And so it is.

A missionary in Alex's mission died? What? That would be my worst nightmare! I ache inside for the family of this Missionary. 20 years old and no previous problems. Why does this stuff happen? I am grateful for the Gospel and the Plan of Salvation. I am so glad that Alex gets to teach others of this great plan and this amazing Gospel that we are so lucky to be a part of. What a great guy my son is and I marvel at the price His Son paid for us to have this Gospel. Godspeed Elder Jennings.




It's actually not as cold as it was. Chile goes very gradually into its winter, they say. There's pockets of rain cold, but it's really pretty average. I have cold hands all day, and there's no free hot water, which is lame, but also not that big of a deal.

I put some audio, as you may have noticed. I noticed upon hearing it again that I say "like" a lot in it. I think that's a symptom of not speaking it enough - it makes me kind of juvenile. You find out when you learn a language the written and spoken parts of it are really quite different and, while I can still write English, sometimes it comes out wierd.

This week has been rough. that last week we ended up doing 30 contacts in total. We did not do 20 a day. Honestly, my companion got sick of them and stopped, and I did the same later, for when one doesn´t want to be in a contact it's pretty obvious to the people being contacted.

Our lessons suffered in the same way; Of 10 with members present (a ridiculous goal, really) we got 2. I wanted to put 4 and put more lessons without members because 10 is impossible with the number of people who will leave with us to lessons, but Elder Silva couldn't find it in himself to put such a low number, because "if we put low goals we won't accomplish anything". Being a low-conflict person, my capacity to argue ran out and I accepted it. I have a lot more resistance to it now, but it wasn't enough this time.

Our investigators with a baptismal date drank, which wrecked our excitement for the two days that remained in the week. We had to put off their date another two weeks. They still want to be baptized, but we're starting to see the depth of his problem. He threw his last remaining cigarette out the window when we hard-commited him to stop that moment.

Abby asked me my favorite thing Jesus has ever said. I only know it in Spanish, but it's something like this:

Juan/John 16:33
En el mundo tendréis afflición,
In the world ye will have aflictions,

Pero confiad; yo he vencido el mundo.
But trust; I have overcome the world.

This is why I am a Christian. I honestly glory in how difficult this is. I don't have any idea how I'm going to pull this sector out of Satan's hands (I will probably be its leader in two weeks), but if it's his will that I change it, I will change it. I love something Paul says about a "Thorn in the flesh" that he had. (Again I only know it in Spanish)

2 Corintios/2 Corinthians 12
Él me dijo: Te basta me gloria ...
He said to me: My glory is sufficient for thee...

Yo gloriaré... porque cuando soy débil, entonces soy fuerte.
I will glory... because when I am weak, then I am strong.

He goes on to say that the glory of Jesus is perfected in weakness. And so it is.

I have found myself wishing I could be in an small sector in a pension of four missionaries. That leads me to my favorite not-scripture quote with religious application:

"So say all men who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. It is for them to decide what to do with the time that is given to them."

Guess who said that.

Another : "The time is coming when we will all have to decide between what is right - and what is easy."

Do family home evening. Read your scriptures every day. Experience the Holy Ghost. Be better prepared than I was. If there's something in your life you don't like, or you wish you could change - fix it.

A missionary died in my mission for unknown causes a few days ago. Though I am almost certain I'll make it home, I want it to stand absolutely clear: I love you. I'm sorry I wasn't who I needed to be always, especially for Abby and Jake, and I hope to have a long time, after learning what I needed to be, to be that brother and son. You mean everything to me.

Thank you for your undying, unquenchable support in everything. Not everyone has a family as good as mine, and I see the consequences of such problems every day. Enjoy it.

Thank you for sending me stuff. It's a great psychological boost, if nothing else.

Thank you for being more than anyone ever asked you to be.

Love,
Elder A Conrad Crist,
Friend of Kato (HA HA HA)