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 :)