Alex's 74th email from Chile 1/16/12

Hola Familia!!!

So thought I would tell you guys that it is amazingly hot! It is terrible just how bad it is. I literally feel my flesh burning, but on the good side I am now very tan, but also on the bad side I am super white where the sun does not hit so it all equals out jaja. Well family I just wanted to say I love you guys. I don't know why I just have been thinking about you alot this week and praying for you guys. I have been reading my patriarchal blessing alot and trying to set some goals for my life. It says I need to do that more often. Well for the mission I decided to set the goal to fast at least once every week. I really want to end strong and I don't have much more time left which just blows my mind. I started last week and I can already feel the difference. I may have to continue this after the mission as well who knows we will see.

So this week was a good one. Since we have tried focusing on the members helping us we have had alot of exito (success) Our investigators are all progressing alot. Juan is super excited about the church and is super willing to listen to us and keep his commitments. His problem is that he doesn't have much work and since we have been teaching him he is finding alot more work to do which is good, but now he doesn't have much time to meet with us so hopefully we can get this all figured out. But he is good. Antonia the little girl, she will probably si o si get baptized but it is hard to teach her. She gets all shy and nervous and doesn't talk during the lessons which is difficult to know if she understands or has a question. But she will get over it. I found out that if I joke around a little more it opens her up. So we will get her progressing faster. Caroline is probably the best, she is progressing so fast. She is excited super stoked for her baptism. She wanted us to describe excactly how it will be the day of her baptism. She is super happy and excited and has a testimony which overall puts the icing on the cake. Dalenka will be the hardest but she also is progressing slowly. She has alot she needs to change in her life, is willing to do it, but doesn't want to be rushed which I understand when you are 17 yrs old. I told her we are not asking her to change her whole life in a week. That we are not going to force her to do anything and that everything is on her time and schedule (which she liked to hear). She said she likes listening to us and that she thinks we are funny :)

Elder Tognetti and I are doing great. He is legit. I told him you invited him to see dads star trek collection and he said him and dad are going to become best friends after the mission. I told him dad is kinda a nerd as well jajaja. He is tight. That is tight that the people in Malloco still remember me. He is still in Malloco now with Elder Florez my kid! I actually a little bit ago got some letters from some converts and families in Malloco. It feels so cool you know? to know that you have made some kind of positive impact in the lives of people.


(The 'he' Alex refers to is Elder Connor Wilcox. I had told Alex about an eamil I had received from his Mom a week ago. She told me that during their Christmas call her son had told her that in the area he is serving EVERYONE always talks about Elder Leavitt. The families and many of the investigators all LOVE Elder Leavitt. They say he was just the greatest missionary and that he was super funny.  Alex & Connor never knew each other before the mission even though they probably only live about 10 - 15 mins. away from each other. They were in different stakes and different high schools. His Mom & I became friends on the Missionary Mom's group. We have met once.)

Those were the zone ties of and it was taken in the stake center of Republica, me and Braddy have the district leader ties haha. The pictures I took and sent last week were not from my pension but just some building in my sector. It's pretty dirty huh? My sector is the most dangerous sector in our mission and probably all of Chile. It's run down.  In the summer yes everyone leaves the city and its terrible jaja but since our sector is giant I don't think we will have a problem teaching. We still have Hermanas that do our laundry and we have lunches every day without problems if not I have a couple of Hermanas here that say that I am their son and will always feed us if we need it jaja. Ya send some updated pictures that would be tight :)

Well family I just wanted to say that I am happy. The mission is amazing and it has changed my life. I have changed so much. I have such a better outlook on the stuff I want to do with my life. But the biggest change is that I feel so much closer to Our Padre Celestial.  I know he loves me. I feel like I know him so much more on a personal level. I have fallen in love with the scriptures. I have never had a relationship with them like I do now and I can't believe I had missed out on this for so much of my life. We truly can understand our Father in Heaven more clearly through the scriptures. I Love this work and how I feel so much closer and feel like I understand how Jesus Christ feels for us. One can learn to love so much easier by serving and working for others and for God. I just love it here. OK guys I need to run so I will talk to you next week :) I love you and pray for you every night.

Con Mucho Amor,

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

Alex's 72nd email from Chile 1/2/12

Elder Leavitt's District & Elder Braddy's District at the Mission Christmas Party.

I love how they all got matching ties :) 

Hola familia!!!

So this week was hard. We worked really hard but we were not able to do much. Nobody wanted to meet with us haha or if they wanted to they couldn't and said come back in a month! Well what can you do right?

His Pac12 t-shirt from Alycia & Trevor. 

The excitement on his face says it all.

So funny, story last Monday I lost my companion. We were in the metro luckly we were with a group. Well we were all walking and my companion didn't tell anyone he was going to put money on his card. We were all talking and just kept going, got on the train, and then I was like "wait where is my comp?" When I realized that he wasn't there the doors closed! So I got off at the next stop went with Elder Sosa back, had the others get off and search the next train for Carcamo. Well he was on the next train and we met up again it was insane.

Some candy we sent him in his Christmas package.

Well like I said this week wasn't to strong numbers wise but it was still a good week. On Thursday we said goodbye to Rocio. She is going on vacation until March. I don't know if you remember but Santiago kinda shuts down during summer everyone leaves. But ya insane, so we both said goodbye because there is a chance none of us will see each other again before she comes back sad :(

On Friday we got the call Elder Carcamo has changes and they are shutting down the sector next to me and I am getting Elder Tognetti as my companion. I have been living with him for the last 3 months so we know each other really well we are excited to be together. He is from Iowa. We are going to have alot of work on our hands our sector is giant now.

Saturday we didn't do anything special. We had to be back in the pension at the normal time. Here in Chile they do like nothing for New Year's, and they only have like one firework show in all of Santiago, and so from our apartment we could barely see them so we watched those and then went to bed. Then Sunday we did our goodbyes, well part of them, today we are doing more goodbyes for Elder Carcamo.

We haven't been able to meet with Dalenka for Christmas and New Year's :( The basketball jersey got here just in time and I was able to give it to Rocio before she left.

Alex in Rocio's basketball jersey. 

Rocio in Alex's basketball jersey he had me send & 

Elder Carcamo in the background with the shorts.

Hey mom, so there is an Elder Sosa in my district and he is from argentina from the ward borges. His dad is the bishop there and says he worked alot with and knows President Northcutt.

Alex told us before that you see graffiti all over the place in the city.

Well guys I reaLLY DONT HAVE MUCH TO SAY THIS WEEK I AM SURE NEXT WEEK IT WILL BE (just realized that it was in caps but to lazy to go back and fix it :) love you) more exciting since it is a new comp and sector basically. I am going to send alot of pictures though love you guys and talk to you next week.

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Alex Leavitt

Alex's 71st email 12/26/11

Elder Carcamo's 25th Birthday

Hola Familia!

Ok so I will mention some stuff I didn't say yesterday and that will be it. Won't be a very long letter today. On Monday like you know it was Elder Carcamos birthday. Well on Tuesday I had planned a surprise birthday party for him about a week ago so we had that it was way fun. All his favorite people in the ward were there. He was soo happy and surprised. It was cool because he was having a hard time this being his first birthday away from the family. Wednesday and Thursday I had divisions outside of my sector with Elder Enamorado and with Elder Demayer. They were cool. On Friday we had our mission Christmas party we watched the Christmas Carol that was cool. Everyone was looking at me though because I had sooo many presents and cards sent to me this year! Like I mean I had a ton sent. Mainly candy but some ties and what not. It feels good to feel like you have made an impact in other areas and people remember you.

Elder Carcamo's surprise birthday party

Saturday was when things got crazy. I have eaten soo much this weekend. Saturday I ate 3 meals one at 4ish another at 7ish and then one at 9 ish and we celebrated and opened presents with a family we are really close too. Then in the pension we celebrated latino style and we opened up our presents our families sent us at midnight. Sunday we only had sacrament meeting and we  then ate lunch with our bishop and his family and from their we basically went to Rocios house to do our phone calls and then we went home. Needless to say I am tired from lack of sleep and amazing heat.

Mission Christmas Party

We haven't met with Dalenka last week hopefully tonight! The Christmas party was with everyone and it was in La Cisterna right next to Lo Ovalle. I didn't see anyone I knew though sad. Just the four of us missionaries that live together.(I asked Alex if it was just his pension that opened presents up together and when so this is his answer) Normally yes they have Christmas and New Years off from work here in Chile and Christmas is way bigger than New Years.(More answers to questions)

 New matching Christmas ties

So to end this I want to do the same thing I did last year and share my testimony with you guys seeing that I don't have much to write. This work is amazing. To think the same thing I am doing here there are thousands of others around the world participating in the work of saving souls. I know this is God's Church, his Kingdom here on earth. I love being a missionary to feel like I am an instrument in the hands of God to help his children come closer to him. The thing I love most about the mission is to see the spirit move into the lives of the people, to see how people can literally change their lives from living the gospel principals. To me there is nothing more special than that. Basically to just sum things up,  I know Jesus Christ is our Lord and Redeemer, through Him and his sacrifice we can all be saved, made pure and worthy to live with our Heavenly Father and families after this life. I love being a missionary. I love being a representative of my God here in Chile doing his work and spreading his happiness to everyone.

I love you guys more than you know,

Elder Alex Leavitt

Alex's 70th email from Chile 12/19/2011

Alex included a fun video clip this week. Well, one of the young men he works with a lot actually sent it to me. Thanks Dari!! Look for the video at the end.

I stole this picture from Elder Mlazgar's blog. 

I believe this is their zone.

Hola Familia!

I probably have not been so tired in my entire mission as I have been this last week we had such an insane week! But first off on Monday we had a sweet family home evening with a family in our ward that invited their niece to share with us. It was awesome we shared a Christmas Jesus Christ lesson all focused on the Book of Mormon. I don't know if I explained that really well but it was cool. After we played a game and what not, well their neice loved it. Her name is Dalenka and I had the same feeling I had when I first met Rocio. I really feel like this girl is going to get baptized. It wasn't any normal feeling. I don't know how to explain it but we will be seeing her today as well. Oh before I forget, today is Elder Carcamos birthday!  He turned 25. I set the alarm for midnight and jumped on him :) I also set up a surprise party for him tomorrow with the Hna Denisse.

On Tuesday we worked like Pack mules. We had an awesome day. Me and Elder Carcamo work super well together. We really don't have a ton in common but we both work very well and like my blessing says that when I focus on the work the differences and faults of my compañero will be less noticible and really now I have gained an amazing friend that I will keep for the rest of my life.

On Thursday we had a capacitacion especial and interviews with President King. He has been so impressed with our numbers and asked how or what we have been doing to have so much success. He said I have grown a ton and have matured a ton since being on the mission. I would like to say I am the same. I just know when things are appropriate and when they are not hahaha but he said he is happy with what I have done and the example I have set for my district.

On Friday we spent the whole day doing the carnet stuff of Elder Carcamo ( basically his chilean ID).  But it was cool I got to chill with Elder Champion. Don't know if you guys remember who he is but it was cool to see him. On Saturday we had a choir practise. We are singing on Friday at our mission Christmas activity, and at night we had a talent show Christmas dinner thing with our ward. The missionaries planned everything. Well it was awesome! We have had tons of people tell us that it was the best activity that this ward has had.

And today like I said it is Carcamo's birthday and I planned a pizza party for him with our zone it was fun.

I have not gotten that package yet or the one with rocios jersey. I don't know what the date was with the last blog. I am sorry it has been awhile. They have about the same time off like 2 or 3 months. My neck is fine now. It finally popped yesterday and now I am doing great! Maria is doing awesome. She is reading the Book of Mormon. She will take longer but when she gets baptized she will be solid! I asked Elder Carcamo and Alex Jafek is in a good mission but its north and he is from the south. We are having Christmas Eve with the familia Ruz. The Hermana LOVES me. She says I am her favorite child hahaha. She is awesome. Sunday we have like 1 hour to an hour and a half. And mom don't be worried I have bought your nativity like 6 months ago :) If I see a cool small one I will get you 2 but the one I got was expensive haha no se preocupe I am on top of things :)

Well family thats all I got for you, I love you soo much and I cannot wait to see you on Sunday. I am getting soo excited.  Elder Carcamo is excited to meet you guys as well entonces nos vemos and I love you all so much!!

Con Mucho amor,

Elder Alex Leavitt

A young man from the ward who works with the missionaries a lot sent this video today. This is what he wrote:

"this is dari he always leaves with us so we made a handshake :)"

Alex's 69th email from Chile 12/12/2011

I think this may be one of the streets that Alex refers to in his email.

Hola Familia!!

This week was a good one. Starting with the biggest news of all on Tuesday Rocio was Baptized!!! I am So happy and excited for her. It was such a good day, her whole family came and it was awesome after everything she went to go share her testimony and she just said she didn't have words to describe her feelings and started crying and then went down and hugged her mom such an amazing experience. Afterwards we had a little food and get together after at her house. This week I did divisions with Elder Merchan and with him in my sector we set 2 more baptismal dates!! So now we have 4 investigators with baptismal dates!! I am so happy that after we have worked so hard everything is finally starting to pay out for us. We had some good numbers again this week and I am soo tired.

Elder Carcamo, Rocio & Elder Leavitt

Rocio & her family with Elder Carcamo & Elder Leavitt

My neck is killing me! The last three days my neck has just been killing and today I can barley turn my head it hurts so bad.  We will see if it improves. If not I will have to go to medico cause I can't work like this.

We have this one investigator I am particularly excited about. The first time we met with her she said make sure this lesson is good because it's the one we will have together. Well needless to say we have had more than one with her :) She has specifically told me she feels like I was sent to her personally from God to share this message with her. She is a hardcore devoted evangelica. Like she does everything for her church and was so set on it she only was going to give us one chance to teach her. Well she has started reading the Book of Mormon and says it seems so familiar to her as if she has been doing it for her whole life. She has progressed sooo much! And I am getting so excited. If she gets baptized she will make a huge difference her in chile. So we will see!

Alex painting for the service project.

On Saturday there was a huge service project for the stake to paint a few streets where there was still earthquake damage. It was way fun I had a great time.

Elder Leavitt & Elder Mlazgar

Yes Mom my missionary stocking is hanging up in our apartment and it is stuffed with candy from a package Kira sent me :) No they have the same Christmas songs here and in English too haha. The only difference here is that christmas Eve is bigger because they have a party all Christmas even and way late into the morning where they party, open all the presents at like midnight, and then sleep all christmas day! haha I don't remember what the typical Christmas dinner is I actually want to say it is turkey. Thanksgiving nothing special happened only that I called my district in the morning to wish them all a happy thanksgiving. Mom I did not get a buzz cut haha it may only be the picture just look at the pictures I am sending you now it normal. Oh hey tell Alycia I am getting her letters weekly now haha and say thanks and I am writing her back. I just have been so tired and swamped I am behind in writing :(

Guys I know this letter is super short but please forgive me. I really do not feel good right now.  My neck is killing me and its hard to focus. I will make up for it in pictures I am planning on sending alot. Just know I love you all. I am working hard and I will talk to you all in like 13 days or so on skype :)

Con Mucho Amor,

 Elder Leavitt

Alex sent us this fun video of him and Elder Carcamo playing with a traditional Chilean toy. Here's a description of it:

El Trompo (Top)

The traditional Chilean top is made of wood and has a metal prong sticking out of the end. String or twine is coiled around the top. Kids will play with their tops in the streets. Some games include trying to keep the top spinning in a defined circle. Others launch their tops and try to knock competitor's tops out of the circle.

 

Alex's 68th email 12/5/11

So Alex sent some pictures a few weeks ago after I had already done his post. He didn't include any this week so I'm including some you haven't seen as well as a video that Elder Mlazgar sent his Mom. There is a fun video at the end that Elder Mlazgar's Mom shared with me.

Elder Mlazgar & Alex at a zone P-day picnic.

Hola Familia!!!

I love this work especially when we are working good we had monster numbers this week. We had a grand total of 28 lessons! and we found 17 new investigators and had 198 contacts. All of them above the standard of excellence we have as missionaries and finally our work has payed off and we set 2 new baptismal dates with a couple that live in La Legua!! It was an awesome week but I am soo tired.

We had a hiccup with Rocios baptism. She was not baptized this weekened. Her dad is a cop and he said she could not get baptized if he was not there and he could not be there Saturday so it was postponed for this tomorrow so say a prayer please that all goes well.

Elder Carcamo, Luis & Alex

Part of our monster week goes to the young men of this ward. We have two young men who always leave with us. They are so tight and they will be amazing missionaries one day. We do divisions with them 1 or 2 times a week. I think I will try to make my kids leave with the missionaries one day. I know I did it a little but I should have done it more. This week we had a mission wide fast on Thursday. We fasted because our mission is at the point to take off and Friday we had zone council meetings to see how we can do better as zones and help the mission reach its potential (remembering we are the lowest baptizing mission in South America). It was a good meeting. Saturday Elder Carcamo and I left in the morning to do some contacts. I don't know if I have ever told you about Elder --- before. He is famous in the mission and even more in La Legua. It's thanks to him La Legua is so dead to the missionary work and why they normally hate us. Long story short lets just say Elder --- has 2 kids in La Legua. Well I met the first family that knows him!  They were like "Wow! we have not seen missionaries this deep into La Legua since Elder --- 10 years ago!!" So crazy. Well we have an appointment with that family tomorrow lets see how it goes.  Well it was that same morning we set our fechas bautismales with Macarena and Antonio. It was actually my first appointment with them. Well we taught them the most important thing which is eternal life, the holy ghost and baptism and then right there first lesson invitated them to be baptized January 14th! So lets pray that they progress and reach their date! I am so excited! President commented about how impressed and shocked he was with our numbers. We have been putting out the best numbers this sector has ever had. We have been working soooo hard!!!!!!!

Alex at the zone activity for their p-day. 

Also I got your advent calanders. My district says thanks and Elder Mlazgar says you can be his second mom jajaja. And yes I did also get your halloween one, maybe your thanksgiving one as well.

My ward has normally between 70 and 80 people in assistence but have 600 members so not very active. We are always finding inactives in the streets and what not. My district is good I just have those two missionaries who are not working which is hard because there isn't much I can do. They should work because they want to because if it isn't voluntary you are not gonna have the spirit with you. Like it says in Corinthians "God loves the happy giver¨." YES I FINISHED THE BIBLE IN SPANISH!!!!!!!! I am soo happy and the coolest part I understood basically everything. Revelations everything it was so easy to understand. I am so stoked and I have a seen so many blessings and it has been such a great tool for me as a missionary to have done it.

Ok well that's all I got for you guys this week. Oh Hey christmas is coming up I was thinking we can do our call Christmas day at like 8 my time here in Chile is that ok? ok we'll talk to you next week!

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Alex Leavitt