Week #8 Druggies, Service, and Late Night Treks

Alan,

So first off, I want everyone to appreciate what they have.  These people in Chile make the best of their situations with what they have.  People literally, cut their yards with hedge clippers...and I saw a guy pulling a handcart in the street with his daughter and some lumber on it so she didn´t have to walk,so stop complaining about little things.  I know I certainly didn´t know how good I had it before this mission.

This guy tried to hit us while we were walking in the street one day....he was on a motorcycle...LOL  I´m certainly glad he didn´t, but it was pretty funny...he drove by super close and yelled at us.  Like the next day, a guy almost clipped Elder Peck with his van and called us stupid Grengos(White People). LOL  Which is really funny because Chile has a really thick European background, so there are tons of people here that are waaaay whiter than me. LOL.

Normal Street

Chilean Art

More Art

The story of this part of Santiago.  When Chile had a dictator, his name was Pinochet(The people overthrew him eventually and killed him), this part of Santiago was used by the government.  They used all of the houses here for like torture and stuff like that...there are rumors of tunnels under the streets...people have told us they know they´re there for sure...but IDK. Anyway, so a lot of this sector has hauntings, and that is what everybody says it is from. 

Grade School

Cake That I Made

Typical Sunset

This is the area of Santiago that I serve in. El Bosque, or El Boske

We were doing contacts super late like all this week because a lot of our appointments fell through, so we went to the park.  This guy yelled "HELLO!" at us to make fun of us, so we walked over to him.  LOL.  Which is funny because no missionaries ever do that,so they get really uncomfortable when we do that.  We walked over and he was drinking beer....turned out to be a super nice guy.  He asked about the church and I told him about the church..he wanted to know the difference between our church and the others, so I told him.  He said that all of it makes sense, naturally.  We left him with a pamphlet because he didn´t live here and left.  Right after that, this group of "high" kids did the same thing basically, so we walked over to them. LOL  One of the girls wanted a picture with us, so we took one. LOL  She was a snake ( What we call the girls that try to get with the missionaries)  She wanted us to stay there, but it was almost time to be home.  Another night, we did the same thing, and we found these guys named Francisco and Juan in the Park.  Juan was playing a guitar and Francisco was singing...they were actually really good.  They were on meth and cocaine.  They talked a lot about drugs and Juan even tried to get us to "do a line" off of the back of his guitar with him...we gratefully declined...he said he really respected us for that and for what we stand for...interesting what happens after 9 o´clock!  Another time, a guy on cocaine stopped us in the street and said" I´m not crazy! They said Jesus was crazy, and look at him!" LOL

Moon on morning

Elder Peck

I want to say, that we take home teaching for granted in the United States.  I think it´s safe to assume, that we think that we aren´t really hurting anyone when we don´t do it.  I have found a correlation in Chile.  Our ward has around 350 members....only about 40 are active...we have a 13 percent active rate....we have about a 3% home teaching record....you do the math.  I personally believe that that is a big reason why there are so many inactive people here in Chile.  It´s really not that hard to go by your people and,if nothing else, say " Hey, I was thinking about you and thought I´d come see how things are going for you"  Super easy and super effective.

Tiny bathroom that we had to change i for an activity

Ice cream call Lenquix or in english it is called Tongue

Familia Acosta

Cookout with Hermano Soto

We had a lot of service opportunities this week.  One day, the zone got together and cleaned up a yard.  We cleaned up all of the trash, dead animals, fixed the grass, and had a good time!  Next, the zone got together, and cleaned up the median in between the roads one day on a major road....several people asked us about the church, and some even helped us.  Last, one day contacting, Elder Peck and I found a church of a religion called Baha´i.  We helped them to clean several of their rooms and do "Spring Cleaning".  One guy gave us his number, got ours, and invited us for Once one night. ( It´s their version of dinner, usually bread with guacamole or something small like that) Who knows where that´ll lead.  Service is sometimes very difficult to do, but it is an amazing way to meet amazing people, make a difference, and show your love for your brothers and sisters under Christ.

 This week for the scripture, I want everyone to read:

Alma 26:15-16 

15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlastinglight, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work.

 16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.

and then Alma 26:11-12.  

11 But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

It is a great scripture that I feel will bless each of your lives this week.  It is certainly how I feel about life now after experiencing the things that I have.  I hope that each of you would achieve this kind of love not only for our God, but for each other one day.

I love all of you.  This is the Church of Jesus Christ.  This is His work.  Todo del mundo neccessitan este evangelio-all of the world needs this gospel.  Do your part in the vineyard.

Con Amor,

Elder Jackson