Joder'd (shanked)

When Alex starts talking about coming home or about what to take for school next year it helps me realize how fast the time is going. I may not say it to your face, but I do think the time is going by quickly. now, if it were only August!!!

Here's the thing immediately -
Without special permission, President King can let me leave up to three weeks early. That would put me on the 20 of august. Do you think that would be okay? I have readjusted to new stuff about every four months in the mission; I don't think the "shock" of it or whatever really will give me any problems, honestly. And it's that or lose out on a semester, reapply, and add on a year to the end of my degree. I don't really want to do that. I have found that I need change constantly to be comfortable - maybe a slower version of Dad's ADD. I get fried of working normal missionary work after a few weeks and I have to do something different, like go to a training, or stay in with a sick missionary, etc. The office is the best thing that's ever happened to me, in other words.

I think getting home will be way more fun than anything. I think eight days is enough. As for living,

I'm fine with going back to Wyview if it's open. I could do whatever. Well, whatever besides Helaman Halls. I just want to avoid cars at all costs, and costs at all costs. It was beyond cheap when I was there. I would definitely need a single room. Definitely. I am going to need help with what I am to take.

This week we were joder'd (shanked) a lot by the office, so we couldn't go out to work very much. Which can be discouraging. President King wrote me and said that sometimes that is going to happen here and it doesn't serve much good to think twice about it. So I won't. Just onward and hopefully upward.

When you don't write much I don't have much to say back, can you tell? Time is going faster than I know how to deal with. We go out and teach a few lessons and knock a bunch of doors and then sit down and realize our planners are now on week x (for example, four this week). Also, I've now done rent twice alone. Twice. Elder Monsen left a month and a half ago - it's been me solo for all that time. Every day I'm solving problems with skill I had no idea I had. If I can't get a TA job at BYU, I could work with the missionaries in Latin America as a finance coordinator or something. I know a lot about the Church system and legal stuff from Chile at least now. I wouldn't want to take a career in this, I don't think, but to fill in the gaps it's a possibility.

Of course I can say similar things about our ward. It's a fantastic young ward. Everyone wants to help, everyone loves us, and everyone is a great "example of the believers." We are honestly limited only by what we can imagine and communicate in terms of working. We set up an activity to watch the Joseph Smith movie the other day in ten minutes. Youth are fantastic.

We are going to watch Prince of Egypt.
Permiso.

 Elder A Conrad Crist

Giving palos

I read this letter from Alex and then went to read it to Brian and a little less than half way through, the entire letter disappeared. Does that really happen? I was a little bugged because I can't find it anywhere. I had to have him resend it this week so at least it isn't gone forever! So this week we get two posts but they are really two weeks worth.


Palos is spanish for sticks. Or, to be more correctly interpreted, "hard disciplinary counciling."

So, today was kind of disappointing. We were going to go bowling - the one of two known bowling places in Santiago. We went and their Windows pteranandons had blown out for some reason. We got lame overcooked pasta while we waited, then came back to see if it was going to be fixed. The man said, "Honestly, I simply wouldn't know what to tell you," hefting a stack of old backup discs. "We have some serious problems in the computers."

In the end, we had to still do shopping and write home, so we left the lanes unbowled. I was able to find frozen waffles at the store, so that was a plus.

This week we've been busy. Elder Smart and I have been running around to get our van fixed up, getting apartment common expenditures figured out, figuring out Chilean Service Tax and inflation adjustments on the rent payments, then going out to the sector and being normal missionaries for a whole day. It's a little cognitive dissonance, to be honest. It is hard to focus on progressing as a child of God when so many other voices compete for our attention. You think it'd be easier in the mission, and it is to an extent, for most of them are blocked out. Even so, they're there. They're always there.

The office is a great example. Right now there are six missionaries in the office and in the huge apartment. There are the assistants (Elder Lopez and Elder Jones), the Secretary (Elder Spencer), the new Secretary Trainee (Elder Gimenez), the Financier (Me), and the "Quartermaster" (Elder Smart). They are all generally good together, but occasionally things happen. In addition to that, the Office usually knows every funny story that has happened on the mission. Including some stuff that probably shouldn't be passed on. It's hard to see the evil in it when we are teaching people about huge things they aren't doing right like the Word of Wisdom or the Law of Chastity. We are in a situation, like everyone else, that we have to be able to either apply the teachings of Christ, or those of Satan himself. And as we do so, we will take on the image of what we love. Talking in the office these last few days we've decided that you really can see God graven in the countenances of people. It can be seen in the prophet pretty easily, but it doesn't end there. One of the people I noticed it in first was Bishop North. In my ward now I can see it evidently in my Bishop here, and in his daughters. It's on our leader to varying degrees. President King has a lot of it too. Do you know what I mean?

(Interesting note : we've noticed that every person who progresses already has some kind of evidence of those things already.)

Well, I just delete a dumb paragraph here about metaphysical religion. I'm going to just move on.

I think I need you to ask me stuff because I don't know what to write about anymore. I'm just trying to figure out my life and stuff. I am now 16 months into the mission - in my second-to-last stage of the mission:

0-4

Young - knows nothing

4-8

Starting to know something, but still kind of a sheep

8-12

Capable of working a sector; knows stuff

12-16

Experienced. Probably a leader by now. Can get success anywhere

16-20

Old. Seeing the end. Knows everyone in the mission, has had every training in the manual before. Occasionally has to really try hard to learn new things in meetings. Teaches fairly regularly

20-24

Very old. Trying to ignore the terrible end. Usually a high leader, teaches much more to others than missionaries teach him

As you can see, there I am. I have been putting down some goals - let me know what you think.

1. Be the living embodiment of the Scout Law, and of Love
2. Absolutely give in to the will of God as far as I can understand it

I need help quantifying these. Any ideas?

Random ending now - Go!

Love,

Elder A Conrad Crist

Called Out!!!

I or rather we, have been called out! I love it! I think every missionary family should have a missionary who is not afraid to show us our weaknesses and a way to get better! I love this letter for so many reasons. It shows that Alex has turned himself over to the Lord and is making huge gains in his personal development. I also love that he admits he has weaknesses. I kind of think of him as a super kid, always obedient, never straying, keeping everything within the bounds of what the Leaders have said, but he is human and normal. He doesn't like every part of missionary work! I miss him like crazy but I absolutely know that he is where he needs to be because of the growth that is happening in him!

 I do have pictures, but they're pretty lame so I'll just wait until next week. You see, I somehow was relegated to the missionary couple's dinosaur windows NT fossil. It says at the top "Upgrade to a modern browser."

 Right.

 I suppose it does work, even though it makes wierd crunching noises when it loads and possibly needs vacuum tubes and punch cards.

 This week has been okay. We split our sector, which is good, but also bad. We can focus much more on individuals and work closer with local members. Only one issue - almost three quarters of the investigators and virtually all members live in Elder Spencer's and Elder Gimenez's sector. Elder Smart and I have a lot of work to do. We have two investigators. The rest is an inactive family that's coming back and just door knocks. Maipu, where we are, is one of the easiest places to find new investigators, but even so the part we have is essentially one-third drug territory. Let's just say I take my watch off sometimes.

 This last while has been a lot of self-figuring out. I love my job. I like doing it fast and well, especially for people who don't even know I do anything. It's uniquely satisfying to save people from getting their lights cut or something like that. Here's the strange part. I don't like that I like it. I have done my best to surrender to God's will in the mission.

The funny thing is that I haven't liked a lot of the mission. I don't know if that's extremely atypical or not; some people really like contacting, some people like motivating ward members, etc. I find that I like teaching. I like interacting con members. But I spend most of my time not doing those things. So you could say I spend a lot of time doing things I don't really personally want to do. Keep in mind that I make no complaint in that. But so it is. (See the attached discourse "4th Missionary" for more information on my logic there.)

 Now I have something to do all day that I enjoy very much. And I feel guilty. I almost feel that I'm not doing something right in the mission because that's been my experience so far. I thank God for it, though perhaps a little hesitantly. Am I missing out on some personal progress I should have had?

Am I not strong enough to keep in the normal mission? My companion, Elder Smart, feels bad when we are stuck in here all day. Most of the time he learns from the Packs (the missionary couple he's replacing) a few days a week for a few hours. I spend every day 10-6 busy. He ends up with a lot of time left over. He says he hates it - he should be just out doing something, even just contacting random people in the street all day. That desire is simply not found in me. You see, usually we have this reversed - someone doesn't like their current situation and wonders what they should do differently. Here I like my current situation and I wonder what I should be doing differently. What do you think?

 This song is a new favorite of mine. Something that's been occurring to me lately. 

There's only one way I know of motivating scripture study. You have to do it with a purpose that is important to you. Do you know why I've written this up until now? I didn't either until I wrote this last paragraph. I knew I needed to write this, and I just found out why from God: As my family, I'd like you to study for me. How can I know I'm doing the right thing? How can I be sure God accepts it? What does he expect from me as a missionary?

 I'm sorry, I need to go eat. Please actually do this. God has asked you to.

 Love,
Thanks in advance,
Elder A Conrad Crist

Christmas fun and food!

It was so great to see Alex this past Holiday Season! I was going to say a week ago but it has been longer! Is that even possible? I think I really enjoy the last half of the mission much more than the first. That seemed endless and now it is just flying by. It is a testament to the power of the mind and looking forward to something. Anyway, Alex looks great! He has a smile and that is good. The sense of humor is good, still there anywhere. And he has lost a bunch of weight. He showed us his belt that he was 2 or 3 holes from the top when he left, it now has 3-4 holes punched into it and he can grab a handful of cloth on either side of his pants. Why won't he buy new pants? Weird, I am not sure he can or can't but I am sure he doesn't want to waste so he doesn't buy them. I wonder what his true size is now? I think he was a 36, maybe a 38 and now has to be 32 or less even! That makes me cringe a little bit! But he looked good and happy and his hair is turning white...What? Yes, my 20 year old son looks like he might have a head of white hair for medical school. I sent away a little boy and I am going to get back an "old" man. Wah. We will have to see in real life but...

Well, in the aftermath of the Christmas party and having our office painted, things are starting to settle down. Elder Spencer is bringing in a trainee Secretary, and another Elder will be coming in to replace one of the senior missionary couples, who will be my companion for the next change. In the end, another office Elder will come in when Elder Spencer leaves to replace the other senior couple. So we will be four, and the new Secretary will be my companion, and the other two senior replacements will be companions. When all this gets figured out in another change or so.

Maybe I should draw a diagram.

No, it's not interesting enough.

Another fast week of work has has passed by since we talked. The sector is still fantastic and young and white for the harvest. I am still satisfied immensely by my work. We had some lights almost cut yesterday, but I was able to figure it out. I've officially banished my fear of phone talking. I haven't the slightest bit left of that. I have special permission to use a headset that I use for an hour a day, I've started liking it, even.

I think the main lesson of the office, though, is not how to file expenditures or how to talk to people on the phone. It's about learning to make time to study the scriptures and be a better person within the bounds of a daily job that isn't seminary teaching or being a general authority. I have to work a lot to make time to study the scriptures and think about my investigators. I imagine it's similar for any adult, really. I know I needed to learn about this here to be able to keep all the progress I've made away from wasting time and studying to be an expert in what I do. It would have been easy to go back and go back to it all, if you will.

I'm starting to go hypoglycemic a little from the two hour soccer game. I'll finish this up for you.

(I am not diabetic though.)

We are about to divide our sector, which is too bad, but either person will have two secure baptisms each, so it's hard to complain. All of them, barring physical dumb things that take them out of town, etc., are the only things that keep the people we are teaching from getting closer to baptism. They are so prepared for the gospel that there really isn't any convincing to be done - just teaching sound doctrine and watching as they gain faith through the understanding we bring. Easy.

I haven't made a lot of spiritual breakthroughs recently, but I haven't felt a great need either. We're working on doing more contacts and using our ward better, for example, to get them do the teaching of new converts by themselves to strengthen their bonds between each other instead of with us. Normal stuff. Seeing the power of God working good in everyone, including myself. That's my job.

Speaking of things like that, please consider

Writing in your journals

Getting your patriarchal blessings

Doing family home evenings

Reading scriptures daily

Reading scriptures daily with purpose

Have you ever heard the phrase "Wherever are your treasures, there your heart shall be also."? Please keep that in mind. I think Mom and Dad, and Grandma and Grandpa pretty much get this - happiness comes from the right. Please take a moment to think about what you do on a daily basis. What of it brings you closer to God? (Let's not be naive with this one; I think, for example, that Black Hawk Down brings me closer to God. It doesn't have to be a Church thing.) What of it brings you nowhere in particular? And perhaps what of it brings you down? Some things can be enjoyable and not good for you. Think about it once or twice. Then change.

Have a good week and stuff.

Love,

Elder A Conrad Crist

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