Thank you so much for being inspired! Elder Diaz and I
were just discussing how important following the Spirit is as a
missionary; it may be the most important trait we can acquire. So thank
you so much for sharing tips on how to do that!
I am so glad that you both enjoyed education week! I can´t imagine
how much you both probably learned. I think going every year is a great
goal.
We had such an amazing week starting with Tuesday! We found a 21 year-old guy, E. Well, really he found us. He
came up to us as we were walking to a cita and asked what times our
meetings started. He also invited us to his house later that night. When
we went over, he told us of his life. He grew up a really bad kid, with
bad friends, doing bad things. One day he jumped a missionary and stole
his backpack. Going through his things, like a story in the Ensign, he
found a Book of Mormon and decided to read it. He told us he sat on a
corner reading while his friends were behind him smoking and fighting
and things. He read for hours. He said a verse he remembers that really
hit him was Alma 37:7, "by small and simple means are great things
brought to pass". The missionary found him that night and saw him
reading. He walked up to him and asked him what he was doing with his
life. He told him with Christ, he could change. The interest that this
missionary seemed to have in him, being a kid that had stole his
backpack a few hours before, really struck E. And he started
changing.This all happened in Santiago. He told us of other members of the
church that have been examples to him, starting with his best friend
that was a parole officer with him in Santiago. But there was a breakout
in the jail and his friend was murdered and for his safety, E., got
sent up here. He had seen missionaries a few times before in the last few months
here, but last Tuesday night he felt some giant force that told him he
needed to talk to us this time. By the end of the night, he
accepted to be baptized on September 1st. He came to church yesterday
and later went to a family night with us with other young single adults
of the branch.
We also found the son of a recent convert who has been through a
VERY rough couple of weeks, to the point that he attempted suicide. But
because of the example of his mom, and now with the gospel in his life,
he has completely changed in just 7 days.
Last night also, Roberto FINALLY possibly committed to being
baptized on the first of September. He has been actively going to church with his
family for 2 months now. His wife and two kids are already members, but
he has had a hard time deciding if he is ready. We know he is. He has
been for a while, but he has a fear that he will be baptized and he will
not stay active. But we know things will only get better spiritually
for him. I´m pretty sure bad things will happen in the next couple weeks
now, but he will be all the more converted.
Last Friday we had a zone conference with President Bruce. It was
amazing. He teaches us so much and all by example. He also has a new
goal for us that came from the Area Presidency to have 1,300+ converts
as a mission this year. Last year the mission had 1,016. But he wants us
to improve. The church is really growing so fast here, and if we do
everything right, truly convert them and make sure the branch gives them
plenty of support as a new convert, it will continue to do so. I love
this town of Tocopilla. There is so much loving support in this branch
and especially this Sepulvera family, the family of Alice, is so strong
together. They make up about 20 of the 80 people that attend each week.
Have fun in school everyone! Thank you so much for everything.
Love,
Elder Keele
p.s. A white tie for baptisms would be great because I
don´t have my one I came with anymore. Other than that... I really
don´t need much.
