SCRIPTURE STUDY COUPLED WITH ERNEST PRAYER HELPS CLEAR THE MIND AND PUTS THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE A LOT.

Hola Hola!

Well my second and last Dieciocho here in Chile has come and gone and we are going on the last week now of this cambio and probably my last week here in Santa Juana. This Dieciocho wasn't as active and fun as my last one but we still had a good time. Even though I am glad it's over because the holiday was not very good for the work so last week wasn´t nearly as productive. We had the capicitation thing on Monday so Tuesday was pday. Then we basically just had Wednesday and Thursday as good solid work days because we had the branch activity on Friday, which took the whole afternoon (like 5 hours) and then we had Saturday (Dieciocho) as pday. But the Chilenos, from Friday until today, were in party mode. Lots of drunks, lots of investigators out of town or entertaining guests, and everyone too busy partying or with preparations to listen to us. We did find a really good person although doing contacts on Thursday. We talked for a long time and she was really interested and we were stoked but at about 10 minutes into the contact we found out that she is from Santiago and is just down visiting family here in Santa Juana. Sigh, just our luck, but it was still a good experience.

Then, as I mentioned earlier, we had the branch activity in the meeting house on Friday afternoon. It wasn't nearly as big or active as the activity they did in Pitrufquén but it was alright. There were like 25ish people there with some games and lots of food. I basically just spent the whole time chatting with members and some of their non member family members and stuffing my face with empanadas while drinking mote con huesillo. Man I ate so much fried food this weekend (including like 30 empanadas) I feel absolutely sick. Then after the activity we took a two hour bus ride to Lota to sleep at the missionaries' house over there because we did a double zone activity in the chapel over there for Dieciocho. It was fun and all but it was a lot of traveling and it wasn't really all that exciting. But the anticucho(shishkabob) and asado(barbecue) was good so I didn't complain. So ayways it was a good weekend but when Sunday came around we didn't think we were going to have anyone in church because we didn't see our good investigators pretty much all week. But to our surprise, halfway through the sacrament, in walks the 20 year old son of this innactive member that we've been talking to and trying to teach. I thought that he wasn't all that interested but he came to church by himself and without us picking him up or anything and he seemed to like it so we will see how it goes with him when we go to teach him this week.

Well it was a really short work week and the activities for Independence day weren't all that exciting so I'm just about out of stuff to write about this week. But this week we have the whole work week without interruptions and even though I enjoyed the festivities I'm ready to hit the streets again and to finish out my time here in Santa Juana working hard and smart and doing everything I can to have the spirit of the Lord with me. Looking back at the work here I´ve made some mistakes, and I've had some hard times but I've learned from all of those and am going to work hard to keep my spirits and animo up to finish it off good this cambio. I´m not sure yet about what the cambios are officially, but this Saturday I will, so you will hear about it next Monday. Well I've got to go now but I love you guys and can't wait to hear from you again next week. So until then cuidense y portense bien. CHAOOO!!!!

con amor, Élder Harper =)

Hey Mom!!

Thanks for the letter. I loved it. Oh and by the way you're right. I think it would help out a lot to make it a habit to have good daily scripture study which is started and if necessary ended with prayer. Scripture study coupled with ernest prayer helps clear the mind and puts things in perspective a lot. Sometimes I've come home from a rough day and I've needed to ask Heavenly Father for like a million things but instead I just start going on about what I'm grateful for and why I am grateful for it and that always helps me to feel better. Well mom I got to go pero te quiero mucho y cuidate!

tu hijo chileno, Élder Harper =)

Hey DAD!

Loved your letter. I don't have much time left but I just wanted to send a quick note. I'm glad that you are enjoying seminary and are rediscovering the fount of spiritual strength and peace that is daily scripture study. I absolutely love it and need it to function properly as a missionary. I hope that I never lose it after the mission. Also I'm really glad that you guys enjoy my letters and that they might actually be helping people out back home. Here I've taken I huge hit to myself confidence and esteem as a missionary and at times have questioned if I really am cut out to do this work but I know that those thoughts are just from the adversary. Anyways it was good to hear that I might be helping out back home even though my efforts aren't resulting here in the field. I guess I just need to work harder and with more consistency, diligence, and animo because sometimes it's hard to keep the animo up.

Although I don't think that I'm nearly as good of a missionary as you were I know that I've at least got 10 more months left here to become a good missionary. Im too weak and make too many mistakes but I guess that's so that we can stay humble. Oh and don't worry, I agree with you about the levity. Trust me here in the mission I love joking around, having a good time and making contacts, investigators and members alike smile and laugh. But with levity there is a time and a place and there are limits and my comp likes to flirt with those limits a lot and sometimes chooses the wrong moments and places. But he has gotten better with it so there aren't too many worries there. Anyways I just wanted to let you know that I love you and am grateful for your words of support and encouragement. Tell your class that I say hi.

Te quiero papa, cuidate

tu hijo chileno, Élder Harper =)