Elder Boyer...Chile Concepcion South Mission: Week 12....Diligence, something about a Sloth...and a goodbye to a good friend!

Hola, From Chile!

This week was such a crazy week. It was so packed full of events, I don’t even know where to start. I think I will start off with my spiritual thought. So this week I had to say goodbye to my trainer, Elder Cardoso.

the first day we met

our last day together

I am so grateful for him. He has really helped me make amazing changes in the 3 short months I have been with him. I will forever be grateful for him. On his last day, he shared a scripture that changed his mission, the scripture is D&C 107:99-100 it says "Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all DILIGENCE. He that is SLOTHFUL shall NOT BE COUNTED WORTHY to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand even so amen." This scripture has really been and will forever be a scripture that will push me through life. A lot of times when we are just exhausted, lying down and sleeping seems more interesting than reading the scriptures. This applies to everyone, not only missionaries. After a long day of work we should always be thinking and doing the work of Christ. We should always be working towards becoming more like Christ and bringing others unto Him. If we ever get slothful in our duty, we are not worthy to stand before God. This scripture is going to help me so much throughout my mission. The days where I have no energy and I am completely exhausted, I am going to remember this scripture, and remember that I need to work with Diligence so I can be worthy to stand before God at the last day. I love you all so much. I hope you can all remember your duty to bring others unto Christ and always remember to work with Diligence and never be slothful.

On Wednesday, we had our mission Christmas Conference. I got to go to Concepcion. It was so awesome. I got to be with everyone in the North half of the mission. So, I got to see a lot of my friends from the CCM. It was a really fun conference.

President Bluth and Hermana Bluth are the best. They gave each one of us a bag of treats and a book full of amazing talks about the atonement of Jesus Christ. It was such a great Christmas gift. During the conference Hermana Bluth read a Christmas story to us in English. It made me think of home and the nights I used to spend with my family reading Christmas stories. In the book there was snow on the ground. It was super weird to see, because here it is about 85 degrees. It doesn’t even feel like winter. Ha-ha. But seriously, it was such a good conference. We also got to do a Christmas skit. Each zone in the mission did a skit. They were super funny. My zone was by far the best skit. We did a dance to the Mariah Carey song "All I want for Christmas". It was super funny. It was a dance battle between the missionaries and the “flights” (Chilean gangsters). I wish I could send the video, but it is too big to send. It was so much fun though. It was so good to catch up with everyone from the CCM. Everyone has changed so much. It was so good to see them.

Yesterday, Sunday, I had to say goodbye to Elder Cardoso. It was super sad. I am really going to miss him. It was actually a really hard goodbye. I am so grateful for everything he has done for me. He has helped me so much. Before my mission, I prayed that I would have a good first companion to show me how the mission works, and that is EXACTLY WHAT I GOT. He honestly changed my life. Without him, I would not be where I am right now. He seriously blessed my life so much. It was such a hard goodbye. I have many great memories with him!

Right now, I am actually in a trio with Elder Sheffield and Elder Ehlen. Cambios are tomorrow. I can’t believe I am starting my third cambio here in Chile. It is so crazy. I haven’t met my companion yet, I will meet him tomorrow, but they called me and told me I am staying in Yumbel and I will be companions with Elder Sotomayor, he is from Peru. I am so excited I am getting a Latino. He is going to help me with my Spanish so much. I am super excited to meet him. But ya, this week was super good. It was so full of activities.

All of our investigators are the same. They are super good and receptive, but when it comes to Sunday something always blocks them from coming to church. We just keep working hard and are getting more and more people to teach. We are going to try and get more people to come to church. The good thing is we still have that 11 year old kid named Niko who is doing so good. His parents don’t want to do anything with eh church, but he has come to church every week. If he keeps coming he will be baptized at the end of next month. We have been working really hard with him. He is by far the best kid I have met in Chile. I think he will be my first baptism. Pray for him please. He is so close, we just need him to attend the church a few more times, and he will be good.