"Well it has been a jam packed week. We have been working a lot out in the country. We found a really cool family that went to church yesterday. It was awesome that the Lord led us to them. They are a part member family. It is a mom and her two kids. One of her kids is baptized. The mom hasn't listened to the missionaries for like 15 years. Last week we got a call and we went to her house on a reference. She said that she couldn't sleep because a dark spirit was haunting her. We explained the authority of God and the restoration and then blessed her home. She started crying in the prayer and said that she felt something so distinct. We went back the next day and she said she had slept so well and the feeling that we left behind had stayed with her. She said she wanted what we have; to be close to God. So we taught her the full restoration and she loved it and then came to church. At church, she participated a lot and said that she wanted to have the Holy Ghost. She said that we were the Elders that she had been waiting for. Her friends are members and they started to cry when they found out that she was listening to us. They said that they had been praying for years for her to have the fullness of the gospel. It was way cool!"
"We also have two kids that are going to be baptized. One is 16 and the other 12. They are both way solid. Their family was inactive, but a missionary who baptized their family 14 years ago, came back to Chile and visited them. They have been reactivated to the max and now their kids want to be baptized. It's awesome! They go to church and read the Book of Mormon. They are progressing really well and are participating in everything. I love getting to teach them and be a part of their full conversion. It is the best!"
"This week I went back to Santiago. I was chillin with Elder Smart again. I also got to eat one of Sister King's special lunches because it was a "greenie" meeting for the newbies and their trainers. I went because Hermana King invited me. President King was like, "What are you doing here?" and I told him that his wife invited me. haha I actually told some of the trainers that they had made a mistake and that I was really suppose to train. haha...darn Anyways, I had taco salad and chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches! I scored big time! I also got to talk to the senior missionaries, the Dorious's, that are going home today. They are going to live in Boise. It was fun to be with Elder Smart in the office. I'm glad I'm not an office Elder. It seems really tiring and they are on the computer all day. Not fun. haha"
"I just realized how big my sector really is. It is like the whole city of Salmon and we have more country than I had thought. We walk so much that it is tiring me out to the point of death! haha There are some country homes where they have an outhouse instead of a bathroom. There was one hermana that got really embarrassed when I asked to use her bathroom. I felt bad. I love the people here. I get along with them and feel happy. It reminds me so much of Salmon, I can't even tell you. I am enjoying it a lot. I am also happy because we have a lot of investigators that are progressing. When there is work that is working.., I love it!"
"Now the coolest thing that happened to me this week. It's crazy how the Lord can use the smallest of our talents.., even the talents we didn't know we had. There was an Elder's Quorum activity that we were invited to. We went bowling and a ton of these country folk have never bowled in their entire life. It was cool to see how excited they were to experience it for the first time. I think we take for granted a lot of the small things that we have. Some people were just happy to throw a big colorful ball at a bunch of pegs and it gave them absolute joy. If only we could have more experiences like that in this life! haha Anyways, there is a man in the ward that cannot hear or talk. He speaks sign language. I felt bad for him because he is completely normal, but it is super hard for him to communicate. He is a really good guy and is always laughing and is just really cool. He has a wife and a little baby. He is new in the ward and the Elders don't really know what to do for him. It's like constant awkwardness. He always tries to communicate, and they do the best they can, but it is tough. I then remembered a secret. I remembered how to spell in sign language! haha I started spelling out things to him with my hands. We started communicating really well. He was so happy and grateful. Whenever someone needed to tell him something, I would just spell out a word and then he would get the rest. We formed a close bond really fast and he depends on me. He helped me to understand him and has been teaching me lots of sign language. Here's the cool part. After bowling the Elders invited us to go eat pizza, so of course we were forced to go. haha Anyways, I was feeling really sick with this darn cold. He signed to me to ask if I wanted to have a blessing. At first I told him no because I didn't think it was necessary, but then the spirit told me that I needed to say yes. I turned back to him and told him that yes, I would like a blessing and that I would like him to do it. He was really excited. He has been a baptized member for 6 years. Before going home, I told the Elders that I was going to have a blessing and they all wanted to participate. I asked Elder Pena to anoint the oil and then everyone was surprised when I picked William to give me the blessing. Everyone got in a circle around me and William gave the blessing. Of course it was a little awkward and I didn't hear a word he said, but he was signing some things with his left hand and mumbled some things. It was a long blessing and then we heard the word amen and the men knew that it was done. It was such a spiritual experience and I felt the spirit so strong. The Elders had a new respect for William and everyone congratulated and thanked him. The awkwardness wasn't there and it was really cool. Then yesterday at church, he doesn't have any idea what they were talking about during classes, so I would sign to him some key words from across the room of what they were teaching. I'm grateful that the Lord made me remember how to spell in sign language and that it has helped me on my mission. The Lord can use even the smallest things to help and bless us."
"My responsibilities as a zone leader is to capacitate the missionaries and motivate them to be the best that they can be. We also go to concilio at President's house to come up with iniciatives that will help the mission. We are in charge of working with stake leaders and coordinating the work with them. We basically are more administrative and make sure that everything is running the way it should be. Other than that, we just support the district leaders in their responsibilities."
"I want you to read the last couple verses of 3 Nephi 12. It says that we should put the Lord first and then he will give us everything that we have need of. I love you and know that you are all doing this. Have a great week and stay close to the Lord. He will support us in all things."
Elder Dallon Smith
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| Elder's Quorum bowling activity |
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| ...of course, Pizza afterwards! |
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| Talagante country |