Making Progress in Cruz del Sur

 Hi Everyone,

Another amazing week here in Cruz del Sur.  We are continuing to see countless blessings but here are a few quick highlights:

1) Tuesday we had a huge parillada for lunch (see photo) and I did an intercambio with Elder Lapaz from Japan.

2) Wednesday had an intercambio with Elder Martin.  We took a beating from the rain but we still had a good day of work.  Nicolas, who we baptized last week, came out to work with us.  

3) Thursday another intercambio with Elder Ashton who has 2 months in the mission.  He's a super hard worker and obedient and he's progressing a ton.  

4) Friday we finished our fast as a zone and right away we found a golden family of 5.  Muy escogida.  Also had a great Noche de Hogar with a family that invited 14 neighbors/friends.  

5) Saturday we had an "invasion" and found 40 people for las hermanas to teach. We had a stake activity with over 300 people where we watched each ward present a 10-minute Disney musical and related it to the Temple (Lion King, Pocahontas, Frozen, Moana, Tarzan and Coco).  It was a huge success.  Finished the day in the church BAPTIZING RICARDO!!!

Helping another family be united and prepare for the Temple.

6) Had a nation-wide conference broadcast from Salt Lake City instead of regular church meetings.  Elders Dallin H. Oaks and D. Todd Cristofferson spoke to the entire country of Chile about the new temple in Concepcion!! Amazing way to end the week.  

It is incredible to see the Lord's hand in our work and to know that He is by our side every step of the way.  I'm grateful for every second I've had here in Chile.  

With love,

Elder Vincent

4 Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.

5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.

(Helaman 10:4-5)

One of my roommates, Elder Lapaz, from Japan

Obedience and Hard Work

Hola Everyone!

Another incredible week here in Cruz del Sur filled with miracles and blessings.  To start, we baptized Florencia and Nicolas on Saturday!  Two different families and situations but both are more united now thanks to the Gospel.  

One of the ideas we have applied in the zone is something I call Invasions, where we send the whole zone to one area and everyone spends the morning contacting like crazy to help out one specific pair of missionaries that is struggling.  So on Saturday the zone spent 2-3 hours "invading" a sector called Las Solinas and in all we found 42 people for the missionaries to teach.  Huge success.  Last success from Saturday is the zone baptized 5 people!!  The zone only baptized 3 people in the last six week transfer period.  

This week as a zone we made improvements in every goal and key indicator and we now have 10 more people with baptism dates.  So we are just looking for more "escogidos" to baptize and prepare for the Temple which opens in 4 WEEKS!!!!  

We are working harder than ever and seeing the results thanks to our obedience with exactness.  Couldn't be happier here.  Please pray for the zone Talcahuano Norte! 

Con mucho amor,

Elder Vincent

There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated - and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.  

D & C 130: 21-22

Working Hard

Amigos y Familia,

This was a crazy busy week for me with my new assignment as a zone leader.  But easily one of my favorites of the mission.  So you can all get an idea, here is an outline of my past week:

• Tuesday:  Took the bus from Chilan to my new area in Talcahuano (Cruz del Sur).  Got there in time for lunch then we made plans for the zone and worked in the street for like 2 hours.  
• Wednesday:  Had meetings with my new zone all morning then worked a normal afternoon and evening schedule. 
• Thursday:  Meetings/trainings all day at the Mission Offices in downtown Concepcion.
• Friday:  Consejo de Lideres (Leadership council) all day in the Mission Offices in downtown Concepcion.
• Saturday:  Had a zone activity in Talcahuano centro until lunch, worked a normal afternoon and evening schedule.
• Sunday:  Church meetings in the morning with 2 new investigators, then  after lunch spent the afternoon interviewing investigators in different areas of my zone  (Las Salinas, San Vicente, and Idependencia).  

I would say we worked about 15-20 hours in total in our sector where before I would typically have worked about 60 hours a week in my area.  Huge change but I love it.  There is no better feeling than working until the absolute last second of the day then collapsing into bed at 11pm and up at 7am to do it again.  All of my heart, might, mind, and strength in the work.  I couldn't be happier.

With love,

Elder Vincent

D&C 4:2

Elder Miller and his family came back to visit

Talchuano

Hey Everyone,

I’ve been transferred to Talcahuano and called to serve as Zone Leader.  Talcahuano is a city on the coast of Chile (several hours from the mountain area where I’ve been serving).  My new companion will be Elder Lord from Utah, my first American companion!

Plaza De Armas for the Haitians 

I’ve had mixed feelings about this transfer.  Elder Gomez expressed a lot of concerns to me earlier in the week about how he would do if I happened to get transferred.  I seriously considered asking President Catala to reconsider and let me stay with Elder Gomez a little longer.  I also hate to leave Chillan (La Cordillera) right now with all our recent converts and investigators as well as so many other people that I’ve come to love.  However, I received good counsel that I needed to go where I’ve been asked to go and that is what I am going to do.

Knowing transfers were coming this week we worked hard to finish strong here in La Cordillera.  We worked with Super 8, Ivonne, Egidio, Sofia, and lots of others.  Earlier in the week we had been disappointed to learn that Ivonne no longer wanted to continue with us.  When we got a chance to meet with her, she explained that it was because of some concerns she had about things that had happened to her in the past.  We talked a lot with her about how the Gospel of Jesus Christ can and will help us with life’s struggles and pain.  The visit finished with her changing her mind and saying "Sigamos Adelante!" (let's keep going).  I was so happy to hear her say that. 

Hidden lagoon

On Tuesday, we planned on having lunch with a family that lives on the way to Coiheu in the middle of nowhere.  We had to take a bus to get there.  I wasn't really paying attention and we got off the bus way too early and found ourselves in the middle of nowhere.  There was just one road with large fields on both sides that went as far as the volcano in the distance.  We had to walk 35 minutes to get to Coiheu.  I loved every second though - it was incredible to see the volcano so close as well as a hidden lagoon and so much nature.  I was super stoked to see such a beautiful part of this country.  

Wednesday was a grind!  We worked super hard all day.  The coolest/craziest part of the day was when we went to a house of Haitians.  There are often up to 10 or so Haitians living in one small house because they can't afford their own place.  This group of Haitians never paid their electricity bill so there was no light in the home.  I did 3 interviews sitting on a hard, cold floor in the middle of a pitch black room with someone I could see only if I held my flip phone right up to their face.  It was worth it though because 2 of the guys are going to get baptized next week!  

Thursday we had a great activity at church called La Gran Fiesta de Chocolate!!  It was a huge success.  The best part, and what gives me so much joy, is that 4 of my converts were there participating and thriving with their new church "family".  What incredible joy and happiness comes from this work and from living this gospel.  (D&C 18:14-16).  

I'm leaving La Cordillera with 4 people getting baptized next week.  I will really miss all the people here but am looking forward to the opportunity to serve in Talcahuano.   

Thank you SO MUCH for all your love and support while I serve here in Chile.

Elder Vincent

Brisas Del Volcan

I bought socks!!

Saying goodbye to Elder Sharp from Hawaii

Good things happening

Hola Amigos!  

This was another great week here in Cordillera.  We found lots of new people to work with and our converts are doing great.  

Brisas Del Volcan

We took a long trek to Brisas Del Volcan, a new, untouched part of our sector.  It's in the middle of nowhere.  Straight walking forever in grass fields without seeing anything then all of a sudden a bunch of poor, run-down houses.  The people there are isolated from the world.  They apparently had never seen missionaries before and were staring at us in the streets.  We got there and started to talk to everyone.  A lot of kids came up to us in the streets.  I can't wait to go back.  I felt a little like the missionary from the movie "The Other Side of Heaven" when he went to the outer islands as the first missionary.  

We had lots of lessons this week but the best one was with Egodio at Anita's house.  As we were teaching him, Anita (our recent convert) jumped in to help and cried as she shared her testimony with him.  

We had zone conference again this week. I arrived early to set up chairs and when I squatted down to lift them my pants ripped in my nicest suit.  Luckily I had time to run home and change.  The conference was really good as usual.  

We met with and taught Ivonne, the blind lady that we met last week (3 times in one day).  She wants to get baptized August 18th.  Huge miracle meeting her.  

I was frustrated this week with some in our district not doing all they should be doing.  But I kept thinking about something Dad told me back in January that, without a doubt, Heavenly Father probably not infrequently feels the very same way about me.  

We had 3 new people in church on Sunday; Rodrigo, Super 8, and Figgins.  Super 8 and Figgins are getting baptized August 18th along with Ivonne.   

Doris and her Recommend

Doris (another of our recent converts) got her Temple recommend this week.  There is no better feeling that seeing someone progress like that.  Feelings:  Alma 26:3.

I pray for all of you at home and hope that you are all doing well.  Thank you for your letters and love.

Elder Vincent

  

Haitian lady we saw on the street... zoom in to see what she is reading lol

Eating good!