Week 87 - God Will Bless Us Even When Things Don't Turn Out The Way We Want Them To

written: 8/29/2022

Week 87

Hard to believe it's almost September, but that means that many good things are happening including more sunlight, better weather, and Chile's independence day in a few weeks. This week I was asked by an office elder what airport I want to fly home to and that was definitely a crazy message to receive (don't worry, still got a few more months left, they just like to be prepared). 

I can't say there were many WOW moments, but an overall enjoyable week with lots of positivity amidst not as much success as we hoped! For example, we went to Casma, a very small town, to go exploring and knock doors and get to know the area. We had planned a good chunk of our day to go out there and we had high hopes. In the end, we were able to talk to one person for more than one minute and the rest didn't answer or told us no. The thought definitely came to mind of why did we come out here and feel the need to come out here for hours and we didn't see the success we wanted. I then had to remember my council from a few weeks ago "God will bless us even when things don't turn out the way we want them to" and Elder Mortensen is a very positive person as well, so we knew we gave our best effort and we were happy with that even if people chose not to listen to us. 

One afternoon we planned to go have a lesson with someone we found knocking doors. Sadly, she wasn't home. This has usually meant that there's someone prepared to talk to us, so we knew it was time to knock some doors. We knocked one door and out came a young lady who seemed a little out of it, like she was going through a tough moment. Shortly after, a man came out as well. We told them we were missionaries and they invited us in. They told us they had been having some arguments recently and weren't having the best time. They asked us if we could pray with them and they were grateful we had come by. We invited them to church and sadly they couldn't come but they want us to come back and as they told us "talk about God". It isn't a coincidence! 

I was able to finish the Book of Mormon for the 3rd time during my mission and it was an awesome experience reading it again, as this time I read it side by side with the institute manual. My next goal is to read the New Testament. I am thankful for the Book of Mormon and I have grown to love it. I know it's true. 

Love, Elder Collin Steele

pictures include: #elderenergy - Me, Hermana Glenn, Hermana, Elder Mortensen, Elder Quezada, and Elder Morris; FHE with the Bastidas family; Post basketball activity with Alejandro; 3/5 of the basketball team; and El buen tipo

 

Week 86 - Families Can Be Together Forever

written: 8/22/2022

Week 86

A great first full week with Elder Mortensen!!! We really are very similar and we work very well together. We were able to see many great things this week and I have no doubt this transfer is going to be awesome! 

The week didn't start super amazing and we weren't able to see a lot of success. A small example, for Elder Mortensen's first experience knocking doors a man flipped us off and then came outside and started shouting at us saying we were spies, cussing us out and telling us to go back home. Did it really affect us too much? No, but it was just part of the opposition. However, after the first part of the week, we knew why we had received opposition. 

On the mission I have come to realize we receive opposition before great things and blessings from God because Satan doesn't want us to achieve and see these miracles. We had a family home evening scheduled with an active member who last month told us her grandkids want to be baptized. We had planned to ask her how all of that process is going and she said "they'll be here in 5 minutes, let's see". The grandkids arrived and she sat then down and told us "OK talk to them" and we asked "do you both want to be baptized" and they both nodded their head and said "yes!" We had thought it wasn't going to happen so fast but God's timing is perfect. We also were able to see success knocking doors. When you knock doors here, it is impossible if one of the two missionaries in a companionship isn't fully invested in knocking doors or doesn't have enthusiasm. Elder Mortensen has lots of enthusiasm, so we were able to see success! We had lunch and began knocking doors because the weather was beautiful. We ended up finding an interested lady and talked to her for 30 minutes outside her house. Already happy, we kept knocking and found a small little street and began knocking. That's when we met Nicholas. We began talking and he said he hasn't found a church with his beliefs of the world and proceeded to name parts of the plan of salvation and I was able to tell him that there is a PERFECT plan for him, made by a perfect God. As I told him this, he began to cry. He said he is going through many tough things right now and he had prayed/yelled out loud in the morning and he knew we were a sign from God and he felt peace and he said how amazing it was to know God has a plan for him. I told him it wasn't a coincidence we knocked his door. It is a great feeling being able to be an instrument in God's hands. 

The plan of salvation was a big focus of ours this week and it is something that makes our church different than the others  I love being able to tell people that they can be with their family forever. We told that to someone who invited us in their house on a door contact and he said "wow, recently I found out the catholic church doesn't believe in eternal families and I didn't like it and felt sad and I didn't know your church or any church believed in that". I am very thankful that families can be together forever.

Love, Elder Collin Steele

pictures include: #elderenergy lunch; awesome zone; incredible district; fun and food!

Week 85 - I Have a Son

written: 8/15/2022

Week 85

What an absolute BLAST this week has been! Monday night was the big transfer call and I found out I'm staying in Frutillar and Llanquihue and that I'd be receiving Elder Mortensen, fresh from the MTC! My first time training! More on him in the little. 

I didn't receive Elder Mortensen until Thursday, so Elder Amaya and I were still together for a few days. We got along super well and in the few days we were together became awesome friends. We were always laughing and enjoying the time to the fullest. Something we also took advantage of was knocking doors! The weather was nice and he loves knocking doors so I knew with his enthusiasm and mine we would see some miracles. We started knocking on a street and first house, nothing. As we waited on the second house, a man left to check on something by his car and we started talking to him. He had talked to missionaries in the past and said he'd love to talk to us again. We walked a few doors down and we knocked again and a man came basically running outside and opened the gate and began talking to us. That usually doesn't happen. He said he talked to missionaries recently and he pulled up his whatsapp and showed us a picture of Elder Jara and I!! I checked the phone and it was actually the old missionaries from a few months ago, but I knew it wasn't a coincidence! Long story short, he talked to missionaries 7ish years ago and when we returned the next day he told us he didn't want to mess this opportunity up, he loved the restoration, he loved the book of mormon and he wants to invite his sister also. He has a ton of potential!!!! All by just knocking a few doors!

We continued having lots of fun all the way up until our last moments! I was sad to not be companions with Elder Amaya longer but then I met Elder Mortensen! He is the best!!! He is my height, which I've seen I've grown a little, as he is 6'5". He loves basketball, he has a sweet tooth, we have the same interests and we just get each other. He is from Washington and the only bad thing about him is that he likes Gonzaga. We spent the weekend getting used to each other, and I was doing my best to show him the ropes and make sure he felt comfortable as a new missionary. He is doing great and his Spanish is very good already. There is never a dull moment and we always have something to talk about. I'm super excited for this time with him!! 

Something that stood out to me in my studies this week was this quote, "The overwhelming message of the Atonement is the perfect love the Savior has for each and all of us. It is a love which is full of mercy, patience, grace, equity, long-suffering, and, above all, forgiving." I know Jesus Christ loves me and I want to emulate his love to others as well. Elder Mortensen and I are ready and up for the challenge. 

Love, Elder Collin Steele

pictures include: Me and my new son, Elder Mortensen; Stake Conference; Elder Amaya and me; and #MangoLoco

 

Week 84 - Finding Peace in a World of Craziness

8/8/2022

Week 84

My time with Elder Jara has come and gone! I definitely enjoyed the last 3 months with him! For now I'm with Elder Amaya from Argentina for the next few days as we await transfer news. It seems likely I'll be staying here in Frutillar but I have no idea who my new companion will be. It is crazy to think I will likely only have one or two more companions, so I'm looking forward to these last experiences and I'm going to make the best of it. 

As I had mentioned last week, this week was filled with goodbyes and member visits. However they were a little different from what I'm used to as Elder Jara is Chilean.  He will be able to visit all the members and friends we teach much easier than, for example, someone from the United States so the goodbyes weren't too sad. It is always an interesting feeling being in all the goodbyes as for me I'm not saying goodbye, I'm just there to support my companion. I know it'll be a weird and sad experience when that time comes. On Friday night, the last night with Elder Jara, missionaries from another sector close by came and spent the night with us as it is a trio and two of them were going home with Elder Jara and Elder Amaya was going to be staying with me. We were able to have a small barbecue and have a really fun time. 

We still were able to have some great teaching experiences and the best was a lesson with our friend Brayan. He is a young Venezuelan and we received him as a reference from our Elders Quorum president. He told us he had many questions, for example "why are there so many churches?" "how do I know which church is true?" and he wanted to know all about our church. He told us how he has tried the Evangelic church, the Catholic church, but nothing feels right. We were able to teach the Restoration and he really enjoyed it, especially the Book of Mormon. The cool part was we had teach in a deli where he worked at that had music playing and always has music all around the restaurant, however, when we shared the first vision, the music stopped and we were able to have that experience with him and after we shared it, the music started again. I don't think it was a coincidence. 

Lastly, during district council this week I decided to focus on Jesus Christ and have the missionaries share a small lesson with me to grow our testimonies. During one of the lessons, one of the missionaries shared John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world". I'm sure I had heard that scripture many times before but when it was shared I remember just staring at the verse over and over again and just thinking about it and how much it stood out to me. I know Jesus Christ sacrificed himself for me and all of us and that he brings peace in a world full of craziness!

Love, Elder Collin Steele 

pictures include: Getting some ice cream with the BEST District - Hermana Glenn, Hermana Nalwalker, Elder Jara, Elder Morris, Me, and Elder Quezada; #elderenergy getting burgers together - Hermana Nalwalker, Hermana Glenn, Elder Morris, Me, Elder Jara, and Elder Quezada; Note to self: It is NOT marshmallow flavor, but a flavor by the artist Marshmello

Week 83 - D&C 130:2

written: 8/1/2022

Week 82

Little bit of everything this week! Our days have been a little crazy as the days of Elder Jara's mission are coming to an end. We are trying to take advantage of every moment so we can still teach and find, and also have the chance to see members, and say some goodbyes and see ya laters. 

To begin the week we saw a miracle! We had planned a few things in Llanquihue but they all fell through after our lunch appointment. We were still able to salvage the day as we went to a family home evening with someone who is the only active member in her family. After we shared our message and talked a little with her and her upcoming trip to the temple, she mentioned how some of her grandkids and family members are coming to the age of baptism and mentioned how in September they likely want a baptism with a 12 year old, 9 year old and an 8 year old all together!! We also were able to receive an awesome reference from a member in a deli. It seems like this member is trying to invite everyone in the deli he works with, fine by us! The reference is a Venezuelan who, according to him, has many questions, and one of his biggest ones is "why are there so many churches?" and when we hear that, the restoration immediately pops into our head. We look forward to teaching him this week! 

This week the Frutillar branch went to the temple and around 40 members were able to go. We tried to tag along, but didn't get permission :( However it was super awesome to see just how happy all the people were that went! A member and and wife were able to be sealed and we've seen his progress and how much he's been working towards his goal and they are awesome examples!! I look forward to going back to the temple in a few short months!  

We were able to enjoy a good number of member visits this week and enjoy some quality food as well! A scripture that Elder Jara shared many times from D&C 130:2 says "And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy." I also really like this scripture because I know that all the friendships and all the people I meet here in Chile but also in my life in general I will be able to see again in the next life and even better, accompanied "with eternal glory"! 

Love, Elder Collin Steele

pictures include: FRIENDSHIP - Hermana Nalwalker, Hermana Glenn, Me, Elder Morris, Elder Jara, and Elder Quezada; #elderenergy; Me, Thais, and Elder Jara; The Morales Family; Food, always good food!; Elder Amaya, Elder Jara, Elder Quezada, Elder Fugal, Me, Elder Morris, Hermana Nalwalker, Hermana Glenn, Elder Arriola, Hermana Gervic, and President Gervic