Week 47

These past two weeks have flown. We are extremely busy, but everything is great. We have a baptism this Saturday! Her name is Fabiola Canuillan! She is 17 years old and a future missionary. I´m extremely excited about her baptism. We are also working closely with the Familia Santibañez. The oldest son, Matías, is having some trouble getting to church, but the mom (Andrea) and the younger brother (Cristian) are progressing a lot. Cristian was able to see his first baptism this past Saturday and he loved it. Keep them all in your prayers. Yesterday, we went to Concepción for a meeting with President Martinez. It went really well. It helped me realize the way I can continue to progress. I have noticed that, once I made the big changes in my life, that I became comfortable. I felt like I didn´t need to change anymore and was blinded from the small things in my life that I can still change. I´ve felt like I´ve hit a wall and like I haven´t been progressing. I realized yesterday that there are many small things that I can change to overcome that barrier. Alma 37:6-7 says that small things bring great things to pass, but it can be applied in the reverse as well. Small things can keep us from achieving great things. Romans says that we are coherederos (I´m not sure how to say that in English, so use Google Translate) with Christ. That means that we can be exhalted like Him. If that is our potential, we can´t be anything less. I think that, if we can keep our potential (the potential that God knows we have) in our minds, that we will not only notice the small things that we are doing to keep us from growing, but that we will run from them and do everything possible to leave them behind. We can be exactly like Joseph of Egypt and run from those things that have the potential to hinder us. As we do that, we will feel more of the eternal love that Christ has for us, feel the potential that God has ascribed to us, and we will achieve a happiness only available to those that apply the Atonement in their lives everyday. How can we begin? We can repent. What is repentence? It´s a process of change that lasts a lifetime. It´s something we have to do everyday. As we understand the Atonement, we will understand that it has no limit. There is nothing that we have done that can´t be covered by the Atonement. Now is the time to begin. I know that the Atonement is real. There is not a person in this universe that can convince me otherwise. I have felt its power and the glory of the Man that brought it to pass. I know it not only applies to me, but applies to all. It was an eternal and universal sacrifice that cannot be contained, nor will it ever be. Everyone, come unto Christ and feel His love. Leave behind your worries, your pains, you weaknesses, your sadness, and your burdens and He will lift you up. 

Elder Reynolds

Week 45

It was another good week, like always. We are teaching a lot of amazing people. We are teaching a family called the Familia Santibañez. The youngest son is 18 years old. He played soccer with us on Saturday and, on the busride home, he told me how he is planning on serving a mission after he finishes his studies next year. He´ll be doing that AFTER he gets baptized, he said. The rest of his family is great, too. They will be getting baptized on the 10th of May! We are also teaching a girl named Fabiola. She has a baptismal date for the 26th, along with Vanessa (from England). Fabiola is doing great. She has been reading the Book of Mormon like a machine. It´s pretty amazing to see how fast someone progresses when they are reading the Book of Mormon. We had an Easter activity today with the zone. We dyed eggs, had an easter egg hunt, and played soccer. It was a lot of fun. This week, the 19th, is my grandma´s, Doris Reynolds, birthday! She has been there for me since the day I was born and has always been the perfect example of patience, love, and charity. I love you very much, Grandma! Have a great week, everyone!

Elder Reynolds

Week 44

It was another awesome week! 6 of our investigators were able to come watch general conference with us! Elizabeth and Robinson were baptized! It was a miracle. Elizabeth, this past Friday, began to feel sick so she went to the hospital. We visited her Saturday morning and she wasn´t sure when she would be able to leave. We were told that if she didn´t leave Saturday, that she wouldn´t be able to leave untilMonday and she would miss her baptism. Well, on Sunday morning she called us. She told us that a doctor was there and that she thought she would be able to leave that morning. Just a few hours later, she showed up at church, watched general conference, had her baptismal interview, passed it, and was baptized with her husband. It was amazing. I felt like I was baptized. I felt so clean afterwards and I know it´s because God´s glory really is manifest in His ordinances. After Robinson´s confirmation, he hugged me and didn´t say anything but thank you. Those are two of the greatest words I´ve ever heard. After Elizabeth´s confirmation, she hugged me too haha. The cambio ended today and the new one starts tomorrow. I will be staying here with Elder Hansen for at least 6 more weeks. I´m looking forward to it. So everyone knows, all of the earthquakes in Chile that happened recently are all in the north. They are nowhere near where I am. In addition, Chile is very prepared for earthquakes, so there is nothing to worry about. Happy 15-month-anniversary to the love of my eternal life, Micaela Morgan Wright! I love you! Have a great week, everyone!

Elder Reynolds

Elder Reynolds and his zone

The other missionaries from his house in La Branza

Elizabeth and Robinson's baptism!