Monday March 26, 2012

Hola Familia!!!

How are you all doing? This week was a little disappointing in some ways
but with every grand disappointment comes 10 miracles. Speaking of miracles
we have a hermano in our ward who taught us something interesting this
week. He asked us “of all the miracles that exist today, which one is the
greatest?” I responded birth, my companion responded revelation, which are
good answers but the hermano had the best answer and I think I have to
agree with him the greatest miracle of today is, “the ability to change
someones life.” So this e mail is dedicated to the people who have helped
me change lives and of course the people who changed my own life.

I have know some really great people during my mission. And they really
have changed my life. But in the last transfer I have come to know the
great people of Ventanilla. My pensionista and his family have really taken
good care of me and my companion and I have to say that so far it is the
only pension that hasn’t made me sick.

The lady who owns the house where we live is another. She has cancer and is
a good fighter. She really doesn’t give up and the best part is she always
has a huge smile on her face as she greets us as we finish another long day.

And the YSA of this ward are awesome. There are 6 young men In our ward
prepareing for missions and all I can say is they will be some great
missionaries. They like to fool around a little bit but name one 19 year
old kid who doesn’t like to fool around.

Speaking of preparing for a mission how could I forget my own mission prep.
Thanks to brother nielson I really did grow to not only want to serve a
mission but I needed to serve a mission. My great parents who were always
behind me even in the worst times of my life. My brothers and sisters who
in their varied personalities helped me in their own special way. My
friends who have gone before gave me the example to follow. And of course
my best friend megan, who despite what the world thinks never held me back
from serving a mission but only pushed me forward. I wouldn’t be here if it
weren’t for all of you.

But I have said all that before how about for some new news. Speaking of
mission prep we had a great activity with the young men of the ward. First
of all it is important to know that we have a huge number of young men in
our ward. We have about 120 members in our ward and probably 25 of them are
young men between the ages of 12 to 20. We held a activity similar to that
of mission meals that we did when I was in mutual. But we did a mission
day. They started the day off at 6:30 in the morning with a breakfast and
then went straight to studies. They learned the 4 lessons that we teach
before baptism in about 3 hours. Did some practicing and then went out in
to the streets to put their knowledge to the test. In our ward we never
really got the chance to be in a real situation we taught our lessons to
people who already knew the truth but it was something amazing to see these
young men break out of their comfort shell and “HELP CHANGE LIVES.”

This last week was transfers and I think I already mentioned that Elder
Calle and I are together one transfer more but I cant say the same for the
rest of the zone. In every companionship except ours and one other had some
sort of change. In all my time in the mission I have never seen so many
changes. In the last multi zone conference president spoke of how he was
worried for the success of the mission and that there were many changes
coming, but I don’t think anyone took him literally. It will be interesting
to see how this transfer plays out.

And I think I have time for one story more but it is quite the story. We
have been teaching a young woman for about a month now and it seemed as if
we have been going in circles. We would teach her something like the
restoration and she would have her doubts about the book of mormon and tell
her the only way she could know the truth is by praying. The next time we
taught her she would tell us she didn’t pray because she didn’t think her
prayer would be answered. so we would help her understand that there is a
way we need to pray if we want a answer, with faith, a contrite heart, and
with real intent. But in the end she wouldn’t do it because she wasn’t sure
if she wanted to know the answer. So we would teach her something and get
her excited again tell her to pray and the cycle would start all over
again. Well we had a interesting lesson with her this week and I have
little more hope for the future.

We had planned on teaching her once more on prayer and if she still didn’t
want to do it we would have to move on to someone who did. We started off.
. . and she explained that she had felt something but that she didn’t think
it could be her answer. With that we shared the first few lines of Alma 10:
6, “nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I
would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not
know;” that struck the bell we were looking for. She then realized that she
HAD been called many times but her lack of real intent had kept her from
“hearing.” She once again promised she would pray but I feel like she
really will this time. I hope and pray she really will this time.

I had stoped praying that heavenly father would give her the answer she was
waiting for, because both my companion and I felt that she had already
received it. I had started to pray that heavenly father would touch her
heart and make her know. I feel that thanks to our prayers and the spirit
during this lesson we were able to be the instruments god used to touch her
heart. She has now started down the path to “CHANGE HER LIFE”

Well fam it is off to Futbol!! Finally it has almost been 5 weeks since I
have touched a futbol. But as always I hope you know I love you all and I
am working as hard as I can.

Elder Landon R. Welch
p.s. i got the first package of contacts but i never did get the second. i
am sure it is coming and will be here soon.

Monday March 12, 2012

Hola Familia!!!

how has your week been? mine has been fast and furious. i am writing you
today because our p day has been changed (for this week only) yesterday was
a work day like all the rest so that we would be able to leave the zone for
our p day today we are going to go to a military base that was used during
the chilean war so it should be interesting but i dont know anything else
about it so i am not really sure what to expect. i just know it is going to
be hot hot like the rest of the days here. they say that summer last until
april here so i guess i just better get used to sweating buckets. and to
answer your question mom i think one at a time would be better. but please
send the shirts first. i have blisters on my hands from washing my shirts
everyday :)

we had a awesome experience this week with a young lady who now has a
baptismal date. we have recently started teaching her about 2 weeks ago
and at first i wasnt sure what to think of this chick. it seemed to me that
she didnt really know what she wanted or expected from our visits. we would
teach her about joseph smith and she would start to laugh as we spoke the
words from the first vision. and it kinda annoyed me to be honest. it
siempre puts me on edge when someone makes fun of the things i believe with
all my heart. and it got to the point that both my companion and i had had
it. we decided that we were going to go to the lesson and be direct. tell
her why we were there and that if she was just going to play it would be
better that she didnt waste our time. we got there asked about how she was
and she said "kinda nervous" and with that i knew something was up. she
then told us she was sorry for how she had acted and that she had prayed
and new it was true. then explained that the reason she was nervous was
because she wanted to be baptized!!!!! woo hoo!!!

well fam i will take some awesome pic for next week i love you all and
remember i am working as hard as i can.

Elder Landon R. Welch

Monday March 5, 2012

Hola familia!!!!!

well another week come and gone and i can only imagine when i can be like
grant "a month and a half i am home" i am glad i can still say i have a
year until i will be home. its not that i dont miss you all but i know you
are all good it is the people here who i am worried for. i recieved news
that elder figueroa has been sick for three weeks and unable to work. that
made me very sad. i left that area with so much progress but now i know it
will be like starting all over again for him.

we had a fun week and like i said dad we went to the waters of mormon i
will try and send you some pictures if my computer will cooperate.

today is the first day of school for the kids here in ventanilla and i took
a picture with kiara she was so excited to be going to school with her new
shoes that she asked me to carry her so that they wouldnt get dirty. she is
the niece of the hermana who owns the house where we live. kiara has a
little brother named axel and he reminded me alot of myself he was the
complete opposite he didnt want to go at all. but with a little coaxing and
some candy he went. . . sound familiar :)

i will try to find something interesting to write about this week because i
am empty but you know that i love you all and i hope you remember that i am
working as hard as i can.

Elder Landon R. Welch