Week of Christmas in a New Area

We couldn't find Kohler in this picture but he said he was there and  told us about Elder Christofferson being there.  What a wonderful experience it was for all the missionaries.

FOTOS CON ELDER CHRISTOFFERSON, ELDER WALTER F. GONZALEZ
PRESIDENTE GOATES Y CADA RESPECTIVA ESPOSA Y POR SUPUESTO LOS MISIONEROS DE TODA LA MISION ARGENTINA MENDOZA!

LLEGADA DE PRESIDENTE GOATES Y LA HERMANA GOATES.

President Goates enjoying the music of his missionaries!!

¡¡¡¡LAS ENCHILADAS MAS MEXICANAS!!!! ANDELE PUESSS...! A COMER!!  HECHAS BY  ELDER GARCIA CON AYUDA DE ALGUNOS MISIONEROS.

(My letter to Kohler before Christmas)

My sweet amazing missionary son,

You probably didn't know this, but YOU gave me the greatest gift a parent could ever ask for last week.  You told me that you hadn't received and probably won't receive all the packages I have sent you in time for Christmas---not even the one I spent a lot of $ on to have it sent Fed Ex to make sure you got it.  It broke my heart when I read that because I wanted so badly for you to have gifts from us to open on Christmas Day.  But then you wrote, "Mom, it's ok.  It's just another sacrifice on the plate of being on a mission in a foreign country . . . para el senor (for the Lord)."

Kohler, when I read that, I just wept.  I have been thinking about that statement over and over again this week.  Just a few days ago, I listened to a song on your playlist, "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" and the words of the third verse rang so true to my heart because I thought of you down in Argentina:

"There's surely somewhere a lowly place, in earth's harvest fields so wide

Where I may labor through life's short day, for Jesus the crucified.

But trusting my all to thy tender care, and knowing Thou lovest me.

I'll do thy will with a heart sincere, I'll be what you want me to be."

YOU ARE THAT SONG----You are doing every word of that song.  You are doing God's will with a sincere heart and you are becoming exactly what He wants you to be.  Kohler, by your faithful service to your Father in Heaven and your positive attitude when you found out you wouldn't have any gifts for Christmas---THAT in turn, became one of YOUR greatest gifts to me.  Does that make sense?  It's like it just came around full circle to me.  Maybe someday you will get those packages in the mail and until then, please know that we really tried and that we love you with all our heart!   But I can't even begin to thank you, Kohler, for your unwavering testimony and the strength you are to our family.  This truly is a Christmas gift I will remember forever.  

I can't wait to talk to you on Thursday!  Dad sent you the instructions for video chat.  I hope we can do this ok.  Hopefully you have been talking to other missionaries and have found out what works best, especially in the new area you are in.  I hope you will have an enjoyable week and feel lots of love from the members in that area.  I also hope you like your new companion.  

I love you so very much!!  Feliz Navidad Elder Chamberlain!  

Mamasita (btw, I love it when you say " love you tonz, sexy buns! "  ha ha You always make me laugh :)  

(LETTER FROM ELDER CHAMBERLAIN)

Hey sexy bunz haha;)

Mom I have sooo much to tell you when we talk this Christmas! I sent dad  a lot of stuff about the skype or oovoo that we'll do but it's gonna be hard... I have a gringo comp that's super cool but we don't know any of the members in this new area or if some of them have computers or what not and most of the cibers here don't have cameras or may not be open on christmas...

We'll be searching and I might come in tomorrow or Wednesday. Probs Wednesday cuz there's a little christmas party for all the missionaries but its split for half and half of the mission. 

Hey Mom thanks for saying that to me. It really does mean a lot. I didn't want to move before Christmas and I had a bad feeling. I guess I'll just tell you some of the things I have going on.

So our pench (apartment) it's just me and Elder Barton( from Kaysville Utah) who's super cool but our pench is pretty bad and I'm going to tell you about it later haha--

The good things are that the people here are super nice and receptive to us...the other elders here both left and had no investigators and nothing before us so we had to wash the area, but we found a grandma, mom and her son who has other children of baptizing age and they all came to church with us THE FIRST INVITATION!! Ma we are hoping to baptize a lot here! We have sooo many Abs which are abri la bocas and I forgot  how to say that in English....open the mouth/ contacting ok haha and a lot of people want us to come over...sooo I'm super excited for that. But hey I actually have to go now I'll talk to you later!! I'm doing super good here and I'M learning a lot ma!

Love you sooo much-- I'll talk to ya soon!!!

Elder Kohler Chamberlain:)

Patience with a Comp and Spanish es muy bien!

(letter from last week that he forgot to hit "send")

Dad tell mom that she is amazing and that she should put that "Called To Serve" song on I- tunes or send it to the EFY program or something. Maybe she could make some money from it.  A ton of people listen and buy those LDS church arrangements as you already know.

Hey I don't have a whole lot of time so I'm going to write this for you and mom.

We've been teaching a lot of people and are seeming to make progress with several which is good. Raul came to church his second time but fell asleep in sacrament meeting. Were also going to help a less active girl who is a ex missionary and baptize her daughter who is 9 and REALLY wants to be baptized! It's really cool to see her literally beg us when she can! She's sooo excited but we still need to teach her a little bit. It's just the rules.

I forgot to send this letter last week dad haha. I'm doing better with my comp but prez wants me to try to stay with him cuz he says these are rare opportunities to grow when I have kids...except I won't love him the same as my kids and he's 22 years old...but prez literally told me you need to try as God would love him...And I actually felt a spiritual prompting tell me that I need to stay with him to help him. I don't know exactly yet how I can cuz he's super  unteachable but maybe somehow!

We had Elder D Todd Christofferson come and talk to the whole mission on Saturday morning at 9:30 and he talked to us for a while. He knows Spanish, Uruguian, Portugese and I think another fluently....he's a super smart guy and he shook every missionary's hand and asked them where they are from! He talked a lot about faith in missionary work and how in the next life there will be a VERY SMALL group of people that will receive the blessings that the Lord's missionaries here on the earth will receive. His wife was also there with him and she gave a super good talk in Spanish too!

Also we were teaching Dario and he was completely hammered in front of us and was begging for us to stay with him and not leave while he went to buy another beer. I said a prayer for him in English and that helped him alot but he still went to buy the beer after. We talked to him for a little bit and he wanted to come to our lunch appt but we told him no. Sorry I'm typing very fast and trying to hurry cuz of time like always.

Later that week we met with Dario again and he was crying cuz he says that he misses his babies. He has 2 little girls of 3 and 5 years old that don't live with him cuz of his drinking and smoking habits but live with their mom. We just talked with him for a while and about how through Christ's atonement that he can come and be healed from his addictions.

MY Spanish is also becoming super good too!! People are starting to compliment my Spanish a lot!!

Yesterday I talked a lot with this ex missionera about how she can put back what other people say about about her in the past. She doesn't come to church because people talk about her past sins and others and she doesn't like that at all.

I'm learning lots but sorry my comp literally walked out on me in the middle of writing Suzy so I had to follow him and end all of my writing. Things are going better but I know with the Lord that I can help him and that God wants me to help him somehow. I'll find out that reason soon I'm sure.

I love you and the fam soooo much and I'm sooo grateful things are going good!!

Love ya pops!!

Elder Kohler Chamberlain:)

PS: I bought a super old camera for 300 pesos last week and next week I'm going to try and upload photos! I'm also getting a haircut later today so hopefully they don't make it all like I'm a thug or what not haha!!

Love ya!!

(letter to Mom today)

MOM!!

Hey read some of the things in dads email cuz I had to finish writing people from last week!!

Mom we're teaching a lot and doing a lot of good things here!

We had D Todd come in and talk to the whole mission and a TON of members later in the day in the main stake center in Mendoza Centro.

It's super hard to find time to write letters or go to the offices even being 15 20 minutes away by walk. But I'll try. I'm hoping and its most likely that I'll stay the next transfer soo I don't have to leave right before Christmas and be in a different area for different people.

HEY I BOUGHT AN OLD CAMERA!!! I'm not exactly sure if I'll be able to upload photos yet cuz I obviously haven't tried but I will this next weekend and I'll try to put in a small email for the blog too!

I'm getting a haircut later today too and the last time I got a haircut she literally made me look like this thugged out guy.Not used to the back of my hair-- it was still good but man I was like ohhh nooooo not like that haha! So we'll see today and I'll send you guys photos next week!

I love you tons ma!!  That's soo cool that you've been on that diet and losing 3 pounds in one week is actually really good!! 12 pounds a month!! Just keep doing whatever you did!!

Well ma I miss and love ya tons hot buns haha:) You're the best!!

Love your elder,

Elder Kohler Chamberlain:)