Baptisms

     Yesterday we had the opportunity to attend two baptisms.  We always try to go to one on Saturday night, but this week President Warne had interviewed one young sister, and we also went with the sister missionaries to a lesson with a mother and her daughter.  They asked us to come and since the two were at different times, we were able to.   The son/brother was baptized nine months ago and was a wonderful influence in helping to convert his family.

     Members of the wards and branches are very supportive about attending baptisms.  Often the Relief Society president welcomes a new sister.  This time a young woman bore a touching testimony about how membership has changed her life.  The branch president or bishop is often there to preside and/or give a talk. 

     Of course the missionaries are an integral part of any baptism.  They sing special musical numbers, bring refreshments, lead the singing, open and close the buildings, take pictures, give talks, and do whatever else needs to be done.   Here in Chile, confirmations are always done in church the next day.

     Baptisms are the reward for the hard work missionaries do day after day.  To witness the joy of a newly baptized member and realize they have made the commitment to come unto Christ is an unforgettable experience.  We are so grateful for our dedicated missionaries who follow the Spirit to find those prepared for the Gospel and for members who help with references, attend lessons and baptisms and of course feed them well.  Thank you for all you do in your wards and branches as well.  What will you do this week to help the work?  

We love baptisms!

Next time we will show elders, but don't they look great?

Feliz Pascua!

Feliz Pascua! or Happy Easter!  We would like to take the opportunity on this very special day to share our testimonies with you.

 

I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement for all of us.  My testimony has grown stronger here in Chile as I see missionaries change from being a little unsure about the whole experience to strong and confident sharers of the gospel.  I see the joy on the faces of the people who are baptized, and know we are all working towards the same goal of returning with our families to Heavenly Father. My testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon has increased as I read it in Spanish and feel the power of those ancient prophets and their teachings.  I am so grateful for my family; this separation has helped me realized even more how much I want to be with them forever.  I am grateful that on this day especially we can realize and appreciate the sacrifice our Savior made for us, and ponder the power of the Resurrection.  Sister Warne

 

We feel privileged each day to represent the Savior as His missionaries here in the Chile Rancagua Mission.  I often think of 2 Ne 25:26 which in part says:

 

And we  talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, ... that our children  may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. 

 

I love the Savior and love doing His work.  He is the reason we are here.  I have a certain testimony of the fact that He lived and died for each of us, that He suffered beyond our comprehension in the Garden of Gethsemane for our sins, that He has provided us a path forward to repent and become clean again through His blood and that each of us will have the blessings of the resurrection in our lives.  From all this is the crowning blessing of living with our Heavenly Father as families again.  All this is made possible by our Savior Jesus Christ.  I love Him and testify of Him in His holy name.  President Warne

A beautiful sunset view from our home.

April zone conferences

                Let’s talk about zone conferences!  Yes, it is that time of the quarter when we meet for training with each zone.  Since this is the month of Easter and general conference, we decided to focus on becoming more like Christ.

                We are mostly meeting with each zone individually, which means 11 days worth of conferences.  When we go to Talca and Curico we will have one zone in the morning, meet together for lunch and have the other zone in the afternoon.  We are also doing influenza vaccinations as mandated by the Missionary Department.

                First, President Warne shows pictures from our trip to Israel and shares stories from the Bible and from the life of Christ.  Then I give a talk about why and how we should become more like the Savior.  Nine of the missionaries give a short talk about different aspects of the Savior, such as faith, patience, love, humility, obedience and so on.  We are challenging each of us to work on one aspect each month as we try to become more worthy individually and as a mission. 

                During a break we provide homemade muffins, fruit and juice boxes as a snack.  During this time they also fill out a survey about our mission web page.  After the break we have a special musical number; we are always happy about the musical talent in our mission.  Then the assistants give a demonstration about how to teach investigators about Christ and we break in to groups for a practice.  To finish up, President gives a great talk about the Atonement.

                Before lunch we give them their vaccinations; they are mostly very brave and smile during the whole thing.  Lunch is tortilla chips with chili, fruit cocktail, and a peanut butter chocolate bar.  We try to have plenty for everyone.   After lunch, the elders in charge of apartments parcel out blankets, heaters, ironing boards and other household items.  We are making a concerted push to improve  living conditions for our missionaries.

                And there you have it!  We really appreciate the senior couples who are helping with the snack and lunch, with the shots, and the household items.  We love them and all of our missionaries!

Time for flu shots!  Even the president gets one.

Earthquakes and Elder Archuleta

It has been a busy week in the Chile Rancagua Mission.  Most will have heard about the earthquake in Iquique Chile earlier in the week.  It was a magnitude 8.2 which is a strong earthquake.  We did not even feel it since we are about 1100 miles south of there but were alerted to the chance of a tsunami along the Pacific coast so we had our missionaries in one town move further inland and to higher ground but figured the others in a different town were far enough away and high enough that they were not in danger.  Other than that we were largely protected for which we are grateful.  We pray for those up north and are grateful for their preservation.  We did send out an email to all the parents in Spanish and English the next morning assuring them that their sons and daughters were safe.  We have blogged about our preparations for just such events.  Each missionary has their emergency backpack and we have a plan for how everyone is supposed to react if something happens.  For the parents reading this blog please be assured that we are taking appropriate precautions at all times.

We started our Zone Conferences for the month of April in San Fernando.  We will do 11 in total over the next two and a half weeks.  With this month being the celebration of Easter we are focusing on the attributes of the Savior and our efforts to become more Christ-like as a mission.  We will share more on this later.

Finally, you may be interested in going to KSL.com and viewing the special on Elder Archuleta´s return from his missionary service in the Chile Rancagua Mission.  He served with honor and distinction and was humble and faithful in every way.  The special is well done and there are even some cameo parts featuring President and Sister Warne.  You will definitely get a feel for life in the mission here as you watch him go through his daily activities.  This is the picture we took of  the Elders in his house when we picked him up to go to the airport for his return.