Zone activities

Making cinnamon rolls!

Hna Lopez from Guatemala

Elder Ballesteros, Hna Lopez and Elder Long. Looks like the sister missionaries run the show!

Letter home 10/14/13- Tanner sounds great!

Hey fambam! First I´ll answer a few questions. I too have realized that I don´t really talk about any of my investigators lately. We´re certainly struggling in that aspect. We spend too much time searching and not really finding. Every once in a while we find a bunch of seemingly great people, but they never let us in a second time. So that´s been difficult. We live in a very small, extremely Catholic town, so people let us in once to be a good Christian, but generally don´t want to actually learn from us. But I´ve surprised myself that I´ve been able to maintain a positive attitude about it. The real challenge lately has been between me and my companion, and I´m sure that´s the real reason behind our lack of success. But he´s made a lot of spiritual progress while we´ve been together. He´s hated me for it, but I hope that he´ll at least look back 20 years from now and thank me for pushing him to be more obedient.

We have a small branch of about 20 members, and all of them are single mothers. There´s two young men, and lately an inactive man has started coming back to church. So usually Elders quorum is only us four missionaries. Our branch president got released a while ago and immediately moved away, but two weeks ago we were assigned a new branch president that will travel down from another city each weekend to preside. He seems like a fantastic man and has great plans to help our branch grow. So we expect good things. This sector would be perfect for sister missionaries because it´s so tranquil, but this branch needs priesthood holders. So we´re looking for some men who have a desire to repent and be baptized.

This week I did a lot of exchanges in other sectors to help some struggling missionaries. I really enjoyed getting to know them and help them. If I haven´t had any grand impact on any nonmembers here in Yumbel, I hope that I´ve at least helped some of the missionaries come unto Christ. It sure humbles me to learn of their difficult family situations and personal struggles. I´ve been so incredibly blessed my whole life.

One thing I´ve certainly learned and improved on while in the mission is developing a Christ-like love for others. Growing up I certainly cared deeply for others, but I became rather introverted towards the end of high school when I got tired of being used and felt underappreciated by so many people that I cared about. But here in the mission I´ve been able to open up a bit more and once again develop profound love for others. The best part is when I can feel that love reflected back to me. Christ is powerful in that way. I´ve learned to better understand what Christ meant when He often said that His bowels were filled with mercy towards others (Matt 9:36; Mark 1:41). I´ve felt that deep love towards others in a way that´s difficult to understand. It´s obviously much easier to do so with other missionaries that also help me feel loved, but I´ve certainly been filled with mercy towards others that are struggling. I am grateful that the Lord allows me to act as an instrument in His hands to help others come unto Him and seek rest. I know that Christ lives and loves us, and I sure love Him. Thanks so much for all of your letters! I love hearing from you. Have a wonderful week!

Elder Long :)

General Conference weekend in Chile

Hey fam bam. What a wonderful conference we just had! Ah, I absolutely love those truly God-inspired talks. Elder Holland is certainly heaven-sent. I hope you all enjoyed being spiritually nourished, and I invite you to look up the talks and study them together as a family! I had to watch the whole thing in Spanish, and eventhough it was marvelous, I still firmly believe that the talks are 10x better in the original language. Even so, watching General Conference always makes me a bit trunky. Especially the priesthood session. I just wanted to be with Dad, Papa, and Tyler enjoying the inspired words of God´s living prophet and apostles. However, I did enjoy the conference with us four missionaries and a few members that came.

Speaking as a third party outsider with absolutely no personal interest in the matter, I´ve been thinking that if anyone HAPPENS to be sending a Christmas package to a missionary in Chile anytime soon, there´s a few things said missionary would like to receive. Maybe: cheeze-its, poptarts, american chocolate, Mike & Ikes, Nutter Butters, Burt´s Bee´s chapstick, and Crest Whitening Strips. It would be absolutely wonderful!!! :D

Another strange request I have is a picture of Rachel Scroggins. Let me explain....hahaha. While in Chile I have seen dopplegangers of so many of my friends and family members, and I often try to take pictures with them. To make it more fun for the other person, I try to show them a picture of my friend or family member as well so they understand and can laugh as well. But of course I have no pictures of Rachel. Could you email me one please? Gracias!

I want to end with a reminder of the invitation of Elder M Russell Ballard: Talk with at least one friend about the gospel by Christmas.

I can testify to the joy you will feel of knowing that you are helping the Lord in His marvelous work of gathering His flocks. What better time of the year than NOW to invite others to come unto Christ. I know that our Saviour lives and loves us. I know it. I know for myself that this is His true church, and there are so many other people in the world that need to know for themselves as well. Have a wonderful week!

Elder Long :)

Sept. 30, 2013

Hey fambam! Thanks so much for the letters and words of encouragement and wisdom. It´s certainly been an eventful month full of ups and downs, but I´m so incredibly grateful for the gospel and the ringing truth to the world that Christ lives and loves us. I´m so grateful for the opportunity to proclaim to the world (or at least as much as Chile as I can) that the Lord still directs His true church through living prophets in these modern days. I absolutely testify that Thomas Monson is the true prophet of God. I know it. What a blessing it will be to get to listen to him and the 12 Apostles this coming weekend in General Conference. I hope you´re preparing yourselves spiritually by studying the scriptures, thinking of questions for the Lord, and asking Him the questions in diligent prayer.

In addition to self-preparing, I want to extend a challenge to each one of you to invite a friend to come watch a session of the Conference with you. For those that might be embarrassed to do so or might not know how to invite someone, simply explain that it is a worldwide broadcast so that God can instruct us through His chosen prophet and apostles. Testify that each person can find out for himself if these men are truly called of God by listening to them for themselves. It´s a wonderful promise, and a fantastic opportunity to invite others to come unto Christ.

Quick sidenote: I figure it´s better to be early than late, so happy birthday Brittany! I hope you  have a great first birthday back in the States!

I was reading in the Book of Mormon and found a great passage in Alma 12:9-11. After reading it, think about what God teaches us in these verses. I know that we really do receive according to our effort. We can´t have a testimony of God nor of modern-day prophets if we never put in our part to know for ourselves. You get out what you put in, yet in tenfold. I know that the Lord lives and loves us, and I´m so grateful for his chosen leaders of this true church. Have a great week! Love you!

Elder Long :)

September 23, 2013

Buenas tardes. It hasn´t actually been that long since I´ve written, and not much more happened since last wednesday. We´ve been looking for more people to teach, but it was pretty rough considering the holidays. Here in Chile, the party lasts all week and not many people want to stop playing to listen about God--no matter how Catholic they claim to be. But we found a few people and we´re hoping for better results this week.

I snuck a peek at my blog and noticed that the old mission address is still posted. Could you do me a big favor and changed it to:

Misión Chile Concepción Sur

Castellon 1063

Casilla 3560

Concepción, Chile

Thanks, Mum! You da bestest! I really do appreciate your help maintaining that blog so that others can stay updated as well.

I got several letters from Cydney and Andrea Christensen as well as from Patrick McGee (one of Deanne´s neighbors). Thanks so much for writing me! I loved the updates and feeling the love. It means a lot to me that you took the time to send me a letter. And of course I´m always grateful for those that email me each week. You da bestest!

Today I completed an experiment to see what would happen if I stopped washing the dishes for 3 days. It´s actually the second time I´ve done the experiment. I finally gave in and washed the giant pile of dishes this morning....ha.

Other fun facts: I decided to start a dream journal. In high school I always had fun telling my friends about the crazy dreams I had each night, and I finally decided to simply by a journal and write them down. It will be an interesting keepsake. If I don´t have any God-inspired visions, I´ll at least prove to future generations that I was a weirdo.

Today I just have a simple testimony to bare. God loves us. Thus, He allows us to have trials and difficulties. He knows that it´s the best way for us to learn and become more like Him. Trials don´t last forever--even when they feel like they will. If we just trust in our Savior and do His will, all will be well. 

Have a wonderful week! I miss you and love you.

Elder Long :)

Chilean Independence Day!

Making the pino for the empanadas! Yumm!

Elder Ballesteros and Elder Miller at our branch party

Hna looks like the actress Eva Mendez (from one of Tanner's favorite movies "Hitch")

Letter home Sept. 18, 2013 Happy Chilean Independence Day!

Hey fambam! So sorry for not writing on Monday. Our Pday was changed to today (wednesday) since today is Chile's Independence Day. So happy 18th!!! We spent the entire morning helping a member make empanadas and then watch the town's little parade. It's so fun seeing everyone dressed as the Chilean ''juasos'' (cowboys). 

Thanks for all the fun photos of Brad at BYU and the new puppies! They look so cute! What makes me laugh is that duschound is the most common breed for Chilean pet dogs as well. All the ones in the streets are of course all different kinds of mutts, but almost all chileans own a weiner dog haha. Wahoo!

Random fun fact: This week I dreamed about Lacey getting married! The good news is that I was at least home for it, so I'm at least assuming it won't happen for another 10 months... 

Funny story: This week a young boy asked me, ''Is Hercules in the Bible?'' hahaha.

This week during my studies, I received quite a bit of enlightenment on the topic of God's mercy. Realistically, Christ is the only one that actually deserves salvation; He is the only one worthy of it due to our imperfections and downfalls to sin. However, if we follow His example, repent, and obey His commandments, we can become like Him. Through baptism, we can even take is name upon us, since there is no other name through which salvation comes (Acts 4:12; 2 Nephi 31:21). We don't deserve salvation, but God has provided a way to obey the laws of justice while still extending his ever-reaching mercy towards us. Thanks to Christ's Atoning sacrifice, we can be forgiven as long as we repent. Through His sacred name, we can return to live with our Heavenly Father after this time of probation has ended.

I know that Christ lives. I know that He loves us and wants us to be happy. Furthermore, I know that true happiness only comes from actively living His true gospel. Have a wonderful week! Love you!

Elder Long :)