Week 31 - December 14th, 2015

This week has been kind of crazy!! The best thing that happened this week was that Gricel and Eduardo, Gricel is our investigator, are finally going to get married!!!! Im sooo happy!! They are going to the registro civil today to set a date for their marriage! And she is going to be baptized Dec 27!! Woot woot! And then also during this week we got a reference from a less active that we have been teaching and she said that this lady has been having problems with like evil forces or something so she went with us to go visit this lady. Her name is Cecilia, she was investigating the church before, but she never got baptized because she had to get married. Sooo we went with the less active, and a member from the ward. To get rid of evil spirits (exercisim:) ), its just a blessing that says leave this body evil spirits and then a blessing as the spirit directs. So thats what we did, but before he could finish the blessing, she stood up and ran to the other side of the room!! And she was like, my head hurts, my head hurts! So we were like, we need to finish the blessing or this spirit wont leave. So we finished the blessing and talked with them and set dates for baptism for everyone hahaha. It was crazy though, because when the blessing first started all the dogs started barking and freaking out. That was intense haha. BUT after that we found a old man who is very nice and we set a date for his baptism too. We have lots of fechas, but they all need to start attending church!! Please pray for these people that they will attend the church next week and that Gricel and Eduardo will set a date for their marriage!!! Sooo thats about all that happened this last week! My tooth broke again so I have got to get it fixed today, but other than that I doing good. My companion and I working a lot especially with these new investigators. My sure to remember these people when you pray!!! Thank you all for your continued support!! CHAO!!

Week 29 - November 30th, 2015

Weell this week has kind of been unproductive hahaha. This last Monday I got really sick and actually threwup on the sidewalk in La Serena. I think it was because of the combination of not drinking anything or eating at all that day and then also because it was really really hot. So we just went straight home and I just slept for the rest of the night. The next day we took it really slow, but I felt a lot better. The other thing that happened this week is that my companion, Elder Marchant finished his mission this past week so right now I have to be with the Zone leaders until I can get a new companion which will be Wednesday. So right now I am with them. We also had three BBQs this week so there was some good parts hahaha. None of our investigators are progressing right now, but Gricel did go to church, so our next lesson is going to be to set a date for marriage and baptism. Pray for her this week that she will feel good about the decision!! ANYWAYS, thats pretty much what happened. We had a really good lesson with an investigotar yesterday and he wants to get baptized, BUT they have to get married :P That is probably the hardest part of the mission hahaha. So right now everything is good! I get my new companion this week so I have a good feeling about this next Change!! CHAO!

Week 27 - November 16th, 2015

This past week has been a really good week!!!! So my favorite investigator, Gricel, was about to move out of our sector, BUT then they found a house in our sector thats perfect for them!!!!! WOOHOO, AND also the registro civil opened up this past week soo they can now get married!!!! Sooo we are going to talk to them tomorrow and hopefully start setting goals for them to get married and baptized. So that was good, we also found another family to start teaching! The thing we really got to focus on now, is going to church! Because before someone can get baptized, they have to attend the church 3 times. So thats one thing we are going to be working on a lot this next week. This past week, we helped Gricel and Edwardo move into their new house, we did an activity with the relief society, and we a family home evening (noche de hogar) with the bishop and his family. We have been really busy lately, just about everyday we have had 7 appointments. This coming week we are going to be having a noche de hogar in the church as a ward! We are going to read 1 Nephi 8 and then have them go through an obstical course while holding on to a piece of yarn haha. Soo I hope that we can get our investigators to go so we can start having them get to know the ward. BUT that would be about it for this week:) Its been pretty cloudy this whole past week and today is cloudy once again. I love it when its cloudy because then its not as hot hahaha. ANYWAYS, thank you all for your love and support! Have a great week!! Chao!!!

Week 26 - November 9th, 2015

This week we have been putting a lot of focus in the less active members. In my ward here, we have about 900 members and only about 70 have been attending church! That kind of gives you a perspect of how bad it is here haha. Because there was a time in Chile when missionaries would baptize about 200 people during their mission. All the members attended church for a little bit and then stop coming. Soooo thats what we have been doing. But its been really good, becase we have found some really good investigators by doing this. Something really sad happened this week, my investigators Gricel and Edwardo finally got a new house and a job and the registro civil (the place were you get legally married) opend up this week. The sad part is that the new house is in a different sector!!!! Just when everything worked out, they moved:( BUT we have some really good investigators now so hopefully it works out with them. We have one investigator, Viviana, who had a dream that two angels came to her house and knocked on the door, sooooo I think we are good there haha. She has a lot of desire to know more so pray that she will except a date for baptism!! Anyways, we also had a confernece in La Serena with the president of the mission this past friday and we were there from 8 in the morning to about 7:30 in the night! -_- That was a really long day haha. ALSO I also hit the 6th month mark of my mission!! Time has seriously flown by. That is all that has really happened this week. Hopefully I have more good news next week hahaha. Im grateful for all the support I have recieved. Have a great week!!!! CHAO.

Week 24 - October 26th, 2015

Soooo This week has been pretty crazy! Elder Johnson finally left Parte Alta after 6 months here, and I got a new companion! We got the call at 8:30 Tuesday night, and left the next day at 9:30 for Viña del Mar. The best part is though, that I had to go on a 6 hour bus ride ALL the way to Viña and then another 6 bus ride back! So I didnt get home until 2AM the next day! But now we are here. My new companion is Elder Marchant. He is from Sandy, Utah and only has 6 weeks left and then he is going to finish his mission!! So Im pretty sure that going to be in parte alta for another 3 months! Geez. BUT its ok! Gricel and Edwardo are finally going to get married! WOOOHOOO. BUT the problem is, is that the place where you get legally married is closed. The workers are on strike in all of Chile so nobody can get married right now, EXCEPT the gays. Yep, it became legal in Chile a little while ago. So now we just have to wait for it to open again, but who knows when that is going to be. Yeah...... and we also passed by for lots of less active members and found lots of new people to teach, so Im excited to start doing that:) Y eso! Thats what I got for this week! Oh and a quick story this week: I was playing the piano in sacrament meeting and a huge tremor went off and lots of the members started freaking out and I was just sitting there playing like, should I stop? Hahaha that was crazy. ANYWAYS thats it for this week! Thank you all for the continued support! I love you all tons! Chao.

Week 22 - October 12th, 2015

Sorry for not writing a general email in awhile, I have just been really busy trying to get things download and other sssstuff. ANYWAYS, so this week has been pretty crazy, we have had a lot of good news and bad news. The bad news was that we had 3 dates for baptism that all fell yesterday because nobody attended church!! Pucha haha, BUT we passed by for an investigator yesterday, and she told us that she is finally going to get married!!! So she can get baptized!!! WOOHOO hahaha. Her name is Claudia and I really like her. Her taste in music is like mine, she really likes Metalica, Rammstein, Nirvana, etc. hahaha her and her husband are sooo funny; they just have no shame hahaha. We had a lesson with them a few weeks ago and one of the friends of their kids came over and the husband was like: he can get baptized right???? and then he started chanting Bautismo, Bautismo!!!! Hahaha they are fun. Our last lesson with her was really good, I downloaded the talk from this last general conference of Elder Holland (The one about mothers because that one was AMAZING) and the two from President Monson. I showed her the Elder Holland talk and it was really good:) Anyways so that happened. We also have another family that all they need to do is get married. The wife is an investigator and the husband is less active, and they have three kids together and they have been living together for 9 years..... JUST GET MARRIED ALREADY. But the wife says that she has no love for him and all this stuff soo now we are waiting for them to either live in different houses or get married..... Marriage is a huge problem here in Chile. Almost everyone is not married! Pero bueno. Anyways! Thats whats going on here! Next week is changes!! Time is just flyin by haha. My companion will probably be leaving which sucks, but nothing is for certain!! Ok well thats it for this week!! Chao!!!!

Week 21 - October 5th, 2015

Caden didn't send a general email this week, but our mom decided to let me share his email to her this week. It's very sweet. Enjoy.

"Hola mom. YEP I got to watch conference. We also had to go to the stake center to watch it, and they had a class room in the church where we could watch it in English! It was tan tan bueno hahaha (really really good). I looooved the talk by Elder Holland. I cried during that one. I miss you a ton and I loved it because you are the exact mother that he was talking about. The strength and the patience and the love that you have for me is why I'm here on a mission and why I'm soo grateful for everything that you have ever done for me. And when I get back I will go to the store with you whenever you need to go hahahaha:) But yeah, so that was ONE of my favorites. Hahaha it's so funny watching conference with other missionaries because they are always like daaaaaang or woooooww, or BOOM haha. But yeah that was really good. I'm kind of sad that I wont be able to watch it again for another 6 months. And the prophet did not look to good:( I really hope he is OK. AND good luck with everything that is going on!!!! With the house and everything haha. Well that's about it for this week!!! I love you a ton!! And also don't let dad forget about sending me the music!!! I love you tonssss!!!!! CHAO."

Week 19 - September 21st, 2015

This week was a little crazy. So first: there was the earthquake and the tsunami. My companion and I, and all the missionaries in our zone, have been helping out with service down where it really hit hard. We do service from about 10 to 1, and then we have lunch and then back to work as missionaries! Im pretty sure we will be doing the same this coming week. So we have been doing a lot of service, but then to top it off, probably the biggest holiday in all of Chile was this last Friday. The 18th of Sept is their independence day so there is a gigantic field next to the ocean where they have stores, resturants, games, a rollcoaster haha, dancing, concerts, etc. And the festival is pretty much the whole week, Soo all the people have been there, so we havent been able to find anybody haha. So on the 18th we were told just to stay with the members the whole day, and the recent converts. But yeah! Thats what has been happening! Hopefully we can find more people this next week, soo keep us in our prayers please! AND all the people that lost their homes, and businesses, and everything. Im soo grateful for all your support! Ok thats it for this week! Chao!!

The view from his room

"La Destrucción"

Elder Johnson his new companion

"My companion & I ate BBQ blood. It's actually pretty good."

EARTHQUAKE UPDATE: Friday September 18th, 2015

Hey mom!! Yeah so I was in the 8.3 earthquake!! Me and my companion were walking in the street and talking, and all of the sudden I started to hear a rumbling sound, so I was like, hey stop. And then thats when it happened! we were standing in the street, like holy crap hahaha. It was gigantic!!! It felt like we were on a scateboard or something, we were swaying back and forth and so were the buildings, the light poles, everything was shaking. that was probably the coolest thing that ever happened hahaha. For the rest of the day we were feeling tremors, but before we went back to our pension, we found members who were walking to go watch the tsunami! so we were like.... OK lets go!! Hahaha so I was really high up and I got to watch the tsunami come and take out cars, boats, and we were next to a dock for cargo ships, so there were tons of those giant cargo boxes that went past us. BUT yeah. Thats what happened. My whole area is on a hill right next to the sea, so I was safe and I got an awesome view of everything. There were some missionaries that werent able to sleep in their pensions, but everything turned out OK. I have some great photos! I will send them to you next Pday so yeah, I just didnt want you to worry or anything! We have been doing a lot of service too because of the tsunami. The tsunami was probably the most destructive part, most of the center of our city was like taken out, and a lot still dont have lights. We are using member´s computers because everything is closed, because they dont want anything stolen. Anyways, thats what happened!! Im fine so settle down!! ya weirdo. I love you tons!!!! Everything is TOTALLY OK. Chao!!

Oh haha I didnt answer some of your questions: YES im soooo happy that I lived through one and I cant wait for the next one next year!! There is suppose to be another big one next year, so we will see!! and yes I knew what it was when it started, thats why I told my companion to stop talking, because thats what I thought it was, but I didnt know it was going to be that huge!! Hahaha yeah so I saw the tsunami, but I couldnt see a lot of the actual ocean because it was at like 10 oclock at night, so I only got to see what was coming on the land, but it was still awesome to see hahaha. No I didnt loose anything in the flood hahaha im really high up on a hill so the water didnt even come close to me. Hahaha alright soo you can be at peace. Hahaha I love you tons!! Chao!!

Week 18 - September 14th, 2015

Weeeell, Changes were this past Wednesday, AND my companion left, AND I left. Yep Im no longer in Olumé, there are now two new Elders in that sector. That was totally not expected! When the zone leaders were reading the names of the missionaries leaving, they first read my companion´s name, which we both saw coming, but then they read my name and I was like . . . . . What? Hahaha so now Im in the North! The place where I am now is about 6 hours to the North of Viña del Mar, called Parte Alta, Coquimbo. My sector is basically a penisula, almost completly surrounded by ocean. Im actually really happy about that, because the winds that we get from the ocean are great especially now that summer is starting to come. ANYWAYS, my new companion is Elder Johnson, he is from Arizona, 18yrs old but his birthday is 28 of this month, and he has 6 months in the mission. Soooooo, yeah hahaha. My new area has a lot more flighte people, which is basically like gangster, or *cough* white trash *cough*. So its been really interesting! The people are a little strange here, but the members are awesome:) Thats one of my favorite parts of the mission! OH YEAH. The view from my pension (my house) is so incredible. Like, its freaking beautiful. I also live about 2 minutes walking from the biggest monument(..?) in Chile! Its a gigantic cross called Cross of the third millenium. Hahaha, but you can go inside it and look out at the ocean from the view! We are hopefully going to go up it next week! I dont have pictures today, so next week. But yeah. Thats may new area! Its been a crazy past couple of days! Oh and one more funny thing that happened, my old companion: Elder Henriquez, is now with my companion from the MTC haha. Yep so thats about it!! Chao!!

Week 16 - August 31st, 2015

This week has been pretty slow hahaha. But here´s whats new: We started teaching a class for the members of the ward so they can start teaching the lessons to the recient converts. We are only teaching the ward leaders right now, but its been a lot of fun!! Hahaha so thats been happening and last time I had to teach the English class all by myself. It was good I hope haha. We started contacting in new areas which makes me really happy, and we now have some really good investigators so Im excited to start teaching them, BUT! Changes are not this week, but next, and the city Im in, Olmué, is becoming one sector! So it will now be either just Elders or Sister missionaries:( So Im probably going to be leaving which sucks because I really love this area. But if Im not suppose to stay here, then I guess I will do more good somewhere else so now Im just waiting to see what happens haha. Anyways! Thats about it for me. I started wearing short sleeves now because its really starting to get hot:( Dang it haha. Oh!! I have now finally had liver!! Yaaay. Its so gross hahaha. The mean people here keep giving it to me hahaha. Its not even meat. Its like sand or something hahaha. Other then liver, the food is actually really really good here. And there is a place close by my house where I can buy french fries and empanadas!! Im so happy hahaha. Alright, well thats all for this week!! Chao!!

(The pictures below aren't from this past week, but they are from the MTC! He just got them & they're fun so I thought I would post them)

Week 15 - August 24th, 2015

So this week was a lot better! We had one girl that had a date for her baptism, but it fell through because her family who lives in Rancagua (however you spell that) wants to come, so we just have to find out their schedule now. Its for the best that it fell through though, because there are a lot of problems, especially with her family that needs to be resolved first. Anyways, we got a lot of new investigators this week in the nicer, greener areas of my mission so that was nice! One of them is really really receptive and has lots of friends in the church so Im excited to start with her, aaaaand she likes to longboard so she is really cool hahaha. Anyways, thats been going on, and My companion and I and the sister missionaries in our ward started having another class (besides our english class) for the members of the ward so they can be able to teach the missionary lessons with the pamphlets. It went really well! We are starting with only the leaders of the ward, but after, if it continues to have a good turnout, we will start with the members. Because they already now the doctrine, they just need to now how to put it order and in a way that other people can understand it. Soo yeah. Hahaha today I have to go to Viña del Mar to talk with the Missionary doctor and nurse because last week one of my tooth-caps broke so I have to go talk to them about that. Anyways! I have been feeling pretty good, time is flying by for me, Im sure about you guys, but Im about to finish my second companion change! Crazy hahaha. Alright well thats all for me! Chao!!

"Service project with the Bishop!"

Week 13 - August 10, 2015

This week was really good! We have been talking with a less active family and the husband is an investigator, and yesterday they all attended church!! Woot woot! And the greetings from the members was great, because this family use to be very active, but after a divorce they stopped going.... But not anymore hehehe. Anyway, other than that, not too much has happened. It has been raining like crazy here! The dirt and earth here is not very strong, so the destruction from all the rain has been pretty serious. Our house started to let water in so last Tuesday we spent a lot of time trying to fix it haha. But now it is ok! Anyway, thats all for this week! Thank you for the continued support! Chao!!

"This is not Olume. I was on intercambios with an Elder in a place called San Fransisco haha"

"Rivers that form in the streets"

"Us with some of the members in the ward. I love these people!"

"One thing I love about this place are the little terrariums everyone has."

Week 12 - August 3rd, 2015

Soooo my companion and I survived this last transfer! Woot woot, but one of the sisters in a ward left after being there 7 months. Very sad, but its for the best haha. Anyway, this week we had one Investigator attend sacrament meeting and we got an inactive family to go also! Its really good to have people attend Sundays were its testimony meeting, because its like having the whole ward bare testimony in one lesson. This past week we also had an activity that we organized and yeah..... it was good haha. Hahaha well it wasnt terrible and now I know what not to do next time! Hahaha I also found a gigantic tarantula, but we were in a hurry so I wasnt able to pick it up:( Next time haha. Well, other then that Im feeling really good for this coming week! I sure hope it all goes according to plan haha.... yeah, weeeell, anyway, thanks for all the letters and your support! I love all yall. Chao!!



Week 11 - July 27th, 2015

No general email from Elder Aston today, but he was able to send us a lot of pictures!

Waiting at a bus stop.

Tarantula.

Holding a tarantula.



Week Ten - July 20th, 2015

HOLA. Soo, lots has happened this past week! We got 4 new investigators! And had one of them progress by attending church! Woot woot! We also had a service project this week for one of the members who needed her tree to be chopped down, and in the pictures I will send, the tree is actually a lot bigger than it looks! That was fun though and it was nice to help her with that. Haha and! I found a lot of tarantulas this week!! One of the recent converts who lives out in the boonies (his name is Benjamin and is 9 years old) went looking for tarantulas with me because he found out that I liked them soooo we went to a small rock pile, that was literally like 10 feet away from his house, and within like 2 minutes found 3 tarantulas!!! They were all kind of small and very friendly so I held one and I made my companion hold it as well! I will send pictures haha. Anyways, those were probably the most interesting things we did. We dont have a lot of time today, because we are going to the church to play soccer with some of the youth sooo I will write more next week! Chao

 

Service Project Pictures

 

 

Week Nine - July 13th, 2015

Hola! Well its been a very busy week for us! We got 2 new investigators! Woot woot and we have an appointment with another tonight sooo yeah! So every since I have gotten here its been really cold, well now its really wet! And they say they are in a drought. There are literal rivers in the streets! So thats been great haha. And me and my companion went to Viña del Mar yesterday to meet the New President of our mission who is Chillian and awesome haha. After we got lost and ended up at the ocean which was cool haha, but bad because we arent suppose to go near the ocean! Oops. Haha anyways something funny: so my companion found some really funny scriptures, The one that is probably the funniest, is in Ether 14:23. My companion read this to me after not showering one day because my towel was being washed hahaha! I have others, but this one is probably the best. Anyways, its been good here! Lots of stuff has been happening to keep us busy! Alright well, I will talk to yall next week!! Chao!!

 

"Going to church & someone has their sprinkler going while it's raining."

"Somebody's pet duck in their backyard."

 

Week Eight - July 6th, 2015

Soooo this past Friday was the American world cup final for futbol and it was between Chile and Argentina. And Chile has NEVER won the world cup before, so the fact that they made it to the world cup was huge! Anyways, so my new mission president (who is Chillian), as of last week, said that we could watch the game! So we bought jerseys and went to the ward mission leaders house and watched it with his family and it was crazy!!!! After they won the game, literally everyone in Chile went Crazy!! There were people driving like a houndred miles per hour down the streets with people hanging out of the windows waiving Chillian flags and shouting and screaming! And I got some video of it hahaha. But after a little bit of that we heard gunfire so we went back to the apartment and studied and talked for the rest of the night. It seriously lasted like all night and it was literally all right outside our house so we had a hard time getting to sleep. Anyways! That was a lot of fun though:) 

Things have been good here! Its been kind of slow with the people we have been teaching, but one of our investigators is really close to a baptismal date sooo hopefully within the next couple weeks!! Today we have an activity with my district because we met a goal of baptizing 5 people within one month soo yay!! We are going to go to a city called Piña blanca and we are going to play games, eat completos and mono caca (monkey crap, its a cookie hahaha). Anyways other than that nothing much has happened sooo I got to go! Chao!!

 

"My area"

"BEST CANDY EVER"

"My companion & I"

 

Week Seven - June 29th, 2015

¡Hola! Sooo, this week hasnt been too crazy. I got to have my first baptism this past week which was an experience I wont forget for one thing, the font wasnt very full because the water decided to turn off, and the other was I was baptizing a girl who weighed more then me so I really had to work to get her out of the water hahaha. Anyways it was good other than that:) So the area I am in is called Olumé. Its not super far from Viña del Mar, but it is pretty different. It is very deserty here and gets flippin cold during the mornings and nights. I really like the people in my ward and district. Im surprised at how many of the people speak English, there is this one man who is from Colorado and doesnt speak any Spanish only English hahaha so he talks to me a lot, because he doesnt have a lot of people to talk to except his wife. I had lunch with them a few days ago and it was really fun. The other members that speak English are the ones that served missions haha they all had to learn English because of their companions. Oh yeah! I also help teach an English class which is a lot of fun! I like being the one teaching a language and not having to learn it for once haha. Anyways that about sums up what I had to talk about this week! Thanks for all your emails and love and stuff! Entonces ¡Chao!