Arica: Short message & Random Pictures

Arica District

Hey guys! Not a lot of time this week but things are going great! We're working really hard right now on getting the members energized and getting people to come to church more consistently! We've been having powerful lessons and are going to see some more baptisms real soon!

Love you all!

Elder Walker

Andrew baptized last week

Arica: Life is Good

Cuanto tiempo no vemos!

Sorry for the Lack of an e-mail last week, but I'm back again this week stronger than ever!

Highlights:

Baptism!

This past Saturday we had the baptism of Andrew! He's from Maryland, and it's amazing that he came to Chile and found the gospel here! He honestly has so much faith that the Lord will provide for him it often leaves me awestruck! We taught him the lessons in English, which was an amazing learning experience for both me and my companion!

I've been translating for him at church and have also gained a renewed testimony of the Gift of Tongues! After the baptism the Bishop was giving a welcoming speech to Andrew, and I was translating. The words were just flowing through me, and it was amazing! I was honestly just a mouthpiece for the Holy Spirit, who was translating and speaking through me! It was honestly miraculous and I can't even explain how cool it was!

This week a Deacon from our ward has been helping us out a lot! His name is Nefi (Like Nephi, but in Spanish) and he's been playing with Aaron, who is part of an investigator family. While he was playing with Aaron, he suggested that they take break from playing Call of Duty and read some verses from the Book of Mormon! Aaron accepted and they read the Book of Mormon together! Even more awesome, Aaron and his mom came to church and are super motivated right now!

Some other stuff:

My companion is learning English and I'm having alot of fun teaching him English phrases that include, but are not limited to: Are you pickin' up what I'm throwin' down? (his favorite), pimpin' , and yo dawg, wassup?

It's finally cooled off in Arica! It's now only warm and humid, no longer hot and humid.

We ate at a Subway today!

Spiritual Thought-- Alma 7: 17

 17  Sí, en verdad, en verdad os digo que si todos los hombres hubieran sido, y fueran y pudieran siempre ser como Moroni, he aquí, los poderes mismos del infierno se habrían sacudido para siempre; sí, el diablo jamás tendría poder sobre el corazón de los hijos de los hombres.

Basically Just be Like Moroni and you're all good!

Love you all! Keep going hard in whatever it is you're doing!

Elder Walker

p.s. Special Shoutout to Maria Luz, who is dilligently reading these posts!

Arica: Teaching an American

Hey everyone!

This week has been pretty miraculous! I'm not sure if I told about one of our investigators, so sorry if I repeat anything, but here is the story, we'll take it way back to when I was in the MTC!

When I was in the MTC something pretty sad happened, I lost my English Book of Mormon! I was devestated! It was a gift from my Grandma and had my name etched in it and everything! I prayed to find it, looked everywhere, checked the lost and found every day for a couple weeks, but to no avail. I was more than a little frustrated and wondered why this would happen. Grudgingly, I went to the MTC store and bought the only English Book of Mormon they had, one with the blue cover, like the kind that the missionaries normally give out.

A couple of months passed. I didn't really think much more of this. I started to read the Book of M
ormon a lot more in Spanish, which I now do exclusively. A couple of weeks ago we got a reference from some other Elders in our city. We went to contact this reference and were surprised to find out that it was a gringo named Andrew, who spoke little Spanish. We started to talk with him and he was eager to listen. So we set an appointment for the following day.

When we were in our apartment preparing for the day, I remembered that Book of Mormon. Here in Chile, it's a little bit difficult to get ahold of English Book of Mormon's. We gave this Book of Mormon, which I had by miracle and by the Hand of the Lord, to Andrew. Andrew has been reading it daily and told us that he has gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon and of the Church! His baptism is scheduled for the 16th of this month!

The Lord works in mysterious ways. But he has a plan for all of us! We just need to be patient and he will reveal it!

Stay strong in prayer and read the Scriptures daily!

Love you all!

Elder Walker