ILUMINA el MUNDO

Hola familia!

This week was very interesting... out of nowhere I was hit with extreme “I-just-want-to-wear-pants syndrome....” I hope it will pass soon.

I want to share with you guys a few experiences that I had this week. First a funny one, second a sad one, and third a triumphant one.

1. We were knocking doors for about 3 hours and finally someone lets us in. We were very tired and I think Padre Celestial knew we needed something to laugh about so He whispered in this woman’s ear to let us in.

She’s Evangelica. They are very religious and their way of expressing their beliefs is a little different that how we do it. When someone prays, and they say something you like (for example, please bless this family) they shout their agreement with an AMEN! or HALLELUJAH! or SÌ. Or if it is something that they really like, with an ¡AMEN HALLELUJAH OH SEÑOR JESUS!

…and keep in mind, we are still praying. It’s fun praying with them, haha and hard to keep your focus if you’re the one praying. Soooo my comp prayed and the lady shouted and then we started to teach about how we can be a light and light the world this Christmas.

I guess she really liked what we were saying because we would be talking and then she would shout “¡AMEN!” or “HALLELUJAH!” jajaja we they asked her how she is going to be a light this Christmas and she starting talking and getting really tense and passionate and then she started talking really loud in a different language.

For the evangelicos penticostal, talking in tongues happens when you "feel the spirit." It sounded like she was talking in Slytherin or the language of Voldemort. My comp then nudged me and gave me the let’s get out of her look. We thanked her for her comments and time and asked if she could leave us with a prayer. She did so and began speaking in tongues again. jajaja it was a fun experience. 

2. After we had the lesson with the penticostal lady, we were walking down one of the streets and saw a man passed out on the sidewalk. This is a common scene and as we walked by he smelled heavily of liquor. We stopped for a moment because we weren’t sure if he was breathing.

Then one of his neighbors came out and began tapping the man’s face to wake him up. We decided to help because it was super hot outside and he was in all long clothes and was lying out in the sun. When he came to he was very disoriented and looked like he had heat stroke. We got water to cool him off and called the police. They said they would come but never did.

We waited for about 20 minutes and then he passed out again so we called an ambulance. They finally came about 30 minutes later and took him to the hospital.

I can’t tell you how many passed out drunk people I have walked passed, without thinking. But it was when we were helping Alì that I really felt God’s love for him. The spirit testified to me that he is a loved son of God that has had a really hard life, and for the trials and temptations has fallen. But he is still valued and loved.

He came to again and started hallucinating. We tried to calm him down and he began punching. Another man came by to help us and finally the ambulance came.

I know that we will never comprehend really the love that God has for us. It is so real and so pure. No matter what we do, He will always love us. I was able to feel that love for Alì, a poor drunk man with 3 yellow teeth that smelled like a porta potty. 

3. We have an investigador that’s called Eduardo. He is going to be baptized on 17 of diciembre. He is awesome!!! He is willing to give up everything to follow Jesus Christ.  He is 60 and has been smoking for 40 years. About 10-15 cigarettes a day. That was before the missionaries knocked his door (he’s been investigating for about 6 months). Now he only smokes 1 every other day and is working on quitting all the way. miracles happen!!!

Eduardo said that it’s because of the Book of Mormon and going to church that he has been able to quit smoking. I am so proud of him. He is a great example to me that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and works. I testify that it is true. There is so much power in studying the scriptures, praying., and attending church. Not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. 

I love this gospel and I know that it is true. I love the Book of Mormon and I love the person that I am becoming. Never have I felt more confident and more sure of myself. Never have I felt more confident and more sure of my Father in Heaven. He lives and He loves us oh, so much. 

Have a great week! And smile! Because we are the light of this world!!!

sooo.... things might get a little expensive... just outside of Puerto Montt there are TONS of hiking and waterfalls and awesome stuff. And it costs money... to rent a bus and enter in the national parks. :) As a district we went (rented a bus about $10 mil cada persona... $15 dollars) and hiked to the Los Saltos de Petrohue. It’s about an hour out of Puerto. Soo cool!! 

It was a guided tour and part of it we got in a boat and went around one of the islands. I’ll send more fotos of it.

And dad, you’re distracting me.... I’ve already dicieded that I’m going to change my major to Rec Activity and minor in business. During the summertime, we’ll be working our family run guiding company :)