Hello beloved family. Santiago has some crazy bad polution, this morning when I woke up I couldn`t see the mountains the smog was so bad. I will send a pic so you can see just how bad it was. We are in a horribe droubt here, it should have rained more that a month ago. With rain it would clear the skies, taking away the horrible polution. We are prohibited to go running outside in the morning. We are in a health emergancy, and as a result only certain cars can leave each day, depending on the licence plate, to keep down the polution. Everybody is getting sick as a result of the bad air, incuding my companion. Pray for rain, please. But pray that it rains in the night so we don`t have to be out in it. Suposedly there is a chemical they can shoot out of a plane to stimulate the rain, and that`s what they are going to do, I don`t understand that part very well, but thats what everybody is saying. This week is going to be different. Today we have pday from 4-10:30, usually 10:30-6:30, which means we were working all morning, which for us meant knocking doors. The bonus is that we get to watch the game tonight, Chile against Uruguay. This sunday we have a special conference for the 2 year anniversary of the mission, and next pday we will have a mission wide pday activity, still a suprise what we will be doing. This sunday we have ward conference, and friday a ward talent show, but I will not divulge the secret of what we will be doing. It should be a blast. I love the bealer pics you all sent me, it looks like you had fun. Everybody looks so much different, incredible how much somebody can change over 2 years. Good luck Amy on your drivers test. I love you all. Thanks for writing me.
This week has been a good week of contacts. Two days we had to go home earlier, 830, because Chile was playing. We beat ecuador but Monday tied Mexico 3-3. We have to beat Bolivia Wednesday, and we can move on the the next round. So these are the highlights of the week, Saturday we had a great lesson with Elena, who we hadn`t been able to get in contact with for a while. She had some doubts about Joseph Smith, why we focus so much on him, and if we worship him. They were common doubts, and we taught a little of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ to help her understand really who Joseph Smith was, the prophet of the restoration. Then we invited her to go to church to find out more about the church, AND SHE WENT. She arrived a little late, but in time for sacrament meeting at 11, which is our last hour. It was so great that she went for her first time. I am excited for our next lesson saturday. We got to know Jona yesterday while we were contacting. He was inside reparing his bike, wearing a Linsanity t-shirt. He doesn`t believe in God, because he has never seen any sign that has showed him that there is a God. We tried to help him understand that the world around us is a sign that their is a God, and that he can know there is a god through the Book of Mormon, and Prayer. He still was not convinced, but likes to learn now things, and seems open to a second visit, another time when we can give a lesson with his Girlfriend. This week has also been a service week. We helped sister Vergara paint, because her daughter recently went to the mission and she wants to move to a department in the center of Santiago. She is doing a few last minute touch ups to the house so she can sell it. Today we helped sister Reyes preparing garbage bag packs to sell, and for P day, we went to Estacion Central, and bought a 40 Kilo Fardo, large bag, of ties, between 8 missionaries. Thats A TON OF TIES. We started choosing one by one our favorites, until all the good ones were gone, and then everyone went for the rest they wanted. After everyone chose the ones they wanted, there was still a ton left over, a few in bad condition that went in the trash, and a few to gift away. Now I have about 60 ties more for 5 dollars. Thats like 10 cents a tie. I love you all, thanks for writing me, I can`t wait to hear more next week. Elder Chandler.
Good news, my comp is a lot healthier now! Friday we had the special conference by Elder Gonzales, of the 70. It was inspirational. His wife talked about what kind of teachers we should be, like Jesus Christ. She talked about many teaching techniques that Jesus Christ used in the New Testament, like asking questions, understanding their situation, using silence so they can ponder and learn and feel the spirit. Elder Gonzales talked about the bad tradition that everything needs to go through the bishop. He said we should use the Elders President more and Relief Society President, and we can utilize the bishop when teaching youth. We should also go to the bishop if somebody has worthiness problems. He talked about the magical question ¿Que opinas Vos?, o ¿Que opinas po? or in English, What is your opinion? He talked about two commandments that we need to strengthen in the people we teach, Keep the sabath day holy, and bieng self sufficient. He talked about Tithing and Fast Offerings which is a way to be more self reliant physically and spiritually. We did practices and he showed us how to leave strong commitments, the most important is that they understand why the commandment is important and they can find the solution if it is hard for them to keep it. It will be more special for them if they find out how to keep the commandments, even when it means sacrifice. Maybe they dont make a lot of money, and dont want to pay tithing, or they work at night and are too tired to go to church in the morning but they will be willing to make the sacrifices neccesary when the undersand its importance. And Sacrifice brings forth blessings. In the end it was a great confrence. He finished talking about love, to expound on what Thomas S Monson talked about in the conference. Afterwards we watched Elder L Tom Perry`s funeral service. It was interesting to me how he went through life at such a fast pace, until the very end of his life. Then they said that there is not a resting place after death, there is plenty of work to do on the other side, and Elder Perry`s apostolic duties will continue on the other side of the viel.
Last week we had stake conference. We have been contacting a lot, and we have found a new investigator. We have been able to talk with her a little, her aunt is a member and so she knows a little about our church. She seems really receptive, and I hope we can get in and teach more. Last time we could get in because her husband arrived later than usual, we hope to teach a little this week. Today we played sports again for pday, soccer, volleyball. I realized I should probably buy more shoes, I was hopping they would last till the end of my mission, the last 6 months. They are starting to part where the leather connects to the sole. I will look for a place where I can get them at an affordable price. The Copa America is starting!!! It is here in Chile this year which is HUGE. It is all the south america countries, Jamaica and Mexico. It lasts on month, I am sorry Jeremy but CHILE IS GOING TO WIN!!! Argentina, no :( . When Chile plays we have to enter in early, when the game starts. We have special permission to watch the games on Pday, if it starts before 630. Viva Chile!!!! I love you all, have a good week. Good luck amy and kate in girls camp. Thanks for the your letter amy, it came monday, it made my week. I love you all. Elder Chandler Sick Week. Last week of the transfer, I was hopping Elder Lopez was getting better, that we were going to have a good, hard working week, I was wrong. We were the majority of the week at home, Elder Lopez feeling really bad, migranes and a lot of trips to the bathroom. I got a lot of study time in. There were a few highlights last week though: A really good Family Home Evening with the Costa Family and two youth investigators, which was fun, Another Family Home Evening with an inactive member we are reactivating and the Reyes Family. Those two families are great families, two of the best here, for their willingness to support the missionary work and their unwaivering faithfulness. I can´t imagine how hard it is for Dylan on the mission, his mom bieng so young, tell him and thier family I say hi, and am sorry for their loss. You have to be strong, and hold to the faith and knowledge, of the plan of salvation, that you have. Today my comp was feeling good, we went to the temple, it has been so long. We have divisions with Brother Gonzales, and a couple of appointments today. I hope my comp is over his sickness. Wow, Elder Perry passed away. It will be wierd to see a new apostle. This friday Elder Gonzales is comming to speak to the mission, and will give a special mission capacitation. We have the mission aniversary the first of July. We have Stake Conference this weekend. Another Investigator I was teaching for a long time in Quimey got baptized last weekend, Daniel Palma, but he changed ward and I came here, to San Miguel. I love you all. Take Care. Thanks for everything.
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