Chi Chi Chi! Le Le Le! Viva Chile!

Sounds like things are a little crazy down in Chile with the World Cup going on, but a great experience for a missionary to go through.

Things are progressing with some investigators, and they found a new one this last week. Sean shares some thoughts on faith this week.  No pictures this week.

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Hey Everyone,

It's great to hear about you guys and looks like things are going great. The front porch looks really good I have to say! Looks like everyone is healthy and happy! Sounds like the bells where a little different this year, but I’m glad that you guys still had fun. Sounds like everyone is watching the World Cup too!!!

I do have to say that the World Cup is really crazy here. The days that Chile play we have to be in our house until they say that it is safe for us to leave our house. So we are able to hear everything and its killing me because I want to watch it so bad. The World Cup is really the only thing that people are talking about in Chile. So we have heard much about it but we can’t watch it. It’s really cool to be in the mission during the world cup because it’s really exciting to be in a country that everyone loves fútbol. After the games of Chile, or even before them, it is impossible to work and after the games everyone is the street having a party! I love it here!!!! Vamos CHILE!!!! Chi-chi-chi-le-le-le Viva Chile!!!!

Other than loving to hear about fútbol it has really made our work a lot harder, especially when we are looking for new investigators. We had a really good week last week. We ended up finding a new investigator and his name is Juan. He is the little old man from up and he is really awesome. He lives alone because his wife died and he looked so sad during our lesson. We taught him a little about the plan of salvation and invited him to baptism. He said: "YES"!!! He ended up coming to church and he really liked it and the members did a really good job and made him feel comfortable! So right now we are teaching him and he has a baptism date the 12 of July which will be the last Saturday before cambios!!! So please pray for Juan Vejas!  

We are still working with Alejandra and Luis and they are doing amazing. They are wanting to get baptized and married but we have to wait for Alejandra to finish the divorce papers which will take around 3 months because it’s really slow here in Chile. But they are doing great and they are still going to church we are working to have the temple as there goal because they want to be an eternal family.

We are doing really good as companions and we are working really good! We haven't had that much trouble getting along and we are doing really well. We are having trouble finding people in our sector to teach and so this week we are starting an English class. We are also teaching the members how to find chosen investigators and how to start teaching so we can have the members helping us in the work! 

I wanted to share a spiritual thought with you guys this week. I was studying about faith. It’s a small word that has a meaning that we will never completely understand faith. 

James 2:26 says:

"26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

So here in this scripture we can learn that faith is a word of action! We already know that faith is believing in something that we cannot see but is true. But we need to show our faith and I love the example that Nephi shows us in 1Nephi 17:17:

“17 And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship, they began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters.”

So I was reading this and his brothers are making fun of him saying that he is a fool and they are against him. But as I was reading and came along this verse and Nephi answers them saying in 1Nephi: 17:50:

“50 And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done.”

I really liked how Nephi answers back to them and it is completely with faith. After that he makes a ship with his faith and the help of the lord and i just really loved the example about faith in this chapter.

I want you to know that I love you guys and that I am praying for you. I love you very much and you guys are the best family ever. Have a great week and I will write you next week.

Elder McAlister

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One of my favorite talks from last conference was by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf titled "Are You Sleeping through the Restoration?" It a great wake up call for all of us to do better in our lives, and church service.  I love the following two quotes from that talk and shared them with Sean this week.

"When we are tempted to do things we should not do, let us listen to the loving warning of trusted family and friends, our beloved prophet, and always the Savior."

We all face temptation and our Heavenly Father has provided so many people in our lives to help us through the hard times.  He also said:

"Let us be awake and not be weary of well-doing, for we “are laying the foundation of a great work,” even preparing for the return of the Savior. Brethren, when we add the light of our example as a witness to the beauty and power of restored truth, we will not sleep through the Restoration."

Basically it means to work hard, be and example and endure to the end.  That is the message I would leave with you this week. Until Sean writes again, have a great week!