My rain jacket smells like feet, but I'm still smiling!

Well it´s starting to rain everyday again...everything that I own is beginning to just smell mildewy...but all is well. So is the mission.


Another great week of letters. Thank you for all your cartas. They were great, and I am glad to hear that things are going well. Eric....I have the coolest story to tell you. So the world is so small. We brought pictures of our families to a zone meeting this week, and one of the Elders in my zone is from Constitucion...as he was looking at my pictures, I mentioned that you served in Concepcion, and he took a closer look and yelled "No!! Elder Perez!!" and I was shocked that he knew you!!! He began to tell me how awesome you are and that you were so great and on and on and on. His name is Elder Cisternas. He must have been about 9 years old when you were there, but he totally remembers who you are and says that he has a picture of you in his house. He said that one time you came to his house with a big ‘ol hole right in the front of your rain pants. I´m going to try and send a picture with him next time so you can see him and his family. It was pretty neat to know that my big bro was such a great missionary that a 9 year old boy would remember him and serve with his sister 10 years later. Pretty neat!


Anywho, this week was AMAZING. It started out really pretty difficult. On Wednesday, we had a grand total of only 3 citas for the entire week. We were really frustrated, because all of our meetings were just falling through left and right. We came home on Wednesday night without entering a single house to teach. We reported our numbers, and pretty soon our Zone Leader called us and he gave us a really big pep talk, which helped, but he gave us some great advice. We applied it the next day and we went home Thursday with 5 citas and 2 new investigators. The rest of the week went the exact same way. We were so blessed. We found 14 new people this week and a really, really great family---in fact you know who it is--the family of MARCELO!!!!!! He´s back from vacation now and we went and taught his mom and little sister and they are just as ready as he is to receive this great message. They are the family that we have been praying for. We are hoping the next time that we teach his dad will be home to teach as well. Also, this next Saturday, Karen is going to be having her baptismal interview. We have been seeing her progress so much every time we talk to her. She still has a few little things that she is not sure about, but we taught her a lesson on faith and obedience, and she said that she received a testimony very strong of that that very night. Gosh. She is a miracle. So are Marcelo and his family. We have been so, so very blessed this week.


I really hope I don´t get transferred this at the end of this cambio. I don´t want to leave this place. The work is so strong here right now. And everyone is really starting to progress like crazy. I love working with Hna. Kelley. We teach really well together. We are really working hard to keep our Spanish up. We also want to get really good at asking questions so that the people that we teach can teach themselves through their answers. I like asking questions a lot, but I still struggle with the wording in Spanish a little bit, so that is something that I´m working on. Good stuff though. I just want to dominate teaching, but I´m learning more and more that the key is to teach with the Spirit. Hecho.


I just feel so blessed to be trusted enough to serve this mission. I am not even close to a perfect missionary or teacher or anything, but I am just so grateful that the Lord gave me this opportunity to serve in the Chile Osorno Mission, and to wear a name badge everyday that has my name and His name on the same plaque...sometimes I really don´t feel like a missionary...missionaries are supposed to be perfect...they are the people that are basically like the Bishop. (Dad, we both know now that neither of the two parties are perfect, huh) But we just try our best to do what the Lord will have us do and to remain worthy of the call. Gosh. I love this work. I am so humbled by the lessons I learn every day. Sometimes I just really can´t figure out what I did to deserve such a grand blessing in my life....actually most of the time I wonder that. I do love this. I have never been happier. Thank you family and friends for your love and support. One thing that I have realized so strong is that I am so blessed to have a family that is faithful and strong in the Church. There are so many here that do it all by themselves. Some struggle outwardly and many struggle inwardly, but they are faithful and trying, just like all of us. We are blessed. Don´t ever forget to share your blessings with people that need them too. Share the Gospel. It is our sacred duty. Help the missionaries. Offer to bring people to Church for them. Offer to be their "last minute" person...our lives are crazy...don´t get upset if they call you at the last minute. Offer it. Offer to help them teach. Offer to share your conversion story to their investigators. Be a missionary. The only reason that missionaries have the Spirit with them more often is because they share the Gospel with everyone they see every day. They have to have the Spirit...it´s a requirement of sharing the message. That´s the only thing that makes them different than anyone else in the Church. This is such a beautiful and exciting message. Please share it.


I love you all so so so so so much. Never ever forget that. I pray for you all every day.


LOVE YOU ALL TONS:


BESOS and ABRAZOS!!!!!!!!