Week 51 Antofagasta

Feb 27, 2016

This week was so awesome for many reasons.... The first being that we got to watch a broadcast of Elder Bednar and it was so good. I have never learned so much in just 3 hours. He has inspired me to be a better missionary but more than just that, a better disciple of Christ. One thing he said that I really liked was that many times as members we have the tendency to ask in our prayers for things rather than ask how we can receive those things. It’s so true! I often find myself asking for miracles when really I should be praying to be able to recognize those opportunities when they come. I realized that when we pray, its not a simple thank you for, please bless...etc. Its what can I do to receive this blessing or better yet, I promise I will do everything in my power in order to receive this blessing. Faith requires action. He gave a classic example of this when we pray in sacrament that the people that weren't able to come can come the following week. This is a completely faithless prayer he said, because it requires nothing on our part. We are simply praying that those people will magically come the following week..... That does not work. He said we should be praying and promising that we, as members of the church will go to every single one of these people´s houses on our way home from church and ask why they weren't in church. He said what we should be praying for is that we don´t all go to the same house. hahaha. I really liked this example because it’s completely true... We need to pray with faith and with the determination that we will act in order to receive. Elder Bednar really helped me humble myself in this aspect. My invitation to you all is to pray with faith and with a willing heart to act on the answer you are given. Nephi did not murmur when he was instructed to build a boat... he prayed to know how he should make it and how he could obtain the tools to construct it. Joseph Smith did not just pray to know which church was true, he prayed to know which church he should join. These are two awesome examples of praying with and the desire to act. We have been having success in our sector. We found a guy named Alan and he is from Bolivia. He is one of the most humble guys I have ever met. When we contacted him in the street we shared a little bit of what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is. He was particularly interested in baptism. Later this week we had the opportunity to teach him and he is awesome! He accepted the invitation to be baptized. We still haven´t put a date with him yet but he is definitely prepared by the lord. We have been working a ton with members to obtain references. Yesterday we had a cool activity of talents. Every organization performed a dance. The priest´s quorum did a song from queen and it was soooo funny. The young men did back street boys. It was probably the coolest activity I have had in the mission. I seriously love the mission guys. I pray that you are all progressing as much as I am. I love sharing my testimony with you guys because it was something I never did before the mission. The office is going well. I haven't been too stressed so that’s good. I actually like the challenge of having to complete with my responsibilities in the office and in our sector at the same time. It’s a test of our faith. Many think that the elders in the office don’t baptize because they don’t have much time to work but that is completely false. Everything depends on ones dedication and consecration and trust in the lord. I love you all and I loved the photos and video you sent! hahaha Until next week!

Elder Parker Spanbauer

Here are the young girls I taught in Arica that got baptized last week! The parents will be getting baptized soon!

The Office Staff

Elder Morals (Center), Elder Spanbauer (Left), Elder Walker (Back)

Ward Activity of Talents

Meet Mauricio, He always does divisions with us hahaha and does a very good impression of Queen!

 

 

 

Week 50 Antofagasta

Feb 19, 2016

Hello Everyone!

So this week was super awesome! We found several new investigators! We have been trying to apply the principle "Hablar con Todos" (Talk with Everyone) and we have definitely without a doubt seen a difference. As a companionship we are really striving to be 100% obedient to the mission schedule. For example, leave and return on time, wake up on time, do exercise everyday, study everyday....ect. We have definitely seen the fruits of just doing these simple things. We designed a plan of consecration. Some might say being in a Trio is hard and lame but we have come to see that it is awesome because we can do divisions with members everyday. This helps us a ton because we only have so much time to work in our sector as it is, so having two companionship working in the same sector helps us a ton. We had some very powerful lessons with a few investigators where the spirit was felt super strong. I am learning to recognize the spirit better, which was one of my goals before leaving on the mission. I have come to know of without a doubt that Jesus Christ is our savior. I have developed a love for the people of Chile and now I feel as if I am one of them. I thank my heavenly father everyday for allowing me to be a missionary and a messenger of his eternal truths. 

This week I drove for the first time in my mission! I am one of the few missionaries that gets to drive in their missions... well at least in South America. I drove the new ford ranger we have because no one else knows how to drive stick. Life in the office is great... I am ahead on a lot of things because we have Zone Conferences in a few weeks and we are going to be traveling the mission. I am so excited! President trusts in us so much, it amazes me haha because we are just 19-20 year old kids! haha Yesterday we had an activity in the church. It was a karaoke activity but Elder Walker and I didn’t know any of the songs because they were Old Spanish songs. Our ward is so freaking awesome. Today we have a BBQ with some members in the ward so I gotta make this email quick. Don’t have many photos this week but hopefully next week I will have more. President gave us a selfie stick hahaha Love you all and Don’t Be Basic!

Elder Spanbauer

Elder Morales and Me in the office

Elder Walker, Elder Morales, and Me

Today we had an awesome BBQ with the Matamoros Family! This family is seriously so cool. Here are some photos!

Week 49 Antofagasta

Feb 13, 2016

My week was good but I’m just glad its over. This last week I was extremely busy with the transfers. I had to buy every bus pass and coordinate everything with the lunches for the new missionaries. I thought it was funny because when we meet the new missionaries, Hermana Dalton always introduces us and says that Elder Walker is the Financer, Elder Morales is the Office secretary of visas and travel and I’m the "Everything guy" haha she says basically whatever they don’t do... I do. It’s kinda true though haha I don’t really have a specific job title.... If someone has a question about anything besides finances or visas, they call me. Everything went good with the transfers and now I can finally relax and focus on my missionary purpose that is "Teach repentance and baptize converts"! Oh and I can officially drive now! President signed my papers! Being in the office is extremely stressful but I love it. I have come to love my companions and the assistants and we are going to tear it up here. Right now we are in a Trio. Elder Walker joined the companionship and so now we always do divisions with members accomplishing twice the work. I TRIED SUSHI!!! I did a contact in a new sushi place that opened buy our apartment and I felt bad not buying anything so I did and I must say... not bad! Also, I was informed that two investigators we were teaching in Arica just got baptized! They were the two daughters of la familia Julca. Now the parents are just waiting to get married and they will be baptized as well! I love hearing about old investigators getting baptized. Many times we don’t get to see the fruits of our labors but doesn't mean our efforts have gone in vane. That is something I have learned here in the mission. We had a very spiritual lesson with a new investigator we met named Mikol. We were doing divisions with members and we taught him the restoration. I felt piercing warm feeling as Elder Walker shared the 1st vision with him. I know that he felt it and I cannot deny what I felt in that lesson. I truly feel that as helping others progress spiritually, we are spiritually converted ourselves. Our church attendance has gone up buy about 20 people since when I got here and this is the time that everyone is usually out of time on vacation. Our ward, AntoCentro is amazing because there are so many members who are willing to help us in the work. Elder Gonzalez... the previous financer just went home because he had hernias in his back. Elder Walker is his replacement and for the first time in a while... there is only three of us in the office. It’s going to be tough but we can do it. Anyway, that’s the update here. Love you all and until next week!

Below are some photos we took in TGI FRIDAYS because it was Elder Gonzalez´s last PDay with us.

Elder Spanbauer

TGI FRIDAYS With Elder Gonzalez on His Last PDay

TGI FRIDAYS

Week 48 Antofagasta

Feb 6, 2015

Hey everyone! So this is going to be a quick one. This week was good. We have been working with several less active members to get references and re-activate them. We have one less active member named Jose. He is a return missionary but has stopped going to church. We have got him to read the book of Mormon and he has been coming to church every week. I can really see the change in him. We have another family that has been struggling financially and the dad has not had any luck finding a job. We promised him that if he started praying and reading as a family he would find work. That is exactly what they are doing now. We talked to him on Sunday and he said they are reading everyday as a family and now his oldest son; Christopher wants to serve a mission!!! He always leaves with us to work and it is awesome. He has started his papers and is so excited now to serve a mission! We have been teaching a guy that has been extremely tough to teach. He doesn't believe in god and says it’s a silly thought to even consider that god exists. We took Christopher to this mans house and Christopher bore his testimony and the room was filled with the spirit. This man with out a doubt felt it. I’m so glad Christopher is having these spiritual experiences because it is only going to get him more excited for the mission! We found two new Colombians and they are so receptive. They said they would go to church if they don’t get called into work. We have been having a lot of success here because we have been obedient. I know its not coincidence. Alsides is doing okay... He is still progressing but slowly. Him and the whole family he lives with committed to going to church this week. We will see what happens with all of that. What can I say, things have been good. I have been working on Transfers all week and it has been stressful because there are so many little details and things I must do so everything turns out okay and just when I think I’m done, I realize I forgot some small detail and I have to go back and change the plans which causes a ripple affect and then I have to change everything. It’s hard but I know I can do it. These transfers have been kind of weird because there have been several special transfers and that usually messes things up. Anyway, that’s the short update. Gotta finish the transfers! Love you all!

Elder Spanbauer

Also, here is a little more information from lasts weeks visit to the world’s largest observatory. We went from sea level to 8600 feet above sea level. There were FOUR large observatories (look up Paranal Observatory in Chile) on the Internet if you want to know more. Inside was incredible. The size of the telescope was monstrous! We also went to the UNDERGROUND Hotel that the workers stay in when they work at the observatory. It’s also the site where part of the James Bond movie, “Quantum of Solice” as filmed at.

Facilities at Paranal Observatory.

The complexity of the observatory tower inside.  It was amazing.

On top of Cerro Paranal, one of the several large observatories.  Notice how it can rotate.

Smaller observatories that on tracks so that they can change position.

Inside the Hotel at Paranal.

 Entrance to the hotel, which is underground.  Part of the James Bond movie, "Quantum of Solice was filmed at this hotel.

 Inside the hotel at Paranal.