Early Email

I totally got 2 of the packages! Actually about a week or so ago, i just forgot to tell you on Monday haha.

Today Is My ONE YEAR TEMPLE ANNIVERSARY! One year ago today i went through the temple for the first time! And Wow its so weird to see how quickly time has past by i feel like that was just the other day. But here i am being an old guy in Chile hahaha. 

So i had one day this week that literally every single second of the day there was some miracle that was happening. And it was awesome. One thing that i{ve gotten too used to here on the mission is seeing miracles and so i havent made as much as a big deal about them. And granted i have been writing them in my Journal (that has about 5 pages left in it) haha ( i´ve actually have been pretty lazy about writing in my journal this here in Aysen just because i advent had any space, so i only write super awesome stuff until i can find a store that sells Journals. Hopefully i will find one soon haha.

So but anyway the day started with me and my companion walking to hour house after Lunch when we see a member in his yard with a chainsaw about to destroy a bed frame, and me and my companion just happened to be looking for a bed from for one of my investigators because they are in kind of a financially super hard time, so we stop Pancho ( the member) (P.s. I love this guy, He was less active when i met him, but me and him because friends super quick, and has been active ever sense. Hes awesome)and ask him if we could have the frame. So he gave it to us.

We were then going to walk it over to our investigators house, because none of the members with trucks were available. And Its about a half hour walk from where Pacho lives to where Our investigator lives. And so we walk for about 2 mins when we realize that it is going to take forever to walk there because the frame is kind of freaking heavy. And after just walking a couple of mins we were tired. And so in my head i just start thinking about how i wanted to have more help. And just as i was thinking that i Truck pulls up next to us and a man jumps out that i have never seen before. And asks us if we want to throw the bed in him truck and he could drive us to were we needed to go. So we let him help us haha

And when we are in his truck we start talking to him, when he says ´´Ok Elders Who said the Prayer´´ And my companion says ´´Umm not me....´´ And then he says  ´´Oh it was the gringo that did it then´´ And then turn to me amd i say ´´Well i was just about to haha´´ And then he starts laughing, and told us how he was a member in Coyhaique who was baptized a year ago, and just went through the temple with him family a couple days earlier. And told us that he was driving around working, when he felt the need to drive down some super random street, and then after driving for a min feels the need to stop suddenly. So he stops and starts looking around to see if he could see something he needed to do. And he said that he saw a really tall blonde guy in a tshirt and Jeans  (we did service earlier that day) and saw he had the bed, and felt the need to ask if he needed help. I did hahahahaha

Well he drives us all the way to our investigators house and we give them the bed. And then teach a really powerful lesson. And we invite them to get baptized. One of them in January because there is more stuff that he needs to do, but the other for next Saturday. He was going to have his interview today, but something happened and the District Leader couldnt come in the do it, and so he should have his interview this Monday, and the baptism should be this Saturday that is coming.

He actually asked me to baptize him, but then in English my companion threw a fit about how he has been here for 5 months and hasnt baptized anyone and how we wanted to do it. So i said he could of the investigator is ok with it. Because i dont really mind, he still makes it to heaven haha

Later that day i was looking for a reference that i got when i went on division the other day,m when as we were walking i saw a house that i really felt the need to knock. And so i knocked the door, and a woman answered the door, and was really receptive. Actually i saw her in the street earlier that day and felt the need to talk to her, and did but she was really busy so she couldnt talk. So at first was kind of freaked out, thought we were stalking her hahaha. But she was really nice. And we started to teach her there in the doorway and we start talking about baptism, and i show her a picture of Jesus Christ getting baptized that i always walk around with. And she said ´´You know what Elder Crockett. I want to be baptized like Jesus Christ was. In a river.´´ And i said. Well there is a river here in Aysen. And i can prepare a baptism serve for you (and then i threw out a date) (I have it written down but i cant remember it right now. But its in January) And she says. ´´I cant just get baptized without ever coming to church. Everyone would think i was crazy walking into a church asking to be baptized if i have never even attended the church before.´´ And oh my gosh she is so golden but i  say ´´You know what your right, you should come to the church to get to know if before you decide to get baptized´´ And then i told her that we have meeting on Sunday at 10 am. and She said that she would go, and is really excited to go.

After talking to her i find out that the reference that i was looking for is just right next door. And so we knock the door. And a man opens the door with a huge smile on his face and says ´´Elders Please come in!´´ So we come in and he tells us how we was hiding there by his window watching and listening to us teaching his neighbor. And he also tells us that he is actually Mormon but hasnt gone to church in a long time. In fact his records arent even in Aysen because he used to live in another city when we went inactive, and then moved to Aysen. And we started talking to him, and the missionary that baptized him just happens to be from my companions Ward! freaking crazy. But we talk to him and teach him a bunch, and at the end of the lesson he said something that was super humbling. He said Elders I am very grateful that God sent you two to find me today. This last week has been the hardest week of my life (and then tells us whats been going on in his life) And the fact that God sent you two to knock on my door helps me know that he truly does love and wants me to repent and come back to Him.

And all this happened on a day that i was kind of Sick and didnt want to leave to work. But did anyway and it was awesome!!! 

Welps Love yall.

Awesome Week

Quote of the week

``¡¡¡Que Lindos Son!!!´´ (little girls screaming)

``Elder Silva, yo creo que quezas tenemos aun mas Snakes´´

``Sí  parece que tenemos dos nuevas snakecitas´´

"They are so cute!"!!(little girls screaming)
"Elder Silva, I think that they have even more Snakes´´
"Yes we seem to have two new little snakes´´

Next Monday i have a conference with the mission president and so i am not going to have a P Day this next Monday, but i believe that i am going to have it This Saturday (Two P Days A Week! Score!) And so if you all could write me before Friday that would be ideal so i can still get to hear from you. I´d say that i´ll keep you posted but lets get real, if you hear from me on Saturday it means my Pday is On Saturday. If not it means its not haha.

So this week was awesome, we did a ton of divisions this week, and A bunch of the members have commented to me, saying ´´Elder Crockett I don´t know how you've done it but the missionary work has completely changed´´ And then i would explain the them ´´Any changes here is not because of me, The reason why the work so going so well right now, is because the members here are finally doing their part in missionary work. Because if the members are working everything in the ward Changes´´

Now i am going to tell you WHY the members are working. This last week I was in a Branch Meeting. (I could tell you the name in Spanish but i have no idea what its called in English haha) But it is the meeting when there is all of the leaders of the organizations. And so we start out the meeting with the Branch Meeting with the ``Missionary Minute´´ Where the missionaries can take about 5 mins to explain what activities they are planning. Now frankly with the meeting going they way they were in the past, it was just a waste of time to have me there. But they give the time to me, and i stand up and say.

``Thank you for this time to talk with you all. I have something really important to talk to you about today.´´ I then handed everyone of them a copy of my progress records of my investigators. And then i explain to them the Goals of the mission (baptism wise) and then i show them the goals of the branch, that they set. And then i continued talking and told them about an experience i had in La Union (Lago Ranco) And then explain ``I know that God will help us achieve this goal, and has in fact promised us that if we work that we will be able to do it. But from my experience in the mission i have learned something. 

If in a branch there is not a baptism every month (the goal) there is two reason. 1. Because the missionaries arent working. And 2. Because the members arent working. If either one of the two are not doing their part God will not bless us with more baptisms.´´ And then they all looked really ashamed. But then i made the wound even deeper, and i asked them to look at the progress record. And then talked about my investigators. And i hear the branch president say ``Well it looks like the missionaries are doing their part´´ And i took that opportunity and replied. ``And now we need the help of every single one of you, and your organizations so that these people who are trying to come closer to Christ can receive the help that they need to enter into the path and be baptized. I then talked to every single organization about exactly what i need them to do, and made plans and Goals with them.

My 5 min ``Missionary Minute`` Turned into an Hour and A Half meeting, and the focus of every single one of the organizations.

And we have had members leaving with us to work just about every day now. And we have had more investigators in church these Sunday then Aysen has ever had ever haha. And then also on Sunday i didnt have to worry about my investigators because all of the people in the Presidencies of the church did what they should do and started fellowshiping the members. 

Hopefully the members stay as awesome as they are now, because its true if the members arent doing the part its almost impossible that the missionaries can have success, thats pretty much the story of my whole mission, i get the members to start working a ton, i then get transferred, and then shortly after the area starts baptizing like crazy. 

I actually got news about my investigators. And even though i`ve only personally baptized one of my investigators i have had SO Many get baptized. I was so happy to hear that. Hopefully some day i`ll get to stay in a sector long enough to see the fruits of my work haha

Welp Love you all-. Do missionary work. 

P.s.

So new experience this week, Chile just had a presidential election, and sunday the results came in. And so Sunday night i was walking over to visit one of my investigators when i hear a bunch of car horns honking, so i turn around to see a big parade of people. And there was pictures of the new president all over their cars. And on every car, and all the people walking had flags, half of them where waving the Chilean flag, and the other half were waving a flag that had a Hammer and A Sickle on it. And so i turn to my companion and ask ``Hey is Michelle (the new President) a Socialist)´´ And he says ``No, she is just from a kind of extremely left political party.´´ That kind of sounds alot like socialism to me haha. But im a missionary so it doesnt really effect me very much

New Videos!

Just cool.

It totally snowed!

So i was in Coyhuique this last week, and it totally snowed. So Much for it being summer

Oh and the whole sun never going doing thing is totally true haha

Oh hey i just got an email about being about to do Skpye with you guys! there is two days that i will be able to do it, either the 24th or the 25th. Let me know what day is better for you too, and what time of day as well so we can get all coordinated and what not

So this past week was Awesome, i got to go to Coyhuique to work with Elder Owens!!!!!!!! Elder Owens was one of my best friends in the MTC, him and ELder King (who i still talk to even though hes in a different mission) were huge supports for me. Elder Owens was my DL in the MTC and is my DL here in Coyhuique as well, and it was awesome working with him, even though i havent seen him in a little less than year we were just as good as friends as we were when i had to say goodbye to back in Provo. And the whole day when we werent talking about our investigators that we have we talked about awesome stuff that we did in the MTC, and a bunch of apostate stories of whats been going on with us in the mission (most of which you will never hear about hahahahahaha) 

But here in Aysen something happened that i am totally bummed out about, two of the girls that i was going to baptize this month, they are best friends, came up to us and said ``Well we still really want to get baptized, but we are going to have to do it in March, because both of us just bought Plane tickets to Tamuco, and we are leaving tomorrow morning`` I was super bummed out about that. They actually told me before they told their parents. In fact one of them didnt tell their parents, and so i went to visit them and i asked about her, and her dad said ``Oh she actually packing up a suitcase right now, i think that she is going to spend a couple days at her friends house`` I then had to tell him that she probably packing for a little bit longer than the weekend because she is flying to the opposite end of the country. But they are both gone none, but i foresee that i am still going to be here in March so i will still get to help them get baptized when they get back. But its still kind of sad.

Our other investigators are doing great though, one of them was going to get baptized this saturday but we had to change the date because she wont have time this 14th. But i`ll keep you posted on how she is doing. I still need to talk with her dad again about getting more support, because he doesnt support her decision very much, he says that she`s not mature enough to make a decision like this for herself. She is super intelligent though she understands everything right away. Its pretty awesome actually.

This week i went on splits with the members for my first time in all my mission! Actually now that im thinking about it the second time, but the first time i was in Paillaco, and i didnt speak spanish really at all so i could teach anything because i had no idea what was going on hahaha, but this time was alot different because i actually speak spanish now, actually i think i speak spanish alot better than english now. You cant tell much as im writing, but when we get to skype in a couple weeks you`ll see.

Actually there was one members who didnt believe that i didnt speak spanish much before the mission, in fact they thought that i was born in Chile, and lived here for a long time but then moved to Argentina for a couple of years and started getting their accent.

Shoot im out of time. Welps love you all!

Golden Investigators

Quote from this week ``Elder Crockett What do you want for Christmas`` ``I would really love more pamphlets of the Restoration`` ``We just sent you some the other week`` ``Ya...I already used most of them hahahaha``

So the whole cold thing didnt last that long, i got pretty used to the cold really fast, actually today i was running around in gym shorts all day. But im sure that as soon as i find a place that accepts cards (not many this far down in the world) that has something i like i`ll pick up some

I LOVE AYSEN! For real its such an incredible sector. The other day i met two girls, one of them is 20 the other is 17 and they are best friends, one of them was one of our investigators, and the other is her best friend. But they came up to me and said ``Hey Elder Crockett, we really want to be baptized Mormon.`` And shoot these two girls are so golden. Ok story time

Fast sunday comes along and i spend the morning before church meditating on what i need to do to get this sector going really strong. And then i kneel down to pray to start my fast. And after i finish praying there is a investigator that pops into my mind. And then just then my companion yells out from the bathroom ``Elder Crockett a investigator just popped into my mind, we need to call her`` And it just so happens that it was the exact same girl that popped into my mind too. So right away i pull out my phone and call her, and i invite her to come to the church, and she told me that she really wanted to, but she was spending the night at a friends house, and then said ``And so i dont think that i`ll be able to.....Actually what am i talking about i can totally just invite her to come with me``

And she totally brought her friend to church with her, and they went to all the classes together and they totally got along great with all the members. And then after the meeting my investigators comes up to me and we are talking and she says ``You know i have wanted to get baptized for a really long time, when can i get baptized ( for real everyone wants to get baptized in the c ity haha) and my companion says ``Well we are having a serve on the 14th. Will you prepare to be baptized on that day`` And she says ``Ya for sure, if my dad says i can i will totally do it``

Now from what i know about her dad i had doubts that he ws just going to give her permission. So later that day i was visiting the branch president talking to him about our investigators, no before i go on with my story you need to know a random fact, one of the biggest challenges that we have here in the ward is that the President got in a fight with the missionaries before, and ever sense then was kind of working against us, but he came up to me in church, and said ``Elder Crockett ever sense you`ve gotten here the entire missionary work has turned around, congratulations, and i wanted to say ``Well president ive been here for 2 weeks and big improvements that are happening probably has nothing to do with me`` But i decided against it haha, so i just said thank you, and then set up an appointment to talk with him.

Ok so we were talking about my investigators, specifically the one who we are planning on baptizing in 2 weeks, and the situation with her dad, and President says ``You know what Elders I think i can help you out with that. I will go and visit him, and i will get the permission for you`` And at first i was relatively shocked because i have only heard little horror stories about whats been going on between him and the older missionaries, but shoot i was happy. And then he said ``Elders, i have a bunch of references for you`` He then gave us a ton of references, told us when they will be home, and then set up appointments so we can go visit them with him. 

And me and president just got along so well, and he is so willing to help us in the work and do everything he can to get the members to come with us too. And when we left his house my companion said ``What the Freak! I have been trying to work with him for almost 5 months now, and you get here and within 5 mins he trust you more than any missionary than has ever been in Aysen`` And i just say ``Well, i am pretty pretty awesome some times haha``

But for real Aysen is awesome, i have like a bazillion stories from this last week, its just incredible how great the work is here.

Happy Birthday Mom, and R. I totally celebrated your birthday last night, a member gave me a cake, it was more for a welcoming gift thing, but i used it for a little birthday party on the other side of the world haha.

I set up Christmas decorations in my house. Mom i live on that main street with the bridge. My house is actually super awesome. I`ll have to send you pics of my nice little Christmas tree and stuff.

Welps Love you all! Keep me posted!

Golden Area

So I am IN LOVE With Coyhuique!!!!!!!!! Actually im not in the city of CoyHuique i am in a little town called Puerto Aysen that is about an hour outside of the city but it is SO BEAUTIFUL! But just about everything that other missionaries is true haha. Except for the snow part. There is snow on all the hills that surround the town but none in the city. But shoot it is so freaking Cold here. Goodness. Its like the cold just slams through my pants, the pajamas that i have under, and the thermals that i use under those, and gets me to the bone. Shoot its cold here.

So my companion is a Chilean named Elder Silva, dudes pretty awesome we have been working a ton here. OH AWEsome random fact, my district Leader is Elder OWENS!!!!!!! He was in the MTC with me, and he would come into my room all the time and we would have Nacho Nights. He is awesome i love him so much, i am so excited we are in the same district. He called me last night too, and he is just excited to work with me as i am to work with him.

Ok story time. I was with my companion driving down to Aysen when he said ``Elder Crockett, i feel like i should tell that i expect alot out of you. Just so you know there has been a bunch of unfocused disobedient missionaries here in Aysen before, and when it was almost impossible to work with them, and because of that this sector is pretty bad right now, we havent seen progress in a long time. And so i wrote a letter to President asking him to please send me a missionary who is a hard worker, who would be able to turn this sector around. Because all we need here is someone with a really good work ethic. And then a couple days after writing that to president he called me telling me he was sending you here, so i am expecting a lot out of you``

So we got to work here, and Aysen is AWESOME. We have found so many families who are just straight up GOLDEN! I have never in all my mission have found a people so prepared to here the gospel. Ever. They are incredible here.

We found one girl who while we were talking to her she asked ``If Christ established his church in the world why is there so many now`` And so we taught here about prophets and apostasy, and right after teaching about apostasy she asked ``Why would God let this happen, wouldnt he just call a new prophet`` So we taught her about The restoration of the Gospel, and the prophet Joseph Smith, and then after that she said ``This is incredible, but i feel as though God would give us a little evidence to help us believe this happened.`` So then we taught her about the Book of Mormon, and gave her a copy. And wow she was so excited to read it. And then we taught her about prayer and how after reading in the Book of Mormon to pray to ask God if its true, and if everything we just taught here was true`` She then said that she wants to come to our church, so we told her when it starts, and she also asked if she was aloud to get baptized too. Pure Gold

She isnt the only person we found that was super Gold either, there was another man who works in the fishing boats, and so he is only here for 7n days and then works for 14. SO we wont be able to teach him much. But this man was just as receptive as the first.

There was another family who went through a really hard crisis and was really wondering if God Exists. This one of them wants to get baptized the other is a little more skeptical but is willing to investigate to see what we are teaching is true.

there is so much potential here in Aysen. I am so excited to get to work here. Its crazy i have been seeing so much success in this last week, but shoot i have been seeing so much opposition too, kind of things that you only imagine happening in missionary movies haha. But thats good, because i know that if satan is working so hard to stop us, it`s because God has alot for us to do here.

Love you all Keep me posted!

Reading my Flight Itinerary‏

So i was pretty ready to go on a baggage security rant right about now but eventually everything turned out good so im happy now.

So I am going to quote a conversation that i had this week. I was in a city called Llanquihue working with my friend Elder Werner when his cell phone starts ringing. And i over hear ``Her Elder I have some information that i need to you to pass on to Elder Crockett`` And so he replies ``Well he`s standing here right now so you can just tell him yourself if you want to`` And then passes me the phone.

And on the phone is my Friend Elder Johnson, and he is currently the mission presidents Secretary. And so after talking for a min he says ``Elder Crockett, i have news for you.. You`re Going to Choyihueque`` And my first reply was ``You`re messing with me right`` And he says ``Yup i was just kidding`` And i reply ``Oh thank Goodness you scared me there i thought i was going to freeze to death for a second`` And then there was a awkward silence and he replied ``Actually i wasnt kidding you actually are going to Choyihueque``

Now just so you know This city Choyihueque ( i dont know if im spelling it right) is so far down south that I have to take a plane to get there. It is a place where there is literally snow all year round. And sense it cost so much money for president to send missionaries there they normally stay down there in the south for at least 6 months many are there for more than i year.

Now honestly I have wanted to go there sense my first day here in Chile. And my first initial thought was of super excitement. Until i thought about it a little. I am still recovering from pneumonia where i cannot spend too much time it the cold, and i am getting sent to a place where it snows even in the summer. It is literally the coldest area in the mission. Even Colder Than Punta Arenas which is the farthest south city in the world, because not only am i really closest to Antarctica i am also up in the mountains, at least i think so.

I have only really heard 2 things about this city. That it is Super Beautiful. Possibly the most beautiful place in Chile, but it is deathly cold all year long. But honestly i am super Excited.

I told my ward mission leader this and he said ``Are you kidding? I mean if God needs you in the spirit world to preach the gospel he is definitely sending you to the right place. Because if there was any place in this country that could hypothetically kill you, that would be it`` I then said ``Thanks Love you too``

My personal theory is that God is sending me there to go through like a shock therapy. If my lungs get used to the death cold air there then i will never have a problem with my lungs ever again in my entire life, because im not going to experience much colder than that hahaha.

Actually its not even that bad i will be there during the summer and so it will be alot less cold than it would be if i was in there in August or something in the middle of winter.

My friend Elder Warner Told me that there in the summer the sun Raises at about 4 am and sets at about 11 pm. So i am pretty excited for the awesome missionary tan that i am going to get there hahaha

Over all i am actually really happy, and excited to go down to Choyihueque, but i am kind of bummed that i am leaving Puerto Varas so soon.Because i found a ton of new investigators here and taught a ton, and was in the process of preparing 10 different baptisms in the next couple of days actually, and so i wont be around to see my investigators be baptized, again haha. This has literally happened in ever single transfer ive had haha

Also there was elections for president this Sunday and so it was illegal to have a church meeting, and so i didnt get to say goodbye to the members. Which Kind of Sucks, i literally had just enough time here in Puerto Varas to fall in love with Everyone, turn the dieing sector into a sector that is going to explode with baptisms really soon, and all of that while fighting off Death hahaha. And the worst part is i dont even have time to say goodbye to really anybody. Kind of bummed about that. But its ok, i`m hoping that some day i`ll be able to come back here, even if its just for a day i would like to see how everything i`ve done here is going to turn into.

Actually i have had the opportunity to tell a couple of the members and none of them are super psyked , they all feel that i just got here (because i did) and want me to stay longer, and honestly i want to stay longer too, but i know that God needs me right now down south so i am excited to go.

I just delivered one of my maletas, i have no idea what there are called in English, they are those really big bag things that you put clothes in to travel, you gave me some when i graduated. I can only take one with me on the airplane and the other has to go by bus, and so they are sending it to Santiago Chile, the Capital, super far away, and then from there they are going to send it down south, the the leaders told me to only pack the things that i absolutely need right now in the one that i am taking of the plane, because my other bag will take about a month or so to arrive in Choyihueque.

Well this next time next week ill let you know if i got any snow!!!! Hahahaha

Love you all! Keep me posted on how you are doing!