ONE YEAR Anniversary!!!

Making cookies with a Sister from the ward

Hi Family

I cant believe it has been a year this week. I feel like I just was in the mtc in mexico. I know that many of you have said that time is going by really slow but for me it has flown by. I love what I am doing and really am looking forward to this next year and teaching more people about this great gospel and knowledge that we are so blessed to have. I have learned a lot. above all I feel like I have learned a ton about patience. This week we were really happy because we were able to teach a converts son. The sister that we baptised last month has 3 kids. We were able to teach one of her sons this week. We had talked to him before but he didnt really want to participate with us in the lessions. This we when we were talking with his mom he was in the lession and so we are hoping that with the support and help of his mom he will start to listen and progress. The sister is really great and really wants her kids to start participating. She has 7, 13, and 17 year olds. It is great to see what the spirit does with new members. Because it is all so new they have such a great excitement to share the gospel with their family and friends. It is important the we never lose this spirit in our lives or that is when we have problems and start to doubt our faith. Like the scriptures and the leaders say we always must doubt our doubts before we doubt our faith. 

I am excited for the fourth of july. I will miss celebrating it again. In lunch the sister said that she is going to do some sort of bbq and we are going to eat hamburgurs today to celebrate. I miss a good old american bbq. It isnt that big but I love the hamburgers and hot dogs done over a fire. haha. I hope you all have a fun day. And enjoy the fireworks. If you get up on the roof becareful. haha. I cant imagine that you are going to get up on the roof though. 

Yes I did go and buy dunkin donuts this week which was so great to have durring the week. I love their donuts filled with dulce de leche. It is so good. haha. It is always great to have some american food. 

I am happy to hear that all is well and you all are enjoying your summer so far. Have a great week. I cant believe that it is already july. Like I have said a few times before. As a mission we are reading the book of mormon 4 times this year and today we finished it for the second time. It is so crazy that we are already half way through the year. 

I love you all so much have a great week and happy birthday america. How greatful I am to have that country. 

les amo much

Elder Hamilton

(I finally got info on what they did during a world cup game, now Chile is out so they won't have to worry about it. I am sure he is happy CH)

This week we had a meeting with our mission leader. He knew they would lose so he didnt care to watch it to much. And then we had lunch. Generally we are walking in the street or teaching the few people that dont like soccer. 

 Elder Rodriguez 

In Chile there is garbage everywhere. It is really sad

Where's Elder Hamilton????? I will give you a clue, he is wearing glasses

The whole mission at the conference with Elder Robbins.

Hi family

I am glad to hear that things are going good. I am doing really great here. We had interviews with the president in the house this week. They were really great. I always love meeting the the president and talking with him. He is really great and always really supportive. 

Not much is happening haha I dont know what to write. I feel like everything is the same each week. We have been really happy because we have seen a lot of progress with some less active members who have started going to church again. That has been really great. We also could find some new people to start teaching this week and we hope that they will start to progress. I am really happy with the work of the word here. The leaders really want to start working with us so we are trying to get more of the members excited about working. The members here are really great. There aren´t a lot of members but they are great people that want to help. It isnt very hard to find people to come with us to lessions. We have 2 boys that are getting ready to go on their missions so they are leaving with us. Also our missionary leader and the elders president is really great to come with us. That is really nice because a lot of times it is hard to find people to come with us. Things are going really great with my companion and the area. We are learning a lot togethers and I have seen great changes in my life and in his. That is a part really important to the mission, learning. We are constantly learning whether it be knowledge or our atitude. I have felt a lot of changes in my life for the better and it is so great to be so focused and in tune with the spirit to make these changes. I love the studies that we have each morning. I am learning so much about the gospel. We are all reading about the teachings of president smith, and I have loved reading his experiences in his life and learning from him. 

I am sorry I dont have much to say today I love you all so much. Hope everyone is enjoying the world cup. I have never hearn this much about the world cup in my life. haha. In 2010 I dont remember hearing anything about it. 

I love you all

Les amo

Elder Hamilton

PS We are going to play soccer today Yipee!! :(

Let the Holy Spirit Guide

HI everyone

This week went well. We couldnt find a ton of our investigators and we are working on finding new ones but I am happy like always. We were able to work with a lot of less actives which was really great and this sunday 4 less actives went to church. We were really excited for an investigator that we were going to put a baptism date but then he told us that he was a member but thats fine. he is excited to participate more in the church. he got baptised when he was 8 and then his family moved so they didnt have a church to go to so they started asisting another church. There are a lot of less actives here in chile so we have a lot of work trying to help them get back into the church. 

This week we had the meeting with Elder Robbins from the 70. I absolutely loved it. It was so great. I went into the meeting with questions in my head for my area and my life and every one of the questions were answered. He just did a question answer session and it was great to see that through the questions that others asked God answered my prayers. he talked a lot about the spirit and how we can feel the spirit more in our lives. That is something that I have been working on in my life. I want to hear the spirit more and then act. I had a really great experience this week with that. We were working with the elders quorum president and our lider missional. We were visiting some elders in the ward and it was pooring raining. (I was so happy that even our leaders would leave in the rain with us) We felt like we needed to go and visit a sister that had been a little sick. So after we had passed for all of the elders we went to her house. Right when I was going to knock on her door she opened the door almost crying. She let us in and told us that she didnt have any power and we saw that water was leaking from the roof all in her apartment. We were able to help here so that she could have power again the clean up a little. It was so great to have that experience where clearly the spirit was guiding us. I am so grateful that we can have the spirit so that we can serve others. 

It is so wierd that it is getting so cold. The nights have been fine with three blanks and warm clothes. I feel so excited because I feel like christmas is coming and then I remember that it isnt coming haha. I will still listen to christmas music and look at my lights if I really want to haha. Things are good. Hard sometimes but good. Thanks for all of your love and advice. I love each and every one of you. 

Les Amo

Elder hamilton

 This is a new Elder in the mission named Elder Hamilton (no answer to my questions of where he was from- another mission mysteryCH)

 Conference with Elder Robbins

mucho mucho lluvia

 mucho mucho lluvia!!

(I hope this is an umbrella they found on the road :) )

Hi everyone

This week was a little hard to be honest. There was a lot of rain and wind which was really wet.haha It doesnt rain a ton here usually so the people werent used to so much rain and they all went hiding in their houses and didnt want to talk to anyone so that meant that we spent more time outside in the rain which stunk but thats fine. It is just another part of the mission. I didnt have changes I still am here with my companion. Every companionship in the district had changes but mine so we have a lot of new people which is good. I actually know some of the new people from other areas so that is good. I was really sick this last weekend with fever, pains, chills, stomach problems, and everything that comes with the flu. So saturday and sunday were a little harder. Sunday the mission nurse had me sleep for a few hours and after that I have felt much better. Still today I am just resting until we start working tonight. Things with my companion are fine. There are better moments and worse. it is hard when he doesnt have a ton of excitement to be out in the rain or at night and just wants to go back to the house. But we are working on that. I really try to be as obedient as I can because I know that that is what is going to bring the miracles and what has brought the miracles that I have seen. I have learned a lot from him which is really good. i just am trying to figure out how I want work better with a companion that has a diferent level of excitement and disire to be obedient and for the work. So if anyone has advice let me know. 

We are working with great people and have found new people this week. It is hard because everyone only has one day in the week that they want to meet or that they can with their work. Work here is a little different and their schedule is hard sometimes. But hopefully we can find our investigators this week. I am really excited for this week because Elder Robbins from the 70 is coming tomorrow and we have a meeting with him as a mission. I am excited to hear from him. I will let you know how it goes. 

Yes it is getting really cold here. It isnt as cold as utah of course but what stinks is that it is cold in the houses too because they dont have heating. Sometimes in out house it is colder than it is outside. but i just use a lot of blankets and hoodies. haha. I am glad everyone is enjoying your summer I am excited to hear all about it. I can see a little snow in the mountains which is great. I really like seeing that. I actually missed the snow. I know that is a shock. 

I love you so much. Sorry not much to say this week. I am good and happy like always. I have learned that happiness is a choice and it doesnt matter what are your circumstances. That is something that i have been working on in my mission. 

I love you all so much

Les amo

Elder Hamilton

 Snow on the mountains.  

(Remember that last year Tynan didn't arrive in Chile until Mid Aug, or Mid Feb as we would see it. He really only had about a month of "winter" there) CH

 We had a BBQ

 Drying out

Winter is here!

 The District

Happy Birthday Elder R.

Hello

I am doing really great. I am a little sick this week which stinks. But still I am doing good. I just have a cold. The runny nose is the worst. But thats what happens when we enter winter. It is getting a lot colder in the nights so I am starting to wear my coat and everything. But things are going good. This week we will have the chance to change areas but I dont think that we are going to change I think we will be together for another change. 

I have learned a lot thing change about patience and how to help other people. Things have been hard sometimes with my companion but We have strengthened our relacionship and we both have learned a lot and made changes to help the other. It is something that always happenes. every companion is different so I have learned new things from them all. It has really helped me learn how to get a long with others. I have learned that the thing most important is talking. If you dont talk about things they never are going to change and you are going to be frustrated and have a hard relationship for a long time. So we have talked a lot. At the beginning he didnt every really want to talk about things that were bugging him but through changes that he made and changes that I made we started working together better and better. It has been a great learning experence. and I am so happy because I have seen him grow and change a lot these 6 weeks. He is a lot more excited to work and everything. 

Things are going really good. This week we couldnt find a lot of our investigators so that was a little hard but talked with a lot of less actives. It can be a little frustrating when you work with people for a time and they dont fulfill with their promises or dont go to church. I have learned a lot about free agency. To be honest we can only do so much and then there is nothing more that we can do. It is their decision what they do. There are times when I feel like it would be better if I could make them do what they need to do so that they can have the blessings of the gospel but that isnt right. I know what I need to do and I love being here helping the people see more of what they need to do but I cant force them to do antything. I am learning more and more about our responabilities here on the earth and with the church of jesus christ. They are big but if we can work everyday to fulfill them we ca n help so many people. I love that you are reading preach my gosple. I hope that everyone is doing that. It really is how the whole church needs to be run. 

I love you all so so much and hope you have a great week. 

I love you all so much

Elder Hamilton

(In conference Elder Ballard said

"I invite all members, regardless of your current calling or level of activity in the Church, to obtain a copy of Preach My Gospel.....Read it, study it, and then apply what you learn to help you understand how to bring souls to Christ through invitation and follow-up. "

I have been doing this and have been really impressed at the way the gospel is laid out within it.  I suggest using an electronic copy so you can easily click on the scriptures to read.) Cheryl