Monday, November 17, 2014

November 17, 2014 letter with great pictures!

Hey everyone! So this week was my first full week and wow what a week. I bet I walked 250 miles. Like no joke. My companion was in this area but was taken out for a little more than a month when his comp got sick. So the work just died here. We only have like One or two investigators and we might drop one of them. So this week we have just been talking with everyone, people in the streets, knocking on houses (for those of you that don't know you don't know here because there are fences around all the houses so you just call out "halo" "alo"). We have found a few people that we will visit this week and see how that goes. I feel like we are working hard so I'm praying for the blessings to come. That being said if you are praying that I am adjusting well and praying for my well being I thank you I can feel the blessings BUT PLEASE pray for the work here in my area (liahona) haha that is my well being at this point if I don't get somethings going here soon I'm going to go crazy! This week we had two lessons I want to tell you about. The first one was with an inactive member that is loco. He only believes in the bible and acts like an Evangelist but says that our church is true but he doesn't like it for like 20 reasons which I am not going to list. But he sat and would not stop talking for like an hour. So I opened up my bible because I wanted to read him a scripture. When I opened up my bible it fell to Mathew 7. (the sermon on the mount)  Now this was not the scripture I had in mind but the one I had in mind I could no longer remember. So I started looking and Mathew 7:21 through 23 came to mind. Go read it. Everything that it says. This guy was saying literally. He said on three separate occasions"Lord lord look at the miracle that I have done" this scripture was perfect I was going to put him in his place and teach him that he was wrong. I was about to share the scripture and cut him down when I just couldn't. The spirit stopped me completely. Instead I felt that I needed to try something else. So we let him stop talking and then we just told him we loved him and we were sorry he felt the way he felt. We then bore our testimonies and left. It was the weirdest thing.. We will see what happens if he is there this week. He said he would let us talk this time. The second lesson was with an investigator. She is about 11 years old and you can tell that the elders that were here before started some bad habits with her. All she ever wants to do with us is play basketball or uno. Yes she will sit through a lesson with us but immediately after she wants us to stay for another hour and play. That is against the mission rules. So the first lesson with her we agreed to one hand of uno but I told her that from here on out we could only play games during p day. Well the next time we went she wanted to play uno again and she had two friends with her. For some reason my companion agreed. Well the game was going on fifteen minutes and my companion only had one card left. I knew it was green and we needed to leave we were late for an appointment and I didn't want to be disobedient. So when the girl (Monse) played a wild card draw four card and changed it to red I had to draw four well I drew a wild card and my companions turn was after mine. So instead of playing a red card I played the wild changed it to green said oh yay my companion wins! Looks like we have to go now. Apparently this was a bad thing. My comp and I had a little discussion that I should have just kept stalling until Monse won, so that she could be happy. But the thing is that the elders have been doing that for four months now. and There was two other girls there that were going to beat monse anyways. Well we settle the discussion because we both feel like it was probably necessary and she is not really progressing. She likes to go to church but refuses to attend out building which means she will never progress, We will see what happens with her this week. 

So this week I found out that Belloto (my Zone) is actually part of the city of Quilpue even though it is aways away from my very first area. Its really cold today. Its not snow cold like you poor people in Utah But its damp and its really foggy and its raining a little bit. I have already been in two earth quakes this week. The first one was in the street and we couldn't really feel it just heard it. The second on was last night during a lesson. We were sitting there and it starts off with a rumble and a little shaking but it just sounds like it sounds when the train goes past my house so I didn't really notice it at first until it gets more aggressive then you really hear it this one was night was pretty big and lasted about 30 seconds. The Chileans have two words for earthquake. The one that means Earthquake (terremoto) and then one that means tremble (tembor) this one was just a temblor. It was pretty big to me. It was shaking everything. this sector is like Chilean suburbia. Everyone has cars and its a little wealthier. The people are a little more cold towards us as well. But its all good. we will find the ones that are supposed to be found. I love you all and thank you for your support and prayers. 

Elder Biesinger
James Closet :)

James work area


James District


District Leader Elder Seamons

Gypsy tent city

Back in Chile

Back in CHILE! November 9, 2014 email

Okay Everyone so I´m back! I am in the Zone of Belloto it is in the interior. It is more inland than Quilpue. I am in the sector called Liahona. My companion is Elder Velasco. He is from Bolivia. He has about 15 months in the mission. His companion got sick and went home for surgery a few weeks ago so he was in a trio. We are now back in his area but he only worked here for one transfer and then he went with the other elders for almost five weeks, so we know very little and we are trying to get started fresh. My trip here from Utah went smooth. Landing in Atlanta we had to wait for a terminal. For a while so by the time I got to my next flight I was one of the last five to board. Everyone was already on the plane and they were leaving in like 10 minutes. The moment I got to Santiago I flew threw customs and was one of the first ones out. My taxi saw me immediately and we left. He is a member from Valpo. Upon getting to the mission home president welcomed me and talked with me about my experiences. It was good but it didn't last very long. We then went to the mission office got my stuff that I left here and the other elders picked me up. We then hopped on the Micro (bus) and went to our area about an hour drive. when I got to the pension it was rough. Its kinda crappy. Ha president told me I need to find a new one actually before I ever got there. Its just really dirty. It has been difficult to adjust. The first time I had time to adjust in the MTC I was already trying to answer questions in Spanish and I wasn't used to a nice American home. The MTC is a good place to adjust. I went from home to lessons in less than 24 hours this time. Its been kinda hard. I'm doing fine though! our area is kinda a more wealthy one. We have every store that Chile has to offer. I'm talking as close to an American Walmart as possible and a JUMBO which is where you can buy American things. The only down side with this area is that rich people are not as friendly. and being this far from the coast makes summer really hot. Since getting here we have tough a few lessons but it was stake conference this week so Saturday and Sunday were pretty used up. The APs called me last night and asked how I was doing and what they could do for me. They insist that I call them today and tell them how they can help me and my area. Honestly that bugged me... As far as people that I already knew. My district leader is Elder Seamons. He was in Quintero while I was there just in the other half of the ward. Other than that I know who my Zone leaders are just from seeing them and that's it. Oh and one of the APs was in my first Zone. I don't know what else to write! the weather here is nice it feels like early summer. the mornings are perfectly cool and the days heat up. I'm doing well I appreciate all the prayers and support. 

Love you all. 

Elder Biesinger