Week 68... He Hath Filled Me with His Love!!!

Wow! What a great week this has been. Elder Christensen and I have really seen the Lord’s tender mercies this week. It was a really great week for us. 

We have been really down lately. This sector here has been a huge challenge for us. It has been our Goliath. We have been battling and grinding but Satan has been winning. It has been a while since we have had some success.

 At the beginning of the week, we made it a goal that we were going to do everything in our power to find success... That is exactly what we did. No, it wasn’t easy. It called for a lot of dedication and a lot on concentration, but we were able to do it. As the week went on, we spent day after day knocking on doors. We called, looked up lists, and knocked some more doors. We turned over every rock in this sector looking for someone who would be interested in our message. As the week went on it seemed, even with all our hard work, we weren’t going to accomplish what we had set out for. Monday passed, and then Tuesday and even Wednesday. We still had nothing. We had no one who was really progressing. Thursday rolled around and we thought for sure this would be our day... again nothing. But finally after the trial of our faith came our relief. On Friday we went out with the same attitude to find these people. This time we finished the day with the success we were looking for. We stumbled across a part-member family. The grandma is a member but has not gone for a long time. The mom, Jessy, and her kid Sahid (10 yrs. old) are not members. As we talked to them, their eyes lit up with excitement. All they wanted to do was go to church on Sunday. When they went to Church, the little kid loved it. He had so many friends that were members. The teacher gave him a Book of Mormon and he instantly started reading it and marking it up. I wish you all could have seen his face. He was smiling ear to ear from excitement when he left church on Sunday. Such a blessing from God.

Also, that same day on Friday, we went over to a family that we had taught before. They seemed just like a normal family that didn’t really want much. We had left them a little thing to read. When we got there, they were filled with questions about Joseph Smith. They were so interested in what he did, why he did it and how he did it. We helped answer all their questions, and at the end of the spiritual lesson they accepted a baptismal date for the 6th of February. They also were able to come to church this Sunday and they loved it. 

This week in church we filled a whole row with investigators. I was seriously so happy to see these new faces in the church and to see them progressing. It really was a week full of miracles!

As for my spiritual thought this week, I wanted to share something that caught my attention today. I was reading in

20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

21 He hath filled me with his love , even unto the consuming of my flesh.

As I was reading these passages, I was thinking a lot about the hard times we face in everyday life. Why do we suffer sometimes? Nephi, in these scriptures, is telling us something so important. He had been through so much in his time. He had suffered many afflictions in the wilderness and had seen many trials. But, he still was rejoicing in his God. HE HAD BEEN FILLED WITH THE LOVE OF GOD.

I have seen in my life, and in my mission, that when I am down, or when I am struggling; I am just forgetting about God’s love. God loves each of us personally. He knows us. He does not want us to struggle and be miserable. He wants to show us His love and give us His hand.

I hope this week that each of you can find His hand.

He will lift you in the lowest of moments.

yummy Empanadas!

Week 67.... Why do we do all of this???

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! I can’t believe we have made it to 2016. I feel like the time is flying by so fast. I don’t know about all of you but time here in Chile is just rolling. I feel like there is never time to even take a rest on a holiday. The holidays come and then they go and it was just like a blink of an eye. It was a really great week for us here in Villa Obispo. 

Elder Christensen and I had a great New Years. We got to eat at a family’s house and then in the night we went out into the street and shot off a few confetti launchers. It was funny because we were the only people in the whole street. Everyone else had left and gone to a stadium where they were shooting off fireworks. So when we left the house to yell and cheer we were the only ones there… it was a literal ghost town. It was still a good way to pass the holidays ;) 

This week has been one of many adventures and many errands. I feel like we have been running all over the place without stopping. Monday was half a p-day. Tuesday we had a meeting with President Bluth in Concepcion, Wednesday we went back to Concepcion to talk to President, Thursday we had a ward party for New Year’s Eve, Friday was New Years, and Saturday we had our Zone Conference which was super awesome. 

I have literally had no time this week to even think about what I was going to say to everyone but while I was sitting here I was reminded of something that really helped me during the week.

So, to start this story off, I need to tell you a little about 

this investigator we have. We have this guy, his name is Pablo. He is a 35 year old single man. The missionaries have been teaching him for about 5 months. I got here when he had about one month listening to the missionaries. We have done so much for this guy. We have prayed, fasted and gone out of our way to help him receive his answer. There was one point where we were in the Baptismal font, the Spirit entered the room and literally almost swept me off my feet. I had never ever felt the spirit so strong. When I asked him to be baptized, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said NO. This guy has talked to our Mission President and even a 70 who came to our Stake Conference. He literally knows everything and he is just waiting until God tells him that it is his time. This last Sunday he came to church. He was sitting alone so I ran up to him and sat by him in sacrament. As we were taking the sacrament I looked at his face and I thought of a question. Instead of interrupting the Spirit, I wrote on a little note with the words:

"WHY DO WE DO ALL OF THIS??" I asked him the question. Anyway, it went on to a good conversation that led to a lot of improvement. 

But, the story I wanted to tell you was later, as I was thinking about that very same question. I was thinking about how hard it is to be a member of the church of Jesus Christ. How much we suffer. How much we are tried. How hard being a faithful member really is. The leaders ask that we give all our time, all of our effort, and what do we receive... money?... no we don’t receive anything physical. I pondered the question: Why as members of the Church of Christ, WHY DO WE DO ALL THIS? Why do we suffer, why do we serve, why do we shed tears of pain when we see others in pain? WHY?

 I was then turned to a scripture that one of my old companions used to share.

 It is found in 1 John 4:19:

We love him, because he first loved us. 

This scripture is something so small, but it says so much. 

WHY DO WE DO ALL OF THIS?? 

It is because of LOVE.... LOVE FOR GOD!!!

I have felt so much love in my life…from my family, from my friends, from all of you guys, but most of all I have felt the LOVE of GOD. I could not imagine how God would feel if I did not succeed. I can only imagine how a parent feels when someone they love so much, their own child, makes a wrong decision or doesn’t succeed in something. I can’t even imagine how God feels watching all his children go through this battle of life. Watching them fall at times, watching them struggle, but always loving them even with their weaknesses. I want to testify to each and every one of you that GOD LOVES ALL OF US; No matter how hard our path, no matter how bad our weaknesses. We have a Father in Heaven that loves us.

I love each and every one of you and hope that each of you can feel HIS love each day.

           

we bought a bundle of ties for $30.00

more New Year's fun!!!

Week 66: Christmas in Chile, and Santa Missionaries!!!

  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! 

I hope everyone was able to enjoy the Christmas season and were able to spend the time with their families. I love the Christmas season because it is a time where we are focused on our Savior and what he has done for us. 

As for me here in Chile, this Christmas was a great experience for me. Actually funny story happened to us: So this last week the assistants came down to deliver gifts to us. We received the Christmas packages for all the missionaries in the sectors. We then realized the next time we would see everyone would be after Christmas. We thought how bad it would be to not have gifts on Christmas.... So what did we do? WE BECAME THE MISSION SANTA CLAUSES. Elder Christensen and I got on our Santa hats and went to visit each Sector.

On Christmas Eve we went to each and every sector in our Zone dropping off their packages and a few No Bake cookies we had made. I have never had so much fun riding buses and delivering packages. Well as the night came to an end we had one more sector to visit and then we were going to return to our sector and go and spend the night with an awesome family. As we got to the last sector, Yumbel, which is about an hour away from our sector. We were greeted by the 2 Sister missionaries that were in that sector. We gave them their packages and we were all super happy. We said our goodbyes and made our way to the bus terminal. We got to the bus terminal and I kid you not it was a Ghost Town. There was not one person in the usually busy terminal. Everyone had left to spend the night with their family. WHAT WERE WE TO DO? We could not spend Christmas Eve in Yumbel! We were thinking of what we could do. We ended up calling a member from our sector to come and get us. We waited over and hour and a half for him to pick us up and by the time we got back to our sector we were 2 hours late to the Family’s house. CAN YOU SAY SANTA GONE WRONG? It was a really fun night though and we really enjoyed our time. We still were able to have our Christmas dinner and spend it with the family. It was a  Christmas miracle!!! 

Elder Boyer and Christensen

I hope you all had a great week and enjoyed your time with your families. 

Hope you enjoy your NEW YEARS, as well!

Week 65.... There is a Definite need of a Savior!!!

It has been a great week  here in LOS ANGELES. The time is coming closer to the Christmas season. Here in Chile it is super weird, I see the stores getting filled with gifts, reindeer and trees, and the houses begin to be filled with all colors of twinkling lights; Meanwhile the sun beats down and the temperature begins to rise. It has been over 80 degrees every day this week. I see pictures of home where there is a foot of snow. Meanwhile here in Chile there is never a WHITE CHRISTMAS, haha. The atmosphere down here is still the same though. As we are getting a little closer to Christmas, everyone gets a little more stressed ;) Everyone is running to the mall to buy those last second gifts. Everyone is getting for the great Christmas season. This time of year is a lot better for the missionary work also. The people begin to open their hearts to a great Christmas message. Even though many are focused of gifts and presents, no one really forgets the TRUE meaning of Christmas... THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOR. 

As we have gotten closer to this Christmas season, I couldn’t help but turn my thoughts to Christ and all that he has done for me. There has never been such great a man as the one they call Christ. If it wasn’t for Him, all of us would be lost. We would never be healed, we would live in a life of darkness. I hope this Christmas season you all can remember the true meaning of Christmas and everything He has done for us.

 I just wanted to share a few things I have been thinking while I was studying this week. 

In Romans 3:23 it talks about as humans we all fall short of God. We are not perfect and we all fall short of his presence.

"Mankind cannot lift himself, there is a definite need of a savior" 

We as humans are in need of a Redeemer. Christ has given us a chance. Christ has given us the only way to get back to God.

Mosiah 3:17 There is no other name by which we can be saved. 

I have never felt so close to my Savior. I have really came to love Him and everything he has done for me. I am so grateful for His birth and His great sacrifices.

I hope each and every one of you have a great Christmas holiday. I wish you the best of times and hope you all enjoy your time with your families in all your festivities.

Remember CHRIST AND HIS BIRTH!

Merry Christmas from Chile

Week 63..... The steep path of Discipleship!!!

What a great week. As the week went on we are approaching closer and closer to the final Days of Elder Anderson. We have been working super hard. I have tried to help him so he doesn’t die too hard ;) We have been having some good times together. We have been trying to have the most fun we can have so that he can remember his time here forever. We had many great experiences this week, anywhere from going mini golfing with the boys, service projects in campo, to mission conferences and intercambios. We have just been trying to make the best of the time that he has left. 

This week I don’t have much to say because I usually write down what I want to say in my agenda, but as I was sitting in the cyber, I was showing an Elder some quotes I was going to share, as I starting writing, I looked down and my agenda has disappeared. I now don’t have the quotes I was going to share. He totally stole my agenda so everything I was going to share with y’all is gone. So I guess I will just let you all know what I was able to learn this week.

As all of you know, I have been on the Journey of BECOMING MORE LIKE CHRIST…to find out who He really is. This week has been one of many trials in that sense of things. Each time we grow closer to Christ I feel like times get more challenging. There was a quote I found that went something like this... bear with me, I might butcher this.

"Hard experiences come to those who are doing good because they are more willing to learn." 

Also, I found one that says:

"As we continue further along our path of Discipleship our path gets steeper" 

I really starting thinking about what that quote 
means. What does it mean that our path gets steeper as we come unto Christ? I realized that it meant as we grow closer to Him, times get more challenging. The times get more challenging so that we can be stretched to our limits. Our path turns from something easily conquerable to something extremely difficult. We turn from normal easy going people to someone who gives every ounce they have to Christ. Who says being a believer of Christ would be easy? I know for me in my life, I have seen how easy it is to not follow Christ. How easy it is to just give up and let the world control you. How easy it is to just forget everything you believe and become part of the crowd. The World is like a river, it is easy for us as "Rafters" to go with the flow. It is easy for us as humans to go with the flow, but us believers in Christ MUST RAFT UP RIVER!!!! How easy is that? I will tell you, it is not one that is easily done. Christ asks us that we turn unto Him and raft upriver. If we believe in Him we must give all we have to raft up river no matter how rampant or rapid this river flows. We as believers of Christ need to raft upstream. But, how many of us have strength to make it all the way up the river... NOT ONE!!!! Some of us may be a little stronger, maybe they will make it a little while paddling up stream and make good process, but they will gradually become tired and might get worn down. There will be a time where they are asked to give but just can’t give any more, and that is where Christ and His grace come in. All of us fall short of getting all the way up the rampant river but if we as humans can turn unto Christ He will give us the strength to finish our journey. 

That make me think of one of my favorite scriptures: 

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

I know Christ strengthens us as we will come unto Him. By His grace we are saved. There might be times when our path may turn into an uphill battle. Or maybe as disciples we are asked to raft up stream, BUT THROUGH CHRIST WE WILL MAKE IT!! We will be strengthened enough to conquer the beast. We will win our Salvation. I love each and every one of you.

 I hope that each and every one of you can continue your uphill battle no matter how steep the mountain or how rapid the river flows.

CHRIST WILL BE THERE FOR YOU!!! HE LOVES YOU!!!

Week 62.... What Have These Hands Done For You???

Lately, I have been on a quest to really find out who my Savior is! I want to know who He is, how He acted, and how I can live more like Him. It has been a very interesting few weeks. I feel like every time you try and do something good, Satan tempts you even more so you don’t have these spiritual experiences. He doesn’t want you to learn, he doesn’t want that type of progression. So as I have been concentrating my studies, my thoughts, and my actions towards Christ I have seen an increase in spirituality and an increase in happiness.

 This week while I was studying, I came across a scripture in John 17:3:

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

I took this scripture and put it to the test. I wanted to find out Who He Is:

Who is the Christ...The Prince of Peace?  

During the week my studies were turned to the scripture that is in Matthew 16:24:

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 

This scripture talks about if we want to get to know Christ, we must:

1. GO TO HIM

2. TAKE UP THE CROSS, or in other words, give up all worldliness, give up all disobedience.

3. FOLLOW HIM

These 3 steps are the steps that will lead us to a better understand of our Savior and Redeemer. As we Come to Him and obey His commandments, we are more receptive to spiritual promptings. We will be guided and directed in the right path, the path of light and never ending happiness. As we follow Him, we will understand the importance of His coming and more importantly, His Great Sacrifice: THE ATONEMENT. 

Christ has done everything for us. If it wasn’t for Him, we would be nothing. We are children of men, are nothing in compared to Him and our Father. We would have remained dirty and marked from the World, but thanks to Him and His eternal sacrifice we have the option to have Eternal Life. 

This week I had one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had, as far as understanding who my Savior is and what He has done for us. 

This week we went up to Concepcion to have a meeting with President Bluth. It was a really spiritual meeting, but towards the middle of the meeting, the Assistants get up and put a picture up on the big screen. It is a picture of two hands of a woman. They ask "Whose hands are these?" Everyone starts saying Hermana Bluth, Hermana so and so. No one could guess. Then they turn to one Elder and ask him. "Whose hands are these?" He just started bawling. He said, those are my mom’s hands. They then went on to show a picture of his mom and her hands. They asked him, "What have those hands done for you in your life?" He went on to say that those hands have done everything for him. As he testified the spirit filled to room. You could see the love he had for his parents and the things he had learned from them also. The assistants went on to show more pictures, each time asking the same questions. Each time asking, whose hands are these? Each and every time it was a different Elder or Sister. They then would go on to testify of how much their parent’s hands have helped them in their life. I have never been in a room with so many tears and a feeling of joy. As each and every Elder and Hermana saw the hands of their parents they would break out in tears and would remember how much their parents have done for them. At the end they pull up a picture. The picture is of two hands, these two hands have two marks in the palms. They asked, "whose hands are these?" We all choked out underneath our tears. Jesus Christ. 

They asked, WHAT HAVE THESE HANDS DONE FOR YOU??? 

I began to think everything Christ has given me, all that He has done for me.

I want to tell each and every one of you, that our Savior is everything to me. I am so grateful for Him and His eternal Sacrifice. I have never felt so much love for one person. As I sat there and pondered the love I have for my Savior, I grew closer to him. I understood a little more of who He is. He literally is the Savior of this World. There has been no one else more perfect, no one else more loving than that of our Savior.

 I challenge each and every one of you to participate in this same challenge. Find out who you Savior is and what He has done for you. I have found out who He is... and What He has done for me. I testify that He lives and loves each and every one of you. No matter our defects, no matter our mistakes, he loves each and every one of us the same. He hears and looks after each one of us. As we get a better understanding of who He is, we will grow closer to Him and receive greater blessings. 

HE IS THE LIGHT AND THE WAY!!! THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!! 

Of these things I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen

My Zone

P-Day hike to an awesome waterfall

Week 61.... Baptisms and Thankfulness!!!

Finish strong, Elder Anderson!

We had cambios (transfers) this last week... and the news is... I will be staying with Elder Anderson for another cambio. Which means I will be killing him ;) He will be finishing up here in about 3 weeks…the 15th of December. That also means that I will be staying here in Los Angeles, Villa Obispo for 3 months more. I am super excited. When we received the news, I was shocked. I thought I was going to leave this area, even though I just got here I didn’t think they were going to keep us together for so long. It was a great call that we received. We are both super excited to stay together and I will be with him until the end. Elder Anderson is one of my best bros. It is going to be a dope cambio. 

As for other news this week, I thought I would tell you a little bit about the baptism we had last week. This baptism was by far one of the most spiritual experiences I have had here in Chile. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a little girl named Emilia and how great of miracle it was to find her and be able to begin teaching her. Well while we were teaching here, we were also able to get in and teach the family. And like I have said before, this family was a really active family, they had been sealed in the temple and have all been baptized. They fell from the church after the parents had some problems and got a divorce.  There is the mom, the dad, and 5 girls, (ALL of which have kids now). They are all living in the same area, but 2 different houses.  As we were teaching Emilia we were also able to help this family. We have been able to see so many miracles that have come through teaching this family. God has put us in the right situation at the right time. In our time here we have seen two of the daughters change their desires of smoking, and drinking, and have made a complete 180. They have decided to go to church each Sunday and continue to grow closer to God. We know that, that decision came as the spirit entered back into their lives. 

When the day of the baptism came, we knew it was going to be a special day. We showed up to fill the baptismal font. I could feel the spirit enter into the church. I knew this was a special family and that something was going to happen. Later that night we started the baptism. The whole family showed up. It had been 15 years for some of them, since they had gone to church the last time. As they entered the church you could see their eyes light up with joy. They could feel the same feeling they had felt before. We continued on with the program. As we got down to the time where she was to enter into the water, the family was super nervous. You could feel it in the air. Anxious anticipation. My comp. had the privilege to baptize Emilia. As my comp went on to say the words of the baptismal covenant, the spirit testified to each and every person in that room. I have never felt with such conviction the presence of the spirit. As Emilia was dunked under the water and risen up, you could see the pureness of her heart and the pureness of her smile. As she looked to her family, her family could only look back and smile… giving the sign of appreciation. There was not a dry eye in the room. 

You could see that the family had felt the spirit and that they had seen and felt the spirit of the Lord. Since that day they have been more interested in listening to us and have been more dedicated in reading and praying. I know this family is a special family and they have a huge work to do here in this life. I love the way God prepares His children.

Emelia's baptism

Well that was my spiritual experience for the week. I also wanted to share a few scriptures with each of you.. As all of you know this week is Thanksgiving. The Day of Thanks. This week I was able to think a lot more positively and was able to be thankful for all that I have. As I thought more positively and was more thankful I could feel the spirit more in my life, and I felt more of the love of the Savior. I hope each and every one of you feels this same spirit this week.

D&C 78:19:

19And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more. 

I hope each and every one of you have a great Thanksgiving. I am so THANKFUL for all of you and everything you have done for me and my family.