One Tie July Washo

Pretty up and down week. I`ll explain more to finish the email... I`ve worn the same tie everyday this month... I don`t know why I'm doing it... But it rhymes... so that's cool.

First of all my companion Elder Antonio is super tranquilo (calm). We get along really well. We are very much alike. He`s just always happy, doesn`t talk too much, focused on the right things. He`s a good guy. I like him a lot. He is from Cochabamba Bolivia, 4 siblings in his family, all members. He loves to play volleyball, has a girlfriend. I gave the bottom bunk to him. Very very organized Elder... He`s just a good dude. Not much to say haha. 

 

I sure am going to miss my last companion, Elder Choque. I don`t know what it is about the Bolivians, just good people. I said my goodbyes to Elder Choque on Thursday after the Leadership counsel where he talked to all of us Zone Leaders. I tried taking a final picture with him but he put me in a headlock instead... I'm gonna miss that guy. He finishes his mission in about a month. 

The leadership meeting was great this week. We always start off by sharing a few experiences of success. I shared a few of the miracles that our zone and we are seeing in each and every sector. Miracles.... it's a daily amazement out here in the outskirts of Chile... 

 

Oh by the way it rained this week. 3rd time in my mission... When I say rain I mean sprinkle for 5 1/2 minutes but the ground was wet so that was super cool. It's sooo cold here. I think I might have said that before.. The second coming is on its way... It shouldn`t be this cold. 

 

President and Hermana Dalton both gave us some amazing advice to take to our Elders and Hermanas in our zone. Elder Antonio and I are going to give the Zone training meeting tomorrow. It's always good to see the whole zone come together. We learned how to use the Book of Mormon to answer the questions with our investigators. A lot of the time the people ask us a question and the first thing we do is go right to the Bible to give them the answer where as the prophets have advised us to use the Book of Mormon to answer those questions. We did a few examples of that with President Dalton and we are going to apply that tomorrow... I love the Book of Mormon. I'm in Mosiah. I'm reading it in Spanish. Spanish has big words... hahah. 

We did a service project on Tuesday. A family in the ward bought their first house. It's so awesome to see a good family get blessed for being obedient. Their new house is actually really nice in comparison to the houses here. So we spent 7 hours doing that. I miss back in Utah where the whole Quorum of Priesthood would help a family move. We would finish by 10 o' clock in the morning then we eat fresh Krispy Kreme donuts... but here it's a little different. Us 4 missionaries are the only ones that show up and we get a little Coca Cola at the end of the 7 hours... hahah I'm not mad... It's just amazing the difference.... I don`t get it sometimes... 

I love eating breakfast. Everyday I have yogurt with cereal and a cut up banana... I never thought that would be so delicious.. but it is.. I miss Reeses Puffs... 

This week was pretty rough with our investigators telling us they don`t do meet with us anymore... One of the worst feelings I have ever felt...  It's just so hard seeing a miracle one day, putting a date for baptism then the next day them telling us to never pass by.... I just don`t get it sometimes... I give these people my whole heart. I love them with all my heart after the first 5 seconds meeting with them then they get ripped out from me... It's something that I just haven`t adjusted to in the mission. I don`t think I will ever be able to be used to it... 

 

We have 3 investigators that are progressing well. After these past few days, day in and day out nothing good happening I was praying for something... anything good to happen in our sector of Las Arenas... Saturday it came... we found this 80 year old man who is just looking for his last resource... He wants God to help his leg get better. He has so much pain in his right leg and he asked us to come in and help him with his Faith,. He told us over and over you guys are my last resource... We shared about the restoration. He cried 2 different times during the lesson and accepted a baptismal fecha for the 2nd of August and when we passed by the next day, Sunday, for church he was waiting outside of his house with his walker in a beat up old tan suit.... I can`t explain how happy and amazing this was... First of all... No investigator ever comes to church with a suit, let alone dress pants... Second of all...Investigators never come to church.. Victor Araya has so much faith... I just want him to get it... I am sick of people not.... getting it.... He is my hope right now... I am sick of not saving any souls lately.... That's why I'm here... He is such a great guy.. It seems like every time I'm on the verge of just giving in I'm pleading for something from our Father in Heaven. He delivers.. Always He delivers.... and He delivered.. Victor loved church he stayed for one of the class, he was in so much pain from walking from his house to the church but he just thanked us and said I can`t wait for next week... It was amazing.. I need more of these people in my life. Our investigator Hector, who is basically a member is doing some missionary work and brought one of his friends to church this week... so awesome. She loved it. Her name is MiMi. hahah funny name.. 

Today we played volleyball and soccer with the other Elders. We are only allowed to have 8 Elders get together at a time so it was fun with a few of the other Elders. I miss volleyball... First time since the MTC... I loved it. I`ve been chilling with Elder Sargent today... Good guy. His companion is rough... But we try so hard to ignore his mean comments on a daily basis hahah silly little Chileans...

 I don't know. I feel like I have been pretty good at keeping in my emotions of stresses and stuff like that throughout my mission. Sometimes the people, food, small apartments, investigators telling you they don`t want you to keep passing by, just plays a toll on ya... I have had some of the highest highs but also lowest here these past few 15 months. I know that you all know that the mission isn`t all cotton candy and bubble gum. Fun times day in and day out... But at times I forget and ask myself why it's so hard to get through some days. But then I snap out of it real quick and go back on the daily grind to do what I know how to do.. How to be the best missionary possible. It's soooo easy to be an average missionary... Stay in the boat, Which refers to take the easy way out everyday. Go visit the same inactives - Eternal Investigators, share a nice little calm scripture, bring 1 investigator to church, only focus on that.... I don't know... You just see sooooo much of that here. I don`t know if it's a South America thing... but Missionaries just aren`t the missionaries I thought Missionaries were supposed to be.... It's frustrating, but the temptation to be like them is always there.... Stay in the boat. It;s easy... Something I have been trying to do these past 6 or 7 months of my life is to jump out of the boat. Get in the wavy water, take some punches, talk with the men of the house, talk with people in the street, actually care about saving these Chilean souls, preach repentance and tell people what they really need to do in their lives, obviously with love.... Jumping out of the boat, this.... It's not easy. Satan tempts everyday to have us inside the boat and have a fun 2 years enjoy it, be able to say I served a great 2 years... I don`t know I'm just having rough times. But family and friends... Just know I'm giving it my all... My all might not look like the 100% of another missionary... but I'm trying... I'm out in the water right now fighting the current... and It's hard...

I love you all so much, thank you for the pictures. Happy 4th Of July. Elder Sargent and I sang an American song.. His comp yelled at us and called us gay... but it's okay. Miss you all so much. Send me pics of your life... It makes me happy... I know we are in the truth... The gospel makes me happy.

Elder Paxman