God's Will and Lame Dogs

Even the best laid plans of mice and men go awry.
Sometimes even when you try your hardest, the lord has something else prepared for you. You aren't really sure what it is, but you just keep on trying. That is the important part. That, and trying not to confuse our will with Gods will. Sometimes we think that they are synonymous, but they aren't. This week has been filled with the will of God, and learning to bend to his will. As we learn more about him and our situation in this tiny moment we have in life, we understand more fully what it means to be happy and how to become submissive to the Lord.
I think the best example of that was today, as we left out of our pension to come to the internet café, we fed the dog sitting on our patio. That dog really is a mystery, and it wholly typifies the top line of my email.
The other day, Elder Chapman and I were coming back from zone class, and as we were getting near to our pension, we heard yelping. We turned the corner to see a dog, who had obviously just been hit by a car, but the car had obviously not bothered to stop and help it. So we were stuck there with a screaming dog and no idea of what to do. I was about to just go back in the house, what was I going to do? I cant help it. Right as I was about to go back in, a scripture came to my mind: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." So, being the good Christian I am, I went back and helped the poor guy out. I just sat there. But I thought it was better than not doing anything.
Eventually we decided it would be better if we just put it out of its misery. So we gave him a bunch of pain killing drugs, thinking it would kill him painlessly. The next day when we woke up, we found he was doing better than ever. Much to our dismay, slowly and surely, he began to recover. We didn't want him to suffer, and we had realized that he was paralyzed from the waist down, so there would be no way that he would ever walk again.
Now we are stuck with a medium sized, paralegic dog in our porch, all because of our efforts. Even the best laid plans of mice and men... Sometimes I just don't know. Haha!
Well, I don't really have a whole lot of time left, but I hope everyone is doing alright.
Con Amor,
Elder Westover

Fruits of a Tiny Seed

Hey Everyone!!
Well its officially pen dexter short sleeve shirt weather again, and I couldn't be happier! I love walking around Chile with an old 70s tie I bought in the flea market, a short sleeve white shirt, with a fat pen sticking out of my front pocket. I really enjoy not having to try and impress girls anymore. haha! speaking of which, Elder Chapman and I had a singular experience the other day that makes me really love being on the mission.
We have a family in the ward that is the BEST!! Se llama the family Bravo (sorry, my English is horrible). The hermana is always giving us references and telling us for people that we need to go by. The other day she told us about a family that is right by her house. She said that one day she saw a light on in that house, and she felt like she needed to go over. She went, without question, and knocked the door (what an awesome missionary!). She started talking to the wife and ended up there for almost an hour. She said a prayer with her and began about how she has two friends that would love to talk to her about Jesus Christ (seriously, this doesn't happen in real life). She accepted and we went to her house the next day.
It turns out that the mom broke her hip and cant walk, except on crutches. She feels grateful for what happened though, because now she has a leave of work and can look after her 22 year old daughter, Rosemary, who has Diabetes type I, and has been caught in a depressive spin cycle that almost incapacitated her. She weighs just over 100 pounds and is as pale as a ghost. She barely eats and sleeps almost all day. When we entered into the house we realized that we were exactly where the Lord wanted us to be, because almost immediately, she asked us if we could give her daughter a health blessing. After the blessing, Rosemary looked brighter... or it could have just been the lighting. We began to teach them about Christ, and about the importance he played in our lives. Then, out of nowhere, the mother looked over at her daughter and looked at us strangely. As a missionary, you notice things like this and immediately ask a question. My question was simple. "Have you been looking for us?" She looked at us misty eyed and responded: "I think so." She explained how she had been looking for something in her life, and how she had been praying for someone to help her daughter. She also mentioned how the other day she talked with Rosemary about getting baptized and how she realized that that was something that they needed to do. We asked them if they would like that cleansing power that comes from the atonement. They agreed and we set a baptismal date for the 10th.
After the lesson, we asked if rosemary would say the prayer. She reluctantly agreed, but said one of the most heartfelt and sincere prayers that I have ever heard. She asked for the strength to accept her condition, and allow her alcoholic father to accept us and to allow his heart to be softened so they could go to church that Sunday. After she was done, I felt so strongly that this was one of the families that I had been chosen to find.
The prayer must have worked, because they went to church yesterday! I am so glad to be a missionary and for all the wonderful experiences I get to have. I feel incredibly blessed and feel that it is a little unfair that at the point where you most want to be on your mission, you realize that it is slipping away only too fast.
Love you all!
Elder Westover
PS- The cookies you see are something Elder Chapman and I invented to get a menos activo family to church. I know it looks that good. It tasted even better! That was about nine people that came because of cookies that I made. sniff, sniff, I feel so proud... haha!!

Fabian Alexis Riquelme Gajardo

Hey everyone!
Things in Tocornal have been moving pretty fast. It has been a lot of getting to know you's and getting things going with some of the members. From what I've seen, its one of the best functioning wards in all of my mission. It also has the highest assistance, with 134 people who came the week before. We are also trying out new ways of finding people, because for me, knocking is really boring, inefficient, and depressing. Instead, we are flying kites, drawing, and playing ping pong! It really is fun to be a missionary, you just have to know how to do it!
Yesterday we had a baptism (Wow!). A 21 year old named Fabian got in the water yesterday. He really is just a big ball of candy. He is really quiet, but you can tell he is always thinking about something. The other day was exceptionally impressing. We were talking about baptism with his mom, who is opposed to him getting baptized (surprise surprise). We tried to talk to her to show her that what he was doing was really important. Fabian stayed quiet, just waiting to see what would happen. "He doesn't know enough about what you Mormons preach to be baptized," she indignantly said. Then something miraculous happened. "But I know its true," he said timidly. She began again: "But you haven't even read that book th-" "I don't need to read all of it to know that's its true!" Fabian yelled. "It says it right in here that baptism is a commandment, so I'm going to do it!" Everyone was silent for a moment. "But that's their book," She said. "where does it say it in the bible?" "It doesn't matter!" said Fabian, saying more than I have ever heard him say ever. "You just don't get it! Its the same thing! I'm going to get baptized!". Fabians mother sat pallidly in her seat, stirring through what to say. after a few seconds of the most tense silence I have ever lived through, she got up and fumed out of the room, mumbling as she went. Fabian really was ready to get baptized.
Baptisms are a strange thing. I never feel the spirit when I expect. When we got down in the water and I said the prayer, all I was thinking about was how cold the water was, how his last name was pronounced, and how some other Elder should have been here. The ceremony was nice, and everything went smoothly. But oddly enough, I hadn't really felt the spirit too strong. I figured it was just because we had only been with him for about a week. Then, at the end of the ceremony, they asked Fabian to go up and bear his testimony. As I said, Fabian is a really quiet kid. He got up to the pulpit and just stared out, mumbling about something. I don't remember what he said, but what I do remember was much more important. As a missionary, I realized that we were given certain gifts of discernment. One of them is being able to tell peoples countenance. As Fabian got up to bear his testimony, I could tell so clearly that I was staring at someone completely clean. His face shone so bright up at the pulpit, I knew that I was looking at someone without one shred of sin or stain.
I love the power of the Atonement and the things it enables us to do. I know God loves us and wants us to be happy. This is his church and we are his hands.
Con amor,
Elder Westover

Optimism

Hey everyone!
Well, changes came and changes went. Every six weeks there is a chance that an elder will get kicked out of his sector and put into a new one. For instance, this morning when I woke up, I didn't realize that I would be sleeping in a different house that night. Four and a half months I was in Los Canteros, a very nice quiet sector. I am now writing from a sector called El Torcornal, a sector very far south of the mission. Its almost at the end. My new companion is a 6 foot 5 story giant called Elder Chapman. He seems really cool and I have a feeling that we are going to get along really well. I am excited for this new change but nervous at the same time. I was so comfortable in my old sector; why'd they have to take me out of it? I guess that's the way it is sometimes in the mission and in life. We don't choose the cards we are dealt with, we just choose how to play em. I want to be able to take the best out of every experience this change and see the good in everything. Although I have long been known as a cynic and pessimist in a former life, I realized that those thoughts only offer comfort when we fall; it never encourages us to get back up again and keep running. Pessimism and doubt are one of the most powerful tools that Satan has, and he is using it now more than ever.
I hope that one day the world will be able to see that there is beauty everywhere, even among the suffering and the pain. To say that god cannot dwell in the poor and the oppressed and help them lift up their hearts is to limit His power. I know that He can do anything. But just because he doesn't, doesn't mean he cant. There is a purpose to everything we do, I feel. Although this new sector might be strange and scary, and I may feel uncomfortable at first with the members or the people we are teaching, I have decided to simply put myself at the mercy of the lord, and let him take care of the rest.
Thanks for all that you guys do for me, I love you and Ill see you all in 10 months!
From the missionary whose clothes are slowly deteriorating into a scrap of rags,
Elder Westover

Los Mineros

Well another week has past in Chile, and although everything appears the same. But at the same time, everything has changed.
Im not sure if you have heard about the mine collapse in Antofogasta in Chile, but there were 33 miners that were trapped hundreds of feet under the earth. After a week past, most people gave up hope. It was plastered all over the news, but no one had much hope of them ever coming out alive. A priest had arrived to console the families of the miners to let them know that their loved ones are in a better place. Then, on the 17th day, a camera came down a small hole hundreds and hundreds of feet. The camera finally entered into a small opening. I was with a family watching the live feed when a light appeared on the screen. We werent sure what it was, but out of the corner of the screen, a face appeared of a man, obviously starved, but alive.
Who says miracles dont exist anymore? I would say that they exist now more than ever. Chile really needs it. It really is a miracle that everyone is alive. They are receiving food and lots of other cool stuff, so they will be fine.
Also, on another totally unrelated note, our zone had the opportunity to compete in a singing competition, and they made ME sing! I sung Hallelujah, from Shrek, and it was terrible. haha, no I had fun with it, and I am going to try and send it to you guys as soon as I can!
Sorry this is short, im trying to figure some stuff out with general conference talks. Love you guys! I always love hearing from you!
Love you mucho (good job Grandpa, your spanish skills are impeccable)
Elder Westover

PS- This is a picture of my comp that I did because we had a picture frame, but no picture, so I made one :)

Impensable

Hey All!!!
Well things here in Santiago are heatin up! this week Ive taken off my sweater and was almost forced to pull out my short sleeve shirts! I dont know dad, that whole Global Warming thing is making more sense the hotter it gets, haha! Speaking of which, I have decided to dedicate this email to my awesome dad, who is turning 35 this friday. Dad, I dont know why it took me so long to realize what an awesome parent you are. I think it has kind of been an Adam and Eve necessity sort of thing. Just like it was necessary for Adam and Eve to fall to recognize how good they had it in the Garden of Eden, I had to come all the way to Chile to realize what a great father I had. So happy birthday dad, I hope all your wildest dreams come true and you get my present to "That Special Someone". :)
Anyway, things in the mission are coming along great. Franchesco came to church all by himself on Sunday, and Im pretty sure that he will be the first to get baptized, even though when we first started out, he didnt believe in God or anything. Now he tells us that he knows that baptism is important but he feels that he needs to be more prepared. It almost amazes me the changes that some people make for something that they feel is true. Im also amazed at the lives that the gospel touches. Sometimes its those that we least expect that are ready to hear the gospel. Thats why its so important to give EVERYONE an opportunity to hear the gospel, no matter who they are. Sometimes we are afraid to talk to people because we dont know what to say or we are afraid of being embarassed, but when we really understand what we are doing, it seems silly. When God asks us: "I sent you in the path of that man that needed the gospel, and you didnt do anything, why?" We must respond with "I was embarassed, I didnt know what to say."
I learned a lot of things on my mission, and I know that although I am still the same kid I was when I left, I grew up. I know that we have a crucial role in this life and we each have a divine destiny to complete. I hope that we can all find the opportunities to find that one person who is waiting for us. One of the hardest things is accepting the will of God, but learning to just slide and know that he will take care of us is all the comfort I need to keep going and preach the gospel to all those who will listen to me. I know that He will catch me if I fall, because he knows that I have confidence that He is there for me.
Thanks for everything, guys!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover

Getting Over Being Sick

Hey Family and Friends!
Well its been a week since I emailed you guys, owing to a nasty sickness I got and a cough that Im still trying to get rid of. But the good news is that I'm back and going out knocking down those doors, letting people know that the church has been restored!
Things have been going really well recently in the work. We have a family that's progressing really well called the Familia Manquez. They consist of a less active Mom who just wants the best for her two children, Franchesco (20) and Karina (12). They are great and accepted to be baptized the other day, but the problem is that their grandma died the other day and they have been a little preoccupied with that. Hopefully that will give them a better perspective on things and they will be able to see the importance of what we are doing.
Other than that, things are going really well. We are having a ball with the hermanas in our sector (shown in the photo above), and really are enjoying being where we are. The zone we are in is very cool and we are content with the progress we are seeing. I really want to go on about other little details about the week, but unfortunately the time at the internet cafés always seem to cut very short after I'm done reading your emails. Thank you so much for that courage and support! I need it! I can really say that I have gained a testimony of a lot of things, and some of which are different than I thought. For instance, I now have a firm and rock solid testimony in the importance of mothers in our lives. I have seen their importance and why they are there. Next week I will have to share more of my testimony on that, but right now my companion is pulling my leg out the door, so I better get going. Thanks for everything guys! You are always a great help to me in the work! 10 more wonderful months left! Agghh!!! Time is going by way too fast!!!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover