Amber's News 10/25/2010

This week was great we had a lot of lessons with members and Elia recieved the Holy Ghost. Yesterday I had a cool experience we were talking to a member and I felt like I should ask her how her family was (which was weird, I never ask her this) So I did and she said why. Why are you asking? and I said uh cuz I felt like I should. Anywho it so happens that something bad just happened in her family so we talked to her for a little bit and I told her to pray to know what to do. O I forgot last week to say that one day for an hour we had 8! dogs following us. Oh man it was so hard to do contacts. I felt like every time we tired to talk to someone the dogs found another dog behind a fence and would start barking at it.

Vicente is progressing well. He is super excited for his baptism. Last week we played basket ball with him. It is really rare to find someone that likes basketball. Every kid likes soccer. It was really fun. But I jammed my thumb. (that is what I get for having a dad that plays basketball lol (this is a inside joke in our family)) Which reminds me of yesterday when I ironed my hand lol. Yeah I was on exchanges so the house I was in didn't have an ironing board and the plug was behind the bed so I put the iron on the bed and plugged it in. Then I did something else but I put my hand down on the bed and the iron fell and now I have a nice red mark on the back of my hand lol. Yeah I know what I did was really stupid but bueno. But the funny thing is at church someone was like oh you had the iron on the bed and I was said yeah how did you know and the woman said oh I did the same thing (apparently it is a common thing here in Chile) Ok back to Vincente we taught the Plan of Salvation and I think it was the most interesting lesson on the Plan of Salvation that I have had because,he had a lot of questions. Then he would said oh so if my body was here and this and this blah blah. It was really fun. But he is so awesome. In church we had the primary program and so he was up in front but after he went over to his mom and said the missionaries are not here and she said yes they are they are over there. So he came and talked to us for a little bit. Oh last Monday we started teaching Nicole. She is a very very special woman. She is 18 years old but wow she is really sensitive to things. For example she has really good communication with her Father in Heaven. And she also has a gift to recognize when she is being tempted. It is pretty neat to work with her she is really great. She has a lot to change but we are going to help her. She already told us that she knows that it is true. Actually the first day before we taught anything she said she knew it was true but did not want to be baptized because she felt a lot of pressure from her parents to do it. (I have seen this happen a lot here that the parents pressure their kids so much to do these things that it pushes the kids away from it.) But we said we only want to teach you the why of things and we just invite people to do it after we teach you can decide. She said ok and so we came back the next day and taught about temptations because she wanted to know how to eliminate them or over come them because she knows when satan is tempting her and all. So we taught her the lesson was really powerful then we invited her to pray and she said that she did and that she received an answer. So tomorrow we are going invite her to be baptized. Also we are working with her step brother bueno I was in exchanges for this part so I wasn't there for this lesson. Hna Martinez and I had planned to do an activity with the atonement and Hna Martinez wasn't going to do it because I wasn't going to be there. But I said you have to do it. And it happened that she did do it and she said that she felt like a bomb of the spirit went off and that the room was so full of the spirit and they invited him to be baptized and he said yes that he knew it was true. This was amazing because honestly I didn't have much hope for him. I thought we were going to have to drop him because we couldn't ever find him or teach him and if we did he was not really listening or his heart was really hard but now he accepted and is going to do it. It is pretty exciting.( A man from our ward here in Mapleton was in Santiago and had lunch with Amber's mission President and when he came home he told me that President May was very impressed with Amber and wished all of his missionaries were as good.) And this was her reply: Yeah a couple days after Brother Aldana talked to my President we had interviews so he told me that he talked to him. President May is really great so I'm pretty glad to hear what he said.

This was my week I love you all so much !!!

Love Amber

Cody's News 10/25/2010

Hey, this week was good I guess it was really tough we worked a lot and talked with a lot of people but all of them, did not want to hear anything from us. But it's all good we got a list of members of the branch and we are going to start looking up all of the in actives and work with them to get them to church and also to teach and help their family or friends. We have been passing by Daniela and Ximena and they are both doing really awesome. They didn't come to church yesterday because they didn't want to go all the way to Chillan for stake conference. That Carla girl that we are teaching is awesome. We went out to her house before lunch one day and we missed our bus. So we walked from Santa Clara to Pueblo Seco and waited for the bus. So my new companion is Elder Dowse from South Jordan. For one transfer he was in Amber's mission because of the earthquake. He is cool and animated to work and so that is what we have been doing. It is funny because he can pronounce Spanish better than I can but I understand more. So this week we went to the family Olate that we give the sacrament to every week and when we showed up to their house their less active daughter from Santiago was there. We gave them a really powerful lesson about the atonement and she started crying. So we gave her a book of mormon with the invitation to read it so hopefully she gets her life back in shape and gets back into the church. (I asked Cody if there was any thing he would like me to send in his 1/2 way done package) if you could send me some new innersoles for a size ten shoe that would be awesome and some cool new short sleeve shirts that would be great. Also a bunch of the For the Strength of Youth booklets in Spanish and a bunch of the CTR rings in English and Spanish that they give to the primary. If you could and I would like a cool ring too but my only problem is I am not sure my ring size I will find out and let you know. If you could think of anything else that is awesome that I could give to converts I would like that.)

Love Elder Moss

Amber's News 10/18/2010

Hola everyone,

I hope you are all doing good. This week was really great. Elia was baptized yesterday!!! Her baptism was really great and her whole family came. They are not members so it was really special. We are going to their house on Tuesday so we are pretty excited. Elia is super bueno. Every one was nervous that she was only being baptized because her boyfriend is a member. But don't worry we made sure that she had a testimony. Ohh we found a new person this passed week his name is Vicente (10) he is a really good kid. His mom and brother are members but are inactive and his dad is a non-member. According to my comp and our ward mission leader Vicente is a miracle. They said that missionaries have been trying to get him baptized for years and finally we are going to do it. I think that when his dad sees his baptism that he is going to have the desire to learn and then he will be baptized.

Hey I read in our mission notices that Thomas and Judith were baptized!!!!! Our miracle from Lampa. I hope you all remember when we started teaching Cata and Judith that was in the beginning of July when Hna Buckner came. Cata and Judith had a date to be baptized together but Judiths brother told her she should put everything in order in her family before she should be baptized (her brother is a bishop - I cant believe he said that) So she wasn't baptized and Catas dad Thomas didn't want to listen to us at all. lol He was so pesada (difficult). Actually there was one point in time when he said that Cata couldn't be baptized. Oh I remember when Judith told us this she was bawling and so was Cata. And we told them that everything was going to be alright. We had just finished a fast for her kid Agustine and he was healthy and he received a blessing from the Elders. So Hna Buckner and I did service in their house. Yeah we cleaned...a lot. And after a little bit of time he said that Cata could be baptized. Thomas and Judith came to sacrament and then to the baptism for Cata and Thomas really liked it. So we started out really slow with Thomas from there. It was so funny because we started reading the book of mormon with them and they started praying together (they had a lot of problems but this changed everything) Man it was amazing to see the changes in the prayers of Judith the fist time when we visited with her and Cata they wouldn't pray at all. Actually they didn't accept a date to be baptized for a long time. But her and Thomas were praying together and they were reading and the feeling in their house totally changed. They started coming to church with us and everything was different. Thomas was always afraid to have not read before we came over because he didn't want to disappoint us. After some lessons when we would invited them to do something he would say oh we have to do it (it wasn't an option not to). When Hna Buckner and I were trying to decide which date they should be baptized we picked two dates and then we prayed and wrote down what we thought and it was the same date. Then when we started with the Word of Wisdom. Judith was so worried that Thomas wouldn't be able to do it because he smoked so much. Thomas was too he said he had tried to do it a bunch of times before but never could quit. But we told him this time was different because this time he had something different -the gospel. And with the help of God he could do it. Hna Buckner and I left and told them we would come back the next day with a plan. We came back the next night with a bunch of pictures that we had cut out from liahonas(oops) and scriptures that we had written that they could hang up in their house to remind them. Then we had them write down when where why and with who they smoke and how they could avoid these situations or change it. For Judith it was pretty easy she didn't smoke much actually before she had told us she didn't have the desire to smoke anymore. Thomas for him it was really hard especially at work because they all smoked. Thomas went from 20 ciggs in one day to 7 and after that he went to 3. The week that I left Lampa he quit. This was a little over a week to quit. Oh one other thing he did that was really great was when he wanted to smoke we told him to call Judith and talk with her and she would help him till he didn't want to smoke or to think of a scripture or pray. He also would suck on candy or things like that to help. They were finally baptized. It was pretty hard not to be there for it but. I'm just glad that they did it and that they have testimonies. Which reminds me of a time that we were teaching them and that morning I had prayed that Judith would share her testimony to Thomas in our lesson and then she did share it in our lesson. She talked about all of the blessings that she had seen with us teaching them and that she had more peace and joy and that she new it was true and then the spirit touched her heart and she said I have a feeling that I have never felt before here in my heart. Then we explained that it was the Holy Ghost and then I think this is when we invited them to be baptized. Bueno this was their story it is my favorite so far.... oh one of my favorite things that Thomas asked us after a while of teaching them was "why didn't you share the gospel with me before? oh because I was so difficult." I loved that he said this because if people really knew what the gospel could do for them they would all want to listen. If they knew the changes they could have. Everyone wants the gospel they want the peace and joy that it can bring but like its says in doctrine and convenience they just don't know where to find it.

I want to invite you all to share what you have, this joy and peace. That the gospel brings and help others strengthen their faith and testimony in Jesus Christ. Find someone this week to help lift their burden or to share your testimony.

I hope you all have a great week and are praying in such a way that you can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in your lives. That you are reading the book of mormon to recieve personal revelation daily. That you are serving your neighbor.

Love Hna Moss

Cody's News 10/18/2010

Hello Everyone,

So this next week I am going to have a year in the mission and I was talking with an elder that I lived with when I first got here, last night and he helped me notice a large change in who I am and who I have been over this last year, and it has been quite a change. I bet you cant wait for me to come home and party it up will all you guys. Elder denis is going home and I am getting a new companion tomorrow, and I am going to be senior companion now. So mom sent me the story about the missionary in argentina that fasted for the couple to find their papers. (So they could get married and then baptized. Well this last fast Sunday Elder Denis and I both fasted with the purpose of finding great people here in Bulnes and well I am just going to have to tell you what... the Lord really does prepare the people and they are just all around us every day. So you know how I told you that we went to Santa Clara? Oh that girl Carla is awesome! We went all the way to Santa Clara to go to her house and you know what she wasn't there. So we left a pass along card with our telephone number on it, and she called us Saturday, and we invited her to come to church. AND SHE CAME! with out us teaching her she found a way to get all the way to Bulnes to come to church, she was even early. I told Elder Denis that I needed to go changed my pants because Carla showed up to church. well she showed up and she said that she read a little in the book of mormon and said that she felt a special connection to the book. It was so great and then when she was in the class with Daniela my awesome recent convert and Daniela started testifying about the book of mormon and how it is not to compete with the bible but to help us now days it was so great.
Have a great week, Elder Moss

Hey there lil Momma,

Things here in Bulnes are great, finnaly it's hot and Elder Denis finds it warm enough to go around without a jacket Finally! I have been waiting like 3 weeks for that. But things are good, We have in our sector this little town called Santa Clara, and on Sunday this family from Santiago came over to the church and said that they have relatives in Santa Clara that keep seeing weird things in their house that they think are ghost and that the 28 year old has depression and she is looking for help from God. So they took us to the town in their car during Sunday School and we dedicated the house and gave the girl a blessing. So now we have some people that we now get to go to Santa Clara we will see how that can go because on Sundays there are not any buses that go from there to Bulnes. So that is the only difficulty. But we can find a way to get them to church. That is awesome that Chandler is heading out on the mission, he is going to learn a lot but it will be great. Tell all of the Klassens hi for me and that things are just peachy king down here in Chile. Man mario and Dallas are just going into the MTC, that was along time ago, and yet it seems like yesterday. But I have changed a lot since the MTC, but I am still trying to change more because I still have a hard time trying to just be an open person and not so closed. You know what I mean, like when I am with you guys I talk, and then when I am with other people I just don't talk as much, I don't show who I am. Whitney has the same deal. so I am working against that. But I would say I have changed but I am not to sure how I would descibe how I have changed. One thing that I have learn is that you have to be just a normal person but just with higher standards, like the people need to see that your normal like them you just have extra things that you do and don't do. I just cannot be a missionary machine but a person that is a missionary. Like the early missionaries they didn't have any one going before them showing them that a missionary is some robot that just works and works and has no fun with the people. they went in there as normal people showing what they have.. the truth. well

Hey mom I love you and hope that you are having the best week ever (Oh sorry that might be next year when I come home ha haha)
--
Elder Cody Moss

That is Cody's fun personality coming thru!!

Amber's News 10/11/2010

Hello,

Well I can't wait to read conference. There were a bunch of things that were very helpful to me. Oh one thing that I learned is that you all were right about sleepovers. Bueno I sent my thoughts about conference the last week. Elia is doing really well. She is really great. She is nervous for her baptim though. But we are going to see her everyday this week and hopefully that will help her feel better. Right now we are in the finding mode. We need to find more people. But the work is going great. Thomas and judith should be baptized this week too.( in Lampa)

Well have a good week. Hna moss

Amber's News 10/4/2010

Hola everybody well conference was great. Bueno some of the highlights or things I liked
David A Bednar - Everything in the gospel is to help us have the holy ghost
Thomas S monson - We shouldnt only look at what is missing
Richard G scott - We become what we want to be when we be what we what to become
- You get what you pay for
- As we walk to the boundary we will find what we never thought we could (faith)
Kevin R Duncan - Follow the prophet don't look to the arm of the flesh
Quinten L. cook - Come, knock and ask, are action words
Dieter F utchdorf - You become great by mastering the essentals.
- What you do with your time shows what is most important to you
Todd D Cristoferson - Life is stewardship of time and choices
David M Mckonki- Studying the scriptures trains us to hear the voice of the lord.

Our hand book for life - Book of Mormon

Bueno other cool things Elder Costa spoke. He came and talked to us like a month ago. And it was really different to hear him speak english in conference. Actually I had a hard time understanding in english. He is a super powerful speaker in Spanish. It was pretty neat to see a difference when people talk in their native tongue. Bueno Kevin R Duncun spoke and he was the Mission President here before my president. Then Elder Corbrige gave a prayer. I met Elder Corbrige and talked to his wife a few months ago. They actually came to Lampa and gave talks in our branch. So... i shook his hand and gave is wife a hug and a kiss on the cheek (thats how you greet people here)

They talked a lot about our agency and I especially liked the talk by Elder Scott about faith and our character. I think mostly because I'm studying faith right now. Man I can't wait to read the conference talks.

Well the Hna Marcoleta is doing good. I get along well with my comp. She is super smart. Her accent is a little different because she is from Mexico so lol sometimes I don't understand her but she is really cool. She is a psycologist and she can read peoples hand writing and tell you all about their personality and what kind of person they are sweet huh? Well our investigator Elia is doing great. She went to conference and really liked it. We have a meeting with her tonight.

Something weird that happened this week. Hna Martinez was talking with a contact that was a guy and another guy walked up and greeted him with a kiss and all (on the cheek) but still it was weird.

Bueno something spiritual that happened on our first lesson with Elia was super powerful the spirit was really strong and we were with members and they all shared their testimonies. Oh and I had a super sweet contact I started talking with this kid and he told me that he didn't believe in God that he believed in evalution so I said I'm here to tell you that God exists he is our father in heaven and as a plan for us. We were on a pretty busy road talking to him but the spirit was so strong in this contact it was really cool. Hna Martinez even commented about it after. I don't know I just feel the spirit strongly helpling me talk with power it was neat.

Bueno eso fue

I love you all Hna Moss

By the way I got word from the Hna Buckner that Thomas didn't smoke this week and him and Judith went to conference I'm so happy!

Bueno as a missionary I can promise blessings (cool huh) I promise you that as you consistantly read the book of mormon and search that you will find an answer of how you can solve problems. Or know what needs to be done as family

Love Hna Moss

Cody's News 10/4/2010

So thing are peachy, Elder Denis is leaving on the 19th and I should be having a new companion, and we watched general conference so that was good, we haven't found anyone really new so, it hasn't changed all that much, but I did like the saturday sessions of conference they were really good. It was pretty interesting to hear the disgust of President Monsons voice as he talked about satan and hell. But things are good, Elder Denis said that he is going to let me run the sector for a week and then we will finish running it for the last week. So I have been thinking a little bit about what I want to study when I get back and I think that Engineering would be a good thing to study like civil or structural engineering would be fun I think. We are going to work away this week and hopefully we can find us some super awesome peoples that we can teach. (I asked him What their plans were for the rest of the day and what his favorite conference talks were.) Well I think our plans for today, are to do nothing until 6 o'clock and then go and see if we can find some new people. I think that is about the majority of our plans, I really liked President Monson's talk on the three R's in priesthood and then there was a talk by a 70 about faith and testimony I really liked that. I don't remember his name but he talked about how faith is like a seed and we need to help it become like a tree.
Love you,
Elder Moss