Alex's 86th email from Chile 4/9/12

I LOVE this picture of Elder Leavitt & Elder Wardell

Hola Familia!!

First things first, I am so tired jajaja but a good one we had an awesome week. So we started off strong this week. We set another baptismal date with a kid named Luckas. His mom is reactivating and we have been working withem alot. He is pretty solid and I am excited about it so we now have 2 fechas. Elder Wardell and I have been taking out the trash and are on the go always. We are working really well with the ward. We have alot of people always leavinbg with us to go on visits and what not and we have been making some cool plans and what not for the sector. We have the goal to baptize 5 people while we are together and so we just need to work and make it happen. This week we have been focusing alot on finding news so our teaching pool can grow and we had some good success we found 6 news and some are actually really good. So we are now having alot more people to teach which is way neat. Also while doing a ton of contacts we have found 3 inactive members and have been sharing with them and the 3 came to church this week!!! how cool is that! Also while doing a contact I had an awesome binding the tongues of anti christ moment. Well maybe not anti christ but anti mormon at least. I just started testifying to this guy attacking the church and he just goes silent. Then starts trying to say something else and I testify again litterally just ran out of things to say went quiet and walked away IT WAS SOO COOOL!!!  I totally didn't give the story justice but it was pretty awesome.

Elder Leavitt & his new companion Elder Wardell

All of Thursday I was in Concilio where the Zone Leaders go in and give a report of the zone and then talk about issues in the mission and try to resolve them. It is an all day affair and it was pretty cool. Also we recieve new incitaives and then later present them to the zone in zone meeting. It was way cool.

Zone meetings

Ok so remember when I told you I thought I had seen it all when I saw some chick peeing in the park?  Well now I have seen it all literally. The other day I saw a dude just pooping on the side of the street. Just bent over not even trying to hide out in the open pooping on the sidewalk it was sooo gross.

The ward is way cool and I got to meet alot of them this week. They all support the missionaries really well and I am excited to be here. I just have a ton of animo to work.

Alex saw Elder Garcia & Carolina & her family at transfers

 Some goodbyes before transfers. Here is Alex with Rocio.

Another goodbye

I don't know why there are no sister missionaries in my zone, and easter day was just normal nothing, special we had dinner with an inactive son and shared with him a little bit. The only different thing about this ward is that it is really wealthy area buena.. just compared to my other sectors I guess and it's not soo city it's more like suburb just pure houses and nothing else so alot to contact. Like in Republica there were lots of factories and what not in the sector. Here it's just pure houses. The picture of me on the map yes was a pday and we were at the mall and I saw it for the first time. Don't know why I hadn't seen it before. I was like "that is way cool. I want a picture." I have not been to the zoo :( I got your easter package last Wednesday mom thank you :) it arrived just in time. No the pension is nice, it is smaller but it is a nice apartment I like it. Elder wardell and I are doing some killer workout in the night and morning, jaja we want to look good for when we go home jaja so my abs hurt right now.

I think this is a cool picture

Well Family, I hope you are all doing awesome. I am doing Great happy, working hard and tired, but I am still glad to be here and have a little more time to do what I am suppose to do when I am suppose to be doing it :) Thanks for everything and all of your love and prayers.

Con Muchisimo Amor,

Elder Alexander Thomas Leavitt

Alex's companion has a voice recorder and Alex sent us a fun little message. 

To hear it click here:

Alex's 84th email from Chile 3/26/12

Several hours after I got Alex's email last week picture attachments came (his email from March 19th) Even though these pictures don't go with this weeks email I'm posting them anyway.

I have no idea where this is but it's a pretty cool picture

Hola Familia!

Well I am writing late because we had a change in the mission. Changes are now done on Mondays so I am now sitting here in my new sector with my new compañion Elder Wardell. You may have seen him before actually seeing that he was my zone leader in Talagante. Which leads me to the other part I have been made a zone leader crazy eh? It was a surprise for me too. Although I am just happy to be away from my companion. I have had a few things stolen from me including that memory adapter so I cannot send pictures this week. I will try and get one for next week sorry.

Elder Sosa, Elder Leavitt, Elder Brow

This week was good but sad. We had interviews this week with President King, always love those they were very good. But I had the call that I will have changes and saying goodbye to people sucks. Especially with Rocio. It was weird for me. I think that was the hardest goodbye I have ever had to do. I had been working with her since day 1 I got to Republica. Taught her everything, baptism, everything. She just had her interview Sunday to get her patriarchal blessing :) All Sunday she was just crying at church and when I said goodbye to her Sunday night. It was way hard for me. Especially when she was telling me how grateful she is that I was so persistent with her. If you don't remember it took us awhile to get in to teach her but I kept calling her like everyday to see how she was doing. She said it was because of me and my persistence that made the difference and I was a key factor in her baptism and the change she has had. She really focused on how much she has changed since being baptized and how happy she is. It was just soo awesome and the thing every missionary wants to hear. I am just so happy right now and tearing up writing this ( but dont worry I will hold in, plus I am in public) but it is this moment and this type of feeling that I love most in the mission. To know you have genuinly helped someone and have made the difference in their lives. I will never forget this and I am soo grateful to have chosen to serve a mission. I have honestly never been happier. I just wish every person, every youth could just know what difference it makes in the lives of a person to serve the Lord and feel these things and just know how much they gain instead of all the things they have to give up. I wish I understood that more clearly  before I left. This has seriously changed my life and my mind set on things. To be on the mission is to feel the pure love of Christ and I testify that it is the greatest thing that any person can feel. I am just happy :)

The rest of my goodbyes were good too not as hard as Rocio but they were great. I will miss the ward a ton. 6 months is a long time. It was during Rocios goodbye when the earthquake hit and it was actually an 8 pointer. It was cool. I didn't feel it at first everyone else was freaking out before I ever knew what was up. Things were swaying and moving it was fun personally. No one died, some minor damage to some stuff but you know normal. I didn't get my ties back but I don't care. I am just happy I am out of that mess. I got to see my three kids today and Elder Florez is pregnant. I am going to have my first grandson tomorrow. I am excited for him he is tight. I saw Elder Wilcox as well today he said you had lunch with him mom jaja. Also  he says everyone still talks about me especially some specific families that made me happy. OH! also Carolina and her family were at changes from Talagante! It was so cool to see them we ate lunch with them before doing internet. They are going to ask President King if I can baptize Rafeal her husband, well actually partner, she finally got divorced and they are going to be getting married in a month and want me to bapptize him! It would soo cool if I could. These last few days have just been awesome! I am so happy. Abril and her family offered to take us to Maipu nice of them. From there Carolina took me to my new sector. I just feel loved and that my work has not been in vain. I am just so grateful right now. God knows what we need. I have been down about companion problems and then I just get blessed like crazy.

So like I said I am now in Los Cerrilos. It's close to Maipu. It's definitely the richest sector I have been in. I have añways been in the flaite sectors (ghetto) so it will be a change especially coming from the most dangerous sector in Chile so we will see. Still hot but at nights it is starting to get pretty dang cold.

Well family I am doing great! As you can all tell I will tell you how things go in my new sector I love you all and will talk to you next week.

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Alexander Thomasl Leavitt

Fun pictures from the class Alex taught on having faith to invite people to be baptized. He described it in his email 3/19/12.

I can see Elder Tognetti's head & forehead but it looks like he's not blindfolded. I think Elder Sosa is in front of him.

Alex's 80th email from Chile 2/27/12

Elder Leavitt & Elder Sosa

Hola Familia!!

Hey Mom really quick, if you could do me a favor Elder Sosa wants to try and apply to BYU and wants to know what he needs to do for all of that.

This week was good. All I have to say is I am soo tired and soo hot! I started out by doing divisions with Elder Sosa where we talked alot about goals and plans in our lives and like I mentioned just earlier he really wants to study at BYU and he speaks English and understands everything super well. We had a good time on divisions. We  had another really good week we are just trying to find some people that will progress. We really don't have anyone solid at this point. We find alot of people and they meet with us and what not but just no one is really progressing.

Alex's companion Elder Tlatelpa

I did my carnet this week and it took us all day. Hey, when I was doing that I talked alot with an Elder Strong. I have talked with him before and have been in the same zone before but we talked alot today and we are both from Canada. And like from the same parts so I was going to ask you guys if you know any Strongs. The weather has been weird which means it is getting ready to go into fall but we still lack a little bit before it changes. It was cooler for like 3 days but then yesterday it was sooo hot. There is no O-Zone layer here and it littleraly hurts to be in the sun. No joke it physically hurts me to be outside you burn in minutes if you don't have sunscreen.  On Saturday we had a cosechon in my sector where all the missionaries come and do contacts for like 2 hours. I went to La Legua with Elder Adlish and we did us some contacts and we found 6 news. Also we witnessed an Evangelical baptism. They were at the public pool and were baptizing like 10 people. There was crazy music and everything it was pretty tight. I officially decided that I need to whiten my teeth when I get home. I don't know if I am just peranoid or if I really need it. The people here just in general don't take care of their teeth.

I have no idea what this smoke is from but Alex was obviously taken with it since he took three pictures.

About the carnet you do it once a year so twice in the mission. About the trees we noticed it and they were stealling the smaller palm trees jaja. I am still in the same ward in Carlos Valdovinos and I was over the two sectors 1 ward with Elder Tognetti now we are sperated again. We have already gone back to La Legua. Yes jaja Tlatelpa is an aztec name. Yes and he has aztex disendents. I don't understand all the words but I understand what they are saying and what it is talking about. The couple with the fecha is there just slow it will be a little bit before they get baptized. So big news I got both the packages this past week so thank you for that.  Elder Sosa says thanks for sending so much stuff for everyone between Christmas and now this.

I have no idea what this picture is of.

So it's weird to think about that at the end of this change I will have the time Elder You my trainer had when I had just gotten to Chile. To look back at who I was then and who I am now and how I have changed. President has said it, you guys have said it, and I can see it how the mission has changed me and my life. And for the better. I am so thankful for the decision I have made to follow the councel of the Profet and of my Parents in serving this mission. My knowledge of the Gospel has grown more than I could have imagined where now I feel truth in the words of Alma when he said the word of God spoken with authority is more powerful and convincing than the sword, and I have seen the difference and change that takes place in the hearts of those that embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am just so happy and could have never imagined what blessing I was going to recieve from being here serving in this calling. They always say that your greatest convert is yourself, I had a testimony before the mission but it has grown to the point that I know I will never abandon it.  I know so clearly and I am so sure that the this is the church of God. This is his Kingdom. I love this Gospel so much it has given me everything. In short the mission has changed my life forever. I just need to end strong and give it everything I have, the time is short that I have to work and prepare myself for the rest opf my life. Like President King said the mission is the university of life how we work here and achieve here is how we will work and what we will achieve afterwards. I am just so gratefull and so happy to be here and serve our Lord and Savior.

OK guys I love you so much and will talk to you next week.

Elder Alex Leavitt

Alex's 79th Email from Chile 2/20/12

Hola Familia!!

Hey so here in Chile a new song has hit it big it’s called ai se eu te pego by michel telo. Now I tell you this because one I really like it hearing in the streets all day and it’s in Portuguese so I think Ben would enjoy it so you will have to tell me what he thinks of it. 

I looked up the video for the song he hears on the street. 

I don't even know if Alex can understand Portuguese. 

I hope it's an okay song and not inappropriate to have on here!

Now back to my week. Well on Tuesday I got my new companion. His name is Elder Tlatelpa he is from Mexico from a place called Pueblo a little out from Mexico City. Now he is awesome so we have no worries. He is tight love this kid. He has close to 7 months in the mission and we get along great. We actually have a lot in common. Elder Tognetti is with Elder Trujillo from Colombia and I am once again in the same sector that I originally had with elder Carcaamo and Elder Tognetti is in his original sector. I once again have six missionaries in my district and I gave an awesome class this week it was cool. I set up like mini tennis in the cultural hall and we played doubles tennis with hymn book and then after I related it to companionship unity and how we always need to be well planned and teach as one voice and help our companions with their weaknesses and them with ours type thing it was cool. Everyone liked it. I have been trying different things because I am sure everyone else is tired of just listening to classes and taking notes. I know I am jajaja.

This week Elder Tlatelpa and I did really well we found 11 new investigators this week and we set 2 new baptismal dates with this couple we found although it will be a tough fecha to make they have a lot to do to progress. But we will keep on top of them. So funny story this just shows the difference between the mindset of the youth here. Here there is an extremely high number of teen pregnancies like insane amounts. Well we were doing contacts and we are talking to this kid, and he says he will start looking into religion when he is 18 and has a kid and family! I was like what normal 15 yr old thinks or plans on having kids at 18? So crazy. Also there is a tree theft in our sector. Someone is stealing the trees here like the newer smaller ones where you can take them out of the ground easier. I have just been thinking who would steal a tree it’s weird. On Friday I was told I needed to go and renew my carnet. We woke up at 6 in the morning, left at 6:30, and got to Maipu at 7:30 and got the paper work. We got on the train again when the office called to tell me to come back because everything was closed. Needless to say I was not happy to have wasted like 4 hours of my morning.

I am tired of summer here. One it is blazing hot, 2 no one is home!!! 3 you just get so much more tired. Umm they celebrate Valentine’s Day here but not to the extent of it in the States. I haven’t gotten any packages yet but we didn’t have pouch last week. Elder Tlatelpa and I get along really well and we have some big plans for our sector.

Well family I love you guys a ton and I cannot wait to hear from you guys next week, also I will see if I can get you some fotos next week. Till next week.

Con Mucho Amor,

 Elder Alex Leavitt

Alex's 78th email from Chile 2/13/12

A feast after the zone football game. 

Alex's head & sunburned neck are 

second in from the right. 

Hola Familia!!

So I got some news! I am getting a new companion tomorrow! That's right they are seperating Elder Tognetti and me up into the two sectors again so I am excited to see who I am getting. That also means that I am going to be here for 6 months. I am excited to just get someone who hopefully is ready to work. Now that we are going with just the one sector we need to work hard and find a teaching pool. Before we had investigators from both sides. So we are going to have to work hard.

This week was not the greatest week numbers wise. We are starting to get hit by the summer monster. We had only 49 people at church! Not alot of our investigators were home it was not all that great haha. But it is insane, this change has gone by soo fast!! We still were able to teach a good amount of lessons. More than anything we have been able to work with the leaders in the ward. Our bishop just loves us.

My head is fine it was really for that day. I haven't gotten your package yet and there is no pouch this week. With the whole summer thing we have not been able to meet with Domingo, and when he fell off the radar we found out he was secretly living with his girlfriend for the weekend we lost conatct with him, lame. The missionary of Preach my gospel starts with soldier, you have to memorize scriptures from the first two lessons like alot, which for me was the easiest part. I just have always been able to memorize. We have to do activities from each chapter, write 2 talks on different attributes of Christ, send them to President, read the BOM in Spanish up to like Mosiah and then pass it off to your leader. Then for Teacher the next one up you do it same thing for lessons 3 and 4 of preach my gospel  read up to like Alma something and 2 more talks. Then for missionary memorize the last scriptures, finish the Book of Mormon, write two more talks, and do the last activities in preach my gospel. It's hard to explain. It's a lot of work.

Well family I am sure next weeks letter will be jam packed full of cool stories and information about my new companion. Little side note, crazyness, Elder Tognetti and I at the end of this next change will have lived together for 6 months! We got here at the same time! I love you guys so much and I will talk to you later.

Elder Alex Leavitt

Alex's 73rd email from Chile 1/9/12

Hola Familia!!!!

This week was AWESOME!!!! Last Sunday some random dude showed up to church literally looked like a bum off the street. Well with a little investigation his name is Juan, and is the brother of one of our members. So we asked if we could come visit him some time and he said sure. Well he now has a baptismal date and is so legit. He came this last Sunday as well and is progressing so fast it's awesome. Working in two sectors is crazy they are so big. We are trying to plan a ton of different divisions with members and what not so we can work both equally and not let one die, which is hard because we are having so much success in my old sector. The majority of our appointments and what not are on that side but we are working well and in fact set a fecha in the other side with the wife of an inactive member we found her name is Caroline. She came to church for the first time this Sunday and loved it!  We are being super blessed cause we have set 3 baptismal dates this last week!!  The other fecha is a girl named Dalenka, and is the cousin of Dary that kid we are always working with. Basically we decided to visit the members a ton and try to get their support which is necisary to have working in such a huge sector and it has payed off!  We set 3 fechas last week and we are planning on setting one on Tuesday with the daughter of a lady in our ward who just never got baptized.  We were looking at our wards list and just saw this girl never got baptized. How does that happen? So that will just be a baptism for us. It's crazy how much luck we are having.

Just so you know a little bit. Elder Tognetti is awesome. He is a straight up Baller. I love him. He is one of the biggest nerds I know. He is a Treky dad would love him. He has seen every Star Trek movie and almost every episode of every Star Trek. We have had some cool conversations. You should have seen his face when I told him I like Star Trek as well hahaha.  I don't come off as the Star Trek type he told me haha. Elder Tognetti is the most patient and humble person I have met in my life. And I am not kidding he is amazing. He has that gift and to the extreme. He is a stud and a stand out guy. He has 8 months in the mission and is just legit. Like I said he is from Iowa.

Elder Leavitt & Elder Tognetti

On Sunday we had four investigators in the chapel which was awesome!! Elder Tognetti was so happy he said that was the most he has ever had in the chapel. He is really happy with the success we are having. We had 9 MAC!!! which was legit. That;s when a member is in your appointment with you. So when the missionaries meet with Oliver in the house that is a MAC and every missionary wants that.

It was really funny, Dary our buddy who always helps and leaves with us has an austistic brother. I love their family and when I first got there, Issac the austistic kid, did not like the missionaries. Well now we are friends well him and I at least. We always play together and we have our own hand shake as well haha. Well on Sunday this other little kid came over to play with me, i am always playing with the kids, well Issac saw this and was not happy. He came running over took my hand pulled me away and started playing with me haha. His mom loved it and was like "looks like Issac got jealous."  I thought it was cool.

On Thursday President King randomly decided to come to our District meeting and sat in on my class!!! Well luckily it went super well.  He actually complimented my class and the examples I used and said he loves my animo!  It's like Love/energy/excitment for the work. I did a class on goal setting and being better and what not.

I did get the RS package and I have been planning on writing but I am soo swamped! I have soo many cards to write you don't even know. That joined with DL work and two sectors I am just dead everynight and want to sleep. As my white elephant gift I got a US flag haha.  Hopefully you can tell that the work was way better than last weeks. I am pretty sure that this is only a temporary change. I think that next change they will bring in two other missionaries. Elder Braddy is the other District leader still! And I only have 1 new one Elder Brow from Baker California. He is legit! In our pension it's only me and Tognetti now since they took out the other sector. Hey mom can you send me a pulled pork sandwitch recipè. I have had a craving for like a sloppy joe type thing and then I remembered pulled pork sandwiches and I have an hermana here who likes to cook and wants to try something new so if you could get me a good one I could be eating good here haha.

I'm guessing this is the view from his pension (apartment)

Well Family I love you a ton and I can't wait to hear from you next week. It is insane how fast the time is going. I am really enjoying my time here and we are working hard!

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Alex Leavitt