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.