Ya 6 Meses en la mision!

Que loco el tiempo! No puedo creer que ya tengo 6 meses y que estoy en este punto de la misión. Es super loco cómo rapido ha ido el tiempo. How are you all doing? I certainly hope that everything has been great for all of you and that you've been able to recieve any help that you've needed. This week has been really good in all reality, and I have been able to learn a lot.

One thing that has happened is that it's started to rain here a lot the last couple days, which has made it difficult tocontact people in the street. And unfortunately all of our appointments fell through the last two days as well, so we ended up being in the street for the entire day haha. But really I enjoyed it and we had some really good experiences as we were getting soaked. During some of the difficulties with the physical aspects of the mission I have really come to fortify my relationship with Elder Paiva a lot and we have come to be good friends, something I would consider to be the best experience of this week.

On Saturday, as we were looking for a less active family in the rain, we asked a man in the street for directions but he didn't reply. Rather he started to break down and tell us that he wanted to die and was on his way to commit suicide. We calmed him down by asking for his name and about his family, which helped him to realize that there are peopple that really need him in this world. He had been drinking a lot right before we contacted him which was probably the cause of his breakdown so fast, but we were able to get really bad directions to his house and told him we were going to visit him and help him out. The next day in the afternoon we went to look for his house, in the rain again haha, and found him in the first house that we contacted. He was emotional that we had come to look for him, but couldn't let us in right then because his family from Santiago had come to visit him that day. But he was very grateful that we had looked for him and said that we can come any day this week to visit him and his family. I am positive that hte Lord truly put him in our path so that we can do evertyhing possible to help him turn his life around.

Also, as far as the relationship between my comanion and I goes, I feel that I was a huge part of the problem that was going on because of my pride. I never really have thought of myself as a very prideful person, but I have come to realize after much scripture study and prayer that I have a lot that I can improve on. This week I was striving constantly to be more and more humble, and could easily see the results lookin back on the week. I have learned so much about myself and I how I can be a better servant of the Lord that it has surprised me a lot. The scriptures know what they´re are talking about when they talk about the need for humility, even when it's something difficult to do.

One very powerful experience this last week has to do with fasting and prayer. Last week in church, all of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was asked to fast and pray for rain in the areas of the country that were in droughts, including where I am at now. It has been a very powerful experience to seel the hand of the Lord bless this country with much needed water this week just days after the fasting and prayers of those who asked for it. I truly know that the Lord is listening to us and is ready to give us all that we need is we do what is asked of us and demonstrate faith sufficient enough in Jesus Christ.

I would like to end with a scripture of course haha. This scriture in James 4 verses 10 through twelve helped me a lot this week as I tried to humble myself, it reads: "Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy; who art thou thou that judgest another?" Sometimes it's hard not to  jusdge others for their faults. But rather than judge we should humble orselves and look for our own faults and the things that we ourselves have to improve rather than what we think others should do differently.

I hiope that you are all well and that you keep smiles on your faces at all times. Never quit trying to do what's right. I pray for each of your safety and well being. 

Love,

Elder Conger

No Cambios Todavia

Hello my dear friends and family! How are you all doing? How's life been treatin ya? What's the summer like so far? I'm doing pretty good here in Graneros. We had changes this week but it looks like I'm going to be staying her in Graneros for another change with Elder Paiva to finish his mission. He's starting to get a little homesick but I'm trying the best I can to keep him focused. Haha I was almost 100% sure that I would be changing sectors this change but looks like the Lord still needs me here for a little more time. I'm really grateful for another change here really cause I still feel there's a lot of thing that I can do to help the people here.

My experiences here this week have been fortifying and I'm glad that I have more time here to take advantage of all that happened. Tuesday night we we had a feeling we needed to see how a family of investigators was doing and when we showed up it was kind of a mess. We didn't enter in their house but talked to the mother and daughter in the street and found out about a lot of problems that we didn't even know that they had. Turns out that the 17 year old soon went and got completely drunk and also hyas been smoking a lot of marijuana, and for this reason the boyfriend of the mom has been trying to get him to stop but in a really conflictive manner. Also the daughter told us that she has deppression and has been on medication for it since she was 9 and because of the problems in her family she never has believed in God, but that she has noticed a difference a difference in her life since we started visiting them. The last time there was a fight in the house it got so pad apparently that someone called the police and now the son and mom have to see a psycologist and there are going to be a lot of changes in the future for them. We went home and I actually said a prayer asking that I could stay for one more change so that I could specifically help this family, and later the mother and daughter actually told me they did the same. Looks like somebody's listening. We had a lesson on Friday and shared a message with them promising that what we share really can help them with all of their problem if they will listen to our advice and accept the commitments we extend. I have great faith that really we are going to help them in these next few weeks.

There were a few other cool experiences that we had of following the Spirit in situations where we needed help in a lessson or finding people to teach, but I'm just going to state simply that I know the Lord in lolistening to us and is well aware of our needs. All that we need to do is have the faith to oput our trust in Him and ask for the help that we need. 

As in times past, I am going to end with a scripture (big surprise there haha). I know that not everyone is of the same religion as I am, but I would like to share a scripture from Doctrine and Covenants which is another book of holy scriture that we have in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In Section 122 verses 7-9 it read: "And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thee, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? Therefore, hold on thy way, and the Priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy days shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever." I know that sometimes it's hard to se the blessings in our lives, but sometimes it's the lessons we learn from our difficulties that are the greatest blessings of all. I testify that the Lord will not give us more tribulations than we can handle, and that all the problems we face today are for our "experience, and shall be for [our] good." Keep striving to fight the good fight. I love you all and pray that you are well!

Love, Elder Conger

Mother's Day Skype!!

Had some tech issues at first... NO SOUND!!  :(

 

Got some text chatting in at least, and Kix showed us his mad juggling skills  :)

 

FINALLY - Skype works! Got to add Larissa in to the conversation even!!  Ace kept yelling at the 2 of them for their side conversations in SPANISH!  haha

 

A glimpse of the whole crew listening to one of Kix's stories  :)

 

 

Siempre tenemos alguien con nosotros

¡Hola mi familia y mis amigos! Ojala que están bien y que sientan amor y paz en sus vidas. Este semana fue super bueno y estoy muy agradecido por todo que yo aprendí. I have had some really good stories that I want to share with you guys this week!  

This morning was a really good one haha. I started the day out with good intentions, and decided that I was going to make pancakes for my companion and I to have for breakfast. Everything went along smoothly and the pancakes looked very delicious. Unfotunatley as I took the first bite of my pancake, it bacame clear I had done something very wrong. It turns out that the jar of what I had thought to be sugar, actually turned out to be salt and the pancakes were not near as delicious as they could have been. Always know the ingredients for whatever thing you a cooking, building, or doing in your life, that`s the lesson I learned from this experience. But my companion and I got a really good laugh out of it!!  

For anyone who is concerned about the volcano, it`s not anywhere near where I am at so don`t worry. But keep the people that have been severely effected by it in your prayers becaue there are many. Chile has become a crazy country recently haha they have tons of earthquakes, there was a flood in the north part of Chile a few weeks ago, and they have thousands of volcanoes all along the mountain range in the country. And before the last seven years or so it`s was fairly peaceful here. But now I guess that seven more of these volcanoes are active and causing some people to worry throughout the country. Really the most likely thing to happen to me here is to expereince a bad earthquake, and some of the older people here are predicting there to be one within the next year, but time will tell and the Lord will decide.  

 We have had some super awesome lessons this week. We are now teaching a family of two adaults who are not married, and the mother has two childen in their teenage years. The daughter, who is fifteen, does not believe that God exists because of all the terrible things that happen in the world today. I wish I could remember exactly what I and my companion said to her because it was definitley guidance of the Spirit, but basically we taught her: God is not the cause of evil in the world today, Satan is. There are many people who misuse their personally agency to make terrible decisions that can destroy other people`s lives, but God does not cause this. Each of us has our own agency, or ability to choose bad or good, and there are people who make horrible and terrifying decisions. Does God cause this? No. Does he allow it? Yes he does. But we also choose how we are going to respond to evil that passes. Will we just give up and say that life is nothing other than time spent on the earth to suffer terrible difficulties with no purpose? Or will we put our faith in Christ, and trust that after this life we are going to rest from the troubles of the world and have the true happily ever after that we all desire? I personally ike the second choice much more, and I know that it`s something that all of us can have.  

The second experience once again has to do with fear.It turns out all my studying about fear the last week came in handy, I know that I was truly guided to studying this so that I can conquer my own fear and help other conquer theirs as well. We were teaching an older woman who is scared for everything that she doesn`t know about, because her son is in the military. And she also doesn`t have much happiness lately because she feels lonely. I felt inspired to talk about how Jesus Christ felt when He was standing in front of an angry crowd that was yelling "Crucify Him" without a single friend by His side to help Him with all that He was suffering. I had never thought about this beforehand much myself, but now I do a lot. For Christ to have the courage to suffer all that He did in the Garden of Gethsemane until He died upon the cross and not have any fear seems unreal to me. Nobody has felt the suffrering that He felt, and nobody ever will. But depite all of His trials He did not lose courage, but rather he said to His Father "Not my will, but thine be done." Let us all learn from this, and try to have more courage in the face of our trials no matter how large or small they seem.  

I pray for each of you, and I sincerely hope that you can feel the love of the Savior and our Heavenly Father in your lives.  

With much love,

 

Elder Conger

Carta Semanal de Elder Conger

Hola todos mis amigos y familia, ojala que están la más feliz que es posible ahora en sus vidas. This week has been a week of learning and spiritual growth for me. I didn´t have many experiences that hit me like brick walls like I did last week, but I have learned a lot about myself and what I need to improve and do better in my personal life.

 

The week went by super fast despite the lack of tons of lessons or projects throughout. We have been focusing a lot more of our efforts on finding the people that live in our new sector and seeing if there is anything that we can help them with, and really we have had a lot of success in finding people that are less active members of the church or investigators that need help but don`t want it haha. This always seems to be the case in the mission, there are tons of people who need help with either the spiritual, emotional, or physical apects of their lives but don`t want it; or at least not from a couple of young men in the street. I have found the only time that we have been able to help people is when we involve prayer and the Spirit in this process. As my Mission President told us in a correlation meeting a couple weeks ago, "without the Spirit, missionaries are just a couple a young men wandering through the streets." Nevertheless, we have found many people as well who do want our help and have invited us to visit them during this week.

 

In my studies this week I have focused a lot on learning about patience (not sure if that is spelled right or not haha Spanish is destroying my English) and how I need to apply it more in my life. I have come to find that I need a lot more patience than I`ve had in the past. But as a missionary patience is invaluable, and you need it in every situation whether it`s with your companion, the people in your mission, or yourself. The fact is that none of us are perfect and we`re all doing to best we can to find some peace and happiness in this life, and during this process there are going to be a few points that are diffivult or that we don`t fully understand. As we develope patience, we come to trust that no matter how dark and dreary our circumstances are the Lord is going to make everything fine eventually, even if it`s not going to be in this life. However, we must not confuse patience with idleness, whish would mean we sit and do nothing waiting for the Lord to fix our problems and do nothing for ourselves. Rather we must anxiously engage in finding answers to our problems and doing everything that is possible to improve our circumstances. And when we show this effort this is when the Lord will show us the way, as we continuously and patiently search for the answers to our difficulties. The blessings of patience are many, and I can promise that this attribute will bless your lives and those of many around you as we all try to develope it more.

 

Another aspect I would like to talk about is Hope. During my time in the mission I have found several people without hope, who don`t believe that there is ever going to be a day when things are going to get better and there is only misery in life. I love the quote, "whether you think you can or can`t you`re right." If we don`t believe things will ever get better and our countanence is always pesamistic, things will not get better. But as we exercise hope in our trials, faithfully expecting deliverance from that which drags us down and doing all we can to fight agaist it, this is when we find joy and happiness. Let us all try to hope for joy in our lives, and patiently and diligently strive each day to do a little better and work a little harder toward that which we desire.

 

In closing I would like to share one of my favorite quotes from the infamous Yoda of the Star Wars universe, "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." No matter how dark or depressing your circumstances get do not be afriad, there is always a way out. I know at times this life is difficult and it can be hard to believe that things will get better, but I promise that they can. As we conquer our fears and allow the Lord`s will to become our own we will find that we are stronger than we thought, and there is no reason to fear. The light will always penetrate the dark, the good will always prevail against the evil, and God will always be own our side. It`s my hope and prayer that you are all well and find joy in each of your lives. Until next week!

 

With love, Elder Conger

Terminado con 8 Semanas (wowowowowowoooahwooooooooooah) ¡Que Loco!

¡Hola a todos! Ojala que reciben este mensaje en los mejores condiciones y que todos están feliz y no hay muchas dificultades para ustedes. This week has been super good, and I am so grateful for the oportunidad that I have to share my experiences with you. A lot of this email isn`t going to focus on much of myself directly but rather on experiences and things that have impacted me throught this past week.

 

First however, I will share a few neat things that did happen. I got my second haircut in Chile and I can oficially say that Mom or Dad either one of you have cut my hair ten times better than anyone barber in Chile so far. Granted the first time was prolly my fault as I had no idea how to say I wanted my haircut, but this time I definitely understood the lady and she understood me it just wan`t too important to her how my hair looks hha. However it`s grown back fast the last week and it looks better, I`m super glad to have short hair again haha. Also I made panakes yesterday with some left over Just Add Water pancake mix that Elder Loveridge left in our house. With some chocolate chips thrown in and some Manjar on top it was pretty darn good haha.

 

On Thursday I finished the Book of Mormon (in English) for the first time in the Mission as a challenge from President Warne, my Mission President, to finish it before April 30. I can say that it was the most contructive reading of the Book of Mormon I have ever done in my life and I learned more from this experience than I could have ever imagined. I urge anyone who has not read this book to do so, and to ponder the message that it contains. I am now reading the Bible in English as well and hope to finish the Old Testament by the end of this change with Elder Silvestre. Also in my reading of the Book of Mormon in Spanish I started over (for the third time haha) and am currently in 1 Nephi close to starting 2 Nephi. But I really have come to love studying the sciptures, there is so much knowledge and teachings that we can learn from in them in the historical parts alone.

 

As I said in the beginning of this email there were several experiences that I had this week which have greatly impacted me and I do whish to share them with you. The first was on Friday night. We went to visit the Family Milanco, who are in the new part of our sector that we gained in the last change, we didn`t know the family at all but we shared a scripture with the mother of the family about how "we cannot control the actions of others, all we can do is control our reactions and our own actions" that is found in 2 Nephi but I can`t rementer the exact scripture. After we shared the scripture she just started crying. I din`t really know how to react but then she said (in Spanish), "Everytime that there is something I´m struglling with or that is hard in my life, the missionaries show up and give me the exact message that I need to hear. I know you don`t know anything about us or our personal problems but this scripture is exactly what I needed to hear right now." This experience really fortified my testimony of my work here. I don`t know why this scripture impacted this woman so profoundly because she didn`t expound on it, but I know that my companion and I were guided by the Spirit of the Lord to this message and that our testimonies reguarding the message helped her to feel the Spirit and truthfulness of our words. I am so grateful that the Lord in His mercy touched this woman with our message.

 

The second experience I would like to share happened yesterday in the Primary. My companion and I teach a Primary class every week cause a lot of the teachers don`t come to church haha. However, we a an investigator (who has practically been one of the strongests sisiters in this area for the last six years) in the meetings with her two daughters, one 11 and the other 5. The family is super awesome and the kids are baptized besides the youngest because she is only 5, but the parents aren`t married and cannot be baptized until they do so. Anyways, we were finishing up the meetings and all the kids were leaving and the last one in the room was Michu, who is the 5 year old daughter. She is probably the cutest little kid I have ever seen, and she walked up to us and said, "I want my parents to be baptized." I don`t know why it impacted me so profoundly, but for this sweet and innocent little girl to say this in such a simple sentence when we had not talked about this with her or the family at any point in the three times that we`ve taught them or in the Primary classes was truly powerful to me. I am so grateful for this family and the words that this little girl spoke, because I truly felt the Spirit very powerfully after hearing these words.

 

I don`t have a lot more time but I would like to end as always by sharing a scripture. I wich to speak a little a bout charity this week. As I finished the Book of Mormon I was strongly impacted by the words of Moroni near the end of the Book of Moromon found in Moroni 7. In verses 46 and 47 it reads: "Wherefore, my beloved bretheren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherfore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail, but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." As a missionary, charity is so important. I am trying harder each day to focus more and more on what other people need of me and less of my personal desires for the day or week. As this scripture says, "charity is the pure love of Christ... and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day it shall be well with him." I encourage each of you to develope more charity, and promise as you do so you will find happiness that cannot be described. Until next week!

 

Elder Conger

¡¿Ya Tres Meses?! (Three months aready?!)

Woow, que loco el tiempo en el campo misional. No creo que tengo tres meses en el misión ahora pero por lo visto es la verdad. Necesito trabajar más duro y con más energía pienso. Pero ¡¿COMO ESTÁN?! This week flew by and I can´t belive that people say it´s just going to get faster and faster. I´ve already got three months in the mission and in a lot of ways it feels like I just started. Nevertheless, it was a really good week; possibly one of the best that I´ve had in the mission. 

 

This week started out really dificult, mostly because there are only two people in our house now and we don´t really talk a ton because we´re together all day and know exactly how the other person´s day was. We have some good laughs throughout the day, but in the house usually it´s just really quiet. But with our ENORMOUS sector that we have now there are way more people that we now have the oportunity to teach and help. So every day we´ve been super busy and have found a lot of people, which is super cool to me.

 

Probably the best part of the week was the oportunity for Capacitación with all of the misionaries that I arrived to the Rancagua Mission with. It was the first time I had seen a few of these people in nearly two months, and it was great to talk with them and see how they have progressed. It´s really crazy how much the mission helps people learn and grow at an incredibly fast rate. I´ve experienced this in my personal missionary service and seen it in the others here with me, and I know that anyone else who chooses to serve a mission or do anything similar learns a lot in a little ammount of time. One for me obviously is Spanish, but also how to motivate yourself each day, basic daily responsibilities, how to provide for yourself, and joy in learning and serving others.

 

Not really a whole lot more to share. I´m gonna go back to the buzz cut with my hair today thank goodness, I think I know sufficient Spanish to ask for that now haha. But I´m felling superb, and am filled with much joy today.... I´m starting to realize also that  sometimes I combine the gramar of Spanish and English when I try to write or talk English, and it sounds really weird to me haha. OH! yeah and I had my first dream in Spanish haha it´s was really weird and I don´t really remember what happened but it was definitely in Spanish!

 

To end, as always, I´d like to share a spiritual thought. I have come to love studying the epistle of Paul (if anyone hasn´t noticed from previous emails) and I always find instruccion, encouragement, and super cool messages in his teachings. I have previously shared Romas chapter 8 (my favorite chapter from the Bible probably) but I want to focus on it again this week. In verse 18 it reads: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be  revealed in us." okay wow. There is some pretty tough stuff that goes on in the world today and sometimes I cannot comprehend how some people could do some of the things they do to others around them. But her paul says that the sufferings we have in this world are NOT WORTHY to be compared to the glory we will have after this life. Never forget that as hard as this life can be, the blessings to come are far greatter than that which we will suffer here.

 

It is my firm testimony that as we focus more on the will of the Lord, and the blessings he will grant us in eternity, and we focus less on the trials and extreme dificulties we have in this life that we will come to find joy in our darkest hours. God will always be there for us, waiting with open arms to recieve us. All we have to do is decide, right now, that we accept Him and His Beloved Son Jesus Christ, who is our Savior and Redeemer, and there is no thing in Heaven nor earth that shall keep us from the blessings He will pour down upon us in His great mercy. We can do all things through Christ, for He is strong even though we are weak (kinda from Alma 26:12). I promise each of you that God loves you, and that no matter what your struggles are right now He wants to and will bless you if only we all demonstrate a little bit of faith in Him. This is my firm and unshaked testimony, in the name of our beloved brother Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

I Pray you are all well and happy, and will continue to do so now and forever.  

With much love,  

Elder Conger

Terminado con Primer Cambios

¡Que loco fue este semana! Estoy un poco cansado hoy día porque tuvimos muchas cosas hacer durante la semana. Pero todo es bueno, y estoy tan feliz hoy día. How are all of you guys doing? This week was crazy and incredible, and with General Conference this weekend I`m just on some kind of a Spiritual high. 

 

This week I have my first changes (where missionaries get companions and areas switched) but I`m going to be staying in Graneros with Elder Silvestre to finish my training this next change. However, Elder Loveridge and Elder Quito are leaving to Talca, and we`re not getting new missionaries to replace them haha. So now we`ve got only two sectors in our ward, and tons of people that we are now teaching. But it`s cool to get to know a new part of Graneros and to work with diferent people. But I have a feeling that after the other two Elders leave and it`s just me and Elder Silvestre in the house, it`s going to be a lot more lonely haha. But Also I will get distracted from studying a lot less than I usually do from studying and writing in my journal at night, so ther is a positive too.  

My guitar skills have come in handy of late as during my time here we have taught three families who have guitars, but they have all ben extremely out of tune. I figured out that I can tune by ear fairly well and tuned them for them, and now I know how to pick a few hymns on them that I`ve been practicing on the pianol, so it`s pretty sweet! also all the guitars are really, REALLY, cheap and junky. But the people are really happy with them haha.

 

Conference this weekend was SUPER BAKAN!!! I feel so fortified and ready to work after all that we heard and were taught. I always love the talks by Elder Holland, and his story about the two brothers on the cliff hit be so hard. The comparision was completely perfect and drove home the point that Jesus Christ is our loving brother, and that He is waiting to grab hold and catch us to keep us from falling after we jump. Also the talk by Elder Bednar about the difference between Fear of the World and Godly Fear drove home points about what fear really is and how we can overcome it. Many of you know that really there isn`t much that scares me anymore, and as I grow in the gospel this becomes more and more true. Godly Fear doesn`t mean that we are actually afraid of God, but rather that we know there are dire consequences of transgressing and breaking eternal laws with a knowledge of doing so. One thing that was very cool was hereing from Elder Zeballos in the last session on Sunday. That`s now the third time I`ve heard him speak on my mission; once in the CCM (withe Sister Burton who spoke in the first Saturday Session) and then again at a conference that we had a couple weeks ago in our mission.

 

To close I`d like to share a scripture in Matthew that hit me this week. In chapter 6 verses 20,21 and 22 it reads: "...Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine ey be single [for the kingdom of God], thy whole body shall be full of light." It is my firm testimony that as we make what`s most sacred to us be the kindom of God, we will be "full of light". and then we will be able to share that light with the world, and we will see miracles come to pass in the lives of others through our actions. I know that this Gospel is true without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, and that our Savior and Redeemer, even Jesus Christ, was risen over 2000 years ago on an Easter Sunday just like the one we celebrated yesterday. And because of HIs victory over death, both Spirritual and Physical, every single person and this earth, now or at any other point in time, can be saved in the kingdom of God. It is my testimony that we can overcome the Devil and his evil ways through our Savior, and I say this in His name, even the name of Jesus Christ. Amen  

With love and prayers for each of you,
Elder Conger  

P.S. the pictures are of our sector, just of some houses and the power lines (whish are insane and very unorganized here haha they usually go through tons of trees)

Grande Bendiciones por Pequeño Hechos

¡Hola! Another week out the window already?! WOW!! Crazy!! in two more weeks I´ll have about three months in the mission, and that really is an insane thought. In onew week I´m halfway through with my training! 

 

Fortunately the language is just getting better and better, and I´m able to relate stories and experiences a lot easier now than I ever have in the past. My companion and I havent have any big arguements and I don´t think we´re going to, we actually are pretty compatible. Which is a great thing. But we definitely have big differences as well and are really starting to realize them and try and work off the other´s strangths rather than point out any weaknesses that we have. So I think if nothing crazy happens I´ll finish my training in a happy state haha.

 

I don´t have a lot to relate this week; we´re teaching several families right now, one of which we´ve helped several times in trying to finish their house. They´re about halfway done but are so excited and happy with what they have. Which is what gave me the titile for my e-mail this week.

 

We recieve huge blessing with small acts. Putting forth an effort is all the Lord asks of us to recieve His help. In building a house, you take tons of time and tiny pieces of wood. And little by little something amazing begins to form. We´re the same way with our lives. Each day we make little decisions and have small acts that will yield enormous results, and we´re the ones who decide what those results are going to be. Is your house going to be large and beautiful, with perfect measurements and lots of time and planning? Attention grabbing with colors and interesting designs and patterns all around it? OR it could be a small box with no effort at all, but we are the ones that build it.  

To end I want to share a quote from a book I´m currently reading, called the Miracle of Forgiveness, I would like to share: "When we follow the instructions of the Lord, we are kept so busy perfecting ourselves that we come to realize that the faults of others are small in comparision [to ours]" - Spencer W. Kimball

 

Don´t focus on other people´s imperfections with their "houses" until you have finished with yours. We can always help other build and improve others peoples "houses" without thinking of the imperfections that they may have, because we´ve all got imperfections. The important thing is that we are always striving to improve.

 

I hope you are all well and happy as possible!

 

Love, Elder Conger  

 

P.S. I´ll send photos now haha

these are from my last day in the CCM and with my trainer on the first day 

Manjar y Completos

¿¡Como esta mis amigos y familia!? Esta semana fue loco rápido y yo no se como es p-day otro vez. Pero estoy muy animado por la oportunidad a escribir ustedes hoy día y tengo muchas cosas a compartir. Sorry I didn´t get an email out to everyone last week! I was trying to do a few personal emails to some people that had written me specifically, and I´ll try to do that again sometime in the future, but I don´t get a lot of time to write everyone so I can´t promise too much. But I hope that your all doing extraordinarily well and loving life. These past week have been so great, and I´m extremely grateful for the opportunity that I have been given to be here and meet all the people that I have. The language is getting better and I can communicate with most people on the street fairly well as long as they recognize that I´m not actually Chilean and can´t understand their crazy fast Spanish very well haha. But my companion and I are now doing English and Spanish days every other day where we talk to each other in only that language because he really wants to get good at his English, and obviously I need to be speaking in Spanish. I forget a lot and talk in Spanish out of habit but I´m getting better. My companion escpecially likes to impersonate Gollum in English at night when we´re all about to fall asleep so that´s been pretty entertaining with his "Chilenglish" that he likes to speak during that time haha. Chileans have several words they use a lot that are not in other countries that speak Spanish, so Riss you might have trouble understanding me when we talk in Spanish haha.

 

        Some people have asked me about the culture weather and food here. The weather is really good right now, the worst thing is that some days it gets like super hot during the day and freezing cold at night (but I think that the cold is because our house really isn´t insulated that well haha) but I really like the climate and area that I´m in. It hasn´t rained at all but yesterday was the first day of Autumn, and the closer we get to winter the more likely it will be to rain or snow. The food here is so delicious! The fruit is so enormous, and is really really good. I´ve eaten grapes that are near the size of golfballs haha it´s so cool! Also they eat a lot of completos (hotdogs) but they put tomatoes, guacamole or avocado, and then mustard mayo and ketchup. But they enormous too! Probably close to a foot and a half long, it´s insane. My new favorite desert is crackers with this stuff called Manjar. I don´t think we have it in the United States and if we do I don´t know why we don´t eat it more often cause it´s freaking amazing. It looks like someone took peanut butter and caramel and mixed them together, and it tastes like..... I really don´t know. I really can´t describe how it tastes haha, but it´s great. The people are really great for the most part, and now that I can communicate pretty well I feel more confident in meeting people on the street. They have a lot of Evangelical people here who are really nice and I enjoy talking to, but they also a lot of times get huge speakers and microphones in the middle of our sector and shout all kinds of Psalms and Proverbs really loud. It gets kinda old when we´re in a house trying to talk to or teach someone and all I can hear is someone shouting into a microphone three blocks away haha. As far as the people we are teaching and helping, they really are very good and nice people. People here are so willing to share with us, especially member of the church. Yesterday an Hermana needed us to come to her house to help her for about five minutes, and afterwards she gave us basically a second lunch and refused to let us leave without eating with her family haha. 

 

        Nothing really crazy has happened though and I´m starting to get into the routine of our everyday activities. I´m really lucky with the companion I got for a trainer because we get along really well, and we also can get a lot done in one day. The other day he was asking me how many companions I´d had before him haha he´d forgotten that this was my first transfer in the field. It´s crazy I´m already starting week five in the field! by the end of next week I´ll have about three months in the mission! That´s completely insane!

 

        I´m going to have to apologize again, we came to the Internet place directly from a Zone activity and I don't have my cord for my camera again, so I´m not going to be able to send any pictures again this week, I´m sorry! Next week there will be like twenty to send haha. To end I just like to encourage each of you to think of someone this week you know who needs help, and make a plan of how you can help them. This is what we do every day in our planning session at night as missionaries, and I´ve seen it help a lot of people. Even when our plans to help people don´t go the way that we think or hope they will, if we put forth an effort to help people the Lord will show us the way that we can accomplish that which they need after we´ve prepared to do the best that we can. Helping people has come to be my favorite thing in the world, and as we give ourselves to others we begin to forget our own problems and worries and get carried away in the service of others rather than the things that normally would bother us, I promise if you look for one person who needs your help each day you will find that there are more things you can do for others than you ever thought, and you will feel true joy afterwards in knowledge that you can help people do things that they can´t always do for themselves.  

Thank you all for the emails, thoughts, and prayers they truly are a blessings. I love you all and pray for your safety and well being. Take care!

Love, Elder Conger

 

Elder Silvestre (companion/trainer) is on Kix's right

Soccer after the zone meeting today

 

¡Dos Semanas en el Campo!

 Hola mi familia y mis amigos, ¿Como esta? Este semana fue un poco mas difícil de las otros pero fue bueno, y yo tengo un testimonio de la obra que estoy haciendo aquí en Chile fue es mas fuerte que cualquier o todas las otros sentimientos antes en mi vida. It's been so great to hear from those of you who have written me these last couple of weeks and I'm so grateful for the things that each of you has had to say to me. Thank you also for all of the prayers and thoughts that have been sent my way, I can honestly say that I have felt them and seen their impact.
    This week my companion and I have had trouble contacting people to teach, but we have been able to do quite a bit of service. One young man by the name of Erly needed help moving a bunch of junk out of his house and we helped with with that for awhile. He's also asked me to teach him how to arc weld because he's got several things he's wanting to build onto his house that he needs to weld for, and I told him if my President is okay with it I'd be more than happy to help him as much as I can. The homes here are incredibly humble, and I am so much more thankful for the circumstances of my family throughout my life because of the blessing to live where we do. Yet as humble and poor as some of these people are, they must have some of the most powerful testimonios of the Savior and faith than any others I have known before. We've helped a people with their homes a lot, and as Elder Loveridge, a misionario I live with would say: "the houses are built from concrete and cardboard." And It's not far off from the truth.
    The most dificult thing has been seeing people I know I can help that will not accept it. Whether it's physical labor they need, my knowledge, or the message of Jesus Christ, many people here are not very receptive to us. We are in a pueblo called Graneros a little ways out of Rancagua, and it's a really nice town with tons of great people. But as there is anywhere else there are a few hard headed people around. My companion and I have a sector of the town that has aparently the most problems with drugs and enemployment. I've seen many people without purpose sitting on the side of the road drinking away their lives each day, and they have no desire to see that there is a better and much happier way to live. The Hermanas (Sister Missionaries) have a lot more trouble with harasment than we do, but we get the occasional gesture and comment that aren't the greatest to hear. It's funny to realize the the only English people know here, are "Hello" and then about every swear word you could think of. It's makes me glad that The pronouciation of English here isn't too great and I reply with an "¡Hola! Yo quiero usted tener una día que es genial y que tiene mucha felicidad en su vida. ¿Como puedo ayuda usted tener estas cosas?" or something along those lines haha usually they just walk away.
    I don't ahve a lot more tim but I'll try and send some pictures to you all. To end I'd lik to share a scripture that has helped me this week. I know above it might sound like I'm complaining or feeling down or a little bit depressed about the circumstances, but this is nopt the case. I'm saddend because of the struggle to help people, this is true, but I am more convinced than ever I am fulfilling my purpose in this life and I am not ashamed of the words I speak or actions I do. In 2 Timothy 1: 7-8 it says: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and of love and of sound mind. Be thou not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;" In this scripture, Paul clearly tells us not to be ashamed of our testimonies, and that living this gospel is not always going to be easy. But we can always know that we are doing what is ruight because of the Spirit. I have felt the "spirit of power" in my time here and I have begun to conquer my fears. I know the message I carry of our Savior Jesus Christ is the truth, and through Him I can do all things that are expedient to the Lord. This is the time to prepare, and there is no better time to start than now. I love and pray for you all and hope you are well.

Elder Conger

Primero P-Day en el Campo Misional

¡Hola! ¿Como le va? It´s been an insane past couple of weeks and I don´t know if I´ll have enough time to explain everything but I´ll try my best

   I got my trainer! His name is Elder Silvestre and he´s from Spain, so I get to speak Spanish practically the whole day and I´m loving it!! Currently we are teaching a lot of less active members but we´ve had a lot of service opportunities as well. The people here have incredibly humble homes, and it makes me extremely grateful for everything that I had while growing up. Ther are also many incredible people here, and probably the coolest person I have met yet would be Abraham, who is an 18 year old joven (youth) in our ward. He is the only person in his pamily that attends church, is planning to serve a mission next September, and always helps us out when wqe need him.

   I had my first Chilena completo (hotdog) and it was amazing! They`re food here is pretty different from the U.S. and they eat fruit with about everything, but the fruit is all amazing so it`s good. I´m learning to like a lot of different varieties of food, and some missionaries have had tough times addapting to the foods here, but it has`t bothered me yet.

    Elder Silvestre really knows a fair amount of English, but usually he doesn`t use any of it unless I don`t know how to say a certan word or phrase in Spanish and need a bit of help, but he told me that he was very surprised with the ammount of Spanish I am able to speak. Usually I can understand people but I deffinitely have a lot more that I need to learn. However, wioth diligant studying and a lot of practice I think I`ll be pretty comfortable with the language by the end of my first transfer.

    We are actually in a biking sector of the mission so that`s pretty awesome. We cover a pretty good amount of ground in little time and can teach quite a few lessons in one day. But contacting people is also a lot harder on a bike so it`s got it`s ups and downs.

    There are probably a lot of questions as to the specifics of what`s all hppening and how I`m feeling, but truly There isn`t really a way to describe it haha. I love it here and I`m so grateful for everyone that I`ve met and have come to love already. Especially my mission president who has already helped me more than I can possibly describe, my companion, and all of you and your prayers, thoughts, and e-mails.

    To end I`d like to share a scripture that has helped me a lot this week. In Romans 8:31 we read: "...If God is with us, who can be against us?" and Paul goes on to talk about nothing being able to "seperate us from the love of our God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Savior." This chapter has helped me feel the hand and love of God in my life so much more personally and I would encourage each of you to read it as well. If we has faith is Jesus Christ, nothing is impossible. I know that my Savior lives, loves me, and suffered for my sins and those of all the people on the earth. He wants us to live happily and to attain eternal life, and we have that oppoirtunity if we work for it. Never forget the love and pland that our Heavenly Father has for us, because it`s the onlñy thing that is certain in this life. God is always on our side, even when nobody else is.

    

Love and pray for you all!!

 

Elder Conger

Letter from the Mission President

La Misión Chile Rancagua

Casa de la Misión,  Los Girasoles 1720, Rancagua, Chile

Oficina de la Misión,  Alcalde Eduardo Melero 883, Casilla 2-C, Rancagua, Chile

February 25, 2015

Dear Family of Elder Kix Vernon Conger,

Sister Warne and I just finished welcoming the missionaries that arrived this week to serve our Lord in the Chile Rancagua Mission. Here is a photo for your family.

It is clear that these missionaries are very dedicated, that they love Jesus Christ, and that they have desires to share the gospel with the Chilean people. This work will make them happy, and the Lord will bless them for the service they give.

The people here in Chile are very kind, and the missionaries have opportunities to share the gospel every day. Thank you for the support that you provide, it is very important to your missionary.

Sister Warne and I love the missionaries and we will take care of them during their time here. We ask for blessings from the Lord for all of you.

Sincerely,

President and Sister Warne

First day in Rancagua with President & Sister Warne

Made it to Rancagua!!

Hola!! Just got to my first area in the field and I´m so excited!! My trainer´s name is Elder Silvestre and he is from Spain. He´s got 11 months in the field and I can tell that i´m going to learn a lot from him. I´m a bit nervous obviously ut that´s normal I think haha. Hope all is going well, I´ll talk to you more on Monday between roughly 12:00 and 3:00 my time! Adios

Elder Conger

Semana 6!!!!

   ¡¡Hola!! ¿Como están? Este tiempo aquí en el CCM solo va mas rápido cada semana, y es increíble yo ira a el campo del misión en el próximo  semana. Espero que todo ustedes son bueno y que sus vidas son el major. 
    I´m not a fan of these Spanish keyboards, so sorry this turned into two messages. This last week has been fairly interesting and ecome incredible starting from right after my email last week. During P-day last week my companion and I were out getting lunch and some things for the week, and a man ran up to me saying that God had answered his prayer. His name was Raul, and he was having a lot of trouble at home with the woman he lived with, and the morning before he saw us he had prayed that God would send him someone that could help him. As soon as he saw us he was overcome with emotion and only wanted to walk with us and talk for a short time. He is currently unemployed but is trying to become a drummer. I told him that I had done a little bit of drumming when I had lived in the United States and he got a big smile on his face and pulled some drum sticks out of his back pocket that I had not noticed before. He asked me to teach him, and although I couldn´t really teach him a lot on the street he was able to get some basic rythyms down that will hopefully help him in the future. We continued to talk and he said he knew a little bit about our church because he had aquired a Restoration pamphlet at some point earlier that he didn´t share with us. We ended up being late back to the CCM by about 20 minutes but as we were leaving I got his adress and contact information, and when I looked back in the taxi he was on his knees crying. I wish that I had taken everything I possibly could that would have helped Raul that day, but I sincerely hope that the missionaries that are in this area will find him and give him the help that he needs.

    In our classes this week we have had two of the same maestros two weeks before and one new maestros. However we are now only being taught in Spanish and some of the missionaries are struggling a lot with understanding everything being taught. At times I run into words that I don´t recognize and I need explained to me but I´m definitely progressing. One of the best things I read this week would have to be a scripture that was shown to me by Hermana McNevin, who is in my district, and it´s pretty much all of Romans 8 but from verse 17 until the end of the chapter Paul says some pretty great stuff that I think can help us all out. My scripture study has become so much more in depth and meaningful since I arrived here at the CCM, I enjoy reading all the scriptures at every available opportunity that I have (which isn´t very much) and finding verses and lines that strengthen my testimony and can help me teach more effectivelyl. There is an answer for every question that we have in the scriptures, all we have to do is put forth the effort to look for it and ponder the message in our hearts once we find it.

    My companion is getting better with the language, but I still do about 75% of the talking in the lessons if we include translating. And our relationship has been pretty good other than at one point last week he refered to me as a "robot missionary" because I guess try to follow all the rules with exact obidience. We didn´t really get into an argument but we debated over it for a couple minutes. I tried to explain that a "robot missionary" is not a missionary who obeys all the rules it´s exactly the opposite. A real missionary obeys all the rules and commandments because he loves his God and Savior and wants to please them, and when he teaches he doesn´t teach a lesson or phrase that he memorized from a book he teaches a message that will help people and it´s with sincerity and love from all of his heart and soul. I don´t think that he completely agreed with me because he never really responded, but we were back to normal routine within the next ten minutes so I wasn´t really bothered by it.

    I don´t have a lot more time and the computers and being kind of stupid today so I´ll have to leave it there and send some pictures. I´ll try to reply to as many of the personal e-mails as I can but can´t promise I´ll get to them all. I hope that you all are doing well and that you can feel God´s love in your life, because I know tha he truly loves each of us intimately and knows what it is that we need help with and how we need strengthened. I love you all and pray for you each day.  

P.S. I don´t know what exactly the plan is for my P-Day next week cause that the day I leave for Rancagua (CRAZY!!!) but if I don´t get the chance to email it´ll be two weeks until my next email, so I guess we´ll see how all that pans out. Adiós.

 

Elder Conger

 

Only three pictures this week. So I don´t know if this is real but that´s David Archuleta´s name under a bed in our room haha, someone has to Google what CCM he went to. The other is the way we run for exercise each morning, and then two missionaries in another district that are some pretty cool guys. their names are Elder Mathews and Elder Blake.

 

 

 

Uno mes en el libros

 ¡Hola mi familia y mis amigos! ¿Como están? Aquí en el CCM vida es increíble, porque todo las personas aquí son muy feliz y quieren ayudar otros personas a venir a Cristo. Today another group of missionaries is leaving to head into the mission field. It´s incredilble how fast the time has flown by. Already I am one month into my mission and I will be leaving the CCM in only two weeks! Each day I realize truly how short of a time these two years are, and I need to focus all of my time and effort on improving my work and study habbits so that I can be more prepared to help all the people that I can once I leave the CCM. 

   My week has been a good one but not a lot of exciting things have happened. However on Sunday, (and some of you prolly won´t know whoo these people are but they´re a few of the leaders from our church), we had three surprise visitors that gave a devotional at the CCM while they were waiting for their flight back to the United States. They were Sister Marriott (of the General Young Women´s Presidency), Sister Burton (the General President of the Relif Society) and an Elder who´s name I cannot pronouce or spell, but he was the President of the Area Seventy in Chile. It so great to hear from each of these speakers and their spouses as well, and my sense of diligence was strengthened so much.

   Also, Sunday night got very interesting for me haha. Here at the CCM there is a ritual for the Elder who is in charge of carrying all the sports equipment every morning for the exercise. My district knew nothing about it since the last time it had happened was before we got here. But this Sunday I was chosen to be the new carrier of the sports equipment, and let´s just say that it was evident during this ritual that Missionaries definitely are for the most part still 18 and 19 year old guys that like to make things aa lot more intense than many people wwould think is necessary. However it was a fun time and it brought me closer to a lot of the missionaries that are here with me.

    My companion is begining to make some significant progress with the language and it is very good to see. A lot of times during our practice lessons he has to have me translate a lot for hime, but yesterday he only needed help a couple  of times. Neither of us can speak anywhere near perfect Spanish but I feel much more capable of my ability to communicate in Spanish than any time before.

    I would have to say that my favorite part of the day here has to be personal study. A lot of times I study the scriptures lokking for verses that will help me in my practice lessons. Usually I find that the scriptures i study will help me throughout life in general rather just during that day. It is amazing to me how much my desire to study and learn have increased and changed in only four weeks. I know that this work I am doing here in unlike any other, and that if anyone is seeking comfort or guidance in their life they can find answers through the scriptures and Jesus Christ. Although life is difficult at times, there is always a way for us to find peace and joy in what we´re doing. I love what I am learning and doing here in Chile with all my heart. I know that I am going to be ten times the man that I was because of how much I have already grown up. I knoww that God knows and loves each of us personally, I have felt his love in my life so strongly since ariiving here, and I know that he wants each of us to lead the happiest life that we possibly can. 

    I hope and pray you are all safe and well, and I´m sorry that my schedule here is very consisitent. Next week will be my last P-day in the CCM, and I´m going to miss this place very much. I love you all , and pray for blessings in your lives each day.

Elder Conger

First Missionary Selfie!  :)

Pictures of Santiago

Tres Semanas en el CCM!!!

 ¡¡Hola amigos y familia!! ¿¡¿¡Como estan?!?! No se que este fue el corecto via a escribe pero me gusta a habla y ecribe con mucho felicidad haha. I have been loving here in the CCM and I cannot believe that it has already been three weeks. Today marked one day past the halfway point of my arrival her and it feels like I´ve been here my whole life and for hardly a day at the same time. The food isn´t that great but the people are amazing. All of our maestros are amazing teachers and have amazing stories from their missions. The more stories I hear about the mission field the larger my desire is to learn more Spanish and go start teaching.

    One of the coolest parts of my week was that yesterday I met my Mission President! He and his wife were going through the temple with a group of missionaries that are leaving our mission the same week I will be getting there. It was great to see how happy and loving each of those missionaries were at the end of their missions, and I know that they have been very successful in their teaching. throughout the course of my time here in the CCM I have three opportunities to go to the temple with my district and we have now gone twice. I only have one more time while in the CCM to go through the temple!! That is insane!!

    The language is coming along very well, my companion however is still struggling. I try to get him more motivated to study a little extra and work just a little harder to get a firm grasp on the lessons in Spanish but he seems fairly content with where he is at. It saddens me but all I can do is love him and keep trying to motivate him to work a little harder. It is interesting to see how much other missionaries see the maestros and missionaries in the field as some sort of unattainable state of righteousness and light. My companion always talks about our teachers in a way that makes it seems as though they are legends and no other missionaries can match what they´ve accomplished. When I hear the stories of our teachers, all I can think about is the amazing experiences that I am going to have in the field with my investigators. I am not recognized in my District as an amazing source of gospel knowledge or the best speaker of the language, in fact I think many missionaries in my district don´t really know how strong my conviction is to share the gospel. However our District Leader Elder Peterson, who I have come to love and respect very much, has told me several time that I am one of the hardest working missionaries he has seen. The several times that I have heard this from him have been times I am frustrated with myself for not understanding the language or a couple times when my companion has taken a lot of time to get ready for the day and made us late for class. It reassures me that I am not slacking off, and that if I keep faith that the things I don´t understand now will come in time the Lord will bless me with the gift of tongues and the ability touch other people lives in ways I cannot comprehend.

    My favorite day of the week here is Sunday. Every Sunday we get an extra fifteen minutes of sleep in the morning and then have Devotionals, Sacrament Meeting, Priesthood, District Meeting, and FHE. All of these are filled with great spiritual messages. My favorite this week was a devotional from Elder Holland to all missionaries in 2009. The talk was filled with tons of great advice for missionaries and I´m working on making a small poster of all the great quotes here to hang up in my room, but one part in particular really hit me (don´t take this too literally but it might happen) : COME HOME ON A STRETCHER. As soon as I heard these words I knew what my mission is going to require of me. I will spend all of my energy each day seeking out those who need help and to hear the message that I have to share. I am not going to be the same person when I come home and I have already changed so much in the last three weeks. The impact of giving every part of my being to my mission is going to be hard, but the rewards that the Lord promises us in return are far more than that which we are giving up. Each of us needs to live every day, searching for someone who needs our help, because they truly are everywhere. And if we put forth just a little effort to find them, we will find that we can help them in more ways than we thought were possible. I know that this is true, and each of us has the ability to love and help others. I love you all and hope this message finds you well and happy!

Love,
Elder Conger