Sean McAlister Called to Serve: Transfer will take Elder McAlister farther south

Great to hear from Elder McAlister today. We now know he will be transferred to a new city tomorrow, and get a new companion. He's sad to be leaving Hualpen after such a long time, but excited for the new area and experiences to come.

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Hey everybody,

How is everyone doing this week? It sounds like you guys had a great week and everyone is doing okay. Looks like Sabrina just keeps on growing and growing. I am glad to hear that everyone is having fun and everyone sounds to be healthy.

Well I am getting transferred to Chiguayante, which isn’t really far away from me. I will be in the same house as Elder Hoopes! Elder Hoopes was in my first zone in Linares, so we will be in the same house and it’s going to be awesome. Elder Hoopes will be training a new gringo I think and I will be with an Elder from Chile, he only has 1 month in the mission. I will be finishing his training and I am hoping we will get along. I don’t know him and I have only seen a picture of him. I guess I will find out tomorrow. I´ve heard that there is a lot of drugs in Chiguayante, but that is pretty much the same in Hualpencillo. I am sad that I am leaving, but at the same time I´m excited that I will be going to a new sector.

The World Cup has been crazy down here because nobody wants Argentina to win, so the World Cup was still intense here in Chile. The Brazil and Germany game was super funny here. Everyone was talking about it and they are still talking about. Everyone was cheering for Germany in the world cup. It was really fun to be somewhere that is big into soccer!

Well this last week we had a pretty rough week and we didn't really have anyone progress. Juan still hasn't gotten his answer and he is leaning more towards his daughter’s church. So now the members are stepping up and visiting him and they are really showing their love for him. He still has a problem with drinking tea and we are hoping he will stop drinking it. Alejandra and Luis are not coming to church right now because Luis is in the north working, Alejandra doesn't want to bring her kids to church without Luis because they are crazy. We have been working with Roxana and she was doing really good, but she had to take her daughter to the hospital at 5 in the morning on Sunday. She said she can come to church next week. The other people that we are working with are not really progressing that great in this moment. Today is the last day that I will get to see them. So Sad!!!

You guys asked me what the weirdest thing I have eaten here is. I haven’t really eaten anything super weird. We basically eat a lot of rice, chicken and potatoes. But Mote con Huesillo was the weirdest thing I have drank. I really like Empanadas, Pastel de Choclo, Humitas and the Sopapillas. I haven't really eaten crazy things here. The food is really good but they eat a ton of rice and potatoes and they eat them plain, and at times it kills me to eat a lot of potatoes just plain. I did get to eat Mole which is from Mexico, It’s a hot sauce and chocolate mix and has a taste of chicken. It was really weird and has a weird smell, but it’s really tasty.

I love you guys and have a great week. Thank you guys very much for all your support. I will tell you guys next week how my new sector is going to be. I'm sure that it will be great and I heard our house has two bathrooms (miracle in Chile). I love you guys and have a great week. I can’t wait to hear from you next week.

Love you guys.

Elder McAlister

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I was listening to Elder Richard G. Scott's April 2014 Conference talk called, "I Have Given You an Example", where he is speaking about gospel study, and how we can help those who we love, and are working with, to best learn gospel principles. He said:

"Encourage those you love to seek to understand what the Lord would have them do. One way to do this is to ask them questions that make them think and then allow them sufficient time—whether hours, days, months, or more—to ponder and seek to work out the answers for themselves. You may need to help them know how to pray and how to recognize answers to their prayers. Help them to know that the scriptures are a vital source of receiving and recognizing answers. In that way you will help them prepare for future opportunities and challenges."

I thought this was great advice for Sean, as people really need to develop their own knowledge and testimony at some point, so asking the right questions and having them think it through and pray about them will allow them to do this. I am sure this is something that he has learned on your mission so far, but it takes time to learn how and what those questions are for each family or individual.

Sean did send a bunch of pictures this week, so these will be his last from Hualpencillo, so enjoy until next week...

Elder McAlister and his district in Hualpencillo

Elder McArther and Elder McAlister

Elder McAlister and Elder Herrera

Not sure who this is with Elder McAlister

Hermana Heslop, Elder McAlister and Hermana Peterson

Elder McAlister and Elder Noe

Mole which is from Mexico. Its a hot sauce and chocolate mix and has a taste of chicken. It was really weird and has a weird smell, but its really tasty.

Some pictures of Hualpen my last zone and my bed broke a fell on Elder Castro and so we had to take pictures. (HaHa). The Story: So it was night time and my companion is laying on his bed and I jumped up in mine and all the bars fell out from underneath and I fell on top of Elder Castro. We did fix the bed!

Hualpen

Church building in Hualpen

Maybe something to do with the World Cup?

Hualpen

Park in Hualpen.

I guess I should explain the hand sign that I am doing all the time. In Chile it means bakan, or cool, and everyone does it here! If you guys were wondering.