Hey Momma! I have been using my card a lot because I have a
lot of things that I need to buy that I didn’t bring with me, I should be good
now, for the most part. I do need a couple more things from you guys because
here I am a giant and they don’t have shoes in my size and they would have to
be specially made. I was wondering if you could send me some waterproof boots
that are sort of like church shoes and some thick socks and a couple scarves. You
don’t need to worry about sending them immediately but once I am in Vina or
Valpo I will have to use them a lot because it rains a lot. Here in Ovalle they
have been having a drought for the past 8 years but it rained a little this
week and I realized when I am out working in the rain that I need better shoes.
I also need a different bolsa because mine is super big and it kills my
shoulders. If you could find one that has a waist belt and a shoulder strap
that would be perfect. A couple
huge packages of jerky would be very much appreciated. Thank you for buying all
those other things that I need here. It means a lot that you and dad respond so
fast to the things I need. I love you. So I’m going to tell you about the
Investigators I have. So the first family is very interesting and we have been
working with them for about 2 weeks the dad works a lot and drinks a lot and so
does the uncle. The dad is very respectful of us but doesn’t really want to
listen and the uncle wants to listen but doesn’t want to change, which is hard.
There are 3 boys and a girl, the boys really listen well and try to complete
most of our commitments and especially the middle one he is extremely smart and
reads the Book of Mormon at school and wants to attend church and be baptized
but the problem is that their dad has some serious control issues and won’t let
them do anything with out him but he won’t agree to attend church or read. The
daughter is about Hannah’s age I think but I can’t tell here because everyone
is so short and they all look either very old or very young. She hasn’t really
been part of the lessons that much and they aren’t really lessons you would
expect they are more like use talking through a gate with the family. We have
about 12 investigators right now and my 2 favorites are Kimmy and Estella.
Kimmy is 19 and she has been attending church for the last month and yesterday
we taught her the first lesson and she accepted to be baptized but no date yet.
She said she will pray about our lessons and if she receives an answer on
Wednesday during our lesson we will pick a date. I love teaching
lessons so much! I can feel the spirit so strongly and I know the things I am
teaching are true and when I teach I receive revelation too, which is so nice.
I have so much more knowledge about the gospel then I ever thought I would and
I love how everything about the gospel fits perfectly together. Estella is an
older woman who lives alone far away from her kids and really needs the gospel.
She is a very genuine example of how the gospel brings peace and happiness but
we haven’t seen her for a week and a half because this week is the independence
day of Chile. It’s a huge deal so
basically tomorrow everything
shuts down and everyone starts to party all this week. She is with her family
and doesn’t get back till next week but I am hoping next week she will attend
church with us and agree to be baptized. So I ate one of the nastiest things I
have ever seen in my life on Friday. It was a cup filled with this really
good juice called huellso but then they put peaches and corn and it was
disgusting to say the least, this other thing they really like is like this egg
browny thing that is totally eggs and then they put caramel on it, that’s
disgusting too but other then that all the other food is delicious! The Bread
and Meat here is amazing! We have a couple in our area that does all our
laundry once a week so that is nice. I love you Mom and I hope that you and Dad
and the girls are safe and Happy!
Hey Dad! This past week has been super
interesting! So I participated in my first zone conference and found out that
my first sector is basically the worst part of the entire mission. The other Elders
call Canihuente, Caniflete. Here in Chile a person who is a thug or does tons
of drugs is called a flete. which is super interesting too because I remember
asking for a hard mission and well now I have it. I’m going to emphasize this
by the experience I had yesterday with this Family we have been trying to
teach. So Every day we talk with this family that consists of a dad and uncle 3
boys and a girl, the dad and Uncle are serious drinkers and yesterday we went
to talk with them and possibly teach a lesson but the dad was totally drunk but
invited us in. Then went on a rant
for about 20 minutes about how English is the universal language and how it shouldn’t
be because way more people speak Spanish, or at least that is what I think he
was saying. I honestly didn’t feel very safe and wanted to leave but my
companion said we need to have patience with him. So when he said to teach him
we tried to teach him the restoration and then 2 minutes in he went off on
another rant. We had a lesson appointment with a member at that point and needed
to leave and I tried to but my companion kept talking with him and trying to
discuss something with him. I don’t know what but it was just kind of a bad
experience to say the least. My companion then proceeded to chew me out about
having patience and he is right. I do need more patience with people but it’s
hard to have patience’s and try to help a person who won’t let you talk or won’t
remember what you said. But the Lord saw fit to give me another chance to teach
someone who really wants to feel love and happiness in their life! Her name is
Kimmy, she is 19 and has grandparents that are members and has been coming to
church for the past month. We taught her for the first time yesterday and she
was just a golden investigator. She
wants more peace and happiness and wants to be near God and believes that
through the gospel it’s possible, which is true. She accepted baptism but don’t
have a date yet. We’re going to teach her on Wednesday and
pick a date then. I love teaching
this gospel! It fills me with so much joy and happiness that I feel like I am
going to get emotional every time I am going to bear my testimony or teach. I
control it but I know this gospel is true and the gifts of the gospel are
families, knowledge and service and I am so glad you and mom raised and
prepared me for my service here. I love you so much dad!
Para su Hijo
Elder Christopher Ryan Barlow
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