I’m still in Osorno…boy is it going to be good

 

Hey,

Sorry it’s a bit late...it’s been a crazy day.

It’s been a good week. I am sticking around for another cambio and boy is it going to be good. We have started working with a part member family and it’s going great. I would use more exclamations, but the key at this computer does not work. That blows... In the picture I was making bread in the house. I like to bake at times.

Having lots of rain? I am glad to see you are...you all get to feel like I do every day... Haha it’s not too bad though, because you get used to it. Haha, today we got a nice sunny day and ate lunch with the whole zone at the mission house with President Rappleye, the Biddolf

s, and the Goodmans. The Goodmans are the new couple missionaries here in the mission.

Poor Sam...sitting all alone. Poor guy, this is why you need to wear Old Spice like Silas does. That gets the ladies. Sucks about the wallet...but guess what...I STILL HAVE A SOCIAL SECURITY CARD. In yo face¡¡¡¡¡¡¡  Haha, I only get to use the ¡¡ stuff. Those things always get lost. Speaking of haircuts...I need to get mine. Oops..

Silas really is a lot like me. It’s really cool and funny. How is he? How do you like glasses Silas...I expect you to write me, not Mom and Dad. How is the guitar? I might try to learn how to play the Charango from a friend of mine here. It’s a sweet little thing. We sang ( President, Elder Barker, Elder Larsen, Elder Klinkefus, Elder Biddolf and myself) in the mission home a cappella today. Haha, President gave me a high five for singing the melody part. Sorry...I didn`t take my camera with me...no pictures....bummer.

Gentry...I remember her haha. She is really nice and funny. I don`t know if she is member or not. I am almost positive she is. That’s cool she goes to Weber. What does she study there? Do you know?

I get to give a ton of blessings to the missionaries here. I got to give one to Hma Kitto. She dislocated her leg last night doing the splits¡¡¡¡¡  How crazy is that¡¡¡ Originally the Zone leaders were going to give it. She, however wanted to do it in English and asked me to do the blessing part. It was a good blessing, and my understanding was opened and I knew what was happening in her life. She’s very weighed down.

Haha, telling stories of all the problems we gave you huh? I promise to give you more if you really miss it. We did cause a lot of problems. I remember just about all of it. That’s so cool.

I love the mission and I am getting to grow up so much. I love doing things on my own and being responsible for things.

The mission life is hard, but good and full of reasons to be here. Just have to keep going and try your best. That’s the key.

I bought shoes¡¡ They aren’t water proof so, if you haven’t sent a package yet...if you could send water proofing stuff maybe...that would be cool.

I love you all so much.

Take care

Ben

“Quacking” ourselves up with Pringles on the way to the Volcan Osorno

Stuck on a Volcano

Hey everyone!

It’s been a crazy day. I have been trapped up on a volcano all day long. I kinda lost my P-Day but it’s not too bad. I am sending pictures. Good to hear that Silas got his drivers permit! That’s great news! He’ll be driving in no time flat. haha, and Sam raking in the money! Not bad at all...Chris works there? That’s so crazy!

As for the whole mission thing...you should just always be honest. You need to go. You should pray about it and then decide. You can miss out on the stuff from the mission. And on Christmas, an apostle comes to the MTC and they do a sacrament all together. It takes  a number of loaves of bread but it’s cool I heard.

Papito in Puerta Natales is doing ok. He got back to his home and well they found out it’s from stress that he has these headaches. He will be just fine. Nino, went to the doctor and they are waiting the results. I know she’ll be just fine. It’s a good, strong family. The Lord loves them and does many things to keep them ok and healthy.

As for baptisms...we have one but I am sure it’s going to fall. It’s hard...I have to do a lot (AKA everything) because Elder Larsen just gets way to stressed out and doesn’t focus. I don´t know what to do for him. He says he wants to change...but so far no attempts have been made.

Once again...I can´t buy shoes yet...I will go Monday in the morning. It’s cambios...so we will find out if I go to another place next week. Just to be safe...I might not be writing you until next Monday. If I change zones it’ll go back to normal. I hope I don´t have to go.

So, we went to Volcano Osorno today...we started up the path, but it got blocked by snow. So, the others left and walked to the top in the pouring rain and snow! I didn’t go...because my surgery cut started to bother me...still does too. So, we stayed with the bus driver and finally...after many prayers we got up to where we needed to go and brought the missionaries back down. It was really good. Hard...but good.

I heard there are a lot of high temperatures and stuff. Here they are really, really low.We’ve all be praying for the rain to stop! Haha...but it doesn’t.

We just gotta keep pushing along. When all seems lost and hard to do...just go a bit more.  That’s how I keep going. Haha, I love you all.

Thanks for writing me!

Love,

Ben

 

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