Week 52 - Christmas in Patagonia

written: 12/27/2021

Week 52

Christmas has come and gone here in good ole Patagonia! We had a great Christmas Eve and Christmas spent with some pretty cool members. We had a crap ton of meat, chicken, hot dogs and lamb. Christmas ended up being super fun as we went out to the countryside with a young married couple and some of their family members to a river bank and had a picnic, played soccer, and baked in the sun (definitely got sunburned super bad, but all worth it). It was really fun to still be able to celebrate Christmas with a family and to do something outside of the norm! 

With regards to the work, we have definitely found that this branch is a pretty complicated branch to say the least! But all good, thats why we are here to be able to help to the best of our ability. There are many many many less active members, mainly priesthood holders. This week and the upcoming weeks we are going to be focusing on visiting them, finding what they like to do, showing interest in that, and seeing where it goes from there! We don't want to be just like all the other missionaries by inviting them to church and if they say no, which they most likely always will, we actually want to get to know them and show an interest in what they like. 

I am trying to make the most of my time with Elder Petty because in January we are going to be receiving about 45 missionaries from the United States and then in February we will be receiving even more, so the chances of us having to train one of these new missionaries is very high. It is definitely going to be interesting having a mission with so many Americans when we are so used to having a ton of Chileans.

Love, Elder Collin Steele

Week 51 - Voy pa Coyhaique

written: 12/20/2021

Week 51

Hot and humid week here in Coyhaique! The summer is heating up and it definitely does NOT feel like Christmas, but can't say it's bad to say it's hot in December.

Monday and Tuesday we were in Puerto Montt for a multi zone conference! We had the duty to bring 60 cinnamon rolls on the plane with us to give to everyone in the conference. It was a pretty good time and I enjoyed seeing a lot of my old friends in Puerto Montt and being in my old stomping grounds. We originally thought we were going to have to go to Chiloe to help with a big fire that happened last weekend. For those that don't remember, I began my mission in Chiloe and specifically in the area Gamboa and that area got hit pretty hard. But they thankfully got a lot of the cleanup done and our help wasn't needed at the time, but we've been told to stay attentive to see if we are needed down the road!

We continued this week with lots of contacting in the streets. We've been loving the streets and continue to find super awesome people! The coolest experience was meeting a Haitian a few days ago. The cool thing about Haitians is that anytime you go up and talk to them it's like you've known them for a long time! We started talking with him and it turns out he was taught by a sister missionary about 2 years ago and he progressed a ton but lost contact! We started going over the restoration but he was basically like "I know all this, show me something I don't know" so we had the feeling to go over the baptismal interview questions and he said yes to all of them and explained every point perfectly! He said he wants to meet us in person so we can talk more before he makes such a big commitment but to go from a hello in the park to going over baptismal interview questions was something awesome! Me and Elder Petty continue to make the most of our time and we are like brothers now!!

With Christmas coming up this week, it is definitely a little different being on the mission. Of course I miss being with family and the usual Christmas vibes, but can't complain when I'm loving the work here! 

Love, Elder Collin Steele

pictures include: Multi Zone Conference in Puerto Montt; Our new Haitian amigo; There is beauty all around; Brothers from different Mothers; Silliness with a "straw"; Happy Birthday, Elder Petty!

Week 50 - White Jordan

written: 12/13/21

Week 50

This week was definitely one for the books. We had the best time talking to everyone we possibly could in Coyhaique. My companion, Elder Petty, is the same person as me. We think the same way, we have the same goals, we are crazy, we are mad scientists together and we have no fear.

After Pday, we talked together and came to the conclusion we wanted to be street missionaries 100% of the week. To most in this mission, that isn't common, but we knew we had to try things in a different way. We decided that we were going to carry a mountain of Books of Mormon, tons of pamphlets, and be outside all day, every day. And let me tell you, it was the best decision. We met so many people who were prepared to hear the gospel and we met so many different types of people as well. Our way of teaching was walking around the plaza and going to people in the grass and asking them if we could sit down with them. We then talked a little, found their interests, and later shared about the Restoration and Book of Mormon with everyone, with 0 fear. We were rejected, we had a drunk guy yelling at us during a lesson, but nothing's going to stop us! A cool thing that happened was one of the people we gave a Book of Mormon to later sent us a message later in the night saying she had read the entire pamphlet and sent a picture of marked verses in the Book of Mormon that she had been studying. We met a bunch of Americans this weekend and they were all from a type of charter school, so it was weird but also cool talking in English to them. We even got to help them in a Spanish project they had for their finals.

I'd say one of the coolest parts was the weekend when we were walking around the Centro and we ran into a guy we had played basketball with an earlier in the week. We followed him and then we really had to use the bathroom but we couldn't find one to save our lives. We were walking around for 5 minutes when we heard someone in their front yard. We asked her if we could use her bathroom, she invited us in, and turns out her husband is someone that has talked to missionaries a ton and has even given Elder Petty free ice cream in the past because he loves gringos! #NotaCoincidence. We played basketball, I made some cool trick shots, we became friends with a ton of teenagers and we were right next to a rap contest where a member was participating. I was given the nickname "White Jordan" because we played a ton of basketball with them and now I have to practice my freestyle flow. 

I'm having the time of my life here serving the people of Coyhaique. I'm giving my all to them and I'm so happy. I got a baller companion, we have so much faith and hope of what we're going to accomplish and we're going to keep killing it. 

Love, Elder Collin Steele

pictures include: I actually made this half court shot! BOOM!; Elder Petty and me; Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ; Scripture Study; Elder Petty and I making friends; 

Week 49 - New Adventures Await in Coyhaique

written: 12/7/2021

Week 49

Lots of changes here in Chile! The biggest one... I'm no longer in Puerto Montt! I've been transferred to Coyhaique, which is part of Patagonia. I had to take a plane to transfer, funny thing I didn't think I'd be taking a plane until I'd be going home haha. The area is absolutely amazing and beautiful, I'm surrounded by mountains from every side and I'm excited to explore more. Our sector is the part outside of the Centro, rip, because I love being in the Centro, talking to tons of people at once, but for some reason I'm here in the more countryside. My companion is Elder Petty, and I couldn't be more excited to be with him. We have the same personality, he loves sports, we both have time in the mission, and we got to know each other in Chiloe when I began my mission so things are going to be awesome together.

This week we had the opportunity to hear a general authority seventy come and talk to us! It was a really eye opening experience and he shared a lot of tips and suggestions to go and find the people that are really interested in the gospel. He had high goals for us but the way he talked and the power and authority he has made it seem possible. It was a really great experience.

It was definitely hard to say goodbye a second time to many people I've grown super close with. The people there will always have a place in my heart. One person in particular that really started to make a difference was Cristina. She was a friend in teaching of the other elders in the sector and she decided to be baptized. Her testimony is something you'd think you'd be hearing from someone 30 years in the church. The last 2 or 3 weeks she was always wanting to share her testimony with us, invite us to her house, and she could never remember my name so she always called me Hermano Texas.

I learned a lot of my time in Puerto Montt, it was an awesome 5 months. The biggest thing was just getting out of my shell. Thanks to my great companion Elder Vilcherres, he helped me really embrace a new me and helped me break out of my shell. Now I feel like I have a new energy and I'm just a crazy guy (in a good way, I promise!) Too bad y'all can't see me in the streets here in Chile, I'm a crazy guy talking to everyone, waving at every car, and dancing to music that people have blasting from their car! I'll never forget what I learned and my number one goal during the mission is improve daily!

Love, Elder Collin Steele

pictures include: The view from my new home; Really going to miss my Mammita and her family; Mega sized cereal boxes for the win!; This is how we DEW things!