The Goods

I pulled a hammy... im struggling here it really hurts. Just kidding i dont think i pulled it, but it hurts really bad. we had an intense soccer game this morning and we were gonna lose so president kicked it up like 14 gears and we pulled off the victory. The guy is one of the most competitive people ive ever met.. haha seriously he`ll do anything to win. It says in the missionary manual that we shouldnt keep score but he loves winning to much. its like an addiction... haha we play well together though so its a good time.

other than soccer and some good old office training we`ve had a decently smooth week. Everything is coming along well, my comp learns really fast and is better and most things than me. He has a lot more patience to be methodical with his work thats for sure. Sometimes i just want things to be right fast. its a weakness ive been able to see pretty clearly lately...

its actually made me ponder about something else a lot too. I feel like at the beginning of my mission i had zero talent, couldnt speak, didnt know how to teach, no idea about how the mission worked, and my testimony was below average. But if there is one thing i was forced to do it was to trust in the Lord 100%.. because there was no other option and i completely depended on him... Now id say i speak teh language pretty well, i feel the spirit when i teach and testify, and a lot of confidence in almost everything i do. which isnt bad at all.. but maybe its maybe me trust a little bit less in God and a little bit more in my own abilities... ive been working on it a lot, and studying it too. I think it happens to every missionary to a certain extent, but i wanna do everyhting i can to turn it around!

this week we saw some miracles in our sector. were working hard everyday to get out to our sector on time and its gonna well most days, but theres still room to improve a lot. on monday we found Luisa again, the investigator that had a dream about us helping her, and we taught about the restoration with a member from our ward! it was super powerful and we figured out that shes no longer living with Antonio her ex boyfriend/melchezidic(i butchered that) priesthood holder! she accepted a baptismal date and is ready to come to church tomorrow with us!!! lesss goooo!

Also we had an incredible experience last night with Catalina and the Calderon family. pretty much every time ive taught those guys its been with a different person. Twice on exchanges, once with elder ammirati and the elders quorum president, and this time with Elder Rogerson and our ward mission leader. So what happens is everytime Catalina`s dad feels the need to explain that he has problems with smoking and that he doesnt want to be pressured to do anything yet but that he wants his daughter to be baptized. but this time after doing it, he confessed to us in the lesson that he feels the same spirit in his home for the first time since teh elders came ten years ago in concepcion and they were baptized! he says he feels like the messages we share are directed towards him and not towards his daughter, and after my companion testified that its not because we planned it that way, rather that the spirit always helps us to feel what we need to change, the spirit just filled room so strong you could almost touch it! it was awesome, and even though he doesnt feel reaady to go to church, hes recognizing the spirit again, as well as his wife. Having your only son tell you hes gay when hes 14 is not easy. Nor is it easy having marriage problems with an unstable job and still trying to take care of your family. The gospel is the only thing that will save the Calderon family. I love those guys i hope they can keep progressing and the Catalina can lead teh way by being baptized.

i read a scripture this week that i wanted to share from 3 nephi 6:15 --  15 Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world.

satan takes gifts and blessing from God, and offers us the cheap worldy form of it. God gives us spiritual power, authority, and riches, and too often theyre rejected for something far less valuable. the trick is resisting the temptation to fall for the cheap substitute. 

I love you guys and i have everyone in my prayers. thanks for the support. The truth is i cant believe the clock is winding down. I still feel like i should be a young new greenie missionary. But i know that ill remember this time for the rest of my life and longer! Its setting the stage for everything taht comes after. I love the Gospel, these people, and my Savior. 

Cuidaos.

-Elder Allred - Chilean Street Raptor

Midnight selfie in the office with Elder Ammirati passed out. Late night view of our sector in the hills of Viña. 

sorry i still dont have a pic with my new comp. but we figured out his full name at birth it was - Kostyantyn Oleksandrovych Dovzhenko.

What a guy. Capo.