John 5:17

Friends - 

Elder Vincent asked me to email you all with a quick update because he forgot to bring his weekly letter to the cyber cafe.

Two weeks ago he was assigned a brand new missionary as his companion.  Unfortunately, there were some complications and the companion had to return home.  The next new set of missionaries won't arrive for another 4 weeks so this past week, and for the next 4 weeks, Elder Vincent will join other companionship's as a trio.  He will basically be in a different neighborhood every day. 

I asked him if he was liked working this way and this was his reply:

I've learned from the experience. It doesn't matter where I serve, or in what assignment I serve, as much as how I serve.  John 5:17.  I hop around from area to area and am still working crazy hard and feel like I'm being helpful.

Hopefully we will hear more from him next week.  

He returns May 22 and will give his homecoming talk in church on June 9th, 9:30 - 10:30 am.    62 days left to serve in Concepcion!!

You can email him some encouragement to finish strong at derek.vincent@myldsmail.net

With love,

Gina

John 5:17

Tanto Tiempo!

Hola Amigos!  

Another good week here in Chile.  

I had a couple exchanges with Elder Portz and Elder Ponijaleki from Brasil.  Elder Poni is new and we had a lot to work on.  

On Friday we baptized Antonela and Barbara!  The service went really well and both families were happy.  After they were both baptized they jumped back in the water and started swimming haha!  We brought Constanza who liked the baptism a lot and set a date of March 2 to get baptized.  She's golden.  Acinto is getting baptized on the 23rd.  

The other great thing that happened this week was during our futbol activity.  This kid came in and was like "Elder Vincent!! Tanto tiempo!!"  I recognized him a little but couldn't remember much.  He told me that he would come out to work with us a lot when I was here the first time.  He said he loved it but after I left the missionaries never passed by and he became less active.  And he told me he's never been more grateful for a missionary.  It was crazy - I had no idea that I had any impact on him.  Maybe he is one of the reasons I'm back here.  

I hope you are all well.  Thanks for your letters and emails.  I love hearing from you. 

With love,

Elder Vincent

Transfer back to Chillan

Hola everyone - 

After the LONG bus ride back to Chillan, we had lunch and went right to work.  It was sick to be back in the same place I was 19 months ago as a new missionary.  I will probably end my mission here too.  

My companion, Elder McChesney, and I joked about being companions back in the training center. We build off each others energy and are working really well together.   We play futbol and capture the flag with the kids we are teaching.  Oh I forgot to mention one of the best parts of being back in Chillan - it's like 90 degrees every day.  I love it.  But, the bad part of the high heat is that there's no one in the streets and everyone is too hot to answer the door.  It's a little tougher but we're still able to meet all of our goals.  

We had a activity at church - a water balloon toss.  Elder McChesney and I won lol.  Then we let everyone go crazy with the 600 remaining  balloons we filled up.  It was so sick haha.  

Saturday was like most Saturdays - we contact the people that committed to come to church to remind them about it.  We also spend time meeting new people.  Saturday I also got offered crack but I said no.  

On Sunday, I presented myself in sacrament meeting and lots of people recognized me (which surprised me because I was only here for 6 weeks).  We currently have 3 people with a baptism date - Antonela, Barbara, and Acinto.  After church we were invited to the house of a man who served as a missionary in Oakland.  We all got along really well and they made us tacos and brownies with ice cream.  Amazing way to end the week!

Sorry I don't have any pictures.  We are only allowed to leave the house with our scriptures in this area because it's not safe.  

I love you all,

Elder Vincent

Rats and Transfers

Hey Everyone!

I hope you are all healthy and well.  

Last Sunday I was woken by a huge rat in our apartment which explains what had been getting in our food and made everyone in the apartment SUPER sick for 5 days.  I didn't feel good enough to write last week, but I'm feeling better now. It's good to be back out in the sun and air and working.  Nothing better than the work of saving souls.  

On Thursday, I got to work with Elder Romero from Bolivia.  I love working with him.  He is really dedicated and humble and is having an amazing mission so far.  Even though he only has 6 months I learn from him.  I also got to work with Elder Salles from Brasil.  I have lived with him since his first day and in the last 4 months I have seen him grow so much.  He has confidence and initiative.  

On Saturday, I got to be a firefighter (part 2).  In the afternoon we were contacting close to this park we always go to and a little ways off a line of smoke caught my eye.  There had been a fire there the day before in the trees so when I saw smoke we went over and found that the fire had started again.  So we went into a store and used some buckets of water to put out the fire with like 4 other guys that were nearby.  

But the best part of the day was the YSA activity.  We played ping-pong and ordered Sushi and it was a big hit.  Salomon, Rodney and Gabriel were all there and are almost ready to be baptized.  

I found out Sunday night that I'm getting transferred back to the first area I was in when I arrived in Chile: Los Volcanes, Chillan.  Same house and everything.    

This last transfer in Cruz del Sur, Talcahuano, has been a crazy one - we helped 3 people enter the waters of baptism, Matias and Tony received the priesthood and Rosio went to the temple.  We also went to the temple, almost died from a rat virus, had an amazing Christmas and fought another fire.  And everyday my testimony has been strengthened and I have grown closer to the Savior.  What a blessing it is to serve a mission.  

Thanks for all your love and support and letters.  

Con Amor,

Elder Vincent