This last week has been really hard, but really good. My companion and I have seen many miracles this last week. I just want to share one of them. Friday, my companion and I were working and we had a day super full of appointements and plans. The impression came to visit a less active family in our ward. The problem was that the impression came at the same time that we had an appointment planned that was on the other side of our sector and very far away. Also it would have been unusual for their family to be at home at this time because they were typically home in the morning and according to their work schedule that means that they wouldn't be there in the night. But we decided to follow our impression and go to their house anyways. 

 When we first got there the dad came out and started talking to us (he is a police officer here in chile) and recently there have been many robberies and assalts here in my sector. So as we were talking to him two kids ran up to the house next to us carrying a plasma screen TV.  One of them hopped over the fence and the other passed the TV to him over the fence and then they both took off. So, because he was outside he saw it all and would be able to identify who has been doing the crimes, where they live and everything. That was the first miracle.  Then, we entered into the house and as we sat there talking with the family the mom told us that she had been thinking about us right before we came over becuase the new baby of her daughter has some health problems and needed a blessing. So we had the opportunity to give a priesthood blessing. 

I absolutely love the work when we make others happy and we can see the blessings of the gospel in their lives! It just builds my testimony of the truthfulness of this amazing gospel and the importance of bringing it to everyone that we can! 

Love you all! thank you all so much for your prayers and support! love you all! 

Villarrica Volcano

 Brandon with new companion in Villarrica

Chilean BBQ on Game Day

"Game Day" with companion Chile vs. Brazil

Monday July 7, 2014

Alright, well this last week was a good week. It went by really, really fast! I can't even believe that I am 20 years old! Time has gone by so fast! I remember when I turned 19 in the mission and I thought that my 20th birthday would never come! Hahah, and now its gone! My companion was sick on my birthday and so we were in the house all day! But whatever! 

My companion and I are working super super hard and everything is passing super fast. We have been struggling a little bit in finding new investigators but that is definitely something that we are going to be focusing on this next week! Maybe you guys did some things that worked in your missions for finding people that worked good? I would love to hear about them!" Thank you so, so, so much for the birthday wishes! I am really so grateful for all the support that I have here in the mission! 

We have an investigator that we are teaching right now. And man satan is working hard against us! She has a husband and a daughter that are both members.  they are less active but super receptive and 100 percent willing to go to church but lack motivation! We have been working a lot with the mom and we have been reading the book of mormon a lot with her. She now believes that it is true and everything, but we are just struggling to help her see that knowing that the book of mormon is true means EVERYTHING is true! So that has been a little difficult! The other day she made me a cake for my birthday.  

Not much happened this last week. Like I said we are struggling a little bit with having investigators so we have to get to work finding new people to teach but we have been following preach my gospel exactly and we have been seeing grand miracles! So I know the Lord will bless us and that we will start to see some things! 

Anyways, love you all! thank you so, so, s,o so much for everything! Love you tons!  

Alright, well this last week was absolutly a different week. It went by super slow, but yet so freaking fast it is super crazy! This last week my companion and I have been doing the things in the mission that nobody here does. But really, it's what every missionary should be doing.  My companion is so receptive to living the mission how we are supposed to, and we have been stiving to be missionaries EXACTLY how preach my gospel teaches. So as of recently we have been working so, so, so good together and we have had so, so, so, so, so, so, so much success and everyday has been ABSOLUTLY FULL of MIRACLES it is unreal! I wouldn't even know where to start! My perspective of the mission and of life has changed almost 180 degrees this last week. My understanding of the gospel has changed and the way I view the people is super crazy as well.  It's all changing! This last week we had a baptism, so that was cool! But i didn't have any part in his conversion..... Hahah. This Wednesday, (also my birthday if you forgot. cause I forgot until this morning) we are going to meet our new president and his wife! President Obeso! El es mejicano! so we will see what happens! I am both super nervous but also excited! 

Anyways, I dont have anytime left so I have to go now! but I love you so much! Thank you for all that you do for me! Tell everyone I said hi! 

Wednesday June 25, 2014

Well this week has been a bit of a crazy week! I have been so so so busy that I have to write my emails today becuase the week was just so dang crazy! I am now in a city called villarrica and it is absolutly beautiful here! More beautiful than any other part of my mission that I have been in. It is also the most northern part of the mission. But it is FREEZING cold here! I am in a branch of about 50 people. So that is a lot nicer! But man my district is full of new challanges that I have never seen before. I have a district full of sisters that are a little bit on the rebelious side. and I have to change them all! But today I had a meeting with them and I can already see that changes that are starting to take place in their hearts! So I am super excited for the challenges and the results that we are going to see at the end of the cambio! My new companion is super sick as well! He is new in the mission and he is Chilean! I really get along with Chileans.  So it's pretty sick!  He is also my first native companion! Today, we have a baptism, so that is pretty sick. And It looks like we are going to be having a ton of success this next cambio! My sector is so so beautiful that I will be having to send lots of photos! There is a volcano here that supposedly errupts every 10 years but hasn't for the last 25 so it could be going off here any second. The mission has been talking alot about emergency preparedness lately so...... who knows? 

Also these last couple of days we got permission to watch the world cup with investigators and less actives for the games that Chile plays and it has been so, so, so much fun! I didn't think I would ever be so much into soccer but it gets intense sometimes. 

My spanish is getting super super good. My last companion thought the whole time we were together that I was Chilean! Hahah, so that's good! 

Yesterday we said goodbye to our mission president back in Valdivia.  And man I can't lie, I broke some tears. he was a good man! We also got to give sister Rappleye a hug. I felt like I was hugging my mom! It made me a little home sick! But anyways! Everything is going good here in the mission! I am learning so much and changing so, so, so very much.  But I feel like I am becoming more and more like christ everyday! 

Love you mom and dad! thank you for everything! 

 

Wow, this last week has been absolutely awesome! The sector is progressing so, so, so much and really it's just on such a good note right now. But yesterday, I received the call! I'm getting transferred! I will be going to a place called Villarrica! It's about 3 hours north of where I am now. It's the most northern part of the mission! So I guess it comes out to being in Punta Arenas for the first winter and Villarrica for the last winter in the mission field.  I'm hoping it will be pretty warm up there because I'm not liking this cold as of right now! I am actually super sad to go now, because my companion is super cool.  Also we are just tearing it up right now.  Not only that, but we have somebody who is going to get baptized this upcoming week.  He is super, super cool and now I won't be here for his baptism! 

The coolest thing that has happened over these last two transfers that I have had here, is that one day the zone leaders and all the district leaders got together and we talked about what we needed to do to start having success and to start baptizing.  We talked about a bunch of things and we narrowed it down to just simply planning. Just like it says in our planners.  Which probably sounds like the most ridiculous thing in the world.  But that's really where everyone was faulting. And nobody in the mission was doing it.  So we started to put it in to practice as leaders. And we started to see some results. So then we taught it to our districts and did some verification and really made sure that they were doing it as well. And it started to work for them also.  Then, suddenly all the numbers shot up. The attitude of the my district personally, was completely different. Then all of the sudden the baptisms more than doubled and the  church attendance increased.  But mostly, the faith of every missionary was incredible! 

The biggest thing that I learned was that... EVERYTHING starts with the basics and that you will never achieve anything if you don't plan! 

As I was preparing for my district meeting in which we were going to talk about planning. I remembered a very valuable lesson that Brother Driggs taught when he was my Sunday School teacher. I remembered I Nephi chapter 3 and 4 and I applied it to planning! 

We read of three situations in which Nephi and his brothers try to obtain the plates.

The first atempt being them NOT PLANNING, simply casting lots to see who should go to and try to obtain the plates. The results... they failed.

Then we read about the second time, that they actually did make plans.  They made a plan to have success and they put it in to play.  The results... they failed again.

Then we read of the third attempt. Nephi, being humbled consulted the Lord, had a plan, was guided by the spirit and did as the Lord told him. The results... they obtained the plates.

I learned that in the mission we can plan everyday.  We can even plan very good everyday.  But if we never plan anything in our lives with the Lord, or if we try to do anything that we think will be better than the way of the Lord.  It is better not to plan at all.  Because in the end the results are the same. they both fail. BUT, when we do plan with the Lord, and we do the things the way he has told us to do it we have... SUCCESS!!!! 

I am so greatful for the last transfer that I had here because had I not been here I would have never learned such a valuable life lesson! 

Wow, this week has been a crazy week but also a very good one. This last week I have been sick almost all week, but I am better now. Yesterday, my companion and I got a phone call from the AP's telling us my companion has to pack up his bags and be at the bus terminal in an hour for an emergency transfer! So now I've got a new companion from El Salvador and he is super, super.  But I mean he's a super cool guy!!!!!! 

My recent convert is doing super, super good! He just today came to lunch with us and he is going to go out with us tomorrow to go and visit with a friend he wants us to teach! He is such a crazy but super cool guy!

This last sunday we had probably the most spiritual sacrament that we have had the whole time I have been here. Because it was the farewell of a missionary. The first one in like 10 years for this ward! So that was super wonderful and I have never seen the ward on such a spiritual high! It made me super happy to see them like that. 

Everything is going wonderful! I'm almost positive that I will get transferred this next week. JUST when things start going amazing. But that's my life!  I am just going to work as hard as I can so that the ward leaves my hands in really good condition! 

Anyways, that's all for today! Sorry I have little time like always! I love you all, and thank you so much for all that you do, and for your support and prayers!  

Well, this week was a good one. Because we had a baptism. And this guy is freakin crazy, but super sick and super intelligent. He knows a ton about the gospel and studies the scriptures so much, so it's super cool. I'm most happy about this baptism, because he is the first brother that I have baptized and he is now going to recieve the priesthood. I think here in the near future he will be called to be a leader of the ward. As of right now he wants to start a ward choir and do a ton of stuff with the ward which is super cool. He is super, super smart in the music side of things so we definitely get along well. Haha. I am extremely excited too because he is a potential Priesthood Holder. I am going to do everything so that he understands how wonderful, but also how important such an oportunity is to have the priesthood.

Anyways, hate to cut things short but I have to be obedient to the rules! I love you all!