Sean McAlister Called to Serve: Looking a little wet in Chillan

Sounds like a great week, again with it’s up and downs, but mostly positives with the progress of Rodolfo and Francisco. His emails are getting a little shorter each week, and I think it’s because the realization he will be returning home soon, and it's freaking him out a little bit.

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The Home Alone Family,

That is what everyone calls me here!

Glad to hear that all is well back home! Sounds really weird to me that Sabrina is babysitting now! I still think that she is 8 years old!! I am happy that she enjoyed it. Glad to see that everyone else is doing really well!

Well this week was crazy and awesome and rainy!!! We had another member die in our ward this Sunday, and I knew him to but not that good. It’s still pretty sad to hear it. But the ward is really getting closer together, and I really can see the unity that the ward has been gaining after the death of Hermano Ricardo Araya. So we are happy to see the ward grow. We ended up not baptizing Manuel because he has a lot of doubts about Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon. He told us that he saw some anti-Mormon videos, and I guess he got scared. So he is not prepared to be baptized, but we are going to keep on visiting him. Also, we are working with a guy named Rodolfo and he ended up coming to church and loved it. He has a fecha bautismal por el 1 de Agosto (baptism date of August 1^st). Right after I leave! He is progressing really well. We taught him the Word of Wisdom and he handed over all the things that he has and it was pretty cool to see that. We are working with Francisco right now, and he wants to be baptized, but he went to Santiago for this week, but he received his answer and now he believes in god! We have really had a good week with investigators and it’s been a spiritual week.

Well on Wednesday and Thursday my companion was in Concepcion for a conference for the new missionaries, so I was left by myself kinda. I spent the both days working with Elder Sanabria and Elder Romero. It was pretty fun and I really liked working with them. They are both really funny guys and I learned a little from them. When I was with them it was raining pretty hard and I was really happy that I had all my rain gear with me. We worked with the people that I am teaching and with the people that they are teaching. So we did a lot of walking and lot of time underneath the rain.

We had our zone conference with all the missionaries in Chillan, and it was pretty cool. We learned about how we need to be missionaries’ consegrados (dedicated) and how we should be like Nephi, and do the Lords will. Also we learned about how to have the spirit with us at all times and how he guides us at all times in the lessons and in the streets if we are willing to listen to him. Then we listened to all the new missionaries that are in the 3 zones in Chillan. Then all the people that are dying this cambio and the next gave their final testimony in front of the missionaries. It was weird to see all the guys that i know bare there final testimony and then I had to get up and it was even more weird!

I was wanting to know if there is something that you guys would like from Chile? Because next week is the time I have to buy it. So please let me know if you guys want something!!

Well I love you guys a ton and I can’t wait to see you guys soon! Time is really flying by and it’s really weird to think about it. I love you guys and I can’t wait to hear from you next week!

Love you guys!!!!

Elder McAlister

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Spiritual thought time! As I have been working with a young woman and young man in our ward getting ready for them to leave for their missions to Russia and Argentina, and thinking about Sean’s service in Chile, along with other missionaries in the ward returning soon from Korea and California my mind had been on missionary work a lot lately, and I was reading President Monson's, "The Savior's Call to Serve" from the First Presidency message of August 2012 and came across this great quote for this week’s thought:

"The mantle of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a cloak of comfort, but rather a robe of responsibility. Our duty, in addition to saving ourselves, is to guide others to the celestial kingdom of God."

For all of the missionaries out serving, or about to leave to serve, and all of at home, it really is our responsibility to do so. It is a really inspiration to see all of the young men and women willing to serve and bring the message to literally all over the world. But it also makes me think I must do a better job with my "mantle of membership" to share the gospel, and do all I can as a father to help guide my family "to the celestial kingdom of God".

Below are some pictures Elder McAlister sent, followed by some I download from the mission blog, so enjoy until next week…