Monday, December 29, 2008

A Christmas without a Winter

So hi howdy hey!

Hello family members! I hope ya'll had a holly jolly christmas. My week was just fine. I had the gran oportun to talk to some of you kiddies, and some of your kiddies. It was a pretty fun little boost, thanks a bundle. I giggled for hours about Mike's Terribly Awesome Gringo Accent.
Life's good here, doing fine, and I'm working hard. I failed to receive a letter this week, but luckily I had one left over from the previous of which I got to read. Oh well, who am I to complain, we had a phone call! Well, be good peoples, study hard, read your scriptures, guard each other against apostasy, and we'll see each other when I feel like it o.O

e'horspool

Monday, December 22, 2008

¡Feliz Navidad!

Fun in the Sun

Hey family! So, 'bout that letter last week... I was kinda in a hissy fitty mood for no particular reason and didn't feel like writing too much. Had a lot of stuff going on that week. Been real busy with stuffs this whole month.
This week we had some really spiffy things go down. First, we had Zone Conference Thursday, up in La Serena, again. Pres. Wilhelm gave us all a shirt of the mission. It's pretty awesome. Second, we had our Christmas activities on Friday, which included: Singing/Caroling for Orphans and abandoned children. It was pretty awesome. We had a very eccentric Peruvian named Elder Landa give a child-friendly presentation. He's pretty much the spitting image of an elf. Then we had the District President dress up like Santa, or el Viajito Pascuero, as they call him here. All the children have to sing a song to get a present, that goes like this, "Viajito Pascuero, acuérdate de mí. Me porto bien en casa, también en el jardin. Wii!" And that's it. Over and over again. Fun fun. Second holiday flavored activity, we all went down to Ovalle Centro, and had some fun public preaching. We all put on santa hats and sang our carols, and in between each carol a Spiritual Thought. We had six elders running in and around the crowds passing out cards, pamphlets, and invitations to church. The district helped out too. We had microphones, piano, and saxophone. All in all, it was a huge success, and I even learned how to sing harmony. After all that, we had District Conference, and President Wilhelm, La Hermana, and a 70 came. I think his name was Elder Rubio, or something to that effect. He's from Santiago, Chile. Goodness gracious. Well, that's a brief outline of what the week was like, in minor detail.
So, about this Christmas. I'll be calling the mother in about 20 minutes, or whenever I can find a place to do an international call, to coordinate the call and everything. But just so y'all know, I can only talk for 5 minutes to the Mother the first time, and 30 minutes on christmas day. They gave us the instructions to talk for only 20 minutes, but we can talk for 30 if we keep our talkings about the Mission Work. Well, that should be it. Be good kids, stay safe, and have your pets spayed, or neutered.

e'horspool

Monday, December 15, 2008

Hi

Too busy... Got to go work. I'm doin fine, life is good, love y'all lots. Ciao pescao.
e'horspool

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Hey

Enter New Challenger!
(again?)

It's pretty awesome how the Lord keeps you on your toes. This week was another one of those slow weeks, with hardly any doors opening, and no one letting us in their house. Contacts (When we knock doors) really seems to not be my style, or at least, not effective when I seem to do them. But the Lord blesses us for our obedience and diligence. This week we recently got in contact with a man who was in the "Antiguo Investigador" sector of the Area Book. Alex has had every lesson taught to him, several times. He knows the doctrine inside and out. However, because of several events that occurred throughout his life, he has not been able to become baptized. Let me point out some of the impressive sequence of events:

Alex got married 15 years ago to a woman name Gloria.

They got divorced after 12 years of marriage because he quit his Job.

Alex quit his job as a Lawyer because he saw that the system was terribly corrupt. He decided to sacrifice a job that payed very, very well for his morals.

Alex finds a job working for a mining company, but he decided to quit because his employers were asking him to exploit the other workers.

Alex gets back together with Gloria (3 years ago).

Alex comes in contact with the missionaries (1 year ago) and accepts the Church, but couldn't get baptized because he's not legally married with his ex-wife.

Alex finds a job that sends him away from his house for 14 days at a time and gives him 2 days of rest at his house. (6 months ago)

Very interesting story. It would appear to me that because of his morals and good decisions in life, he was prepared to receive the Restored Gospel, however, Satan decided to throw a monkey wrench in the middle of everything and make his wife into a girlfriend. But Alex is an extremely faithful man. After talking with him a little bit, we decided to put the goal of being married before April of 2009. He accepted the date, and decided to make whatever change in his life to be baptized in April. I was highly impressed. Seems to me that most people I know and meet once they meet an obstacle they immediately give up, abandoning all. It's nice to meet a fighter.
All in all, I'm feeling pretty good about working these days. Thanks for the prayers and all that, I'm feeling light hearted and carefree. Except that last part. There's souls to save out there!
e'horspool

Monday, December 1, 2008

Stress...

My hair is falling out. Some more.

Hello friends and family! Elder Horspool reporting in, once again in Ovalle (Norte). Changes have come in, and the verdict is: Elder Horspool se queda. Elder Page, se va al Belloto 2. And there we have it. The new comp is another Gringo (¿sort of?). He's from Canada! Yeah, alright! He goes by the name of Elder Gulbranson, from Vanderhoof, British Columbia, Canada. He's a pretty down to earth kid. Pretty innocent and pure. It's gonna be fun working with him.

So this week, I was scared. Real scared. I've never felt so terrorfied in my life. I felt as if I could just curl up in a little ball and die. I wasn't sleeping, I was eating, don't worry, but my mind was a wreck. For about 2 or 3 days, I felt that I wasn't prepared to be a missionary, wasn't ready for what lies ahead in life, and that I should just give up. It was weird, came out of nowhere, and was pretty stinking powerful. I still worked, found new people, and taught and did all that missionary jazz, but I felt that there was something on my shoulder, breathing death down my neck. (/shudders). Just in this moment of great despair and alarm, I remembered some things that had been read to the ward by Elder Page some days before. They are all found in Doctrine and Covenants:

DyC 136:27-32

27 Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward.
28 If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
29 If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful.
30 Fear not thine enemies, for they are in mine hands and I will do my pleasure with them.
31 My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom.
32 Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear;

And DyC 6:32-37

32 Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as a touching bone thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you.
33 Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.
34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.
35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.
36 took unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
37 behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

Bah, there's nothing to fear! Just being tested. All I gotta do is be faithful, know that God is in control, and stay the course. I'll be just fine folks. Actually we were pretty blessed this week, a story that will have to wait for another day, another time, as it's ridiculously long and detailed, and with Victory for righteousness in it's name!

e'horspool