Monday, March 26, 2018

Trunky??? Naw, ain´t nobody got time for that!!!! :)

Did you catch the reference at the end there on the title??;) Haha. How are you doing this fine Monday momma??:) Everything here in Puerto Natales is pretty amazing!:) This last week we had intercambios with the Zone leaders and it was way sick because I had the opportunity to be with my ex comp Elder Arizmendi again!!:) We had an amazing day and we found a couple new potential investigators!!:) One of them was named Pablo. We decided to just contact a new street that I hadn’t ever walked down and that was where we saw and started talking to Pablo. We shared a little bit with him about the restoration and about how families can be together forever! :) He really liked the idea and we are gonna go back to him this week to teach him!:) Also my comp was with Elder Johnson (the other zone leader) and they taught Genesis, one of our other investigators and she accepted to be baptized by our church!:) (she was baptized in the catholic church before as a baby).

Oh and also this last week we played football, yes football with one of our less active youth here. Well more like we just played pass and taught him how to throw the ball, but it was still really cool!!:) Then on Sunday we had a reunion with the consejo of the branch to plan an activity for the Book of Mormon that they are going to do in April. I say "they" because I’m going to be at home when they do it....😥 but it’s ok, it seems like it is going to be a sick activity!!:)

I’m glad that things were pretty good this last week on your side of things as well!!:) I loved the pics that you sent me. That sounds like CJ and Jess´ talks were really good!!:) I knew that CJ of all people would try to put that into a talk!!:) haha but that is so true what he said. The best way to strengthen your testimony is by sharing it with others!!:)

But I love you to infinity and beyond momma!!:) hope you have a great week and I’ll talk to you next week!!:)

Love,
Elder Shawners😄💪👊

At the entrance of the city with the Milodon!

Fall in the plaza

Me in Puerto Natales

Intercambios with the zone leader (and my former companion
Elder Arizmendi!!!)

Me with the papito's (this is not their son, just another
boy in the branch)

Cool statue in Puerto Natales


Bridge in Puerto Natales


Bridge in Puerto Natales

RUTA FIN DEL MUNDO!!!!




Monday, March 19, 2018

I´ve Dropped 7 Kilos!!!:)

Hey momma!!:) Thank you so much for the birthday wishes again!!:) Everything is going great here in Puerto Natales. This last week was really good here. We didn’t find any new investigators but we found Idee again because she had just like disappeared for a week!! It was way cool to find her and actually begin to teach her!:) We taught her about the Restoration and it went really well. She really liked it and she committed to pray about it!:) We are going to visit her again tomorrow so we will see how she is.

Also we have been working a lot with the less actives here in Puerto Natales as well because there is about 545 people on the branch list and only about 45 usually come to Church. So we have a ton of work to help out with there. And usually working with less actives we find "part-families" who someone hasn’t been baptized yet. So we can help them with that!!;) 

Also this last week on Tuesday I think we went and helped papito a little in his work because he had a few workers quit and needed a little help in his warehouse urgent. So we went and helped him for a while on Tuesday!:) Also making sushi with Claudio last week went really good!!:) On Sunday we were going to go make burgers and stuff with him for my birthday, but last second he couldn’t so we are going to go today before we finish p-day to maybe do them with him!!:) But overall it was a great week and great things are happening here!

Oh and also haha I have been doing a program called intermittent fasting and I have dropped 7 kilos or about 15 pounds in 2 weeks!!:) haha It’s great. I hope to continue and drop some more before I come home!!:)

Well I'm glad that you got the house all put back together this last week!!:) but oh man that is not so great about Grandma... That kinda hit hard when I first read it, but I was thinking that I know it's hard, and I know I at least don't understand why this is happening, but then the scripture came to mind where God says... your ways are not my ways and my ways are not yours.... I know that God has a plan for her.

I love the thought that you gave from Elder Uchtdorf!!:) Thank you and that reminds me a lot of his talk he gave about the 3 sisters!:) -- the thought I shared was actually from that talk :). My thought this week is 1 Cor 10:13. I love this scripture and I found it this last week in my studies. It’s so true how God will never let us be tempted above our ability to support it, especially with His help. Sometimes we just have to remember who we are and the power that comes with that knowledge that we really are CHILDREN OF GOD, and the divinity that holds!!:)

Love you to infinity and beyond momma hope that you have an amazing week!!:) Love you and talk to you soon!!:)

Love,
Elder Shawners!:)

Chocolate raspberry birthday cake!! :)




Our apartment in Puerto Natales



Monday, March 12, 2018

Every day in the service of the Lord is an amazing day!:)

HEEYYYY MOMMA!!:) This last week was really good! But as far as finding and teaching, it was a little hard. Everybody was gone so we worked more with members. We went and taught hna Soriya who is a less active member we found. She loves sharing with us and we hope that she can get to church this week, she still has such a strong testimony! Also we visited Claudio sushi a lot and he is doing really well. Actually we are going to make sushi with him tonight and start reading the Book of Mormon so he can start reading it on his own!:)

Nobody came to the English classes this week... but it’s all good. We are going to try and hand out more flyers and if nobody comes this week we are gonna stop doing them for a bit.:) Also a funny story.. haha I was getting ready for the day on last Tuesday and the mirror just like fell off the wall. I like hurried and caught it in the air and it still shattered... and Elder Cuevas was just like "oh no, what did you do..." and he was just joking and was like "dang bro you don’t have to take out your anger on the mirror".. haha:) but it was a good week in all!!:)

Whoa sounds like you had a pretty great week this last week!:) I can imagine that you had a ton of work to get all that ready... haha but I love the pictures that you sent, they look really good. Nice choice of carpet!!:) Also I’m sooo happy that you guys could be with grandpa for his birthday!:) It looks like it was such a fun time!!:) Thanks for the pics!!:)

That sounds like a great talk that you listened to on Sunday. It’s true, that’s what Christ did when he presented his plan to our Heavenly Father. He wanted to serve and sacrifice and all the glory went to the Father!:) Also I have been praying a lot for grandma and I hope that the treatments start to work really fast!

I love you to infinity and beyond momma!!:)
Elder Shawners

The first four pictures are from around Puerto Natales!




Claudio Sushi :)

More pictures from their previous p-day trip to 
Torres Del Paine National Park







All the missionaries except two zones who didn't make
it in time for the picture. This was when they were all
together for the conference with Elder Christofferson.



Monday, March 5, 2018

1st Week in Puerto Natales

Hey Momma I hope that you are doing well this fine Monday afternoon!:) This first real week here in Natales was pretty awesome. We have about 4 progressing investigators in this moment and some others that have potential. Also on Sunday a cool experience happened this week!

We were walking down the street walking back to the house after an activity we did with the ward to invite less actives to come back to church. Then all of a sudden as we are walking a woman from behind starts yelling "hola!! Chicos!!" She said that she had just seen us and had the impression to talk with us. She said the she doesn’t really confide in anyone, but when she saw us she said that feeling just went away. Long story short she had some bad things happen the night before and also has an addiction to alcohol. But it was so cool to see how happy she was when we were sharing with her, and we are going to pass by this week as well to keep teaching her! I know that God always prepares our paths and that we didn’t just find her by coincidence!

It was super cool, and also we have been teaching a less active called Claudio "sushi" (sushi because I can’t remember his last name and he owns a sushi restaurant!) He is super cool and loves to listen, and we are teaching him English as well!:) Also, we had Zone conference this last week and we had to go to Punta Arenas which is 3 hours in bus! So we were out of our sector for 2 days, but it was a really good conference!:)

It sounds like your guys’ week was pretty crazy. I hope that grandma’s tests come out good. Also I know that the power of fasting is real, the Lord will bless us for our sacrifices! I love you to infinity and beyond momma! Hope you have a great week. That’s it for this week in the adventures of Elder Spencer and Elder Cuevas!:)

Love you!
Elder Shawners