Saturday, January 24, 2015

Office Fun

Hello everyone
This week we started it off with interviews in the apartment on monday. IT was so great. I love having interview with the president. It is different now becuase I see him each week but I love being able to talk to him one on one about everything. It is hard to believe that I have been here for long enought to know him so much better. I still feel like I just arrived here in Chile. This time in the office has gone oh so fast. I like it when I am busy like this time in the mission. It makes life a lot more entertaining keeping myself busy. 
This sunday I had a scary and funny experience. We had to go to the bus station to pick up a missionary that was going home. So my companion knows how to drive stick so we took the office truck so it would be easier. Well he hasnt driven in a long time let alone stick. So it was a little bit of a indiana jones style bumpy ride haha. Ok not so much. To top it all off I was directing us because he doesnt know his way arround viña as well as "I Do". haha. Just so you understand. In viña almost all of the streets are one way. I hate that!! It makes driving so much harder. I know my way walking around viña becuase you can walk in whatever dirrection. Driving is a little different. So we ended up taking a detour that took us a little farther than where we were going. It was really funny. No one wants to be in the car the first time I drive again. haha. I´ll try the autopia first. 
This week we have been teaching and working with a young man and his sister. They are really great. The sister, Javiera, actually talked to us before we could talk to her. They both havent had much of a believe in God before but they acredit that to not knowing much about God. We have been able to share with them a few times. What I love is hearing the brother, Juaqine, pray. He prays so sincerly. Especially for someone who didnt believe in God. I am always so impressed with his prayers. It is so great to get to hear people pray who dont have the habit of praying becuase usually it is something that comes from their heart. Their words are so simple but powerful. Especially when they really are asking to know if these things are true. 
On friday It was fun becuase we were able to hike/walk up to a lookout point that is above our house. It was so pretty to see over the city. I had gone up there before with my first companion in the office but It was dark still so you couldnt see everything in the pictures. This time the sun was out, as it is each morning when we wake up. AS we left the house to walk up there we realized that we left the keys inside. Luckly there are more keys for our house than anyother house. The other office elders have one, the asistents, and the elder in charge of the houses. So it wasnt so hard to get back in. 
Everything is going really well like always. I am happy and working hard. It is the best cause in the world. I love that each day in my studies I understand better and better what the lord wants for his children. One of the elders in the office heard last night from the president that his grandma died. I am so grateful we know about the plan of salvatión so that we know that as mom always says "everything will be alright in the end." 
I love you all. Have a great week

Elder Hamilton




 I love this one with the elder stretching. CH
 Elder Flake
 Tynan keeps talking about this plant and how his plants keep dying.  I thought this picture was interesting because of the stamp next to it- it has his full name on it, not Elder. Will be interesting to know what it was for- a question for when he gets home. CH


Sunday, January 18, 2015

#missionaryproblems

 Office Zone
Great picture!

Hola Familia
Another fast week. I had a really good week It was a little calmer than some of the other ones that I have had before so that was good. My companion is learning a lot. He is doing really well and is learning more and more each day. I remember when I was in his spot. It feels like it was just last week. It is so crazy how fast time has gone over these last few months. I can tell you that time really does go by so fast when you are busy. In our area we have been able to find some great people. THis last saturday we had a lession with a less active who hadnt gone to church in a few years. We had a really great lession with her and then sunday she went to church. On wednesday she had an interview with the bishop and now has a few goals to get her started on the road to the temple. Right now she is working on getting her patriarchal blessing. I love seeing how the spirit can influence the lives of people and help them to make changes so fast in their lives. 
I am really happy because after a year and a half of wondering I finally figured out that Yes There is a difference between the ensign (USA and Canada) and the Liahona (even the english liahona for the rest of the world). I know this is a little random and wierd but I have always been wondering this. So the ensign is based almost entirely for adults because we have the friend and the new era. The Liahona (ensign international) has stuff for kids adults and youth. So it actually stinks a little because with the liahona, even the english liahona, you dont get all of the articles. #missionaryproblems haha I found this out because in my house I found an ensign from FEb 2014 and a liahona feb 2014 and they are different. They actually had to take out a few really great articles for that. 
Well to get off of that random note. Everything is going really well. This next week we have interviews with the president. Being in the office it isnt that different because we see him each week but I am looking forward to that. I always like interviews. They are going to be in our house too so we need to clean up a little.
This last saturday we went to the "feria" it is a little market that they have everywhere in Chile. (at least everywhere I have been) We bought a lot of fruit for the week to eat. When we got home we left them in the little bags they were in not knowing that they would all go bad faster in the bags. I knew that if you had closed bags they go bad but the bags were open so I didnt think anything of it. THis week we are going to take good care of our fruit so it lasts a little longer. I am learning a little about everything. 
I love you all so much and hop that everything is going well for all. Have a great week
Les quiero. 

Elder Hamilton

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Fireworks!




Hola a todos
Esta semana fue bueno. Nothing to big happened, just another week. but It was good. Something funny to start off. This sunday we were walking in the sidewalk and someone droped a firecracker out of a window on top of us. hahah. It was scary in the minute but hilarious. We saw that there was something on the ground on fire. We had just walked passed a guy juggling fire so I thought it was from him. I saw that we were way to far for it to be from him and when i looked closer I thought it was a firework. I sprinted off right when it blew up. It was really loud and we had a buzzing in our ears for a while after that. but it was really funny. 
We have been busy this week in the office. My companion is learning everything really well and will be a great financial secretary. I didnt have to move houses I am still in the same one which use it is really great and comforable. 
Yesterday we had the leadership training meeting we have each month. That is really interesting that they anounced the new president. I havent heard anything about the new president yet. I will be the last group leaving with my president and I am very happy that I will be able to leave with him still here. Our mission is getting smaller. We are at 250 missionaries right now before we had almost 300 and the area has told us that we will be at 200 in 6 months so we will be closing a lot of sectors. My president said that he is happy that he got to see the anouncement of the age change and see all the rush of missionaries in the mission and now to be able to see it lower down to a more stable amount. The new groups of missionaries that we are getting are smaller. the last group had 16 and 18 missionaries left. The group before last had 27 missionaries that went home and 18 that came. So we will be seeing more of that. 
In our sector we are busy looking for more people to teach. Our sector is huge so there are people we just have to find them. We are working with a less active family so they can activate their family and baptise their two little girls. They have been going to church some time now and have the goal to go to the temple to be sealed. We are hoping that the father will be able to baptise his daughter at the end of this month. 
I am a little sad becuase this family that just got baptised in november are having a lot of dificulties financially and have to leave there appartment. What is worse is that they are going to have to separate themselves for a little while to live with the abuelos until they have the money for a new appartment. In all of this they have been able to lean on their new understanding of god and his blessings. The sister always says that she knows it will all be ok. She wants to do what god wants with her family. She has been reading the scriptures and has received a lot of strength from that. Their names are Ximena, Patricio, Antonella, y Giobati. They really need all the prayers they can have. They are really special and I have grown to love them so much so it makes me sad to see them go through these things. I know that they can work through it and everything will work out in the end. They are very strong and their testimony has grown so much during this short time period. 
We are working a lot more with the leaders and members in our areas. The area is really focusing on that. They want everyone doing the same work. I love that you are reading Preach my Gospel mom That is something we all need to read full time missionary or full time member missionary. 

I love you all so much. Have a great week! Hasta luego
Elder Hamilton

Saturday, January 3, 2015

I Love to See the Temple


Tynan at Santiago Temple

Les quiero a todos. Feliz año Nuevo. 
I had a great week and a great new year. As you can see in the pictures we had a great view for the new years fireworks show. It is very big and very popular. In the building we live in we went up to the 20th floor to watch and it was really great. It is better to se them from farther away because they send fireworks from one point of the coast to another so it is better to be able to see all of the shooting zones. Viña is really famous for this show that they do each year. It is like the 2nd or 3rd largest in the world. Next year they are going to do it bigger so it breaks the world record. It was fun to see. Last year I was not by the coast so I couldnt see anything so as I am sure you could guess I was excited for that. 
But the greatest thing that happened this week is that I GOT TO GO TO THE TEMPLE. The first time that I have seen a temple in 1 year 4months so I was very excited. We had changes and this time I got to go drop off the old missionaries and pick up the new ones. I was so excited to see the temple and when we were driving in the city I was looking all over the place to see it. It felt like when I was little and when we got close to disneyland everyone would start looking to see who could find it first. I didnt get to go in but just being there made me so happy. On tuesday we were doing things with the new missionaries and then wednesday we had the transfers. I got my new companion. His name is Elder Flake. He is really great and is going to do a great job as the financial secretary. So now I am teaching him all there is that we have to do. He is from Park City and is Mrs. Cunninghams nephew. "Its a small world after all" (Note: Mrs. Cunningham was Tynans 6th grade teacher and vice principal in high school.  She knows him well and how awesome he is. CH)
On wednesday night we went to a members home for a dinner and then we watched the fireworks from the roof of our building. Thursday and friday were normal days. We worked in our area. We are working with a less active family where their daughter isnt baptized. We had a really great lesson about the plan of salvation and the temples. We talked about the importance of the temples and the sacrifices we make to go to the temples. It is true that each one of us makes sacrifices to go to the temple. If the sacrifices are in the disisions we make in life or a sacrifice of time or distance. When I have had hard days in the mission I have often thought about going to the temple after and how great that will be. I look forward to that opportunity. Each and every one of us must make every sacrifice necesary to go to the temple. It makes me so happy to hear about annies decision to get married and sealed. (Note: his cousin who is getting married July 3 ) What we do in the temple is for all eternity and the blessings outweigh every sacrifice. 
Well I will make you all feel a little better about your cold weather by telling you that it is a little cloudy and cold here. Not so much that I cant wear a short sleeved shirt but still a little chily chile. 
I love you all so so much. Have a great week and I hope everyone has a great and successful year. 2015!!
Les quiero
Elder Hamilton


Mission Office on Transfer Day