What’s up family and friends?! It`s been two weeks since I sent something, sorry
last week I had a lot of stuff to do and there was some miscommunication so I
didn´t have time to write the group email. I will try and cover everything
that has happened in the past two weeks in this one! It`s going to be hard
because a lot has happened. I can`t remember if I already said this but right
now I am living with an Argentinian, Colombian, and Peruvian. Three Latinos and
one gringo haha it is a lot different than it was before but I am experiencing
something that I want to. At times it is definitely difficult but there are
times where I love it! The need to speak Spanish 24/7 has definitely helped and
I can see my growth.
Elder Rivera, from Argentina, I have already been living
with and we have become good homies and we have had some good times together in
intercambios and stuff. His new comp, Elder Hurtado, from Columbia, is very
nice and pretty funny too. We get along well and he tells me every day how much
he loves me and if I come to Columbia, I have a place to stay. he´s a good guy.
That leaves us left with the missionary from Peru. My new comp, Elder Maguiña!
I went from having practically someone who was the same person as me for a
companion, Elder Casperson, to someone who is different than me in many ways.
He is from Lima and is 23 and at first sight and for the first couple days he
was a very quiet and withdrawn person. I have come to find out that he is a
very outgoing person, and yet he doesn´t
talk alot. He has 14 months in the mission and he is a convert of 3 years. I am
being challenged in many ways but I am grateful because that is how we learn
and grow.
My prayers and hard work at contacting finally paid off this
last week and we were able to find some new investigators to teach! We`ve also
been working a lot with less active members and our recent converts. I wish I
had two missions, one to find, teach, and baptize new members, and another to
work solely with less actives and recent converts because here in Chile, there
are SO many less active members. Like if everyone who is "in" our
ward came to church, there would be over 1000 members haha crazy I know.
Last P day I had the opportunity to watch The Saratov
Approach, I had never seen it before and I loved it! Almost cried in front of
my new comp, but I refrained:) But really if you haven´t seen it, I suggest it.
The faith and reliance the missionaries put in the Lord is amazing and I can´t
believe it´s a true story haha my mother would die while watching it.
Our lessons with Patricia and Paulina have been very good
lately, we still have a couple of stumbling blocks to get over before they can
be baptized but I feel like they will do it. During one of the lessons when we were
teaching the Plan of Salvation I had one of my most favorite moments on my
mission. Patricia told us about her life before, her experience meeting us, and
that she knew that she had to get baptized. It was incredible. She was crying
and it was one of the strongest times I have felt the spirit on my mission. She
talked about how she has always tried to be the example for her family and how
she is pretty much alone in her decision to do this, but she knows that it is
the right thing to do. I know that the Lord will provide the way for her.
We´ve been working very hard this past week and we have had
some opportunities to do some service. It felt good to do some manual labor
again, I´m not sure if that´s what it is called, I´ve forgotten English. So now
I have trouble speaking both languages haha. I have forgotten so much but I
hope that I am filling the open space with spiritual things, because that is
what we really need in our lives. I have started to really focus myself on
trying to learn and see the true love that God has for his children. The days
here are really hard for me, especially of recent, but I know that the Lord
blesses me with little things throughout the day that keep me going and working
hard. I am so grateful to be out here one a mission and for all of the
experiences I am having. Especially for all of the people I am meeting. The mission
is not easy and continues to be the hardest and most humbling thing I have done
but there is nothing else I would rather be doing right now. I encourage all
who are thinking about it, to do it. The Lord will provide the way. I love and
miss you all, especially with the package I received from my parents recently
that had a ton of pictures of everyone and my life before, but soooo worth it:)
Until next week, and always remember, the Lord is ALWAYS there for you!
Love, Elder Clay
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