Santiago
Gift Bags
Good Will Toward Men!
Merry Christmas!!!
Enjoying
Resting
Elder Afeaki...ing
Visiting
Volleyball
Sister Bustamante finally received her Visa so that she could "transfer" to her original calling in Spain.
Elder Westover will be back with us soon. 
Elder Georgianna has plans for his very near future. 
Elders Gerogianna and Weinberg were two of our most dedicated Missionaries. We love them forever, and we will miss them greatly.
Landon cherishes his memories of his relationships with all of our Missionaries. They are all very sweet to him.
Elder Rodriguez and Elder Perez said good-bye through tears of sadness. They will probably not see each other again in this life, but the bonds of brotherhood are there throughout eternity. They love one another with the true love of Christ.
Saying good-bye is always a bitter-sweet experience for us. We love our Missionaries so much. When they leave, it is like letting a part of ourselves go. On the other hand, we are so looking forward to hearing from them and knowing all about what they accomplish in their lives. They have had such a tremendous impact on the Chile Santiago East Mission. We know that the Lord loves each of these young men. We know that the Lord will continue to be with them throughout their lives. We love each of them. We know their struggles, and we have seen their triumphs. We are eternally tied to them through mutual love and service.
On several nights during December, we hosted Temple Tours for anyone walking by and/or visiting Temple Square. The Missionaries stood on the street and invited everyone walking by to come in and visit. We even had reports of Missionaries "helping" people get off buses to come in and worship with us. During one of the nights of the Christmas Temple Tours, we hosted an event for Chilean dignitaries. We had music by beautiful choirs and a reception after with wonderful food and an opportunity to answer questions and get to know many people. It was absolutely beautiful. These Missionaries helped direct and guide the tours. They are delightful Missionaries. We could not ask for better, more dedicated Missionaries. We love them dearly!
These missionaries were selected from the North, West, and East Missions to be the guides for "Los Recurridos del Templo para la Navidad" (The Christmas Temple Tours). They worked tirelessly during the month of December to bring people unto Christ. We received hundreds of referrals from their work, and Missionaries from all over Chile are now teaching those who visited Temple Square and now want to know more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are so grateful to these wonderful servants of the Lord. They are truly angels of truth!
This is a picture of President and Sister Jones of the Santiago West Mission and President and Sister Gillespie of the Vina del Mar Mission. We love these couples. They have helped us adjust to our lives here in Santiago. What a blessing they have been in our service so far. In the background you can see the famous clock made of grass and flowers that sits on the main street in Vina del Mar.
This picture is of President and Sister May of the Chile, Santiago North Mission and President Laycock and I at the Mission President's Seminar in Vina del Mar. President and Sister May have also been a great help to us. We are so very grateful to them for their help. We love them. What a blessing to be able to work with such talented and loving people. In the background, you can see the beautiful beaches of Vina del Mar. During the months of December and January these beaches become so crowded that you can't even see an inch of the sand. It is really remarkable...so many of God's children just waiting to hear the Gospel!
In November, President Laycock and I had the opportunity to travel to Vina del Mar for a Mission President Seminar. Elder Bednar and his wife directed the conference. Elder Snow and his wife, Elder Amado and his wife, Elder Corbridge and his wife, and Elder Zeballos and his wife were all with us. They shared with us many wonderful massages about our missions and callings as Mission President and wife. All nine of the Mission Presidents from Chile and their wives were in attendance. We felt personally ministered to as we spent these four days learning the Lord's direction for His missions. We testify with all of our hearts that the Lord loves his Chilean children and the Lord loves His Missionaries. He sent his Apostle here to direct His work. This is without a doubt, His work. We will never be the same after learning all that we learned in these four short days. We will be eternally grateful for all that we learned and for all that the Holy Ghost taught us.
On December 8,9, and 10 we were blessed in the Chile Santiago East Mission to have a Mission Tour with President Carlos H. Amado of the First Quorum of the Seventy. We divided the mission into the North, South and Middle sections, and we spent three days being blessed by the Spirit of truth and knowledge. Each day, President Laycock and I had the opportunity to present messages that we felt were important for our Mission, and then President Amado took the remainder of the day to present doctrine in answer to the questions of each missionary. It was a remarkable event for our mission...a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us. We feel the Lord's guiding hand as he sends his chosen leaders to help us to really understand our callings as missionaries in the Lord's Kingdom. Elder Amado was filled with the Spirit. President Laycock and I stand as witnesses of the inspiration that President Amado received while he was working with our missionaries. He would say just exactly what each group of missionaries most needed to hear. He would respond with clarity and conviction as he answered individual missionary's questions, and he would say just exactly what that missionary needed to hear. We testify that President Amado is a representative of Jesus Christ in every way as he leads and guides the affairs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the country of Chile. We are blessed to have him here. We know that the Lord loves His Chilean children, and that through His chosen leaders, He is establishing His church.
It takes time, patience, and perseverance to find, teach and baptize.
Posts
All Comments
