Elder Kohler Chamberlain: Goodbye to the people of San Raphael

Jacqueline and Oscar Gatica

We made honey bbq wings for the Gatica family. They loved them!

Hey Everybody,

So this week we said goodbye to A LOT of people that I've come soooo close with! I'm going to San Luis Ampia with a porteño from Buenos Aires. It should be really cool! Last week I didn't know I was going for sure but I planned on it because it was really likely that I was going to and if I didn't do it I wouldn't have had time to say goodbye to anybody. It would be like I just disappeared (which happened for several missionaries that were unexpectedly leaving) As I was saying goodbye to a ton of people this week it was pretty hard. I didn't cry in front of any of them!! But some of the hermanas almost made me ha. I know I'll see them again when I come back with you guys:) I was able to leave my testimony for a lot of them and with some I was able to share a favorite scripture of mine which is in Helaman 5:12. It's the one about the rock of Christ and if we build on it we won't fall. And I was able to share it with a lot of less actives and ONE family that we were able to bring back! The Aguilera family! They're officially coming back to church and it makes me soo happy! :)

We had stake conference this last Sunday and the stake president talked a little about the member attendance. There are 5000 members in San Raphael and we have the biggest zone in the mission. We only have 600 that are active. It was a surprising statistic but it's all good! The stake and apparently the Church is focusing a lot on increasing the priesthood and the leaders are encouraging us to work more with men that can prepare to have the holy priesthood.

Oh my gosh-- I'm so sorry about those people that died in Gilbert and in Europe...I heard something from an old lady about a lot of people died in a concert in Germany haha but ok...soo there were hundreds that died and in France...ya it's been a sad week.

Hey I haven't gotten any packages here at all. Maybe theres that one that that sister brought here but I won't know until the next zone meeting and were probs not gonna go to the offices when we go to mendoza. Tomorrow is when well have the meeting with all the mission and some Seventies over this area and right after the meeting we're all leaving to our new areas with our new comps...it's gonna be pretty crazy with 250 missionaries and those that are leaving with their suitcases and everything haha.

So, to answer your question, Mom - we don't have a relief society president BUT we have a girl that teaches the gospel doctrine classes and the bishop's wife helps too and I think she has multiple callings. We don't get a whole lot from the ward but there's some hermanas that help us with clothes and giving us lunch!! We have really good lunches here!

I'm trying my best out here and only care what the Lord wants me to do. I trust him more than anybody and have learned in some of the most fearful time in my mission here to trust Him. All he wants us to do is try our best and leave it in his hands.

Hey I have to go but I love you all so much. Have an awesome week:)

Love your son,

Elder Chamberlain