Chao Pescado

Six months ago I got to the beach but today I had to say goodbye to the nice ocean breeze and the good views. I am now in the countryside... well actually I havent even gotten to my sector yet I am not sure what it is like. But I have heard that it is country and that it is beautiful. I am excited to get to know it and to start working here in El Monte.

It was bitter sweet having to say goodbye to all of my friends in Algarrobo. It was kinda sad to say see ya later to all the people i had met and gotten to know really well but at the same time satisfying to see the fruits of all the work we do. It really did feel like home out there If anyone ever wants to visit the ocean in chile I would reccomend it 10/10.

This last week before i left I was trying my best to teach my new companion the sector as best I could because I knew it was possible that I would get transferred... and it was a really really big sector. liiike all of stansbury and all of tooele and maybe even heading out toward stockton. But we had a lot of awesome experiences this last week. We taught a guy that is a diving instructor. He lives in these super nice apartments on the nicest beach in algarrobo which is called el canelillo. But instead of going in his house we just shared on a little bench overlooking all of the beach. It was incredible. we ran in to him two days later while we were in divisions and he told me that something crazy had happened and I asked him to tell me but he said he wanted to wait until the next time we went over to see him. He said that like 2 hours after we had taught him a friend just started talking to him about the book of mormon out of the blue. But. That is all I know at this point because he didnt tell us more. 

Another little miracle is we went in search of a family that had moved from another ward but that got baptized just a few months ago. Turns out they live in these parcelas like up in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. So first we had to hitchike in the back of a truck to get to the hill to climb up to their house. But when we got there none of the neighbors knew who they were and they didnt have cell phone connection so we couldnt call them. We searched for like an hour and just as we threw in the towel and were starting to head out we hear someone call from behind us ELDERS! It was them!! hahaha they had found us. That was a little testimony builder of prayer because we had said a little prayer before to be able to find them. Goes to show that when we put in our effort god puts in his. 

Funny story real quick about what happened on the way out to my new zone. we were traveling with 5 elders... 4 of which had changes. So imagine how many suitcases that is... like 12. So we took a bus to the city in the country that is called melipilla. But then from there we had to take another smaller bus to a place called talagante. But we couldnt fit in the little buses with our bags. So we ended up getting in a big bus going toward santiago that told us that he could drop us off closer to talagante. AS we were getting in the bus we looked out side and some guy off the road was taking out and trying to steal some of the bags... lol... so we put an end to that for sure. It was more funny than anything serious. Cuz the bad guys arent hard core in chile. But then we got dropped off on the side of the highway and none of us had any idea where we were. But we got a taxi that helped us get everything to the stake center and now all is well in zion.

Sounds like it was a really awesome week back home!! Congrats to the champs for their win and I loved all the pictures!

Elder Holdstock

Special Changes

Nobody can bear to be with me very long it looks like... hahaha just kidding. This week was a crazy one. Because everything was normal and great we have had a great week finding a ton of people that want to listen to us. We were super busy getting to and from all of our appointments and things were great. But we know that right when we start to get comfortable or when we start to think we are getting the hang of things god will always remind us who is in charge and I am grateful for that because I would rather have the reminder earlier than later. We were teaching on Thursday our first lesson at like 8 oclock because I was in cartagena doing baptimal interview so we got to our sector pretty late but there we were ready teach and we got a call from the assistants and of course I ignored it... cuz that is how I am ah i will just call them later I said. But then they called again so I excused myself to go answer it. They said that we were going to have special changes and that my companion was headed out and I would be receiving Elder Tavara from Peru. Haha it was a surprise for sure but will be for the best since Elder Gomez had a hard time with the buses. Anyway we had to go to santiago on Friday to pickup my companion but now we are back in the coast going hard. We will see what happens next week with the regular chnages to see if I will be here for christmas or not.

Earlier this week we found a family out in a super country area of our sector and the dad invited us in and the wife didnt really want to listen that much... but we started talking about the restauration and in the middle she interrupted us and told us that she had a family member that was a mormon but that he didnt know that he was related to her because it was like a whole harry potter story his mom couldnt raise him so she left him to someone else. But that she wanted to get in contact with him now. Turns out that my companion had been in this guys ward and he knows him personally so we left and tracked down the number so now we will see what happens. but it is crazy to see how god puts us where we need to be right when we need to be there.

Chile is pretty funny i am sitting here writing in a ciber and a dog just walked by... just so you know.

I hope everyone is doing really well. I am rooting for the soccer games and everything I hope the trash is taken out. 

Elder Holdstock

no estaba ni alli

Looks like the summer is on its way. This week for the first time in a long time I had to break out the short sleever.... I think you guys are starting to put the jackets back on about this time right? This week was full of good stuff and good times.

Let me tell you a little about Matias and Marialita and their family. About two months ago we talked with them in the street and marialita ended up being a less active mom. We invited her to church and asked what day we could go visit her. She showed up to church the next sunday and told us that it was just really hard to visit her because she works all the time. But we ended up finding her house out in the middle of the countryside. She told us the truth though she was never home. ever. Anyway after a few weeks of trying we finally found them in their house with their dad who is a pretty hard headed catholic. We shared with them and realized that the dad was as we say here 'ni alli' which means doesnt really care. So long story short After a few weeks of slowly working along with the family we have seen lots of progress with the whole family. The last time the dad even started to flip through the book of mormon a little and ask us questions like 'who is abinidai?' And the best part is that this friday the whole family came to play soccer even the dad. without saying we beat everyone, my companion and me along with the dad, Matias, and the older brother. I remember what Bishop Knudsen would always say in priest quorom meeting. Just be pleasently persistent. It Just goes to show that persistence and gentleness go a long way. And believe it or not the Dad was terribly happy this saturday at matias' baptism.

The gospel is true and it changes lives.

The coast life is the best life hehe It is wild how I have already been here 6months in this sector and how much I feel like i have grown. I am always in awe of what the lord does when we just are willing to let him form and mold us. He wants the best of us in fact he gives us the commandment to be perfect. But knows it is impossible he is happy when we just try our best but dont just depend on ourselves when we depend on him. I hope to reach that goal one day but until then we will just keep on keepin on.

Elder Holdstock

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

DULCE O TRAVESURA

That is what you say in Chile if you want to go trick or treating. It was fun to see lots of kids dressed up and trick or treating this last week. One of the funniest things that happened, is that on Halloween we were actually on divisions so I was with Elder Bean from Utah and my companion was with his companion, as we were walking home at night to our house I saw a group of teenagers walking down our street and out of nowhere I hear a bunch of screaming and that someone had run through the middle of them, they were scared out of their minds but then I saw the shadow of who was running away down the street it looked like it was a 19 or 20 year old.. hmm interesting then I realized he was wearing a sweater and dress pants... then I realized that it was my companion...haaha They had gotten home a little bit earlier than us and he told me that he saw the group and just couldnt resist. hahah in our mission there is a theme that is 'Hablar con Todos' (talk with everyone) but on halloween it looks like it turned into 'Asustar Todos' or Scare Everyone.

This Saturday we had a special meeting in Santiago with Elder Christensen from the presidency of the 70. He came with his wife and with another 70 Elder Texeira, it was way awesome because all of our mission was also together with the south mission. So there was about 400 missionaries all together. They asked me to play the piano so I played the prelude and the hymns we sang, when Elder Christensen came to shake my hand he said 'your mother would be proud' haha thats the idea I told him. We learned a lot about the how we can be better missionaries he told us some cool stories about when he was mission president as well It was a good experience to feel of their spirit and testimonies.

This week we had a lot of great service opportunities and teaching opportunities. We are excited to be working hard and seeing miracles everyday. I continue in awe everyday at how the Lord works in mysterious ways and how he always answers our prayers but always knows how things need to work out. He is aware of what is happening in our lives and he wants to help us. More than that he needs us. He needs us as much as we need him.

I hope everyone had a great halloween and that you all dressed up like me... haha just kidding. Have a wonderful week!

Elder Holdstock

P.S. I got the package!! Thank you so much!! you saved my life. Also the other goodies will do me well as well. You guys are the best. My companion loves the tie you sent him as well. He wants you to know he loves you.. He wrote on the back of it 'mama de Holdstock' lol we took pictures but this computer wont load them... rip.. Love you guys lots. besos