Permananced

Alex sounds like he is adjusting to his new area quite well. And to be living with three other white guys from the Western States also sounds like a blast. Alex is liking the new Leader position he has and makes it sound pretty fun actually. I love that he is having so many contacts and success in this are as well. It is what makes the mission fun and memorable. Please write to him! You can use his email but he will have to write to you as he can. It may take a few weeks for him to actually get back to you. But, he will answer! He may even have to send you a snail mail response! That definitely will take some time.


I'm afriad I don't have any audio whatsoever. Blast.

I did enjoy your audios, of course. There's something different about it.

The Mission just approved Lectures on Faith. What's the best way to get that here? A summarized part of it changed my whole idea of God, so I would really like to have it.

This week we worked really hard. The numbers from this sector have always been less than amazing, so we picked two - teaching inactives and doing straight cold contacts. In terms of contacts we managed 72 in the week - which I think is the most I've ever done.

We had a real miracle working Friday. We went in to teach Kevin, a 20-year-or-so-old, who doesn't go to church because he's lost the "spark" of going, or rather, he is just bored of it.

Naturally, we started to explain to him Permaneced - the Chile-wide program of reactivation. Basically it's a summary of sin, the atonement, and what one must do to be forgiven.

While we taught, his cousin, with whom he lives, came in and started to listen off-handedly. We invited her to sit down, and she listened with interest. We mentioned the Spirit as part of the reason we must stay in the Church, and she asked what it was, or rather, what was the gift of the Holy Ghost. We began a sort of Restoration summary to help her understand what about it was new that we presented to the world. As we about reached the point of the Book of Mormon, the cousin's husband came home from work. He asked if we were religious teachers. We said we were, of course. He told us to continue. After we explained the Book of Mormon, he asked, "So why are there so many churches? I thought Jesus only had one."

It reminded me of what the Book of Mormon has recorded about Aaron when he realized the King would believe what he would say next - we rejoiced inwardly, and made a loop around the Terrenal Ministry of the Savior and back, and commited them to read and pray. The Spirit was in the lesson, testifying, which was the most important part. We return Tuesday, tomorrow. Somewhat exciting, I'd say. We walked out and did a "ooooooooo, fetch - that's a baptism or two"

The weather is starting to be warmy again. There was a crazy rainstorm I didn't have an umbrella for, which made me duly wet, but for the most part things are getting better. I started wearing the KGB gloves more, and now I don't know why I didn't more often. Not only does the floppy part make your fingertips warmer than singles, but also if a robber comes or a big dog wants to eat your scriptures, "Ju ken barry dem." (You can bury them.)

The rainstorm whacked our attendance - only 28 people came of some 40 who usually come. They're by and large of the 55+ sort of age, so they rarely come if it's uncomfortable outside.

My new area is in the middle of "The Toilet Tank", which is a satelite city from Santiago. Where I am now is very developed - certainly bigger than Salt Lake alone. My sector is on the edges, and is a perfect rectangle made up of about 30 minutes by 15 minutes of street.

Sorry for the distraction... I'm ordering the Joseph Smith Movie.

My sector is perhaps a fifth the size of Silva Chavez. Well, that is, of the part of the city we had, not counting any of the Washington County-sized campo parts.

Elder Myres, in addition to being a gringo, is pretty cool. It's been very nice to not be distracted by fighting with a companion all day about obedience stuff or playing soccer by himself in the back yard while we're supposed to be studying. The closest person to him you know is Riley, by far. He's a really heavy athelete, coming from soccer and wrestling. I've learned a bunch of fitness stuff from him, like how good creatine is, and how to get good chest muscles. We try ... try to keep from talking about worldy stuff like the Halo books or (If Jake hasn't read those, he needs to) the coolness of the effects in the Star Trek movie, or Tron, which he saw before coming to the mission, but it happens from time to time.

Our two investigators that we do have are kind of stale. The missionaries really buddied up to them to the point of keeping them from progressing. Our first lesson came of a little heavy. I just put it down normally, but she took it really hard. She wants God's help to get her husband guy to marry her, but she isn't keeping the Word of Wisdom or going to the classes at Church. We have to start pushing a little, which will hurt, but is the only way to progress.

As for being a District Leader, you have three main things to do:
Do classes weekly
Do divisions (Elders only)
Be awesome
Call nightlyish to get reports and numbers
I have a pretty fun time teaching, as I feel like the missionaries I teach are better than I am, especially to the Sisters. I actually got a few group laughs last time, at least.

I thought everything was going well, but then after the zone leaders (If I were a sergeant, with my "squad," They would be the lieutenants) asked me for the "District Pouch", which is our mail. I had no idea I even had it in the pension - d'oh. The sister missionary walked up with stuff to send. I started to explain but she just said, "No pouch?" Oh man.

Alex's time ran out on this email and he had to send a second. He does seem very distracted as well!.

Okay, so it was devestating. Not to mention the email cut off to make it better in terms of suspense. She was really good natured about it, though.

What? No blessing? Are you kidding me?

Yay medical things...

I lost my momentum.

By the way, I never memorized the Articles. Weak. Good job though. I did just finish a thing of memorize 24 scriptures, and now I'm going to do 40 something. I'm also memorizing a lot of scriptures - in spanish though. It's going to be weak in english - translated in the mind.

I'm out.

Love,
Elder A Conrad Crist

Lectures on Faith please

MP3 CDs
Look at the passed emails