Last Zone Conference

Saw Elder Henderson at Zone Conference

Dear Family!

It sounds like you all had an excellent week -- very busy, but that's how we Schwartz's are, so it's okay!

Elder Guerrero and I hit it off really well -- we had a really good and also busy week.  We found some new people to teach, and that is always a huge plus.  We were also able to visit the family that we met in the street last Monday and we will be visiting them again this week too.  There are actually lots of new people moving into the ward, so it has been fun helping them make the transition into Tobalaba -- it's a good ward to be in.  

Other than finding new people and teaching sweet lessons, Elder Guerrero and I were really busy with other fun stuff too!  On Friday we had our zone conference -- I had to conduct it -- that was cool/kind of weird.  The worst part was when Elder Schade and I had to get up and give our farewell testimonies, because we both go home at the end of this transfer.  During my whole mission so far, I have watched missionaries walk to the podium to bear their testimonies, but I never thought that one day it would end up being my turn.  It was such a strange and bitter feeling looking out into the congregation at all of these awesome, great missionaries -- it was weird; I didnt like it. The meeting was really good though, and it helped me to understand that I still have a LONG ways to go to become the missionary that I want to be.  We had a meeting on Sunday morning with President Wright, and our stake President, President Guiffra, and the high councilman who is in charge of missionary work.  It was at 8am, so we had to wake up at 6am, but it was a really good meeting though.  I have been really blessed to be able to see excellent leaders in action down here in Chile.  And on Sunday evening we had a fireside with President and Hna Wright, and all of the missionaries in the stake -- we all brought less active members, recent converts and/or investigators, and the meeting was EXCELLENT.  We brought a convert family that has kind of been inactive, and they were able to meet up with and talk to President and Hna Wright for a while and it made them really happy, so that was nice.  I feel like it was a good first step in helping them back into activity.  

This upcoming Tuesday Elder Guerrero and I have to speak in a fireside about how the members can work hand in hand with the missionaries, so we are getting ready for that.  Today was a really relaxing p-day -- I got to take a nap, so I feel great right now -- less tired than usual.

Anyways, I love you all so much.  I hope that you have an EXCELLENT week.  Keep being great examples for all of the people around you.

with love,

ELder Schwartz

Bryan is a recent convert and this must be how they celebrate birthdays in Chile -- cake in the face