Alex's 29th email from Chile 3/7/11

 Santa Lucia

Hola Familia!!

This Week was an awesome one.  Man I read your letter this week and there were some words you used I had to think twice about just to remember the meaning. I was like "dang my English is terrible now." But wow I am super surprised that my package got there so fast.  Haha I am glad you liked all the pictures.  I was pretty proud of it.  I made sure they had to cut through two Jesus Christ to get to my package. Haha hey just tell me you found that necklace with the old school peso.  I love that thing. But tell me what you think about it and what is in it and everything. I got my Birthday package this week.  Thank you soo much.  I will tell you more of what I think about it this next Monday.  It is wierd to think I am going to be 20 years old this Saturday.  It makes me feel super old and like I have a lot of time in the mission. Alan's mom told me they are going to throw me a party haha.

On Monday I bought the most amazing jacket and I am sending pictures of it cause I am so pumped about it. Hey don't go out of your way but if you can send me envelopes from the States that would be awesome the envelopes here are terrible and I always need to tape them closed cause the dumb glue doesnt work.  Hey also I looked and I don't have the notes from my setting apart can you send them to me?

So like I said this week was legit.  I would call it the week of many blessings. I say that because we gave a ton of blessings this week. We were walking one day and there was an ambulance on the street outside a members house and I was like that is odd and I felt like we should go by and see if it was actually for them or for some other house but we were on the way to a cita.  So we didn't but the cita was not home so I was like "hey lets go by the house" and sure enough it was for this member.  The husband said she had not been feeling well and then just kinda passed out.  I asked him if he had given her a blessing and he said she hadn't asked for one and he said he didn't have any oil.   So I whipped out my oil we went in and gave her a blessing and sure enough it was awesome.  Afterwards the color in her face came back and she was way better.  The husband was so excited and kept saying it was a miracle and what not. Something that I forgot that was really cool was when we walked into the room the hermana said "look God sent me two angels"  I know it really isn't anything special but it did make me feel really good about myself.   

Also I went on divisions this week and I have come to love divisions because everytime I go on one something really cool happens and this time didn't change.  We had a really good day, taught alot, and at night we were going to a cita and these three gypsies called us over and said they had a question for us.  So we go over and they were like "hey we want to have a blessing of health, you know with your oil and hands on the head and then they did the little motion".  We were both just taken back.  I was like "how do you even know about that" and they said years ago they recieved one from other missionaries.  So we went in and sat on their rug crossed legged under this huge tarp just like gypsies do and first explained everything about blessings. These gypsies were awesome.  They were so humble and had so much faith.  They said we may not be apart of your church but we know you young boys are sent from God and have his power to heal us.  They said it so confidently it was amazing.  So we gave these three gypsy ladies blessings.  They had the craziest names it was ridiculous.  One was like Chevonka or something like that.  Also I love when they talk in their Romanian language.  But we gave the first two their blessings.  They had like bad backs and migranes and what not. Then the last one comes up and in a low voice and says "I need something a little different. For years me and my husband have been trying to have a baby.  We have gone to doctors and they all said they couldn't do anything and I need you to bless me so I can have one."  All I could do in this moment was think of Kira. So we told her that we could give her this blessing but to remember that she will recieve it only if she has the faith that this could happen.  She told us she had the faith so we gave her the blessing.  After I explained that it is important to remember the God does not have the same time schedule as we do.  That he sees everything perfectly and we only have one point of view. That he will answer your prays and bless you accordingly to when he feels we need to recieve those things.  It was an awesome experience.

 Alex & Elder Champion

So school started this last week and now there are kids always in the streets in their school uniforms.  It's weird, cause when I got here it was like that too.  Also to come along with school all of a sudden all these flippin parrots showed up.  They screech soo loud.  I guess they are called loros.  They are greenish and sneaky.   I have yet been able to catch a photo of one but  I continue to try.

 Alex & Elder Champion

Sunday Alan was confirmed and he recieved the Holy Ghost and the priesthood!  His great-Grandmother who couldnt be any happier bought the kid two new suits!  So he came to church looking like a champ.  He asked to wear our plaques for a little so he could look like a missionary.  He has decided that in 3 years he is going on a mission.  I love this kid.  The bishop bore his testimony and asked all the dads to give their kids blessing before school starts. Alan then asked us if we could give him a blessing that night for school the next day.  What 16 year old kid does that?  I love him. So we went by and gave him a blessing it was awesome. So that ends my week of blessings haha.

 Alan at his baptism with his Father, Mother & Great Grandmother

Elder Diaz & Alex

To answer your questions, Dad if you found the street if you are in a car and turn right off of gran avenida onto santa clara its the corner building on the right. 

 Alex, Elder Champion, Elder Diaz

Some investigators, todovia we have Gabriela and her family she has slowed down cause she has an uncle who is an evangelico priest that is confusing her but she is still progressing, a lady named Patricia that is pretty awesome, a kid named Paul who is awesome and I feel like with a little time he will be baptized, and then finally Carmen the wife of Juan.  She is a very stubborn lady but she is progressing.

No it has not cooled off at all.  My entire back is just soaked as I am sitting here writing you this letter.  Yes, I have a copy of my mission call but if you could send me a copy of my setting apart that would be legit. 

Something cool,  remember those living scripture videos we would always watch before church as little kids?? Well I now have a ton of them in Spanish! How legit is that.  I am soo pumped about it!!  Has Kira gotten my letter?

Well family we were super late getting to internet today perdoname. I love you all and I pray for you guys everynight,

Con Mucho Amor,

                           Elder Alex Leavitt