week #21 - Antofagasta

Well this week has been pretty good! I have actually been a little sick throughout the week which has kinda sucked. Started Tuesday and it's practically gone today. Just a head cold but still wasn't super fun. But just gotta keep working no mas. This week we were working a lot with someone from the Stake. His name is Jorge Reyes and he is assigned to our ward to help out the priesthood because there really isn't any. He is el capo. Capo means like skill or something like that I really don't know the direct translation. But yeah we have been working hard with him this week with visiting less active members and members to make them more stronger. We have the attendance of about 40-50 people weekly but in our sector we have something like 350 members. There are a lot of less actives. I know that right now that I won't be able to see the result of everything in this ward but I know in the future that this ward can be huge and super strong. But from working with Jorge Reyes this week I have learned so much.

Today for P-day we had a BBQ with parts of our zone. We have a rule that for activities there can only be 8 missionaries. So we had a BBQ with the zone leaders and some other missionaries from our zone. I only took one picture of the BBQ that I guess I can send, but it really isn't that great. But yeah the BBQ was great, also played some ping pong. There is a lot of ping pong down here as well. 

From the stadium and Japanese park we are actually really far. We have to take a bus practically everywhere. To go to Centro it is usually like 45 mins in the bus but the stadium is even more in the south so it's like 1 hour 15 mins. We actually can go to the beaches now, I think we might try in the next couple weeks to check out a beach or something. 

When we are in our sector it is just walking, we don't need to take a bus or anything. But if we need to leave the sector, for example if we need to go to Centro or something, we need to take a bus. My feet are holding up fine, some huge calases, I don't know how to write this word, but my shoes aren't holding up... The shoes that I have been wearing the whole time have finally given out on me. There is a hole that goes directly from the ground to the bottom of my foot so I decided that it's time to switch to my other shoes. Hopefully these will last me some time. But I know that I'll probably have to buy some more shoes at one point. A lot of the missionaries that I know have gone through a ton of shoes. My comp, for example, has gone through 8 shoes in 7 transfers haha. He has a curse of breaking shoes in 1 transfer. But we'll see how long my other shoes hold up.

The investigators are good, not a ton of progress but there are some really good investigators and a lot of good potential progressing investigators. I have just been studying and reading from the BOM. I really don't need to have a huge knowledge of bible. I can answer any question that someone has with the BOM. The BOM has the fullness of the gospel and that's really all you need as a missionary. The BOM is absolutely key in the conversion of someone. If someone doesn't read and pray about the BOM then there isn't a conversion. No matter what questions or doubts that anyone has I know with a sureity that if they read and pray they will recieve an answer. Just as Moroni promised to everyone in chapter 10. 

Hmm, about the food there really isn't anything too special that I have tried. The food down here usually is just the same and it's actually pretty boring. It really usually is just the same thing every time. A lot of rice and chicken and soups and tomato and mayo... There are actually some pretty awesome different types of candy and stuff down here that I actually really like. When I come home I'll definitely have to bring some for you guys to try out. 

I won't be able to send a picture this week, sorry! I'm using a different computer and this computer doesn't have an adapter like the other one that I use does. Will have to wait until next week! Sorry!

Well running out of time! Hope you guys have a great week! Love you!!

Love

Elder Newkirk