September 24-September 29, 2025 Week 13 Centinela Branch, Talcahuano Chile

HOLA, how are y'all doing? Hope y'all are doing great I'm doing great down here in Chile. 2 weeks ago it was "fools spring" because it was freezing this week and my coat made a reappearence 

If you plan on reading the whole thing I love you and I'm sorry for you. This email is an essay and you have been warned 

Summary/highlights:

-Met and taught new friends this week 

-Intercambios with Elder Acosta for 3 hours

-District counsel

-Baptism yesterday in our branch, the friend of the other elders and lots of people at church yesterday

-service project, weeding for a guy in our ward named Esteban

Missionary work: 

We didn't have anyone at church this week rip, but we have a solid 4 friends. 

We set 5 baptismal dates this week. How missionary work works here in latin america is you can set a baptismal date on the first contact and then meet with them like 10 times and teach them. So that is the goal to invite everyone on the street to be baptized. 

Belen y Irma:

They would have came to church for real but they had like a legit conflict not a "conflict" but anyways. They are our friends with the most interest. We found them on the street Thursday and talked a little bit, gave them a book of mormon and marked 3 verses. We set up a lesson for the next day and went on our merry way not thinking much more of it.The next day at the lesson, the daughter (Belen) not only read the 3 verses, but had read 100 pages of the Book of Mormon in one night. When we asked the both of them if they wanted to be baptized, the mother was skeptical but then Belen whispered to her mother something, and the mother was like Yes, Belen would love to be baptized. She is very excited. This was a miracle and a very fire lesson.

Spirtual thought (or essay) 

RIP President Nelson- I'm sure ever missionary and their mother will be talking about this in their emails today But I loved listening to this man ever single time he spoke, because he spoke for God during the most influencial years of my life. 

Some of my favorite teachings from him, just off the top of my head, that I love:

-the importance of repentanace daily

-using the correct name of the church 

-end personal conflicts in your own life 

-true followers of Christ are peacemakers 

-Let God prevail in your life

-embrace the future with faith

-faith can move mountains in your life

-seekers of Jesus Christ can find Him in the temple

-Think celetisal 

The last talk he gave in general confenence was very fitting "Confidence in the presence of the Lord" since he has now returned heaven. Because isn't that what this life is all about - now is the time to prepare to meet God. Here is what he said we need to do to have confidence in the presence of God, " There’s the key! In the Lord’s own words, charity and virtue open the way to having confidence before God!" I love this a lot, and it makes me think one of the Beatitudes my sister loves a lot, "blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God". To wrap this ramble up, I am grateful for our prophet Russell M. Nelson, and I know he was a prophet of the Lord.

(P.S. I'm calling it now because general conference is next week. We are going to get a pre-recorded talk from President Nelson because his last 3 talks or so were pre recorded.) 

All my emails are very long, but I´m sure my mom reads them  If you read the whole thing 1: I'm sorry for you, that must have been painful 2: thanks you're a real one

Peace out 

Sending Love to: 

 (and prob more lol)

Lección con Belén (hija) y Irma (mamá)

Nuevos Elderes en Talcahauno (algunos de ellos)

September 19-September 23, 2025 Week 12 Centinela Branch, Talcahuano Chile

Hola, I hope yall are doing well. I'm doing great here. This was a short week, I feel like nothing happened but a lot happened at the same time. I''m sure all returned and current missionaries know what I'm talking about 

TRANSFERS:

I'm staying in Centinela B with Elder Macais. 5 of the 6 of the Elders in our district are staying. This transfer I was able to do exchanges with 3 or the 4 of them. The one I didn't do exchanges with is the one that is getting transfered, Elder Richards. He is going to Hualpen 

SUMMARY:

-Chilean Independence Day

-Zone conference+ crazy games after

-Bipolar weather- like 2 days were pouring rain and the other 2 were perfect weather 

-We FINALLY have amigos, Franco a 14 year-old baller, and Jackeline a nice older lady

-VAMOS A LA PLAYA (olaja hoy) 

Conference multizone: 

I liked this a lot it was about true conversion and the book of mormon. I was able to understand a lot of what was said. I'm really focused on studying the Book of Mormon for 30 minutes a day- not just reading it but studying it. 

After conference was lit. All the elders changed into ponchos (like Chilean clothes) (I'm going to buy one when I go to the country for next 18th of Semtember). President Lillo and hermana Lillo danced for us and we sang the Chilean national hymn. We played like a Chile race game combined with tug of war, and like a Kendoma race game (I can't really describe, look at my photo album) which was wild cuz we were all in suits. This felt weird because we as missionaries are always like calm and reverent but during these games everyone was screaming . But the conference was from 9-5 which was crazy. The conference itself was 10-1, but then we had like 5 hours to play games and have fun. 

QUESTIONS MY GRANDMAS ASKED: 

Both my grandmas asked me questions so I'm going to answer them here! 

1: What is my favorite food I have eaten in Chile? 

Choripan or completos, choripan is like a sauage inside bread and completos are like hot dogs with tomatoes ans guacamole

2: How often do the members feed us? 

Everyday, for my first transfer it was only 1 time we didn't have a lunch. Like 5 times we picked up the food and ate it at the church, 

but like 30+ times we ate with the members

3: Am I in a ward or a branch? 

A branch, Rama Centinela

4: How many people are at church on sunday? 

Like 40 but it varies, there are probably 200 members in the branch but only like 40 are active. 

5: Our there other missionaries in our branch? 

Yes 2 others, the zone leaders. Last tranfer it was Elder Leguizamon (from Argentina) and Elder Richards (from californa). next tranfer its elder leguizamon and elder Acosta (from mexico) - we eat lunch with them everyday and go to the church together for peronal study, so we see them like 2 hours everyday.

Spirtual thought: I'm writing this on the bus trying, so ill keep this short lol

I liked this scipture this week

Ether 12:41

And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.

Word^^^

That's pretty much all I got for yall this week. Have a great week! Feel free to email me. I dont always respond but I read them all 

#runningitback #6mássemanasjuntos

Real

What the 2020

At multizone conference

September 9-September 18, 2025 Week 11 Centinela Branch, Talcahuano Chile

Hope yall are doing well this fine Thursday. This was another good week that was a blur. I'm writing today (Thursday) instead of Monday the normal pday, because today is pday because today is Chilean Independence day! The 18th of September. VIVA CHILE!

Transfers are next week, i'll probaby stay in Centinela with Elder Macais, but anything could happen.

Highlights/summary 

-um, so september is a down month for missionary work- mission wide, because it's like a month of parties- so let's just say Elder Macais and I didn't have a whole lot of lessons or friends to teach.

-with this being said- LOTS of street contacting and my contacting skills in spanish are improving!

-2 exchanges with 2 different greenies!! 

-Had our branch party for the 18th yesterday. it was lit. lots of good food (me encanta choripan) and some slightly strange but cool dancing 

-blitz in cruz del sur (holy cow this area was extremely nice)

-consejo del districo 

-it's getting warmer down here (that means it's getting colder up there rip you all)

-elder macais and I keeping the vibes high, and our effort and hard work up-despite our lack of "success"

Exchanges:

Tuesday the 9th had an exchange in San Vicente with another greenie, Elder Winter, who is another american with limited spanish like me. I learned a lot of from this like that I knew more spanish that I thought I did and I need to be more confident speaking. 

We did very well. we put someone on bautismal date, and the next day was consejo de districto and everyone was very proud of the two new greenies 

(elder macais wanted this exchange to be in our sector in centinela. he told this to the zone leader and the zone leader was like "no we are not putting two greenies who dont speak spanish in the most dangerous sector in the mission - so it was swithced to the sector of Elder Winter. (you see a few people with knifes and your sector is "dangerous")

Monday the 15th had an exchange in another district (same zone) (this is not normal it is because both of our companions are district leaders and wanted to learn from each other) in Salinas with Elder Requen (goatttttttttt). Elder Requen is from Argentina and he's a baller. I learned some crazy things from Elder Requen about events that happened in the US this past week. which was kinda weird being in spanish and from an argentinan. 

What I've learned about going to a bunch of different sectors in my zone:

Chile is a very very nice country with very nice quality of living. My sector is by far the most ghetto in the zone, but also the most to see. My sector has very good scenery and it is very beatiful.

Spirtual thought:

I listened to President Russell M Nelson's talk think celetisal talk this week, I liked this part, "Here is the great news of God’s plan: the very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be!" I like this a lot because sometimes we think that keeping the commandments are only for us to have joy in the next life, but they are also for this time on earth to help us have the most joy and happiness possible. 

He wanted a picture with me cuz I'm so tall

Exchanges with Elder Winter

Its summer somewhere

A very foggy day

Aye-just cuz its winter doesnt mean i cant eat ice cream

View from the balcony

This was very bad- no voy a mentir

Exchanges with Elder Requen #dreamsdocometrue

Papa Johns!

Matthew 4:19

Fuimos al Mall un 18 de sep y nada estaba abierto 👌