Work hard, Obey with exactness

Miracles, miracles, miracles. Man we have worked hard this last week and we have really seen some fruits. Pure miracles. We have people coming out of nowhere wanting to get to know the church. When I got into Ovejeria everyone just said you will be teaching less active people who don't really want anything. I´ve kind of heard that in all of my sectors, welcome to your new sector, don't expect to baptize. We put in the faith, the sacrifice, the hard work, and we have seen the fruits. My companion and I set some goals, put in the time, and we were obedient. We just opened up a new sector and now we had 3 people come to church this Sunday. I am often reminded of the words that Elder Kerby (the missionary that taught me the lessons when I was investigating the church) wrote on a tie he gave to me, "work hard, obey with exactness." I love this work! 

Elder Haddad

Success without Seeing

A Ward Mission Leader is a member of the church called to help the missionaries with what they do. We report weekly to our Ward Mission Leader to find ways we can get the ward more active and how we can use the ward to help people progress in the gospel. Here in Overjeria, our ward mission leader is Orlando and he is blind. Never have I met a member with so much dedication and diligence in the gospel. He is willing to accompany us any day we need him, leave in the heat, walk all day, do contacts, what ever we need help with. He shows us where old investigators live, and he has the most positive attitude I have seen. I'm not sure how, but he cooks for the missionaries as well. Orlando is a great example of service and sacrifice, and I am grateful that he is in our ward. 

We have seen so many miracles this week, I love this work and I love these people!

Elder Haddad

Exploring Overjería

This week we got plenty of time go get a good look around the sector. Our sector has a lot of old western style homes and even some river shacks. It has a lot of character, and years ago with the railroad it was quite a popular town. Though the train is rarely used now, it has left a big impact on the sector. We took a couple opportunities to explore the abandoned buildings of the sector, the abandoned trains, and even down by the river. 
There are a lot of photos this week! 

Love,

Elder Haddad

Flying home

In theory, flying home sounds pretty simple. Unless your trip gets scheduled by Elder Haddad, then everything goes wrong. I guess I must have the magic finger, because with the flights I have scheduled, I have managed to lose a doctor for 2 days, lose 11 new missionaries, and lose 31 returning missionaries. Now let me just explain a little. 

Losing the doctor: 

About a week ago, there was a missionary who was assigned to return home to her house because of health related issues. She was going to be accompanied by the mission nurses to Santiago, and then from Santiago to Bolivia by a doctor who works for the church. Along with scheduling her flight to Bolivia, I scheduled a flight for the doctor to accompany her. There weren't too many return flights, but we did the best we could, and found one 3 days later. The missionary got home safely, but about two days later I get a call asking me where the doctor is. Turns out he never entered Bolivia. I was asked if I had made any hotel arrangements for him or his wife, which I also hadn't done. Two days later, they had no idea where the doctor was, and I hadn't either. Somehow he returned home safely, I still don't know how. 

Losing 11 new missionaries: A call came into the office advising us of the late arrival of the group of missionaries leaving the CCM from Santiago, that they would be arriving at 5:00. I checked the flight status, and Osorno wasn't on the flight itinerary anymore. I called the airlines to find out that the flight to Osorno had been canceled and they were flying into Valdivia, two hours away. They were going to land in about an hour, and it would take at least 2 hours to get there in car. We turned our bus around, sent the mission president up there, and called the nearest elders to the airport to go and find the new missionaries. Guess who the closest elders were...good old Elder Salgado. 

Losing 31 returning missionaries: I get a call on Thursday from the temple in Santiago asking me where the missionaries are. There was a large group and I was 100% sure they had left on time because we had woken up at 5am to run 3 miles down to the church, to help them get on their bus. They had arrived in Santiago at 11:00AM, and then the thought crossed my mind if I had ever scheduled to have someone go and pick them up from the airport. At 12:40 when I received the call from the temple, I was pretty nervous as well...where could they be? Turns out they had been delayed finding all of their bags hahaa and didn't arrive to the temple on time. 

Since the first day on the mission I have had bad experiences flying. 

Attached is a photo related to last weeks email. 

Have a great week guys 

Love-- 

Elder Haddad