Garret's Mission Blog: 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)