Sean McAlister Called to Serve: Crazy Week!

Elder McAlister made it to his new area safe and sound. He had a busy last day in Concepcion saying goodbye, and you can see some of those goodbyes in this weeks pictures.

Sounds like the new area is bigger geographically, and there is plenty of work to do. He sounds excited for the new opportunity, and possibly the last area of his mission with only 3 transfers to go.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the letters and I am really happy to hear from you guys. It was a pretty good week and I am pumped to be working here. I hope that you guys are all doing well. Is Tillie doing any better? Brooke are you guys going to buy a house or rent one? Jessica I imagine that you guys are still working at the same places? Sabrina only has a few more months of school!!! How do you feel!!!

Well I am now in Chillan and it has been very hot during the day and at night and in the morning it is very cold. It’s a lot different than Concepcion, I am in the campo and it is very nice. The houses are pretty nice and it is very calm here. So far i haven’t had to deal with any crazy people so far. I really like it here and it’s going to be really fun. I have meet some of the members and they are really good and the Ward is very willing to help us out with this work.

Well on Monday I was running everywhere trying to say goodbye to people like the members, or the less actives, that we have been teaching and the investigators. I really liked Concepcion, but at the same time I am a little happy to be able to leave and work in a different place. I don't think I have run so much in my mission (HaHa) My companion was dying trying to run all over the place. I left on Tuesday I got on the bus around 9:30 and I headed off to Chillan to meet my new sector and companion. I knew Elder Cortez from Chiguayante. When I got to Chillan he seems to be doing very well.. He is very slow at walking, but in lessons he has a very good spirit and he can teach very well. He is very quiet and almost never talks, but is very humble. When I got to Chillan it was raining, so my first day here it was raining and it was crazy. We are living in a house behind a member’s house and it’s a pretty good size house. The stairs scare me, I will have to take a picture of them to show you guys.

I have learned that we don't have that many investigators and we are teaching a ton of less actives. The last Elder that was here was very focused on less actives only. So we went out and search for some people and we found a girl named Josefina and she ended up going to church. That was pretty cool, but she was an old investigator. I am trying to memorize the sector because it is pretty big, for example the other day we took a 15 minute bus ride to visit a member. It’s in the campo campo! But the members are really cool and I am excited to be working here.

We had a wedding here of two members that have been living together for a very long time and they have been trying to get divorcements documents done with their old couples. Now they are married, and it was something very special for them. I felt like I was at the weddings of Brooke and Jessica. But it was really fun.

Thank you guys for everything that you guys do and give to me! I hope that you enjoy Conference and that you guys can have the spirit. Dad we will be going to the Chinese buffet in October (HaHa). Love you guys and stay safe and have a good week.

Love you guys a ton!

Elder McAlister

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spiritual thought time! I read this quote from Elder Robert D Hales from his April 1998 General conference talk "We Count Them Happy Which Endure", and he said:

"There is nothing that we are enduring that Jesus does not understand, and He waits for us to go to our Heavenly Father in prayer. I testify that if we will be obedient and if we are diligent, our prayers will be answered, our problems will diminish, our fears will dissipate, light will come upon us, the darkness of despair will be dispersed, and we will be close to the Lord and feel of His love and of the comfort of the Holy Ghost. It is my prayer that we can find the faith, courage, and strength to endure to the end so that we may feel the joy of faithfully returning to the arms of our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

The thing I like about this quote is that first statement "There is nothing that we are enduring that Jesus does not understand", I think we sometimes forget that Jesus came to this earth and went the redeeming act in Gethsemane so that he experienced everything we can and do go through during our earthly test. He loves us that much! If we follow Him and our Father in Heaven, our burdens will be lightened, not eliminated because we do need to learn and grow. I feel this on a smaller scale with Sean on his mission, that as he finds "the faith, courage, and strength to endure to the end" of his mission, he will soon return to the loving arms of his family.

Well until next week, enjoy this great Easter season, and a few pictures from Concepcion...