Sorry I'm not sending an email this week, we´ve got a ton to do to finish up the mission!
See you guys SOON!!
[Note: Paul comes home Tuesday morning, June 28!!!!]
Monday, June 20, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Time Passing By!
Hey Everybody!
Today I did letters to send to people in my old wards, so I didn't end up with much time. I hope you guys are alright! I am way excited to see you guys in a few weeks! I cant believe these two years have flown by so fast! Thanks for all your love and support in my time here in Chile. It has been a time that I will never forget.
Jessica and her family are progressing great! So are the familia Leon. The dad is trying to stop smoking so bad, but the temptation is hard! We are working way hard to get them in the water on the 26th! Everything will work out, hopefully. My companion, Elder Krewson, is great! He is a hard worker, but he knows how to have a good time and is a great example for me. I am so glad to have this opportunity and the wonderful time I'm having here in Chile! 2 weeks!
Love,
Elder Westover
Today I did letters to send to people in my old wards, so I didn't end up with much time. I hope you guys are alright! I am way excited to see you guys in a few weeks! I cant believe these two years have flown by so fast! Thanks for all your love and support in my time here in Chile. It has been a time that I will never forget.
Jessica and her family are progressing great! So are the familia Leon. The dad is trying to stop smoking so bad, but the temptation is hard! We are working way hard to get them in the water on the 26th! Everything will work out, hopefully. My companion, Elder Krewson, is great! He is a hard worker, but he knows how to have a good time and is a great example for me. I am so glad to have this opportunity and the wonderful time I'm having here in Chile! 2 weeks!
Love,
Elder Westover
Monday, June 6, 2011
Am I Qualified?
Hey guys,
so I'm sorry that I didn't send an email last week. The main reason this happened was shortly after writing my long and pain staking email, it was horrifically eaten by my computer. It was sad....
Well, We have been having some great success, but some very sad disappointments as well. Ill start with the disappointment first.
Our two great families, the family Leon and Jessica´s family (I will never remember her last name for the life of me), didn't show up at church yesterday. In fact, no one showed up at church yesterday. Not one convert from this year came. It was bringing tears to my eyes, thinking about all the work I have put, trying to get them to come. After church we went by a few of the people who didn't come. I shared Moises 1:39 "Esta es mi obra y mi gloria; llevar a cabo la inmortalidad y la vida eterna del hombre." I told them how in a sense, they are also my work and my glory. We glory in our hard work. Yet, if they choose to not follow the commandments of the lord, it makes me feel like my work is gone to nothing; having no point. I related this to our father in heaven, who also has a work; all of us. When we dont obey, he is sad, with the same sadness that I had at church. My work and my glory... Moses 7 relates a similar story of Enoch, who saw everything that would unfold in the world. While he was watching the story play out, he sees God cry. Enoch asks God: "How is it that thou canst weep seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations. how is it thou canst weep?" God responds by saying: "Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands. And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father." As this life rumbles on, the training ground, the university of gods, we come to understand more and more how He feels and how He wants us to be.
Sometimes, I feel that things happen that are way over my qualifications as a missionary. Being a missionary for lots of people makes them think that you automatically know how to fix any situation. For example, the family Leon. They have marital problems. Some kind of serious ones. The other day, the hermano came out and laid it all out flat on the table: he had cheated on his wife two years ago, and she still cant forgive him (I cant imagine why). Then he started asking me advice about what to do. I told him the best way to overcome feelings of doubt and pain like that it through the book of mormon. But he kept asking me for advice. I found myself telling him how I got over fights I had with Ashlee when we were dating (of the very few that we had), by just listening to her, making her feel that everything is going to be alright, and instead of just telling her to get over it, be a simple sympathetic listener and show that you truly care. Now, I have no idea if that is going to work, but it was all I knew. We read a talk a few days later about the healing power of forgiveness by president faust. The spirit was so strong, and by the end reading the talk, the hermana and hermano gave each other a hug, but one of those hugs that they should have given each other a long time ago.
I love the changing power of the gospel and the tender mercies of the lord. I feel his power in my life and every time I exercise the power of atonement. I am very very far from perfect, and I hope to make up for all of my mistakes. I want to rectify every wrong I have made and be at complete peace with myself at the end of it all. I see the imperfections the more I strive to be perfect. It is essentially a never ending process, but its a process that makes us increasingly happy.
7 baptisms are now scheduled for the last day of my mission. Lets make em count!
Love you guys!
Elder Westover
so I'm sorry that I didn't send an email last week. The main reason this happened was shortly after writing my long and pain staking email, it was horrifically eaten by my computer. It was sad....
Well, We have been having some great success, but some very sad disappointments as well. Ill start with the disappointment first.
Our two great families, the family Leon and Jessica´s family (I will never remember her last name for the life of me), didn't show up at church yesterday. In fact, no one showed up at church yesterday. Not one convert from this year came. It was bringing tears to my eyes, thinking about all the work I have put, trying to get them to come. After church we went by a few of the people who didn't come. I shared Moises 1:39 "Esta es mi obra y mi gloria; llevar a cabo la inmortalidad y la vida eterna del hombre." I told them how in a sense, they are also my work and my glory. We glory in our hard work. Yet, if they choose to not follow the commandments of the lord, it makes me feel like my work is gone to nothing; having no point. I related this to our father in heaven, who also has a work; all of us. When we dont obey, he is sad, with the same sadness that I had at church. My work and my glory... Moses 7 relates a similar story of Enoch, who saw everything that would unfold in the world. While he was watching the story play out, he sees God cry. Enoch asks God: "How is it that thou canst weep seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations. how is it thou canst weep?" God responds by saying: "Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands. And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father." As this life rumbles on, the training ground, the university of gods, we come to understand more and more how He feels and how He wants us to be.
Sometimes, I feel that things happen that are way over my qualifications as a missionary. Being a missionary for lots of people makes them think that you automatically know how to fix any situation. For example, the family Leon. They have marital problems. Some kind of serious ones. The other day, the hermano came out and laid it all out flat on the table: he had cheated on his wife two years ago, and she still cant forgive him (I cant imagine why). Then he started asking me advice about what to do. I told him the best way to overcome feelings of doubt and pain like that it through the book of mormon. But he kept asking me for advice. I found myself telling him how I got over fights I had with Ashlee when we were dating (of the very few that we had), by just listening to her, making her feel that everything is going to be alright, and instead of just telling her to get over it, be a simple sympathetic listener and show that you truly care. Now, I have no idea if that is going to work, but it was all I knew. We read a talk a few days later about the healing power of forgiveness by president faust. The spirit was so strong, and by the end reading the talk, the hermana and hermano gave each other a hug, but one of those hugs that they should have given each other a long time ago.
I love the changing power of the gospel and the tender mercies of the lord. I feel his power in my life and every time I exercise the power of atonement. I am very very far from perfect, and I hope to make up for all of my mistakes. I want to rectify every wrong I have made and be at complete peace with myself at the end of it all. I see the imperfections the more I strive to be perfect. It is essentially a never ending process, but its a process that makes us increasingly happy.
7 baptisms are now scheduled for the last day of my mission. Lets make em count!
Love you guys!
Elder Westover
Monday, May 23, 2011
Jessica
Hey everyone!
Well, I found my companion on tuesday! My last companion on the mission... Weird. Well, his name is Elder Krewson. He is a gringo from Maryland. I asked him if his family was converted a long time ago by another Elder Westover that was serving in the east states mission, but unfortunately, their family only moved there a few years ago.
He is really cool and very humble. He speaks well, but struggles sometimes, just like all of us. I really don't know how I can tell him everything he needs to know about the mission. I thought that if I got a new missionary, I would just unload all kinds of missionary wisdom on him. I didn't do it, though. At least not yet. For some reason, I usually just stand back, watch with an encouraging glance, and let him figure it out on his own. I realized that that was the only way he was going to truly learn. I am willing to catch him if he falters, but the only way to be a great missionary is to know how to overcome those experiences by going through them yourself. Christ could have just known how to help us using his god capacitated revelation, but he knew that the only way to truly understand was to go through it himself.
Everyone in Gabriela is doing well. Juan José Arias, who was baptized on the 24 of april, passed the sacrament on sunday. The Family Quivira and us are planning a temple trip. Luciano and Shirly are doing well, as always. Matias and Nicolas have been more of a struggle, trying to get them to church while balancing an angry divorced mom who could snatch them away at any moment if she decided to press charges. The best news of this week is Jessica.
Jessica is a reference that we got from another ward. Apparently they had already been to church, and they loved it. We came to her house on Tuesday, not really knowing what to expect. We got to the house, and immediately the blonde hair woman who answered the door told us to come in. And there we were. Jessica and her three boys. Right now she is living with her friend, who is a member of another ward. We start to talk, and we found out that she studied in a catholic school, training to be a nun. She decided that it wasn't for her after a few years, but continued in the Catholic church. She baptized her children, went to misa, and was getting her oldest ready to do his first communion. That's when she realized: nothing filled her. Nothing about what she was doing made her feel like she was in the right church. So she began her search. She studied with the evangelicos, the testigos de jehová, adventistas, etc, each with varying results. None of wich filled that gap. Then one night she had a dream, dreams wich she never remembers. In her dream, she was with a man in a roman looking tunic. They were in a brightly lit room with white walls and neatly placed furniture. It felt nice. She said a little bit farther down a hall she saw a pool of some kind. Then the man took her hand and led her to a great door. He told her that she couldnt go in until she had cleansed herself. He began to leave, but Jessica grabs his robe and tells him not to go. He tells her not to worry, that he will come back. She asked him his name so she would know when he has come back. He said simply: "Helaman," and left.
I pulled out my book of mormon and read Helaman 5:9: O remember, remember, my (daughter), the words which (I, Helaman) spake unto (you); yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world. I added the words in parentheses.
The spirit could not have been stronger in that room. She whispered quietly: "This is it."
I am so glad to be a member of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. I am so glad to be preaching his gospel, and spreading the good news that our families can be together forever. I am grateful for the plan that he left us. For the love he gave us. For the son he so loved. It is in his name that I declare these things, as his representative. I am so happy to be a missionary :)
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
.....sprint to the finish
Well, I found my companion on tuesday! My last companion on the mission... Weird. Well, his name is Elder Krewson. He is a gringo from Maryland. I asked him if his family was converted a long time ago by another Elder Westover that was serving in the east states mission, but unfortunately, their family only moved there a few years ago.
He is really cool and very humble. He speaks well, but struggles sometimes, just like all of us. I really don't know how I can tell him everything he needs to know about the mission. I thought that if I got a new missionary, I would just unload all kinds of missionary wisdom on him. I didn't do it, though. At least not yet. For some reason, I usually just stand back, watch with an encouraging glance, and let him figure it out on his own. I realized that that was the only way he was going to truly learn. I am willing to catch him if he falters, but the only way to be a great missionary is to know how to overcome those experiences by going through them yourself. Christ could have just known how to help us using his god capacitated revelation, but he knew that the only way to truly understand was to go through it himself.
Everyone in Gabriela is doing well. Juan José Arias, who was baptized on the 24 of april, passed the sacrament on sunday. The Family Quivira and us are planning a temple trip. Luciano and Shirly are doing well, as always. Matias and Nicolas have been more of a struggle, trying to get them to church while balancing an angry divorced mom who could snatch them away at any moment if she decided to press charges. The best news of this week is Jessica.
Jessica is a reference that we got from another ward. Apparently they had already been to church, and they loved it. We came to her house on Tuesday, not really knowing what to expect. We got to the house, and immediately the blonde hair woman who answered the door told us to come in. And there we were. Jessica and her three boys. Right now she is living with her friend, who is a member of another ward. We start to talk, and we found out that she studied in a catholic school, training to be a nun. She decided that it wasn't for her after a few years, but continued in the Catholic church. She baptized her children, went to misa, and was getting her oldest ready to do his first communion. That's when she realized: nothing filled her. Nothing about what she was doing made her feel like she was in the right church. So she began her search. She studied with the evangelicos, the testigos de jehová, adventistas, etc, each with varying results. None of wich filled that gap. Then one night she had a dream, dreams wich she never remembers. In her dream, she was with a man in a roman looking tunic. They were in a brightly lit room with white walls and neatly placed furniture. It felt nice. She said a little bit farther down a hall she saw a pool of some kind. Then the man took her hand and led her to a great door. He told her that she couldnt go in until she had cleansed herself. He began to leave, but Jessica grabs his robe and tells him not to go. He tells her not to worry, that he will come back. She asked him his name so she would know when he has come back. He said simply: "Helaman," and left.
I pulled out my book of mormon and read Helaman 5:9: O remember, remember, my (daughter), the words which (I, Helaman) spake unto (you); yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world. I added the words in parentheses.
The spirit could not have been stronger in that room. She whispered quietly: "This is it."
I am so glad to be a member of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. I am so glad to be preaching his gospel, and spreading the good news that our families can be together forever. I am grateful for the plan that he left us. For the love he gave us. For the son he so loved. It is in his name that I declare these things, as his representative. I am so happy to be a missionary :)
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
.....sprint to the finish
Monday, May 16, 2011
Snap!
First of all, to avoid the wrath of angry sisters, I want to wish my 15 year old sister a happy birthday! Good job Andi! Im sure you'll outgrow alyssa in no time :) Ill try and be back to get you an extremely belated birthday present from chile. Actually, all of you guys will get brithday/christmas/easter/whatever-gift-giving-holiday presents. Look forward to it!
Snap.
Things are different. It all starts out the same. We wake up the same. We do our exercises the same. We eat, talk, move, and act the same. But toay is not the same. Because today is the day when Elder Welling leaves the sector and I recieve a new companion. It was a surprise for both of us. Everyone, including me, thought that I was going to leave for my last change. Only Zone Leaders are in our sector. I supposed that I was going to die as one, but as it turns out, God had something even more crazy planned for us. At the change concilio, we found out that Elder Welling, as sad as he was to leave Gabriela and as sad as I was that he was leaving, would be going to San José de Maipo, the most scenic sector in the entire mission. He would also be training.
Then when they got to our zone, they announced a new zone leader, Elder Boyce. I looked at him. He looked like a good kid. He would be a good Zone Leader. Then, instead of announcing my name, they called someone else. Elder Bartlett, the old district leader in Por Venir. I was very confused at that moment. Last night they told me I was staying. I just waited.
"And now, in Gabriela B..." Wait a second... They wouldnt.
"Elder Westover." I stood up, waiting. "will be training for his last change." Everyone made noise. There were only a few trainers this change, and I would be one of them.
This is my last change in the mission, and I will be getting to know my new greenie comp tomorrow when his flight comes in. This is my last change, and I am going to sprint to the finish. I hope my new comp can keep up.
Snap. And everything is different.
Thanks for everything guys! Any requests on Chilean stuff, let me know!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Snap.
Things are different. It all starts out the same. We wake up the same. We do our exercises the same. We eat, talk, move, and act the same. But toay is not the same. Because today is the day when Elder Welling leaves the sector and I recieve a new companion. It was a surprise for both of us. Everyone, including me, thought that I was going to leave for my last change. Only Zone Leaders are in our sector. I supposed that I was going to die as one, but as it turns out, God had something even more crazy planned for us. At the change concilio, we found out that Elder Welling, as sad as he was to leave Gabriela and as sad as I was that he was leaving, would be going to San José de Maipo, the most scenic sector in the entire mission. He would also be training.
Then when they got to our zone, they announced a new zone leader, Elder Boyce. I looked at him. He looked like a good kid. He would be a good Zone Leader. Then, instead of announcing my name, they called someone else. Elder Bartlett, the old district leader in Por Venir. I was very confused at that moment. Last night they told me I was staying. I just waited.
"And now, in Gabriela B..." Wait a second... They wouldnt.
"Elder Westover." I stood up, waiting. "will be training for his last change." Everyone made noise. There were only a few trainers this change, and I would be one of them.
This is my last change in the mission, and I will be getting to know my new greenie comp tomorrow when his flight comes in. This is my last change, and I am going to sprint to the finish. I hope my new comp can keep up.
Snap. And everything is different.
Thanks for everything guys! Any requests on Chilean stuff, let me know!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Monday, May 9, 2011
Progress in Gabriela!
Hey Everybody!
It was pretty cool to see my family yesterday! It made me miss home a little bit, but that's not going to stop me from keep going strong till the very end!
This week has been pretty good. The family Quivira is our strongest so far. Victoria is going to seminary at six in the morning regularly. It was hard to motivate her to go, mainly because I felt very hypocritical telling her to go. Her brother, the little earthquake with legs, is also doing really well. I can tell its going to be hard for them when we leave.
The family Arias is also doing very well. Juan José and Juan Pablo, the two that got baptized on the 24th, are really liking priesthood, and the parents feel that its a very good environment for their kids to grow up in, because mostly they just stay inside after school and play video games and have no real interactions with anyone. But now they are very outgoing and getting along great with the other deacons!
The family León was the big surprise.The family León is a young couple with a 3 year old daughter. They were always kind of wishy washy about setting a time to have a lesson. They were always busy, or they had something more important to do. We were on the verge of dropping them, but we went by one night, just to give them one more chance. They wanted to set up a noche de hogar (family night) with us some night, but it wasn't very set. We stopped by anyway to humor ourselves, and we found that they were sitting and waiting for us!
It was a great family night, and we talked a lot about questions that they had. At the end, we had susana, the mom, say the prayer. It was one of the best prayers I have ever heard on the mission. She said how she wanted to have god alieve her of her troubles, and to help fix all of the mistakes that shes made. Then she started crying, and the spirit swooped in and overtook the room. Needless to say, they went to church the next day and loved it. She had a lot of questions about eternal marriage and it seemed like she really liked the idea. The whole class was really great.
And that's Gabriela, right now. We are doing great. Sprint to the finish!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
It was pretty cool to see my family yesterday! It made me miss home a little bit, but that's not going to stop me from keep going strong till the very end!
This week has been pretty good. The family Quivira is our strongest so far. Victoria is going to seminary at six in the morning regularly. It was hard to motivate her to go, mainly because I felt very hypocritical telling her to go. Her brother, the little earthquake with legs, is also doing really well. I can tell its going to be hard for them when we leave.
The family Arias is also doing very well. Juan José and Juan Pablo, the two that got baptized on the 24th, are really liking priesthood, and the parents feel that its a very good environment for their kids to grow up in, because mostly they just stay inside after school and play video games and have no real interactions with anyone. But now they are very outgoing and getting along great with the other deacons!
The family León was the big surprise.The family León is a young couple with a 3 year old daughter. They were always kind of wishy washy about setting a time to have a lesson. They were always busy, or they had something more important to do. We were on the verge of dropping them, but we went by one night, just to give them one more chance. They wanted to set up a noche de hogar (family night) with us some night, but it wasn't very set. We stopped by anyway to humor ourselves, and we found that they were sitting and waiting for us!
It was a great family night, and we talked a lot about questions that they had. At the end, we had susana, the mom, say the prayer. It was one of the best prayers I have ever heard on the mission. She said how she wanted to have god alieve her of her troubles, and to help fix all of the mistakes that shes made. Then she started crying, and the spirit swooped in and overtook the room. Needless to say, they went to church the next day and loved it. She had a lot of questions about eternal marriage and it seemed like she really liked the idea. The whole class was really great.
And that's Gabriela, right now. We are doing great. Sprint to the finish!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Monday, May 2, 2011
Osama and Investigators
Hey guys!
Today elder Welling and I got money on our cards, so we took the journey down to Ejercito Libertador to charge our bip! cards (the card we use to ride the buses here). While we were waiting in line, a guy was reading the newspaper and seemed to be eyeing us as we walked up.
"Look, you got him!" he exclaimed. We stared at what he was trying to show us in the newspaper. The whole front page had a giant picture of Osama Bin Laden with a headline that read "Osama Bin Laden: DEAD." Wow. he died. they finally got him. As the guy started talking to us about how the Navy Seal team went in and took him out. So much pain. So much agony. all gone in an ignominious death.
It made me think about the other ignominious deaths in the Book of Mormon. Nehor was executed for establishing false doctrines, and introducing priestcraft to the Nephites. Korihor was struck dumb by Alma for denying the Christ and later trampled to death by an angry mob. Zemnarihah was hung from a tree. All of these deaths have something in common: They all die. All of these men were drunk with power, anger, greed, or any of the other astute ways that Satan drags God's children down to hell. Whatever the case be, they believed that they were above the laws and commandments of the Lord. In the end, they all go down the same way.
Like the crazy professor of Ecclesiastes says, everything is vanity. We cant take anything with us. Our power, riches, nothing. The only thing that we take with us is who we have become and what we have learned. If we arent strengthening that constantly, we are not doing anything to further our standing in the presence of God, we can forget adding the three garage door to our celestial mansion.
So far, Elder Welling and I have not gone one week this change without a baptism. I hope I can keep that up so that at the end of the mission, I can say I have put in my hundred percent. We were able to see many happy people who decided to turn their lives around. Matias, especially, has shown that he is willing to follow the will of the lord and not let pride drown out our words, like so many other people in chile have. I am grateful for the transforming power of the gospel and the ability it has to take something broken and make it perfect. It has the power, but only if we are humble enough to let it change who we are.
I'm sorry this email wasn't filled with as many stories, but I felt that it was very relevant to a lot of what the mission is like. Next week I will be sure to just include a bunch of stories about our investigators. Thanks for everything!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Today elder Welling and I got money on our cards, so we took the journey down to Ejercito Libertador to charge our bip! cards (the card we use to ride the buses here). While we were waiting in line, a guy was reading the newspaper and seemed to be eyeing us as we walked up.
"Look, you got him!" he exclaimed. We stared at what he was trying to show us in the newspaper. The whole front page had a giant picture of Osama Bin Laden with a headline that read "Osama Bin Laden: DEAD." Wow. he died. they finally got him. As the guy started talking to us about how the Navy Seal team went in and took him out. So much pain. So much agony. all gone in an ignominious death.
It made me think about the other ignominious deaths in the Book of Mormon. Nehor was executed for establishing false doctrines, and introducing priestcraft to the Nephites. Korihor was struck dumb by Alma for denying the Christ and later trampled to death by an angry mob. Zemnarihah was hung from a tree. All of these deaths have something in common: They all die. All of these men were drunk with power, anger, greed, or any of the other astute ways that Satan drags God's children down to hell. Whatever the case be, they believed that they were above the laws and commandments of the Lord. In the end, they all go down the same way.
Like the crazy professor of Ecclesiastes says, everything is vanity. We cant take anything with us. Our power, riches, nothing. The only thing that we take with us is who we have become and what we have learned. If we arent strengthening that constantly, we are not doing anything to further our standing in the presence of God, we can forget adding the three garage door to our celestial mansion.
So far, Elder Welling and I have not gone one week this change without a baptism. I hope I can keep that up so that at the end of the mission, I can say I have put in my hundred percent. We were able to see many happy people who decided to turn their lives around. Matias, especially, has shown that he is willing to follow the will of the lord and not let pride drown out our words, like so many other people in chile have. I am grateful for the transforming power of the gospel and the ability it has to take something broken and make it perfect. It has the power, but only if we are humble enough to let it change who we are.
I'm sorry this email wasn't filled with as many stories, but I felt that it was very relevant to a lot of what the mission is like. Next week I will be sure to just include a bunch of stories about our investigators. Thanks for everything!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Monday, April 25, 2011
Desires and Hopes
Hello Everyone!
I have been thinking recently about desires. Why do we do what we do? Why do we act the way that we do in the situation we are put in? Yesterday we had the opportunity to see Juan Arias baptize his two younger sons after being inactive for years. We came to his door and showed him that the world is filled with possibilities, and that we dont have to be trapped forever to our sins. After helping him recover from his addiction to cigarrettes, he talked to the bishop and set goals. And yesterday, his hard work all paid off. He could see the power that his desires had and the profound effect the gospel has had in his life. Desires are something that can lead us to do great evil, as well as great good. In the case of Hermano Arias, his desire to get his family back together outweighed his desire to smoke. Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave a great talk about the power of desire this past conference, and I admit that I am taking a bit from his talk, but I feel that power of desire so much in the mission, that I felt I needed to pay it tribute.
I feel grateful to be a part of that change. I feel that I have been changed because of it. I'm not sure how, but I know that the Lord is looking out for me and is watching everything that we do. I am glad for the opportunity I had to be part of the familia Arias's journey in the gospel. I know that their desire to be an eternal family is what makes mormons different from everyone else. We can be together forever. That hope, that desire, has the power to beat anything that will come. It is the sure foundation that we can look to and know that we are safe. Ironically enough, I believe that faith is the most sure thing that exists in this world. Everything will change, but that hope won't. Being with my family for eternity is one thing that will never change, no matter what happens. That's the greatest desire we can ever hope to have.
Thanks for everything guys, I love you so much!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
I have been thinking recently about desires. Why do we do what we do? Why do we act the way that we do in the situation we are put in? Yesterday we had the opportunity to see Juan Arias baptize his two younger sons after being inactive for years. We came to his door and showed him that the world is filled with possibilities, and that we dont have to be trapped forever to our sins. After helping him recover from his addiction to cigarrettes, he talked to the bishop and set goals. And yesterday, his hard work all paid off. He could see the power that his desires had and the profound effect the gospel has had in his life. Desires are something that can lead us to do great evil, as well as great good. In the case of Hermano Arias, his desire to get his family back together outweighed his desire to smoke. Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave a great talk about the power of desire this past conference, and I admit that I am taking a bit from his talk, but I feel that power of desire so much in the mission, that I felt I needed to pay it tribute.
I feel grateful to be a part of that change. I feel that I have been changed because of it. I'm not sure how, but I know that the Lord is looking out for me and is watching everything that we do. I am glad for the opportunity I had to be part of the familia Arias's journey in the gospel. I know that their desire to be an eternal family is what makes mormons different from everyone else. We can be together forever. That hope, that desire, has the power to beat anything that will come. It is the sure foundation that we can look to and know that we are safe. Ironically enough, I believe that faith is the most sure thing that exists in this world. Everything will change, but that hope won't. Being with my family for eternity is one thing that will never change, no matter what happens. That's the greatest desire we can ever hope to have.
Thanks for everything guys, I love you so much!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Lady with the Sopaipilla
In Psychology, we learned about something called the Gestalt Theory. Its main focus centers around the concept that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That you put something together and what you have created is not just the components, but something else entirely. This is what I was thinking about while I was pushing a sopaipilla cart through the streets of Santiago at 10:30 at night.
What had happened was Elder Welling and I, after having gotten back to the pension realized that our lunch for the next day had most likely forgotten, so we ran over to remind them. On the way back, we saw a middle aged woman sitting out in the street with a big tin cart with a little roof that people use to make and sell little fried tortillas, called sopaipillas. We thought it a little bit strange that someone would be selling sopaipillas so late, but it wasnt really abnormal, so we kept walking. Then I heard something in my head say: "She probably needs help." I stop and look at my companion. He had felt the same thing. We come over to the lady and asked her if she needed help. A wave of relief seemed to wash over her face as she explained how she had carried the 150 lb cart from to the metro station, about three fourths of a mile from where we were. She had been pushing the cart for almost three hours. We obligingly helped her out, and asked her where she was going. She explained how she was new to the area and admitted that she really didnt know where she was, but she had to get to Creta, a street three miles away. Compassion flooded my thoughts as I thought how this woman, disoriented and distraught, was going to push this heavy cart all that way.
We pushed the cart as we talked to her, asking her where she was from and if she had a family. She told us that she had two children. Their father left them and they moved in with a relative, but they had no money. She was selling these sopaipillas for about ten cents each, in the hopes that she could support her family. As we pushed, I noticed that everyone was watching us. People passing us on the sidewalk, passengers on the buses, everybody. I was never so proud to wear my plaque, representing the Church. When we finally got to her house, we set up a time to pass by and share a message of hope and joy that has blessed our lives so much. She gracially accepted, and with a smile, said: "Nunca olvidaré de ustedes, los angelitos que me salvaron." I didnt feel that worthy to be called an angel, but as with that poor woman who needed help, I wont ever forget being able to serve someone else, and helping them see the light in the darkness.
Our lives are compsed of actions. Tiny as they may seem, they have enourmous and eternal impacts. That opportunity, as small as it was, made a lasting impact in the life of someone else. What we become through our experiences and our service is much greater than simply the sum of our actions. It is the character defining elements that become part of our very soul and elevate us to be more like our Father in Heaven.
The woman is now listening to the lessons from the elders in her sector, and they tell us that she is progressing well. We are happy for her and for that opportunity to push a little sopaipilla cart through the bustling streets of Chile. The whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts.
Thanks for everything guys! Im really excited to see you all soon! If you need anything or have any questions, let me know!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
What had happened was Elder Welling and I, after having gotten back to the pension realized that our lunch for the next day had most likely forgotten, so we ran over to remind them. On the way back, we saw a middle aged woman sitting out in the street with a big tin cart with a little roof that people use to make and sell little fried tortillas, called sopaipillas. We thought it a little bit strange that someone would be selling sopaipillas so late, but it wasnt really abnormal, so we kept walking. Then I heard something in my head say: "She probably needs help." I stop and look at my companion. He had felt the same thing. We come over to the lady and asked her if she needed help. A wave of relief seemed to wash over her face as she explained how she had carried the 150 lb cart from to the metro station, about three fourths of a mile from where we were. She had been pushing the cart for almost three hours. We obligingly helped her out, and asked her where she was going. She explained how she was new to the area and admitted that she really didnt know where she was, but she had to get to Creta, a street three miles away. Compassion flooded my thoughts as I thought how this woman, disoriented and distraught, was going to push this heavy cart all that way.
We pushed the cart as we talked to her, asking her where she was from and if she had a family. She told us that she had two children. Their father left them and they moved in with a relative, but they had no money. She was selling these sopaipillas for about ten cents each, in the hopes that she could support her family. As we pushed, I noticed that everyone was watching us. People passing us on the sidewalk, passengers on the buses, everybody. I was never so proud to wear my plaque, representing the Church. When we finally got to her house, we set up a time to pass by and share a message of hope and joy that has blessed our lives so much. She gracially accepted, and with a smile, said: "Nunca olvidaré de ustedes, los angelitos que me salvaron." I didnt feel that worthy to be called an angel, but as with that poor woman who needed help, I wont ever forget being able to serve someone else, and helping them see the light in the darkness.
Our lives are compsed of actions. Tiny as they may seem, they have enourmous and eternal impacts. That opportunity, as small as it was, made a lasting impact in the life of someone else. What we become through our experiences and our service is much greater than simply the sum of our actions. It is the character defining elements that become part of our very soul and elevate us to be more like our Father in Heaven.
The woman is now listening to the lessons from the elders in her sector, and they tell us that she is progressing well. We are happy for her and for that opportunity to push a little sopaipilla cart through the bustling streets of Chile. The whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts.
Thanks for everything guys! Im really excited to see you all soon! If you need anything or have any questions, let me know!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Monday, March 28, 2011
Countdown
Hey Everybody!
Things in Gabriela are going really well as always. We are getting really close to getting our goal of new investigators! We are trying to just push things through so that we can make it!
Well, I officially have three months left on the mission. But that does not mean that things have slowed down at all. We have 11 baptismal dates in our sector alone. Matias and Nicolas both have fechas for the 10 of april. We had the baptisms of Luciano and Shirley last week. They really are one of the most prepared couples I have had the honor of meeting. Luciano is so smart and knows so much, even though he is only 11 years old. His mom, Shirley gave a powerful testimony after her baptism, and really left an impression on me about the power of the work that we are doing.
At the beginning of my mission, I had a hard time loving the people I served. They were rude, inconsiderate, and would always make fun of us, or tell us to go home. I had a hard time loving the people, so I used the love I had for God to transmit it towards his children. Now as I have matured in the mission I have learned that the love I had for God came only from the gratitude I felt when I read all the things he has done for me in the scriptures and in my prayers. But I have never known him personally. So the love was at some extent limited. What I realized that if we want to increase our love for god, we must serve his children. I came to know God because I came to know his creations. I came to truly love God because I came to truly love his children. There are families here that I will never forget, mainly the family Gonzalez, Baeza, and Salas. Service is the key. Love, and love is returned. Serve, and you will be served.
I love this work, and everything I am able to do in it. Thank you for all of your prayers and the letters. I love getting Andi's letters. Even though they are short and sometimes pointless, it shows a level of care that I still hope to attain. Thanks, weirdo.
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Things in Gabriela are going really well as always. We are getting really close to getting our goal of new investigators! We are trying to just push things through so that we can make it!
Well, I officially have three months left on the mission. But that does not mean that things have slowed down at all. We have 11 baptismal dates in our sector alone. Matias and Nicolas both have fechas for the 10 of april. We had the baptisms of Luciano and Shirley last week. They really are one of the most prepared couples I have had the honor of meeting. Luciano is so smart and knows so much, even though he is only 11 years old. His mom, Shirley gave a powerful testimony after her baptism, and really left an impression on me about the power of the work that we are doing.
At the beginning of my mission, I had a hard time loving the people I served. They were rude, inconsiderate, and would always make fun of us, or tell us to go home. I had a hard time loving the people, so I used the love I had for God to transmit it towards his children. Now as I have matured in the mission I have learned that the love I had for God came only from the gratitude I felt when I read all the things he has done for me in the scriptures and in my prayers. But I have never known him personally. So the love was at some extent limited. What I realized that if we want to increase our love for god, we must serve his children. I came to know God because I came to know his creations. I came to truly love God because I came to truly love his children. There are families here that I will never forget, mainly the family Gonzalez, Baeza, and Salas. Service is the key. Love, and love is returned. Serve, and you will be served.
I love this work, and everything I am able to do in it. Thank you for all of your prayers and the letters. I love getting Andi's letters. Even though they are short and sometimes pointless, it shows a level of care that I still hope to attain. Thanks, weirdo.
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Monday, March 21, 2011
Ripples
Hey guys!
All is well here in Gabriela! We are running around everywhere here in the sector trying to find the news [investigators that will accept baptismal invitation] that we are going to baptize next month. The thing is that we have a goal as a mission. 1469 news in one month! Thats pretty high! Our goal as a zone is 145. Its pretty ambicious, especially for a zone like ours, which is kind of tough. As a zone leader, it is an added pressure because you dont just answer for your dats, but the dats of the entire zone. Its a lot of pressure sometimes, but we just have to keep pushing forward and try to do the best we can. Last week we found 9 news, and hopefully all of them will soon have baptisimal dates this next week.
We taught one family Sunday night: Gustavo. We got into the house and started talking with the family. After a little while, we found out that both the mom and the dad are members, but they are super inactive. The mom thinks that she is Evangelica now. We taught the family and showed them the restauration video. They liked it, but didnt seem to change their views on much. The daughters, however, were pretty impressed. Carol and Nicole. They are the ripple.
Everyone is a drop of water. We act every second of every day. Each of those actions gets placed into the logs of history forever as an action that we have taken. This action can have various consequences, and we are in someway partialy responsible for those consequences. We sneeze and someone gets sick. We help someone take up some groceries and it makes their day better. Every action has this effect, a ripple, we could say, that travels in an out of the lives of those it affects. Nicole and Carol are a consequence of a ripple that their parents started. Now they can choose to act on it, or let it pass over them. In the end, its their choice. We just want them to understand the importance of this drop of water that is their lives so they step carefully, because every step is going to show.
I have learned a great deal on the mission. But one of the greatest lessons I have learned is that it continues on. Life is learning. Learn well and act accordingly and the effect we create will be a marker for others to follow. In the end, it is to matter. To make a difference because you have lived.
Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me and for those who havent as well. I love you guys a lot!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
All is well here in Gabriela! We are running around everywhere here in the sector trying to find the news [investigators that will accept baptismal invitation] that we are going to baptize next month. The thing is that we have a goal as a mission. 1469 news in one month! Thats pretty high! Our goal as a zone is 145. Its pretty ambicious, especially for a zone like ours, which is kind of tough. As a zone leader, it is an added pressure because you dont just answer for your dats, but the dats of the entire zone. Its a lot of pressure sometimes, but we just have to keep pushing forward and try to do the best we can. Last week we found 9 news, and hopefully all of them will soon have baptisimal dates this next week.
We taught one family Sunday night: Gustavo. We got into the house and started talking with the family. After a little while, we found out that both the mom and the dad are members, but they are super inactive. The mom thinks that she is Evangelica now. We taught the family and showed them the restauration video. They liked it, but didnt seem to change their views on much. The daughters, however, were pretty impressed. Carol and Nicole. They are the ripple.
Everyone is a drop of water. We act every second of every day. Each of those actions gets placed into the logs of history forever as an action that we have taken. This action can have various consequences, and we are in someway partialy responsible for those consequences. We sneeze and someone gets sick. We help someone take up some groceries and it makes their day better. Every action has this effect, a ripple, we could say, that travels in an out of the lives of those it affects. Nicole and Carol are a consequence of a ripple that their parents started. Now they can choose to act on it, or let it pass over them. In the end, its their choice. We just want them to understand the importance of this drop of water that is their lives so they step carefully, because every step is going to show.
I have learned a great deal on the mission. But one of the greatest lessons I have learned is that it continues on. Life is learning. Learn well and act accordingly and the effect we create will be a marker for others to follow. In the end, it is to matter. To make a difference because you have lived.
Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me and for those who havent as well. I love you guys a lot!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Weekly Update...updated weekly
Hey Everybody!
Things here are going great! Today we went up to San José de Maipo with Matias, someone who just got back from his mission a few months ago. It was a lot of fun! We ran across a rickety bridge and went through a really spooky, and smelly, tunnel. It was pretty cool to be able to just relax for one P-day and not have to worry about whats going on with this person or someone else because honestly, we really dont have anyone to teach. See? always a bright side to things!
As scary as it is to think about it, the time is drawing nearer and nearer till I finish my mission. There have been about 5 million things Ive learned and keep learning. To summarize everything would be very difficult, even though I am going to have to try and do just that when I get back. But I feel like to summarize it all to one sound byte: "Do it, do it well, never regret, love it". I will definitely have to work on that one, but that pretty much sums it all up. I'm going to come back home a completely different person, but I guess that's okay. Sorry mom, I still might be too relaxed for your tastes. But now I at least get the job done and get it done well. Probably something I would have learned in sports that I had to learn on the mission.
Sorry that the emails are kind of small. There really isn't a whole lot to say when your sector is tiny and you've been knocking all day with little to no success. Planting seeds. That's all we're doing. Planting seeds. Thanks for everything guys! Let me know if you have questions about anything.
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Things here are going great! Today we went up to San José de Maipo with Matias, someone who just got back from his mission a few months ago. It was a lot of fun! We ran across a rickety bridge and went through a really spooky, and smelly, tunnel. It was pretty cool to be able to just relax for one P-day and not have to worry about whats going on with this person or someone else because honestly, we really dont have anyone to teach. See? always a bright side to things!
As scary as it is to think about it, the time is drawing nearer and nearer till I finish my mission. There have been about 5 million things Ive learned and keep learning. To summarize everything would be very difficult, even though I am going to have to try and do just that when I get back. But I feel like to summarize it all to one sound byte: "Do it, do it well, never regret, love it". I will definitely have to work on that one, but that pretty much sums it all up. I'm going to come back home a completely different person, but I guess that's okay. Sorry mom, I still might be too relaxed for your tastes. But now I at least get the job done and get it done well. Probably something I would have learned in sports that I had to learn on the mission.
Sorry that the emails are kind of small. There really isn't a whole lot to say when your sector is tiny and you've been knocking all day with little to no success. Planting seeds. That's all we're doing. Planting seeds. Thanks for everything guys! Let me know if you have questions about anything.
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Monday, February 28, 2011
Walking and Knocking
Hey everybody!
Well things here in Gabriela are chugging along. Its difficult though. We dont have any investigators and the ward is very small, so its out in the streets and knocking. I feel like a pioneer in a sense. Little missionaries knocked as they walked and walked and walked and walked aaaand walked. Its hard work but somebody has to do it and I feel like I am taking a lot out of it as well. The difficulty always has rewards. I feel very blessed to be able to be here in a time where I can grow up with my investigators.
Being a zone leader has been a lot different than I thought it would be. I really dont feel like its a whole lot different from being anywhere else. I feel just like a normal missionary, but for some reason everyone thinks that you know what to do. I feel like I am just doing what I need to do to stay under the radar, but for some reason, there are always people who need our help.
I have four months left in the mission. I am officialy old. I really hope to just keep going and push through as hard as I can for this last stride of the mission. Thanks for everything that you guys are doing for me!
les amo!
Elder Westover
Well things here in Gabriela are chugging along. Its difficult though. We dont have any investigators and the ward is very small, so its out in the streets and knocking. I feel like a pioneer in a sense. Little missionaries knocked as they walked and walked and walked and walked aaaand walked. Its hard work but somebody has to do it and I feel like I am taking a lot out of it as well. The difficulty always has rewards. I feel very blessed to be able to be here in a time where I can grow up with my investigators.
Being a zone leader has been a lot different than I thought it would be. I really dont feel like its a whole lot different from being anywhere else. I feel just like a normal missionary, but for some reason everyone thinks that you know what to do. I feel like I am just doing what I need to do to stay under the radar, but for some reason, there are always people who need our help.
I have four months left in the mission. I am officialy old. I really hope to just keep going and push through as hard as I can for this last stride of the mission. Thanks for everything that you guys are doing for me!
les amo!
Elder Westover
Monday, February 21, 2011
Changing...for Better or Worse
Hey Everybody!
The mission is a cruel thing sometimes. You can be so caught up with being in one place that you forget that your world is bigger than just your sector. That is what happened to me in Tocornal. Yesterday we had changes, and Elder Bowen, Elder Chapman, and I all left. We got the call when we were in Omar and Veronica's house. When I walked in the kitchen and saw the 8 year old daughter Fran crying, I was slightly angry that God would separate us like this, especially someone as loving as Fran. It hurt me a lot. Veronica was also in tears, as well as Omar. We were also a little bit leaky eyed leaving them. It made me realize how much I had grown there in Tocornal.
But change always comes to hit you smack in the side of the face. I have been changed back into my old zone, Gabriela. But this time, I got put in charge. I am in the sector Gabriela as the zone leader with Elder Welling, a super cool guy who seems like a great match for me. Its not exactly what I was expecting, but you take what life hands you I guess. I am very excited but kind of nervous I guess. I haven't really been in any kind of leadership position until now. I am really going to miss my old sector though. It was like ripping out part of my heart. That little plot of land in Puente Alto in Santiago Chile is a little piece of Zion for me. I don't know how I am going to make it, but Im sure the Lord has something in mind for me here in Gabriela.
Well, its time to get crackin! thanks for your support and everything that you've done for me! I love you guys!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Monday, February 14, 2011
Bugs and Missionaries
Hey Everybody!
Things here in Tocornal have been going great! I guess the biggest news that we have is that of our missionary, Pamara, who is going to the northern part of Peru. Its basically jungle. She is very excited to go and we are all very proud of her and for everything that she has done for us. The other cool thing that is going are our little mini missionaries. Two young men from our ward has come out with us for the whole week this week. Its been an awesome experience! I love seeing how they are growing as they come with us to visit all the people here.
The other cool thing that has happened is our trip to the rio clarillo today. We started out just going to see a river but instead uncovered a lot more. It first started out as the fact that we are still little boys at heart that would love nothing more than to just poke at bugs with sticks. The second was that right when we entered by the place, there were about a million lizards running around. We unfruitfully chased them down for about half an hour until one rock we tried to uncover to scare out the lizard had another occupant: a tarantula. We squealed for joy and immediately looked for something to put it in. This event happened again and again until one rock, we found who we now call Shelob. We turned over a rock and found a tarantula about the size of my hand with hundreds of tiny little newborn babies. It was gross. So we caught it. It is now in our pension and I have photos uploaded to my Walgreens account with me holding it. Its actually really laid back. Even though I dont like spiders, its pretty cool.
In all, we collected about four tarantulas, two scorpions,and one frog; but not one lizard. aww...
I hope you all had just as an exciting a week as we did. Haha, take care everybody!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Monday, February 7, 2011
Missionary Helps Out Mission
Hey everybody!
Everything is going pretty well here; we are just waiting for the heat to cool off. The rest of you guys are probably expecting the exact opposite. Things are going pretty well in the sector, but we really are running out of people to teach. I feel like at this point Elder Chapman and I are just basking in our success and watching each of our converts stroll into the church each sunday. I think its time that I leave the sector. I feel like I am getting too involved in the sector and its becoming too much like I really do live here and less like I am just a gringo with a plaque and tie. Not to say that thats bad, but I just feel like its my time to go.
I guess the big news that going on right now is that Pamara, one of our good friends in the ward, is going on a mission. She had a LOT of obstacles to go out on the mission, and it was a really hard process for all of us to get through, but she is finally recvieving her call today. We are going to find out where she is going tonight. I am so happy for her right now, I feel like it is worth three or four baptisms to me, but I know in the end, it will be worth much much more.
In the end, theres not a whole lot to say. Things are going really great and I love being with my comp, despite all the differences that we may have. Its a great time to be a missionary!
Love,
Elder Westover
PS- just so I have a I told you so, I call the next big earthquake in chile! Apparently we are going to have another big one sometime soon! Get ready, chile!
Everything is going pretty well here; we are just waiting for the heat to cool off. The rest of you guys are probably expecting the exact opposite. Things are going pretty well in the sector, but we really are running out of people to teach. I feel like at this point Elder Chapman and I are just basking in our success and watching each of our converts stroll into the church each sunday. I think its time that I leave the sector. I feel like I am getting too involved in the sector and its becoming too much like I really do live here and less like I am just a gringo with a plaque and tie. Not to say that thats bad, but I just feel like its my time to go.
I guess the big news that going on right now is that Pamara, one of our good friends in the ward, is going on a mission. She had a LOT of obstacles to go out on the mission, and it was a really hard process for all of us to get through, but she is finally recvieving her call today. We are going to find out where she is going tonight. I am so happy for her right now, I feel like it is worth three or four baptisms to me, but I know in the end, it will be worth much much more.
In the end, theres not a whole lot to say. Things are going really great and I love being with my comp, despite all the differences that we may have. Its a great time to be a missionary!
Love,
Elder Westover
PS- just so I have a I told you so, I call the next big earthquake in chile! Apparently we are going to have another big one sometime soon! Get ready, chile!
Monday, January 31, 2011
The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning
Hey Everybody!
Have any of you ever started out one day with an idea of how it was going to go, and then it turned out completely different from how you originally wanted? That very thing happened to me today.
P Days always turn out to be one of the most hectic days on the mission for a number of different reasons. One is that we are always going to get groceries, or we are running to get something we forgot or trying to scrape up lunch. So Yesterday I decided that we were going to have a completely chill day and nothing was going to happen so that we could go back to the pension and take a break. And that's exactly what happened until we went out of the pension for just a little bit to buy some bread.
We rounded the corner of Pedro Duarte and see that the sky seemed a little dark, like it was going to rain. It seemed odd though, because it was actually pretty hot outside, and rain was not predicted for at least a few weeks. That's when we realized what it really was: smoke. A house about a block down had caught on fire and was belching dark billows of smoke into the summer heat. We at first walked with an interested gawking sort of a way. Then as we got closer and we realized how the fire had just started not two minutes ago, something happened in my mind. A switch, a light went on that changed my entire basis of thought. We all started running over towards the house. Without thinking about anything else, we barged into the house and started yelling to see if anyone was there. Luckily, the family had all gotten out and people had started to take things out. The Firefighters got there at about the same time as we did, but the only difference there was the water pressure. To understand that statement, I need to explain something about Chile. In Chile, being a firefighter is an honor, but it is voluntary, not paid. So they didnt kick us out or anything, they just let us help them hose down the burning building. We took out a lot of the possessions, and tried to salvage as much as we could, but we had to leave because the roof was going to come down from the weakness of the wood from the fire and the weight of the water. The last thing the lady (the owner) asked me to get for her was a frame of the last supper. I kind of had to run through a bunch of rubble and fire house blasts to get it, but in the end, I got her precious heirloom. We were one of the last people to leave out of the volunteers, and we left as inconspicuously as any dirty gringos with ties, plaques and backpacks could.
The last thing we did before we left was give her a book of mormon, promising her that all true peace and happiness resided within the pages of that book. I learned today the true value of integrity and how selfless service is the fullest kind of blessing that we can ever hope to receive. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve. I hope I can continue to serve until the very end of my mission, o sea, when I die.
Thanks for everything guys, you really are a great support for me!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Have any of you ever started out one day with an idea of how it was going to go, and then it turned out completely different from how you originally wanted? That very thing happened to me today.
P Days always turn out to be one of the most hectic days on the mission for a number of different reasons. One is that we are always going to get groceries, or we are running to get something we forgot or trying to scrape up lunch. So Yesterday I decided that we were going to have a completely chill day and nothing was going to happen so that we could go back to the pension and take a break. And that's exactly what happened until we went out of the pension for just a little bit to buy some bread.
We rounded the corner of Pedro Duarte and see that the sky seemed a little dark, like it was going to rain. It seemed odd though, because it was actually pretty hot outside, and rain was not predicted for at least a few weeks. That's when we realized what it really was: smoke. A house about a block down had caught on fire and was belching dark billows of smoke into the summer heat. We at first walked with an interested gawking sort of a way. Then as we got closer and we realized how the fire had just started not two minutes ago, something happened in my mind. A switch, a light went on that changed my entire basis of thought. We all started running over towards the house. Without thinking about anything else, we barged into the house and started yelling to see if anyone was there. Luckily, the family had all gotten out and people had started to take things out. The Firefighters got there at about the same time as we did, but the only difference there was the water pressure. To understand that statement, I need to explain something about Chile. In Chile, being a firefighter is an honor, but it is voluntary, not paid. So they didnt kick us out or anything, they just let us help them hose down the burning building. We took out a lot of the possessions, and tried to salvage as much as we could, but we had to leave because the roof was going to come down from the weakness of the wood from the fire and the weight of the water. The last thing the lady (the owner) asked me to get for her was a frame of the last supper. I kind of had to run through a bunch of rubble and fire house blasts to get it, but in the end, I got her precious heirloom. We were one of the last people to leave out of the volunteers, and we left as inconspicuously as any dirty gringos with ties, plaques and backpacks could.
The last thing we did before we left was give her a book of mormon, promising her that all true peace and happiness resided within the pages of that book. I learned today the true value of integrity and how selfless service is the fullest kind of blessing that we can ever hope to receive. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve. I hope I can continue to serve until the very end of my mission, o sea, when I die.
Thanks for everything guys, you really are a great support for me!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Monday, January 17, 2011
Dogs and Gratitud
Hola Everybody!!!
Things here in Tocornal have been going great, with the exception of Fi Fi, one of favorite family´s dog, who died yesterday. We came over and dug a whole and buried her. We sang God be with you til we meet again and I said a dedicatory prayer. It was nice, but very strange. We buried her behind the house, but there was still music blasting, kids running around everywhere, and it seemed almost impossible in that moment to give that dog a moment of solace.
Our other favorite family, Omar and Veronica, threw us a party. Unbenownst to me, it was a suprise birthday party. I felt so grateful for the effort and time they put in just for me! Me, a 20 year old gringo that struggles with spanish and just about everything else. I felt love that day. Love is getting over the faults someone may have, and caring for them anyway. That was something that I learned before the mission, and then had reinforced during.
I have been reflecting these past few weeks about my mission, and the progress everyone is making. There are a lot of people now that are younger than me in the mission but are now my district and zone leaders. Although we shouldnt worry ourselves about it, it is still something that is expected as you get older in the mission. I am used to be in a leadership position and I have the personality that will take a situation and command it, but here in the mission, all I have done is train. I felt for a while that my talents and abilities were being wasted a bit, but as I thought about it more, and especially after I read Mom's email, I realized that God puts us in the place where we will grow. I didnt realize how prideful I was until I got onto the mission and saw just how arrogant and puffed up I had been. I realized that God put me in a position to grow, as he does with everybody. Lift where you stand. Its good advice. Taking off the complicated vocabulary and fancy dialect and we can see a person for what he really is. I hope that down inside something is growing. Something that will help to shape me as a man and as a missionary. I have come to realize that true happiness lies in the simpliest of things. So why complicate it so? I realized how grateful I needed to be for my situation, my parents, and for everything else inbetween. I am so grateful for Grandma and Grandpa's consistancy with their writing and for always giving me the updates on the Utah weather. I love you guys and love to read your letters! Im grateful for Aunt Polly who even though its not a lot, she at least expresses her sincere feelings and really helps me out. I feel your prayers helping me keep my feet forward and my chin up. Thanks for everything guys!
Elder Westover
Things here in Tocornal have been going great, with the exception of Fi Fi, one of favorite family´s dog, who died yesterday. We came over and dug a whole and buried her. We sang God be with you til we meet again and I said a dedicatory prayer. It was nice, but very strange. We buried her behind the house, but there was still music blasting, kids running around everywhere, and it seemed almost impossible in that moment to give that dog a moment of solace.
Our other favorite family, Omar and Veronica, threw us a party. Unbenownst to me, it was a suprise birthday party. I felt so grateful for the effort and time they put in just for me! Me, a 20 year old gringo that struggles with spanish and just about everything else. I felt love that day. Love is getting over the faults someone may have, and caring for them anyway. That was something that I learned before the mission, and then had reinforced during.
I have been reflecting these past few weeks about my mission, and the progress everyone is making. There are a lot of people now that are younger than me in the mission but are now my district and zone leaders. Although we shouldnt worry ourselves about it, it is still something that is expected as you get older in the mission. I am used to be in a leadership position and I have the personality that will take a situation and command it, but here in the mission, all I have done is train. I felt for a while that my talents and abilities were being wasted a bit, but as I thought about it more, and especially after I read Mom's email, I realized that God puts us in the place where we will grow. I didnt realize how prideful I was until I got onto the mission and saw just how arrogant and puffed up I had been. I realized that God put me in a position to grow, as he does with everybody. Lift where you stand. Its good advice. Taking off the complicated vocabulary and fancy dialect and we can see a person for what he really is. I hope that down inside something is growing. Something that will help to shape me as a man and as a missionary. I have come to realize that true happiness lies in the simpliest of things. So why complicate it so? I realized how grateful I needed to be for my situation, my parents, and for everything else inbetween. I am so grateful for Grandma and Grandpa's consistancy with their writing and for always giving me the updates on the Utah weather. I love you guys and love to read your letters! Im grateful for Aunt Polly who even though its not a lot, she at least expresses her sincere feelings and really helps me out. I feel your prayers helping me keep my feet forward and my chin up. Thanks for everything guys!
Elder Westover
Monday, January 10, 2011
Just To Stop By
Hey Everybody!
I hope everyone is doing well! We are doing pretty good: We blew over changes again without any problems. This is going to be my fourth change in Tocornal, which means that I will have been in this sector for at least a fourth of my mission: wow! But its not something that I dread. In fact, I am very excited! In the short fourth month period that we have been in Tocornal, we have had 11 baptisms. Just to give you guys a perspective on that, in all my other sectors, we were lucky if got a baptism a change. that gets you about 12 baptisms in your whole mission. I am so thankful that I came here to see how amazing the mission work can run when the members do their part.
We have two fechas for the month. Nicole, the girl who believes in reincarnation. and Carlos, the long haired guy who is going to get married soon. They both are progressing great and all coming to church. Last week we had 11 investigators come to church. it was pretty cool.
I am so glad for this opportunity that I have been given to be a servant of the lord. I can tell from long hours of study and introspection that we are basically the sum total of what we do, think, and say. It is essentially an easy concept to grasp, but it has infinite consequences. I am so proud of my parents and for the exemple that they are in my life.
Gracias por todo lo que han hecho para la obra misional!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
I hope everyone is doing well! We are doing pretty good: We blew over changes again without any problems. This is going to be my fourth change in Tocornal, which means that I will have been in this sector for at least a fourth of my mission: wow! But its not something that I dread. In fact, I am very excited! In the short fourth month period that we have been in Tocornal, we have had 11 baptisms. Just to give you guys a perspective on that, in all my other sectors, we were lucky if got a baptism a change. that gets you about 12 baptisms in your whole mission. I am so thankful that I came here to see how amazing the mission work can run when the members do their part.
We have two fechas for the month. Nicole, the girl who believes in reincarnation. and Carlos, the long haired guy who is going to get married soon. They both are progressing great and all coming to church. Last week we had 11 investigators come to church. it was pretty cool.
I am so glad for this opportunity that I have been given to be a servant of the lord. I can tell from long hours of study and introspection that we are basically the sum total of what we do, think, and say. It is essentially an easy concept to grasp, but it has infinite consequences. I am so proud of my parents and for the exemple that they are in my life.
Gracias por todo lo que han hecho para la obra misional!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Monday, January 3, 2011
The Second Christmas
Hey everybody!
Well, it seems like Santa marked Chile as the last country on his list to get packages. I got three today. One was from grandma and grandpa, the other two were from the family (Christmas and birthday). I felt so happy and filled with gratitude for all the people out there! Alyssa, thanks for the letter, I can tell that your growing into a beautiful young woman (so can all my other companions). I had one offer of a wedding proposal to you already, if I hadn't already told you. I about socked him in the face. Andi, I love getting your letters. They are random and weird, and basically all the things I would expect out of Andi. Jeffery, I haven't really gotten anything out of Jeffery. That means he's turning into a guy. Good job Jeffery! I am also very bad at writing people, so I don't really expect much. Its alright though. I'll see you when I come back! Mom and Dad, I always like getting the updates about everybody. I know they seem like small minutia, but it helps me to feel included. I am so grateful for all the gifts you guys got for me. ALL of those things are going to go to use because I have a lot of shirts that are going to the grave, and some garments with staining problems. Basically all the wear and tear of a mission. The peanut butter will go into my collection. Now I have a bunch! I feel like if the apocalypse happened tomorrow, I could survive on my 72 hour emergency peanut butter kit. I also wanted to thank Grandma and Grandpa for all the gifts as well. Unfortunately, Christmas has already passed, so I might have to give the tree to some poor elder that's still going to be here next Christmas, or I could keep it for next year when I'm poor and in college again. The toothbrush was an ingenious idea, too. As a missionary, the best gifts are the most practical ones. So the utilitarian award goes to grandma and grandpa! I loved everything though. I really felt like you guys jumped out of the boxes and gave me a big hug.
Things are going great in the sector! we had the baptisms of Omar and Veronica last Sunday, which have probably been the strongest baptisms that we have aver had. I'm serious. I can see Omar being a bishop in a few years. Veronica shared her testimony after the baptism about the first missionary that can to her house: one of the members of the ward. They talked a lot about how you don't need to have a plaque to be a missionary. It was very nice and I really felt like they understood so much about the gospel after only haven been investigating for a very short period of time. It really shows the power of the members in the conversion process. A lot of members don't see their part in the process, but all in all, we are only teachers. When they talk about people going out spreading the gospel, I hope you don't think of the missionaries. It is talking about you guys! Missionaries should devote all their time teaching the gospel, not knocking doors. The time that missionaries waste knocking doors is the Lord's time. Missionaries go to teach, not find. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. I just know that the best converts come from members.
We have another girl named Nicole that is going to get baptized fairly soon. She is progressing fairly well, but she believes in reincarnation and other strange things, so getting her to progress has been a bit of a slow process.
Yoselin, a 21 year old girl that got baptized a few weeks ago has also been helping us out with her family. her parents are pretty hard headed, but they like us and what we do. I think either in this month or the next, we will see a few baptisms from that as well.
Thanks for everything everybody! Your help and love has helped me out through all the tough times, and I am excited to see you all in the somewhat distant future!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
Well, it seems like Santa marked Chile as the last country on his list to get packages. I got three today. One was from grandma and grandpa, the other two were from the family (Christmas and birthday). I felt so happy and filled with gratitude for all the people out there! Alyssa, thanks for the letter, I can tell that your growing into a beautiful young woman (so can all my other companions). I had one offer of a wedding proposal to you already, if I hadn't already told you. I about socked him in the face. Andi, I love getting your letters. They are random and weird, and basically all the things I would expect out of Andi. Jeffery, I haven't really gotten anything out of Jeffery. That means he's turning into a guy. Good job Jeffery! I am also very bad at writing people, so I don't really expect much. Its alright though. I'll see you when I come back! Mom and Dad, I always like getting the updates about everybody. I know they seem like small minutia, but it helps me to feel included. I am so grateful for all the gifts you guys got for me. ALL of those things are going to go to use because I have a lot of shirts that are going to the grave, and some garments with staining problems. Basically all the wear and tear of a mission. The peanut butter will go into my collection. Now I have a bunch! I feel like if the apocalypse happened tomorrow, I could survive on my 72 hour emergency peanut butter kit. I also wanted to thank Grandma and Grandpa for all the gifts as well. Unfortunately, Christmas has already passed, so I might have to give the tree to some poor elder that's still going to be here next Christmas, or I could keep it for next year when I'm poor and in college again. The toothbrush was an ingenious idea, too. As a missionary, the best gifts are the most practical ones. So the utilitarian award goes to grandma and grandpa! I loved everything though. I really felt like you guys jumped out of the boxes and gave me a big hug.
Things are going great in the sector! we had the baptisms of Omar and Veronica last Sunday, which have probably been the strongest baptisms that we have aver had. I'm serious. I can see Omar being a bishop in a few years. Veronica shared her testimony after the baptism about the first missionary that can to her house: one of the members of the ward. They talked a lot about how you don't need to have a plaque to be a missionary. It was very nice and I really felt like they understood so much about the gospel after only haven been investigating for a very short period of time. It really shows the power of the members in the conversion process. A lot of members don't see their part in the process, but all in all, we are only teachers. When they talk about people going out spreading the gospel, I hope you don't think of the missionaries. It is talking about you guys! Missionaries should devote all their time teaching the gospel, not knocking doors. The time that missionaries waste knocking doors is the Lord's time. Missionaries go to teach, not find. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. I just know that the best converts come from members.
We have another girl named Nicole that is going to get baptized fairly soon. She is progressing fairly well, but she believes in reincarnation and other strange things, so getting her to progress has been a bit of a slow process.
Yoselin, a 21 year old girl that got baptized a few weeks ago has also been helping us out with her family. her parents are pretty hard headed, but they like us and what we do. I think either in this month or the next, we will see a few baptisms from that as well.
Thanks for everything everybody! Your help and love has helped me out through all the tough times, and I am excited to see you all in the somewhat distant future!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover
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