Thursday, February 24, 2011

Tricking in Chile haha!!

2/21/11

Ok so this past week has been awesome! A lot of stress, a lot of phone calls but we are getting a lot more of our lessons with members now which = super important.

Haha mom don´t kill me but we went on a trip to Frutillar as a district and there were kids tricking on the beach. So I had them spot me real quick for a backflip and then i was good to do things on my own again haha!!!! It was really good though! I felt so good after, so refreshed. Plus its a really good workout and i was soar for like 3 days after. Super awesome! Turns out they were investigators of Elder Nelson and Gonzalez cause they said hi and stuff it was cool.

Ok i am going to send the sd card with photos today. So be excited! Haha there are a couple videos at the end. I am totally sick again so sorry if I dont appear to have much energy and appear like i am going to die. Its because i don´t and i do feel like that haha.

Cool story. There is this one investigator named Amanda. She comes to church every week. She has for 2 or 3 years. Maybe more. But she won´t get baptized again. She doesn´t think she can. But with the spirit, our testimonies, and she finally understood the apostasy she accepted a baptismal date. It was really cool. Now we have to make sure she understands everything and it will happen hopefully!

Like 5 elders from our zone are heading down to Coyaigue and Puntas Arenas. Super south, bottom of the world. Our zone is leading the mission! So all the really good Elders that the Pres. doesn´t worry about are heading down there. But Elders play a lot of jokes during transfers, even the assistant, cause everyone wants to go south, or be a leader.... So we won´t REALLY know until tomorrow or wednesday.

We have been meaning to change Fresia, tell the members they have a problem for a long time, but now we are going to do it. Menos activos have always told us these "problems" the branch and we have never paid much attention to it. Certain people here, but we have talked to other members and the problem is there is just no love here. No charity. The apostles talked to all of the south of Chile, and they talked about just that. And all of the other problems we have in Chile, Fresia specifically. It was Elder D. Todd Christofferson, and Elder Boyd K. Packer, and Elaine Dalton of the relief society. It was pretty intense. They say they are scared for Chile, because people aren´t married, aren´t having kids, aren´t being loving nor having charity and sharing the gospel. A whole bunch of things. And with the apostles confirming our thoughts we are going to do it. They used some heavy hypocrisy doctrine and so will we.

People always talk about Charity and its really great and all but they don´t do it. What good does a knowledge of the scriptures do if you don´t apply it? We are going to organize things as a Presidency how we feel according to the lord and say nothing of it until we interview the people and give the callings. Too often have we been sort of manipulated by some members. but now we are making the decisions.

Lately I have been working on trying to love people more, show compassion, show people that i care about them. I really like 1 Thess. 2. It is great. That is what i am aiming for right now as being a missionary. Preaching the gospel like Jesus Christ would do it. Not talk at people, but with them. The scripture at the end is like "you are our joy and glory" something like that. And i thought, do i feel like that towards my investigators? How do i see them? As a person, a friend, a brother/sister who i constantly urge to do the good or just another person we are changing.

The joy of missionary comes from the changes of the investigators lives and how happy you are for them. But if you aren´t really putting your full interest into them. every one of them, how can you possibly have the pure joy when they change. Thats what i have been thinking about. I want to teach, help, urge my investigators so much to where they will change and progress, and I will be very very happy.

I had that gift when I first got in the mission and it seems I have lost it or something. So now I am really trying to talk with people, be friends, ask them what they are searching for. Not just teaching them doctrine at every point I can. But more of a conversation.

I love you all! Thank you for everything! I´m trying to think of things if i need anything.... Elina i got your letter! Jill too! Umm... send me talks from lds.org you like!!! Scott and James your papers should be in really soon here! Get to it! Cool! Love you all!

There is a big difference between the Pharisees and Jesus Christ.

Elder Reeder.

Summer in Chile!!!

2/14/11
cool story dad. i did what you told me with the apostasty guy and a lot more by the spirit. it was really miracle i dont have time to explain it all now but i just listened to him and yeah ill explain later.

i got another haircut. i think i will send you my flashdrive today por fin hahaha but it will be good. how is everyone doing!!! i realize the answers to my prayers lately it is really cool. i have been praying so hard to find a better way to do missionary work. the answer, is the members. I have this guy hermano pallan who has a lot of experience. i talked to him the other day about his mission. he said he just worked with members and would get 30+ baptism every month!!!!! he is my answer! i am talking with him and trying to put together papers or outlines i can use to teach a capacitation and get members motivated to share the gospel. i will us it the rest of my mission if i can make it really good and learn how to work with members really good.

ALL OF YOU AT HOME SHARE THE GOSPEL! THAT MEANS INVITE PEOPLE TO CHURCH! TO YOUR HOUSE TO HEAR THE MISSIONARYS!!!! THE TIME TO DO MISSIONARY WORK IS TODAY! NOT TOMORROW!

okay dad to answer your question. maybe i guess what i REALLY like is when you send me talks from general authoritys. just, wow they are the bomb. so maybe send me 2 or 3 you like a week or something. i love reading them. one i really like is President Kimballs vision on missionary work by ezra taft benson. i am really trying to get better at working with members to share the gospel. the best missionaries know how to transfer this vision found in this talk. if you imagine, every family bringing an investigator (friend) to church. talking with them, bringing them to us, that would be at the least 20 investigators in church (in fresia its way small) 20 progressing towards baptism and potentially 20 baptisms every month. 20x1. or 20 times bigger than the standard of one. SO FAMILY what i really need from you is to tell me doubts about sharing the gospel, why dont you do it, how i can make you feel comfortabel about doing, how i can give you a desire, what activities i could do to get people excited and bringing people church. just give me ideas!!!!!!!! and you should all be bringing at LEAST one person to church who isnt a member every week!!! get them to talk with the missionarys. they know exactly how to teach what you have a hard time explaining.

Also another thought i had was about magnifying your priesthood. I read in the ensign "a true priesthood man is one who successfully invites and helps people come unto christ". something like that. but from what i understood is sharing the gospel, and helping fulfill all your duties (passing, preparing, blessing sacrament etc.). But sharing the gospel. I felt pretty good because im a true man for 2 years of my life hahaha!!! And I plan on being one for the rest of my life! You have no idea HOW EXCITED I AM to talk with friend with this knowledge i have of how to share the gospel. How simple it is, all i need to do. Im excited to be a meber and leave with the missionaries. But for the rest of you priesthood holders. Magnify your priesthood. Participate. Prepare for a mission. The lord needs missionaries. The second coming is coming soon, and god wants all of his children. If not, you are waiting, share the gospel with your friends. Attend a mission prep. class. Study pmg lesson 3 all the lesson. SHARE THE GOSPEL! THAT IS A TRUE PRIESTHOOD MAN! BE LIKE ALMA, THE SONS OF MOSIAH, NEPHI, PETER, JOHN THE BAPTIST, ALL OF THE MEN IN THE BOOK OF MORMON ARE MISSIONARYS. Kind of puts things in perspective right? Jesus christ was the greatest because he was the greatest servant. What better way to serve your fellow men then giving them eternal life and the holy ghost, revelation and peace for their lives. Think about it. John the Baptist only had the aaronic priesthood, and he baptized the son of god. Deacons and teachers and priests can help. Share the Gospel. Learn how, and do it.
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but ya dad, talks. TALKS!!!! that would be cool if you could find on the apostasy, stuff on points in preach my gosepl in chapter 3. so i can have a really good understanding of the principles in preach my gospel. i dont know you think!

MOM QUESTIONS.
Okay Mom to answer to your questions!
I got a blessing from Hermano Pallan last monday, and I felt better the day of. So yes i feel great!

Yes i realize i hit my six month mark in like 3 days. pretty crazy how time flies! i should be a better missionary by now! haha everyone tells me it takes time but i want to get it all figured out and working really effectively right now. know how people feel, how to react, how to help. so much i want to do now! but i have to be patient i guess.

yes i was able to download grateful. i have yet to play it! so yes you can send all the of the music like that. thatd be awesome. there is a lot of music in a folder of the left computer, one of mine. piano stuff? i dont know. but thatd be cool if you could send that halo song in that folder! and also the rising!!! also with sending all of those PLEASE SEND ME PHOTOS!!!!! like of me tricking, some of my profile photos of long ago where i am tricking and upside down (not that long ago pretty new actually) or the cool one of me snowboarding on the desktop where i am getting a ton of air. i dont have many photos. :( i was happy with all of the lax photos. but to send you just attach them to the email!!! i can print them here. save them to my flash drive etc which is way cool and small.

my allergies are good now. as long as i take the stuff.

yes i heard there was another. i felt the first pretty crazy. we have emergency backpacks all of us that wev prepared for earthquakes. a 72 hour kit. its pretty legit haha but were ready. we have a bunch of cool code words for when the mission president calls us.

ERIN TELL ME ABOUT JON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

haha i havent gotten any letters from elina :(. elina they are lost in the mail!!!!!!!! well really i dont know but im assuming. :(

yes i got that shirt. its cool and fits good but i dont get it. i think thats the point isnt it. haha people just look at it and are confused.

transfers are next tuesday. i think i might go. i have no idea. i love fresia but i feel like im ready to start over fresh. here is really small, well no really but we have talked to like everyone here. i feel like we are just cutting down the area book of people who dont want us, or dropping people so we can find people who are ready to keep commitments and really want to know. it is insane how we still manage to find 10 new people every week!

the book of mormon manual thing i bought at the distribution center. maybe you could just buy another. just ask their opinion on what is the best to study it i guess i dont know. or maybe even better one on the new and old testament. im just doing it by reading and maybe not catching the important things sometimes. i want to STUDY STUDY. also maybe some missionary materials or something?? im not really sure... i guess i should just stick to really simple things and teach really simple but as far as studying i like to study by subject so i really understand it and have a deep understanding and testimony and break it down and explain it really simply haha. a gospel principles book! a normal one in english! son buenos! maybe a symbolism book. that would be way cool.


Well i guess that is all. I gotta go. I love you all. Happy LATE LATE BIRTHDAY MATTHEW! I FINALLY REMEMBERED TO WRITE IT TODAY!



ELDER REEDER.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Hello Family!

2/07/11

Whoo... well it is 8:00 in the morning over here in Chile. We are going to Volcano Osorno in a couple of minutes. I am really tired hahahaha I was reallly really sick yesterday. I think i got dehydrated and a pretty bad fever from fasting, but i think i sweated it all out last night. It was pretty rough hahaha but i am ok now i think.

Alright, so things are going pretty good here in Fresia! I will probably be leaving pretty soon but yeah things are going great!

Lately I have been reading a lot, trying to focus more on the Book of Mormon and conference talks. Sometimes I study preach my gospel too much when i really need to just give myself some time and enjoy reading, haha I feel like I am always just searching for answers to peoples questions, planning lessons etc. But yes it is helping me a lot.

Wow I am really tired. :p

It is pretty cool what is happening with one of our investigators. He is becoming converted. His name is Mario. We taught him yesterday and his mom (we have never taught) just had a ton of questions, and rumors that aren´t true in her head. It was a little nuts, but Mario told his mom to calm down and listen, he was defending us and the Book of Mormon. Pretty cool.

I guess what I have learned a lot lately is peoples points of view over here. A large majority of the people with who I talk don´t feel good in the churches. Catholic, evangelic, all of them. They don´t believe they are true, they don´t feel right being there. It is sad because they don´t believe they are true, that any of the churches on the earth and true and that God doesn´t exist. It is really frusturating to tell people, WE KNOW WHY! WE HAVE THE ANSWER! But they are just so put out about how wrong all the other churches they have no hope to hear us. The attitude of, oh it is just another church that says the same thing.

So I guess I would say be very grateful for the knowledge you have. People here have books of questions. They are living in darkness. People spread so many rumors about Mormons it is crazy. Everything always talkes about the Smit. They say it like that. Who is the smit? Polygamy, all sorts of things.

I´m sorry i can´t remember what i learned this week!!!! All i know from this week is yesterday the holy ghost really helped me out. I was REALLY sick, but it would periodically give me comfort, make me feel good. Thats a little hard to explain haha, but yes it works. It helped me out a lot.

I love your emails, you should definitely fill me in more on what happened with Erin & Jon! Don´t have too much time today. Uggh I am tired hahaha. Read the conference talks they are really good. I really like the one about the 2 lines of communication. Also the consecrating our lives. I know my priorities when i get home. 1. God 2. Family 3. Fellow Man 4. Myself. That means I will get work to work around my family and church. More time with my family = Better. :)

Also, about the two lines of communication. I really liked it. A incative youth here tells us he thinks god doesn´t want him to serve a mission cause he had a "dream" or something. But really if you read that talk it explains, that that doesn´t work. I won´t explain it all read it.

I love you all. Love each other. Be grateful for EVERYTHING you have. I love it here, I am just a little out of it and tired from being sick, maybe still sick, and it is early. I encourage you all to read the general conference talks, they contain a lot of good info. :)

Elder Reeder.