The beginning of the end!

  Well, here we are, another cambio down. Its so strange to think that I'm in the last cambio of my mission.  only 6 short weeks left. Wow. Well, this last week was a really good one. It was the last week of elder Squires, and we saw a lot of good things happen this week, mostly having to do with our investigators. So I think I'll just explain to you the advances of our investigators. Lets start with Carla...
     Carla did great this week! She got baptized! It was excellent. She was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. Her baptismal service was really cool, Melani (her new convert sister) gave the talk, and at the end Carla bore her testimony. It was really a special moment. Another cool thing was that both of her parents were there to support her! We've seen progress with the parents in the sense that they are no longer against what their daughters are doing, but rather are giving a little more support. They even went to church for all 3 hours on Sunday. SO that was really good. 
    Next up will be Laura. Well, Laura was definitely a blessing from heaven.  She is just so great, we taught her a couple times this week and she is really willing to believe what we share, but wants and is looking for a spiritual confirmation. She went to Carlas baptism, and went to all 3 hours of church, and even said the closing prayer in the principles of the gospel class! She's so cool, I know she will progress.
    After Laura we've got Sebastian. He's just another blessing from the cielos. We met with him this week and to our surprise we got to his house, and found out that him mom and his grandma are both inactive members, and are all for him going to church and getting baptized. That was a pleasant surprise. So we taught him once or twice, and he also came to church for all 3 hours.  Excited about him too.
    Then we have our others. Danielas still really good, but she didnt come to church, aww. Paula and Romina are also in the same boat, making steps of progression, but didn't come to church this week.  So that made us kinda sad. But we are very excited for the future. It should be a great month in July, I'm very excited for it. Should be a great end to the mission. 
    So changes are today. The zone had considerable changes, 3 people finished the misison in the zone. 2 missionaries are gonna train now. One of our district leaders became the assistant. So the zones gonna be pretty changed this next cambio, but it's gonna be for the better, I can just feel it. So elder Squires is dying, and my new comp is gonna be elder Zarco. He actually got here with me, but goes home a cambio after. He's from california, but has Mexican heritage.  I've never met him, but I've heard good things about him.
     Well, I guess this really is the beginning of the end. I'm gonna work the absolute hardest I can these last 6 weeks I have. The only thing is that I'm 90% sure they're gonna fly by. Well, here's to a great last cambio.  Here's some pictures too. I love you all, I love the mission, I'm just really loving life right now. Have a great week!!!
Elder Ryan Mayberry

Exito!

Hey everyone!
This week has been pretty good to us here in La Pradera, we've seen a lot of unforseen blessings, especially towards the end of the week. Monday was a pretty normal day. Like I said, we were saying bye to people in Lirquen, then we just had a normal day. Tuesday was also normal, but during the evening we went to the sector Chiguayante, where the missionary has the bad leg, and I went out with his comp to teach. We taught a family who lived in Miami for 10 years, so we taught in english, which was interesting and fun, haha.  Wednesday was normal too. Thursday we did a minicambio with the sector Chiguay, and I went over to their sector. They really don't have any investigators, so we just knocked doors. For 6 hours! It was good. We got into one house of a semi drunk guy, but his wife was nice and we taught her. Friday was also normal. Saturday was when we started seeing the blessings.
     So we had gone to a new converts house earlier in the week to ask for a reference, and at first she didn't have anyone, then she said, wait you could probably visit my friend Daniela. Then she said she was gonna set up an appointment. So that was on Saturday. First we had a meeting at the stake center about the mission work, then Daniela and the new convert met us up there. So we taught her and it was a good lesson. At the end Daniela told us that at first she accepted to meet with us just to be a good friend, but after sharing she said she really felt good, that she was uplifted after sharing and that now she really was curious to find out more! She was really sincere, and I know she's gonna progress. Then we went in the night to Melani (our newest convert) and Carlas (her sister who didnt have permission to be baptized) house. So we got there and the mom was like, well, Carlas got something to tell you. Then Carla told us that her parents have given her permission to be baptized!!!! SO this Saturday were gonna have a baptism! Miracle! The other miracle happened while we were in that house. A couple weeks ago we had a girl, Laura, show up to church with her friend.  She really liked it, but we haven't been able to meet with her, or even get her address. So while in the house of Melani we got a call from the missionaries in Tierra Bella, the sector that borders ours. They were knocking doors and accidently crossed the boundary, and contacted and taught Laura!! So now we have an appointment to teach her. And from what the other missionaries said, Laura is golden.  Oh Boy! Were excited.
Uhh, I accidently sent that last email before finishing! Well to finish, on Sunday We only had Carla in church. But a new convert brought a friend and presented him to us saying Hey this is Sebastian, he wants to be a mormon. So we got a return appointment with him too! I'm pretty convinced that were seeing all these blessings because my comp isn't trunky. President keeps telling us that if we don't get trunky at the end of the mission, well be blessed. And we're seeing it.
      This morning we played soccer which was good as always. Today were gonna go say bye to another of my comps sectors.  So that's about it! I can't believe we're in the last week of this cambio. I'm super excited for this upcoming cambio. Next time I write I'll know who my new comp will be and my current comp will be going home! Hope you all have a great week! Love you!

Elder Mayberry

Not a lot of time..

Well, like the title says, I don't have a lot of time to write. Actually like nothing. We came to Lirquen today so my comp could say goodbye to members and converts here (he was here before I was), so that ate up basically like the whole Pday. Now we gotta get home quick, so that's why we don't have a lot of time to write, sorry! Hope all's well for you guys, things are great here, things are looking up. We're working hard. I love you all! Next week I'll write more!

Elder Ryan Mayberry

Work, Work!

Well, this week was a pretty good work week. Basically, we just worked hard the whole week, not too many new things happened. Lets see, one of the only abnormal things that happened was that we had consejo de Lideres (Leader Council). It's where all the zone leaders meet with the President and the assistants, and we talk about how we can better the mission. That was a cool experience,  the President talked to us a lot about how we have to be the examples to our zone..  The other cool part was I got to see a lot of my missionary friends, like Elder Christenson. Then after the council we went to eat at a Peruvian restaurant, and it was pretty good too. Then the next day me and Elder Squires gave the class to the zone, and with the zone put goals and plans as to how we do better.
  Really, other than that the week was a pretty normal one. We have steadily been finding new people, we've taught a couple of them a few times now, but no one came to church on Sunday. So we're gonna keep working with them, but it's good, now were getting a good group of investigators. On Sunday, we had Melani's confirmation, and both of her sisters came. The mom is still being annoying, but we might be seeing small breakthroughs with her. Also, we got a random blessing, someone brought a friend to church, and we talked to her after and she said she'd love for us to go teach her! SO we're excited for that. Oh yeah, and our investigator Marcela had her baby, so she couldn't come to church, but she said hopefully she'll come next week.
  So we're excited to keep working. We're gonna have success in our sector, and the zone looks like its gonna do pretty good too. The zone has a goal of 13 baptisms, and as of right now we have 4. SO were gonna keep working hard and get the goal. I love the mission! Everyday is passing by faster and faster. This cambios already half over! And I hit my 1 year 10 month mark yesterday. My comp goes home in 3 weeks and isn't trunky, so that's helping me not to be trunky too. Wer'e just gonna keep working hard! I love you all, have a great week! Heres some pictures!
Elder Ryan Mayberry

Pics)
One side of chiguayante is against some hills, (Pic 1),

and there I am at the base of the hills (2).

The other side of chiguayante is against the river bio bio (pic 3),

and me at the rio bio bio (4).