Week #11

Where does the time go? I can't believe he has already been in Chile for 11 weeks. He is almost not new anymore. He is about 20 weeks into his Mission and that is like 1/4 done. Amazing!! Alex is such a great writer and so I will let him "speak" to you.



Flip, kip. Finally I got a bunch of stuff. Except I was forty minutes away from home, and I had to carry both of the things from you, and two from Grandma... I was entertaining. I had to have my companion take the newest one, and still the bus was crazy (they didn't have hand holds in the bus, or seats)(So I just bus-surfed). Kind of funny, that day, I was on divisions with a Greenie - he has four weeks in Chile and understands about 25%. That day was scary, but the wierd thing was, we didn't have any problems. We taught lessons, contacted, and taught to members and it all worked out fine. We even found a guy who let us in two sentences into the contact - pretty good, in other words.

It is true, though. It's been a fast week. Sunday next it calls to see if we have changes. They could very well move Elder Mann or I. In fact, it's very likely. He wants me to stay here and get a Latin companion to finish my Spanish. He says if the Latin came here, I'd have to lead the sector for most of the time, because I lived here. I would rather travel somewhere else, personally, but I do want a Latin companion. It's very unlikely that we both leave simultaneously, but it's possible. If a little difficult for those who land here next.

That day of opening all that stuff was very cool. The foot stuff saved my bacon; mine are dying that I bought here. I've found a use for everything, I think, and eaten everything Grandma sent me - everything but the cocoa. What was I going to do with that? I hear that when it is cold, most people will have something like that in meals, and you'll want it. I carry the hankerchiefs (that is to say, one at a time), I wear the ties (I have on the gray squarey one), and everything. Never fear; anything from the States is a real commodity. I really only lack good hot-weather socks, and a few garment tops. (My infection killed two.) But, nothing I can't deal with.

This week was cool because we finally got a baptismal date. The lady reminds me of Cory. She's funny (when I can get her jokes) in the same way. She's got a lot of faith in Christ, but she's having problems accepting Joseph Smith and a Church. There's a common sentiment here that churches are made to make money and nothing more. Our problem is getting her to church. She has some insane neighbors who do party stuff at 5 in the morning so she can't wake up on time. But one of these days we'll get her. Her boy is like Joey too. One time he just walked into the room and yelled and left. Nothing more. I don't know what that's about.

If I had to say something about doing extracurricular activities, I'd just say one thing : "Whatever thou art, play well thy part." That was written on a Scottish Castle near the mission of Elder Ballard - anyway, of everything I ever did, the only things I regreted were not being good at the thing I was doing. You look for what you like, and when you find it, you be the best you can be at it. Doing stuff "ma o meno", "more or less" is a waste of the life God's given you. I'd say if you can't say you're one of the best people you know at this, or that, you need to work harder. I've become convinced that a person can be superior at anything if he likes it and will work to get it. I would say, then, do as much stuff as you can do without taking attention away from the things you are doing. If you can't practice sufficiently to be excellent at what you do, do less. I've also learned that people will respect a person with skills in anything. If you like it, do it.

Of course, being a servant of God, I need to mention something. I think it's Jacob 2 somewhere : To be learned is good, IF THEY HEARKEN TO THE COUNCILS OF GOD. Here in Chile, teaching people what they need to be members, it's very cut and dried as to what people can do. Guess what? There is nothing about caffeine. If people ask, we say yes. Forget about that one. Moderation is the commandment that falls under.

But at the same time, do you know you should pray every morning and evening, and study the scriptures every day? That is a commandment, and if a person won't do it, they won't be baptized. Like it says in Buzz Lightyear : "It's not just a good idea - it's the law." If you have a preach my gospel, I invite you to read it together and write the commandments as they are found in the book. There's a miasma of confusion when you don't defend your beliefs to others, such as is in Utah. There's no problem here, just keep in mind the lack of contrast."This do, and thou shalt live."

Que le vaya tranquilo,
Elder AC Crist