Wow!

  This week went very, very well for us. I feel really great after what's happened this week, and so I'm gonna try to get in every little detail of what happened. Well I just realized I forgot the planner that had all my notes about the week in it, so we'll see how this goes.  
  So last Monday we went to Karina, had a good lesson with her there, to pump her up for her baptism. Then I felt we should go to Miguel Carrillos house. We got to his house and I noticed a definite difference in him. So then we started talking and he just started telling us about all the doubts he has, how he still isn't sure about the church and how he would be better staying the way he was. I think I forgot to tell you last week, but the week before this happened he bore his testimony in Sacrament meeting about how sure he was the church is true and that he would eventually get baptized. So hearing this was really rough, and we had probably one of the most intense lessons I've had in my mission, actually I would say it was the most intense.  So I felt really guided by the spirit the whole time, it was really strong in there, trying to answer all of his doubts. So at the end of the lesson we just kind of ended it, no clear answer as to how he felt. And let me tell you, after the lesson, I was physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. Totally drained! We got back to the house and I just went straight to bed. So that had me really worried the whole week. Because really, he does know its true, and I would feel I have failed in my mission if he doesn't get baptized. More developments on the story a little bit later.
  So that was Monday. Tuesday was the cambio day, so for us was a normal day. Wednesday I gave the district class, which was alright. Throughout the whole week we've been focussing on getting our investigators to church, so we've been passing by a lot for our better investigators, Karina, Monica, Jocelyn, Elisa, etc. So I'll tell you a little bit about their progress in a bit.
  Thursday was really cool. Why? Because in the morning we went to the registro civil (like the government building) in Penco, with Miguel and Jocelyn, and went and got them a marriage date!!!! Sadly it's a little far away, Decmeber 9th, but oh well, they're getting married! We've seen a lot of progress in them, and I'm really glad I've been here to see it. 
  Friday was normal. Saturday we did a lot of service in the morning, and then had a normal day. And then Sunday...
  Sunday was like the crown on top of this whole week. Why? For many reasons.
1) Karina got baptized!
2) Monica came to church for the first time!
3) Elisa, Jocelyn and Miguel, and Moises came!
4)And some developments on the Miguel Carrillo story. Good ones.

Ok, so Karinas baptism! It went really well. We did it at 4 o'clock so that all the family could do it. And Elder Strong did the baptism, so that was really cool. A little side note, at the district class we formulated the idea to do a 3 compship baptism at the beach, but we didn't get permission. I really want to baptize in the beach, it'd be soooo cool. But it didn't happen. But for a future one.
  Monica coming to church really made me happy. We should start seeing a lot of progress with her now. The same with the other investigators.
  And later in the day we went over to Miguel Carrillo, and he apologized for what happened, told us about how he really is sure that he will be baptized, told us how he'd like to probably serve a mission, and all this music to our ears! So that was like the good news icing on the cake of a beautiful week.
  And then today we played some soccer, I did good at first then got a little worse. But I think I'm getting better overall. And so here I am now! I'm really excited for the future of Lirquen, we're gonna see un montón(a lot) of success here. Just hope I don't get changed the next cambio (Nov 30). We'll see what happens. And we're seeing a lot of success as a district, which also makes me feel good. I love being here and serving, time is going by faster and faster, I can't believe Octobers almost gone. But I just gotta work even harder. I love you all, have a great week!

Elder Ryan Mayberry

A good week!

Hello everyone!
This week was pretty good for us here in Lirquen, I'm pleased with the things that have happened. So first I'll do a summary of the events that happened, then a summary of the progress of the investigators. Ok, so starting at the beginning...
  Well on Tuesday we did a minicambio with Penco Centro, I had to do an interview for them over there. So that went well, the girl passed the interview and will be baptized the 24th. On Wednesday we found out that a members mom died, so we went to the funeral and Elder Strong sang at the funeral.  On Thursday morning we had to go to Concepcion to do Elder Strong's visa and id card, fun. We waited in line for 2 hours to do it.  And as you guys also know, the miners were all rescued! That was a really cool experience,and that's basically all they're showing on TV nowadays. 
  Now on Monday we recieved an email from the Presidents wife telling us we had to do a deep cleaning of the house on Saturday morning, until lunch time. Now, we had an appointment then, so we did ours on Friday. Let me tell you, I don't think our house had been cleaned before. So we spent all morning Friday doing it, and we got only halfway done! Then our Saturday morning appointment fell, and we finished the cleaning on Saturday morning.  It was a lot of work but the house looks a lot better now. But we did leave the vines in the house there as a recuerdo (rememberance?) of how it used to be, haha. 
  Ok, now its time for the investigators.
  Karina-doing excellent. We taught her almost every day this week, and she had her baptism interview and passed! She will be baptized this next sunday, the 24th! I've really grown to love that whole family. Her mom came with her to church this week too! So things are going excellently with her.
  Elisa- Kind of a roller coaster has happened with her. So we've been trying to help her get a testimony, she's really confused about which religion is correct. So we were teaching her one day and the doorbell rang, and she went out to answer it. It turns out it was her friend, who is a Jehovahs Witness, and she was out with her for 10 mins. I could her that the whole time she was just bashing our church. So they stopped talkiung and Elisa came back and just started crying. It really made me sad seeing how confused she was. So we left her the invite to pray. And then she came to church on Sunday! And we've got a cita with her soon so well see how things go.
  Monica - We had a frank lesson with her telling her she had to ponerse las pilas (put in the batteries, you now, like get things going and start doing stuff.) It was a really nice lesson and she understood it well, and she was all excited, but she was going out of town for the weekend :( So well see with her.
  Jocelyn - Things are going well there.  We actually went with Miguel (her boyfriend) to go arrange a time when the judge could marry them, but Jocelyn had to be there as well. So were gonna go back again this week to do that. Then theyll get married and shell get baptized!
  Paula Canalles - We managaed to teach her a lot this week but she didnt come to church.
  Well, and thats about it! So today we found out the cambios, and nothing happened here in Lirquen! Im staying here with Elder Strong, and were gonna do work here. Itll be good. Thanks for all the support, i love the work! Have a great week everyone!

Elder Ryan Mayberry

Aqui Estamos

  Well, here we are another semana gone.  I typed that out exactly as I thought it, that's how my thoughts come nowadays, mixed in english and spanish. Anyways, this week was pretty good for us. Again, like a lot of weeks, it had its ups and downs.  
  Well for the work, were working with the same people. We've got some people who we were focussing on more, progress less, and others progressing more, so were gonna do a little bit of switching around our priorites here. But this week was pretty good. one cool thing me and elder Strong are doing now is that now we only speak Spanish in the street. And whoever speaks English the most has to buy the other something at the end of the day. It's good practice for elder Strong, me too.
  So a little about the investigators.  Karina is doing very well, she came to church again this week and liked it a lot. She could very well be baptized this Sunday, which would be excellent. On Saturday night we were worried because it appeared that Jocelyn and Miguel had a fight, but they both showed up to church on Sunday as well. And we're trying to teach another kid thats come to church a few times.  Monica once again didn't come, ugh. Elisa was also set on coming, but couldn't. But I'm still very optimistic for the future, we're on the verge of a breakthrough here in Lirquen. 
  So today we were invited by Miguel and Jocelyn to go to his birthday barbeque at his parents house. He turned 29. That was really cool, fun to just hang out with some cool people. Ate a ton though. And so here I am!
  This week I turned 14 months in the mission, 1 year in Chile. That was crazy. I took out my 1st agenda from being in Chile, and looking through it, I could remember the people I talked to, clearly, from the first few days in Chile. It's crazy.
  And so here comes the next week, the last of the cambio.  I doubt I'm going, pretty sure I'll be here in Lirquen with Elder Strong for a while longer. It'll be great. I love the work, I love being here, and the church is true. Next week I promise some pictures!

Elder Ryan Mayberry

Una Semana buena!

Hey everyone!
  This week was pretty good, in many aspects.  I do feel that this email might be a little short though. So this week we have been working with our investigators, like last week, to get them to go to church.  So we focused on that this week a lot with Monica, Karina, Jocelyn, Paula Canales, and the rest.      
  On Tuesday I went to the sector of Penco Centro to do a minicambio, and that went good. Elder Strong had to lead the sector in Lirquen, and did really well from what I hear! Then on Thursday we did what was called an invasion. All the missionaries from our district, plus the zone leaders, went to the sector of Valle Hermoso and worked there for a couple hours. That was pretty cool to do.
  So like I said we had to work really hard to get people to go to church, especially cuz we wouldn't work on Saturday (for General Conference). So that's what we did, and we saw fruit! We had 4 of our investigators go to church this week! Paula Canales, Karina, Jocelyn and Miguel, and a members friend. So that made us happy to finally see some people go to church. Although it was disappointing that some people didn't go, Monica for example, we were still happy that some did. 
  And speaking of General conference, it was really good! I've come to love conference now. I felt how special of an experience it is as I taught what conference was to our investigators. How blessed we are to listen to the Prophet of God, and his 12 apostles. Conference was really good, a lot of people spoke on the basics, which was good. We as missionaries go to all 5 sessions, so it's cool to hear all the talks. 
  So we're gonna have a lot of success in October. Me and Elder Strong are excited to work hard and see some fruits this month. It's gonna be a good one. And today we had a lot of fun as well. We went to a big field, right on the beach and played soccer zone vs zone, against the zone of Chiuguayante. It was fun playing on a big field, and we also owned the other zone!  
  And as mom has already told me, tomorrow I turn 14 months old in the mission, and on the 6th I turn 1 year in chile. That will be crazy, knowing that a year ago I was in Chile. I'm not trunky, don't worry about it. I can't believe how fast the mission is going, it's scary. But I'm here to work and will do it til the day I die (in the mission). I love being here and being a missionary, and I'm excited for the future.  I love you all!, and sorry for how small this email is!

Elder Ryan Mayberry