Sean McAlister Called to Serve: World Cup excitement in Chile!

Great to hear from Elder McAlister today. He had a good week, and it looks like he had a nice birthday from his pictures. Some of their investigators are progressing, and one seems to have taken a step back. Chile is in full World Cup mode.

Sean shares a great message on the atonement this week.

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Hey everyone,

Glad to hear that you guys had a great week and I hope dad had a great father’s day! I didn't know it was father’s day this last Sunday until someone told us during the week and I felt terrible. I was thinking it was this Sunday that is coming up! So dad I want to wish you a last happy father’s day and you are an awesome dad. You are a great example to me and I love you very much. I miss doing things with you and I want you to know that I truly love you and miss you!

This last week was really good and I had a pretty good birthday. We are having really good progress with Alejandra and Luis, I think they will be baptized in the next year! They are working on some paper work so she can get divorced, so that is what we are waiting for. Mario is off track again for his baptism and we couldn't even find him this week. We feel like he doesn't really want to be baptized. We are having really good success with Teresa and Segundo, but they are scared to come to church. This week we need to find investigators, so we will be working really hard on that this week.

Well about the world cup here in Chile it’s pretty big and we can’t work during the games of Chile. It is pretty exciting and everyone is talking about it. The funny thing is last Wednesday when we were walking to our house before the game. There was only women out in the streets and all the men are inside getting ready for the game or cooking a BBQ for the game. It was pretty funny!

We did celebrate my birthday after we got home in the night and it was pretty fun. My birthday was a really rainy day and it was really cold. But we lit the candles and we sang happy birthday in English and Spanish. It was a pretty good day.

The Atonement:

I love this picture! The truth of the Atonement is an eternal love that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ has for us. Dad is correct nobody can understand the atonement fully! But the greatest expression of divine love this world has ever been given. This is one of the most important lessons and love shown in The Church of Jesus Christ and it cannot be overstated or understated. Every principle, commandment of the restored gospel draws importance to this amazing event in history. We have our families for all eternity because of this loving sacrifice and it’s going to bless our lives forever!

Have a great week! I truly love you and miss you guys a ton! I want you to know that you guys are in my prayers and in my thoughts! Love you guys and thanks again for the birthday package.

Elder McAlister

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This week’s thought shared with Sean came from Thomas S. Monson in his April Conference talk "Be Strong and of a Good Courage". He talks about standing up for our beliefs, and he said:

"We will all face fear, experience ridicule, and meet opposition. Let us—all of us—have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully but also as the determination to live decently. As we move forward, striving to live as we should, we will surely receive help from the Lord and can find comfort in His words."

This quote is very similar to the message I shared with Sean last week from Elder Richard G. Scott. We all need to have that courage, especially with the wicked state of the world today. Sean has to have that courage everyday on his mission, and I know that he does, and we all need to do the same in our lives.

Until next post, everyone have a good week, and enjoy this week’s pictures from Chile...