Buena Buena everyone!

To start up with some good news, we had a baptism in my ward yesterday! The other elders in the ward found a less active family, and the 17 year old son decided to join the church! It’s really good for the ward, because there haven’t been many baptisms in over a year. We´re still working on one on our side, but hopefully a couple of the families we´re teaching will take the step by the end of this transfer. 

I had an interesting and sad experience the other day with one of the families. We went to teach a lesson like always, and out of nowhere, the father said that he didn’t want to continue receiving us. He got afraid that maybe this wasn’t the right path and so he quickly folded. The worst part is that I know that he knows that what we are teaching is true. He´s felt the spirit soooo strongly between our lessons and going to church, but He let his fear overcome his faith, and there is nothing we can do. Hopefully he´ll be more interested farther down the line. 

We´ve been doing a lot of work with Elder Astete, but we know we can do a lot more. We have to be more efficient in the work, and that will only come through more trial and error. We fasted this Sunday, and we really need to depend on the Lord if we want this miracle to happen.

I went on splits the other day with a greenie in my district in his sector, and that was really fun! He was a little timid and afraid to contact people, so we just talked with everyone we met! The people were really friendly over there. We also found a little miracle. As we were passing a house, I on a whim decided to contact it. A woman came out and after talking a bit, she let us in. Turns out that her son had recently died in a car accident and its been taking a toll on the whole family. I shared Alma 40:12 which says:

And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

We gave her the pamphlet of the plan of salvation, and set a return appointment. 

That’s the miracle of it all. You never know who needs your message. You don’t know if the guy on the street´s mother or son passed away. You don´t know if he´s lost his job or taking life really hard. You just don’t know. That’s’ why I love the missionary purpose of  "inviting ALL to come unto Christ." It’s hard and it’s tiring but you never know, as it says in the hymns, "Some poor fainting, struggling seaman You may rescue, you may save." There are days when I´m exhausted and its hard to get out, but this thought is what keeps me going, so that I might be able to save at least one of my brothers here in Chile

Hope everything is going great for you guys! Catch you next week!

Love,

Elder Pomar

Hey every one!!

It’s started to cool off a Little, which has been a big blessing. Walking with a nice pleasant breeze is much better than melting in the sun. It’s actually not that bad here! The UV rays are stronger here in Chile than in California, so I´m basically going to be black by the time I get home haha!

It’s been amazing to see the progress of our investigators! We basically have three families that we are teaching now.  It’s so cool when you go and teach the principles of the gospel, and the people just begin to light up! Its also interesting how you have to work around the questions and preconceptions that the people have. One of our investigators is an older man named Raul. He was absolutely the last person I thought would listen to us because in our initial visit he went on 30 min rant about how all religions are false and Joseph Smith this and that, but yesterday I had one of my best lessons in the mission. We taught he plan of salvation, and he accepted every point without question. He absorbed and UNDERSTOOD every point perfectly. It was if we were reminding him of something that he had learned long ago. (Which we know he did before this life! we just had to jog his spiritual memory). He is super pumped to keep on Reading and investigating. Afterwards he told us that 50 years ago he had the opportunity to hear the gospel, but he didn’t, and he wishes he would of found it out a lot earlier. Better late than never!

This week I had the hardest day on my mission so far. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. We basically didn’t eat lunch, all our appointments fell through, and for the first time I felt literally exhausted. My body was just aching and all I wanted to do was get to sleep. The next day I woke up feeling the same, and so I went to the bathroom and just cried out to God, begging him to help me overcome my challenges so I could go out and work. I don’t know how, but from that moment on, my morning went really smoothly. I felt relaxed, and rested. I had energy and excitement. God literally answered my prayer. I have sooo much to do still. So much to improve on. God has given me everything, and I still fall. That’s why I´m so grateful for the opportunities we have each day to have a new day, a blank page, through the atonement of Jesus Christ. That’s what this life is about. Enduring the hard times with the hope that something better will come.

I love this work with all my heart. Being able to be a representative of Jesus Christ in my family’s country of Chile is the best thing God could’ve ever given me. I know this Gospel is true. That this is the Church of Jesus Christ, and when we demonstrate our faith by LIVING the commandments that he has given us, we will be blessed. The Book of Mormon is true, and I know it is because every time I read it I feel this unexplainable warmth inside. 1 hour of personal study just isn’t enough haha!

Love you all, and till next time! keep going strong!!

Elder Pomar

P.S. Yes, I am wearing a ww2 helmet and a jacket from the Korean war in the picture :)

DID I GET TRANSFERED!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

(Drum Roll)

NOPE!!! I´ll be hanging around Los Libertadores for another 6 weeks! By the end of this transfer I´ll have been here 6 months. God has something for me to learn here haha! It’s all good. We have a lot of good things coming up this transfer, and Elder Astete and I are ready to take of the world again. 

Unfortunately, we didn’t’ manage to baptize this transfer. My sector hasn’t baptized in over 7 months, which is pretty rare in our mission. Elder Astete and I have been working and working and working trying to help, and our efforts have helped us find a few new families to work with! One day we were just walking through some apartment blocks and this family was moving in, so we went in and helped them move the fridge and the dryer in from there truck. Service is the best way to soften people’s hearts. And the best part is that its just doing what Christ would do. As representatives of him, it’s a really special feeling to help other in all aspects of their lives. 

This week was filled with ups and downs. One of the downs was the passing away of one of our members, Jaime. He was an older gentleman of 75 who we were helping to come back to church. He had such a warm personality and was a real talker, so it was sad to see him go. I had the privilege of playing the piano at his funeral (Side note: within the first 5 months, I´ve played piano at church, at a wedding, and at a funeral. I don’t know what else I have left!). Most of his family is less active, but his daughter has started coming back. We´ll just have to give them support through this hard time, and I know that its the gospel of Jesus Christ that is going to help them heal.

As we talk with people on the street and knocking on doors, we get a whole range of people. One guy let us in and straight up told us that he doesn’t like any religion, but to make sure that missionaries like us don’t come back, he tells every missionary that passes his whole life story. Well, it worked haha! and today i had the strangest thing in my life happen to me As we were walking to go buy lunch, this rugged man stopped us. He had long hair, one of the lenses was missing from his glasses, and he began talking to me in English and told me that he was baptized in the church and could see the future and received revelation to tell me that I was going to be leader (and he said it in the midst of many f bombs and other colorful language) and after, shook my hand and left. I didn´t know what to think. Things that happen!

The best part of all was that this week my uncle Jenaro came and visited me. The last time i saw him was when I was 3 years old in San Jose California. We talked and talked and I got such an indescribable feeling of love for him. He is my family! Also, we had the whole conversation in English. The chap hasn’t lost a bit of it haha! He´s not a member of the church, and is finding his own path. I gave him a book of Mormon with a little personal note, and he looked me in the eyes and told me he would keep it forever. That made it all worth it.

Well, that’s all for now! Catch you guys next week!

Love,

Elder Pomar

Here is a picture I took this morning as we walked together to the office.  Elder Bertagna

Buena Buena everyone!

If any of you were wondering, the title doesn’t have anything to do with the email (I’m sorry Mary Poppins fans!), although I did have the opportunity of SAVING elder BANKS  in my ward the trouble of translating a few things haha!

Wow. This week was such a blur. Its such an awkward moment when you sit down at the computer to write and you cant remember anything you´ve done!  Fortunately, I do remember a few things! 

This week was one of those grinding ones.  It was interesting because every day we walked all over the place trying to find new people to teach, but we didn't find anyone until the end of the day, and then it made it all worth it! 

Yesterday was a prime example.  As we were heading home, we had 30 minutes until we had to get back to the apartment.  We decided to go visit a less active family that had been less than receptive the last time we past. To our surprise, she let us pass!  This week during my personal study, one of the things that made the biggest impact on me was the concept of listening.  A lot of times we as missionaries just talk talk talk talk and forget to listen to what the other people really have to say.  I´m sure glad I did, because as we did, she told us what had happened to her. And because we didn´t shove a scripture down her throat, she kept talking until she came the conclusion that she needs to get back into the church and lead her family back again!!!! It was honestly a miracle.  When we showed love, it did more than any arguing or debating ever could've done. 

For those of you who want to make a difference, think of the people who have stopped going to church for one reason or another. Go and have a conversation with them.  Listen to their hopes and fears. Help them feel the pure love of Christ and miracles will happen.  The Lord never forgets his sheep and neither should we!

Catch you guys next week! 

Elder Pomar

P.S. Here´s a funny note. Here in Chile, the G´s here are called flites (Flight-heys). I just learned the other day how they got their name. When Santiago began to have all these brothers show up, a particular shoe was released: the Jordan Flight. All the bros wanted them, and since basically every wannabe gangster bought them, them were called after the shoe. FLIGHTes! They speak really funny!

PPS Hey Trent and dad, you guys remember the song "Atmosphere"? My Trainers trainers brother WROTE the song, and he almost won a grammy! can you believe it! Elder Pyfer is my "grandpa" of the mission and was my zone leader for 2 transfers! Its such a small world