Much to get Done

Hola Familia

This week went by so fast just like the other ones. Everyone in the office says that it is always like that in the office because there is so much that needs to get done. Everything is going really well. this week we were able to find and teach more people en our area which was awesome. We taught some less actives and incomplete families. There are a lot of really great people here in chile I really do love working with them a lot. This last sunday we had a lesson with a young man whos friend lives in our ward. It was such a great spiritual lesson. Today my companion and I were talking about lessons where the spirit isnt only there but it is really the one teaching. I have been focusing on follow all promtings of the spirit. I have been so surprised that even the smallest thoughts were promtings of the holy ghost to help me. I have tried to think everyday how well I followed the spirit and what I need to do better. In our reading in the book of mormon I am reading in helaman. I love nephi Helamans son he is such a great example. It is interesting how god trusts him so much. I love reading in the book of mormon it is so full of great examples for us in how we need to live. It is so important that we read the book of mormon so that we can really have a testimony. 

This next week we will still have pday on saturday  we will just have pday the whole day. So I will be emailing during the brakes. and then we will buy what we need durring the other brake. 

The office is going good. You asked about the other elders.

Elder Arbon is from springville and only has 1.5 months left in his mission. He goes home in Nov.

Elder Call is from st george. His sister was serving in the south of chile and just went home like 5 weeks ago. When they went to the airport to get the new missionaries he actually got to see his sister going home. 

Elder Gonzales is from mexico and went to the school where I went for the mtc.

Elder and sister cluff are from arrizona. They are really great to have in the office. 

Elder Santillan is from california and was in the mtc with me. He is one of the asistents.

The other asistent is elder Sherwood from arizona too. 

I love you all so much. Have a great week. 

Elder Hamilton

Life in the Office

 Office BBQ for the Chile Independence Day Sept 18

Hello all

Another week has past and here we all are again. I hope that everyone is found healthy and happy. I had a fun week this week. It was another busy week like always but I love that. This week we had a fun day on the 18 because the 18 of september is the independence day in chile. So party. haha. On wednesday we had an activity in the branch with empanadas, choripan (that is the best), Kabobs, and this tradicional chilean drink. It was fun and really great to get to know some more of the branch and meet some less actives that we hadnt met yet. On  thursday it was the actual holiday. In the office we did a bbq which was so great and a lot of fun. It was a little hard on thursday and friday because everything was closed so we couldnt pay any of the bills we have to pay so we had to do what we could in the office. It is so nice when we can just pay the bills on the computer. Generally we can do that but not with everything we have to do. 

On wednesday we had a conference with the president and his wife. It was so so awesome. I always love it when we have conferences with them. I always hear things that I need to hear and get answers to my prayers. They talked a lot about faith and courage in our lives. It is so important that we have these attributes of christ in our lives. As missionaries and as people everyday we need to be brave and live 100% how christ espects us to live in every cirunstance. I loved what I heard and heard a lot of things that I need to do to be better with those things. That is something that I love about the mission that I am going to apply to my life, I am always looking for ways that I can be better. There are a ton of things that I have to work on believe me but It is so great to look back and see the progress Ï have had. There are some times when before my mission I thought that all of the m,issionaries were perfect. I then became a missionary and realized that That isnt how it is. Then In my mission sometimes I think that I need to be perfect by the time I finish my mission but that isnt how it is either. I just love seeing progress and change for the good. 

Speaking of progress. I keep learning new things in the office and keep loving what I am doing it is really fun and I am learning a ton. In our area we are still looking for some new investigators. It is a little hard because we are only up there for like 4 hours each day but we are excited to keep doing more. We have a goal to talk to more people each day so that we can find some new people. 

I am doing really well and am happy and healthy. I hope that you all have a great week. I love you all so so much. 

Les quiero

Elder Hamilton

 They call this my "cube"

The other elders serving in our branch

Photos of presentation

I found these photos after I posted his letter. These were on his mission blog. The sweet mission pres. wife always takes lots of shots. Was happy to see these of him while he was giving his presentation.

Every week is great as a missionary!

Hi everyone

This week was another great week. I am finding that generally every week is great as a missionary. There are always ups and downs but it in the end it is all good. I am staying really really busy so it goes by soo soooo fast. I can not believe that it is saturday again. The time is going by so fast and I only hope I can learn everything I need to from my companion before he gets change. Things are going good and I am learning a ton of stuff in the office. More and more it is like a puzzle everything is interconnected somehow. So It is great to understand more and more what I am doing and how to do it. There are some stuff that I understand and can do without much help but I am so happy that he is still here and is so great to help me learn because there is a lot that I still have to learn. It is really fun being in the office the other missionaries that are there are great and we are always laughing, smiling, and helping eachother when they get a little stuck in their work. It is reallly interesting and new because I have a lot more communication with the president which is something that I always have like. He is in the office on mondays almost the whole day and then during the week he only goes to the office when he needs something or has an interview but we also communicate through email in the office. It is fun to work more with him and his wife right now. I told you a little bit about the married couple that is serving in the office too. They are so funny and to be honest remind me a lot of mom and dad. The things they say and how they act together sometimes is just like you guys haha. 

In our area we were able to find some new investigators and we are hoping that this weekend we will also be able to find some more. This next week is the 18 of september. That is a huge holiday here it is like their 4th of july. So it will be interesting to see who will receive us. But it is ok we will work hard just the same. There is always a lot of food so I am really excited for that. haha It was really fun this last year so I think it will be a good week. WE do go to the church in our area. It is a branch. They are good. They dont have a lot of confidence in the missionaries because of bad experiences with other missionaries before but we are working to show them that we are obedient and are working hard. Our mission leader is really great. He and other people are always willing to come with us to lessions which is a great help. It is a small branch. This last week we had 50 the week before we had like 40. jHere in chile they are known for always being late. If an activity is at 5 that really means that they will start setting up at 5 and the activity will start at 5:30 or 6. It sometimes is the same with the church meetings. They are even at 10 not 9 and still it is hard for some people. So generally at the end of the meeting there are more people. This last week we changed time here so we are now another hour behind. I like it because it is lighter at night. 

Everything is going really well here. Time keeps going good and really fast. I cant believe we are in september. Happy birthday Nathan!!!! 

I love you all. Now is the time to send letters. I get them way faster in the office. 

Les quiero

Elder Hamilton

 I can see the ocean again from my area!!

Our apartment is the storage place for the mission

Life in the Office

Elder Arbon from Springville UT

Hi everyone

This week flew by the fastest of any other week in the mission. We are always so busy in the office and in our area that we didnt have much time for anything else. 

This week was good. In the office we were getting ready for a reunion with all of the zone leaders in the mission that they do each month. Sothursday night we were getting everything ready in the church and office until like 10:45 so we got to bed a little late that night. First late night in a long time and we had permition haha. It was a little wierd. Then friday we had the meeting with the leaders. We just had to get all of the chairs and tables ready and the lunch, KFC. Then I gave a short presentation about how we need to all be ready for emergencies with our emergency fund, water, and food. It was fun. I remember now how much I love making powerpoint presentations and giving them. Its a good thing that I always practiced with mom and dad whenever I wanted something. ((Tynan used to always make us presentations when he wanted something- a  dog, a trip to Disneyland, etc. He is very good at it haha, but never got the dog.CH))The president said that it looked like I had been in the office for a long time in my presentation. That was all really fun. On wednesday night right in front of our house there was a little firework show which was little but really cool to see. In our area we are actually having a baptism today. It is a little girl named Matilda. All of her family are members and she now is going to get baptised too. We are looking for more people to teach. It is a little hard because we arent up in our area for a ton of time but we will be blessed for all of our work. 

I am so happy to hear about Grandma and Grandpa Andrew. That is so so so cool. They are such great examples of the willingnes to serve the lord always. ((My parents have been serving their 5th mission in Brazil in the Receife Temple.  They were mission pres. on their first mission. Last week they were asked to be mission pres. again in San Paulo East. The pres. there had a visa issue and had to come home. CH))

So you asked about our food now. Monday through friday we eat in the office so we have to prepare our own food. My companion elder Arbon loves cooking so he cooks food for everyone in the office so we are really lucky for that right now. For dinner we just make something at the house at night if we are hungry. On Saturday it is pday so we also eat our own food. And sunday we eat with members. We to get more money because we have to provide all of our food. 

So I have to worry about paying the rent, the water, gas, and light. Also I have to make sure that all the missionaries have their money for the month. I also have to do all the paperwork for the president and his wifes cards from the church. Anything that is bought with the churches money for the mission I have to do the paperwork for it. There is more and more that I am learning each day so I will keep explaining as I go. haha Also as office workers we have to help set up for reunions and anything else that the president needs done. haha. 

In our apt. We live alone only us two. There are 4 office elders so two apts for the office elders. They are bigger apts because when old missionaries leave and when new missionaries get to the mission they have to spend a night in our houses. It is really nice with a lot of space. It is here in downtown viña so it is a little far from where we have to work but I love the apt. 

Right now we have two financial secretaries because my companion is training me. After, I will be the only one. There are three different responsabilities in the office. Financial sec., Registrator, and the secretary of the mission. There is always someone training. Right now my companion. Next the secretary so there will be 2 and I will be companions with the registrator. Then the registrator will train and I will be companions with the secretary. Then my last change in the office I will be training. So I will be changing companions for the next 4 changes. It is a little confusing but I hope you could understand a little. 

I love you all so much thanks for all you guys do for me. Have a great week!!! 

Les quiero

Elder Hamilton

 Wouldn't we a lll love to know why the couch is upside down. Those mission questions we never have answered haha.  

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