Opportunity vs. Obligation

Hey Dad -

Wow-- it looks like you guys had a lot of fun this week doing the Easter Pageant. That's awesome.

That's soo funny about the sheep and I heard it peed on mom? Ahaha that would've been funny to see! 

This week was good. We have been doing a lot of knocking on doors and trying to get in with references with a member and none answered so we just went around for a couple hours trying to talk to people.

We met some actually nice people so we're hoping this week we can find and work with them. But other than that it was kinda a rough week with some other things too but it's all good now.

Ya so tell me about the biz?? Tell me about your quarter goals and why you think youre doing so well so you can do this every quarter! 

That's cool Grandma Chamberlain is there.  I miss Grandma so much. Let her know I don't wear her bracelet cuz really it's a rule that we don't and cuz I'm actually afraid if someone robbed me and I lost it that way. But I keep it in our study room on my desk next to this stand up picture of Christ and it'll always help me remember why I'm here. Hope she's doing well.

That's soo cool for Chip getting his mission call to Santiago, Chile!  It's actually about a 6 hour drive away but that's just through the Andes so ya I'm literally just on the other side haha. The south mission, huh?...I actually think there's a girl named Hermana Martinez that's serving there from my last area. I can't remember for sure tho...she left like in Novemberish? Anyway that's super cool tho!

Ya I've been reading a lot and I love Jesus the Christ. Talmage talks a lot about the things that weren't really brought up and he goes into a lot of super specif details that would've had to have happened from certain things that happened in his life. He gets info too from so many people who have studied Christ's life and have come to like these conclusions on what He's done and what not. I'm in the 200's right now and I'm loving it.

Something I'm trying to do to help our companionship right now is bring more enthusiasm for the work. Something I've learned is when we're not giving our absolute best we need to be thinking about what we're thinking. Mainly because if we're not giving our best we're probably thinking about the obligation more than the opportunity.  Each day on my mission is not an obligation, it's an OPPORTUNITY to change someone else's life and mine.  So I'm trying to tell myself everyday I'm going to work as hard as I can today but only today, so that I don't think about what I'll have to do tomorrow or in the future for the next 15 months.  Then, the next day I say the same thing, haha!

We're also inviting a lot of people to general conference and a lot of women and our recent convert family went to the women's conference and they loved it. To be honest I'm soo excited for General Conference! 

Love and miss ya tons Pops. Take care this week.

Love your oldest son,

Elder Kohler Chamberlain

Member Referrals!!!

(Funny story about this photo -  I (Tamara) was working in the baptistry of the Gilbert Temple last Thursday when Kohler's prom date from last year came to do baptisms.  She told me she was attending NAU in Flagstaff and had a friend who is serving in Mendoza, Argentina and sent her this picture.  She noticed Elder Chamberlain on the front row (right) and couldn't believe it!  So, she sent the picture to me.  Cool story, huh!)


Hey everybody!

So, remember how last week we couldn't find people to teach?  This week we have been working with a lot of references from members. One member Hermana Cornejo who teaches the gospel principles class at church has 4 families for us! We got to teach one of the families this last week but some of them would just come in and sit down then leave and do that about every 5 minutes so it was hard for us to determine if they actually got the lesson. We decided we will plan for something in the future.  We got to talk to all of them and get to know them  to gain their trust and we all seemed to get along really well! 

References is what I'd say is the number one thing to bring people into the church. I actually didn't know this but places like Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah etc are some of the HIGHEST baptizing missions in the world. I always thought most everybody was Mormon there but no haha. The work there is all with the members and so the area president of South America and Russel Nelson who's in charge of missionary work have told all mission presidents to encourage to work more with the members. We've been doing that and we actually made shirts for all the missionaries in our zone and all the members! On the shirt it says Embarquense and a picture of a big ship with symbols from programs our church has like family history, self-reliance, etc. the ship symbolizes Nephi and his family leaving for the "promised land" so were going to help people do that and we're starting by working together with the members. It's been doing really good!  In the past 3 weeks our mission has got 40 baptisms! We've had better ya but it's going good right now so it's all good!

We had Zone conference which is different than zone mtg cuz its every 3 months and the president is there with the assistants. He talked about how if you build a house you don't say..." wow that saw cut that wood really good huh. or wow that hammer did a good job"-- No we say that builder did a good job. Christ is the builder and we are his tools so we need to make sure we do our part and let the Holy Ghost do the rest.

Haha that photo you saw from Lexi,  I can't believe that! That's not the shirt I was talking about but that was our zone shirt that we made with all of our names on it!  Man I wonder which Hermana she knows.  I know one other guy from AZ named Elder Matthews but he's from Glendale. He's soo cool and we burn together all the time talking about home, the lake and what not haha.

Wow you guys are getting super into the pageant!! That is super cool! I wouldn't be surprised of the blessings you guys are receiving. That's success mom, that the kids are having, with school and getting everything done. God wants to see if you and the family will trust Him to do this work. Yes, it's a work-- you guys are putting on a show for many thousands who are members and many who are NOT. They will feel the spirit and then look to the temple and feel something RIGHT about this church. That is missionary work. It might be hard to see it like that but you're a part in their conversion so really you're helping the work. We teach lessons to teach and give knowledge of our church but we teach so that the SPIRIT can teach! The spirit will teach them that these things are true.

I'm glad you guys got to spend some time with the LaDukes and the Fuhrimans!  I'm sure that was fun.

I'm making something for all the cousins and I'm gonna send quite a bit of things with Elder Ah You and his parents home to the U.S. if I can!

Anyway, that's what's up in the "Mish" right now. Miss and love you all! Let's get it this week!!

Elder Kohler Chamberlain

Pray for Investigators

Hey everybody!

So this week was kinda slow but we found an old investigator that wants to be baptized! Her name is Guadalupe and she's 14 years old. She was going to be baptized about a year or so ago and couldn't follow through with it cuz her dad didn't want her to be baptized. BUT now he's ok so we are going to baptize her. Then later this week we found out that she'll be going to a different ward sooo she will be getting baptized by somebody else...the thing is though is that she's getting baptized so that's all that matters! Not if I do it or not!

So this week, ya it wasn't too fun cuz it's just been slow and what not. I hate it to be honest haha but we're going to try and change some things. It's soo hard just having to force yourself to just go out in this sun with these clothes and knock for hours while people make kiss noises at you. Haha Some people here are weird and don't know what we do.

HEY so I have 5 packages waiting for me in Mendoza but I still don't know if Elder Ruiz Diaz got them or not! I'm going to find out today! But the cool thing is that one of my good friends here who is our zone leader said his parents are willing to take things people would like to send to their missionaries and are ALSO willing to take stuff back!  President Goates has said that we aren't allowed to send packages or anything. Only letters. But even that's a process cuz we have to get the letters to the zone leaders, wait till they go up to the offices once every month, give it to the pencionista and he'll take them to the correo and he'll send them there and then we wait for the longer time haha. IDK why it's soo hard here but it just is! This elder's name is Elder Ah You and his parents are coming to Mendoza to pick him up to go home! So you'll have to get in touch with them! They live in Idaho but forgot where exactly. Maybe Boise? But I'm going to see Elder Ah You today and we'll talk about it.( Ya his name is funny haha)

I love ya sooo much mom. I think about you all so much! I hope everything is going well with the Easter Pageant too! Make sure you buy a dvd if they have it so I can see some kind of video of you guys actually in it when I come home someday! Much love to everybody!  Hope all is well!  Love you all!

Your oldest son,

Elder K. Chamberlain

Super Fun P-Day!!

Here is one of the little dogs we found

This week was super good, sad, and funny ahaha.  Good because we got a bunch of new referrals from this girl in our ward so we should get some solid work in. Sad because my comps grandpa died.  His family tried to call the mission president to get my comp to be able to talk to his grandpa on his deathbed. He had a heart attack and wanted to talk to his grandson out on his mission. He had then gone into a coma for a couple of hours and the doctors said if he wakes up he'll be in the hospital for the rest of his life and that was IF he got to wake up. My comp was too late though after finding out about all of this but he got to talk to his dad who was really struggling with it.  I could hear some of the words my comp was saying to his dad and he came out crying and all. He's a lot better though-- he's a stud.( His grandpa was super good friends with President Eyring and he came to his funeral)

I had sooo much fun today mom!  We had a super fun Asado today that us and the other elders and sister missionaries made! Just a bunch of good meat and a lot of coca cola which is basically all they have haha. We cooked it and everything and played cards, listened to music and played with these cute little puppies haha   This week we have been keeping 2 baby puppies that we found! haha --I didn't want them at first but now we made a little house out back by this window and we've been feeding them milk and stuff. Oh my gosh it's been soo funny ahahaha just like when the other missionaries came over they're all " you have dogs??"  ...we're not really suppose to and I didn't really want to but Elder Barton just asked for a couple days really.  But now we gave them away to some people haha-- but it was a fun memory LOL.  It was such a great day.  Like ya preaching the gospel is "fun" but it's not like fun fun ya know? Lol-- I don't want to sound bad but I hadn't had this much fun since I was in my house...I don't know it was fun to just chill with these missionaries and talk cuz we never do that even on all the other pdays cuz we're all always doing other stuff.

You guys sound like you're having a lot of fun on the Easter pageant! That's soo cool that you guys all got set apart to be representatives like that! Wow I can remember that night when Pres. Layton set me apart. So we got new transfer calls last night and I'm staying here again in San Juan with Elder Barton again which is unusual cuz usually you don't stay with a comp for 3 in a row except in the offices. So 4 and a half months haha but it's cool he's fun and I like my area! Mom, in basically 2 more transfers I'll have a year...this is soo weird! March 14th I'll be at 9 months out...I still feel like I'm new and what not but I'm coming up on my year... I like it and I don't like it cuz I'm getting a lot done!

Anyway ma I love you and dad soooo much!! Tell Dad happy birthday for me!! He is soooo awesome and I'm sooo happy his event went well! I actually thought about that this week! I'm going to try to write him a little something but its really late cuz we had a lot of fun today--more than we have had in a while!  Man Spencer is so big now...whatta stuuddd!!  I love you tons ma!  I'm working hard for you all! Tell Brandt he's a stud and I miss/love that guy! Love you!!

Elder K. Chamberlain

We made a little space for the puppies with windows we found.

   

Oriana got baptized!

When Elder Chamberlain served in his first area, Godoy Cruz, he met a sweet little girl named, Oriana.  He and his companions taught her the gospel and really came to love her and her family.  Elder Chamberlain wasn't able to baptize her because he was transferred to another area.   But just today, Elder Chamberlain sent us some photos that his friend, Elder Ruiz Diaz (the Elder with the glasses) sent him of little Oriana getting baptized.  We are grateful that Elder Chamberlain was able to introduce the gospel to her.  He is SO happy for her!!

She is such a darling little girl.

 Here is Oriana with her mother and Elder Ruiz Diaz, Kohler's former companion.  

(Here is his letter from today, March 2, 2015)

Hey Pops-

Wow Wade-- what a stud to run a full marathon! Haha! That is a really good time for a man that's turning 59 years old! Way to finish!! Please let him know that I think that's super cool and congratz!

Happy Birthday Mom!  Sorry I'm late telling you (kinda not my fault haha)  Mom (and almost you, Dad) are 45 but that's still nothing...You have soo much life ahead...I will see 70-80 year old people smoking and drinking and I'm surprised at their age when they tell me! That sounds like fun though what you all did for dinner and presents.   I'm sure mom liked those things.

Wow, that's really cool Dad about having the consultant speak to your general dentist friends...Not only the fact that he will be edifying you and your staff/businesses but you are getting them all involved to refer straight to you. Hey how's that one chapter going for that guy Brian Tracy? Was that it? I can't remember. I'm soo excited for the future!

Man that's funny Hailey and you have been struggling with allergies.  I had the worst allergy attack in like all my life I swear! I was with my comp and it hit me( late at night so good thing) in a less active house and it was bad...just a constant dripping nose and red eyes...If I tilted my head backwards I could feel everything in my nose run back it was pretty bad/gross...But I thought I was going to die that night cuz the 2 close farmacias were closed but my comp had some pills so that made me happy haha! 

Wow I'm sooo excited for Dayton, Nick and Colton getting their mission calls!! They're going to kill it! Colton should email Keaton about the Mexico MTC!

Man Brandt is coming home?  That was fast! That's a guy I can't wait to see when I go home haha. Miss that guy. Speaking of fast too I have 2 more transfers and a week or so and I'll be at a year which is really crazy to think! I still feel like the new kid somewhat but I can speak really well!

This week nothing super cool happened. A lot of talking on the streets/knocking on doors. Saturday we had a service to clean the church and we got to perform Saturday morning for mutual in front of all the kids all ages( Like 30 kids?) We performed a skit of what missionaries do in their schedule everyday so that was fun! We showed what we do when we we're working out. I was going hard and my comp was slowly stretching while in his bed we said cuz he's actually done that before ahaha!!

Ya it has been raining but not too muddy. The ground is really dry and they still have sidewalks kinda. They are more like cemented rocks that are so grounded down now from wear and tear that somehow it's not even really a sidewalk anymore haha so there's a little mud that gets on the shoes but I usually clean and polish them later anyway so it's ok. End of April is when it will start getting pretty cold until about the end of August or so.  It will be weird to have winter in your summer!

Love ya tons dad-- have an awesome week!!

Tu hijo,

Elder Kohler Chamberlain