Alex's 43rd email from Chile 6/13/11

 Alex sent a lot of pictures this week but he never labels them so I have to guess where they are.  I know that some of them are in his old sector La Islita 2 but some could be from his new sector La Islita 1.  

 

Hola Famila!

So this week I had probably one of the hardest mission moments since being here. So on Monday I learned we were receiving two missionaries and there was going to be a white wash in one of the sectors. Well I technically have a new sector and had changes.  With Elder Madsen I was in La Islita 2 now I am officially in La Islita 1 with Elder Florez. The hardest part of this for me was that I will no longer be teaching Camilo and Hugo. Also it was just after we had revived that sector it was dead before with no one to teach. We had built up the teaching pool and had worked so hard in it. And now I am in another dead sector all over again. We have zero progressing investigators and are starting all over again. I was feeling really overwhelmed a little upset and confused to why I would be changed out of that sector soo quickly right after we were getting things going again. I know it was dumb to feel like that.  But I don't know, I have not been in a single sector yet where when I got there they had more than 1 or 2 progressing investigators.  I hear all these other people going to places where they get there they have all this stuff already or get there and have baptisms right away.  That definitely has not been my mission thus far. 

 I love this picture of Alex.  It shows his area and even though it's hard to see him riding his bike I think it's a great typical missionary picture. 

So I was just feeling a little stressed with everything so I just went into the other room and just started praying.  It was the only thing that came into my mind of what I should do. I just told God that i am putting this up to him and I will do whatever he asks me to do as long as he helps Elder Florez and I have some success here in La Islita 1.  I know he put me here for a reason and I just need to find it.  Then I remembered a scripture I had read the week before and reread it and it just hit me like a ton of bricks.

2And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

3And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. 

(Deuteronomy 8: 2&3)

  Contemplating 

I know I am here to show God that I am willing to do what he asks, to show my obedience and love for him.  We don't always know why things happen and it really is not important to ever know why things happen as long as we stay true and faithful and obedient to what is asked of us.  After I prayed and read that scripture I felt so good.  It doesn't even matter what happens now because I know that President King is inspired and that God wants me here.  So I will just keep smiling and working and hopefully I can do some good and leave this sector in a better state than I found it.

 I think that this is La Islita where both sets of missionaries live. If I'm right this is Alex's new sector.

So I am good excellent actually :)  We now live with Elder Hall from Idaho.  He is in the same group as Elder Madsen and Elder Merchan from Spain.  They are both legit.   Elder Merchan really likes me haha.  I think it bugs Elder Florez a little.   

 Alex's area is so rural that it's confusing to me when I see him in pictures on roads like this or by road signs.  It does look like he has mastered the art of bike riding again - with the exception of the broken toe accident.

 Actually this looks like the same road he's riding on above and even though it's not as rural as most it does look a little more rural than I thought.  Notice the snow covered Andes in the background.  That's why I posted this picture.

So this week I went two days on divisions with Elder Merchan to teach him his sector so at least I got to say goodbye and let people know I was being changed to the other sector and I took lots of pictures. 

 

These pictures really show his rural area and the agriculture that goes on there - the vineyards.

Haha, we were doing contacts out in Lonquien and we found some guy that sells grass and he was all excited to tell me it was from the States (no one has grass here except super rich people).  So I went over, stood on the grass and was like "so technically I am standing on US soil" and he told me I was.  I was pretty stoked. 

 Alex in front of the sign of the town where he stood on U.S. soil.  Can I just say that when Fred & I both first read that he had found 'some guy that sells grass' our first thought was not 'sod'! 

Also something funny.  I don't know if you guys remember but I am flaite here (gangster) thanks to Camilo and Hugo.  I can talk flaite now.   Also all of the flaites are our friends now so we can be walking and hear "HOLA PICHOKO!!!" which is just like "whats up buddy!" and I know it is one of our flaite friends haha.  So we yell back something flaite.  I personally think its awesome haha but ya good stuff.

I believe this is Alex with Elder Florez, Camilo, Hugo & someone else.  Could their hand signals be 'flaite' signs?

I got your package thank you.   My toe is killing me today.  We hiked a mountain as a zone.  Camilo and Hugo came with us it was awesome!  In the bible I am now in 1 Samuel about 460 pages or something like that.  I am loving reading the bible I am finding so many cool scriptures and stories I never knew. Well family I got to go.  I love you all pray for you ever day.  I love the mission and still super excited to be here.

 Elder Florez & Alex on their hike.

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Alex Leavitt