The Spirit Is Warm…But It’s Freezing Cold…

Hey family,

Let me just start off with the picture of Silas. Can I just say, that I think Silas looks really good with glasses on! It just seems to fit him so well. Makes him look like a song writer guy. I am actually really happy to see we got some more in the club! Glasses aren’t that bad. They are really fun to have because you look so much cooler with them on and you can see a lot better to! Nice job on picking out the glasses. Silas is starting to look different! I don´t remember him looking so old. Wow...I am really proud to have him as my brother. I love you Silas.

As for me...I am feeling really good. It’s been a bit of a stressful week...but that always comes at the end of Cambios. We have 1 person with a date to be baptized. We invited a family of 3 and the dad and son accepted. But...the Mom said no, so then the other two changed their mind. We have a few other people who we want to invite too. It’s weird...we are teaching people that have a lot of power in Osorno. The Ex-Boss over all the PDI (Police People) in Osorno. Another boss in the PDI. We are teaching doctors, and nurses. As well as a few pastors. We have to be on our toes...because they come at you with different angles. But I can hold my own...

All my experiences are being written down in my Journal. I have had some crazy stuff happen to me in my mission. I have 5 Cambios left...and I need to write down all my experiences and look for them too! My faith is growing and my want and need to be better does too. You will have to be ready when I get back...cause I don´t plan on leaving this stuff I learn behind. I will probably speak a lot of English but with Spanish grammar rules.

Glad to see that the new bird has a good taste for his old home. It’s SOO COLD DOWN HERE! I am glad fire exists because...without it we would be dead. He´s such a weird bird.

Papito, from Puerta Natales is sick! He has a pain in his head. It hurts him a lot from what I heard. So...we have been praying for him. Please pray for him too, all those who read my blog and emails. As well pray for Ninoska. She´s the granddaughter...she is a worrier like me but instead of throwing up (which I haven´t done since the first week in the MTC) she gets these really bad headaches when she is stressed or worried. I seem to have a bond with the family, so they mean a lot to me.

Here´s some advice about feeling the spririt better for Kayleigh. The spirit must be sought after to be able to hear him many times. Everything we do affects whether or not we can hear him easily or he starts to go away. This means, music, thoughts, movies, books, everything can affect our connection with him. As well when we, read the scriptures, pray (out loud is best and on your knees in a quiet place), go to church, share our testimony, read the Ensign, study church books (The Miracle of Forgiveness, Church History, etc.), and other good wholesome things, we can feel him more. So...my advice is to just seek after him (look for him, or try to listen to him). You will feel him. He will be around. It just takes practice and you will get to be good at feeling him. Ask Heavenly Father to give you a better sense of the spirit.

Sounds like there has been a lot of heat going on over there. Here it has been just down right....FREEZING! It’s been way worse than last year. It’s weird to think that it’s my last winter here. I don´t know what I am going to do when I get closer to getting home. What will I do?!

I think it would be really cool to get some candy and stuff. Anything will work for me...it’s all good stuff. I promise to load up on the candy so you can try the stuff I have been eating here.

I love you all so much! Take care of yourselves. Things always get crazy...hard times come and God tries us and pushes us to our point. But never forget the basics...Just have faith that all will be ok and that God knows what he is doing.

With Love,

Ben

 

Where’s Waldo??

Lots Of Miracles This Week

 

Hey Family!

It’s been a really good week for us. We have had a LOT of miracles, some of which are very sacred. It’s been good to be a missionary. I started walking in my sector again this week on Tuesday...and I had a LOT of pain...the day after I could barely walk and well Thursday I wanted to cry from all the pain in my body. I moved so slowly and it was getting hard to actually walk. Well...we stopped and I had Elder Larsen give me a blessing. He did so saying, "...I command you to be made whole. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." I stood up and...I felt no pain. I could move normally. The spirit burned within us and a miracle of God was seen. I feel great!

Glad to hear everyone is enjoying their summer. I am enjoying my winter here in Chile. It’s been really good, lots of rain. As for Dad, my place is really cold and humid. Which is worse, I can not say....The smoke here is just horrible. At night...everyone has a fire going and the air is cloudy. It can be hard sometimes. The Catolica has one of the major Futbol teams here. They are doing actually pretty good! People outside Utah DO SMOKE, DRINK, AND DO OTHER THINGS, they really shouldn’t. I don´t know how people can do that stuff...it’s gross.

The boat looks really cool! I bet you are having a great time with it. I would love to go out on it too! I love boating and sailing. I still remember that time we went to the Great Salt Lake and did the boating. I liked it a lot to be honest. It looks like a good ol´boat you got there. You’ll have to show me sometime. It’s good exercise too!

Sam...hanging out with the work people! Knew you´d do it. Just knew it. I am part of the office. Today we got invited to eat breakfast with the office and President to meet the new senior couple who came. It was fun...and I started to work on the computers of president again. I also am doing work with Santiago. I will get started doing that Monday. Working is just fun!

We have found some people and need to do work with them. It’s hard because they aren’t there much. But we will get people with a date this week and get them to church. I received an email from an old Investigator who just got the answer that it’s true. They will be baptized. This always happens! I always find out the people I found and worked with finally get the answer, AFTER I LEAVE! Haha, it’s so dumb. But at least they will get baptized.

I am sending pictures for you all! LOOK AT MY BATTLE WOUND!

I might be buying my shoes today...but it’s a maybe because someone may give me a pair of shoes I can use.

I love you all,

Take care

Love Ben

PS. Kayleigh...I didn’t die! Haha, just almost died. :D

Me and Elder Hauver

Me WITH my appendix

Me WITHOUT my appendix

“If I win at Uno, you have to get baptized”

 

A scar in the shape of Chile?

Proof I left a piece of me in a Chile!

No worries!

Hey Family! No Worries! haha, President had to go and I was calling with his phone so it worked out ok. Sorry on my part I couldn´t call you back! I know if must of been hard to not get a call back. I am doing really good...I have been in the office for a few days resting up. It's been kinda of hard on me to be up in here. I have been doing computer stuff for quite a while. But, the finance guy erased everything he had...on accident. Now, I have been trying to help him get it back...but we might end up having to pay like $100 to use the only program that's been able to find the data. It was crazy...It started Saturday. I had a fever of 102.2 all day and I couldn´t stop shaking. I had to receive a blessing just to be calmed enough to put clothes on. Then...Sunday I started having really bad pain in my gut. So...Hma Biddolf told me to push my right side in on my stomach and see if when I pulled it out it hurt badly. It did. So...haha I got rushed to the hospital. The doctor came in and said...tomorrow we will have to operate to take it out because it's not doing so good. But...the other doctor said...NOW! IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE. I got in the room to do the operation before anyone could even get to the hospital. I was laughing the entire time...talking it up and enjoying the experience. The nurse ladies stripped me down nude and start touching me all of the place and it was just simply strange. Everything went well and I should be back to my sector on Monday. The weight loss wasn´t related to my appendix. It was just a great fun ride. I loved it...and I made a lot of friends in the hospital. I know I was protected by angels, because I could feel people around....I never once was alone. Sam got a new job?! WELL DONE! I am glad to hear you didn´t lose your job. That sounds like what happened with me. Being apart will prepare him for the mission. It helped me out a lot. Plus...MORE MONEY! Sorry to scare you all... JASON HAD A BABY!? Wow....that was quick...I didn´t know they were waiting. Thats really crazy! POOR FEZZ! He can´t be changed to the dark side! How...can...Ace...do this....awww man. Things for us will be going well....I will be back on my feet again Monday. I am ok...tell Kayleigh not to worry nor any of the others. I am actually going to send pictures...but I am here and my camera is...in the house. So....sorry I can´t send them this week but I will send them next week I promise! Haha... A few experience from being drugged up. 1. After leaving the operation I looked at the doctor and told him (in spanish) If I wasn´t mormon I would totally do drugs. 2. The nurses were apparently cute...so I then started to hit on them. They laughed. 3. Elder Galarza helped me take a leak (I was not on drugs at this point). 4. I came out of the operation to see the elders waiting for me...I then said ELDER GALARZA! He laughed....and now president does the same thing to him when he sees elder Galarza. I LOVE THE MISSION. There really aren´t any bad things in life...only bad attitudes! haha.... I love you all. Till Next week. Love Ben

Surgery

We did not get our usual P-day email from Ben on Saturday. On Sunday night we got the dreaded call from the mission president. He told us that Ben had appendicitis and that he was going into surgery. He called back about two hours later and told us that everything went fine and that Ben would call us from the hospital. Ben called from the hospital today at around 1:30 pm. We got to talk to him for about 3 minutes before we got cut off mid sentence. We think that Kayleigh pressed a button on the other headset and it caused us to disconnect. We thought he would call back, but he never did. He was upbeat on the phone. He said on Saturday he was having bad stomach pains. They kept getting worse and he started running a fever of 102 F. He called the mission home and they told him to press his stomach on the right side. When he did, he felt a sharp pain run all the way down his leg. They told him to go to the hospital immediately. For him immediately meant right after sacrament meeting. He was up and walking around at the hospital before he called us. They told him that they would release him on Wednesday, and that he would have to lay around for a week and recuperate at his apartment before he could resume his normal missionary schedule. That's when we got cut off. We think he will be OK. We just wished we hadn't accidentally hung up on him mid sentence. At least we got to talk to him a little. Now he can say that he left a part of himself in Chile!!!

Cony got into a lot of hot water for getting baptized!!!

Hey Family! It's good to hear from you all. Elder Larsen and I are trying to tear it up...we´ll see what happens. We had a choir pratice today. We will be singing for Elder Corbridge this Wednesday. It should be quite fun! I like the song...and one of the missionaries is playing the violin with us....it's pretty. A FENDER?! Wow...they are moving up in the world. Not bad....they should learn how to play hymns and stuff for when they get on their missions. I don´t get to improve much on my skills because I don´t have time to practice all that much here in the mission. Use your time wisely. From the picture, it sounds pretty good what your playing there. Haha For the baptism, we had to fill up the font. Well...bishop told me to fill it up with a lot of hot water and then for the last 30 minutes or so to put in cold water. So I did it! But, it was still so hot that we almost couldn't do the baptism. It was horrible...I was freak´n out trying to pray and stuff. But, she was able to get in and there wasn´t a single problem. It was a miricle. I was so happy.

I remember talking with Cory and Daryl about Overstock building that call center there. It's really quite cool. I think it would be a great job for Sam. It would be a bit more money than he is making now and would help give him a taste of a different work type. It's not really that hard to do a call center...just need to be patient with people. That's the hard part. Plus, he can save money up for the mission. I hope that he goes on his mission....because the truth is, he NEEDS to go on a mission. It will change him to be better and to have a different view on life. I know it's probably got to be the most scary thing to do for a millon different reasons. And for that reason I won´t list them all...but I will list a few reasons why he should go and anyone else for that matter. 1) If you go, then you will learn who you really are. 2)You will be WAY MORE happier than if you go straight to college. 3)It's just really fun 4) You get to meet people you have never met before 5)You can just get out of the house and live on your own for a bit WITHOUT the worry of having to work for money and go to school, try to find a wife, etc. The reason why I love the mission is because I am obediente. It's what God wants of us. HE doesn´t need you to go on a mission, but he knows it's something YOU need. I promise when you get to the mission you´ll say...this really isn´t that bad. It's hard...but it's not bad. I know it's the only way you can be happy. If you don´t go...you WILL regret it all your life. I know it's a bit hard to believe sometimes...but God will take care of you. Please...don´t miss the only time you have to have one on one time with the Lord. And if you still don´t know if you want to go...PRAY ABOUT IT! PRAY PRAY and PRAY! It's the best way to know if you need to.... I love prayer....it's the ulitmate choice making tool someone has. I love you all, be at peace. God knows what we will do...and he will help us to do the right things. Like I have learned these last few days. The Lord will always forgive you for trying and failing...but he will won´t forgive you for not doing anything. This is the time to learn, do, fail, and grow! I love this mission...and the church. It's all true. God is my witness. Take care... Love Ben

My New Companion is Elder Larsen

Hey family, Sorry it's a bit late for writing. Today has been a really long day. We had a zone activity today and made chicken and all kinds of good stuff...and I will have to send the pictures next week because I don´t have my cable with me. I will send them next week for sure...with pictures of my new companion. Sam seems to be living the party life while it lasts. From here on out, everyone gets boring and normal. It's very hard sometimes. But hey, the fun part is at least now you can do what you want. You can study and become successful handsome, funny, married, sexy, and awesome or you can...be a homeless guy, who drinks, has black hands, and a dog with missing hair and fleas...SUCH GREAT CHOICES! I am sure you'll go with the first...as for me I have the choice of...what I will eat tomorrow and who we will go visit. How cool it is that Grandma and Grandpa Burge came out. Sounds like you're all having fun! I forgot to write to Krista...she wrote me. Oops...I need to do that now.... I love lamb So, I SHOULDN´T know combios...but I found out a few things.I am staying here, and will be District leader for another combio. I will be with Elder Larsen. He was in Villarrica with me. He is the guy who posed as a pastor from another church. IT WILL BE THE BOMB....it will be a deep doctrine fest! I already was called to the job yesterday and I went to fix them up...the President and His wife, and well lets just say he is a very happy man right now with all his computers working. Praise be to God because I was praying the entire way there and I am sure it's thanks to him that I was able to get it all worked out. We will be having a baptism this Thursday. I will send lots of pictures! Its been so cool to prepare her. Things here are going well...I will be ok. Just gotta keep praying well, reading, and studying well...When I do anything that is slightly wrong I feel bad and have to repent. It's so hard sometimes. God wants me to be...just about perfect. He won´t let me go wrong....he will put up a fight first. Thanks for all your help...and prayers. I love you all very much and I am grateful for the family I have. I like the pictures...Sam looks really quite good in a suit. Take care for now, Love Ben

Cony is a miracle and gift from God!!

Hey Family good to hear from you all. I really had a good time on Skype. It was cool to see you all. I think it's funny that Silas gets teared up a bit. Soon enough, it will be Dec. I don´t know what I will do when we get to that point. You were watching me after we Skyped? Seriously? Wow, how weird...The ringtone on our cell phone is some guys singing do bap do bap do bap. It's really weird. Thanks for the compliment on my Spanish. I try to speak it as well as I can. That's so cool that Julie Workman's son got his call. It is really fun to be on a mission. It can be a bit stressful at times, but hey what can´t be stressful? Here in the mission I will not be going to Lider de Zona. I have a different call...I will be the Mission Tech. It's so funny. President told me in an interview with him Wednesday. Sorry to hear that Mom is stressed out. It can be hard finishing up the school year. But hey, at least you´ll be happy to take a little break. It's so weird that Sam will be done with school. Things in the family are moving really quick. Sam is done with school, and I am almost done with the mission. Silas and Kayleigh are growing up....it's so weird to see it all happening. I am glad to hear that your new friends (we are bird sitting) bite...and I bet they bite hard, too. I always wanted to know what it was like to have a big bird like that. I bet it would be very hard to handle. I always afraid to get one, because I don´t know how much time they really need. I am happy with Fezz. He is my beloved bird. I haven´t bought new shoes yet. I haven´t had time to go down and look at them. It's a bit hard to find time to do it. So...I will get it done...soon. Cony is a mircle and gift from God. I asked her if we could visit, because I had never seen her before in church. She came to church with Nino, the daughter of the Stake President, and she has attended seminary for 4 years and is now in institute. She has attended for all the those years, but could never be baptised, because her mom said no. But now she can...and on the 31st she will be baptised!!! We had her interview yesterday. THIS IS SWEET!!!! That's about all I have going on...maybe this week will be more interesting. CAMBIOS!!!! I will talk to you all next week. I love you all so much. I know you all are protected. If I can help with anything from here let me know. Take care! Love Ben