Temple Visit

Teachin' English

Don't forget to write a letter if you get a chance.  Elder Schwartz loves mail.....

Elder Nate Schwartz

Pedro De Valdivia 1423

Providencia

29 Santiago, Region Metropolitana

CHILE

Elder Schwartz send an email this week.  Here's what he had to share:

Dear Fam, 

You all sound so busy, as usual, but it sounds like it's alot with your church callings, which is awesome.  It's something that we are struggling with here. A lot of people don't have their church callings at all on their priority list, but we are trying to help that out.  Also, the package that you sent/are sending, it should get here in about a week and a half after you send it.  Pacakges come faster than letters.  Speaking of letters, I got two very great letters this week, one from mi prima up north, CINDY.  It sounds like she is doing great, and I get to see her and Dusty...er..... Elder Bonkemeyer in a couple weeks! AH! So excited!  The other leter was from Connie!!!, with a nice article from the Gazette about how much Alhambra KILLED College park this year.  That's always nice to hear :)

This week was great.  They always are, and, yes, we had the opportunity to do service, some yard work for the Hermana that we went to stake conference with last week.  It's always nice to do a little manual labor.  But what made this week so special in particular was last night, Elders Clyde and Garcia and I had the opportunity to attend a temple sealing of a recent convert family in our ward, the Pinos.  At first I was a little hesitant if I wanted to attend or not because I only get one opportunity to attend for the rest of 2012 (and that's why Elder Miller didn't go), but I am really glad that I went.  The session was amazing.  It is true that a language barrier does NOT block the Spirit from being present in a room at all.  And we went through an endowment session, in Spanish, and I got through the end part without messing up! (with help of course; the veilworker was SO NICE; he came up to me afterwards and gave me a big hug and said that my accent was great and that I'll be speaking like a Chilean in no time.  Even if he was just being nice, it was really nice to hear :)).  The sealing was beautiful and the pure joy that was so evident on the faces of those members of that family made the whole experience worth it.  It gave me something to aim for; it gave me fuel to work.  I want to be able to teach people so that they can experience the same joy that Hector, Astrid, and Laura (the daughter) Pino experienced last night, and that that joy will carry over with them as a family unit into the next life.  That's what this work is all about. The photo that I attached with all of the other elders in it, was from last night with them. 

 A ton of families from our ward were there and it was so cool to meet with all of them and talk to all of them and see all of them inside the temple walls.  It is very different inside those walls, and I love it.  I only get to attend one time per year, but I figure that I won't have another opportunity before 2013, since it's coming up so fast.  Oh, and we drove home from the temple with the bishop and his wife and they took us out for ----- brace yourselves, this not a swear word in this context.  They took us out for "ass" last night, which is a food here.  It's basically a giant hotdog bun filled with thin sliced steak and guacamole and tomatoes and aji and mayo and it is amazing!  That's what I am eating in that picture, and it was HUGE, and I'm addicted.  The food here is TOO good!

The familia Manriquez is great.  We are teaching Maryori tonight, and if it's right, we are going to ask her to be baptized.  Very exciting stuff.  

Today we have a huge, all day activity at the chapel for the 18th, which is Chile`s Independance day.  There will be games and a ton of food, and it is supposed to be a blast.  We went over to the chapel early this morning to help set up.  There are supposed to be a lot of people coming, so I am excited.  Three of our investigators said they would come :)  

Anyways, thats basically what happenned this week.  I'll send another email, not this Monday, but NEXT Monday.  Get my brothers to write me back.  I love you all.  I know this church is true; I am witnessing first hand the way that it changes people's lives.  You can't experience a greater joy than the joy that this gospel gives us; that's WHY Heavenly Father made it; that's why Christ came to earth.  It's all because Heavenly Father wants his childrent to be happy and have success!  I love you all so much.  Thank you for all of your time and prayers.  Until next week...

Love,

Elder Schwartz

P.S. Since I'm not going to be home when the Niners win the Superbowl and the Giants win the world series, you should buy me the shirts for their championships and put them in a box for me for when I get home ;)  Because it pretty much sounds like we have this year in the bag.

Pizza!

Making cookies with Elder Clyde