Bowling in Chile

Love that pink bowling ball....

With Elder Sanchez

Dear Family and Everyone!

I love getting the photos from you guys on a weekly basis.  It looks like this week was especially great with a suprise visit from bearded Phil.  He rocks it.  I approve (if that really means anything).  It has to be so weird spending your final moments with Andrew, but he is going to be a great missionary.  These are exciting times for the Schwartz family!

Yeah, this week was a good one -- it had its downs of course, but it had its ups, too.  AND I am already running out of time, so this letter isn't going to be very long.  SORRY!.  The biggest up was that Rodrigo came to church on Sunday and LOVED IT.  He is progressing well and it is awesome to see.  Please keep him in your prayers.  We have a lesson with him on Wednesday that I am really looking forward to.  As far as our time in the street goes -- yeah, that's still happening a lot, and I am just trying really hard to not let it get me down.... but even that is hard sometimes.  We are kind of going through a dry spell here..... and it get more and more frustrating, the harder we work without finding "success".  

We had a really good family home evening this week with a family in the ward that is going through HUGE PROBLEMS.  I think in my last letter I expressed how a lot of times I don't feel qualified to talk to people about their problems.  Well, this family blew those situations out of the water.  The family is a very spiritually strong family and have been for years, and they kinda got blindsided by this trial that just entered their lives.  The mother pleaded with Elder Sanchez and me to just come to their house and pray with them and share with them, and bring a little bit of the Spirit into their broken home.  They are an amazing family, and Elder Sanchez and I had the opportunity to give the mother and daughter-in-law blessings, and that was a really, really powerful experience for me.

So I sent some pictures in an email a few minutes ago.  This past friday we had a meeting for all of the trainers and their companions, where I ran into Elder Miller (remember him?) and Elder Garcia (my trainer)!!!!!! And it was so great being able to see them.  They are both doing really well.  Elder Garcia came to my sector today to say goodbye to some families.  So after a round of basketball with Elder Henderson, we met up for probably what will be the last time I ever see him.  He was a really great trainer and companion, and above everything else, an excellent friend.  I learned a lot from Elder Garcia. 

Reunion with my trainer

Elder Garcia says good bye to families in Geronimo

Thanks for being a great trainer (and mission father), Elder Garcia

Sadly, I am going to have to cut the email here because my time is up and I still need to write the President.  Thank you all so much for everything, for your thoughts, prayers, letters, and everything.  I know that the work that I am doing right now is the Lord´s work.  I have seen the blessings of this true gospel not only bless my life, but the lives of many others as well.  Stay strong, stay positive, and I'm really looking forward to hearing from you again next week.

Love,

Elder Schwartz

P.S. Shoutout to Anthony Kirdwald and Frank for hooking me up with some sweet letters this week.