Elder Reeder - The Field is White and Aready to Harvest Inbox x

July 9, 2012

Hello Family!

Dad i hope all goes well with treatment. District 42B (from the MTC) is going to fast for you this thursday! Elder Nelson, Elder Himes, Elder Fonda, Elder Williamson, Elder Turner, and I. Elder Nelson is AP right now, so he´ll call everyone so it happens. I pray for you and everyone else daily. Thanks for doing your best! Good for spanish!

My contacts have not come yet! I dont know why! I feel pretty lame walking round in glasses. I think it bad on my self esteem/confidence hahaha. I change. I dont know if i need an appointment... MOM I WANT LASIK!! It would be great, it would put an end to a lot of problems, and in the long run we save money. Right? That is crazy that Galovich is engaged. Holy cow. Tell him congrats and im glad he findly made a decision hahaha. Good for him. I think her name is katie? I dont know andrew. I dont remember brayden unless you give me a last name... 

About my schedule... I have been pondering about this.... I think i want to study business law or sales. Not marketing anymore. I dont know how it works... is it a branch of business? Or do i just go through business school with a major, and then to law school after? Elder Nelson has talked to President Rappleye and President Corbridge about it, and i talked to Elder Nelson about it, and i guess people who are needed are lot are those have studied law. Because you cant do business without contracts and a lot of law things. I want to be involved with the products whatever they are, directly involved, so i would like sales also... I talked to a member in the ward who is a lawyer, he cleared up a lot of questions i had in relation to lawyers and the church. Turns out President Lovell was a lawyer, Presient Corbridge, and Elder Amado. It would be a useful skill, but i want to focus on business. Thus business law. I think a good job will fuel all the fun things i want to do in life. I feel like work is work, so i dont mind working. Play is play. Trying to combine the two is hard, but this major i think will open up a lot of paths and opportunities for me to eventually start my own business and investing. It will be useful!! So that is what i am thinking. I am down to study hard and i would like to be the best in my class with grades etc.... Actually understand things, not memorize them.

the schedule looks great if i end having to settle for utah state for the semester. it looks awesome! thanks!  I have also been thinking... Mom could you go to talk to a counselor at BYU and figure out what i need to do to get in??? I have been brainstorming, and i have heard from an elder there is some school that elders go to before they go to byu, where all the credits will transfer. i am just worried that i will have classes that wont transfer.... then going to school for a semester at utah state will be in vain. and i would like to get in as soon as possible, even if it is this semester. i feel this... i dont know why. i will find my future wife there!! ( i am just so trunky right?)  but i am serious. maybe i should go to UVU , i dont mind traveling to visit the family, but this is what i feel. i dont know how i am going to make it happen, could you find out mom? maybe you need to do some searching and pull some strings, but i trust you. if you can just get me in, that would be awesome. 

everthing sounds good for the talks. i like that topic. how can we become like jesus christ if we dont know who he is? cool. i was imagining sooner in my head. i am a little scared of coming home. i feel a lot of pressure of going back to who i was before, i have thought about changes in my life thanks to the mission. i dont think it means i am going to stop snowboarding etc. i will just have my priorites straight and use my time wisely for the most important things. so life will be better. like before, just on a higher level. YEAH! thats cool that jared called! my shoes are always all wet, but we are having lots of baptisms!! so yEAH! 

Felipe!

Siga siendo ejemplo de los creyentes!!! Enseñe el evangelio al vivir el evangelio. Aunque sea super lógico lo que compartimos, yo creo que la mejor forma de sacar a algien de la oscuridad, es mediante el ser una luz. Amar. El amor es muy poderoso, y combinado con una buena enseñanza crea milagros de verdad. Me encanta 1 Cor. 13:1. Yo creo que aunque la genta nos odia, debemos amarla. Como nos enseña en el sermón del monte. "De que nos sirve amar a alguien que yo nos ama? Como somos diferente de los del mundo?" Jaja me alegra felipe. Que todo le vaya muy bien.

Elder Reeder

Mauricio!

Como está amigo? Ojalá que bien. Bueno, estoy pensando en algo bakán que aprendí. Jaja, nada. Bueno, lea conferencia general!! Es super bueno. Le prometo amigo que si busca  revelación encontrará respuestas. "Pedid, y se os dará". No es una sugerencia, es un mandamiento. "Pedid", no "puede pedir" si quieren. ¿Qué habría pasado si José nunca se hiciera una pregunta? ¿Si nunca buscara una respuesta en la biblia? ¿Si nunca siguiera sus sentimientos de preguntar a Dios? ¿Qué habría pasado si él no preguntara a Dios? ¿Cómo ha sido bendecida su vida gradias a una pregunta que el tuvo? ¿Como podría suceder si usted hiciera una pregunta, si buscara? Dios quiere que hagamos preguntas, porque nos conducen a la verdad. Incluso nos da respuestas a preguntas que deberíamos haber hecho. Es bakan. Nos ama tanto. Revelación es real amigo, busquela! Es lo mejor en momentos difíciles.

Elder Reeder

Elder Reeder - Well we´re here aren´t we?

	July 2, 2012

Hello family!

This past week was spectacular. We taught a lot. We found a lot of new investigators. We have another baptism this week!! THhe mom of the invesitgator who was baptized the other week! And we have a few others going to church that are awesome and have dates to get baptized..... SOOOO AWESOOMMMEE!!!! All is well. i went and got an echo for my problem... nothing wrong or serious. it looks like its the veins... he said to go see an urologist. the pills sort of helped with the swelling. i had to use personal money and im getting remibursed.

My companion and i are working out a lot. i made a plan, and a health plan. I am eating really healthy hahahha and i am getting in really good shape. so it is pretty cool. i am happy. i feel like i have learned to get whatever i want in life since i have been in the mission. goals+plans+faith=THE WORLD. this is interesting, the word "poder" in spanish has to meanings. 1. the verb, to can, or to be able to. 2. the noun, power. a really coincidence. creer es poder, y poder es poder. to believe is to can. and can is power. its my little saying haha. spanish/english comparing, language studying is awesome.

this week i had a sweeeeeet study. i will walk you through it. i was pondering on jacob 4:8-10. what is the greatest miracle ever? which is the greater miracle? the fact that jesus walked on water, or the fact that the water exists. the fact that noah built an ark, or the fact that there is a giant flood in the first place. the bigger is miracle is that these things exist in the first place. and if god CREATED these things, then what is keeping him from commanding them at his will?? nothing.

another thing. an elder from the zone had an investigator that had a question. i have thought about it. how could noah build an ark if nails exist back then? and other questions similar. my question is, if you were god in that situation/position what would you do??? brainstorm it.

if god didnt create everything, then who or what did? how do we exist? you findit easier to believe that an atom exploded, created itselft, and boom we all existed? which is harder to believe? that, or the fact that a supreme being organized and created this earth with a purpose and a plan... they are both pretty unbelievable... but here we are, we exist. i dont think we created our selves, nor the world.

what evidence is there that god doesnt exist? what do you get out of that? what does that mean for you? what are the results/consequences of that belief?

what evidence is there that god exists? what do you get out of that? what does that mean for you? the results? the consequences?

All theories are pretty unbelieveable, yet here we are, we exist. Why cant we learn more? Why is there no answer? because according to the plan of salvation we will after the millenium and when christ comes. but he wont let us right now.

the answers to everything are found in the book of mormon. i exhort all to read it. it is the greatest evidence there is that god exists, that joseph smith was a prophet, and the rest goes with it. the coincidence of how perfectly the universe, solar system, plant life, and human life is organized and how its perfect order... i dont think its a coincidence. the answers i get to prayers. answers that others get. the coincidence that these come at the very moment of obedience to gods commandments. prophecies and promies fulfilled.....

now if this is all true.... the this is gods work, we are his sons and daughters. we are his servants in his work and we WILL see miracles and success. and it will never stop growing. we must follow the prophet and god and we will never go astray. it is a big responsibility we have to make know these things. to know them.

and it is all true if the book of mormon is the word of god. i think it would be worth it reading it more than once, and i think it would be important to invite others to do the same. it all seems kind of crazy, but here we are, we exist.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!! thank you grandma and grandpa for the bday money!! happy birthday mother!!! i forgot how old you are?

felipe,  esa historia es super bakan!!! una vez pensé que yo tenía diabetes, iba al baño, siempre tomaba agua, y tenía mucha sed. despues de hacer todo lo que podía, pedí una bendición a mi compañero. fue increíble, mi cuerpo se llenó del espirtu por unos segundos, despues sentí mejor. fue poderoso. yo lloré. esto fue en futrono despues que me fuí de puerto montt. todo en ese sector estaba mal. no había mapa, había seniza, mi compañero era nuevo y podía hablar, y todo estaba mal, y esto fue lo ultimo que yo necestiaba. no quería pedirlo hasta que hiciera todo que podía. por fin lo hice, y fue WOW!!! mande saludos a mauricos tambien!! no me queda mas tiempo!!!

Con Amor,

Elder Reeder

Elder Reeder - Is 21!!

Jun 25, 2012

Hello Family!

I am 21!!! I can totally drink now if i want to!!! BUT now i will NOT do so because i choose not to. Not by obligation of the law. I think i will get more blessings for doing so.
Things are going great here! I am deciding to write all of of my converts now. That means less time for you guys.... but i will organize it all well.

we had a baptism the week! its like a domino effect, now the whole family wants to get baptized!!! sooo cool!!!!! We found a new investigator this week, he accepted fecha and went to church. such a blessings. i often contemplate what wouldve happened if we didnt falling our impressions finding him and others... it is quite incredible how the lord prepares others. we arent finding many right now, but we are being very effecive in how we teach them. so i am psyched. everything is great!!! my companion is dying, it is fun to watch hahahaha no, we have to make sure we are dililigent and endure to the end. i love being a missionary. i love you all. i pray for dad, uncle steve, sherrie, and everyone.... asi que no se preocupe, todos estan protegidos por nuestro padre celestial. :)

Elder Reeder

Elder Reeder - Learning.

	June 18, 2012

Hello Family!!!

This week was greeatttt!!!! Mother thank you for the cake and all the birthday goodies. I made it myself because i was afraid that mamita would put some crazy chilean style to it if i gave it to her, but i just want a good old american baked cake. So i made it. It was good. I couldnt wait, i wasnt eating the frosting, and i was afraid it would run out before my bday so i cooked and ate everything in a few days. THANK YOU!!! Thank you grammy and grandad for the letter and the money. I am grateful for the support and for all you do for me.

Wish dad luck on his treatments. I am praying for him, steve, and sherrie. Tell dad happy fathers day!!! I am feeling pretty good lately. I am definitely learning how to be a better leader. I am learning how to ask forgiveness. There is just not one specific way to treat everyone. An elder felt like i was being a little too overbearing because i was following up on some things, simply asking questions, but i guess he felt unconfortable, or he feels uncomfortable in general when i talk to him. Really crazy beacause i try to be really nice. But everyone is different. For example, scriptures really motivate me and get me pumped up, so i WOULD like to share scriptures with elders when they get down on themselves. But a lot of elders see that as a "palo" or a leader correcting an elder, then people get offended. It really bothers me that elders think like that. I was thinking a lot about how i can improve the way i say things so people dont feel bad.... in the end i didnt come to any solid conclusion. I feel like elders get offended for silly things. Not matter what i do, i am learning, i am no perfect, and i am probably going to step on a lot of peoples toes and offend a lot of people doing so. I cant please everyone and i have a duty to fulfill, you do too, lets do this together. I notice when i overthink things, they sometimes turn out worse, so i will just have faith and trust in what i say and elders and when i mess up i will say sorry. We are all learning.

We have a baptism this week!!! And her brother and mom have fecha!!! YEAHH!!!! I am excited! The zone is doing really well, except on baptisms. So we just need to change the focus a little bit. But all is well. I am having a good time, my companion is going to die soon, it pretty nuts, but i am having a good time with him. There is a lot of opportunity right now!

Elder Reeder!!!

Elder Reeder - ¡PROGRESO!

June 11, 2012

Hello Family!

This week was awesome! The zone is most definitely progressing and things are looking good. To answer questions, Elder Corbridge is the Seventy, the area president of chile. But since they are uniting the chile area and argetina into one big area he is being relieved. He is really cool. It was way awesome.

I think one of the biggest things that i am learning lately is about D&C 121. Controlling the powers of heaven hahaha. I dont even know how to explain it. I am learning the balance between FAITH, REVELATION,POWER + Governed by love and the principles of righteousness. How to explain this.... An example. During sacrament meeting i started think about the zone, i had questions ready and i was looking for some answers. Wel anyways, so i started getting ideas and impressions, and basically i wrote a whole bunch of things, simply put the zone needs to learn how to receive revelation etc.... So i wrote a whole buch of things based on how, why, when etc. to help the zone. Experiences. I wrote this all in sacraent meeting. When we got to priesthood, (without me knowing this beforehand), the topic was revelation. So cool.... hahaha.

Also, a stake guy was talking about church attendance and our visits, and i got thinking and came to a a conlusion and asked all the class "How do we know if our visits are effective?", which had nothing to do what he was talking about, and he said "that is what i am getting to, just a few moments" he ended up having to leave it for the next class. But revelation is so awesome! It is real!!  I see evidence and power of the gospel manifested every day and i dont think these are just a bunch of crazy coincidences. Getting revelation is like lifting weights. You get stronger and faster. You get better at findng answers quicker. The 1st time it is slow, and with experience one is able to find answers faster. Mind+Holy Ghost. Sometimes i get a headache (that when i know its a good talk) and i dont want to receive revelation. Or i dont think it will work. But yesterday once again strenghtned my testimony that it is real and that i should probably we willing to recive and follow it.

So with all of this power and revelation and really cool things...one has to be really careful with them. It is really powerful. I feel like i have a wrecking ball in my hands and i have to be careful and not just through it around, because if i am not careful it can do a lot of damage. I remember the other day i was invited to talk about one topic for 5min., something i think the zone needed, so i talked about it and made some points, and a lot of elders started tearing up and start crying. So i made sure they were ok and that we were good afterwards. But wow, it is amazing. I dont think leaders notice the power and authority they have, and what effects it can have when it is used the wrong/right way. It has a really big influence. So i guess i am learning to "govern" that. It is really cool. It has been a really edifying experience.

My comps name is clay frost. He is from orem. He say she thinks he knows the wolstenhuums. He is dead this cambio, i am killing him. This is his last cambio, then i am going to die here. Really depressing. But we try not to think about it and work hard. That awesome news for corbin and david. No matter where you serve, you shouldnt serve anywhere else. I know that i came here to chile for a reason. Wherever you get your call to it because they need YOU THERE. Your personality. And that mission is exactly for you. I remember elders joking about others going stateside etc... forgive for my strong language, but obviously do not understand the gospel, nor revelation, and are idiots and need to grow up. Sorry about that, it just really bothers me. Be happy with your call. It will change your life if you have the right attitude.

I LOVE AND PRAY FOR YOU ALL!!

ELDER REEDER

Elder Reeder - President Corbridge en la gran misión chile osorno!!!!

June 5, 2012

Hello Family y amigos!

This week has been nuts. We just had cambios in the mission, and the zone got a facelift. Its pretty exciting to see what ground we are going to make now. My new companion is Elder FROST!!!! hahaha yep we are together. FYI Elder frost was in pichipelluco right after me hahaha. He is from Orem, Utah, and wrestled for UVU. He is awesome, we are getting along great.

President Corbridge came to the mission and we had a zone conference. It was crazy, everything seemed kind of hectic, but in the end everything went extremely smooth. There was a special number we prepared for like 5 min. before and it worked out great!! It was a great spirtual experience. He talked about how without being aware we are all affected by our environment, and it changes how we think, thus changing who we become, losing control of who we become, how we act etc. But with the scriptures Alma 31:5, treasuring them up every day, we can prevent this, and fill our minds with the words of life which will influence us more than anything and have great effect. It was sweet. You cannot even imagine. He talked about how there was a study of two groups, and basically one group read words like "old" "greasy" etc. and that group did everything slower subconsicously.... Wow!!! Everything affects us in our environment, but the word of god protects us and gives us the power we need to change our lives and become who we want to be, and most important, who heavenly father wants us to be. He talked about a lot of other cool things as well!!!!

I love you all, thanks for the news. I am going to be writing my converts now too in the email, i should have been doing this a while ago, so that means i have less time for you guys! But when i get home we will talk about eveything. Thanks a lot coach atwood for the email. I am super excited to talk to you when i get done hahaha, i think i am a lot smarter now. Jared, that i so awesome that jenina got baptized. Elder Basset told me yesterday!!! YEAH!!!! I am praying for you Dad always, the atonement will heal you quickly.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Elder Reeder

Para Mauricio y Felipe

Amigos, por favor perdonenme por no haberles escrito. Soy super malo para cartas, bueno escribí unas pero estoy buscando sobres. Soy un gil, lo sé. Sin embargo, se me ocurrió la idea de escribirles en mis emails. No se porque no lo pensé antes. Amigos, Elder Frost me contó lo que ha pasado con ustedes ultimamente y es tan genial. Ustedes son increíbles de verdad. Me hace tan feliz. Por ustedes dos la misión valió la pena. Me ecanta la misión obviamente, pero ustedes son tan especiales. Estan bautizando a otras personas y ayudandolas a seguir al salvador. Uno como misionero a veces siente que por más que se esfuerza no tiene mucho efecto en las vidas de los demás, pero ahora ni puedo imaginar los efectos. Es muy genial. Estaré escribiendoles todas las semanas de aquí en adelante. Lo siento otra vez, siempre pienso en ustedes y siempre estan en mis oraciónes. Felicitaciones por todo!!!! Manden saludos a Pablo, vanessa, Conni, Yenni, la flia olguin y a todos!!! LES QUIERO!!!
 - Elder Reeder

Elder Reeder - "The commandment is to love..."

Colin Reeder ✆ colin.reeder@myldsmail.net
May 28, 2012

¡Hola Familia! Como estaí!!!!

Esta semana ha sido increíble. This week has been incredible. We had intercambios with the asistants. What i noticed was that they are not incredible teachers or anything special. They are just like us. What i did notice, the big difference is that they have sooooooo much love for the people. That is what really stuck out to me and left a big impression on me. We just talked to our investigators, about life, about work, things they like to do, and their problems. It was amazing, they all opened up. It really impacted me. I love people, but i never show it, therefore i dont love. I dont know why, i always overcomplicate things. But elder gomez (the assitant) told me, stop thinking about loving and do it. Stop finding reasons to not do it and do it. I am beginning to change everything, how i teach, how i talk to people, everything. I just repeat in my head "the commandment is to love" "the commandment is to love". So that is what i am doing. I feel like there has been a glass wall keeping me from doing it but i broke it!!!! Elder gomez told me that the happiness and great experiences you have from doing so highly outways the moments when people abuse the confidence. It made sense. So that is what i am doing. Elder urrutia and i are getting along great. Really good. With our new investigators we are more concernced about talking with them and gaining their trust and we are begining to get 2nd visits with all of them. Because we have their trust, we love them, and we are their friends. One who didnt go to church apologized to us for not going because their is trust. That has never happened to me in the mission! It was really sincere like a "sorry i couldnt make it" your friend could say. I see now that we are finding news and holding on to them, and we have a really big growing source of investigators who are going to go to church and get baptized. I feel like this took my whole mission to learn. I feel we are teaching more by the spirit, and i feel like i am following the savior. I feel a sincere concern for the well being of every contacts. I am not so worried about time, but helping people. I feel really happy. I just need to talk to people and love them, then the gospel is the next natural thing that flows out of my mouth. I am really grateful for this cambio with elder urrutia. I think i learned something that is really going to change my life. The balance between being loving and being firm/faithful.

That is super crazy about Elder Rickenbauch running into Lauren. I would have a panic attack or be really surprised. How is he doing? How is everyone doing? I need to be filled in. I hope sherrie, uncle steve, and dad get better soon. I am praying for them. I have been thinking about it a lot, and weighing this out in my head about school..... the pros and cons..... and........ i am thinking i want to go to school at BYU. You will all probably destroy me, but i am very sure and convinced i want to go there. The pros outway the cons. I am thinking of going to utah state for a semester and then transfering, (because i dont want to go him and leave my family in 2 days..). So tell me what you think, but there are a lot of pros. A LOT!!!

The other day we were working in a storm at night. Everything was flooding basically, super windy, and rainy like nuts. We were with a member. Nobody was in the street!!! But we just kept on working. And i just felt soooo happy. I was soaking wet, and everyone was telling us that we are crazy, but i know that there are people who look out their windows into the night, and see three dark figures in black with name tags walking with determination, drenched in rain, inviting others to come to christ, i know when people see us it gives them hope. As long as there are missionaries in the world there will always be hope. Until our very lord jesus christ comes to reign.

Love,

Elder Reeder