New scripture covers

Sounds like they are starting to get up to speed with the new mission approach of working with the members more and less time searching for new people to teach. The ward activity also sounded like it was successful.

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Hey guys,

First off I can’t believe that Sabrina has turned 10 years old! I want to wish hear un feliz cumpleaños and I hope that she likes her new bike and the other toys she got. If I may say so Sabrina looks a lot taller and older than what I remember and sorry that I am wishing you a late happy birthday. I kind of forgot what month it was! haha I lost track of time! I love you Sabrina and I want you to know that you are the best little sister ever! I really think that your new bike is awesome! I liked the picture of the front room and I really like the new couch and chairs! The front room looks really good and looks a lot different than before. I’m glad to hear that Brooke and Jessica are doing all good. 

Well we didn't really find anyone this last week, but we have been finding more less actives to teach. At the beginning of the week we ended up getting rid of all the people that we were teaching and we started to search. So we had a really good time looking for so more people to teach, we didn't find any but that's okay! We did find some anti-Americans and there were very interesting to talk to and then right after that we found anti-Peruvians! So we decided to find in a different way! Right now we are really focused on finding though the members that are in our ward. So we have set a ton of noche de hogar con los miembros. Now they have to bring their friends to the activity and we hope to find in this way. It’s a lot different than before because we have to use and rely on the members, but I have faith it will work out! We are working with familia Vilugron, familia Riveras, Jacqueline and Ivan. They are all doing really good and progressing in the gospel very well! I have pretty much done reactivation in my mission and it has really been successful! So right now I am focused on the members and less actives but still looking for investigators to teach!

The district is doing really good and all the missionaries are very animated to work! I really like my district and I can see that we are going to have a really good week and we are going to have success! We are all struggling to find new people, but a big part of it is that there are a lot of people traveling to the campo and they are staying there for a while so that's been a big impediment! But that's only an excuse and we are going to find good quality people this week!

This last Friday we had a really fun activity where we played an egg toss. I was told that I was in charge of the game of the activity! So I choose to do an egg toss and the Ward loved it. We had some people get eggs all over their clothes and faces! We didn’t boil the eggs so they were raw and it was a really good activity. Then they had people act like famous singers and they had to dance and act like they were singing. It was really funny and I thought that the people really liked it!

I got my new scripture cases and they are made out of animal skin! They are awesome and I enjoy them quite a bit! So that was what I just bought and I am waiting for the bible to get here! They are awesome and I sent you guy’s pictures!

Well I love you guys a ton and I really miss you guys! Elder Ponce and I are doing really good and we will be having a blast this next week! Thank you for your emails and all the support! Love you guys a ton and have a good and safe week!

Love you guys

Elder McAlister

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 Spiritual thought time!  This week I though I would cover personal change and repentance, which are big parts of the Gospel.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks said in his talk "Repentance and Change" said:

"The gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to change. “Repent” is its most frequent message, and repenting means giving up all of our practices—personal, family, ethnic, and national—that are contrary to the commandments of God. The purpose of the gospel is to transform common creatures into celestial citizens, and that requires change."

The great thin about being able to change and repent is as President Harold B. Lee said: 

"The miracle of forgiveness is available to all of those who turn from their evil doings and return no more."

And finally the Prophet Alma taught in Alma 5:26 

"And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?"

Alma is teaching us that if we have felt the need for change and repentance in the past, and felt the love of God pour out upon us for that repentance, and can we net feel it again and go through the same process for out other sins and mistakes?  I am so thankful for the gift of repentance, because I need it all the time in my life, as do many of those Elder McAlister is teaching and working with daily.

Have a great week everyone!  Enjoy this weeks pictures, looks like a little dodge ball going on...

Missionary dodge ball!

Missionary dodge ball....showing that Steelers pride.

Missionary dodge ball continued.

Foggy view from the mission apartment.

Front of new scripture cover.

 

 

 

 

Back of new scripture cover.

Is that hot sauce??

Sounds like training a new missionary is going well, and there were some big changes to how the mission is approaching the work rolled out this week.  Sean finishes up the letter with a funny story.

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Como están,

I am glad to hear from you guys and I am excited to be writing you guys today. I had a very good week and I got a little sun burn also! Its bacan to hear that everyone is back together in Utah and how is it with everyone living in the house again?  I have had some stories like Derek’s but I have called men houses instead of calling them sir. That’s something I would have to explain another day! What’s everyone doing now and what’s new in the house? I kind of want to know if my car is still in the house or not? I will tell you guys about my week.

Well everything is going really good with Elder Ponce! We are having a lot of fun together and we are learning a lot. He is trying to learn English and he is doing really well at it! He is praying all the time in English. So if he keeps up this progress he will be speaking English in a few months, which is awesome. I am trying to help him learn the mission life, but it is a lot different training someone then just getting a new companion! I like it. 

Teaching wise we are always looking for new people to teach, but it’s not your normal sector. We are in the center of Concepcion, so we have a ton of businesses too. This last week we have been working more with the members and making sure that they are strong. Also with the less active members, because 1 out of every 10 Chilenos is a member of the church. Our mission is to reactivate the less active members. So we have been teaching a lot of less actives and helping them progress in the gospel. We are still working with Thomas and his family but they are progressing slowly. Pray for them please!

Well in a few countries in South America they have changed some things in the mission! The presidency of the area has taken away the key indicators! Basically the numbers that we had to count lessons with members or other lessons taught in the week. So the real new focus is to work with members and help them progress, and then to have them work with us. I really like how we are working now. I feel a little bit freer from numbers and I can really focus on the people! As a mission we should be progressing a ton with the changes they have made!

Funny story for this week, we had a lot of our lunches get cancelled. So we went and bought lunch with the assistants and the office elders. We went to a place called El TATA POLLO. It’s a place where you can buy half a chicken and fries or a salad. It’s a really good place that tastes really good! During lunch, one of the assistants asked for hot sauce and so we sat there looking though all the red bottles to see if they were hot sauce or ketchup. I grabbed a bottle and I squeezed it a little to smell it to know what it was. But something happened were I pushed a little too much or something and I shot hot sauce all over my nose and all over my pants and there was a ton. I can tell you that it really hurts having hot sauce up the nose. The good thing was it happen to be in the middle of a busy restaurant! I felt so dumb! I didn’t have my camera with me, but I did get a picture of my pants and the stain that the hot sauce left. So when I got home I had to clean my pants and get all the hot sauce out my nose! I laughed about it when it happened!

I love you guys a ton and keep on being cool! I am pumped to be here working and it’s amazing! I hope that you guys have a good safe semana and that all goes well. I can’t wait to hear from you guys next week! Love you guys a ton!

Elder McAlister

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Spiritual thought time!  President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, in his October conference talk "Lord, Is It I?", which was one of my favorites, from last conference said:

"As you hear or read the words of the ancient and modern prophets, refrain from thinking about how the words apply to someone else and ask the simple question: “Lord, is it I?” We must approach our Eternal Father with broken hearts and teachable minds. We must be willing to learn and to change. And, oh, how much we gain by committing to live the life our Heavenly Father intends for us."

This talk really has touched me, and made really think "Lord, is it I?" more often, and think less about what others should be doing.  I think if we all took this attitude, as suggested by President Uchtdorf, we would all be better people and members of the church.  We all need to learn and change our bad habits, and that can only take place with humility and a desire to follow the Lord.

Have a great week everyone!

Elder McAlister and Elder Ponce

¡Feliz año nuevo! 2015‏

Hard to believe it is 2015!  As a parent it is hard to not start counting down a little bit for when your missionary comes home when you are finally in the same year of his return. 

Elder McAlister is now training a new companion, and his second one from Peru.  Sounds like they are working hard to find both investigators and inactives to work with. Also sounds like New Years just may not be all that exciting for missionaries.

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Happy late NEW YEARS!!!

I hope that you guys had a good new years and I can’t believe that it is 2015! Time is really flying by so fast. Sounds like parents are changing a lot of things in the house I do like the new couch. I am glad to hear that my room has been untouched. I love to see that dad is flying the Steelers flag loud and proud! I am really happy to hear that Todd was able to pass the test and that he will be working at Salt Lake. That’s pretty cool to hear that he was one of the ten that passed the test. Also I am glad to her that Jessica and Derek are doing okay! I am glad to hear that everyone is back together in good old Utah! To answer Jessica’s pregunta is I am missing ribs and shrimp! That is what I am craving and I want to eat! Sabrina sounds like she is having fun with two dogs in the house and what is the most fun thing that Sabrina has done this summer? I hope that you guys have set some good goals in this year and it’s going to be an awesome year! I really can’t believe it though but I have set some good goals for this year!

Well I finally had my first kid in the mission and it’s a boy! (HaHa) My companion is from Tagna, Peru and his name is Elder Ponce. It was pretty fun because we don’t know who will be our companions and they don’t know either. So it’s pretty crazy and I got called to be with him. He is a pretty shy kid and he is pretty small also! I am happy with working with him and he is pretty excited to be working in the mission field. It’s really a lot different training some one that is brand new, because they get there and there don’t understand how the mission life is like or how we teach to certain people! So it’s kind of weird, but I really like working with him and we will get going soon. He does use a lot of different words because he is from Peru so there are a lot of words that are different. I am really excited to help a new missionary and I can’t wait to help him to progress into a successful missionary. He is from a very big family! There are 11 people in his family, his parents and his brothers and sisters! So they are a very big family! He is not a very social kid so I am going to have to help him. But it’s going to be fun and I will be probably with him for 3 months to finish up his training! So it’s going to be really fun and crazy.   

This week we started out really strong and then the New Year came around and things slowed down, but we had a really good week. We have been working a lot with less active member and we have been strengthening our relationships with the members and it is pretty fun to get to know the members. We ended up finding some news this week and it is been fun! I feel like I can change up how our sector is and we have been finding a lot more less actives that are willing to come back to church. We also found 2 new investigators that could progress! Their names are Zoyla and Pamela and we are going to be working with them a lot more.

New Year was alright, I was sleeping when it happened and I didn’t hear any fireworks go off. So I really didn’t feel like New Year’s even happened. We got to see a lot of people preparing food and stuff to do BBQ. But we ended up visiting Thomas and his family this day and it was really fun to see them. They were getting ready to have dinner so we didn’t visit them that much. Here in Chile they only have dinner on holidays and on other days they take a meal larger than a snack but it’s called once. Also everyone travels after New Year’s and the streets we empty after New Year’s Day! It usually is packed here and there was nobody but dogs!

Well I thank you guys for everything that you guys do for me and I really love you guys a ton. Thank you for all the support that you guys give me and thanks for the letters they really mean a ton! I love you guys and I can’t wait to hear from you guys next week! Have a good and safe week!

Love you guys a ton!!!

Elder McAlister 

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 Spiritual though time! With it being the new year, people often set New Year's resolutions or goals, and I think the three quotes below are great guidance on what type of goals we all should be setting:

Elder Quentin L. Cook: ""Many choices are not inherently evil, but if they absorb all of our time and keep us from the best choices, then they become insidious. Even worthwhile endeavors need evaluation in order to determine if they have become distractions from the best goals.""

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: "Personal testimony of the gospel and the Church is the most important thing you can earn in this life. It will not only bless and guide you during this life, but it will also have a direct bearing on your life throughout eternity."

 Robert D. Hales:""Lifetime goals … take focus and time to achieve. Making these goals is not enough; we must make a plan to carry them out. Tonight or tomorrow, ponder what you want to achieve in your life and what your goals should be. Take the time to write them down and review them throughout the coming years. Then spend a few hours asking yourself what you can do to accomplish these goals today, tomorrow, next week, and in months ahead.""

I like the advice all three quotes give, and I think they are something we should all consider.  Until next week everyone be safe, enjoy the New Year, and enjoy these pictures of  Sean's new companion... 

Elder Ponce

Elder Ponce and Elder McAlister