Coming up on one year

You are all in Cancun!? What?? This is weird sorry ahaha because usually you guys like tell me or something but I just see "hey we're in Cancun" and these pics of you guys there. That's sooo crazy! The church is really strong in Cancun! Keaton's comp is from there and in my last area we had a missionary from there who told me all about the church and how strong the stakes are there! Based on what I heard there should be a temple being announced there in the next year because it's soo much stronger than here and we have a general setting of members that we need in each stake and the number of stakes. That will be cool when there's a temple there.

Oh my Spencer ahaha HE'S SUCH A STUD!! That's my homieee ahaha! Are those my glasses that Tony gave me? You should send that photo to Tony!   He'd like that! 

Yea I'm coming up on my official 1 year mark.  It's crazy! It's all going by sooo fast! I'm going to try and make wings or tacos or just something from AZ!

WOW sooo Natalie is in the England mtc!! Where is she going again?? I thought it was in the states?

Man Dayton and Nick are out...it will go by soo fast. Then Chip, Colton and the rest that's sooo crazy! 

So we had our quarterly 3 month interviews with President again and I got to ask President some pretty cool questions!

One of them I'll mention was when Nephi  (The one before the coming of Christ) was praying to the lord to know when he would come into the world because his people were going to die that next day if the sign wasn't shown.

My question was that when Nephi was talking to Jesus Christ through prayer was Jesus Christs spirit in his body? Obviously his body was ready at 9 months so hes moving, kicking and everything. Christ said fear not for I come into the world tomorrow...I wanted to know when the spirit entered into the body because people have wondered if that makes abortion ok at that point. I knew enough to tell people no because that would still stop that baby's progression because yes or yes, they were going to be born and you just killed them, but I still wanted to know when does the actual spirit enter the body.

President Goates told me a simple example that it very well could've been something like this.

He told me that when he's really busy and he can't carry out an assignment he will send one of his counselors to get it done.

It could very well be that this happened with Jesus Christ and an angel was speaking "in the name of Jesus Christ". Just how a counselor in a bishopric (if the bishop is absent) is there in the name and authority of the bishop.

But in the end he said we don't know because God hasn't provided us that information.

Anyway Miss and love you all soo much!! Take care!!

Love your son and best friend,

Elder Chamberlain:)

"Cuidense" - Take Care

Hey Family,

So this week was pretty good! We are getting ready to baptize another 4 people by next month! We had a cool baptism that we saw the hermanas work with and that was super cool cause they had been working with this guy for a while. Like 4-5 months!

We are helping another hermana in our ward right now too who is on the edge of becoming inactive because of a rude hermano in our ward. We're really praying that she'll come back and stay cause she hasn't come for the past 3 weeks. Her name is Hermana Coronel so if you would all pray for her to keep on to her testimony in the church and learn how to deal with another member in the ward that would be awesome! Our goal for our zone this month is 12 and we're getting close to that and will probably hit 15 JUST for our zone so that's exciting!

Other than that we have mice in our pench cuz I found the inside of my suitcase with a bunch of poop pellets all over it. haha sweeet!! Also ya most mice and rats here have some pretty dangerous diseases because of the water and other reasons. I don't know what those other reasons are but I have to wash everything in my suitcase by hand for now unless I find a cool hermana to help me out with a little washer! Also we have interviews with president this next week so I'm super excited for that!

We also had a big ward activity where everyone made food from other countries and talked about how the church got started and how it is today! They were all countries in South America and then the U.S. We talked about Joseph Smith and made mac and cheese( cheese pasta haha) and BBQ wings and they were gone soooo fast! I didn't get one...haha that was hard! 

Anyway those were some things that happened this week.

I miss and love you all!! Cuidense!!

Love Elder K Chamberlain

Elder Chamberlain in San Raphael

June 8, 2015

Hey Mom!

Wow that's awesome about Dayton's placque being next to mine and your fun trip with dad!  I hope you guys had fun!:)

That's going to be exciting when you guys go to Nauvoo!  Mom, I can't tell you how many times I can say that I've been to the place where Joseph Smith saw God and his son Jesus Christ. It has literally helped my testimony soooo much! It's awesome to be able to say I've gone there!

Mom, I love my area but even more my comp and my pench! I don't have to use buckets anymore to shower after like 4 months or so ahaha! 

I love the members here but there were only about 26 members there and that was including us...haha but a lot more were gone than usual so it's ok! We're gonna fill it!

Hey I have to go and I don't have much time today to write, but everything is good! I'll send pics of my new pench which it's soo nice and I'm soo grateful! As well as my comp and what not!:)

Miss and love ya ma!!

Love,

Elder Chamberlain

June 15, 2015

Dear Dad,

That's soo cool about the experiences Mom and the kids had there in Nauvoo! I wouldn't doubt it was life changing. My testimony of Joseph Smith has grown so much along with the Book of Mormon!

Love the pics---- that was really cool to see that door (the one where the bullet was where Hyrum Smith was killed)  I've shown that movie or the shortened version to investigators and members a lot for family nights and other events.

Wow so ya-- Jake and Trevin are back!?  That's soo crazy! I remember writing Trevin when he just had a year in the mission when I was in the MTC! That is sooo crazy how fast that went! Wow ya Jake's mission is a lot different than mine. He's dealt with some pretty hardened people up there.

That's cool how Trevin talked about that. When people receive that seed to grow it will dry up if not nourished. It's sad for a lot of people to watch it. Us missionaries are just to provide the water and sunlight through Jesus Christ and then they have to use it for their own good.

Wow So I love my comp!  He's sooo awesome! Dad so ya yesterday was my official day for going home in one year but WE MADE FREAKIN HONEY BBQ WINGS!!!! I CAN'T TELL YOUUUU HOWWW GOOOD THEY WEREEE!!!

They weren't Buffalo Wild Wings and to be honest I can't even remember what they taste like but THEY WERE SOO GOOD! WE LEARNED HOW TO MAKE THEM AND THEY WERE SURPRISINGLY SOOOO GOOD!! Just no ranch dressing....BUT I WAS SOO GRATEFUL!!!

I will send you all pics of what we did to fry them and sauce them up ahaha.

Ya so basically I love my comp but we had an ok week. One family dropped us after the previous missionaries had been teaching them for 5 months cuz they're family convinced the Dad (who was the one with a testimony and praying and growing) that they're already Catholics and they shouldn't change. So the Dad told us that he wasn't going to work with us anymore...it was sad but its their choice.

It's pretty cold here right now and we don't have to move apartments from that guy that threatened to hurt us because apparently our renter person, Duena, she's very respected in our neighborhood and she told this guy to stop because now they're having to move and they were really good to me! So he came and apologized to us and told us we can walk on that street whenever we want. So were going to tell President that we're all good but he has the final word.

Our bishop is cool and I'm playing piano now and going to learn new hymns too. I'm playing for a choir in our ward conference "Count your many blessings" so that will be fun! I also played for our zone conference which it's only our zone that meets cuz its the biggest in the mission with 34 people. Hermana Goates (President's wife) said I play really well so that made me feel pretty good.

Anyway all is well with the work and we found several people this week that we're going to try and teach this week. One was a guy who was really receptive in the street and we're going to teach him and his family this week!

Much love Dad I miss you tonzz!! Cuidate che;)

Te agradezco papa gracias por ser un gran ejemplo para mi:)

Elder K Chamberlain

Movie made for Ward Member Referrals

Hey Fam-- this is the movie we made for the ward to help give us more references! These are the elders I'm with all the time. Haha They are super awesome funny guys ahaha!

Obviously everything is in Spanish. I talk in English in one part but it's really got our ward more active in just the past couple weeks so it's helping us!

The water balloon fight is outside our pench and it's filmed in our pench and the other elders pench too!

I hope you can all watch it and that you like it ahaha!!  

(This photo was taken as a screen-shot from the video.
The complete video cannot be loaded on to the blog)

Hey Mom!

Wow I knew L. Tom Perry had cancer but didn't know he died. He'll be missed by many for sure.

MA--- we ha such a good week! I wanted to make sure my comp finished strong in his last week of the mission! We found 2 new big families like the Chaparro family and we taught them a couple times! Others are also progressing too and were really excited for that! But I'm leaving for San Raphael after these 6 months! I can' believe I've been here since December! 

Mom I'm actually excited for San Raphael a lil' cuz it's super pretty there! It's one of the more pretty/richer parts of the Mendoza provinces! I'm with a gringo named Elder White and we already know each other fairly well so it should be fun with him!

Wow that's soo cool that Madison and Rebecca are leaving on their missions. They'll learn a lot!

I didn't know Spencer was a counselor in his quorum-- that's soo cool!

Hey good job in inviting that family to come to church. They have the invitation now and they just need to make the decision. I hope they'll make it soon especially while there kids are fairly young to help them make that a part in their life. It will be a lot harder for them later on in life if they don't make that a foundation now. But you did your part and thats the success of it. We invite and nothing more. There's nothing more we can do neither should do because we have to respect the free agency that God wanted us all to have so badly. Enough to sacrifice a third of his children.

I love and miss you ma more than you know. The mission is going and I've learned and seen more then I thought I ever would--All in only half the time. But ya this time next year I'll be getting ready to come home with you all:)

I miss and love you all soo much. Suzanne wrote me and I LOVED hearing from her! I hope everything went well---Baby Dean looks good!

Love your son,

Elder K Chamberlain

Awesome Week!

This was one of the biggest District Meetings we've ever had.  I had to lead the meeting and do some fun games to motivate everyone.  They really liked it!

Hey Everyone -

Wow so this week was fun! Our highlight would have to be our ward missionary activity we had at the Godoy house the other night! We didn't have a whole lot of people there but the video I'm sure will get sent to others. The whole purpose is to try and work with the members more and we have a lot of faith in this that its going to work!

We're also continuing to teach some other people and we found some new people. We have Veronica and Gladys Floris who are both learning the restoration and how to pray! Also we had a good lesson with our recent convert family and the FATHER was there!! We had lunch and went early to make empanadas!  We watched the full movie of the restoration while we ate and we talked about it after. It was hard for the dad to even look at us but he was listening. It was us ad the other elders cuz they were invited too. But overall it went really good! I felt the spirit and knew that Hugo learned something about what his family believes in!

Other than that those are some of the main things that happened this week! Today is a day where Argentina is celebrating some revolution from a long time ago. At least that's what I got from some other missionaries. We're also going to a big parade so that should be fun!

Wow I'm soo glad you all liked everything!! And no that bracelet for Hailey was made by a little girl.  Haha what Nate said-- wow that makes me feel good! Those shirts were bought here on the streets of Argentina so they're original in that way ahaha! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE PICS!! That's exactly what I saw in my mind 3 or so months ago when I was thinking of what to do for you guys:)

Its official by now that all of what you had sent me is gone. Ranch, jerkey, and eveything. Its only some sunflower seeds left and gum...oh and that scorpion candy ahaha-- I can't believe you guys sent me that!

Spencer is such a stud!! I cant believe he made Golden Scholars in his FIRST year of actually being able to do that! He's such a smart kid and will do very well in his future. It's funny you mention that yesterday I was talking to a 14 year old girl who was telling me that she went to  highschool ( high school is combined with junior high) but ya she went to her first year and after 2 weeks left cuz it was to hard...I tried talking her into going back but she really wasn't interested. She was more interested in me giving something to her before I likely leave this area the next week which was kinda weird cuz she's a member but she's in the other elder's area.

Hey Mom sorry I was going to write to you about that experience you had with that family! I'm sooo proud of you! Wow you definitely had a part of their reactivation they will most likely be reactivated but I have to say you did the most important part...you STARTED... their reactivation. Without you there would be no bro anderson and other members. From what I've already heard they'll come back for sure the desire is there its just the start and a little push thats all:) Wow that's soo cool to hear of my own mom involved in this work mom. It makes me feel really cool to know that you did that!  I love you soo much mom and as a missionary I promise blessings that come to those that bring God's children back to him. I know that's true. So proud of ya ma!

Wow ya I'm going to have a new baby cousin when I get back that's soo cool! Tell Suzanne that I miss and love them all tonzz!!

Hey sorry it's kinda cold in here and its hard to write so I might have some weird spelling!

 I love and miss you sooo much mom and popz and everyone. Take care:)

Elder Kohler Chamberlain

Cordoba Argentina Temple Dedication

Celestial Room of Cordoba Argentina Temple

   
Hey Everyone-

Wow yesterday was soo cool. I felt the spirit soo strong! The church really is growing in ALL of Argentina! Yesterday the temple in Cordoba which is about 7 hours away was dedicated and we had Elder Uchtdorf and Elder christofferson come! We got to watch all 3 sessions and we saw our stake president give the opening prayer in the 3rd session so that was cool because we've worked with him a lot! We didn't get to see the cultural celebration because President told us that we can't soo it's all good:)

Cultural Celebration from Friday, May 15, 2015

Elder Uchtdorf holds up his temple recommend and the "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet during his opening remarks at the cultural event in Cordoba, Argentina.  (LDS Newsroom)

Visitors Entering the Temple for the Dedication on Sunday, May 17, 2015

We had a good week and finally got into one of the houses we had been trying to get into for a little while as we pass by to others. Her name is Veronica and her dad is blind and can't really hear. We were able to talk to her for a little and we had a solid lesson on the Restoration! She is going to be baptized we both feel. It just won't be by me because she needs to go to church at least 3 times and I'm probably getting transferred, but it's ok--- it's the thought that counts! She'll be making the best decision of her life! 

Ordinance room inside Cordoba Argentina Temple

We also taught several other people this week! One old lady named Rosa! She was pretty prideful at the beginning but then she really took interest in us. I told her we are here in Argentina for so much time when we could be in a  university and we don't even get paid. I got to bear my testimony of why I'm here and how we sincerely want to let people know of this great message. She was VERY interested in the Book of Mormon and was flipping through it and reading small parts here and there which was a really good sign that my comp and I picked up. 

Baptismal Font inside Cordoba Temple

Also we asked for directions from this old guy when we were headed to the home of a kid that stopped us in the street a few days ago to teach him and his family. The kid named Luciano wasn't home but we did talk to this old man named Diego for a while. After we finished we planned  a time to come back and talk with him and he told us," Here you have a friend!"   It made me feel really good and I had never felt that kind of respect for being a missionary out on the streets here so it was a cool little experience for me.

A lot more experiences like that have been happening and the Lord is really blessing us and it's awesome! Sorry this email is a little long and I'm going to try to do better with weekly emails haha! Glad you're all patient with me-- you're all the best!!

Love the one and only,

Elder K Chamberlain

(Letter from May 11th)

Oh my gosh Organ stop Pizza!!  What a cool picture! That;s a fun place ahaha! My first date with Bailey Bowman was there haha!

Ya I miss you guys soo much! But almost 6 months passed when I last talk to you guys which is crazy! We're almost halfway through the year then we'll be at Christmas sooo soon and I'll be filling out my trunky papers! Thats what we call them but my papers for going back to the United States!!

Hey thank you soo much for bringing grandma and grandpa and all the cousins to my mother's day skype call...I literally can't tell you what that did for me. I feel soo strengthened because I know I have a lot of those eyes on me and I'm going to do my best for all of them:)

We found about 4-5 possible investigators this week but a lot of them weren't there when we made an appointment with them. But they're some nice looking people and we're hoping to get to know them better!

Hey Elder Ah you hasnt told me if he's sent your guys stuff but let me know when it does ok?

OH Suzy loved that video and she told me she teared up a little bit so thank you so much for doing that for her:)

Love you all pops:)

Elder Kohler Chamberlain

Happy Gringos

Hey Mom!

This is the "gringo room' where all of us from the United States watched General Conference.

Elder Ah You is sitting next to me.  

General conference! The zone leaders also brought me 2 packages from the offices that same day so it was that much better!  One was from the Strattons (fun tie and candy!) and the other was a small envelope with these four Instagram books you sent.  I love reading them!  We passed them all around to the other missionaries in between sessions.  Thanks Ma!

Asado with Hermana Gisella and Juan Manuel!!  Elder Barton is the blonde guy next to me.

This week was awesome! I miss Elder Ah you and Elder Barton soo much though!

We've been working a lot with 2 families named Familia Rivas and Familia Guevarra. Both of them are almost the same. Both of the moms are very young like mid 20s and aren't legally married but are members and the husbands aren't members. They each have different problems in their relationships but we're really helping them and I've learned soo much. At times I feel weird with my age, teaching people about how to live their life and how to fix it (like I've ever been where they've been before). I'm soo grateful for the spirit and how much it helps me and everything that I've learned and that I'm learning everyday.

I'm sooo glad you guys liked the video! At first I wasn't going to do it because I didn't think I could! But I thought when will I get the chance to do this again?  So I did it without tearing up or anything haha.

Yes I love everything you sent!! The Ipod works perfect and I've been using it every night and I love it!  I'm sooo happy I have what you guys gave me!! I'm going to save it all sparingly...except the ranch cornuts..... those things are freaking gone ahaha!

Hey so for this week we're working on the skype deal cuz its this next Sunday! We have church from 3:30 to 6:30 is the thing....it's really dumb because there's not really much to do on a Sunday morning and people use the chapel for another ward in the morning. The church pays for a little bus to go on a certain route and it picks up all of the members. They'll do this until November or so until there done redoing the chapel to make it bigger because the church is really growing here which is good! 

I'm planning on skyping after church so like at 7:15 to 7:30 p.m. my time (3 or 3:30 your time)  My comp is 2 hours back cuz he's from Peru so he might call in the morning but I want to skype and I don't know if I'll be able to go to their house in the morning. I will come to the ciber to make more emails this week and let you guys know so we can set a sure time.

Oh-- on May 16th there will be the cultural celebration for the Cordoba Temple and Elder Uchtdorf is coming! The dedication will be the next day! I'm soo excited!!

Other than that my district is doing good and I love helping everybody out in anyway I can. Love you all!!

Elder Kohler Chamberlain


(another letter from May 7, 2015)

Im super good! My companion Elder Charca have been doing really good and were trying to find more people to teach. Yesterday Elder Zeballos came to talk to us. He spoke in spanish in general conference but knows english too. Hes the first counselor in our area presidency and was sooo cool to hear! Him and his wife along with president and sister goates talked to us!

Its really starting to get a little cold here haha! I swear its soo hard to get out of bed like the cold just drains you! But im gonna buy a nice jacket to wear to get warmed up before I work out in the mornings.

Im learning soo much mom and its been helping me a lot:) Im really just trying to learn the gift of consistency which was mentioned yesterday.

We can really try to do whatever we want but we will never achieve it unless we are consistent. We put that into perspective for our investigators and enduring to the end. We do A LOT of little things that result in our exaltation and because of the CONSISTENCY we had to go to church every sunday, read our scriptures everyday, pray everyday, go to seminary, fast every month, do hometeaching eery month and sooo many more things is why we are happy and successful in what we do.

Something we teach is simply we cant eat all the food were going to eat in one day but we need to save and eat it day by day. Its a simple concept but sooo many people dont even do it or arent aware of it. I can stuff myself with food and be completely full. It wont matter cuz tomorrow im going to have to eat again.

Seriously I learn soo much:)