Ok wow its hotter every week here!
This week went so fast I'm struggling to remember everything. We worked really hard but there was quite a bit of opposition in the lives of our investigators so that was a bummer and the week definitely didn't turn out how we wanted it to but it's ok! We started off with the craziness of cambios in Concepcion on Tuesday. Goodbye Elder Cheney from the house and welcome Elder Wasquebich who was actually elder Molina's trainee from a while ago so he spent 6 months in Puren so that is fun to talk about. He baptized a lot of the people I was teaching there so that was cool to hear about. Tuesday was just a ton of suitcase lugging and meeting new zone members etc. It was very warm as well in the bus terminal. After that we got home at a reasonable time for once and got quite a bit of work done. Wednesday we had our first meeting with the new zone and it seems way more excited to work than before and that's awesome! A lot of really cool newer missionaries. For example Elder Batista from the Dominican Republic who is so funny. It's going to be a good cambio here the zone is doing a lot better and i know it's from being more obedient. That day I got to go on an intercambio to Boca Sur with Elder Glach which was fun to go visit an old sector and old friends. They had coorelation that night so I got to say hi to a bunch of people there. Sometimes I miss that sector a lot! It was really a fun day. Elder Glach is awesome. I feel like every time I go on intercambios with people they expect like huge miracles to happen but then we always somehow end up having a long difficult day where appointments fall etc. hahahaa maybe I've been called to teach my missionaries about patience or endurence or something - I don't know. We did find some cool new investigators and teach some that are progressing now. It was actually way cooler weather there in Boca as well. Thursday and Friday were normal days. All of a sudden the absolutely stunning investigator pool we had 2 weeks ago is kind of drying up and it looks like February won't be a month as good as we thought it would be so we are looking for new investigators and families like crazy to replace the investigators that aren't progressing anymore. It's really bizare because I feel like the more I learn about how to be a better and more effective missionary and teacher the more I feel like I realize how little this work and our success has to do with us and our efforts and abilities. It's crazy how I can feel like I'm the best missionary I've every been but still feel as powerless to control the results we have. More and more I realize how our only job is to be a conduit for the spirit to allow investigators to make a choice according to the influence of the holy ghost. The sad part is how often they don't make the right choice. Even with all that, hearing M. share her testimony in principles of the gospel is enough to feel like one soul saved and one life bettered really does make all the dissapointment worth it. She is doing great and that makes me so happy. We did divisions with the APs on Saturday and it was really fun to teach some killer lessons with them. I've been trying really hard to get better at asking good questions during the lessons to help them open up and apply the gospel and our lessons to their lives instead of just telling them it will bless them. I've been focusing a lot on revelation through prayer like I said last week and it has been really cool. It's a good way to help people to see where their faith is at. Those who have high faith are totally willing to ask away to God, but it's surprising to see how many choose not to do just that. It helps us to see the true intentions of the people quickly. I feel like this week even though it wasnt exactly what we wanted I really enjoyed and got better at forgetting myself and losing myself in the work. So often we as missionaries believe this is our work and depends on our abilities and our will when really it has nothing to do with us. It is so much the work of the Lord, and our will is always secondary to His. I have felt so many times how even when we don't have much measurable success how the Spirit will speak peace to us and tell us we did our parts. Ok sorry if this is short! I love you all and love your letters! I think staying in Chile until the 13th would be too much probably and a week to 10 days would be better but you're in charge of all that. Love Elder Smith
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Elder Trevor SmithElder Trevor Smith is a Mormon missionary in the Chile Concepcion Sur mission, the same mission where his dad served. Although this is Trevor's own mission, he grew up hearing about the beautiful land of Chile and the loving people that inhabit it. These are the letters from his experience there. Archives
July 2017
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