prayed so starting only three weeks ago.

Needless to say we're fairly excited for their progress. We are going to work as hard as possible for those MACs. They really count when they do happen. What's more, the brother who came out with us talked about it in his testimony, which can only help excite others. Immediately several other people who had evaded it before asked us when we could go out."

It was a very good week. We had a ton of meetings that kind of messed up our plans many times, but we ended up being able to get to a lot of super cool investigators.

I'm now finding myself at a difficult language situation. I understand word-for-word every person, I read the same speed in Spanish as in English, and several people have noted that I use some grammar that most people disregard correctly. Now I have two problems. I'm not satisfied with my accent, nor am I with my vocabulary. The thing is, it's hard to do anything to make it better with four gringos (one is going, Elder Lowry, who Kelsey knows, from our pension, and Elder Van Dyke is training a gringo, so it's all gringo again).

Improving your accent from 0 to 75 % is really easy. The next ten takes as long as the last 75, then five, then you start getting to a point where you just can't quite do anything noticeably better, even though you still have an irrepressible accent. Unfortunately, unlike in English (especially at BYU), accents are not attractive. I like pretty much any accent in English. They just don't get the coolness of it here.

I think of this because we went to a member's house last night and his daughter of perhaps 19 came out and said they were all in bed almost because it was Sunday. I asked her if she was studying or working to be friendly. English. As a classic test I immediately asked, "So then you'd be fine if we just spoke English?" She came back, "Actually, that would be good so that I could practice it."

Looking at a Spanish-speaking face and speaking English is extremely difficult, but we proceded to talk about how she'd learned it and how she'd use it. Super interesting. Her accent was cool - and slightly British. Apparently her school has Britains teaching it. After telling her to do a Study Abroad at BYU, we went home. And all I thought about was how to become that good at some point.

Anyway, beside that, there's a huge event coming up in Chile. The missionaries first arrived fifty years ago, so they're having a huge thing in a stadium. Supposedly the Prophet will be there... Could be. Looks like our mission is going to sing in it. I wonder if you'll be able to see that. Saturday.

There's another random letter. Enjoy if you can.


Love and stuff,
Elder AC Crist

Glorio

I realized just after Conference that Alex only has 1 more Conference to go without us. Or us without him!! I am very grateful for all that he has learned and for all he has come to realize as he is becoming a man. It is a rough thing that these boys do for the two years they are out. I am very proud and I can only imagine the homecoming. I am sure that our Heavenly Father also feels the same for us as we are are here struggling and trying to become worthy to be in His presence. What a homecoming that will be as well! For all of us! I, too, glory in the work of God.

This has been a cool week.

Conference for missionaries is pretty much the biggest holiday there is. Christmas gives us about three hours of monkey-painting non-working time. Conference gives two whole days, because the place we watch conference is far away so we can´t come home to work between sessions. We barely got in a lesson after Sunday sessions.

We didn´t have a ton of lessons, but one we had was super good.

Quote from my week report:
"We met again with a man who is buried waist-high in the Book of Mormon, this time with his wife. He had read (and noted a few questions) the assignment from our last visit and a chapter we gave him in our first contact with him that he hadn´t read. We talked of what the Book really means, including baptism. He said that it was difficult for him to accept a new book after the Bible, but also that he had a difficult time not believing the truths he found in the chapters. We re-explained a little to his wife so that they could read and pray together.

Fernando, for that is his name, is a psicologist and is fascinated by the question of whether human beings are basically bad or good. We showed him Mosiah 3:19 and he read with his mouth slightly open. "Ah, si," he said."

There´s a big motion in the mission right now to do everything about the Book of Mormon (that was echoed in conference), so we do, and it works. The Book seems to attract people who are interested and scare off people who aren´t ready. My trainer, now the assistant, said once that the Book of Mormon is the "Great Filter." If you think about it, it is as much for us as for personal people at home. If they read it and accept it, they will not get filtered out.

On the shaving front I´ve been now secretly mootching off my companion and Elder Lowry, and using my own super old blades that are only slightly better than grinding the hair off your face with a band saw. My face has been happier. At least I have no acne. There´s not enough intact skin.

That was a poor place to put that part.

We have also been watching some DVDs the Church has made to show what good missionaries are like and how to plan and all that. These missionaries are states missionaries in Texas or something who have super-packed all-reference car-and-bike missions. One starts seeing them and thinks, "Wow, we are not that good. We don´t have twenty people in church every week. We definitely do not teach fourteen lessons with members in them a week."

Then comes up this scene where they do a contact. They barely knew how to do it. All at once I started to become really grateful for where I am. We fight on the ground level here, with getting our ward mission leader to come out with us and go to meetings, to doing hundreds of doors and contacts on the street. I love my mission. Elder Burk and I work like fiends all day at 95 degrees, usually only spending an hour or two indoors a day. I glory in that I was counted worthy to work so for Him. My trainer once said that he thinks sometimes that you shouldn´t freak out if you have no baptisms for a while - perhaps that span was neccessary and some missionaries may not have been able to handle that stretch without success.

The Apostle Paul says "glory" as a verb a lot. In Spanish, verbs are always one word. My word this week is "Glorío" - I glory. Glorío that I can be here making this happen.

Our investigators that we do have are also very delicate and difficult. Keeping just our attendence up is a full-time work. Let me tell you, though - how great is our joy for one who is baptized, or reactivated, or finally in the temple? Better than any other.

I just found out today that one of my favorite investigators (through a Melipillan member I ran into on the Metro... somehow) was married and baptised and now is the secretary of the Young Men´s program. That is something, isn´t it. You´d have to be me to get that entirely, but it is something.

Have you ever watched Mormon Messages? They´re good. The music from Moments that Matter Most I would like to have if it´s an artist.

You really should find The Lower Lights. I think you´d like it. It´s pretty folksy. This song I put in is an offering. Maybe Jake and Abby can sing it someday.

I really am doing a lot better. As long as I can eventually resolve my face issues I think I´m fine. The only worry now is there´s a shortage of Zone Leaders in the mission. That scares me a little. Did you know that there are only three groups of missionaries after this change ahead of me? Frightening. I´m afraid my generation is going to have a lot of leadership responsiblity.

Elder Burk and I are finally starting to find a sane medium. Everyone does stress differently, and his was being insanely intense. Mine is being very quiet. So things were just uneasy. But we´re figuring it out.

I´m now working on a highlight audio reel of the Book of Mormon for people who can´t read. I need to work on that.

Trust God. Love each other.
Elder A Conrad Crist

Chilean Independence Day

I so look forward to hearing from Alex every Monday! I have had to be a little relaxed in that a few times. Yesterday was the Chilean Independence Day and I had a little bit of a heads up so I wasn't frantic. But still, I really like to get his letters and I didn't and I watched some missionary homecomings and I do NOT recommend doing that. It is still very far away and I cannot get that in my head yet!


Okay. It appears that no one listened to my recording in which I complained about the shaving situation.
Look. I need to get an electric one. I've been trying to find one here but it's pretty hopeless, and the metal kind are killing my face. It's become a problem to the point where I've been using my fellows' electric ones. The ones here are low-end American brands at best, scary Chilean homemade ones at worst. I don't know what you think exactly, but these ones my companions have work decently well. Maybe you could research it a little and find me one? With a little effort I can make it work, but buying one here is sketchy.

This week's been okay. We didn't get all the numbers and stuff we wanted but I don't feel like I should have done anything really different. Sometimes people are just not interested. We put times with people and then they just aren't there. It's kind of frustrating, and it becomes really easy to walk into the day not really expecting anything to happen. Which isn't so great for the excitement level.

Elder Burk and I are doing well too, with only an occasional personality difference or something like that. I figure that every missionary has one of three big motives - Truth, Love, or Faith. I am a Truth missionary, with a fair amound of Love. That's how I think and act. Elder Burk is a Faith missionary. There can be a little friction at times, but as long as the pride is minimal, there's no problem.

The Chilean Independence Day was pretty much the entire country in barbeques, kite-flying contests, and drinking contests. We didn't do a ton of stuff. The party we were allowed to go to was fun. It was a little small, as the ward was small. I ate like six empanadas and twelve anticuchos, which are essentially small shishkabobs. And like two liters of soda. Good real sugar Coke.

Then we a had a PDay wherein we couldn't shop or do internet, as you suspected. So we had like eight hours of doing whatever we wanted. We flew kites, we played soccer, we ate pizza, and we cleaned up some gross stuff under the kitchen appliances. I don't know if I've said yet, but Elder Lowry stayed here, and got Elder Van Dyke, an Elder from my district in the MTC. Needless to say, we've had a fair amount of reminiscing about the MTC a fraction more than a year ago.

Sickening how it's been that long.

But anyway, the pension is still fun, if not as insane as it was when Elder Myres was here. I think you've seen those pictures of him firedancing and stuff. We don't do so much of that anymore.

Unfortunately we're all getting a gross gut-and-aches virus. Elder Lowry is going to the hospital for it. So it's not great.

I'm glad to hear everything's pretty good. Make sure Connor doesn't get too messed up about getting hammered by grades - if his grades where always about 95 he would not be taking hard enough classes. Does everyone still go to Grandma's house for dinner? That was like my favorite thing. Heck, it still is


Alex sent this much, then more!


Maybe I'll just end an email without wierdly sending it halfway through. The computer's being wierd so I'm being sure it doesn't crash without me getting a word off.

I gave my first ever talk in Church last Sunday. Which was wierd, being that I've been here so long. I was very pleased that at several points I paused and could not hear a single sound as people pondered what I said. I told them that when God brought them into the church, He called them into His service. Forever. I urged them to work and help others. I hope someone heard it. It was really the first super- cutting talk I've ever given. I didn't laugh at all. I felt like that one time President Monson got up in Priesthood and just said it straight. (Last Conference, I think it was). I felt really hot when I asked, like Jesus did to Peter "lovest thou me more than these? Feed my sheep." I'll never forget how it felt to say it to them as a ward (Ask my about this in 10 years and I'll recognize it.) Villa Brasil - Me amas? Apacienta mis obvejas.

Sorry to go lame on you.

Find me a shaver please! They have told me that phillips and braun, especially braun are good. Keep up the emails. They worked.

Thanks, love, and stuff
Elder A Conrad Crist

I really wish I could get longer letters! I want to know every detail and I feel like Alex is leaving out a lot! I want rambling, long detailed, and packed letters that take 20 - 30 minutes to read. I guess he just does not have the time. I have seen letters like that and I miss them. I know more is going on with him than what he writes in the letters and I seriously just want to know all!!! It is kind of frustrating to hear from him but have him not answer any question previously asked. I want him to be happy and I don't know if he is!


Before I start talking, one thing -

Email

Me

Songs

in

mp3

I bought an mp3 player thinger that you can just put mp3s on, and it's great - but I still need to get mp3s to play on it. I have a few here in DVDs people have given me, but you have to realize - you have the power to email me them *IN MP3 NOT MP4* whenever you want, simply over a few emails. For example, if you were to get ahold of Josh Groban, you could rip the CD to mp3 and send it to me in all of ten minutes.

That said,

This week was a little rough in terms on numbers and appointments, but these things happens. I've been here long enough to not freak out about these things, especially because it's been the second biggest party week of the entire year. Next week would be the biggest. We'll see how it goes. According to President King, the mission's been doing really well recently. We'll see how it goes.

So far Elder Burk is doing well. He's a little up tight, much like I was when I got here. It's the hardest thing to realize in the mission - that you can still be calm and not super retentive about everything. It's not to say that we can be disobedient, obviously. He's started to loosen up in the last few days, but there's still some way to go.

He's really into that kind of "I think Jesus really started to become a God when he started the Atonement" doctrine. Or like when people reject us, he's like "but we are representatives of Christ!" I don't know, it's a kind of mormony metaphysics.

Not to be negative or anything. We really are doing well.

Well, my stupid computer just crashed. Explorer died, but Chrome still goes. So now I have no taskbar, nor folders. Cool

Luckily I was able to start a new iteration of explorer.exe by opening a new task in the Process Manager. It's a good thing I'm a nerd.

So anyway, that's that for now. The week is lame because of our circumstances. I'm fearing that Elder Burk is getting a bad faith-starting training stange, or perhaps that he think's it's that I'm lazy or something. I don't really know.

Alex sent this a little later. I think they were having problems with the computers or something.

I don't really know why I sent that last one. Whatever. Maybe to free up some RAM with all those attachments.

I'm way sorry. I don't really have anything to say to you more than that. I'm still in the shaving dillema, but what else is new? I still look like a scrubbed off my facial hair with a lathe, but that's okay. Nothing really exciting about it.

Have you ever read Lectures on Faith? It is a book to blow through all rhetoric concerning faith, all examples, all everything of the sort. Basically it's seven lectures, each only a few pages long. Each has a purpose (this was written by the First Presidency for the School of the Prophets in the 1830-40s ish era). I suggest that you read it. For some people, like me, being low-rhetoric people, it can change your life. For example - there are three requirements of Faith in God:
A belief that God exists
A correct knowledge of the attributes and character of God
A knowledge that the path one is taking pleases God and complies with His will
Think about that for a second. Why does a person need to be in the Church? They would not otherwise be able to understand God, nor His plan. Therefore, for the much they want to believe, they could not have faith for life and salvation. There is a reason we do missionary work. It's one of those things.

Just keep thinking about it. If you read the book and think about it, it seriously takes all the vapid rhetoric and opinion out of religion. I really could have used it a few years ago.

And there it is. Email me songs. Good. Take Luck.

Elder A Conrad Crist

One down and one to go!

This week marks the 1 year mark from when my son left for his mission. I have seen him once in real life when I stocked him right before he departed to Chile, twice on skype at Christmas and Mother's Day, and a letter every week for 52 weeks. It does not feel like he has been gone that long but my heart knows it. I gave a Sharing Time in Primary this last Sunday and it was on Missionaries. I could barely get through the lesson I was trying to teach and every song I sing in church makes me cry, and every time I look at his picture on my counter I tear up. So yeah, I think my body and soul knows it has been a long time but thankfully the mind can linger on the happy moments and know that I will see him again! Maybe that is something like what the Savior is teaching us. We can go back and live with our Father in Heaven again. We just have to be true and faithful and our time will come. Maybe that is what makes this separation such a poignant one. I miss my Father in Heaven as much as I miss my son.


Yeah, I may have forgotten my camera.

Whatever.

So, here I am. With the somewhat young Elder Burk. From Arizona. This last week has been ridiculous. First, we went around and Elder Myres said goodbye to everyone. The next day I went to the temple after 10 months of not going there - sort of a lot, I think. It was a great time to reflect about the mission so far. Just about exactly half. I technically complete a year the eighth, which is thursday.

You know, it didn't seem like I've done that much. I understand always, and I know the lessons, and I know how to teach them. I get how to write in the area book, and eat properly, and all that kind of thing. The thing is that it feels as if I've not really done that much for people. It could be that I've been in seeding and tilling sectors while others have been doing the harvesting. I don't know.

Elder Burk is a very dedicated missionary. He just wants to work and baptize people. We have a very minor personality clash, but we work well together, especially once we are actually teaching. He's very outgoing and does contacts automatically, even when the situation is somewhat unfavorable. (I don't want to dampen his enthusiasm, but interrupting people while they talk to each other to contact them just makes them angry - or let us say that they have a hard time seeing us as representatives of Christ.)

We get more study time so we can practice and figure out all these things. I think it'll be okay.

I don't know if Dad has any experiences about this - it's very difficult to get to know Elder Burk because he won't talk about anything but missionary work. He may answer a direct question, but then a few sentences later he'll be talking about how the Gospel is so amazing or how the solution to world hunger is tithing, etc. I find myself in a similar position to when I was with Trent at Wyview. I wanted to just be a person and I couldn't. It says in DC 4 that you have to have your gaze only put on the glory of God, or something like that - so where should I be here?

It's very good that he does want to work and has no obedience or homesickness problems. He's the eleventh of sixteen brothers and sisters (luckily there's a law-only relationship between the first and second eight). He's only worked a little and gone to BYU Idaho in terms of education. He's a choir person, which is cool. And he plays the viola, but he says "not well enough to bring it on the mission." His parents are somewhat older people, and it is noticeable in his personality - he's disciplined, but kind of odd.

Let's change gears. You know what I liked to sing? It wasn't ever the simple ones. It was always the ones that were kind of "adulty." I remember we sang a few hymns, and I liked those more than the others. Also, A Child's Prayer and those kind of more serious even if a little childish ones actually called my attention to the words. The doofy ones not so much. I thought harmony anything was cool, even if I pretended to think it was dumb for my classmates. Treat them older than they are and they'll act it.

Can someone ask Kelsey what is Family Processes? I'm weirded out by that.

I'm going to buy an Mp3 player thing from Chilean Walmart today - so I'm going to be doing a lot of asking you to email me things. Starting now. The cool thing is that I won't ever have to ask for CDs - you can just send them. Not only that, but I can get them from other Elders. So if you get a hold of The Lower Lights or that other one I mentioned earlier and you haven't sent it yet, just rip it and email me it IN MP3 or I won't be able to do anything with it. Please. I think this is the best way I can do it. I wish someone had told me from the beginning.

Someone should make a decent recording of Grandpa's improv riffs. It would be so cool to get a good microphone and and Apple Product and record a whole album full of Crist stuff. We could produce it really well and make album art! Just think about it.

Abrupt ending!

Elder A Conrad Crist

I don't know if you knew but you can find my chapel on lds.org (and riley's too) really easy. Just put in like Villa Brasil of La Cisterna or my bishop's name, Bishop Valdivia. Just in case you're interested in that sort of thing.


To Abby after a short note for him.

Just another school year and I'll be back. No problem.

We did make the cake you sent. The funny thing was there's no frosting in Chile. So we used Dulce de la Leche. Let's just say it was okay. Or really good. Or amazing. The other missionaries went nuts too. It was a fun day.

Make sure Mom and Dad email me stuff and music! and pictures!

Love and stuff,
Elder A Conrad Crist


And to Kato:

Dear Kato

Roof roof grrrr grr roofy roof.

Roof grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr grrr. Roof.

Roof roof,
Elder grrr Crist roof

As if I am prepared...

I am trying to keep a positive outlook on the fact that my little boy has grown up and become a man! His birthday is on the 30th and it will be the only one in 20 years that we have not celebrated with him. I hope we get to see him next year for his birthday! That will be awesome. I wonder, kind of, if they will let him come home early(ish) so he can get a start on school. Oh well, I am still glad he is such a great man. He seems to have his proiorities right and knows how to make his life the best it can be and that makes me happy! Happy Birthday Son!!

Oh, and the pictures scare me a little. Why does Elder Myres never have a shirt on? Why is he dancing in a flaming circle? I am a little nervous for the answer to be honest!!

Well. Believe it or not, I actually did wait on the gifts. I was going to but my companion shamlessly (he does very few things with shame) guilted me out of it. So I didn't. We'll see probably tonight, however, for he also guilted me into making the cake tonight because he's going and my... new guy... will not have any idea what he's doing, and will probably not want to hear about that while he's barely even keeping himself walking straight.

On that note, Elder Myres is going away. I'm not super happy about that, but these things do happen. Not only that, but I'm training a new missionary... as if I was prepared. Sometimes I think God has a sense of humor.

You'll have to forgive me, I'm a little distracted. I'm putting together a birthday set of CDs for myself. It's complex when you can't go on the internet to convert the formats. You have to be really creative.

We are finally starting to get something done here. Now that Elder Myres is gone - a little tough luck for him. He's actually been made senior companion. He's a change younger than when I was made it, and I was (President King admitted it to me) pretty much young for it too. We'll see what happens out there, right? Elder Myres is certainly good, no problems there.

I honestly would have liked to have been with him another change. It'll be fun though. Hopefully the greenie Elder Lowry gets a white guy so we can still have fun... I mean... so we can... have more unity... whatever. You know why.

I look forward to seeing what you ended up getting me... no, I'm not really that materialistic. Thanks for only forgetting to write me once this whole year!

Love (no, but seriously),
Elder A Conrad Crist

Whatever happens, The Lord is in it

Nearly at Alex's 20th birthday! That seems strange and depressing that I cannot be there to celebrate with him. But so it is... I think I will be used to things finally and he will get to come home. What is that all about? I know he has more to learn and understand. He is definitely one of the smartest people I know and I wonder why he is not having huge success? I thought he had progressed pretty far and done a lot of hard things but now he feels like he is the problem because his personal numbers go down. Is it his way of doing things? Does he forget the little things and consider them too minute to do? I am going to have to get the answers from him somehow. I wish I could speak to him on the phone. Would that make it better or worse for him or me? Hmmmm. So here I sit and wonder.





That would be O Magnum Mysterium by Mortensen. It´s a really complex-sounding choir song.

Someone please (this is a getting things done 5 minutes or less item - you have to do it before you continue) tell Kelsey that she sent me like 2/3 of the songs, converted wrong, but cut off. Sorry... I know I could help if I was there. (Note: Everyone is going to love me when they go on their missions. I will be the missionary music dealer.)

I´ve been thinking about what President Ostergar said when he set me apart. Do you remember what was said? I honestly don´t remember anything. I find that something similar happens when I give blessings (or confirmations, which I have done). I absolutely don´t remember.

I´ve been thinking a lot about God´s plan. Not in the really big sense of the resurrection and all that, but more of a "Our Life On Earth" kind of thing. (A missionary might recognize point four of the second lesson.) I was just thinking about something as simple as prayer. What about a blessing that does something?

For those of you who ask yourselves, "Okay, Elder Crist seemed pretty okay with the gospel his whole life - why does he always talk about all these things he had to investigate to get a testimony?" Truth is, I had a very long, very complete, and very heavy struggle to get far enough past my intellectual tendencies to where I could actually have faith. The lectures of faith (what little I´ve read about them" have changed everything for me, and would have made it easier. I do see the purpose of God in doing it - but anyway -

This week was awful. We taught five lessons and did forty-five contacts. That´s nothing. That´s almost like we worked two days and smoked for the next five.

The week made me think a lot about faith. President King came out with an initiative called "Our Commitment with the Lord" about how one must really give everything to have enough faith to do anything close to save himself. We worked, and nothing went for us. We had enough lessons written down when the week started to get our goals. And we ended up with some 33 percent. I know the numbers don´t matter... kind of... but it was just so tremendously bad - it´s like you studied a whole week and walk out with a D- on a test. So what am I supposed to think? That I´m really just awesome and it´s all a distraction? It can´t just be that.

As you know, I´m a district leader, so I collect numbers. The Sisters are doing extremely well, and the other Elders are doing better each week. We have fallen every week. They say in Argentina "tengo la boca seca," or "I´m getting a dry mouth" - meaning "It´s starting to look like I´m the problem."

On the other side, we had a really fun district activity. We all went to a member of the other Elders´ sector. He´s an RM who went to Argentina and learned English, so we watched Emma´s Story (which is a very good companion movie to the Joseph Smith movie, by the way) in English. We ordered pizza and drank mate (that cup is one I got here)(in the pictures). Mate (mah-tay) is kind of an herbal tea, but you fill up the whole cup and use a special metal straw to drink it. It´s kind of a backwards tea. It´s definitely stuck to me. It´s an easy internet buy at home, so I´m confident I´ll do it forever. It´s extremely good. I don´t like tea at all, even. I´ll talk about this in an audio next week to help you get it more. The whole district is gringoes, so we had a fun, fun time.

You are probably wondering about the incense. The other two found a shop near our house and are getting really into it. It´s pretty good - it doesn´t hold a candle (or an incense stick, if you will) to mate, though. Mate is just really, really good. I got a special wood cup (in a metal cover/foundation (it´s the barrely looking one) from Nibaldo, that member we went to today (he´s an expert and sometimes goes over there to find good mate cups). The wood makes it twice as good. You´ll have to try it sometime.

That was all the interesting things that happened. We got rolled like doobs. Then we had a fun PDay. The weather has been suit-coat all week, and in perhaps two or four more I´m going to bring out the short sleeves for the rest of the year until next April. Cool. I´d just like it to stay where it is now for a while. It´s extremely nice right now, if a little cold at night.

I did get the birthday things - or at least what I think is them. Someone from the office told me that I have more stuff in the office that I´ll get next Wednesday.

Amazingly, I´ve actually kept from opening everything except the pictures, because they were half-opened already. I don´t know if that´s what you wanted me to do, but it´ll probably make it cooler when I do open them.

Riley wrote me again. He sounds like he´s done with the MTC - same thing that happened to me in the seventh week. It was time to go. Then my first week it was time to go - - back. We´ll see how it goes.

I echo the best part of the Joseph Smith Movie, and the Emma Smith Story too - "Whatever happens - the Lord is in it."

Así sea.

Love and stuff,
Elder A Conrad Crist