The Baptism of Consuelo!!!

As for me and this beautiful land of Alerce, this last week was crazy and amazing!:) We were with the family Alvarado like every other day this last week getting Consuelo prepared for her baptism. Also, we were working on the plans for our mission for when Elder Christofferson comes. We have to plan where all the missionaries are going to stay the night before, so that has been pretty fun and I think we have all of our part planned out, so that is nice!:)

Also this last week we celebrated the birth of my companion on Tuesday and I made a peach cake dessert and we ate hamburgers as well!!:) It was an awesome day. We got to teach Julieta and she is progressing well. She has been working a ton for this summer season here. She makes school uniforms here for a ton of the children!! So she makes a lot of her money during this time. We read about the vision of Lehi this last week and she understood it and applied it to her life and it was so amazing!:) Then on Saturday we had the baptism of Consuelo!!! I was able to baptize her. She said that she wanted me to do it because her family is still reactivating so her father couldn’t do it. She was so happy and it was so cool. I just love baptisms!!:) And also another good note is that we started teaching Consuelo's sister’s (Natalie) boyfriend Pedro. They want to get married so that he can get baptized because she is a member!:) It is so cool. They are still feeling the passing of Bednardita but they are really getting close to the church and God which is awesome!:)

Faith is what builds character! That is an awesome thought from Bishop Zamora that you shared! It’s so true because faith is a principle of action, so we have to use it through our trials and that is how we grow! Thanks momma!!:)

But I love you to eternity and beyond momma!:) Hope you have such a great work conference and that you get home safe!

Love you!:)

Elder Shawners

Consuelo's Baptism Day!

Alvarado family

Alvarado family

Baptism day!

French toast for Elder Longo's B-day

Peach dessert for Elder Longo's B-day

Service for Hermano Cortez

Pics in our sector

Elder Vaughn lost his USB drive in the sewer drain...haha
And we got it out!

Pics in the sector

Celebrating Hermana Thomas' B-day

Day to Day Miracles

Hey momma!!! Happy Monday! The work is coming along great here in Alerce!!!:) We have a baptism here in Alerce this Saturday if everything goes well!!:) Consuelo is so awesome. She is so prepared and loves learning about the gospel and reading from the Book of Mormon!!:) The Leaders Conference in Osorno was really good. We were planning some of the stuff that we are going to do for a conference the mission is going to have with Elder Christofferson!:) The whole mission is coming here to Puerto Varas!!!! Also President Isom taught us about how to use our time more wisely with the investigators and it was so sweet!!:)

Also on a more sad note, Bednardita, one of the daughters of the family Alverado (step sister to Consuelo), passed away this last week right after the leaders conference in Osorno...:/ She was born with an illness but she went to the hospital for pneumonia. We went to give her a blessing on Friday of the week before and she seemed like she was doing a lot better. We thought that she was going to be able to leave the hospital on Sunday... So on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last week we were helping with the viewing and the funeral. We got to go to the burial on Thursday. After that Elder Longo and I realized that it was interesting because they were inactive for like 15 years then she comes back, comes once to church and then passes away. Now the whole family is really motivated to come back to church and go to the temple. Bednardita was the most happy to come back.

Even though it is really sad and weird that she is gone, she is still leaving her presence and example with the family.:) I also talked in one of the funeral services on Wednesday. They asked me to talk last second on the plan of salvation; and it was so cool, I felt the spirit so strong. I don’t remember what I said at all but I feel like it helped.:) We also got to visit Julieta and Elvis during the week. It is so sweet to teach Julieta. She loves hearing the lessons from us and reading in the Book of Mormon. Also Elvis and his family are progressing really well. They haven’t accepted a date yet but said they want to be baptized!:) Also we started teaching a Haitian this last week and we taught about the restoration and he loved it!!!:)

I loved the photos that you guys sent me!!:) It looks like you guys were having a lot of fun in the snow!!:) That Family Search facility in Lehi looks so fricken sweet!!:) Oh that is so cool about Bubba!! I’m so happy for her and I’ll listen to her talk during the week. I downloaded it!:) But that’s sweet, and man what the heck man she didn’t tell me anything... haha

I loved your thought. It’s so true that God will be with us, guide us and prepare our path if we are humble enough to submit to His will and trust in Him!!:) Thank you for that momma!! I love you to infinity and beyond and hope you have a great week!!:)

Love,

Elder Shawners😎💪💙

First few pictures are from the Leaders Conference

Bernardita's burial

Cinnamon swirl pancakes :)

Festival de la Sandia

Festival de la Sandia

Elder Longo's birthday lunch (a day early)

No this is not marijuana :). It's herbs to drink mate, an
herbal drink here. Also, the other two elders have my
suit jackets on!! hahaha.

Rescuing the Sister Missionaries, Progress with Investigators

Happy Monday momma. How are things there in the beautiful land of Utah?? As for me here in Alerce, things are doing really great here!:) We aren’t going to be able to baptize Consuelo (from the family Alverado) this Saturday because she didn’t come to church this last week.. but it’s all good. She is doing awesome and she is very excited for her baptism this next week on the 27! Also on Sunday, Elvis and Liliana, our other family that we are teaching, came to church and presented their baby boy!:) It was so cool and one of our members just showed up to church with a friend (now investigator) who isn’t a member and introduced him to us.:) It’s so crazy. We get so many referrals from our ward and sector here!!

With the cambios last Wednesday, we were in the terminal all day helping missionaries get to their sector!:) It went really well. A drunk guy came into the terminal and started talking to the sisters and they got scared so they asked me to talk to him. I went with him outside and talked to him for a little while. He was actually a really cool guy but it was sad to see how alcohol had destroyed his life.... but other than that, it was a good day without many problems.

Also we got to watch the funeral on Friday. It was soooo good. I love Pres. Monson! It’s gonna be sad to not have him here, but we still have his talks and all from the past; and now we have Pres. Nelson!:) He is an amazing man as well!:) I didn’t know that the catholic church in SLC rang their bells for President Monson when they were moving the casket, that’s way cool!! It’s so awesome how Pres. Monson was friends with everyone, everyone who came in contact with that man was loved and immediate friends with him.:)

Also my ankle is doing a lot better; and its true, it was so cool that the other Elders could come help a little in our sector. I’m so blessed here in this Zone!!:)

I asked him what he learned when he was down for a bit with his ankle and here’s what he replied with: I learned a lot of things, one of which is that I don’t like not being able to leave and go work. So definitely patience and also the difference that health can make in your day to day life. I definitely think that it makes one think a lot more and be a lot more thankful for the small things that we have!

That’s so crazy that this last week was so warm; but I hope that you have some snow this next week or this next summer could be really interesting without any water... haha. That’s sweet also that you, CJ and dad went to the train show!:) I love going to that! I bet they saw some cool stuff and where are my pics?? You been slackin’ a little! haha.

I hope you have an awesome week and I hope to hear back from you soon!!:) I love you to infinity and beyond!:)

Love you!!:)

Shawners

(Regarding Bri Thomas) PS, What???? Where is she going?¿? I only heard she decided to go on a mission not that she got her call. (clearly I need to update him on a few things haha).

3rd Cambio with Elder Longo!!!!

Hey momma!! How are you doing this fine Monday afternoon??:) Things are going really well here in Alerce! Well as you know now haha, I sprained my ankle pretty bad this last week and so I was in bed and trying to stay off of it for a couple days. So the Elders from Alerce 1 (the other companionship Elder Hernandez & Price), helped us out with some appointments and contacts that we needed to do!:) But we did go to visit the family Alverado a couple times and we taught the Plan of Salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ this last week to Consuelo their daughter with baptism date for the 20 of April. She is really excited for her baptism, and this week we are going to be focusing on the commandments and such!:)

Also they were able to present and bless their son Gonzalo in church on Sunday!!:) ALL 9 OF THEM CAME TO CHURCH!!:) It was so cool!:) Then Elder Longo went with Elder Hernandez to visit Elvis and his family. We have an appointment with them this week, so we will see how that goes!:) But all is well here and also Elder Vaughn is coming here to Alerce to be with Elder Price because Elder Hernandez is going to Valdivia to be zone leader!!:) And I believe the Lord heard your and my prayers because I’m staying here at least one more cambio!!!😎💪

It sounds like things are going really well there, well maybe not so well with the weather but man that’s so crazy that the weather is so warm. I hope you get some more rain so it doesn’t all dry up!!;) and I’m glad that you are enjoying your job!! That is awesome!!

It’s so cool that we have the knowledge we do about the plan of salvation and death, so that the passing of President Monson doesn’t have to be a sad mourning, but a happy recollection of his time on earth and the awesome thought that now he is with his sweet lige waiting the second coming of Christ and sharing the gospel there on the other side of the veil, kinda like Glenn.:)

I loved your thought momma and it goes with my thought from my studies this week in 3 Nephi!!:) In 3 Nephi 4 and it was when the gadianton robbers were a huge group in this moment and so the Nephites and some Lamanites all went to their biggest lands in Zarahemla and Bountiful to defend themselves. Then the gadianton robbers realize that they can’t do their normal attacks to assassinate and kill how they usually do so they go to war against them.... but what they didn’t know is that the Nephites were really strong in these lands. And a verse that caught my attention is in 3 Nephi 4: 8 – 10. When the Lamanites saw them on the ground they thought that they were afraid, but the Nephites were praying to God that he would give them strength; and they went against the Lamanites and had the POWER of the Lord with them... It is an amazing chapter and shows a lot of good lessons like one that if we live in our "strong lands" and if we are right with God and praying that he will deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, the Lord will be with us and we will have more than enough strength!!:)

Hope you have an amazing week momma!!:) Love you to infinity and beyond!:)

Love you!

Elder Shawners!!:)

Last Sunday with the furious 4 in Alerce!:)

A cool bridge in our sector

Epic walking pic

Playing soccer today

Shawarma

Soccer selfie (I was the goalie because I have my bad foot)

Shawarma with Hernandez

Shawarma with Vaughn

This picture is four days after I hurt it...

Here's to a New Year! :)

First of all HAPPY NEW YEAR!! That’s crazy 2018 is already here. It feels like I just talked to you guys last year...;) haha yeah lame joke... This last week was really good!:) We had our zone conference on Tuesday and the AP’s talked about giving our heart to God and how we can do that. Like if our heart was a house we were trying to sell, would it be ready to give over to Christ? Do we have the confidence to give him our house and put our future in his hands and let him mold our future?:) It was a really cool conference!

As for our investigators, we met with the Alverado family this last week and talked about this new year and making new resolutions to start off this year (like coming back to church, and baptizing their daughter). It went really well! Oh and we got together with the bishop and ward mission leader to make the "mission plan" for the ward. We planned to have an activity to read the Book of Mormon as a ward and then have them share their experiences with their friends and others around them. So we are planning an MTC activity with the members to help them learn how to share the gospel! So it seems like it will be pretty great!:) I just hope I’m here because cambios are this next week. We will know at the end of this week if we have cambios or not!:)

On Saturday we went to 2 baptisms for investigators of the Elders in Fresia. It was so cool and we sang a special number as a zone. It was so amazing. I just love watching people getting baptized and how happy they are!!:)

As for the new year, we were with the Familia Sandoval and we had to be in at 10:30 in the house. But it was crazy. The house of one of the neighbors a block or so away started on fire! Luckily it didn’t burn down but it did have some good damage, but no worries it wasn’t close to us at all!;)

OH man I loved all of your photos and videos that you sent of the New Years celebration. It looked like you guys had a fun time. That’s super crazy that the weather has been so warm. It doesn’t look like you guys are going to have much of a winter this year, that’s crazy.

That is a sweet spiritual thought, thank you for that momma:) That’s the best way to start out this new year and to stay on our path or trek to our Heavenly Father: love, do and look forward!:) I have a quote for you today: "Although no one can go back and make a new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending!" I know this is true and God has a plan for each and every one of us!:) Love you to infinity and beyond momma!:) Thank you for the challenge! Have a great week!

Love,

Shawners

The first five pictures are from their New Year's Eve Celebration with the Sandoval family:

Roasting a lamb

Intercambios with Elder Merchen

Selfie at the baptism

Rest of the pictures are from a zone activity on Monday:

With Elder Vaughn in the shirts they made for their zone!

Shawn with Elder Jacobs (who served in Osorno
but has been off his mission since July). He
went back to visit and saw Shawn in church on Sunday
 in Alerce. His mom sent me this picture!!!

Another picture from Sister Jacobs!