Making Christmas Special

Making Christmas special was our goal this year. Elder Jackman and I planned a really good surprise for the zone. We have an investigator that owns a thrift store, she was willing to donate some ties to us. The sister missionaries in our ward helped get some skirts. Together we were able to put gifts together for every one of the missionaries in the zone, all 18 of us. We wrapped them all up, invited everyone over to the church to play soccer, and hid them. I don't know how, but we were able to find a Santa. So Santa came to give all of the gifts out to the zone. I think this was one of my favorite Christmas experiences. We only focused on giving, and didn't expect anything in return. 

And in other news, I'm getting transferred out of Regional. I'm going to La Union in the sector of Caupolican to finish the training of a new missionary. 

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Jesus Visted the Lonely and so Can You

Today I wanted to share some spiritual experiences. 

The first one came from last week. We were trying to think of some productive way to use the morning hours. Not too many people answer their door at 11 AM, and there aren´t very many people outside to contact. We just kind of went out, trying to do what was right, and hoped we would be rewarded. We stopped by the church to drop something off, and when we got to the corner a man crossed the street to contact us. Missionaries usually attract the weirdos. After talking a bit, this guy didn't actually seem so strange. His name was Eduardo, he was about 50 years old and worked as a fisherman. He told us some stories of how he developed faith by spending a lot of his time on the sea. Describing how the sea is very unforgiving and in storms it is relentless. I asked him if he attended any church, and this is when he got me. He said, "I am not attending any church, because I'm currently looking for one to be able to baptize."  Whattt....I was kind of shocked. I had always heard stories of missionaries finding people who were praying for an answer. I never thought I would be part of one of those stores. We asked Eduardo if he was willing to take a step of faith, and we brought him right into the church and showed him the baptismal font. We told him, that if he wanted the same baptism as the savior he needed a baptism by someone who has the authority and by immersion. We invited him to prepare to be baptized and to come to church. 

The second story came from one of the challenges of Light the World. 

One of our investigators invited us to come to a retirement home and decorate the home for the people living there. We got together with some of the psychology students from the University and helped make Christmas a better experience for the old folks in the facility. We helped them draw snowmen, stars, trees, presents, etc, and decorated the center. I was reminded that service is so much more important than buying something physical. 

I want to close with a scripture from Matthew;

For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”

Matthew 25:35–36

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Elder Haddad

#ILUMINAelMUNDO

Christmas time is the best time of the year, especially when its really nice weather. I remember one Christmas a couple years ago where I left the gift giving decisions up to my parents. I didn't ask for anything, I wanted to give them the opportunity to be creative and get me something that they felt I needed. That Christmas the only gift I remember receiving was a chair.  After that, I decided it would be a good idea to tell my parents what I might want for Christmas. 

The honest truth is, that it's a lot less about giving gifts. In an effort to help others light the world, we have been challenging people to think about what they are going to gift to God this Christmas? The thing is, you can't buy anything anything material. He doesn't need a new phone or a big TV.  Honestly I think what would make God happy would be that we show our appreciation. If you want any ideas on how to show that appreciation, you can go to Mormon.org 

Attached photo: We have an investigator that owns a thrift store. She gave us some free ties, and I scored this sweet cat tie. 

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Elder Haddad

Llifén

Today we took a sweet trip to a place called llifen, it was sooo pretty!  If I ever came back to Chile I would come back here hahah and go swim in the lake.

1960 Tsunami

History lesson of the week: 

In 1960 one of the largest recorded earthquakes hit the south of Chile. The magnitude was approximately measured at 9.5, with the center of the earthquake in Valdivia. Some of the people still talk about the earthquake, but almost everyone talks about the tsunami. Shortly after the shocks a tsunami came and wiped out much of Niebla and Corral. Here are some photos of Corral today, about 50 years after the earthquake. 

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Elder Haddad

Photo Updates November 14

Photo update week: 

It was a ward mission leaders birthday so we threw him a surprise party! Also more photos from the Arboretum and one from Sunday. 

Have a great week! 

Elder Jackman and I are staying in Valdivia for this transfer! 

 

Elder Haddad and Elder Jackman

La Boca Chueca

There are some really funny superstitions here in Chile, one of them is called the crooked mouth. When we knock doors, a lot of people answer the door covering their mouth. The reason is because they believe that if a gust of wind touches them, it will leave their mouth crooked. It has to do with people drinking yerba mate, which is a popular drink in all of South America. I've heard various versions of the myth, but my favorite is that if you are drinking mate and you have the window open, you can't open the door because the airflow will leave your mouth crooked. Everyone has some uncle or cousin that has "the crooked mouth"

Attached is a small comic that explains that fresh air is dangerous because one cousin went outside after drinking mate and they got the boca chueca. 

Elder Haddad

The Church is Perfect, The People Are Not

I think this is one of my favorite themes I have learned on the mission. This Sunday we had a small miracle happen, when some girl we had contacted, came to church. She showed up right on time and was waiting outside. Unfortunately, nobody had the key to the front gate of the church. We were trying to pick the lock in the mean time, but didn't have any luck. After 15 minutes, someone finally got the key. Maybe it wasn't the greatest first impression. 

Then we had our sacrament meeting. I don't know what was going on, but the person directing the meeting forgot everything but his own name. Between the long uncomfortable pauses and the unknown hymns we put a smile on so the investigator wouldn't think anything was wrong. 

Things didn't get any better in Gospel Principles class when a crazy less active lady came in a took control of the whole class, ranting about her smoking addition and how she came to know that the church was true. We were quite embarrassed after all that had happened, and told Carla, the investigator, that was everything for today. We left her with an invitation to the next ward activity, and showed her the exit to the church. 

In the last class we talked about home teaching and church cleaning. Good thing Carla had left. To our surprise, when we looked back, we saw her sitting between the sister missionaries. The sister missionaries had "saved" her from leaving and brought her back to the meeting to sit through yet another hour of church videos. 

I'm actually really happy she was able to come. Sometimes you just want everything to go perfectly and it doesn't. She really liked the church, even though it didn't exactly go according to plan. As members we are far from perfect, especially me, but we know that the doctrines, principles, values, and teachings are true. We just laughed and had a good time, we made the best out of the experience! If you can't change it, just love it!

Photos from the week: 

Parque Urbano "El Bosque" and exchanges in Corral with Elder Aguilar. 

A Rainy Day Story

I wanted to share a small experience that happened this week. Tuesday was a rough day, we did a lot of walking. Remember that really cool idea about teaching English in the community center, great idea...but there was a soccer game with Chile and Peru so nobody came. Insult to injury. 

So we are walking back to our house in the rain, its like 9:30. We see this guy sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. Our first impression was that he was either drunk or on drugs, so we decided it would be a better idea not to talk to him. A few steps after passing him, we looked at each other and I asked Elder Jackman if we should go back. He said he was feeling the same way. So we went back. I was prepared to either help this drunk guy waddle home or call a taxi. However, as we approached this man, he got up, and we realized he wasn't drunk nor drugged out. He was just sitting there crying. We asked what had happened, he said he just felt that he should sit down and watch the rain. Now I don't know if this man was contemplating suicide, but he definitely wasn't in a healthy mental state. We testified to him that God never leaves us alone, we told him that it wasn't a coincidence that we were talking to him at that very moment. 

I had planned to share a scripture with some members for lunch, but our lunch plans were changed. I also don't think that was a coincidence. So I shared this scripture with Juan, it comes from Alma 58: 10-11. In the scripture it talks about the lord not taking away our burden, but giving us the faith and hope to overcome them. We testified that the Lord loves us and that he had sent us to talk to him. 

If there is one thing is learned it is to follow the impressions you get. They may be subtle, but it is the way the Lord communicates to us. 

Have a great week everybody! 

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Elder Haddad

Arboretum

Updates for this week: 

Tuesday: There was a house that burned down right across the street from us. We saw the fire start and the clouds quickly rise up in the air. Thankfully the fire didn't spread to any nearby houses and we went by quickly after they had put the fire out and everyone was okay. 

Wednesday: Today was transfers, Elder Ballard went to Osorno and Elder Jackman is now my companion. Elder Jackman and I were kind of companions before in Ovejeria, we both were stuck without companions after the transfer because of some delays in the flights. Elder Jackman is from Orem, Utah and we both studied at BYU together. 

Thursday: Today we got approved to teach English classes in the commuity center.  We will offer the classes for free and then offer a small spiritual thought at the end. What we are excited about is that the community center is going to invite all of the people, we don't have to do anything! 

Friday: We went on exchanges with the stake presidency to do invitations. We visited so many families

Saturday/Sunday: Stake Conference. We heard some great talks, the mission president spoke, so did some ex-missionaries, and a member from the 70. 

Monday: We explored a reserve that the university protects, its called the Fundo Teja Norte. Also known as the arboretum. Photos attached. 

The timing of the Lord

Experience of the week:

This week we saw little miracles every day. One of those was Wednesday, we had a teaching appointment with an investigator that we are teaching English to. We always share a small message after teaching. She is 24, married, and has a 2 year old daughter. She is the daughter of a recent convert that just got sealed in the temple a month ago. Her name is Victoria. We were teaching her about the gospel of Jesus Christ: faith, repentance, baptism, ect. When we got to baptism, we shared this verse with her (3 Nephi 27: 19-20):

"19 And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end."

We then explained to her that the things that make us unclean are not keeping the commandments of God. We asked her what she needed to do to be able to put her life in order with the commandments of God. She said, I need to get baptized. More than ever she understood the need, the invitation, and the purpose. She told us that the missionaries had invited her before, but she had never felt such a strong need like she did now. We then read the next verse: 

"20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day."

We invited her to a specific baptism date, but she seemed so worried. She said she would be out of the country. We told her that we had prayed to know what date we should invite her to and that God makes things possible in His timing. She told us that there was a small, very small, possibility she would be staying here in Chile. I have no doubt that God completes his promises and makes everything possible in his timing. 

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Elder Haddad

Curiñanco, Oncol, Pilolcura

This week I have pictures from our trip .  Enjoy!

18 de Septiembre 2016

Well this last week was pretty crazy. The 18 and 19 passed which are the biggest party holidays here in Chile. Yesterday EVERYTHING was shut down and that's why I'm writing today.

Well yesterday we went to a little town called Niebla and we had a HUGE BBQ with two elders and a member over there. IT WAS SOOOO MUCH FOOD! We ate like more than 9 pounds of meat together... Oh my it was a lot! The best part of the 18 of September is that the holiday never ends. It goes on to the 19th so that people have a day to recover and there is even a mini holiday at the end of the month once everyone gets paid. 

I also wanted to share a spiritual experience that happened this week. Yesterday we went to go and teach a family that had recently gotten baptized. As we were sharing our message, Hermana Ruth shared her testimony of her conversion. She talked about having a heart attack when she lived up in Santiago. They lived in the country side so there wasn't a lot of medical help. She made it to the doctor, but the heart attack had caused such severe damage that she wasn't guaranteed a very long life expectancy. The therapy was hard and she really wasn't getting any better.  Her daughter asked if she could send the missionaries to do a health blessing, but she was hesitant. She then had a stroke and she hadn't eaten or drank anything in days. The missionaries came to give her a blessing. As she listened to the words of the blessing she felt something leave her body. She miraculously recovered from her stroke and since then has not had any major health problems. Listening to Hermana Ruth{s testimony really showed the power of the priesthood and the power that God has put for us here on Earth. Miracles happen. 

Elder Haddad

​Ward activity for the 18th

​Photo with Bishop​

​The beach in Nielba​

​The BBQ with Elder Brogdon and Elder Molina​