Serving in Santiago: I Love This!

Well. This week was great. Honestly it wasnt the MOST successful week weve had here but it still went awesome and even if maybe we didnt get the same numbers or anything I was just so dang happy.

First of all to answer questions. Yes mom. its my last week with hna orton :( Next monday Ill be writing you with a new comp and hna orton will be on her way home. Sadness of my life. But oh well. Her time has come. But Ill miss her! She has taught me a LOT and we get along so great. Please pray for her to have the health and energy and strength ( emotional and mental and physical) to get through this week because I think its probably going to be rough. I cant imagine the last week in the mission. Bleh I dont want to imagine it.

Alex! You are gonna do hospitality in DECA?!? I competed in that too!!! Its the best :) Study up on the vocab (Carter has flash cards and stuff) and it will help you a lot :)

Yay Im excited for lil curt to come back. I hope all goes well for him!

Spence YOU LOOK GREAT :) Nice pics. Man you are all getting so much bigger. Ive had some of the little girls here tell me you guys look like one direction haha

Well. Lets see. Lots has been going on and I dont have much time but I just wanted to talk about some overall feelings that I had this week.

Im seriously just so dang grateful for this sector, my amazing ward, the people Ive met, and this opportunity that I have to serve. There are so many people here that I want to stay close to for the rest of my life. As I think about my comp leaving and imagine how it would be for me it just helps me to be so dang grateful for this opportunity to get to know people so kind, so fun, so loving, I literally feel like they have logrado (acheived? No se) a place in the deepest parts of my heart. I love serving them and serving with them. I sure do hope I stay here for the rest of my mission.

Today we also had a meeting with Elder Nelson of the twelve. WOW. It was a pretty cool experience. Im literally exausted from ending a fast today, hiking, waking up at five and everything else but wow it has been a GOOD DAY. I managed to get to the 3rd or 4th row of the chapel. That was cool. And when Elder Nelson came in he shook each of our hands. It was my first time shaking and apostles hand and it was an amazing feeling. I just felt so dang happy and so grateful to have living prophets and apostles here on the earth today. There is a spirit that radiates around him and you can just feel how true this gospel is when you see him speak.

Everything he talked about had to do with making covenants in the temple. One of the things that maybe most struck me was when he said that if someone doesnt go to the temple to receive the ordinances there, their joining the church is kinda pointless. We need baptism and confirmation for salvation but for EXALTATION we need the ordinances of the temple. The mission has helped me realize how important the temple is. I think Ive said it before but we dont enter the temple to prepare for a mission. I truly believe we go on a mission because we have entered the temple. It really is a way to really dedicate your self to keeping those covenants. So little bros (and sis). DO NOT LET ANYTHING STOP YOU FROM ENTERING IN THE TEMPLE WORTHILY TO MAKE COVENANTS WITH YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER. It for reals is like THE MOST imporant thing you can do here on this earth.

Anyway. I am out of time but I really just felt a love for where I am and what Im doing this week. The church is true. We are guided by living prophets and apostles called by God, and I know that God listens to our prayers and answers them through his servants, the scriptures, and feelings from the spirit.

Family home evening :) We made kazookies.

One of my favorite little people in this ward.

My favorite little future missionary (every time we go to their house or when she sees us in sacrament meeting she asks for our nametags and watches and wears them around for a while)

Planting a mint plant for Regina (she wants each missionary to plant an herb in her garden to remember us by... dont worry I shouldnt be leaving but because my comp is we both decided to do it at the same time)

Bright and early waiting to get inside the chapel for our meeting with Elder Nelson today.

Pics from the little hike we did today. Haha half way inbetween I changed shirts because my comp wanted to take pics with my shirt that matched the flag better and my hair is all done up from the meeting with Elder Nelson. But it was a fun last minute hiking adventure