Miracles

Zone at the beach

     Fun fact: all the beaches in Chile have a ton of stray dogs, hobos, and HUGE bees and horse flies. (As a Zone today we went to a beach and played some football, it was pretty fun)

So this week began the NEW YEAR, and boy it was one full of miracles! It all began with New Years day, things were looking down, no one was home and to be honest Hualpen (the town I'm in) appeared more like a Ghost town than anything else, as my companion said (many times) the only thing the scene faulted was a tumbleweed. And he was right. But from there things started to pick up.

We were teaching this one investigator that we have; Carmen, and she was not keeping her commitments and wasn't showing a huge desire so my companion and I decided that it was time to kill her (aka let her go) and so we had sat down and talked to her and told her that as long as she wasn't keeping her commitments that we couldn't keep coming back. She told us that it was probably for the better and maybe later she would have more interest. Now Carmen as I said had never been to good about keeping her commitments, the hardest of those to keep being to come to church, she came four times in about four or five months and doesn't really like church too much. So imagine my surprise when ten minutes into Sacrament Meeting in walks no other than Carmen.... WHAT!! I did not see that one coming. And she was also the happiest I think I have ever seen her in the whole time Ive been here. Miracle number one.

It was Wednesday, about five o'clock and it was sweltering here in Haulpen, good gosh when the wind is blowing it is fine, but when there is not wind... really hot. But anyways we went to go and See the Riquelme family. When we got there the only one home was the mom, Elizabeth, so we sat down and she opened up, she told us her doubts, her fears, her joys, and her hopes. We talked for about fourty minutes and to make a long story short she accepted baptism and wants to be baptized the 18 of January. Also she told something I thought was awesome. She and her husband have been obligating their 15 year old daughter to go to church, well, a few weeks ago Elizabeth's sister told her that they couldn't do that and just to leave her at home. So for New Years Eve Elizabeth gathered together her family and told them straight up Do not tell me what I can and can't do with my daughter, I am her mother and I know what it best for her, and that it going to church, also I want each of you to know that I am going to get baptized (before she accepted a date) so do not try and change my mind or tell my not to do it, I know it is the right thing to do and I am going to do it. Now her brother and his family want to meet us... Miracle number two and three!

Those were the big things from this week, but I will also share a few things I have come to know as a missionary or that I have recently learned in my personal studies:

1. God is our loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and of all mankind.

2. The heavens are open. Or in other words, God speaks, he responds when we humbly ask him.

3. Joseph Smith truly was a prophet of God chosen and called to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ upon the earth in its fullness.

4. Time is limited and short we should fill it with the most important things.

5. We have to pay more attention to what we feel, the spirit works through feelings and if we aren't paying attention to our feelings how are we ever going to recognize the spirit.

I love each of you and hope that your year will be filled with miracles as well, just remember that obedience brings success exact obedience brings miracles.

Much love,

Elder Hutchins