I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT GOD LIVES AND THAT HIS SON, OUR SAVIOR AND REDEEMER LIVES

Mi querida familia,

Helloo!!! Well wasn't conference just amazing!? I have never appreciated conference so much as I have here in the mission. I just absolutely loved it and once again I got to watch it in English in a seperate room in the capilla!!! But before I talk about conference I´ll tell you a little bit about my week and I will answer all of Dad´s questions.

My companions name (I'm not sure if I´ve mentioned it ever) is Elder Sanabria. He is from San Gil Columbia (hahaha I cracked up when I heard that, uncle Gary and Brother Baker might understand why) and he is the only member in his family and lost his father in a car accident when he was six. His mother doesn't like the church and didn't want my comp to come. All of my latin comps have come from tough family backrounds. He is a great guy and we get along just fine, he´s probably one of my best comps so far and I am getting along great with him despite our 4 year age difference. He´s a little older because he served in the Columbian army fighting the FARC guerilleros before he left on his mission so I get to hear lots of crazy stories from him from his military days. Anyways I´m learning a lot from him and we work great together. I mean it's not a perfect companionship but as I´ve figured out that doesn't exist.

The branch of Cabrero where we attend is pretty good but I don't know the members very well because we work in Monte Águila. There are five active families here in Monte Águila and they are all awesome and love having misionaries of their own in their little town now so they take care of us. We take turns rotating lunches between the families each week. The town is pretty poor and very humble and that's why I love it. It's just a humble little town. We haven't moved in yet but we are going to do so either tomorrow or the next day so I am excited for that. It will take some work hours away to move but you gotta do what you gotta do. When I have the address I´ll give it to you guys because right now my comp ni yo remember it haha. Yes, we have someone we pay to wash the clothes but no mamita. They abondoned the mamita system here in this mission a couple of years ago so I have never had one and most likely never will have a mamita. But it's all good. Im used to it.

As far as earthquake recovery goes, it's coming pretty well in the mission. Running water in Talcahuano is still off and on, from what I´ve heard mostly off, but in Centinela they are just working like normal. Even in the most affected Sector they do service projects throughout the week but they are mostly doing a lot of just shirt and tie normal missionary work. From what I´ve heard from the president there isnt that much service to do in Talcahuano because they have the military in charge of all the clean up and apparently they don't want help from the missionaries. Even in Monte we are still getting aftershocks but we don't even talk about it anymore. When it shakes we don't even aknowledge it haha.

As far as the work goes here in Monte Águila, last week was absolutely awesome. We are finding and teaching a lot of people right now and we have a ton of investigators. Unfortunately out of our 9 great investigators only one, Maria, could go to church this Sunday because all the rest were visiting family in the campo or in the city for Easter Sunday. But Maria is getting baptized this Saturday and we have another baptism, Irma, for the following Saturday. Then we have three others who have told us that they want to be baptized and we have given them baptismal dates but we just have to get them to church.

So we will see how they progress this next week but I have faith in them and am praying for them.

But conference was absolutely awesome and I thoroughly enjoyed and absorbed all five sessions of it. What I really noted was one continuing theme throughout the whole thing. They focused a lot on protecting the family and the rising generation and most of the talks were directed to parents. The family unit is under attack and may have some rough times ahead but with the guidance, love, and support of our Savior Jesus Christ and the leaders of the church we will be just fine. Haha I always love Elder Hollands talks, his Saturday afternoon session talk was amazing. He always speaks with such power and authority and never leaves any room to misinterpret his words haha.

I think my favorite session though was the priesthood session. The members of Chile really needed to here Oaks talk on the priesthood blessings for the sick and the afflicted and I had a powerful spiritual experience during Elder Rasbands talk on mission calls. I mean I´ve always known that my call was inspired but I´ve never felt it so strongly as I listened to Brother Rasbands experience Saturday night. As he told of this experience of calling missionaries with President Eyring I felt the holy spirit bare witness to me that my mission call was not a product of rational thinking or mortal cognition, but a result of divine counsel given to an annointed servant of the Lamb and that it indeed was a call straight from the Most High God. I felt stronger than ever that I really do need to be here in misión Chile Concepción Sur and that as I keep working my hardest and obeying the Lord the more I will understand it.

I want you all to know that I know that God lives and that His son, our Savior and Redemeer lives. Christ the Lord suffered and died for us and not even a life time of study and service could bring us to the understanding of the significance of that act. But after this General Conference and Easter Sunday, I know more than ever that He lives and will keep trying as long as I live to understand deeper his sacrifice for me. As for now, I am content sharing this message with my brothers and sisters here in the 8^th and 9^th regions of Chile and will gain my happiness through teaching them how they can be made whole through the atonement of the Savior. Pretty much all Christians know what the atonement is but not all know of its true significance and blessings. This is why our Savior organized his church while he was hear on earth. Through his Prophets and with the authority of his holy priesthood we learn how to apply the atonement in our lives so that we can one day return to live with him again. So I´m excited to spend a little more than another year teaching people how they can use it. I love you all but until next week keep the spirit of conference and the resurrection of the Savior with you as long as you can. Chou!

Con amor, Elder Harper :)