Serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Concepcion, Chile from November 2013---October 2015

Monday, December 29, 2014

Some Things Never Change

So this week finally came to an end. My last Christmas in Chile was a good one, from sharing messages and Chilean foods with the amazing people here, I would have it no other way. This upcoming week will be another week of fiestas for new years eve, maybe it will be a little more exciting that last year haha, but either way it will be enjoyable.

This week I want to share a little message on settting goals. Off of the talk which I loved  called Some Thoughts on Goal-Setting by ELDER DEAN L. LARSEN, I would like to put emphasis in this part of the talk: 

Following her release from the hospital, this sister deeply felt the need to spend some private time with her scriptures and in prayerful quest for understanding. She reported that on a day at the close of the month she was at home alone, particularly impressed and inspired by some part ofthe scriptures she had been reading. A sweet spirit of peace and consolation rested upon her, and she felt a closeness to the Lord and the reality of his love in a way she had never experienced before.

She was absorbed in this experience when the telephone rang. She reluctantly answered. On this occasion the call was to solicit a time during the day when an official Relief Society visit could be made to present the lesson for the month. When the sister asked to forego the lesson in view of the fact that the visiting teachers had already been in her home several times during the month, and more especially because she did not wish to have her refreshing interlude with the scriptures interrupted, she was reminded that this was the last day of the month. On the earlier visits the official lesson for the month had not been presented. Therefore, the visits could not be counted.

Reluctantly, the sister left her scriptures and cleaned her house inpreparation for the visit of the visiting teachers. The spirit of the morningwas lost and was replaced by a feeling of resentment and hurt. The visiting teachers’ perfect record remained intact—but at what cost?

As humans sometimes we lose track of ourselves in the numbers game, who can have higher numbers. And sometimes even as missionaries we find ourselves in this trap. We look at the numbers of other missionaries to rate ourselves. Or sometimes, we only think about getting that last number, and forget about things that may be more important.. I believe if we all had the attitude and goal to always strive for the admiration of the Lord, and not of men, including numbers, records, peer reviews, whatever the reason, if it is not Godly it is not worthy. I am grateful for all of my family and friends. 

I hope you all have a great New Years, eat a lot of meat, as the Chileans say. Love you all!

Elder Siaosi

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Everybody is Coming HOME

Hey everybody! Again another crazy busy week, just trying to keep it real! I do not have very much time, hardly any time at all now that they cut our hour down, but just wanted to share a little about our how we are. Healthwise, all super good. Emotionaly great as well. And spiritually high as we should be, all out superb! This week we focussed on the consecration. I love the message by Faust, The pathway to Freedom: Obedience! My favorite part out of it all. IS the quote by McKay to the missionaries. “It is better to be trusted than to be loved. We try hard to earn the trust of the people, as all people do in this life. And sometimes we are not loved for it. Sometime we get mocked, harassed, all sorts of things. But it is the life of the missionary right. We love it. It is our calling. And from it we create relationships with the people. I mean, sometimes I stop and think how strange it is!

Well before I get cut out I got to go!

Love you all

Elder Siaosi!















Tuesday, December 9, 2014

All the lights

Hey everyone! Not a very long letter today, it is a holiday for the Chileans and that means all the Internet Places are closed. just wanted to send a little something to say that I am thinking of you all! Love it here in the Pradera!

Elder Siaosi


PORFIN!!!

Monday, December 1, 2014

Nothing sounds better, than the sounds of running waters in the Church.

It was such a good week, filled with lessons, great contacts, baptisms, American food, sweet 70 degree weather, it is the life here in La Pradera, Chiguayante.

So many wonderful experiences, First of all I want to share an expereince that we had early in the week. On Tuesday, there we were late at night talking with people until it was time for us to return home. It was still light out, the sun goes down at about 9, and it is still light out till about 10, so it isnt too late out right. Well we walked past a few of these punk looking kids with their snap backs, smoking, with a bottle of beer on the ground as they sat on a bench, and they called us over. We went over, and they asked us, what do you guys even do all day. Ha, well after 5 or 7 minuted we had taught them a little about Jesus, the straght and narrow path, and our destinies. Well it was one of the more interesting moments this wek as well. Two of the guys just laughed. One of them just sat there staring at the floor not saying anything, Well we just started to walk away since we figured they just wanted to mess with us because they were bored. As we started walking away, the one boy who was looking at the ground got up, threw his cig away and left his beer and started to follow us. Well in short we visited him then and there, he lived close and he told us about how his father was alcoholic and he did not want to end up like him. We shared a little about the atonement, and we are going to visit him again tomorrow.

Another great experience that we had was with one of the less actives that we have. I will share that one later because now it is time to go!

BAPTISMS THIS WEEK TOO!

Great quote that I got from another missionary! 

"You can count the number of seeds in an apple but not the number of apples in a seed."



Love you all,
Elder Siaosi!



The baptism of Family Pinchiera, Andres, Olga, Marcos, and Pablo.


Selfie

Some peeps from the Baptism service




Monday, November 24, 2014

La Pradera

¿Comó estaí familia?!

I am in such a sweet little sector. There are way more people that come to church that my other sectors, but the area is a lot smaller!  But I guess that is because it is because I am in the city now, well a suburb of the big city. The weather, glorious, low 70s everyday. The people, even better. I love the church, it is so true.

My new companion is named Elder Tafur. He is from Peru. He is so crazy and energetic, I love it. We get along well, and teach even better. I am going to enjoy my time while I am here.

This week I think I will share a little something something about The Refiner´s Fire. The trial of our faith. The Diamond Cutter. I am been studying the Bible lately, think I might as well read it all the way through. And there are so many examples of the people of the Lord getting tested, tried, to see if they would hold their faith. Prophets such as Job, Abraham, Daniel. They were through into the Lions den, had everything they held close taken from them, even asked to kill their own beloved ones. The thing that they went through were inconvievable. 

Just a few scripture that I feel I want to share.

DyC 101
 2 I, the Lord, have suffered the affliction to come upon them,wherewith they have been afflicted, in consequence of theirtransgressions;

 3 Yet I will own them, and they shall be mine in that day when Ishall come to make up my jewels.

 4 Therefore, they must needs be chastened and tried, even asAbraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son.

 5 For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me,cannot be sanctified.

DyC 95 
1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom Ilove I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with thechastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things outof temptation, and I have loved you—

Mal. 3
 But who may abide the day of his comingand who shall standwhen he appeareth? for he is like refiner’s fireand like fullers’soap:

In this life we will all have trials, that is just how it is right. But the blessings that come from the problems are hundredfold. Love you all and hope you have a great week!

Elder Siaosi

Monday, November 17, 2014

Chiguayante


That is the name of my new sector. It is just South of Concepcion. Finally going on the inside, aka, the coastal city. Definitely going to miss how it is here in the country, but excited to finally see how Concepcion is!

Well, do not have much time, President just changed the time limit to our internet, so we only have an hour now! Got to learn to type faster!!!

Love you all!




Watering the Lawn because the rain stopped, its just hot now.

Noche de Hogar!

Friends in Longaví, Mickey and Barby.



Dreamed a Dream (letter from November 10)

Hey everyone! It´s been a long time hasn´t it! So much has passed since last week! From tons of activities, to almost burning myself in flames, to meeting a group of gringos, to giving a sweet talk about Conversion in church for 25 minutes haha!

I do not have much to give this week, so I will just share a few great scriptures that were shared with me this week, some by members, others by random people that we taught!

We had lunch at a member house and he cooked this super strange meal with pig intestines, strange fruits, and juice from a fruit that I do not even know howto decscribe. He told us that he thought we ought to share some classic Chilean food with us, and when we told him that we were good with just eating the tomatoe salsd he shared this wonderful inspired scripture:

 Lucas 10:8   8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:

Again as we were teaching another member, we helped with clean up his house a little, he asked us if our own house was dirty, yes we said, our house does hav some cleaning to do, He then shared with us this scripture: 

1 Timothy 3:5  5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

And the third scripture to share was given to us to read from a random peron in the plaza that we contacted in te morning, he was ust sitting on a bench taking in the fresh air. He did not really want to share with us but before we split he told us that we ought to read. Proverbs 27:14 After reading the verse, I guess he did not want to be bothered haha!

Proverbs 27:14  14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

Also to touch a little on the talk I gave, I thought it was a fairly worthy theme I was given on Conversion. The Branch President assigned me this talk, named the Hour of Conversion. It is  eally great talk about how to gain a great testimony! 

BUTTT Now it is time to go! Thanks everyone for all you do. Love you all!

Elder Siaosi

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Halloween and One Year!

So much happened this week! Between activities for the Branch, Halloween, Training meetings, and much more! I have so much to write but literally no time haha! I sent a lot of pictures so that everyone could see how much of a great week I had, so I do not have to write as much! This month we have a sweet set up with 5 different baptism services planned up, lets hope they all go through right!

Love you all,


Elder Siaosi







 Jaaaaacob


Corndogs!



bueno asado


Halloween

I gave the winnie the poo baby this Sunday his baby blessing:)








turkey leg



Monday, October 27, 2014

It is so great to hear from all you who have sent me letters, from the missionaries in diverse parts, from family, friends. Glad to hear that Sister Jette finally came home! And that Dallin and Jordan are getting ready to leave into the field. Thanks so much for the package aunt Jane and uncle Robert! Loved the shirt, and the USA supplies, always have to remember where I come from right!

It is starting to get hot again, makes me wish that the rain comes back, well actually it is still raining sometimes, but it is like Samoa now so it is raining hot rain. Anyways, as it starts to get it, the people start to become more talkative, tend to rest in benches, and in such we have to talk for a good amount of time to talk with people when we are not teaching. I want to share a story about a man we talked to yesturday named Carlos.

The story begins like a normal contact that we do everyday, a man sitting on a bench in the little plaza park staring out into the scenery. We walked up, sat down next to him and begin to create a conversation. After 10 minutes we learned a lot about Carlos. He was a man who had travel from the north and was heading down south to find one of his brothers and cousins. He had a good amount to go but stopped in Longaví because he did not have more money to head south. He had left north because he wife kicked him out, he had lost his job and fell into the habit of drinking his depression away, his kids had all grown up and left, and he felt that there was no love in his home, so he left. He sat there in the bench, with a backpack and another small bag with all the things that he had taken with him. When we first walked up and asked him how he was he just told us. ¨I´m thinking¨ He was thinking about where he was going to sleep, about how long the night would be without food, he felt lost in a town that he knew no one, and had nothing. He told us he believed in God, but that he felt like God did not believe in him. It was sad, he was a good man, we could see it, but many bad things came his way. We gave him a card about Christ being a hope for our lives, gave him all the money that we had on us, and then gave him a hand shake, hug, and an adios.

The day went on, and one feels bad that they coud not do more right, but we were happy that we could help just a little. The next day, as we were getting onto the buses to go to one of our district classes, we saw Carlos in the terminal as well. We talked a little, he was happy to see us. He told us that he had slept in the terminal because it is warmed that any other place, and that he was able to buy some bread and cheese for the night and a ticket in the morning. He was heading south, though he could not make it all the way, he told many times how grateful he was, and that he had a spark of hope in his life that he needed, that there are people that care. Then he got on a bus and we got on a bus and we left.

It was such a simple expereince!!! But it meant so much to us, and I assume to Carlos as well. It reminds me of a talk that we heard this last conference. ¨Are We Not All Beggars´ by ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND. 

But are we all not, do we all not need something in this life, if not at the very least, Jesus Christ.  And in such we need to treat others like we want to be treated. Many people, like my mother wrote me, have fallen into the sight of the poor, and poor only from their own faults and so have to suffer for their own choices. But did not Jesus teach us how we ought to act. Luke 7:40-43 God forgives all, and in such does not God love more those whom he forgives more. We ought to help everyone, if the small ways that we can. There are many blessings that we can recieve, but for a better reason, there are many people to be loved.

I am grateful for all the people that send their love towards me, and I can tell you for sure, that I can feel it, and in such, I also try my best to share my love with others, so that they too can feel as I feel everyday. Thank you for all that you do for me. I hope that you would all do the same for those around us, they all need it. Health and blessings to everyone who reads this!!

Love you, sending this from a little building, in a little town, in Chile, the promise land,
Elder Siaosi


Teaching this kid for 6 months, and he finally received his mission call. Feels good to know that I am helping the youth get ready for the best time of their lives. 



 These are from an activity that we had in the Branch.


 The bike life.


District Activity!


Monday, October 20, 2014

20 de Octubre



I have almost no time to write so I will just send a few fotos. Love you all!! The first two are of a Family that I gifted CTR rings, they loved them so much! The others, are of when we went fishing with one of the members here. Wefished with the jankiest pvc pipes and line!










Monday, October 13, 2014

Saved by a Lemon Pie

It all started out this week, when we had a meeting, the missionaries with the Relief Society. We were asked to help share and give advice on how to visit other sister in the branch. So after searching for what we could possibly teach, I found the perfect little gem from the lds website. It is a little talk called ¨Saved by a Lemon Pie.¨ 

The Chileans, are supppper good at making Lemon Pie, I swear, and so when we share this story (of a visiting teacher) of her service of sharing a lemon pie, and how it changed and greatly aidied another sister, the whole society started going crazy on making lemon pies. Our lesson, on how making a pie for someone, though a small act, shows that you have love for the others in our little branch, and from this love, we create a greater bond within the branch. 

 Well in short every member´s house we went to, there was a lemon pie sitting on the counter, either made by someone else or awaiting to be gifted. I never knew that such a reaction would occur, haha, and to make it even better, this weeks meeting on Sunday had more women than I have every seen together in the church! It was great and makes we realize how much of the church, is just the unity of the other members.

We should all take into our accounts that it is imoportasnt to converse, give service, and make lemon pies for the other members in our areas. Little things in lifed are what make it up right! We should all give and help those around us because it will do much more than we think!!!!

Love you all and miss you very much!!
 Elder Siaosi

Monday, October 6, 2014

¨He Sendeth Rain On The Just And On The Unjust.¨

Conference Week! This week was so great wasn´t it, we had great speakers, interesting stories, and advice that we can use right now so make our lives better. 

I would like to touch on a few things that were mentioned this conference, and also few conferences back.

1) Elder Bednar, is an amazing leader isn´t he. As we ended the talks this conference with his talk on why we as members are so eager to share ou gospel with our neighbors.

First, what does it mean to be a neighbor, and who is our neighbor, someone who lives next door, in the same community, in the same neighborhood?” Jesus was once asked a provocative question by a lawyer: “Who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29). He responded with the parable The Good Samaritan. Everyone is our neighbor, so we must treat everyone the same. We must take care of those who lack what we have.

2) From a good amount of people, including the Prophet, we were guided, and commanded again, to take care of the poor, and the needy, of whom we are usually both poor in the world, and also in spirit. And again, told that we need to search out and find them, for we know not their lives, and we cannot judge.

3) The Higher Law of Christ taught the following:

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

So what do all these points have in common? We learn we must all be missionaries, we must care for the poor, and we ought to treat all equally, and become perfect. Everything points to becoming like Christ, for every single person, rich, poor, gringo, or Chilean, we must share what we have with all, we cannot be a judger of persons, for we do not have all the pieces of the puzzle. We are taught that only God knows, and we must do our best.

I love how Jesus taught about how God sendeth the rain on the just and on the unjust. We all recieve many things, good and bad, but everyone receives. We as members, and nonmembers need to reach out, and to share what we have. Like the little boy in Elder Bednar´s story, we have something sweet to share, and everyone ought to try it.

I love what DAVID B. HAIGHT said in the conference of April 1987, that ´´Deep inside the human soul is a longing to be identified with and involved in something really important. There comes a time in our lives when we are spiritually prepared and ready to be lifted from comfortable and sometimes mundane activities and to make a major decision to respond to a call from our prophet that will en noble our souls as well as bless others.¨

We all have desires to share, and so why do we not just do it!!! Share share share! Because believe it or not, what you have is even better, when others have the same thing!

Hope you all are well, miss you all lots, special thanks for the peanut butter powder I got this last week, it is amazing haha! Talk to you all in a week!

Elder Siaosi