12/8/2014 letter

So everyone whats up?
Today is a holiday here in Chile the day of the Virgin of Vasquez. (Catholics and there virgins and saints..... I don't understand.) ha But its cool because it gives the real latter day saint a day to have some fun! So we went and played Baby soccer with the members that didn't have to work and some of our investigators (Jose Luis and his son) It was fun to play baby. I haven't played for a while so it took a second to get the hang of it but once I got it I had a great time. I feel bad sometimes because I am a lot more solid then Chileans so when they try to take the ball from me or chop my legs they always end up limping away. haha oh well. 

Also I cut my hair again today. The fiance of Jose luis Paula Faundez cut the missionaries hair and does a good job.  It's nice because I don't feel uncomfortable having someone covet my hair... 

So this week the Church gave us some cool cards to do contacts the say "El es la Dádiva" or He is the Gift in english. It's been fun to contact people with those. Me and my comp are sick of people rejecting us so we make them feel bad like they are rejecting the gift if they don't accept us. haha but the video is good if you haven't seen it. 

So I have been here a little more than month. When I got here I look at the registry of the area and realized that for the last year it had been what we call in the mission the carcel or the Jail for missionary's that are a little disobedient or are like a month away from going home and don't want to work. President told me that he wanted to change the reputation of the area so here I am. Me and my comp Velasco are taking out the trash. literally we work none stop. But the people are very prideful. Just like the Book or Mormon. For an example: This week we were walking on a pretty busy street its like a main street with lots of people we pass a drunk laying in his own urine, bleeding from his face because he fell flat on it and got road rash. Now this is an extreme case of what in other areas in my mission sees all the time. But here in my area the people have a little higher standards than this. We walked passed him until I though wait hold up. What would the Savior do in this situation? So I stopped my comp and we turned around to ask him if we could help him and tried to move him off of the side walk. He couldn't speak. He was so screwed up he just sat there so after several minutes of trying to communicate we wrote our number on a card put it in his shirt pocket and left. (drunks when the begin to sober 90% of the time want to repent) But as we are walking away we felt like we should get him something to eat (mostly my comps idea this time) so we stopped bought an empanada and took it to him. He was grateful and began to eat. There was another man there this time. He said that he used to have a bad conception of us and that now he felt better about us. As I explained to him all of his misconceptions my comp tried to talk to the drunk. The drunk began to talk, thanked us and said he was very grateful for the help. The other guy gave me the excuse that his dad wouldn't let us in the house, so I invited him to church, and we went on our way. The next day we were walking on the same road but on the other side. We saw the drunk again. This time he looked like he was beginning to sober.  He was sitting on some steps drinking juice from a recently purchased carton. He was still filthy. We stopped and tried to see how he was doing. I asked him if there was anything he needed and how we could make his day better, That's when he began swearing at us. He began to say the most vulgar things. So we just left. I don't understand how you can be so prideful and shut out when you are in such bad situations. 

But honestly I am so grateful to be here in the Mission. We will have a baptism this week but it wont count as numbers, but who really cares about numbers. My companion baptised a lady in the end of August here and she is a single mother with an 8 year old daughter.  The daughter was not ready to be dunked yet, but on Sunday told us she wants to be baptised this Friday! So that's a blessing. 

We are teaching a 20 year old guy named Cristian he started as an atheist and said he wanted to learn but had no desire to read or anything.  He said he wanted us to just teach him once a week. Well after three weeks he agreed to read small parts of the Book of Mormon. He will be baptised I'm sure of it but, it'll take a few months, and will need lots of prayers. 

We are also teaching a couple that are not married but live together. They started with just the woman being interested now they are developing testimonies and its awesome I just gotta get them married. 

Other than that Jose Luis will be dunked in January after he gets married. and there are two kids of like 11 years old. One needs the permission from her parents to be baptised but that's all she is missing but the parent refuse and I mean refuse. 

The other 11 year old is just super lazy and has no desire to do anything but it makes sense because his dad doesn't work and just sleeps all day.  While his mom works all day, comes home cleans and cooks then does it all again the next day.  Till the point she is now in the hospital anemic. She weighs 86 pounds... So the Bishop is helping us huge with this family everyone is members but the 11 year old. 

Other than that we have reactivated two families and its been a great month so far. I wish I could share all my stories but I could never have enough time.   If anyone is wondering my favorite scripture lately that I have been sharing a lot is 2 Nephi 2: 11 and 12. Its great it never fails to make a less active family feel the spirit tell them that there reason for not going to church is lame.

Well I love you all! 

Chou Elder Biesinger

James getting his hair cut