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

Getting up to Speed

Dear family and friends, 

One of the families we have been teaching is an interesting story. These people are so genuine and caring, but the situation is just so ironic. We have an investigator that is preparing to be baptized, her name is Isidora, we have seen such a progress in her reading and learning about the gospel. Her father's name is "John the Baptist", how that came about...I really don't know. Her father is a less active member of the church who we have been activating with the help of his daughter Isidora. We have really seen a change in this family and how the gospel has made them closer. Photo of them to come! 

Things that happened this week: 

• For the first time in almost a year I got to see my companion from the Missionary Training Center in Mexico, Elder Nielson. I missed that big guy. 
• We got a new companion, Elder Wertner, who is from California - he had even lived in Pleasanton for a time. He's on a basketball scholarship at UC Irvine. 
• I'm getting transferred to a different sector. 
• We bought sushi to celebrate, the missionary on the right is Elder Shobe will be my new companion.

Next week we have 20 missionaries coming in and 30 leaving. Which means a lot of running around for us. This next week is going to fly by! 

Love you guys!

-- 

Elder Haddad

The Tempest is Raging

Seeing what you know through a new perspective changes how you think. This week went by extremely fast, and though there were many hiccups, we still got the work done. I've come to the conclusion that patience is the most important tool you can develop. As we looked over our busy weekly schedule, all you can really do is organize and prepare for the storm. Through the assignment that I currently have, I have been able to gain a new perspective as to what makes missionary work effective. Even though it is a lot of work, it is all so incredibly organized and works fluidly.

Call it nerdy but in my personal study of the scriptures I even found a relation to this. In the 8th chapter of 3 Nephi, the people are facing the consequences of their wickedness. They were told for many years of the Lord´s coming, but their negligence prevented them from believing. The sign the Lord gave them was a great storm, even until the sun went black. Sometimes when we let all of our work get piled up, it seems that the sun isn't going to come up the next day. The chapter concludes with the regretful cries of the people, if only we had repented. If only we had prepared more. That is the spiritual thought of the week. Thanks for all those who take the time to read this, I really do appreciate it.

 

Attached is a photo of some copper artwork.

Love, 

Elder Haddad

3 Cows

Today I want to introduce my new companions! We have Elder Medina, great photo, I know, I took it. Elder Medina is from Corodoba, Argentina, he comes from a family of all members. He recently fractured his leg, and was with crutches for the past month, but as of last week he got the cast off. Elder Medina talks in Vosotros, which is very different haha, but we have a lot of laughs around the office and in the house. He has a gift for sewing, I´m not sure where it came from, but he can sew really well. 

Next we have Elder Diaz. He´s from Mexico, he is the only member of his family. Elder Diaz is the father of our companionship, he calls everyone hijo (son), and he likes cooking for all of us. I learned from Elder Diaz that nerdiness transfers over through cultures, he likes to talk a lot about Dungeons and Dragons. He also knows English, which he learned by playing Zelda. 

                             

I don´t think I have ever laughed so much in my mission. The days have never gone by faster. Osorno is a great place to be, and the weather has been really nice. Happy new year to everyone! 

                                        

Love,

Elder Haddad