Alfredo coming in clutch...

The work here is going pretty well. Our zone is working miracles!! This week has been really good!:) This last week went by really fast, from what I can remember. Well the Hermana Triviño didn’t get baptized this last week because she is still trying to recover from her pneumonia! But it was really cool because she was sad because she wasn’t going to be able to get baptized last Saturday. So she said that the 23 of September she thinks that she will be healthy enough to do it!!:) haha she is such a cool lady!:) But before when we tried to give her a date for baptism, she said like "maybe next year" haha but no we got her now!!:) She is so strong in her faith. She is basically already a member just lacks baptism and compañion of the Spirit!!:) 

Also we found Alfredo and taught him the plan of salvation this last week. Then on Sunday he didn’t come to the first hour then showed up to the second hour with his girlfriend!! She’s from Haiti as well and has a week in Chile so she doesn’t speak Spanish but they are so sweet together!:) Then also we taught "Alex" this last week as well. He is an engineer and speaks English! But we think he might be only using us for our English so this week we are going to talk to him and tell him we are willing to speak and teach English but we have a different purpose, so I’ll let you know how that goes!:) Also this next week we have a conference with Elder Bragg so it will be sweet, but we have a ton to plan so I’ll let you know how that goes as well!!:)

I’m glad that you are liking the pics that the Hermana Macarena is taking of us. I hope your practicing your Spanish so that that you can talk to everyone when we come back and when we go to Chad’s mission!!:) But woah that’s crazy, sounds like a good week, a very good normal week for you in the house!:) Also I loved the photos that you sent this week haha. Koda with the ear muffs... but that is so sweet that you found all that stuff for the genealogy. I want to help with the names!!:)

That is an amazing experience that you had in the temple!!:) and oh that is such a great chapter (D&C 88). I love that chapter and that has actually helped me a lot in the mission as well, because it works with missionary work as well!:) but I’m glad that you found your answer!!:) but I love you so much momma!!:) Love you to eternity and beyond!!:)

Love,

Shawners

p.s. Alfredo has a date for baptism for the 16 of September!!:)

View from their apartment

Had lunch with Hermana Jubita Carril from their branch

Chillin' at the cyber

The Eclipse from Chile...

Psych, that’s the wrong Numba!!!! haha well we couldn’t even see the Eclipse here in Osorno because it is super cloudy and because we are so far south...:) haha but how are you this fine Monday afternoon??:) As for me holy cow this past week flew by. Today we went on a field trip to the beach. Even though it wasn’t the best weather, it was so fun to go and it was so beautiful. I’m gonna see if some of the photos can load so I can send them!:) Also thank you for the pics of Jaime, I love them! I found those little kids as well and we started teaching them when I got there!!:)

As for my sector here now in Osorno, Maria is doing better but on Saturday she went to the hospital again because she still wasn’t feeling good. They gave her some antibiotics and 7 days in bed.... so no baptism for her this week, but she is still so good spiritually! :) so that’s good. Also we haven’t been able to talk a lot with Brenda but she is still doing good and reading in the Book of Mormon!!:) Then Alfredo didn’t come to church this past week because he went to Santiago to get his girlfriend who was coming from Haiti!:) He said they are both gonna come to church this next week so we will see how that goes!:) And the lesson is good with Alex but we found out the missionaries have taught him before and he just likes to use us to speak English...:/ but we are gonna have a meeting with him this week to see if he really wants to continue learning. We will see!:)

We have lots of futures and people that can be investigators so we will see how that goes! Also the family Lorca came to church. They are a part member family and the dad was a menos activo but they are reactivating!!:) Also for your thought or question, (I asked him what is one of the things you have been most thankful for on your mission so far?) definitely well idk, I would say my comp and the Holy Ghost, because it is so important to learn how to live and work with another stranger and then expect to live and preach together. You have to be unified if you want to teach with the spirit and the spirit who brings the message that we teach to the hearts of the investigators. That is what I think!:)

Woah sounds like you had a sweet week. How was the eclipse, could you actually see it?:) Man that’s crazy you guys ran 6.4 miles! haha man it sounds like a crazy week and I loved all the fotos, thank you so much!!:) Also yeah the pictures you got the other day were from our momita starting Sept.! haha but yeah they are such a sick family, and her husband took us on our field trip today!:)

Wow I love that thought. It’s so cool. We honestly receive the most blessings when we serve and love without the expectation of a reward.:) I know that the Lord will bless you when the time is right. The Lord knows you and will give you the strength!!:)

Sorry my letter is kinda long today, but I love you so much and hope you have a great week. Love you to infinity and beyond!!:)

Love,

Elder Spencer

P-day in Playa Tril Tril Chile by the ocean

This is Jaime and two other children from Quellón
that Shawn taught. They got baptized last week!!! 

I got this picture and the next two from Macarena. She will
be Shawn's mamita starting in September.

Macarena and her family with Shawn and his companion.

Such a poser :)

Here are a few more pictures Shawn sent to Tom today as well:

Picture courtesy of Elder Bertolio's mom!

Crazy Week in Osorno...and Miracles in Quellón!! :)

Hey momma, things are pretty great here in the land of Chile!!:) I'm glad to hear that your week has gone pretty well!😄 As for my thumb... haha well yes it has been getting better, then today in volleyball I tweaked it really weird and I had some very nasty pain for a bit, but now yes it feels a ton better!! As for Marìa she is doing very well. We visited her a couple of times this last week but unfortunately she couldn’t come to the FHE with us because she is sick with pneumonia and so she has 8 days in bed... but she still loves hearing from us!:) Also in the FHE with Pres. Isom and a couple other members, we had Hermana Brenda. She is a new investigator for us now!!:) She has a son that has 7 years!:) Also we found this last week Alfredo (not the pasta, the person😉). He is from Haiti and is super dope. He doesn't speak the best Spanish but he understands really well! We taught him about the Book of Mormon this last week and he came to church with us!!:) It was so cool! He is a great guy! Oh also another good note, idk if I told you about Alex (a contact that talked to us!) but he finally called us this last week and we have a cita set up for this week. So I'll let you know how that goes with him! ALSO I don’t know if you heard but JAIME FROM QUELLON GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!! Also another family that I found got baptized in Quellón as well!!:) It was so bomb, I’m so happy!!:)

That’s sweet that you saw Hermana Farnsworth. You gotta tell her hi from me. I haven’t had the chance or the email to talk with them since they have been back home. Yeah definitely we are coming back to visit!:) Also that sounds like you had a great week there in the derby and oh man can we please go to all of the fair this next year??:) I love the fair but that’s so cool you could go and be with all of the family!!:)

Whoa I love that thought momma thank you for sharing. Those sounded like some great talks!:) Also that is a great quote and principle. Are you self-sufficient in your spirituality? That is a very important principle -- to have our own testimony and have the strength to overcome our trials!!:) (This is the quote I shared with him from Heber C. Kimball: "The time will come when no man or woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand?")

"The task AHEAD of you is never as great as the power BEHIND you." This kinda goes along with your thought but mine is just remember who you have behind you on your side when you come up against a great challenge or problem. The Lord is always with us. We just have to let him bless and help us and confide in him!:)

Love you momma thank you for your email and hope your week goes even greater!!:) Love you to infinity and beyond!!:) (sorry no photos we are at the lame cyber...)
Elder Shawners

(Surprise pictures came a little while later... yay!!!!)

This one was from a few weeks ago, courtesy of another
missionary in Osorno.

"Time is like an airplane, it flies..."

Hey momma!! How are you doing this fine Monday?:) haha yeah I know my quote is kinda lame... but it’s true!! Man this last week went really well!!:) Although we did not ever hear from Alex, but we still have hope that he will call!!:) But besides that we visited the Hermana María Treviño like 3 times last week and she is doing really good so we are helping here to stay excited (haha I’m sorry not animated... in Spanish it’s animado) and not get discouraged... But also we had intercambios with the assistants to the President this last week and we found a new family of 4. His name is Marvín and his wife and little girls!:) We talked about the restoration and he was super interested and then his wife got home right after the lesson. Then we talked with her for a while. She is catholic but likes us so we were invited back, so we have a little space to work with her!!;) Also we had consejo de lideres (council of leaders) this last week. It was super awesome to hear from President and to have him teach us how we can help out our zones a little more. Our zone is finding a ton of new people. It’s been so awesome. They are working hard and sharing the gospel with everybody!!:)

It sounds like you had a great week this last week!:) and man that’s crazy you really went to town re-organizing everything!!:) I’m glad that you guys had a great time for Chad's birthday as well!!:) Also YES I HAVE THE PACKAGE!!:) Thank you so much. Oh man I have loved everything inside of it!! It’s been so awesome!:) Also thank you so much for the fotos, I loved them!!

Thank you momma, I love your thought!!:) It was long but very well worth it and filled with amazing words. It is so true that we always have hope. That is the only thing besides our agency that can’t be taken from us, but we can limit ourselves at times to have hope. (I sent him a few thoughts from this talk, which was amazing!!! https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/john-h-groberg_always-hope/)

My quick thought this week is "There is danger in the phrase 'Some Day'." It’s from a general authority but I remember not who...  but this is so important, especially in missionary work. When we think I wanna contact this house or this street one day or some day, there is danger that it will never happen. So act now and remember like Nephi, just do it!!:) haha

Love you so much momma. Hope you have a great week and love you to eternity and beyond!!:)

LOVE,

Elder Spencer

Misión Chile Osorno

2016-2018

In the plaza de armas in the centro of my sector.

Playing volleyball for P-day at our church.