Surprise!!

Hi everyone

Surprise!! I am writing on saturday. This week we had changes and I got changed. So I am no longer in Estero Viejo, Belloto. On wednesday our leaders called us and told me that I was going to be changed. We went to the stake center in viña, where we have the change meeting. When we were waiting for it to start the president came up to me and told me that I was going to be in the office as the new financial secretary to the mission. It was nice to know before the meeting because in the meeting I am always so nervious. Then right after the meeting I started working with my new companion Elder Arbon. He is the financial secretary right now and will be training me this change. We were running around a ton wednesday after the change meeting because change days are always crazy for the elders in the office. Thursday I started my first really day in the office. There are 8 people that work in the office. The cluff's, they are a married couple, they are the nurse and the person in charge of the houses. Then the two asistants to the president. The registrator and the secretary of the mission. And me and my companion. It is really really different being in the office. We study until 10:30 then we work in the office from 11 until 4:30, we have to make our own food we only eat with the members sunday, but my companion loves cooking so he made everyone in the office lasagna one day and we bought pizza the next day. After 4:30 we have to travel 30 minutes to our area. We live in downtown viña becuase we need to be close to the office but our area is in a hill a little while away so we take a bus for like 30 minutes. Then we work until 9 and walk 30 minutes down the hill to go to our apt. Our area is really great. We are both new there. Before there only was 3 out of the 4 office elders in the office so they were together and were working in the center of viña. So now we are starting to get to know the members and everything. I love working in the office so far. I have a ton of things to learn and a lot more responsablility  but I generally enjoy that. I was so surprised because everyone always says that the people in the office dont do anythign and they just sit down all day and dont have to work. i can tell you after 2 days in the office that it is a big lie. I have never been so exausted in my whole mission. We have to run around the office doing things everyday and we are always walking around viña, which is huge, to pay bills and to get money. I am going to learn a lot and I think that it will help me to know more of what I may want to study after too. We do help the missionarys with the money that they get each week and if they need to go to the doctor and we have to pay for the houses and everything.  i am super excited to be working in the office. The elders that I am working with are so funny and I know it will be a great experience. So now I will be writing every saturdayas long as I am in the office which is generally 6 months. I hope that everyone is fine with writing by friday. haha. 

Everything is going really great. I will sent picture of my new companion and house this next week. I love you all. have a great week!! 

Earthquake!! In Chile

Ironically there was an earthquake by Tynan Sunday and then the Cali one on Sunday.  CH

 What is it with boys and guns?? The first pres is watching!! CH

Hola familia.

It sounds like a lot has been happening with you all in your lives. I am glad to hear that things are going good. I cant believe brock is home and brandon gets home so soon. Two years are nothing. It passes way too fast!!! This week was good a lot of wierd things happened that were different than normal weeks so in everything it was a very different week. 

To start off. My companion had to take out his wisdom teeth so he was a little swolen and hurting a few days but he did a great job with it. He was resting for some days so we werent able to do as much this week. There were days that I left with members or another missionary so he could rest. Then friday I had a meeting with all of the district leaders. It was so awesome and helped me a ton. I am so happy that I was able to go and able to learn so much. They talked a lot about how we as leaders have to be different a lot of times than the rest of the people. I have felt that a lot as I have had to stand up for the rules and the leaders of the mission with some of the missionaries in my district. I hope to be able to apply what I was able to learn and be better. There is still a lot more that I need to do. I have learned that I struggle with confrontation. I have always been self motivated to be obedient. Other people are not self motivated to be obediente so as a leader I have had to learn to teach and to confront them and help them to be obedient. I learned a ton in this meeting and plan on applying it in my life and work right now. On sunday as you heard we had an earthquake. Well here 6.4 isnt an earthquake it is just a small shake or Temblor. haha It was fun. It was the biggest that I have felt while I have been here. We were in a lesson with a less active that has started to come to church and she started calling all of her family. To add to that. Saturday it was rainning a ton. But god was blessing us because litterally every time we left a house it stoped raining and when we got to the next lesson it started pooring like im serious pooring. It was like florida sometimes it was raining so much. But we were dry because we always ended up leaving right when it was slowing down. That was a cool miracle to see. When we got home I entered the house and saw that there was water everywhere. At first I though that with all the rain a little water had gotten under the door but then I heard water running. I ran to the bathroom and found that in the earthquake a pipe was hit loose and water was spraying everywhere. I ran and turned off the water and we started cleaning up. The zone leaders came and helped with there bishop. We were able to take out the water, in some places it was up to two inches. When we walked in my companions flip flop was floating in our kitchen and he had left it where we sleep hahah. It was really funny. That night we went and stayed at the zone leaders house with them and sunday we finished cleading and airing everything out. We will see what happenes. haha. I just keep thinking how awesome it was becuase it was a great mission story to have.

I love you all so much. Thanks for all your love and support. Have a great week. Look for the miracles. 

ELder Hamilton

AHHH! All of the boxes on the floor!

I love it when they have meetings!! Lots of good photos of him there

Glad he had his wisdom teeth out!

Letters!!! 

(Thanks to everyone that writes him.  CH)

Hi Family

It sounds like a lot is happening with you all their. Not a whole lot is happening here. We had a great week and were able to find some new investigators to teach which is great. Everything is going really well in my sector and with my companion. He is super great and it trying so hard. I cant believe we have been together for almost 4 months. I have learned a lot and have really grown to love him. We work really well together. We have to go to the dentist again today and he has to take out his 4 wisdom teeth. He has never had anything done before in his mouth or in his body ever so he is a little nervous. So he could use your prayers this week. 

This week I saw a lot of things focusing me on the changes that people make. As missionaries we are blessed to see a lot of changes in the people but some stuck out to me this week. There is a young couple that have had a lot of difficulties and trials. They have been married for almost a year now and have been working together to go to the temple and get sealed. He served a mission for some months in argentina. In all of their dificulties they are so positive and are working so hard to put everything back into order and endure. They are such great examples. Yesterday I was teaching the class in the elders quorum and it was all on being obedient in all things. I asked the class How they have seen the blessings in thier lives through obedience. E. shared that athough the last year was really hard as they were working through their trials as they were being obedient and doing the things that they needed to do the year has gone by really fast. He said that that to him was a great blessing. Now they are getting ready to receive their rights again and go to the temple in a few months. I love seeing the atonement work in the lives of the people including my life. Of course it is better that we dont fall. But we all fall, everyday. As we work through christ and repentance everyday we will see blessings. 

You asked about what the people think about the church. A lot of people think that we are a from the CIA haha its true. It is because when the missionaries first got to chile there were only americans so the people thought that they were from the cia. So sometimes the people yell at us things like, "you cant take my information" and other funny things. There have been some people that have thought that our nametag was a camera. haha It is hilarious. The thing is with almost everyone is that they think that they shouldnt talk with us. They dont know why but they dont want to. Many people think that we worship joseph smith. So there are people that ask us "how is smith" It was really interesting because when we were in viña the last week this guy yelled. "where are the gold plates from nephi" so he must have read the book of mormon at some time. haha. But really there are always people that are really nice and respectful. I hear a lot of people say that in some other religions they teach that they shouldnt talk to us. 

I am doing good. I am happy! 

I love you all. Be happy too!! 

Love

Elder Hamilton

The have a Lego store in Vina!! It's Tiny

(I asked him about a Disney Store. They have one in another city, but only sister are ever put there- probably a good thing CH)

I know the scriptures are true

Hola familia

Esta semana estuvo un poco lento en el progreso de los investigadores pero animo esta bien y estoy animado para trabajar esta semana. Esta semana voy a cumplir 1 año aquí en Chile. 

Things are going good. This week there were a lot of people that when to church which was great. Not investigadores unfortunately but a lot of less actives and members. That was fun to see. And Javier, who got baptised two weeks ago, received the priesthood. I had the opportunity to do the ordinance which was cool. I hadnt ever done that. 

Mom asked what people think about the book of mormon as other scripture. It varies from person to person and religion to religion. Many people call it our bible and then we are quick to explain that it isnt the bible but another testament and that it wasnt written by joseph smith. There are some people who just straight up dont want to read it and generally they dont want to talk to us at all, Thats expected. Many people are actually open to the idea of other scriptures. The invitation is that they read it and pray about it. I have learned how important the book of mormon is. It is interesting because a less active that we have been teaching actually started reading the book of mormon this week after many times that we had invited her to do so. Now she has a little interest in understanding more what it says so she said that she was going to read it. That is how the people really can progress. If they are reading with real intent and praying they will receive an answer and they will know that it is true. It is interesting because many people here already have a book or two in their houses. But that doesnt mean that they have read them.  It is vital for all of our progress that we too read and pray about the book of mormon so we can strenthen our faith and testimony that it is true. 

I am so happy to hear that you are studying preach my gospel mom. That is a great thing for all of us to do. I have learned so much about the basic things of the gospel through preach my gospel. 

This week I will complete one year in chile. It is so crazy. I still remember my first day here like it was yesterday. It has gone by so fast and I have loved every minute of it. Not much else happened this week. We had to go to viña del mar this week for my companion. His wisdom teeth are coming in so he had to go take an xray. I dont know why but in the mission papers for people in other countries they dont have to take their wisdom teeth out before but they have to pay to have them taken out here. We are going back to the dentist today to see if he needs to have them taken out so we will see what happens. 

i love you all. Have a great week.

Les amo

Elder Hamilton

2 Letters this week

Happy Monday!  I was out of town last week- no internet- and so here are 2 letters for you.
The picture is from a mission conference with Elder Zeballos.  He is easier to see this time.

July 28-  Hey mom.

I am happy to hear that all is going well with you guys in your trip. I love the pictures. It is a great Sourin over california. I love all of the pictures of the ocean. That Is somethine I love about chile because I am so close to the ocean. I dont get to see it much but when I do it is awesome. Where I am there isnt much landscape by the ocean that is that great. WE arent in a place where the beaches are that great in chile but thats fine because I dont go to the beach and right now we are in winter. 

This week was really great. Yesterday our investigator Javier was baptised. It was so awesome to see. He has made a lot of changes in his life to get baptised. He said that when people talk to him about it he just tells them straight up that he got baptised. He knows that what is most important is that he his happy and confident with his choice. Now we are actually starting to teach his aunt who was an old investigator. It was so great to see him get baptised yesterday. I am so happy for him and am excited for him to receive the spirit. 

I love reading the letters from Kevin because I have been reading my journal from one year ago when I was in the mtc and I said a lot of the same things. haha. It is so great to hear that he is happy and doing well. I bet he cant wait to get to france and start teaching. 

You asked a little bit about what I am doing as a district leader. I call the missionaries in my district each night to see how there day went and if they need anything. I have two sisters, two elders, and the two zone leaders in my district. So sometimes, like yesterday I am calling the missionaries for like 45 minutes. Each sunday we have to ask for all of their numbers for the week. ANd a few other forms that we have to fill out each week or month. During the week we have exchanges (I think that is what they are called) with the other elders or the zone leaders. They are for one day and I am in my area with a different elder or I go to the area of another elder. Also generally we have district meetings that I have to do. It isnt a ton of extra stuff but sometimes it uses up a lot of my time in the nights. 

We dont really go on a lot of splits with members. I have done them before. Our president doesnt really like them because there is more power with two missionaries than with one missionary and a member.

Things are going really well with my companion. WE have had some great lessons and found some great poeple to teach. WE are really happy and are looking forward to august. 

THings are going really great and I am looking forward to this week. This last week we had a conference with Elder Zeballos from the area seventy. It was so great. I love it when we have conferences with the president and other general authorities. We have had 3 general authorities here in the last 8 months. It was awesome to see him using and Ipad for everything too. haha. Scriptures, to write or draw. ahah. 

I love you all so much. Have a great week. Happy Birthday Megan and Dad.

ELder Hamilton

Aug 4-   Hello 

It is so great to hear from you all this week. 

This week went really well. We were doing the stand. It is this thing that our mission has started doing. There are 6 missions in south america testing it. WE are the only mission in chile doing it. I like it a lot. It can be a little boring but I think that in the long run it will bring a lot of people into the church. So we are also using these little cards that say mormon.org/preguntas this is a website that has different questions that we are using to try and make people think and have more interest. Here in chile a lot of people have technology. It isnt very expensive and almost everyone uses touch phones and other technology. So it makes it better to use the internet to share. In all of the missions that are trying this website and the stand 40% of the web traffic is coming from our mission. So we are see that people are looking at the website which is good. We are trying to invite more people to visit. We have been asking the members to post it on their facebook so that other people can see it. I love seeing how the church is starting to involve more technology. I know that other missions are using ipads and facebook but we just have to wait patiently until those things get down here to chile. Thats what happens when you are almost at the end of the continent. haha. 

We are working with some people and are hoping that they can progress more. We have a few people that I have a lot of faith in. I think that is something that I have learned a lot about in my mission. We need to have faith and really show it. I have gained a great testimony of fasting. I didnt really like fasting much before my mission. Now I have been awed to see the blessings I have received in my life through prayer and fasting. I have had a lot of oportunities to fast especially in this last month and I saw a lot of results from that. God really is so willing to bless us when we obey and consagrate our lives to him. I am so grateful for that. 

I cant believe that we are in august. The weather is doing good. We are almost done with winter. During the day it is a little hot. At night and in the morning it is colder. I didnt want to get out of my bed this morning haha. Winter didnt last too long and it wasnt ever really that cold so i am so grateful for that. In the south of chile it rains a lot and everyone says that it is cold. I remember in the mtc my companion was going to concepción which is in the south of chile. He had to have a sleeping bag for his bed because it gets so cold. I have heard it is so pretty down there but I hate the cold. 

This week I also had a pretty cool experience two times that has to do with my journal. I am sorry to say that growing up I never have been that great with my journal. I always remember the quote from a leader of the church that says something like this, I have not given you these experiences just for yourself, write them down. But even when I though about that growing up I still struggled writting. In the mission It has been way easier. In the mtc I did it everyday. In chile I havent done it everyday but I write several times a week especially when I have some experience. Sorry i am getting of subject, But about the experience that I had this week. I have been reading what i wrote in my journal exactly one year ago in the mtc and I have been so shocked to find that things that I wrote one year ago have been the exact words that i needed this week in my life. Im not joking. One of the days this week i had writen in my journal "I dont know why I feel like I should write this but I feel like I need to write this down." Then I wrote about the choice and ability that I have to change and be the person that god wants to be. It doesnt matter what other say but I can be the person god wants me to be. It was so amazing because when I read it It was just what I needed.  So I invite you all to write in your journal. It may not mean a lot to you now but maybe in the future you will find exactly what you need. 

I love you all. Thanks for your constant prayers, love, and support. I think of you all and pray for you often

Les amo

Elder Hamilton