Nov. 20th

December 17, 2017

Gonna switch up my format:

Funny:

1. I had a goal to not eat bread one day..... I had 4. It is impossible because they offer it and you cannot refuse it.

2. We had a pull up contest this week. I only had to get to 6 to win.... LOL. (I won don't worry)

3. Thursday was quite possibly the WORST DAY EVER. SO. I come into my room an animal had somehow gotten into our house and pooped all over my room and PEED on my suit. It still smells. Then I was teaching a lesson and set my backpack on the ground in a puddle of cat pee for over an hour. THEN there was a baptism for the hermanas in our branch and I was cleaning the font and I dropped my agenda in the font and ruined everything from the last 5 weeks. It was a funny day.

4. Went on a hike today with a family in our ward and they were telling us how intense it was. IT TOOK 3 HOURS when it should have taken like 30 minutes. So easy but wow they are not climbers here.

Cool:

1. Hitchhiked for the first time on the mission (I did it a lot in Hawaii)

2. Watched the best 2 years last P Day.

3. There is a new elder in our zone from Malaga, Spain (where I went this summer). He speaks so funny. I am finally not the newbie. There is also a new elder from the states and I asked him how the MTC was and he did not understand me. I was like WOAH WAS I REALLY THAT CLUELESS 10 WEEKS AGO.

4. I learned how to ride a bike with no hands (turns and everything)! Super useful I know.

Random:

1. Sang in church and a baptism.

2. A hermana in my zone knows danville because she is friends with the ROBINS!

3. Elections for Chile were yesterday so it was SUPER hard to get people to come to church.

4. Officially started journal #2 for my mission.

5. We had ZONE CONF. There are 32 people in my zone. It was so funny because we had to learn our parts of 17 hymns (I felt like I was in choir again). Then he made us all go up and do a type of quartet to see who knew their parts. He then picked 4 (one from each part) and I was the Tenor he picked! There is a competition to see who gets to record the songs for next year's christmas! ALSO, got a package (thanks mom and dad!!).

This week we saw several miracles.

1. The talks yesterday in church were quite literally written for our investigators. Miguel and Macarena who are not married and do not want to get married. The talks were on the family proclamation and on how to have spiritual experiences through prayer (which they need to take more seriously). I know thus meesage is EXACTLY what they needed to hear! Also, they said 3 weeks ago they could not come to church because their kid has soccer, BUT they came and he said he would rather come t0o church then go to play soccer!

2. Zone Conference was all about not being mad when people do not listen or try to argue with you. That is something we have been really trying to focus on these past weeks as my comp can get quite heated if someone contradicts themself. We cannot be mad otherwise we cannot teach like christ. Our nametag says JESUS CHRIST in bold and we always need to strive to live/teach like him.

3. We were in Colbun, our pueblo, like an hour away by bus and we had a member with us teaching. We got a call saying someone tried to rob his house and ended up knifing his dog. He and his mom live there and LUCKILY nobody was home when this all went down as they could have been seriously hurt. We raced back and helped their dog. (he is doing well, but there was blood EVERYWHERE).

4. We were standing in the shade one day outside this house. This old grandma comes up to us and invites us in her home. She tells us how the night before she had a dream 2 white angels of christ came and visited her. She said we were angels! She had never talked to missionaries and felt SO BLESSED to have us in her home. We teach about 30 lessons every week but the people of chile are LAZY and it is soooo difficult to get people to come to church. BUT, we are hoping she progresses! A little hard because she is old and has health issues.

One thing we have tried to work on this week is being optimisitic. In a funny, yet serious way. For example, we taught this guy Juan, and he promised he was going to come to church. We called him Sunday and his son said he was had left to the center of town (opposite way of church). So of course we could be like... "well he is not coming to church", but instead we make the most of it and say "Oh he is just taking the long way" or "oh he probably is just going to get his daily coffe since we have not taught him the word of wisdom yet" HAHA it definitely makes the situation better when things are not going your way. I have had a goal to always try to have a smile on my face since I am a representative of Jesus Christ. Like how cool is that. I need to wear that name like he is with me.

Love you all. Hope these emails are going through. I am being told sometimes they do not. Have an amazing thanksgiving! Seriously take some time this week to think about all the blessings you have. Being here has made so grateful for every opportunity I have been given. Till next week!

~ Elder Nord