Trip to Concepcion

Here is Sean's email this week.  Sounds like he had a great week, and the change up of going to Concepcion was a good experience. He finally received our package after so many weeks of waiting for it to arrived (hope the Christmas one gets there faster). He sent 9 new pictures, and it is great to see him looking so well. The pictures are posted after his email.

Unfortunately, Elder Donoso had a dog attack this last week while they were on their exchanges, and is now facing a round of shots, he is in prayers.

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Hey Everyone,

Guess what, I received my package this week which was awesome. So thank you for all the candy and the pictures and the SD card reader. I am going to send pictures today. It sounds like Thanksgiving should be good this year. I have totally forgotten about Thanksgiving. It sounds like some of you guys had an exciting week!

This week was really good, I went to Concepcion this week for three days. The reason why is we had a conference for the new missionary's. It was a really good conference and we got to do some mini cambios while I was there. The conference was really good, we learned what we should do in our area books, and how to find new investigators. I have a few pictures of where I worked in Concepcion and it’s an amazing city. A lot of the houses I can’t stand straight up in because the people in this country are very short and so their houses are small. Then there is me being a giant in this country. Our mini cambio went really good, I worked with an Elder Naranjo who is Chilean and a super hard worker. He walked faster than most people could run, which was ridiculous. We worked with some less active people and some investigators. The super fun part of the night was we had a noche de hogar and that was a lot of fun. The members made so much food for it though. We taught them about the temple. I really hope I get another opportunity to work in Concepcion, because it was awesome. The bus ride was about 4 hours long just to Concepcion and 4 hours back. On the way there in got to be on a double decker bus and I was on the top and in the front which was really cool. I saw Jason Mittens who was one of my friends in school and we are hoping to work together soon. 

This week me and Elder Donoso had pretty good success, we found 2 families and a few investigators. In one of the family's we found the parents where less active and we got them to come to church this week and they have to kids who are 19 and 16 and we are going to baptize them both. The family absolutely loves me and Elder Donoso and they are reading the book of Mormon and doing everything we ask. They are asking for us to come over all the time. I think them and the other family and Claudia, who is another really good investigator, are answers to our prayers. The baptism went really well and I will send pictures of that also. 

When I was in Concepcion Elder Donoso was attacked by a dog, and now he has to get 5 more shots. He made sure he got a picture of the dog that bit him. I have loved working with Elder Donoso lately, it has been really cool and we are having really good success. This cambio has been going super-fast, I can’t believe we are in our fourth week of this cambio. I have realized time does really fly by in the mission. Oh also my Spanish is getting better and better. I can understand a lot now and speaking is a little difficult for me still. I can tell you Chileans don´t speak Spanish, they speak a fast slurred language (HaHa). I am still learning Spanish to my knowledge.  

I don´t have anything else for this week because I spent three days in Concepcion, and riding on a bus. I will send pictures for you guys. Thank you guys again for the package, and your letters, they do mean a lot to me. Thanks for the prayers and the examples you are to me.

I love you guys!

Love,

Elder McAlister

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This week Cherilyn shared scripture from Isaiah Chapters 50 and 51 with Sean this week.  50:5-9 and Isaiah 51:7, 16.  

Verse 16 reads, (Speaking of the Gathering of Israel) "And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people." 

Cherilyn said it is the Lord's work that we are about. The Lord will guide us, protect us, and put the words in our mouths at the moment of our need. He will lighten our loads and make us strong as we push forward in His work.

What a great passage and what strength we can gain from that knowledge.  Until next week enjoy the pictures from Sean this week...

When new missionaries and Elder McAlister arrived in the Concepcion Mission. He looks a little tall.

Concepcion

Concepcion

The Elders in his casa thought it would be funny and throw Sean's bed on the roof, so he just went out and laid on his bed! 

Elder Bueno and Sean bringing his bed back in the house.

Baptisms in Linares on November 16th.

Alonso and Elder McAlister

Dinner with some members.

El Huaso

Working with other Elders and in different areas

Here is Elder McAlister's update this week. It seems he is always short of time, trying to fit everything in on p-day. When you only have the time at the computer to sit down, read all your emails, and try to respond, it must be a challenge.

It sound like he is doing well, the language is coming along, and the baptisms sounded like a great experience.

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Hey Everyone,

It sounds like this last week was a little more relaxing for you guys. It’s crazy to hear there is snow already in Utah, here it is just burning hot. Sounds like mom and dad are having a lot of fun with their new phones. Jessica sounds like you are just working and the BYU game sounds like a lot of fun. Brooke so are you done with you internship now can you work there or was that only for school? Sounds like Sabrina is having fun and was a volleyball star for the last time until volleyball starts up again. 

Well this last week was looking for new investigators and working with the few we have. We do have one more baptism this week, and there was six baptisms on the 16th which was really fun. We baptized one kid named Alonso, and our other Francisca was baptized by her grandpa which was cool. We are baptizing Alonso’s brother this week and I am baptizing him! It was a really fun day because we had six kids baptized. 

This week we had a mini cambio again, because Elder Donoso had to go to Concepcion for a meeting of the leaders. I worked with a different Elder for two days. Elder Espindola is the Elder I worked with, and it was pretty fun. We had amazing lessons and the members are really good over in their sector. We had an activity with the young men and we played soccer. Guess what, I scored one goal, which was really cool. Because I’m the only gingo and I scored against all the Chileans. It was super fun working with him and his investigators were amazing also. 

This last week nothing much really happened, we have been looking for investigators and we found one really good family, but that's about it right now. We need more of the members help and references, but the members are really hard to work with. I am really liking my mission right now the language is lacking because Elder Donoso is talking in English a lot. My Spanish is much better then when I started. I can understand a lot of what people are saying but it’s trying to talk is the hard thing for me right now and trying to remember words. I can tell you Spanish is really different here because we got a new missionary, and when we went to the first house with him he had no clue what was going on. The thing is he is from Bolivia (HaHa). I can tell you guys Elder Castellon is really crazy and really different person, a good missionary and a hard worker. 

This week I get to go to Concepcion and work over there for two days and I have a meeting for the new missionary's. So this next week should be fun. Lately on p-days we go shopping and play some soccer sometimes. But we have to walk a lot so most of our time is walking to Top Dog, our favorite restaurant and then walk to the internet place and write you guys. That´s what we did today! 

We are low on time today, so I am going to buy an SD reader next week so I can send pictures to you guys. Thanks for your letters, and thank you for all of you support. I can’t wait till I can speak the language and teach people more than I am. I love you guys, and keeping doing and being who you guys are.

I love you guys!!!

Elder McAlister

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The thought time sent to Sean this week comes from Thomas S. Monson on perseverance. "Persist in your task until you complete it, many begin but few finish. Honor, power, position, and praise will come with time for those who persevere. Persist in your task until you complete it, dedicate yourself, work hard and smile, for from dedication, hard work and smile will come forth, after some time the victories of life."

Until next week...

What happened to the power?

Here is Elder McAlister's email home this week. Sounds like more of the same in his life, another bike experience and some issues with the electricity in their house.  Sounds like they are working hard to find people, and they are excited for a couple baptisms this Saturday.

It's been over almost two months and he still hasn't received our package, but he managed to send some pictures this week which are after his email.  It's great to see him!!

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Hey Everyone

It’s good to hear everyone is okay and still alive. I sorry to hear about the ward are all the trials that they are going through right now. It’s good to hear that all of you are keeping busy. Sounds like some cool movies are coming out and sounds like Sabrina is going to be the next volleyball star in the family. That’s crazy that you graduate in a month Brooke and its awesome too. But it sounds like everyone is still doing the same old thing.

So I told you guys last week, but I will say it again. I am staying in Linares again for my second cambio and Elder Donoso is my companion again. We said good bye to the people in our zone and we got to play soccer for one last time with everyone. Then we said goodbye to Elder Watson who was the other gringo in my casa and has been helping me with my Spanish. He is only going to a different sector, so we are hoping we are companions soon. We met our new zone on Tuesday, and they are pretty fun, and on Monday night we got a new missionary in our house. His name is Elder Castellon, and he is super short, but an amazing missionary and only has a year in the church.

This week has been really hard with the people in Chile. We are looking for new investigators, and future investigators, but nothing is really happening. We had two of the baptisms move up so now we have two baptisms this Saturday. But we are having troubles just with finding some people.

I have one funny story for you guys. So we tried to ride the bikes again and this time something else happened. I´m riding the bike and I go off this little dirt jump and my back tire and chain fell right off while I was in the air. We thought it was pretty funny but I didn't crash or get hurt. The thing that wasn't fun was I had to carry my bike all the way back to our house. I had one tire in one hand and the bike in the other. So it was pretty funny and it was a good laugh for the people we were walking by. 

Also I told you guys about last week when we didn't have lights for two days on Halloween and the day after. This week our power was cut down by some kids. They were able to fix that pretty fast and we had power the next day. I thought I should tell you guys something about the power here in Chile. We can only have three single lights and one heater and a microwave on at the same time. When we have more than that our power goes out and we have to turn its back on. The electricity here is a lot different than in the United States. 

This week has been really good working with Elder Donoso because we have been working really well together. We are becoming better friends and a better companionship. I think I told you, but Elder Donoso speaks really good English and that has been a problem for me. Because he likes to speak in English all the time, but he helps me on how to teach the lessons and some Spanish words. Nothing much has happened this last week. We have had a lot of prayers and working hard. Soon we will have people.

Thanks for all of your guys support and the love that you guys have shown me. You’re all good examples to me and I try to use things that you guys have taught me and teach them to people. I am thankful that you guys are my family. Thanks for your emails and the stories you guys have. Even if your email comes a little late hahaha (Jessica). I thought I deleted your email last week. I I love you guys and thanks for your love.

Love you guys!!!

Elder McAlister

P.S. I have received grandma’s letter but not a package yet. So I will go look in Lider sometime soon.

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Another thought time sent to Sean this week again comes from Joseph Smith, found in History of the Church, he says “A man who is full of the love of god is not content with blessing his family only, but thinks about all of the people in the world, anxious to bless the whole human race.”  This is exactly what Sean is doing.

Until next week...IT'S PICTURE TIME:

Elder McAlister, Elder Donoso, Elder Watson and Elder Bueno

Halloween in Chile

Sara Flores and Elder McAlister at her baptism.

Elder McAlister...armed and dangerous.

Elder Donoso and one of the famous house bikes!

First Baptism!

It was great to hear from Elder McAlister today.  He and his companion had their first baptism on Saturday! I would have been great to be there to see it. Wish we could see see pictures of the baptism, but still no sign of the package from home over a month ago that would enable that.

He sounds much more upbeat, so he must be over the sickness from last week.

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Hey Everyone,

Sounds like you guys had a really good Halloween! It sounds like mom had a really good birthday and P.F. Chang's sounds really good to me right now. 

Something really cool happened this last week. Me and Elder Donoso had our first Baptism. Oh and she choose me to baptize her. I would love to send pictures, but I still haven't revived your guy’s package. It was awesome I was really nervous. She only had four names and that wasn't hard at all. The prayer I only had the night and a little to study in the morning. It only took me one time to baptize her and it was awesome. The funny thing I dunked her really hard and fast into the water. So now that's a joke here. But we got our first baptism!!!

The cambio is today, or transfers. We found out that me and Elder Donoso are staying companions for the next 6 weeks until the next one. The house is almost the same. Elder Bueno is going to stay but Elder Watson is going to be leaving. Which makes me really sad because me and Elder Watson have gotten to be really good friends and he helps me a lot with my Spanish. But he only has about 3 months in Chile. So I’m going to be staying here in Linares for 6 more weeks which makes me happy. Oh and we have 5 baptisms on the 26 of November which is something I needed to tell you guys.

We have another rat story, and I got it on film. It was another funny story, but this one we had to chase around. I will send you guys the videos some time soon. It was super funny. Also, this week we got our lights turned out on us, so we didn't have any lights for two days which was funny but really bad at night. Now I’m glad I brought my flashlight on my mission.

Halloween in Chile isn't as fun as it is in America. Some kids got dressed for it and go around asking for candy. We didn't get egged, so that was good. I have some pictures of us with some kids dressed up, which was pretty fun. I told most people I dressed up as an American and then would speak in English to them. When it was Halloween and we were contacting, I did remember that Halloween that I got hit be so many snowballs by Dad while I was trick or treating (HaHa). They don't carve pumpkins down here or anything super fun like that. I do love your costume Sabrina, it is awesome. I hope you aren't dying from eating so much candy. 

Right now it’s been hard and with the few investigators we have it’s been going really well. We don't have that much to work with, and it’s really hard for us at times. Now we have to trust in the lord and put all of our faith and trust in him. We are hoping soon we will be able to make some really good progress with our harder investigators. I said earlier that we have 5 baptisms coming up, and they are all kids of less actives or non-actives and that's helping us with the family. We are working as hard as we can.

Thanks for everything you guys have done for me and the love and email you guys send me each week. I love to read the emails and see the things that are going on at home in pictures. I hope Tillie is surviving without me and not crying because she doesn't have my bed. I love you guys and stay strong in the church and put your trust in the lord. 

I love you guys,

Elder McAlister

P.S.

How are Mitch and Xander doing? Also, the priests and the rest of the people in the Ward and tell them they are in my prayers and thoughts!

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One of the thoughts shared with Sean this week comes for our beloved Prophet Joseph Smith: 

"The standard of truth has been erected; No un hallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done."

Sean is engaged in this this work right now, bringing the gospel to every country, and ear, and helping accomplish the purpose of God.  Until we next hear from Elder McAlister...have a great week!