Week 98 (8-10-15)

Baptism of Areanda

So, we're at another week.

Time is flying by and Its a sprint to the finish.  Its strange thinking about how much experience I have now and how much my perspective of the mission and the world has changed. It is crazy going into lessons and being so confident.  I remember like it was yesterday when I would walk in and just be nervous because I wasn’t sure what to do or how to teach. I have learned how to rely on the spirit and have become very accustomed to seeking the influence in lessons.

We worked real hard with the members and converts, the work with investigators has drooped down a bit. We are determined to keep the sector rolling by finding this week.

We had the baptism of Areanda this Saturday. She is a 9 year old girl with Aspergers that we have been teaching on and off with the other elders of Copihues. It was a great baptism and a very special one indeed. It was good for the rest of the family especially her parents who aren't members to see a short simple, and spiritual service.

Two other elders from the neighboring sector came and moved into our house and are now living with us. It’s cool having 4 elders in the house again. The other two elders are really cool.

I have almost no time left today. The computers have given me nothing but trouble today. I hope you are all doing great. I love you and miss you all. I hope you have a great week.

Elder Ethan Haws

Week 97 (8-3-15)

We were blessed to have the baptism of Bernarda, Denís, and Carla

Well, we are sure coming to a grand finale.

So, my new comp is hilarious. Elder Villar and I definitely hit it off really well. We are having a blast out here. Finally I have a comp where we are at least on the same page personality and humor-wise. I am really enjoying my time. I am grateful to my Father in Heaven for blessing me with such a great way to spend my last stretch of the mission. We may be living out here all alone with no one else to talk to, but we have been great regardless of the quiet house.

There are so many opportunities that are in our way. We are stoked because things are just starting to work out here and we are excited seeing how everyone is working in our ward.

I am also stoked about how our zone is doing. We may not have the highest numbers, but at last I feel that warm ''zone gets along'' atmosphere. We have some great people and I think that if everyone puts their all into it this cambio, we could have some legendary times.

We fed off the blessings of hard work this week.

The last two elders of the sector (Roberts and Brewster) worked SUPER hard to get this awesome family to the waters of baptism. And their work paid off. We were blessed to have the baptism of Bernarda, Denís, and Carla this Saturday. We were accompanied by many members of the ward and Elder Roberts, Now done with his mission and touring with his parents (who came to pick him up) attended as well. It was great. I baptized Carla and Bernarda and Roberts baptized Denís. It was a great Saturday afternoon.

We are working hard with getting other people to the font. We have another two great possibilities and we have another baptism lined up for this weekend for another girl in the ward. It’s really coming along nicely.

We are really cleaning up the house as well. The mission has been going through a big cleaning phase lately. So in our spare time we have been doing some hardcore repairing to the house. We had to cut and reshape our front door because it had expanded from the intense humidity and couldn't even close, we had to patch with Sheetrock a wall that didn't have Sheetrock on it, we had to throw away a lot of useless stuff and reshape how everything works. I am thoroughly content with how the house is looking. It is crazy how much of a difference a clean house can make.

I can testify to the power of prayer and faith. I can’t find the right way to explain exactly how it all works in the end. But I have had so many experiences lately where I have been able to really get to know the Godhead and know how to be and instrument in their hands. I know they live and that we are God's children. Miracles are real and they happen daily. I am grateful for the opportunity of every day to further the Lords work and be his representative. It is a glorious time and it is changing me forever.

Thank you all for your love and support and I am grateful for all the prayers and the care from all of you. I love you all and miss you. I will see you next week!

Elder Ethan Haws

Zone activity to play in the snow

Elders Haws and Villar

Week 96 (7-27-15)

Elders Roberts and Haws

This week was another crazy run through the sector without having an assigned companion. However, I did have a bit more luck than the last week. I found some people and had some really incredible lessons. I really feel like my teaching skills are just getting nicely polished off as I get older here in the mission. It was also great having to leave with members to get stuff done. It has been a blessing to get to know some of the Hermanos and get more confidence with them.

On Saturday I was going around knocking a couple doors with a recently returned missionary in the ward and I stopped by a family we had contacted in the street a week and a half ago. We had already visited them once before. I had been trying to visit them the whole week but they weren’t there every time I passed by. So on Saturday we passed by and She actually was there. We got in and started teaching and she opened right up to all of the difficulties she is going through right now in her life. Phew... She has some serious problems going on but they were perfectly solvable through baptism.  After, she had expressed her feelings I looked at her and said, ''Hermana, You know what? There is an answer to all that is going wrong in your life. Christ has a plan for you, He loves you and the answer is through following his teachings, specifically by being baptized.''

She accepted to be baptized and the lesson was fantastic. The only thing is she didn't show up to church. We will have to focus on that commitment much more this week.

Everything else was about trying to find and trying to get work done.

Elder Roberts had his last week here and left on Sunday night to Conce. That means that I’ve been chilling with my bro, Elder Brewster since last night.  It’s weird being in the sector with just 2 people.  We also have cambios this week.

Elder Villar (from Santiago) is coming to be my comp! He is coming from Concepcion. Saddest thing is that they're closing down Copihues B so it means that I am just going to be alone with Villar. Brewster is leaving me, and that stinks. As we say here in Chile, He fell really well with me.

 I am excited for this last cambio it is going to be the hardest worked and hopefully successful. I am so ready to give my all out here. It is going to be a really fun next 6 weeks. There will be a lot of stuff to do but I am so willing to give my all.

Thank you for all that you guys are doing and all the support that you always give. I love all of you so much and I hope that this week is fantastic. 

See you next week!

Elder Ethan Haws

 Inside a Chilean bus

Week 95 (7-20-15)

Elders Miller and Haws

The grill master

This week was pretty weird. It’s weird not having an assigned companion.

The whole week I have been working to get men from the ward to go out and do divisions with me so we could visit some people. I'm not going to lie, it’s been pretty complicated to get them going. Many couldn't do it or go out for long at all. So it was just a week long battle trying to get visits done. I did however get the help from our ward mission leader, Danilo, during the whole weekend. He is a pretty cool guy, he’s 23 and getting ready to leave on his mission pretty soon. He had everything free for the weekend so he went out all day Saturday and Sunday to work with me. We got a lot of good stuff done this weekend. 

It sure has been hard having to balance the zone alone though. It has confirmed how much I need a companion in all of this. They really do come in handy. 

We have been doing great in the sector. We are teaching a lot of converts and less actives and helping them in their progress in reactivation and retention. I tried really hard to find more people to teach investigator-wise, but I just didn't have that much time between balancing the members and the trio. The other elders however, are doing great. They have a family that is progressing nicely and will be baptized soon. 

The weather is taking a turn for the deep end of winter. Today was one of the only times in my mission where I have seen the little puddles outside being frozen. It is c-c-c-cold. We saw rain most of the week and now the cold has followed all of the storm fronts. 

So with the trio, It’s a bit of a challenge! I'm not gonna lie. Besides the challenges work wise, I am having a blast being with these two guys. They are hilarious. It’s been really fun chilling with them. Elder Brewster and Roberts are classy guys. 

It was a disappointment not bringing anyone to church, but I have faith that I will find someone and get him to church. It will be a great week, I know it. I have a lot planned out already and it looks like it’s going to be great. 

Thank you for everything, everyone! I love you guys and hope you have a great week! 

Elder Haws

Week 94 (7-13-15)

Elders Haws, Skelton, McAlister, and Miller

What a fast week. It flew by.

We battled some fierce rains this week. It rained for about 90 percent of the weekend. From Thursday to Sunday it rained for the majority of the time and by the night the streets were all rivers. I am grateful for waterproof clothing. But even though I had myself pretty bundled up, I got wet. There was no stopping it. It’s hard when you're trudging through water up to your knees.

We got some work done this week! We were finally able to start finding a bunch of people. We invited all of them to be baptized. Most didn't accept but there were a couple that did, and we finally got one to even go to church.

We were just knocking apartment building doors in this one sector and the first door we knock was answered and we got in. He’s about an 80 year old guy named Juan and lives in his house with his wife who is currently sick. We had a pretty brief lesson and asked him if he wanted to be baptized and he told us, ''Well why not?!'' He’s a cool guy. We actually got him to go to church and he really enjoyed it. I think he will be going somewhere.

I am really short on time today, but briefly we had a good work week. We focused real hard on finding and we found.

On Thursday we had a really short mini cambio with the assistants, and by the time I got there all I had left to do was go to Bulnes (another city in Chillan) and do a support interview for one of their investigators. Elder Sperry (the assistant) and I went over and got it done and we headed back to the sector. That afternoon, we also had a cool activity where we had a Christmas in July in the chapel and a ton of people showed up. It was pretty awesome.

I am planning on getting some good stuff done this week, I am looking forward to meeting many more people and bringing many more to Christ.  My comp is heading home this week. He’s leaving before the transfer is officially over and that means I will be paired with the other two missionaries in the sector to finish out the transfer. Just another change to add to the week.

Thank you for all the love. I love you guys and thank you for all the support you give me. I am thankful for all that you do. I hope you have a great week.

Elder Ethan Haws

Chillan Viejo Zone

Recently called Leaders

Zone Conference