First Baptism Scheduled

So, this week has been both amazing and disappointing. Every single one of our citas (appointents) fell through!! BUT it gave a chance to use our VERY outdated ward list (one of the people we tried to visit died 15 years ago!) and we were able to meet several inactive families who were excited to have someone from the ward finally visit them. There is no Home or Visiting teaching being done here :(

On Sunday we had 86 people there, which is 10 less than last week. That´s how small the ward is; about the size of the youth in our stake, no?

WE HAVE A BAPTISM ON THE 31ST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This awesome guy from Haiti, V., and his wife A. have taken all the lessons and are ready. V. had his interview on Sunday, but A. doesn´t have Sundays off of work anymore, so she can´t get baptized yet :( But my first baptism is going to be a black guy who speaks Creol, French, Spanish, and English. His Spanish and English are only about as good as our Spanish right now, but still!! That´s awesome!!

Mom - Mail takes about 3 weeks to travel, so I probably won´t get it until after Conference. I sent a letter out on Friday too, so you should get mine after Conference as well. (from Mom: I asked Daylon for his best mission prep advice for Trevin): And as for helping Trevin, I know he doesn´t have a problem with this, but definitely get used to talking to everyone! Also, something that I´m doing and would really suggest to everyone is to read each chapter in the Book of Mormon and summarize it in a notebook purely dedicated to that. If you mark a scripture, write that in the summary too. For example:

1 Nephi Chpt 1: Nephi writes the visions of his father as they leave Jerusalem. Nephi knows what he writes is true

(v3).

(I´m not sure if that´s it or not, I don´t have time to look it up, sorry)

Dad - Here are three of the four main streets that we live by: Alcalde Carlos Valdovines, Autopista Central, and Club Hipico. Hopefully that helps :) (from Mom: We're still working on that Google Earth thing, haha)

I have more photos to send, but this computer won´t let me :( Hopefully I´ll be able to send them next week!

--

- Elder Daylon Crider

The First Email from Chile

Chile is awesome! The work is progressing here, but very slowly. Satan definitely has a hold on these people. There was much witchcraft at one point in recent history, and some of the oldest generation still practice. Evil spirits are everywhere and we're giving several house blessings this week. Also, common among most Latin countries, is a problem with the Law of Chastity. Very few people are married and even less have the desire to get married. But they are still raising great families together!

THERE IS A CHANGE IN MY ADDRESS:

Elder Daylon Crider

Misión Chile Santiago Oeste

Casilla 149

Pajaritos 1921

Maipú, Chile

If you´ve already sent letters, they will still get here, but it takes almost twice as long. Also, packages go to this same address.

Time is flying! It´s already been almost a full week! The more I speak the language, the more I am able to understand. My trainer says that, like all missionaries fresh from the MTC, it´s ok to only understand the palabras del Evangelio (the Gospel words).

Umm....we have lunch with the members every day, there is no dinner, but we get fed A LOT!!! There is a Sister in the ward who washes our clothes for us. We get a lot of seasoned tomatoes, rice, and juice. We haven´t had to make anything on our own yet because when we aren´t eating with a member (usually just breakfast is on our own), we have leftovers.

(Daylon had wondered in an earlier email if Dad and I were planning to pick him up from Chile at the end of his mission. I said only if it wouldn't interfere with him being able to enroll in school in time):

 

My release date, even if I came home two weeks early (as of the date given to me right now. My trainer had his mission extended because we came it halfway through a transfer) will be too late to enroll in any classes, even the late-start ones. We´ll have to see if I ever serve in a richer area because here, in my first area, there are too many drunks and people who hate "gringos", so I don´t want dad to spend even 30 minutes here, much less you and the kids, if you bring them. Especially not the girls. We´ve been threatened several times that we´ll be killed if certain people see us in certain parts ever again. But, President King did say I´m serving in the most ghetto part, therefore it can only get better from here :) (Added from a later email: Tell mom I´m sorry I scared her! There really is nothing to worry about. It´s illegal to discriminate and he called us out because we´re gringos, entonces next time we´ll just call the police right in front of him and he´s going to jail. Him and anyone else who threatens us. I promise it´s nothing to worry about!)

Me encantan las personas aquí y yo sé que el Evangelio bendice las familias. Muchas personas necessitan la verdad y lo tenemos. ¡Que bakan! (from Google Translate: I love the people here and I know that the gospel blesses families. Many people need truth and we have it.That bakan!)

Oh, before I forget, Trevin, while you´re translating, you´ll probably have difficulty with some words. There are 3 types of Spanish: Portuguese, Spanish, and Chilean. I´m learning at least a dozen new words a day that are unique to Chile. Just a heads up! (p.s. "Bakan" significa "cool") Also, they don´t pronounce the last "s" on words. Por exemplo: mas o menos = ma o meno

Entonces, yo sé que Dios es todo poderoso y si es Su voluntad, muchas personas llegarán miembros. Pero, sólamente si es el tiempo por ellos. Dios sabe cuándo las personas aquí necesitan ayuda y si nosotros siempre listos, podemos dar ayuda a cualquier persona que nos conocemos en las calles y casas. Cuándo yo empiezo mi día con una orración, tedrá el Espíritu Santo guiarme durante esa día. Tenemos que orar para recibir la guía de Dios por medio el Espíritu. (from Google Translate: So, I know that God is all powerful and if He wills, many members arrive. But only if it is time for them. God knows when people here need help and if we ever ready, we can help anyone we know in the streets and houses. When I start my day with a orración, Tedra the Holy Spirit guide me during that day. We need to pray for God's guidance through the Spirit.)

I love you all.

--

- Elder Daylon Crider

Alyza's Testimony

Daylon's 2-year-old sister likes to bear her testimony at home a lot, and today she treated us to this sweet testimony:

"My testimony...me Jesus...me DayDay mission...Amen"

We Have An Address!

Well, we haven't actually heard from Daylon since he got to Chile on Wednesday, but today a mysterious box showed up, filled with letters that I assume he wants me to keep for him until he gets back (I did not read them, so no worries if you poured your innermost heart out!).

The box had this address written on it in Daylon's familiar handwriting:

Elder Crider
Chile Santiago West Mission
Correos Casilla 149
Pajaritos 1229
Maipu, Region Metropolitana
Santiago, CHILE

I don't know if that is the mission home address or where he is actually staying. To be safe, continue using dearelder.com to send letters until I can confirm this address. For dearelder.com, you only need to know that he is in the Chile Santiago West mission.

I sure missed his Friday email today. I believe his next p-day will be on Monday, so I'm crossing my fingers that we'll hear from him then.

Google Earth, you and I have a date tonight!

Two Daylons

The two Daylons at the MTC :)

Don't Be Present, Be A Presence

So, with the time change that is apparently happening this Sunday, I'll actually be calling around 11 Arizona time. Just a heads up. Also, please don't send letters until I can get you my first address. They usually never show up if the MTC redirects it. Another thing, please don't send gum. Missionaries are not allowed to chew it :)

So, we watched a video of a talk by Elder Bednar on Tuesday. I learned a lot from it! A few things that stood out to me:

1) You can't just be present in your mission area. You must be a presence!

2) After your mission, return to your home, but NEVER leave the mission field. If you can quickly readjust to how you lived pre-mission, YOU WERE NEVER A MISSIONARY!

3) How you live out the days of your life are determined by your time in the mission field.

So, in my own words, while you're on a mission, you are basically creating the blueprint for the rest of your life. If you waste the Lord's time, you WILL waste your time. If you give everything you are to building the Lord's Kingdom, He will bless you beyond measure to remind you and give you thanks for the service you gave with all your heart, might, mind, and strength.

Love,

Elder Daylon Crider

Learning From Elder Ballard

I want to start out saying that Elder Ballard was here on Tuesday! He basically told us not to worry; we learned the Doctrine in Primary, Sunday School and Young Men's/Women's classes and because we're only going to be teaching at a Primary level, our current knowledge is sufficient. This week, I've found great consolation in Alma 26:12 which says "Yea, I know that I am ^anothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will ^bnot boast of myself, but I will ^cboast of my God, for in his ^dstrength I can do all ^ethings; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." (yes I copied and pasted from lds.org)

I've learned, especially over this week, that I am indeed nothing. The people in Chile won't care about me or my message, but the will and do care about the Lord and His message. It is only through having the Holy Ghost to lead my actions and direct my thoughts that I will be "successful" in the Lord's mission. Success isn't necessarily how many people we baptise. Conversion, true conversion, is what is essential to the salvation of our Brothers and Sisters.

I also got to Host the new missionaries this Wednesday. It was definitely an experience seeing how different families react and the types of goodbyes they got from their missionaries. And they had cell phones! The real world!!!!!! Hahahaha

So, yesterday I got some big news.....I report to the Travel Office at 10AM Tuesday March 12 and my 18 1/2 hour, non-stop flight to Chile leaves at 1PM. I'll arrive in Santiago around 7:30AM Wednesday March 13. It made my day to get my travel plans!!!!

Over the course of my 5 weeks so far, I've met 8 people going to the Mesa Arizona Mission. One of them happens to be the "best girl" (that was for you, mom) of Elder B in my District. Sister W is her name and I told them I'll have you look for her at the Vistor's Center, which is where she and her two companions will be serving. They leave the same day we do.

And about being nervous, I'm surprisingly not. I feel like I'm ok with the language now, but I know when I get there their dialect will be different and I'll feel so out of place. But I know that praying and studying hard will help because "...in His strength I can do all things..." and I know He will bless me as I strive to be diligent and obedient.

Also, if anyone sends me a letter after next Wednesday, or a DearElder after next Thursday, I probably won't get it for about a month when it arrives in Chile, so PLEASE don't send anything until I write/email/call you with my new address.

Yo sé que mientras tenemos pensamientos acerca de la Expiación de Jesucristo, el Espíritu puede nos da inspiración que necesitamos en eso momento. Me encanta escuchar a los profetas y las palabras de ellos. Tienen mensajes de Dios para guiarado nuestros vidas. La familia es central en el Plan de Salvación y mi familia es la mejor. Cuándo yo leo las escrituras, siento el Espíritu Santo. Y cuándo nosotros tenemos sueño y despacíado, las escrituras con el Espíritu nos dan vida y un sentimiento de animado. Cuándo las días son largo, yo necesito lo y creo Ustedes sintirán animado támbien.

From Google Translate:
I know that while we have thoughts about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Spirit can give us inspiration we need in this moment. I love listening to the prophets and their words. They are messages from God for our lives guiarado. The family is central to the plan of salvation and my family is the best. When I read the scriptures, I feel the Holy Spirit. And when we are sleepy and despacíado, writes to the Spirit gives us a feeling of life and vibrant. When the days are long, I need it and I think you sintirán liveliness.