From Hand River

Dec 8 2014

This week has been awesome!  Carla got Baptized!!! that was real neat.  Yesterday she got confirmed by the crazy psychiatrist, Hno. Adrian Hernandez, and it was awesome.  She has integrated herself so well into the ward.  She is basically part of the primary and she loves it.  The bishop said that they plan on getting her the call this next week.  But she is way excited.  Performing the baptism was nerve raking.  first one. Crazy cool.  But i was really nervous.  It all went well though.  The water was super hot though so when she was bearing her testimony she said that all of her sins got boiled out of her in the water.  

I got together with my new companion on wed.  We are having a good time.  he is Argentinian from Corrientes.  really nice guy, and i know we are going to have more success together. 

We have two more baptisms on the way.  first off we have Jovita, whose husband gets home this week, and we will know if they will be getting married.  She came to church this week and said that she wants to be baptized in front of everyone in Gospel principles class.  We are going to to go hard so that she can be baptized the 29 of December.  

But i don't have too much time left.  Thats way cool that you guys got to go see elder Warren.  I love that guy.  He promised me that he would be waiting for me in the airport with a beard when i get back.  Remind him about that.  

Love you guys lots, have a great week.

Elder Borupito

(Im just a little guy)

Happy Birthday Mad   Hope you had a good one.

PS  Somebody needs to make an appointment with the Podiatrist.  My feet are lookin pretty crazy

Cambios

Dec 1 2014,

I can not even begin to describe how excited i am to be an uncle!!!  So cool.  It will be 1 month old by the time i get home.  How weird is that?

We just found out cambios... Im staying (thank heavens above!).  And Elder Ackerman is going to another sector here in Punta Arenas.  Bassically we are doing a big switch here in the city.  My new companions name is Elder Montiel.  Argentino, i think.  Me and Elder Ackerman have the assignment to get these guys excited to be missionaries again.  So that will be fun.  lets hope that will all go well.

The baptism is on!  Carla passed the interview with flying colors.  The date has changed from the 6th to the 5th, because the sixth landed on a fast weekend and Carla wanted food after because she said she will be hungry after her swim.  she is super funny.  Elder Ackerman will be able to come still, which will be great.  

Carla brought her husband to church this week.  He liked it a lot.  He really didnt like the third hour though.  For some reason we talked about obedience in the church and everyone was getting mad at each other.  so he said their was no love in our ward.  So we got work to do with the ward.  i dont know how we can do anything but we are going to try.  

Thanksgiving was great.  We bought a huge 20$ pichanga and ate it in the night.  Me and elder Ackerman have had a great time together.  

Thats about it.  Have a good week.  I love you guys lots.  

Elder Borup

PS  Its Gangi and Pop-pop or nothing

Burnt for days

Nov 24 2014

This is awesome!  This is the most kickin place i have ever been.  God bless the USA and Rio de la Mano.  There are definitely some miracles going on.  We definitely can not be responsible for these things.

This week we had an awesome lesson with Isabel and her son Hector.  We put them with a baptismal date for the 20th of December.  So far for the month of December we have 4 achievable baptisms.  Isabel and Hector are way pumped to be baptized though.  I love it. 

Carla is still way excited for her baptism on the 6th.  She is going to make it.  she has basically assigned herself to be in the primary.  She printed a bunch of coloring sheets of the temple and of Jesus for the kids to color.  She went to a baptism with us yesterday.  Got her even more excited.  

Jovita´s husband is supposed to get back here soon.  She needs to ask him about getting married so that she can get baptized this month.  He has been gone for more than 2 months now.  So we need to take advantage of the time he is going to be here.  

Yesterday we had once with a member named Angel.  He is a 87 year old recent convert, he used to be a really strong evangelico.  He had called us the day before to set up an appointment with us so that we could come over and try some of his rhubarb jam.  We went over and he gave us a thirty minute sales pitch on how we need to buy some of his homemade marmalade.  It was delicious. We bought a kilo from him.  He is a super funny guy how is always singing songs for us, and showing us his poems that he has published.

That is basically it.  I know a bunch of other things have been happening but i cant really think of them right now.  

Our thanksgiving plans are fast the hole day and then end on a huge feast from a take out place.  Be jealous.  We are living the life! 

Hope you have a fun thanksgiving.  Probably won't be as good as ours, but you can try.  

TONS OF LOVE,

Elder Steamer

(some how one of our investigators found out my nick name)

Bien bien

Nov 17 2014

Well. This was a good week.  And when i say good i mean increíble. We have been rocking it here in Hand River.  I love it.  

This week we found an awesome lady named Isabel.  She is from Chiloé.  She was just a contact that we did in the street one day at the begging of the cambio.  We went by this last Sunday and taught her the Restoration.  She liked it at the end said that this was some thing that she really needed in her life at this time. We went back on Wednesday.  We taught her more about the BoM.  At the end we asked if she had any questions.  She asked what is the next step after she gets an answer that the book of mormon is true.  Such a good question.  We then went on to teach her all about baptism.  she asked if it would be sinning if she got baptized in our church if she was already baptized catholic.  We taught about the priesthood again.  She is pumped on baptism, and she wants her 15 year old son to join her.  His name is Hector.  We had another lesson with her Saturday and she was lovin it.  She is really getting excited on the church.  She didn´t make it to church, not really sure why, but her son Hector went with us, and stayed for all three hours. I think he came mostly because we told him that he could come in a suit.  He came in a sick mow style suit and black mow shirt.  he is a cool kid.  

Carla also was at church again this week. She is still stocked on her baptism the 6th.  We taught tithing in the principios of Evangelio class.  She committed to live it when she gets baptized.  Saweeeeet.

Also this week we had the privilege to listen to Elder Russell M. Nelson talk to our mission.  Obviously he is not going to come to Punta Arenas, but we did get to watch it on a conference call.  It was Awesome.  So cool.  The only lame thing is that the last time an apostle came to our mission i was in Punta Arenas.  But he talked a lot about how we need to keep in contact with our converts, and how they are like our children in the church.  Which means that Hector of Dalcahue is my son.  Weird.  I got to write that boy see how he is doing.  

Well that's about it for me.  I was in a store earlier today and i had the strongest urge to buy this sweet fanny pack.  I resisted but now i want to get all of the small versions of the scriptures so i can just go out with a little fanny pack, instead of a huge back pack.  Would be killer.

Love you guys.  Get along, be healthy, enjoy thanksgiving.  

Elder Boru´p  

(how the lady at the fast food place wrote my name.) 

Snow. Rain. So cold.

 Nov 10, 2014

This was an amazing week.  We did have a lot of strike out days but yesterday was such an awesome day that it didn't really matter.

We are seeing some excellent progress here in Hand River.  We have some investigators that are really on the way to baptism.  

Jovita is the mom of a recent convert named Jimmy.  She is not married but wants to be baptized.  This week we had a killer lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  And we committed her to talk to her husband about getting married.  The husbands name is Jaime and he works as a fisherman. We has been gone for the past 2 months, and wont get back till the beginning of December.  but that's not that far away.  She has gone to church the past two weeks. She is loving it.

Carla is an investigator that has been really progressing.  We found her just a little bit ago and now we are really working hard with her.  She is super excited about the date we set for her baptism the 6 of December.  She came to church this Sunday for the first time and was so stoked.  She was telling all of the members that she was going to be baptized on the 6th. Way to cool. The best part about Carla is that she is already married and she does not drink or smoke.  that is a miracle.

The other guy who came to church this week is named Oscar.  Oscar is a stud.  He has been meeting with the missionaries for a while now.  and is just waiting on his divorce papers so that he and his wife can be baptized.  His wife is a missionary mom named Dahianna.  She has been inactive for the majority of her life but now is really starting to see the importance.  We are working with her so that she can be ready to go to the temple when her son gets home from his mission.  She is the one who keeps writing you mom.  I think she is writing madi too....  They are great.  

So me and elder Ackerman have been throwing the Trompos.  those top things.  This week i bought a new one.  Worst buy ever.  It has been trying to kill me this whole week.  I can throw it now and catch it in my hand. and this week i tried to do that with this new trompo and it gave me a huge blood blister.  I try it again and it gives me another.  So i decided to not throw it anymore.  Later in the week i decide i could give it a second chance.  I threw it, and when i was pulling it back to get it into my hand it catches and it flings back to hit me in the face.  It hurt really bad. i put my hand on top of where it hit me, right on my eyebrow, and started walking around the house shouting in pain.  Elder Ackerman is laughing his head off and i jokingly say that its bleeding.  I go to the mirror and take my hand off my eyebrow, and i'm covered in blood.  It wasnt that bad, but it did bleed a lot.  I completely got owned by this dang trompo.  Lucky that i didn't hit my self in my eyeball.

I guess thats all for this week.  Gook luck Mac Daddy on your Ironman.  

Love all of you,

Elder Barup

(almost)

Good week in River of the Hand

I love being a missionary. 

This week was Halloween.  This being Chile every one got work off. And not a single soul celebrated the holiday.  Just a good excuse to do nothing.  We did find a family who was out trick or treating.  Elder Ackerman gave them a full sized snickers.  Thats one of the cool things about being in Punta Arenas, you find all of this awesome food in weird places.  Punta arenas gets almost all of the food from outside of Chile, so i have gotten a nice change in my diet. 

We sang in the cemetery this week for the day of the dead.  All of the missionaries in Punta Arenas got together, and with the accompaniment of Elder Jepson who plays the Violin like a master, we rocked everyone socks off.  it was a good activity and we got a lot of people to listen to us after ward.  And the Cemetery boss bought us all empanadas.

This week we had a competition as a District on who could get the most contacts.  Loser makes the brownies for the District meeting. Our district consists of The zone leaders, Elder Nielson and Elder Crockett, the Hermanas, Hermana Llanos and Hermana Estrada, and us.  Its a good District.  I like how we are working.  The zone leaders lost the competition though...  They didn't have an oven though so we are going to be eating stove top brownies.

 This week i did my first baptismal interview.  One of the coolest experiences.  I just got to hear this guy who was just converted red hot testimony.  The fun part was that i had to fill out everything on his baptismal record, even the signature at the end.  He didn't have any fingers.  Such a cool guy though.  

We had three investigators in church.  Its was awesome.  We had Jovita, who is the mom of a recent convert and is waiting for her husband to get back from fishing to get married, we had Oscar, who is waiting for his wife to get a divorce finalized, and we had Veronica, who is also waiting on a divorce.  So many things too get done here, but it feels good.  I love my companion, he is sucha good guy.  I have been really blessed with great companions.  This is an awesome opportunity that i have to be in Punta Arenas again.  I know there is a reason for me to be back and i am going to find it.  I'm so pumped to be here on the Lords work.  

Dont do stupid things.  I know you dont.

Love you bunches.

Elder Boru

PUNTA ARENAS????

27 Oct 2014

Well im back at the end of the world.  I really am shocked.  That never happens.  Punta Arenas is normally a one shot thing, but i don't think that president knows that i have been here before.  Well either way I'm happy to be back. My companions name is Elder Ackerman.  Great guy From Sacramento. 

This has been a crazy week.  My new sector is called Rio de la Mano.  It is directly above my old sector in Fitz Roy.  The thing is that our sector is GIANT.  literally the biggest sector in the mission.  Everyone knows Rio de la mano because of its size. The work is great though.  We have a bunch of great members that are willing to leave with us.  

This week was stake conference and i got to see everyone from Fitz Roy.  So weird to see everyone.  There are a bunch of really great members in that ward that i got to know really well, that was awesome.

I am really scatter brained right now.  

I think i have foot fungus, and that i might die from it. JK. But it is starting to worry me.  There is a Psychiatrist in our ward that said he would have a look at it.  When i asked if he would check it out, he asked if our family had any history of Diabetes.  We will see.  The guy is super funny though, HNO. Adrian.  Great guy.  

I don't have too much time right now.  I had to write some other people... no just joking,  I just had so much to read.  I love hearing about you guys.  Keep it up.  Love you tuns

Elder Burup

Back to Osorno?

20 Oct 2014

Well this week was another great week.  The only problem was that we had to go on another surprise trip to osorno... Ridiculous!  We had to waste 2 full days again to go up there and get my dang Visa done.  the good news is that i am finally legal, so i wont be thrown out of Chile this year.  So thats nice.

So we left for osorno on Wednesday and we got back at 9 the next day.  We stayed with Elder Warren again which was awesome.  Probably the last time ill get to see him for the next year.  He did promise me that he was going to be waiting for me in the airport with a with a beard. 

The thing about traveling so much is that you end up spending a whole ton of money on food.  We didn't even get to eat that much... fast food is way expensive, i am completely out of food money for the rest of the month.  

Cambios are here.  But Pte. Obeso is trying a new thing out.  Normally we find out our cambios on Saturday or Sunday, and then the actual cambios are Wednesday.  Now we are going to start finding out monday night.  That gives us one day to get everything in order and then leave.  And it also means that i don't know still if i am going or if i am staying.  I guess you´ll find out next week.  it is likely that i am not going to be in Dalcahue this next week though.  The Secretary said that we needed to get my visa done before the cambios because he saw where i was going and he said that it will be really hard for me to get it done from there.  That worries me.  Dalcahue is one of the farthest places away from Osorno.  It takes 7 hours in Bus.  The only thing that would take longer is if i go back to Punta Arenas or Coyaihque.

well i guess i´ll find out in a couple of hours.  I am really sad about leaving this place though.  It really feels like my home.  I honestly feel like i could live here.  I am really going to miss the members here... they are so awesome.  I am going to ask president one thing when he transfers me.  That he needs to call me when Dalcahue becomes a branch.  They are really close, this week we planed an activity and organized the home teachers.  I think they are set.

Well that about it from me.  I love you guys bunches. Keep on sending me pictures, I really like it.

Elder Borup

1. Me and Elder Kvarfordt on the crazy Island

2. The Jovenes here in Dalcahue. ( we were kind of appointed as the temporary young mens presidents)

3. Me and our ward mission leader.  Such a funny guy.

4. Some really gross tasting/sounding candy.

5. The Priesthood of Dalcahue.  The guy in the middle who looks really scary is Hernan, our old investigator who has decided to start coming back to church.

 

Road Trip

13 Oct 2014

Ok ill start by apologizing for the lame letters... i really just don't have time sometimes. 

Well this has been one of the craziest weeks of the mission for me.  This Tuesday we had to go to puerto Montt in order to do my visa on Wednesday.  we went and we stayed the night in the house of the zone leaders there.  In the morning we went to the extranjeria and met up with the mission Secretary.  We go into the office and the first thing they ask me is where do i live. I said that i was living in Dalcahue.  Then right away they say that i can't do my visa here, that i have to go and do it in Castro.  The thing is that we aren't aloud to do our visas in Castro because the guy in charge in Chloe is out to get all missionaries exported.  So anyways they end up sending me to Osorno.  In osorno we couldn't do anything else for the visa because the office was already closed by the time we got there.  So we had to spend the night there.  I  called the Zone leaders here and asked if they could hook us up with some beds in Ovejeria!  We got to stay the night there.  You want to know what's really crazy though?  Elder Warren is training in Ovejeria.  They split the sector and put him there, training a new elder.  

So we get to Ovejeria at about 6 and we have the rest of the night to go out and make some visits.  It was so awesome.  I got to pass by and visit Orlando and Silvina, and Maria and Constanza.  It was way cool to see everyone.  I loved it.  They are all still investigating but Maria is getting really close to baptism.  I think it will happen soon.

So after we make all of the visits we go back to the house and order a pizza.  In the morning we have to go super early to the office to go and get the visa stuff done.  We head over there meet up with the Secretary again and go to the visa office.  They were closed.  Ridiculous.  But we got to spend another night with Elder Warren in Ovejeria,  So not too bad.  We went to a big grocery store in centro to buy something to eat for lunch and guess who we ran into?  Victoria!!! It was so crazy she was in Osorno visiting her mom and was out buying a gift when we found her.   It was so awesome to talk to her.  talking to her made me realize how little i really knew about Spanish when i was with her.  She said that she is sending her papers in at the end of this month.  She put her availability date for February. Way too cool.  She is going to go on her mission before i even make it home.   

So we stay the night in Ovejeria again and then we wake up early again to meet up with the Secretary and go to the office.  When we got there they were open but when we tried to get it they said that it was way too early to try and start my visa.  so it ended up being a whole waste.  But it was the best waste ever.

We ended up getting a ride back to Chiloé with President Obeso who was headed down there to do our interview.  That  was one of the most memorable rides of my life.  President got pulled over.  That was funny.  he used to race cars in the Baja 500 and is a really fast driver.

A new investigator came to church this week.  She has lots of potential.  

I love you guys bunches.  Have a good week and don't get run over by anymore cars.

Elder Borup  

Someone actually could pronounce it this week.

Surprise, surprise, i got no time

6 Oct 2014

Well we just got back from this crazy island (I´ll send pics next week), But i don't have any time to write today.  This island was awesome though, super spooky.  Its an island that is about a 4th of a mile away from the shore and its connected to by this huge peer thing.  THe only thing on the island was a church and a cemetery, and a ton of really creepy looking old trees.  

This week we got to watch general conference and it was amazing.  We got to watch 2 sessions in english and the rest in spanish.  We got to listen to the spanish speakers in their actual voice which was way awesome.  Spanish is the coolest.  I like it alot.  

Sorry this letter is so short. And sorry i didn't get to write any of you, but ill try harder next week.

Love you lots though,

Elder Borus

(our mission leader)

Dalcahuino for life

29 Sep 2014

I love Dalcahue so much! 

Its been a really good week.  We are coming up out of a slump that we have been in ever since the 18 de septiembre.  But now we are really starting to go  to town.  

What happened this week......   Something funny that happened this week is that our group mission leader, Hno. Yuseff,  says that he wants to retire from being our leader, he says that now that there is a mission leader in Castro that we don't need him.  He got really emotional and said that this might be the last time that we come to his house.  As he is tearing up he goes into his kitchen and comes out with this bag of powdered milk, specially designed for old people.  He hands me the bag and says that its for us.  he then proceeds to give us detailed instructions on how to make it.  This was a sad experience, that is until Sunday when hno Yuseff comes back up to us and says that we will still be going to his house every week for correlation.  He said he wants the milk back.

We taught this guy through a window this week.  He said that the door didn't open, so we just starting shouting about the restoration so that he could hear.  He was an interesting guy,  we have a cita for Thursday.

We went out to go teach someone with Hector and all of the citas we had planned fell in the first 15 min.  So then hector and elder K really had to go to the bathroom.  We went looking for a bathroom.  Elder K did not make it to one.  He ended up peeing his pants a little.  Reminds me a lot of Mad-eye.  He has to go to the bathroom every hour on the hour.  So funny.

Well we have found a lot of really good people this week.  We are working with them so that they can become real progressing investigators.  I would say that that is the hardest part.  Every one the world will listen to us here, but very few will act on what we teach them.  

I love you guys a ton.  This has been a great week,  being is a missionary is the best.  I know that this message is true, i can see the change it has on the people who have accepted it.  

Love you a whole lot,

Elder Burup

(classic)

PS remember Victoria from the beginning of my mission?  she is working on her mission papers now!  

I got 15 min. again

22 Sep 2014

Well this was a terrible week.  I'm going to be very honest.  Absolutely terrible.  I found out so many terrible things and we were stuck in our house almost the whole week because of the 18 of September.  

I gave a talk in sacrament meeting.  first time here in Dalcahue.  I talked about why scripture study is so important and how it can really guide our life.

I love being here in dalcahue, i love meeting in our tiny little house, and i love the members here.  We found out this week that it may be my last week in the house.  Next week we go to Castro because we have branch conference, then we have general conference, and then we go to Castro every other fast Sunday and this next month we have to go in.   I have been having crazy fantasies in my head about me just flipping my little study table through the window and throwing my chair after it.  I really don't want that to have been my last Sunday there.  Only about half of the members were there.  Its the worst. 

Well some weeks are lame other weeks are great.  I guess it was just my turn for a bad one.  

Today we did a deep clean of the house.  President Obeso said that he is going to lift the ban on soccer once all of the houses in the whole mission are clean.  I don´t have very much faith in that, but i don't want to be the missionary who prevents it from happening.  

I guess that's it from me.  I love you guys lots.  I am going to send a better letter next week.  Be patient with me.

Love,

Elder Bolun

(5 year old child took a whack at it) 

Puerto Montt

15 Sep 2014

So I realized that last weeks letter was really lame.  This week will most likely be lammer.... Sorry.  

So I am in Puerto Montt right now. We left this morning at 8, and we have been eating american food in the huge mall here.  Im talking Bigmac combo, with a bbq  We are going to have a special conference with Elder Viñas.  Cant wait, it starts tomorrow at 9 and ends at 4.  All of the things that we had no idea that we were doing wrong will soon be made clear to me.  I am way excited.......

(a little later)

Gosh dang it!!!!! i did it again.

Anyways it will be good.  I hope that tomorrow i will be able to see Elder Watson, that would be awesome!  

Viviana came to church again this week!!!  She loved it again too.  During the week we have found the time where we can visit her.  She invites us to lunch with her every week now.  We bring the salad, we light the BBQ, she provides the meat.  We are really trying to get her boyfriend in church though.  This is the week. They said that they were going to close the shop and everything so that they could both come.  The baptismal font will need to be filled this coming October.

So I just decided that i am going to try and start sending home something that i have learned throughout the week. This week i learned two things.  1.  When your away from the US  for more than a year you start to day dream about McDonald's, then when you finally get it you realize that it is still just a regular bigmac, there is no difference.  I thought it would be something so much better.  If anything it was worse than in the US.  You can apply that to all of the things in the world.  Your mind can make anything look so good, but when you actually get it, you find out that it is just a small, fake cheese covered, pre-made burger.  2.  I learned that i want to live in Chiloé.  I could live here so easily.  I would buy a motorcycle and just go to town on all of the coastal roads that they have here.  The people are the greatest, almost every house we go to, we get offered some sort of food.  That is a requirement here.  if you have guests, feed them.  It really is a miracle that i haven't gotten fat. Its probably too early to tell  but I actually think that i will be able to still fit into my purple plaid jacket when i get back.  

Thats about t for the week.  I am going to really try hard the next week and write you all a great personal letter.  We will see.

Love all bunches,

Elder Brown

(it says it on my ticket)

Dang!

8 Sep 2014

What a week. A really good week.... but i am so dang pooped.   This might just be another really lame letter.  I guess we´ll see what comes out.....

Somehow i accidentally just sent that... my bad.....

Dang! Computers are the worst. ANYWAYS....  This week we have really been focussing on Viviana, the lady that came to church this last week.  This week she was unable to attend... Daylights savings killed it for everyone.  But we have had some really good lessons with her and her family.  We finnaly got to teach her the restoration.  She loves the church!!!  Last week when she came she said that she felt an amazing spirit come over her and that it made her want to cry.  She said, when we invited her to be baptized and she said that she and her boyfriend have been looking for a religion for the past 3 years and that they made a deal that they would both do it together.  So she didn't want to make the decision to be baptized until he came to church for the first time.  Its alright though because her boyfriend is also reading in the book of mormon, that he downloaded from the internet on his own, and has also promised that he will be in church this next week.  He is also progressing lots.

This week we had intercambios with the zoneleaders.  It was a whole lot better than the last ones we had.  I got to go with Elder Jauragui again, but this time in my sector.  Dalcahue is the best.

The lame thing that is starting to happen here is that the members are starting to get animated about the fact that we still aren't a branch.  Yesterday in Priesthood we basically just had a huge disagreement on who is in charge of what and how we aren't allowed to have our own activities yet because we have to have them in Castro.  I am a little tired of it.  We need to Be a branch already. 

We found a place big enough for the new church... but its the second floor of the Casino.  We´ll keep looking.

Thats basically it.  

Love you guys,

Elder Burup

15 Min

1 Sep 2014

We have been running around like crazy people to try and find a computer in this dinky town. There are 3 places where you can go and all of them are having problems.  So now we finally found a place and i only have 15 minutes to write.   

Well.....  I don't really remember what i did this week now.  This Sunday a new investigator came to Church and loved it.  She stayed all 3 hours!  that is a total miracle.  We played it smart.  Sunday we didn't have sacramental cups so we ended up finishing with sacrament meeting while a member drove to Castro to get some.  So during the investigators class, we talked all about the sacrament and got her really excited to try it out.  It worked.  I love it when investigators come to church.  It builds them up so quick.  

So the Mad-Eye mad it home safely.  That is good news.  The picture was really weird to look at.  You guys all look so different.  Whitney looks like the skinniest person i have ever seen.  Jessica´s hair looks good. And McKenzie's nose looks really straight.   

Well that's about all i have time for.  Thanks for the emails.

Love lots,

Elder SteamBoatWhillie

I dicided to send pictures early in the day and print off all of my emails so that i can have more time to write in the afternoon.  Smart, right?

pics

1. Pan con Chicharon and avacado

2. Chicken Burger with lots and lots of avacado

3. The sign that took me 2 hours to make.

Dalcahue City

This has been a great week.  Lots of lessons with some real new, real fresh investigators.  We have had lots happen this week so I'm not really sure where to start.  

The beginning of this week was really nerve wracking for me.  We had Zone Conference with Presidente and Hermana Obeso on Tuesday, and the morning of we get a call from the AP´s telling us that they are going to do divisions in our sector.  That really put the pressure for us to have a good day of work.  We had good plans though so i wasn't too worried.  Me and Elder K (That's his new name now) went out with them as soon as the conference ended.  We had an awesome day!  Elder K invited 3 new people to be baptized and they all accepted! so cool.  and i got to go to the Fam. Jimenez and teach an awesome, soul stirring lesson there.  Eric, is really starting to progress he is starting to recognize the spirit more and more.  So that was our divisions with the AP´s.

We had another really lousy Sunday....  Not only did no investigators come, but we were 15 minutes late.  We had to go searching for our clothes.  The members take turns washing our clothes here ( so nice), and this week it was the Yuseff´s turn.  They live on an island right in front of Dalcahue.  So this Sunday they called us to tell us that we needed to cross on the ferry so that we could go and pick up the clothes.  So we left the chapel, after staring the fire, to go look for our stuff.  They end up crossing, but they forget to tell us!  So while we are crossing we see them in the ferry going in the opposite direction.  So we had to wait for the ferry to do the whole loop and then we were already about five minutes late when we got back to Dalcahue, so we flat out sprint to the chapel.  We get in right before the Sacrament begins and we can't stop huffing and puffing until it ends.  So that was something fun.  

Today we have had lots of fun.  We went to Castro to play some Soccer and then we came back and we made some more KING KONG burgers, these ones were chicken though, so i feel lots healthier.  I bought some avocados, chipotle sauce, eggs, lettuce, and tomato to put on top.  One of the best things i have ever eaten in  my  life.  I  was  really  proud  of myself.

I learned how to knit this week.   

Me and Elder K were thinking about The Lord of the Rings this week and we discovered an awesome symbolism of what the Ring of Power really means.  The Ring is Temptation.  Sauron is the Devil.  The devil uses temptation as his tool to wreck havoc among the children of men, the same way that Sauron uses the ring as a tool to destroy middle earth.  The ring is always so hard to get rid of, just like temptation and sin. In the end Frodo can´t give it up on his own, after along time of sin it almost impossible for us to get out on our own.  Golumn is necessary for us to be free..... wait that doesn't work.  Well, i'll do some more work on the theory and get back to you guys in a couple weeks.

I love you guys so much.  This is the True Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he and God, our father, love us so much.  I know that that's true.

Have a great week! and remember to call Madi Mad-Eye lots for me.

Love,

Elder Burup

PS Mom i still haven't gotten the most recent letter. I just got one from Jessica that was dated for the 23 of March.  I think it might have gone to Punta Arenas right when i left there.  

From the island of CHILOÉ

I'm going to start by saying that the curse of the Mad-Eye has passed.  Nothing to worry about.  It has really amazed me at how good my health has been.  Especially when you consider my diet.  I eat cereal every morning, normally the kind that is filled with Manjar and chocolate.  Then we eat with the mamita who feeds us chicken and rice, or beans ( the latter is really starting to hammer my bowels).  Then we don't eat for the rest of the day, besides maybe a little once, if someone is feeling really nice, which normally consists of bread and butter, tea/coffee/juice/soda, cookies, and pie. And then i go to sleep, and do it all again the next day.  So it s a real miracle that i am alive, let alone healthy.  Being a missionary is the best.

This has been a good week.  We have had lots of work and lots of hard days, but we ended really strong.   We ended up finding a new family.  Which is great news.  The mom is the one we made contact with at first. she owns a librería and works every day besides Sunday ( great day not to work).  But we had a really good conversation with them about how they want to be baptized, so we are going to teach the whole restoration with them next Sunday.  They committed to go to church too.  

This Sunday was a little rough.  Fam Jimenez said that they couldn't come, and 3 other investigators, that we had committed, also bailed at the last minute.  But this week the district president came to our humble casa capilla to tell us that we are going to start having the third hour of church!  lots and lots of progress!  He also said that he doesn't know when we are going to be made a branch but he thinks it should be here soon.  I need to see this place become a branch.  At the end of church we had lunch with everyone in the house.  Everyone brought a little and we all had lunch together.  This is going to become a regular thing now.  

Today we haven't done much.  I took a whack at cutting my companions hair.... turned out alright.  Then we bought our food for the week, and then we made a gigantic hamburger.  The package said King Kong hamburger, it weighed about 3/4 lbs.  soooo goooood.  

I love being a missionary so much.  Testifying of the restored gospel is the most fun thing you can ever do.  Have fun greeting MAD-EYE in the airport, and remember how great your son, who is living down at the bottom of the world, on a little island, surrounded my witchcraft and potatoes and fungus and mold, and how he still gets to enjoy being a messenger of God for another year!  Love it so much. 

Love you guys bunches!

Elder Brown

(They´re getting really close)

Curse of the MAD EYE

8-11-2014

This has been a great week.  Some difficulties with peoples agency, but i know that we put forth our effort.  I am going to be honest, right now i feel like i am about to give up the ghost.  Not sure what happened today, but i think i caught my first cold of the mission.  For the past year i have been watching people get sick all around me, and i was beginning to think i was invincible.  Turns out its not true.  Hopefully now that Mad-i is finishing her mission her luck isn't passing to me.  But that's where I'm out right now in this moment.  Feeling real poopy.  

But apart from today we really have had a really good week.  The Familia Jimenez, the family we have been working on for the past couple weeks could not make it to church.  they said that right when they were about to leave the house, long lost family came to their door for a good long visit.  So they couldn't leave the house.  I know that these people are ready for baptism though.  This week we had a lesson with them that was incredible.  We talked about the book of Mormon a lot and we asked the dad what his feelings were toward the book, now that he had read a little in it.  He took a while to respond, and then told us that he thought it was true because it was helping him stop drinking.  We had no idea that that was a problem for him.  Then we invited him to be baptized (for the 3 time).  He said no because he feels like he still doesn't know enough stuff to make the decision.  We are still working with him on that, but he is being really stubborn about it, so we decided to let him think about it some more.

This week we also found two new famillies to teach.  Great news.

My body tells me no mas.  I love you guys bunches.  Have a great week.  

Love, Elder Durup

¿Exorcism?

8-4-2014
This has been a really long week.  I had my last days with Elder Watson.  That was a little sad.  And then i went to Osorno in bus.  That took 7.5 hours.  Way too long.  Then i stayed the night in the office elders apartment.  We played UNO with the elders who were finishing the mission and the all of the elders who were training.  The next day (Tuesday), we were trained by the AP´s and Pres. Obeso.  It was really good, it just made me feel more stressed about training.  I really cant mess this up.  

Then i got to meet my new companion.  Elder Kvarfordt.  I want everyone to send me their best attempt at their pronunciation of that.  Took me a good 2 days.  But he is way cool.  He´s from Saint George, he is the state champion in shot put and discus, and he is a great guy who is way excited about working.  On the way to Dalcahue the bus broke down 2 times for 20 min. each, so we ended up getting to Dalcahue at about 9 at night.  We got in a quick visit to the fam. Barrientos.  They told us that they are going to the temple at the end of the year.  AHHHHHH! i love it.  Elder Kvarfrodt is having a hard time with Spanish, but he is learning fast.  The next day we were walking toward an appointment when a guy said hi to us from 3 houses back.  We stopped and he motioned us to come inside.  We go in and this guy and his brother and his wife and daughter are all there.  We sit down, and the dude picks his bible off the shelf and sits down on a kitchen chair right in front of us and says something like, lets begin. Turns out he and his brother are Pastors for some Evangelical church.   He then continues to question us about all of the things we believe in and why we believe in them.  Lets keep in mind this is elder Kvarfordt´s first day in the Field, so I'm going solo on this, and this guy is trying to Bible bash so hard.  I  let him go and then when i think he is all out of steam i testify of the Book of Mormon and the restoration. He listens politely, and then kindly says we are wrong.  By this point I'm done with this guy so i ask if we can leave.  He says that we need to have a prayer, and of course we accepted.  We all get down on our knees, and this guy and his brother start going nuts! The guy is shouting all of these Haleluya´s and his Brother stated to shout in the gift of tongues ( just a bunch of random sounds. Not a real language).  It goes on like that for a good 2 min., and then they both get up and put their hands on our heads and the guy starts commanding devils to come out of us.  Elder Kvarfordt has been laughing this whole time, and i start getting really mad.  Who are these guys to think that i have devils in me.  I'm not the one speaking in Gibberish you big dummy!!!

Well thats about it from me.  Ill write more next week, i guess i just needed to vent with you guys.

Love you lots and lots,

Elder Borup

(They can pronounce my name now that i have elder Kvarfordt as a companion)

Hueeee, Dalcahue

7-28-2014

Well this has been another great week.  But like a really great week.  No half great stuff.  real great.  The Jimenez family came to church this week!!  It was awesome.  And they loved it, and said that they were going to be coming back every week now.  They don't have a date for them to be baptized right now but that is going to change this week.  They will be ready.  

This week we went back to Hernan´s parents house.  We went in and just tried to apologize for about 30 min.  then we listened to hernan´s dad tell us why our church isn't true for another 40 min.  and then we listened to the reason why Hernan hates living with his parents for another 20. And in the end we finished in the exact same place we left off.  It was a long visit, and the whole time we were trapped sitting on a bench right behind a ragging wood burning stove.  It was easily 3 times hotter than the sun.  

So cambios were this week, and i get to stay here in Dalcahue!!!  I am going to stay here and i will be training a fresh new elder from Utah.  HIs name i don't know... when i got the call from President Obeso he said he could not pronounce it, all i know is that it starts with a "K".  So anyways i have to go to Osorno tomorrow, which is a five hour bus ride from here.  We won't get back until late Wednesday night,  which is really lame because we have a ton of good appointments planned.  

I am going to miss elder Watson.  We have had some good times together.  Probably one of my best companions so far.  Well I honestly have only had one companion who is not on that list.  By the that Delgado guy is now companions with Elder Warren.  Haha! we are going to be able to talk about that when we get back together someday.  

Well thats about it from me.  Thanks for all of the emails.  I love all you guys bunches.  Take care.

Elder Bourut

( I honestly have no idea how you get that out of Borup)

Borún

7-21-2014

Well this has been a really fast week.  It really is starting to go by way too fast, and i don't feel like it will ever slow down.  I turned a year old in the mission this week.  that's really weird to think about.  I feel like i just left, but at the same time it feels so long ago.  

We had a good week lots of new investigators, none of them in church but we have hi hopes for the next week.  We found 2 different ladies that want to be members of the church but that their husbands are way too catholic and they wont accept us in their home.  Thats stupid.  

Today i was looking forward to a nice bright sunny day so that we could have some fun playing soccer.  Then mother nature smacked that plan in the face.  It was pouring all morning.  We went out anyway.  Im fed up with the weather dictating what we do and what we don't do, no more.  The weather here has gotten really bad.  Lots and lots and lots of rain, and to make things worse, my umbrella broke this week (i would still use it because its not too bad, but there is a Chilean saying that if your umbrella is broken it means your gay, so i don't want that).  So i have been going around with three rain jackets on. It works well.

I love you guys lots.

Elder Borún

I wrote something for the missionary newsletter so that's why its so short this week.

Why?!

7-14-14

Well this has been another good week.  It was actually a great week.  And then Sunday came.  We had lots of great lessons with lots of great people.  We were doing a great job at finding new people to teach, and then we went on a intercambio with the Zone Leaders.  I went with ElderJauragui.  He is a great guy.  I learned a lot from him.  We were in their sector in Castro, and Elder Watson got to stay here with the other zone leader.  I had a great time.  Elder Watson did not.  Our sector has been ravaged.  Last week i told you guys about Hernan, the guy who is trying to quit smoking. This week i tell you that, thanks to some thing that were said to his parents, Hernan will not be meeting with us, or attending church, or having anything to do with the church.  Apparently there was some hard core bible bashing going on, and there were some very devout Evangelicals who´s feelings were badly hurt. Hernan was really sad to say that he cant visit with us.  He was actually starting to tear up.  It really really stinks to go away for one day, and then come back and have your star investigator drop you like a rock.   Well i don't want to talk about it anymore. 

Positive.  We found a great new family.  We taught the restoration and then invited them to be baptized.  They all accepted.  Family of four to be baptized the 9 of august.  That sounds so nice.  They were way receptive too.  When i had finished saying the first vision the dad said that he had always had the doubt on who was right between the catholic church and all of the protestant churches, but now it all makes sense, none of them are true, because none of them have the authority.  It was way cool, Ive never taught someone who understands that the first time around.

Last week my district got cut down.  Now it is just me elder Watson and the zone leaders.  I thought having Hermana missionaries would be hard, but it was actually great.  Our district meetings are really small now, and a little quite at times because only 1 zone leader is there each time.

MOM! I got the package!!! its so great.  Those are some of the coolest ties ever. I especially love the Hawaiian flower one.  I also love all of the ginger candies. Its great.  Thank you so much.  Love you.

Well that's about it from me.  Remember to study the scriptures. They are great, especially when you feel upset or angry. They will just calm you right down.  And never use the bible to atack people, please.  It never ever ever ever works.

Well, i love you guys bunches, I always love your letters. Have a great week.

Amór,

Elder Brún