A way where there is none

Hola Family!  I had a really fun Pday today.  Life in Chile is calm and good.  I really feel protected and watched over.  It has taken me some time to really adjust and feel like home,  but I feel really comfortable in my role as a missionary.  

On Wednesday we had a really cool experience. All of our plans fell through and we weren't really sure what to do. As we were walking a family came into both our minds and so we began to walk to their house and then  changed our directions and started walking to a different house. Again, we felt like we should change our direction to another investigator. As we got to their house they were all at this one house (both families we were thinking of). We went in and they were super warm to us. They started asking questions which lead smoothly  into a lesson. They were really receptive. But it was a neat experience to see how subtle we were being directed, and that we ended up exactly where we needed to be.

On Friday we passed by one of our investigators from Colombia. I like Santiago because we meet people from all over South America. I like to see how cultures are different from each other. Anyways, we show up to their neighborhood because a lot of them live together. And most of them were drinking and gambling so we didn't plan on staying too long haha. But we started talking to one of the men and we asked if there was somewhere else more quiet we could talk. He said he lived close so we followed him to his house to his family. As we got closer to his house, this sense of quiet and peace started to get stronger and stronger.  Once again it was really cool to see how much we were guided and ended up somewhere where we didn't expect, but it was where we needed to be. The visit we had with the entire family was one of the most powerful Ive had yet.  Sometimes its like the next step you have to take is in the dark, but if you take it, it lights up and you see your footstep landed in the perfect place.

I guess that might be a theme I've had this week. I've loved my mission, but there has been a few hard parts about it. But when I think back, I don't remember the hard moments, instead I remember these beautiful memories where God led me exactly where I needed to be with the people he needed us with, that I'll cherish forever. I really like this scripture in Isiah that explains how I feel. Isiah 61:3. 

 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

  I just need to remember that there is no pain or heaviness or sad time that Jesus Christ did not and will not take from us, and return it to us with something much better. Sometimes I think there is no way God could help or fix certain situations that I see here. I think to myself its too far gone, nothing can be done to redeem this person or situation.   But the mind blowing thing for me, is that God does just that.  He is changing peoples hearts and circumstances where it really appeared to me that there was no way.  I hope I never forget this amazing truth.  God will provide a way where there is no way.  I feel so honored to represent the Savior on this mission because he is my ultimate hero.  Love you guys, Have a great week and stay positive!

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None will be lost

What's up everybody? I hope everyone had an awesome valentine's day! Valentine's day here was really special. haha not :) Chileans are not big Valentine celebraters!
I read Paul's talk and it sounded like it was amazing! Paul you have the right name man, because you are going to be an amazing missionary.

I want to start off by talking about Pedro our recent convert. He's such a stud. He has such a strong testimony and is so excited to share it with everyone. He is always calling us asking when he can come with us on visits because he loves sharing his testimony. One of our investigators told us that she feels a lot more comfortable when he's there, because she feels like he actually can relate to how she feels and what she is going through. It's incredible to see how much he has changed in these past couple of months that we've known him. It is so rewarding.

On Sunday one of the sisters in the ward asked me and Elder Jimènez if we could help out with the Primary. The idea was that we were going to knock on their door and go in and teach about Jesus like they were investigators. The only problem is that the primary is only little girls age 6 and under. So when we got in they were going crazy running around and screaming. So we grabbed the picture book and asked questions about every picture with Jesus in it. Their answers were hilarious. Afterwards, we asked who wanted to serve a mission and they were all jumping off their chairs screaming that they wanted to serve missions. It was so funny!

We have an investigator named Luisa. She is honestly amazing. She has had cancer for quite some time now but she has the best attitude I have ever seen. I've been trying to have a positive attitude lately and she has inspired a lot of it. But when we went to go talk to her yesterday she was really sad. She started crying. She said that the only thing she can look forward to is traveling and she get's one chance a year to do it. But she has an appointment she can't miss the day that she was supposed to go. She was telling us it doesn't sound like a big deal but it was something so devastating for her. She didn't understand why she had to go through this. I was thinking of a scripture that would give her comfort and I remembered one of my favorites in Doctorine and Covenants. 

D&C 50 40-42

40 Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.

 41 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me;

 42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost. 

I think if I can live remembering I will not be lost, and keep this positive thought in my mind always, I will almost naturally live this way.

I hope everybody has a wonderful week, I'll try to enjoy this hot weather for all of you! STAY POSITIVE!
Elder Terry

Small perfect moments

What's up everybody? I'm glad everything is still good in the ville (spring that is). I didn't even know about the Super Bowl until yesterday. Weird. Seems strange not to know those things.

 We had a really good week this week, especially the baptism!

On Friday we went on interchanges just for a little bit, because Pedro needed to be interviewed by one of the zone leaders and Elder Pence had to go to a doctor appointment. Pence broke his arm in October, but not a normal break. He broke it really bad and it wascomplicated to heal. In his appointment, the doctor's didn't understand how it healed so perfectly. The doctor literally said it was a miracle. It was a really cool experience and I felt lucky to witness it. Pence is such a such a good missionary and such a good friend to me.

Sunday was Pedro's baptism! It was so amazing. The baptism was right after church so a lot of people stuck around after church to watch his baptism. He kept saying that he felt strange, but really good. After the baptism Pedro told me and Jimènez that he loved us and that words were inadequate in describing how grateful he was for us. I personally can't describe how grateful I was for him and for so many other wonderful people here in Santiago. Missionary work honestly is really hard sometimes. But small moments like that make up for months of hard times. You close your eyes for a second and say, yeah its all worth it just for this one small moment. 

Afterwards we went to his house. At his house his dad kept calling him a Mormon. Pedro said he doesn't consider himself different from everybody else by classifying himself as Mormon. He prayed and received an answer that he needed to be baptized in our church and so he followed through with it. He didn't get baptized to be categorized a Mormon, or because he was good friends with the missionaries, but because he was following the path that he believed he was supposed to follow and that God asked him to follow through with.  The spirit was burning in ever persons heart when he was saying that. It hard to explain a sacred moment and have it come off with the same power but it was such a great experience.

Robert D. Hales: I testify that when we do what is necessary to know Them (Heavenly Father and his son Jesus) and know Their love for one another, we will obtain “the greatest of all the gifts of God”

 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

I hope everybody has another wonderful week!

Elder Terry