Week 53: Adventures of the bird poop bombing of 2015

Hey guys! Another week, another letter. Zachs letter was great this week, so I just had to post it word for word. I laughed wayyyyyyy too hard.

"Dear Family,

What a crazy and stressful but exciting and awesome week. If I could put to words what happened this week it was that!

Adventures Of Training:
I recieved my companion (My kid) on wednsday! His name is Elder Clark and yes Ryan he was in your Young Single Adult ward. He is a great guy full of energy and a bright smile. Although he cant communicate fluently just yet he gets his point around as he speaks and bares his testimony. The amount of words dont matter when you have the spirit and this guys got it!:)

We started our first day going to our sector on a 5 hour bus ride. I leaned to him and a few other elders and asked if they wanted to contact this bus. So we did. We sang to 50 people on a moving tour bus. That is the experience my kid got on his first day. I wish my trainer did that! We also worked very hard in our new sector. If you dont already know we are in pitrufquen now. We didnt know any of the streets or any members for a few days so tracting was our only option. We have 6 people preparing for baptism right now so keep them in your prays. Rosa and her daughter are preparing for baptisam in 2 weeks so pray really hard that we can get these two amazing ladys in the waters of baptism.

Our first day working together my companion had a wonderful experiance. We were in a park at about 8:50 at night when we pulled out a small map that we managed to find and use to find street names. We were using our small phone that is managable to use, no where near iphone 6 but it managed to shine some light on our small map. As we took a look at our map we heard a weird noise. Very loud almost like a storm. Well we took a look up in the sky and above us were thosands of small birds. My companion then yelled AWWWWW POOP!!! Imagine a bomb field in W.O.W 2 that is what it was like. Could you imagine. Thosands started firing at us!!!! That was our first day together.


80 Pounds Of Potatoes:

We got a call from a member on our 2nd day working to help one of her friends out with her house. She was moving houses and we agreed to show up and help her out with some muscle. Well we were about 20 minutes into helping this lady out when she said she needed some help with her potatoes that she had stored in a very large bag. I having born born of goodly muscles bent down in an atempt of lifting the 80 pounds of potatoes. As I stretched down and lifted starting from the legs down tried heaping them up onto my shoulder. As I flexed I heard a very scary sound followed by a loosening of my pants specifically in the thigh area. I ended up wripping my pants from the front to the back. Ive never had that happen before. I either have been getting so muscular from walking all the time or have been gaining some weight down below. :)


In Conclusion:


There were many experiences that we have had this week that caused me to see the hand of the lord. I am seeing as my time goes further and further in the work and deeper and deeper in the work that I am deependent on the holy ghost and god and jesus christ for this work. I am only an instrument in this great work. I have the great privilage of representing christ in these last days. We all must have firm testimonies now and if you dont I ask you to get one becuase times I coming when we must defend our beliefs. I know that the authority of god is on the earth that I hold this authority and that we have a testimony that christ is the savior of the world and that is the book of mormon. Love you all and have a wonderful week."

Week 51-52: Zach is having a baby!

ALO everybody!

Well the last couple of weeks have been pretty exciting for Elder Van Pelt! Let me give you the dirty details...

First off Chile won the Copa America in Soccer, which is super awesome! Apparently after the win everyone went into the streets screaming "viva Chile!" Did I mention this was on America's Independence day. What a fun little party to have while we are all back here BBQing and watching fireworks. It probably helped to get his mind off of home. They spent the rest of the evening reading scriptures and resting from the pouring cold rain.

Zach found out that two investigators from his last area in Lagunillas were baptized. Javier and Sebastian, who is just 15 years old.

This last week, was actually Zachs last week in Gorbea. Crazy right? Its time for transfers again! It is just flying by! They really made it a week to remember though, they contacted more people in the last week, than they had their entire transfer together. This means, either they were slacking the rest of the time, or they really kicked butt this week... I think it is the latter option.

Zach will be giving birth to a healthy baby boy this next transfer, yes, he will be a DADDY! A missionary fresh out of the MTC. He had a lot of fun with Elder Giner and they got a lot of work done, but alas, it is time to go to, DRUM ROLL PLEASE... Pitrufquen! Luckily Zach lost his entire agenda this last week. So all of his schedules and everything, POOF! He was so worried about it, but when he prayed about finding it, got a comforting feeling that everything would be alright. That it was! He is getting transferred out of Gorbea so had no need for his agenda. God works in mysterious ways my friends.

In conclusion I will end with Zachs little exerpt from his last letter...

"I have learned a lot of things this last transfer. I've learned to be more obedient to the commandments and mission rules. With living the rules I've seen changes in me that are very noticeable. I have also learned a lot about love and trials. Love is something that can be hard to explain but through my experiences of tracting and talking with lots of people that usually slam the door in my face and also reject even saying hi I've learned love is something more deep. I love this people. The Chilenos are amazing people although I get sad when they reject the message of complete joy that could change their lives for eternity, but at least ive had the chance to really do my best and help these people and love them even when its hard to love. I've also struggled having the strength to work sometimes but every time I ask god to bless me with the strength that I don't have, I muster the strength somewhere and I know its from god. I know god listens to our prayers and helps us anytime and anywhere. Most of all this transfer I created a stronger bond and relationship with my heavenly father. I am eternally grateful for him helping me and guiding me through this life. I felt like my life was being guided by me, but as I put my trust, love and obedience in doing the will of the father and I know now after this transfer that he is guiding my life and changing me into who I must be. This simple knowledge of who I am and if im doing everything I should be is being answered as I put to practice the hope and faith to submit myself willingly, humbly and patiently to the lord. Trust in the lord. Even when you must take the steps of faith into the darkness of unknown, hardship or trials, we will be strengthened to do what maybe we cant do on our own."

Until next week, HASTA LUEGO!

Week 48-50: ONE YEAR DOWN!!

You guys, I feel not even worthy to bring you news of Zach! I am so sorry, we have been so busy the last few weeks and it has just been so hectic. No excuses. Just sorrow, for you guys missing out on Zachy-poo for 3 weeks!

On a brighter, better note, I HAD to write today. I just had to. Why you may ask? Because it has been exactly ONE YEAR TODAY since we said goodbye to Zach at the Salt Lake City airport. What a year that we have had... I will be totally honest, it flew by. I feel like it was just yesterday we were taking our "last" trip to Colorado before he left to Mexico. He was so nice and considerate, spending every last minute with each of us to help us feel like we spent a good amount of time before he left. I talked to that boy more in that last month, about more serious things, than I had ever in his life. He missed the birth of his second niece, and the growth of his first into a talking, walking toddler. He has missed birthdays, parties, jokes, death, happiness... But he has not missed half as much as he has learned and gained. I mean really, this guy really grew up (as if there was any more room for him to grow up). He is helping so many people, and they are taking such good care of him. I see these videos that are posted by members, where he is watching soccer and eating food with these beautiful people. He is doing so much good!

Alrighty, now let me catch you up a little on all that has been happening. Zach and his companion are getting along really well. It is winter in Chile right now, so it is very wet and very chilly, so they are out tracting in freezing weather. I never would have known how cold Chile gets in the winter.

I think Zach's favorite activity lately is contacting on buses, probably because there is no way for people to run away from him without jumping out of a moving vehicle, so they have to choose near-death or to listen to the Mormons. He has gained a lot of confidence from this.

Zach is pretty excited about the new temple being built in Concepcion. The construction won't begin until October from my understanding, but it is still an awesome thing to think about, that the gospel is reaching all ends of the earth and that the people of Concepcion will have their very own piece of heaven.

These two elders have been working so hard, that Zach has been caught a couple times, falling asleep while saying his prayers. So now his most important goal is staying awake during his nightly prayers!

I will end with a little somethin' somethin' from Zachs most recent letter this week:

"This week Its been hard to love the people. Well I love them to death but when they deny to listen to us and make pathetic excuses not to listen to us it makes me sad. I've gotten to the point where I've been talking to people but without faith that they will except or confidence in excepting our message. It was a week of almost pure contacting. Luckily we have a few investigators that are on the road to faith, repentance and next stop baptism. Wish us luck. But this week I learned that love really is the most important part in this great work. Something President Bluth said is "There is no defense for love" This week i'm just going to hit everyone with love whether they want it or not. This world needs more love because the worlds hearts are closed. And the only way to open it is through love. I am going to try harder to pray and gain the gift of charity. I invite you all to do the same this week. I know its needed. Its needed now!"

We love this sweet Elder, and know you all do too. ONE YEAR DOWN PEOPLE! But I am excited to hear about all the other adventures he has over the next year.

Hasta luego!

Zach and his companion cut all this wood for a less active member. Needless to say, she showed up to church on Sunday :)