Grateful rain

Last week of the change was a good one for Elder Bof and I. Elder Bof just finished his first change in his mish, que tierno :). He has learned so much this change and is already a superstar missionary. We're going to have a really good six weeks this change. 
On Friday we had a family night in the chapel. Every other Friday we have a family night in the church. A lot of members and investigators go. There's really nothing like this night in the states,  but it's a missionaries dream night.  This week we were able to bring one of our investigators Alberto. Alberto is from Perù. He lives with his family, he actually lives on the same floor as us in our apartment. We always have good lessons with him and his family. In the church me and Elder Bof talked about how to gain a testimony especially of the Book of Mormon. We shared Alma 32 and how the word is like a seed and needs time and nurture to grow. Alberto told us that he liked the class and had some good questions for us. On sunday we had big plans to eat breakfast with Camila and Juan and his family and afterwards go on divisions with members so that they could all go to church with one of us. But of course, Juan had to go out of town for a family emergency and Camila went to the hospital saturday night because she was so sick. Story of my life on the mish :) So I was thinking of how we can literally  use the healing nature of the gospel in our lives. This week I read a talk that I really liked by Dieter F Uchtdorf about how a grateful heart heals and eases our problems.

We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly shortsighted that is. How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?

NEW HEART

Thanks for all of your emails and support. I love reading your emails every week. I'm so glad to hear that everybody is doing good. Today we had our zone activity. It was nice to relax after a good week of work. I've been wanting to play basketball with my comp for a while now because he played a bunch in Argentina. He balls so hard! It was way fun to play basketball again. We can play soccer, but the rule won't change until next change. Juan and his family are doing so well. Juan is the perfect example of finally being ready for the gospel after a lot of work from other missionaries. He reads the book of mormon every day and is always so anxious to tell us what he has learned and to share his testimony. He read us the whole chapter of 3 nephi 11. He said that he knows he has to get baptized. The plan is for him to get baptized first and the next week for him to recieve the priesthood and baptize his family afterwards. They were all ready to go sunday morning. We passed by their house and they told us that they were going to go in the car of one of their kids but he slept in. We were kind of frustrated with that but we learned, learned that we ourselves need to go to church with them. Sunday we found a bunch of people from the area book and also had some really good contacts so this next week will be a really good week. I hope ha. Something that I learned this week came from Juan. He said for somebody to be baptized they need to be ready, it has to be their decision, they are the one that has to want to change habits and start new ones. I really liked that. In ezekiel 36 As missionaries we have our goals and what we want, but everything is about the other person. We don`t change people, we can`t. Only God can do that.   26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 

Cast your net

Elder Bof and I had another good week here. It rained so much! This winter it almost hasn't rained at all, but this week it poured. All the streets were flooded. It was a miracle to breathe in clean air afterwards, compared to the usual polluted santiago air!
We found another really good family. They're from Peru. We had such a good first lesson with them. I'm learning how important it is to have a really good first lesson. Anyways after the lesson they invited us over for lunch. On sunday we passed by their house and there were a ton of people! Like around twenty all jammed into a small apartment. They were really nice to us and gave us a bunch of good peruvian food. I feel so grateful when these people treat us well because they do not have to and do not have a lot of money and I feel honored by their kindness.   Afterwards we asked if we could read a scripture with them and they said it was ok. We read Luke 7 together.  It's my go to chapter because I love those stories so much.   We went into their house with loud music and party status and we left with a really sweet feeling of peace. It was a really touching experience to me how God's word touches people and atmospheres.
The thing that's hard about our sector is that we live so far from the church! Not a lot of people have cars and it's about a forty-five minute walk to the church. There isn't a lot of buses that pass by either. Oh well. We'll have to figure out how to get everybody to church!

Please tell Luke and Paul living your life to be a missionary is worth it.   I am seeing amazing things and learning how to reach out to people and really care about and be interested in their lives.   The one thing I find myself struggling with is how impatient I feel with people sometimes.   No matter how patient I tell myself I will be I have to admit Paul the missionary speaks the words I want to express.  
Romans 7:15  basically it's I do the things I specifically don't want to do and don't do what I should.   Paul understands.   But,  like the disciples who cast their nets over and over with no luck I realize I need to just keep trying.   As they were about to give up Jesus told them to try one last time on the other side of the boat.   And as we all know the Nets were overflowing.   GOD ASKS US TO JUST KEEP TRYING.   We never know when the net will come back full but we know that there will be times it comes back overflowing.   And every day,  cast your net again.   Never give up.   And someday I won't feel frustrated and anxious with people and situations that don't do it my way.  

I love you guys
So
Proverbs 17 17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Loving much

I'm so  happy to hear that all of you guys are all okay and safe. We had a good busy week. We worked really hard all week.  I'm in a really happy place in my mission where I know what I'm doing and I love these people so much.
I'll start with Camila. Her baby was born with a muscular problem. He qualified for the teletòn (an organization that helps kids with disabilities) and has had exercises and examens almost everyday this past month. So it's sometimes hard to find her but as you can imagine she is stressed and exhausted with this constant worry.  But we did have a couple really good lessons with her this week. She is actually better than most actual members because she reads the book of mormon every day and always keeps her commitments. But she never wants to go to church!  She's the best living Christian but most anti church person you will ever meet.  This might sound strange but I actually respect her for her deep desire to be a good person privately and develop a relationship with God without really wanting any show or praise for it in a church setting.   I can't say it very well but her humility and integrity of character is really admirable.   We've been visiting her for awhile and were like best friends with her and her kids now ha.  They are a precious family to us and we help out whenever we can.  
Juan and his family are doing well also. Juan is recovering from his heart problems but is doing a lot better now. They were worried he would have to go to the hospital again, but he has gotten a lot better. It's hard to find all of their family in the house together because they all work. Juan keeps telling us about these amazing experiences that he had while he was in the hospital. I guess being so close to death made him think a lot about god, and he prayed so much to find comfort and knowledge. He was able to comfort a lot of people in the hospital with his testimony and being a good listener. He is such a good example and I've learned a lot from him. He told me every man needs a near death experience where they have a high chance of dying.   He said he was prideful and hard in his heart until his heart started failing and the doctor told him he might die.   He found God in a very real way in that hospital and he is thankful for it every minute.  

Luke 7  46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.  47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.  48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
I love you guys have a great week!  We all have work so no one shirk(sp?) Make this week your best one yet.