Week 15

Feliz 18 de Coronel, Chile! There is nothing going on today in this entire country that doesn´t involve empanadas and asados. There is literally a Chilean flag flying outside every house here. I´ve heard this holiday is the 2nd biggest behind Christmas, so I´m pretty excited to see what Christmas is like here because they´ve been celebrating the 18th since last month and the celebrations will go all through the rest of this week, at least. Everything is great here in Coronel. Lienturl Astolfo Torres Carrasco was confirmed a member of the church this Sunday. It was amazing. After his confirmation, he stood up with tears in his eyes and hugged me and thanked me for all that we had done for him. He doesn´t know it, nor would he understand, but he has taught me more than I could ever teach him. If I don´t have anymore success for the rest of my mission, seeing that man change into who he is today and seeing his family there with him along the way justifies every single day of my mission. I had another really great experience. My companion and I (Elder Hill, "my son," is from Utah and is 18 years old; he speaks 0 Spanish, so that´s fun) were walking to a lesson and a really drunk man, smoking a cigarette said "hola, élderes." We stopped and talking to him for a while. It turns out that he had been baptized when he was 16 (he was probably in his early 40s now) in Camilo. He talked to us for long time about his history. He is divorced and he has lost his entire family, likely due to his drinking problem. He asked me "what would you say if I told you I was going to go home right now and kill myself?" I asked him "why would you?" I then bore my testimony of the plan that Heavenly Father has for each and every one of us and of His incomprehensible love for us. I told him that he can change what has happened in his life with the help of Christ. I pulled out a Book of Mormon and handed it to him and told him he already knew what to do with it. He looked at me, began to cry, and hugged me (he also kissed me on the cheek, which brings the amount of times I´ve been kissed by drunk men up to double digits). I wrote my name and number down on the front page of the book and he thanked us and walked home. I´m not going to list all the things that had to happen for us to just so happen to be in the right place at the right time to talk to that man, but I´ve thought about it and that experience was nothing short of a miracle. I know that the Lord used my companion and I to save that man´s life. A miracle is a natural effect of celestial laws. Obedience brings blessings, and miracles. Another example: I found the gospel, began living the commandments, and now I have Micaela Morgan Wright. That´s a miracle coming from obedience. Have a great week, everyone!

Chau!

Elder Reynolds

Week 14

We had a baptism this week! Lientur got baptized! The Lord came through! We had promised him that the Lord would prepare the way for him to get baptized the 7th of this month and it happened! He was super sick just before and had spent a lot of time in the hospital, but his health really improved a few days and a few blessings before this past Saturday. I´d say that is a miracle. He is doing well, but his health has dipped again. We will continue to visit him and to keep him excited about progressing in the gospel. We found a family to teach this week. This is the first time that has happened. The Rifo-Sarsosa family is a man named Jonel, his wife Janette, his son Benjamin (really great name), his daughter Maria José, and Carolina. Benjamin is younger, but his two daughters are both studying in different universities in Concepción. They´re a really great family and all are interested, especially the mom. She apparently investigated and dissected the pamphlet about the Restoration. We have also been teaching Raquel more. She is really progressing. We also began teaching Lientur´s sister, Gladys. She has really strong desires to progress in the gospel. She has really bad health problems too, so she definitely needs the gospel. She feels like a 3rd grandmother to me. Angela, one of my first baptisms, was recently diagnosed with cancer, so please keep her in your prayers. She´s really amazing. Although she has received that diagnosis, she is still working hard as the Primary President and loves going out and teaching with us. It´s inspiring. I´ve met quite a few people like that here, for example Lientur and his sister. I heard Texas lost to BYU. That´s unfortunate. One of the missionaries who goes to BYU had fun calling me and telling me about that. Transfers are tomorrow. Elder Smith is going to Vilcún, outside of Temuco. I pick up the elder I´ll be training on Wednesday, I´m really excited about that. This Wednesday, I will have been dating the love of my eternal life for 8 months. She´ll never really understand what she means to me or how much I love her, but I´m grateful that she has put up with me for so long. I love you, Micaela! Oh, congratulations to Katy and Brock! Have a great week, everyone!

Chau,
Elder Reynolds

Elder Reynolds his first week in Chile baptizing 3 hermanas 

Elder Reynolds and his companion, Elder Smith (center)

Elder Reynolds and Elder Smith with Lientur on his baptismal date

Week 13!

We did a lot of traveling this week. We went to Concepción early in the week for an interview with the President again, went to Lota for the weekly meetings there, and then on Thursday we headed to Cañete, which is about 2 and a half hours south of Coronel. Early that next morning, we went to Angol for a conference. They had me cook steaks and longanizas for about 70 missionaries. I met two other missionaries from Texas! That was pretty exciting, even if one of them was an Aggie. That was unfortunate. You really hate to see something so good go so bad. Hook ´em. I heard my Longhorns won! That was exciting news. Anyway, I found out that I will definitely be training this next transfer, which begins next week. I´ll still be in Coronel, probably for at least another 12 weeks. That´s how long training is. I´m not sure where Elder Smith will be going. We have a possible baptism this Saturday! It´s Lientur, but he has been in the hospital lately with some heart problems, so we will see how he is doing when the time comes. Other than his health problems, he is doing great spiritually. I have faith that the Lord will give him the health that he needs to enter the waters of baptism. He regularly expresses to us how much appreciates us and all the changes he has experienced since he began learning the gospel. A lot of these people don´t realize that they teach us just as much as we teach them. There is always something to learn from everyone. It´s up to us to figure out what it is and then to apply it to our lives. We met a 23-year-old named Raquel on Monday. She has two kids, Vicente (3) and León (1). I don´t think I´ve seen children with as much energy as they have. It´s impressive. We got along really well with them. In fact, when it came time to leave after the first lesson we had with her, Vicente started to cry. It´s really fun to teach her. She really wants to create a good future for her children and is really confused about why there are so many churches and why we can take one verse of scripture, show it to 5 different churches, and get 5 different interpretations... sounds a little familiar. Those are the exact questions Joseph Smith had. Christ established one church, the word is one, so there should be one church and one interpretation. I found Ezequiel 37:16-20, which talks about the stick of Judah (The Bible) and the stick of Joseph (The Book of Mormon, Lehi was a descendent of Joseph). God has put them together to make them one, and with them both we have the fulness of the gospel. I shared that with Raquel and she really understood. She has strong desires to find the truth and I know that that´s all it takes to find it. We just have to put forth some effort, show the Lord that we have the faith to do it, and He will bless us with an answer to our prayers. We are also working on having more activities in the branch. Some things in the past really destroyed the branch, so it´s hard to build it back up again. But, as we work with the members, leaders, and less active members, I know that we can make the Coronel Branch a Ward. I know that´s what the Lord wants and we are doing all that we can to make it happen. I hope it has rained some in Texas. You all are in my prayers. 

Chau! 
Elder Reynolds 

Week 12

This week has been great! Elder Smith and I had to go to Concepción on Tuesday for an interview and I found out that I will likely be training next transfer! I may, but I´m not sure yet, also be made district leader. Elder Smith is leaving, unfortunately. He´s been great. I think the one thing that I learned most from him was humility and patience. Those are definitely two things that I´ve struggled with, but I have noticed a ton of growth over the past couple of months and I owe that to my trainer. He´s a great missionary and I know he will continue to do great things, wherever he goes. We are teaching a woman named Maribel Ortega. I think I have written about her before, but she is the cousin of un hermano that just left for his mission to Peru Lima East. She has a husband that has some serious drinking problems and has 5 young kids. She hadn´t been attending a church when we met her, but has always been Evangelical, like 99% of the people here. Well, this Sunday she came to church with her two youngest kids. During Gospel Principles, she bore her testimony about how many changes she has seen in her family since we have been visiting her. Her husband, who used to drink every night, has been listening to our lessons, rather than leaving as soon as we arrive. Along with him, her other kids have been listening to us teach her. She has noticed the peace and the love that the Spirit brings to her family. She called us "angelitos." That really means a lot to hear that we have done something to improve someone´s living situation. It´s an honor to be a tool in God´s hands. She is doing great and continues to progress. Lientur wasn´t able to get baptized due to health issues. He has been in the hospital off and on this week, but we have had the chance to meet with him. Spiritually, he is doing great and is ready to make his first covenant with Heavenly Father, but physically, he isn´t able to. However, we were talking with him last night and I felt impressed to promise him something really specific. I promised him that, according to his desires and his faith, that Heavenly Father will prepare the way for him to be baptized on the 7th of September. I firmly believe that. I know Heavenly Father works miracles because I see them everyday. For example, I have Micaela Morgan Wright. It´s a miracle that she puts up with me and somehow loves me. We have also been visiting an inactive member named Arturo Campos. He has elephantitis in his leg, along with some other emotional problems. He has had some bad experiences with some members, so hasn´t been coming to church. Yestday, we met with him and decided to be direct with him and find out how we can answer his doubts and get him to church. We answered the doubt about the relational issues. He wants to show people he is strong, and he can do that by coming to church every week, in spite of what has happend between him and some members. The other doubt we found was that he has to pay for a cab to get to church. So, I told him I´d pay for his cab every Sunday. That means that we will be seeing him and his mom next Sunday. He also made us promise that we would take him out to work with us after church every Sunday. We started that yesterday. To see the atonement at work in all these peoples lives is a miracle in itself. I´m so blessed to play a role in this work. We can all play the same role. Lose yourself in service and you´ll find yourself and the love that Heavenly Father has for you. Oh, we will be getting a new branch president soon, and it may be a missionary because there aren´t many worthy priesthood holders in the branch. We will see. It´s finally starting to warm up here. I hear that it is pretty dry in Texas, so rain for that area will be in my prayers. I also heard about the fires in Haily, ID. I hope everyone there is doing okay. Also, thanks to Elder and Sister Avery for their kind words. I don´t have much time on the computer, so I hope they know that what they sent to me meant a lot. Thank you both for everything you do for my family and for the people of Uvalde, TX. ¡Que tengan una buena semana!

Chau,

Elder Reynolds

Week 11!

This week I realized something really important. It doesn´t matter how hard you are working, if you aren´t teaching things simply and if you aren´t teaching what is most important, you´re not going to see people progress. Two things that we haven´t been stressing enough that we should have always been stressing are reading the Book of Mormon and going to church. If people aren´t doing those two things, they aren´t going to gain a testimony of the veracity of the things we are teaching them. I don´t doubt that if people do that with an open heart and true intention, they will realize that what we are teaching them is true. I know that because I know these things are true because I´ve done those things and have received my answer and I´ve seen what it has done for me and my dad and, as a result, my family. I tried to explain that to my companion on Saturday. He was having a rough time, really worrying that he doesn´t have a strong testimony and with some other things. I told him to think about what the message he is carrying does for other people. He doesn´t understand fully. He´s been a member his whole life, so he doesn´t truly understand what this gospel does for people. I can´t begin to explain for myself what it does, but I do know that is saves lives, it gives purpose, it brings hope, it carries peace, it changes futures for the better, it brings families closer together, and it brings the love of God and His son Jesus Christ into the lives of all those who simply try and find out for themselves if these things are true. I see so many people who reject the church and what we teach without even picking up a Book of Mormon. Just pick it up and read and and pray and you´ll see for yourself why we have left everything we love behind to be here so far away from home. It´s real. We had a musical presentation this week about the life of Joseph Smith in Lota, which is just north of Coronel. There were a ton of poeple there, but unfortunately I think only 2 of our investigators showed up. But, those two have made so much progress and I have grown to love them like my own family. It´s truly amazing how much music brings the Spirit. It was so powerful. The choir (me and a bunch of other missionaries and a few members from San Pedro) were singing El Espíritu de Dios and on the last verse, the entire congregation joined in. It really was beautiful to see so many people gathered to honor the importance of what Joseph Smith did for us. If he hadn´t suffered all the tribulations and trials he faced, if he lost himself in this great work of our God and sacrificed everthing, including his own life, I wouldn´t be where I am right now. Many of you wouldn´t be where you are right now. We wouldn´t have the church of Jesus Christ restored on the Earth today and we wouldn´t have the priesthood in our lives. Joseph Smith was a great man and is a great example to me. His love for God and his understanding of what it means to sacrifice yourself for the very Being that gave you life is incredible. I´m grateful for the life he lived. I´m also grateful for my wonderful, gorgeous, spiritual giant of a girlfriend, Micaela Morgan Wright. I love you, Micaela! No matter how difficult life may be for you at any given time, you can always know that your Heavenly Father loves you, that Christ has suffered those very pains, and that you have a boyfriend that will never leave your side.

Chau!

Elder Reynolds

Week 10!

Great week. We have a conference with the mission president early in the week and found out that Elder Smith and I will be working more with the members. Before, we were focused on investigators, but now we have the chance to spend more time with the people that are going to be there for the future members when we aren´t. Members are so important. Every member has the responsibility to share what they know. We have so many blessings from this gospel and it wouldn´t be right to keep that a secret. People deserve to know and that is a key part of missionary work. So share what you know! We had 17 lessons this week. That´s the most we have ever had here. We have been really focused on loving the people we teach and as we have done so, I´ve felt the Spirit more throughout the day and in our lessons. We have been practicing for a musical presentation we will be having in San Pedro this coming Sunday. It is about Joseph Smith. We practiced the entire thing yesterday and it was amazing. It´s crazy how much music can bring the Spirit and how much it can teach us. The entire time I was thinking of how important it will be to get people to this performance. It has the potential to change these people´s lives. That isn´t an overstatement, either. It´s that powerful. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God, and I know that this church is the church of Jesus Christ, that He is at its head and that He guides it through President Monson. I don´t doubt that. I know it. We may have a baptism this coming Saturday, if everything goes according to plan. Lientur Torres is preparing himself to make his first major covenant with his Heavenly Father. He has progressed so much and has overcome so much. It is truly humbling to play a part in this moment of his life. To see someone use the Atonement to piece their lives back together and to make it more than they ever could have imagined is beyond description. So everyone knows, Correos Chile, which does all the mail here, is on strike, so it will take a while for any mail to get here or there. I´m extremely grateful that Heavenly Father has put Micaela Morgan Wright in my life. I know that sometimes she is worried about me, but I want her to know that I love her more than she can possibly imagine and that will never change. I know that she is the one I´m going to spend eternity with and I know that Heavenly Father put her in my life to make me better. She is an incredible example from me and I look forward to learning from her each and every day forever. 

Elder Reynolds

Week 9

This week was great. Elder Smith and I have been changing some things and we have seen the blessings from it. There are two groups of missionaries in Coronel. One companionship works with members and the other with investigators. We work with investigators and usually don´t have much time with members. But, this week we spent more time with less active members and it has really meant a lot to them. They see that we love them and they want to help us. It´s really not possible for us to do for the people here what they deserve without the help of the members. We won´t always be here, so it´s important that the members love and support each other. We have three people preparing to be baptized this month: Margery, Lientur, and Matías. Margery is in her 30´s. She is a nurse and a mother. She has two daughters, who we have been teaching as well, and one son (his name is Benjamin, too). She is on fire. She came to a family home evening in the chapel the other night and many of the members thought that she was already a member. She wants what is best for her family and has seen what the gospel has done for her other family members (she is related to Angela and Lientur). Lientur is 65 and is the father of Angela Torres. He has made a lot of mistakes in his life and is doing what he can to right those, but they still haunt him a lot. He comes to church when he can, as his health isn´t too great right now, and we have been visiting him frequently. He´s making a lot of progress and knows what he needs to do. It´s amazing to see a man who has been humbled by his past take the steps he needs, the sacrifices necessary, to right his wrongs and to fix his relationship with his family, those that mean the most to him. The family is central to God´s plan for us and I know The Lord is proud of Lientur and the steps he is taking. Matías is an 18 year old. He is doing well. He came to church for the first time in a long time yesterday. He has a strong desire to know what God wants for him at this time in his life and is experimenting with the ¨homework¨ we are leaving with him. As he does so, his faith in God grows and he comes to a greater realization of his potential as a son of God. We are focusing on these people in the moment, doing all that we can to serve them and help them strengthen their relationship with their Heavenly Father and we hope to help them participate in the blessings of baptism this month. There is no greater happiness than serving others. I sent this in an email to Micaela, but I want to share it with everyone: ¨One part in the Savior´s life that I love is, after He bled from every pore for all the afflictions and sins we would ever experience and commit, rather than seeking comfort for himself, angles went and comforted His apostles. In the hour of the most pain he would ever experience, he denied help and instead was more concerned about His disciples. He turned outward when we would have turned inward. We are so unworthy of His love and His sacrifice for us, yet He is always there for us, his arm extended toward us to pick us up.¨ I hope everyone thinks about this. I know that it has been a humbling experience for me. Congratulations to Caitlin. Micaela told me that she was recently baptized. I can tell you that you have made the greatest decision of you life and I´m glad that the love of my life was able to play a part in it. I know she will be a huge blessing in your life. She has brought me so much happiness and is such an amazing person. I love you, Micaela Morgan Wright!

Chau!

Elder Reynolds