Reactivating a Family

Hola a mi fam y mis amigitos,

Sooo this week was pretty hard--more soo last night with Maicol who we've been focusing on a lot. Last night, and I don't want to focus on this too much, but we basically found that he's not been understanding anything of what we've been talking about and told us about some extremely...different beliefs that he's had--but its OK!! We keep going because that's who we are and it's our duty to keep trying. We really had to study the scriptures with him last night and I had to throw some references down on him.  A lot in James 2 about faith and how it's a principle of action...it's given from God by our actions to receive it...it doesn't just appear out of nowhere...

A blessing that happened this week is that we've been able to help a family reactivate in the church with 2 amazing kids (Lorenzo and Valentina) who aren't baptized. They are 9 and 11 in that order so now we have to give them the discussions but it's cool to see how the Lord will have 2 more people make that covenant with him. We're going to teach them tomorrow and put the date for the 12th of March to be baptized and work with Franco (who was scared of the water) to have a family night with the Luna kids (Lorenzo and Valentina) so they can help him do it. Some awesome kids that are helping their own parents come unto Christ again.

Anyway that's something from this week-- much love to you all!! Always count your blessings because there are many!! Especially in the world's most blessed country!:)

Aguante los Estados Unidos!

Elder Chamberlain

Two Posts - Feb. 8th and Feb. 15th 2016

Elder Ruiz Diaz and me

My District in San Luis

Feb. 8

Hey Family and friends,

So Elder Bennett is gone and I'm with Elder Johnston until my new comp Elder Escobar (from here) comes. I don't know him but it should be good! I just hope he's a good worker that's all haha. 

But this week was kind of sad and frustrating because Franco decided that he didn't want to get baptized. He's afraid of the water and was too tired to come to the baptismal interview. The mom was saying that it's his choice and that if he wants to sleep in or is afraid of the water its his choice. So we kind of see now that the problem is with the mom for not helping and teaching her child to get baptized and so we dropped a little cane on her BUT with love so its all good:) If children aren't baptized by the age of 8/aren't taught the principles of the gospel the sins of the children will fall over the heads of the parents and soo it's sad but the Lord himself has said it. We have to teach it how it is.

But we're going to try a little bit more and see how we can help them. Maicol was really sad that Elder Bennett left and we put another baptismal date for him to get baptized on the 27th of this month. So please help and pray that he'll be ready and stop smoking and understand enough to make the choice to be baptized that day that would be awesome thanks!!

Anyway, those are some bad and good things that happened this week! Much love to you all!

Elder Chamberlain

Feb. 15, 2016

Hey family and friends!

So Valentine's Day in Argentina?  Haha they say its the day of the lovers but nothing happens. Nobody gives anybody anything or does anything. I think its more of an American thing to be honest.  Wow Dad---that's way cool what you read in sunday school. I'm gonna read that! I've been reading a lot in the bible lately in my studies. I'm trying to read from 1 Samuel to the end of Kings. There's some cool stuff in there about how blessed those people are.

So Elder Bennett is gone and he'll be one of my fav comps in the mission for sure. A wayy good guy and a super hard worker until the very end. Truly a good example to me and many others.

Now I'm with a way cool elder from Mexico named Elder Escobar! We get along wayy good and we're working a lot! We're really just trying to find news (new investigators) because Franco left the other day for Chile and so did several others soo haha we just lost our prime people for a couple weeks. But it's ok --we need to find more news and we should always be doing it.

Other than that I made my comp already some of my famous honey bbq wings (I'm like known for that now in the mission here ahaha) My comp loved them and next Sunday he said he's gonna make me some tacos so I'm wayy happy to get some mexican food! yeesssssss.

But ya it was a good week with a lot of clapping/knocking doors etc and getting to know each other.   My relationship with President Goates is pretty good. I don't know how he is compared with other mission presidents but he seems more on the strict side as I've said before but he's an amazing man and I have learned a TON from him. He's very close to the Lord. I always respect the decisions that he makes because he knows best even if I thought different. 

Special shout out to Sister Schmidt for being an amazing woman and for her example to endure through trials! Cancer's got nothing on you Sister Schmidt!  You can do this! My comp and I will be praying for you:)

Much love to all of you---Ciao!!

Elder Chamberlain

This is Marcelo Riveros.  He helps the missionaries a lot.  Also this is Elder Bennett--- a way cool missionary from Tucson

Weeks Flying Past

Hey everybody!

This week was a good week but went by wayyy fast!  We had exchanges with the zone leaders and had interviews with president and several meetings this week it was a lot of fun but we didn't get to work a whole lot:/ but it's ok!  Maicol is progressing and isn't going to go to Buenos Aires yet so we can still work with him! Also we're going to baptize Franco and that's going to be way exciting! Other than that not a whole lot happened other than the usual contacting/knocking on doors and visiting people.  That's all I can really remember right now! But it was a great week! 

That is so cool how Spencer wrote his testimony in a Book of Mormon and gave it to a friend at school.  I feel like I need to share this video that the church shared in a world missionary conference a week or so ago. I don't know if you've seen it.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jbRUXWVMlw

I promise that the Lord will continue to bless us as a family and even more if we participate in this work. If God has placed someone who's interested in the church, Spence should continue with that and you can help him get the missionaries over. Just tell Spencer to not be scared of what he would say.  This will be a great experience for him before his mission--something I wish I would've had before serving my mission. 

Anyway much love to all of you guys!

Elder Chamberlain 

Elder Bennett, Marcelo Riveros, Elder Chamberlain

Tender Words from our Missionary Son

Elder Bennett and me with the Contreras Family

Hey Fam and friends,

We went on a wayy cool hike today for pday and I'll send you pics it was wayy cool you could see all of San Luis and La Punta-- it was wayy awesome! 

MOOOMMMM!!

I have misseeddddd you sooooo much this week!! YOU are the most amazing woman in my life and I can't begin how to describe how grateful I am for you and everything YOU'VE taught me.

I had a really...interesting week and I learned a lot as always but I've come sooo much closer to my savior and I haven't realized what started that...it was YOU... you as my mom have truly taught me how to love and trust the savior and with that knowledge I could take it out on the mission and continue to grow it. I'm learning more and more how much Father in heaven and our Savior love us. I've got just a slight glimpse bigger (or even smaller I'm sure) but it's changed me even more...I truly trust in the love that our Savior has for all of us and its that love that I'll always trust in to keep me spiritually and physically safe for my whole life.

Mom I love you sooo much you are one of the strongest women I know and have gone through MANY hard things yourself. You're truly an example to me and I hope that whoever is my precious wife someday will be exactly like you because I will love her with all my heart. That was deep ahaha but I do mean it ma. Thank you.

But no seriously this week was one of those weeks where I just really missed my Ma haha.  

Dad I had a pretty scary week with the adversary this week. Several things happened but everything turned out ok. I learned a lot and that I can truly trust the lord with everything. It's truly in that love that He has given to all of us that I have learned sooo much on how to trust and to NEVER forget.  Hey my comp Elder Bennet is going home in 2 weeks-- he's ending his mission this transfer haha. I might send something down with him but let me know if you guys want anything!  We get along wayyyy good! We've both learned a lot from each other and we're working super hard for the Lord. 

Hey I'm excited about the house and everything! How are you doing?? I've been praying a lot for you this week hoping that everything is going good with you at work. Thank you sooo much for helping mom with her problems when you have your own. You've always been an amazing example to how a husband should be and how to truly give all of yourself to her. Always serving her and loving her and that's what I want to be someday:)

So we had a way good week with some more new people that we're teaching! But the main man Maicol (which by the way is how he spells it so that's why I write it like that and not Michael haha) had something happen. So he was going to get baptized this next week which we were going to have to move back because he's still smoking but he told us he's going to Buenos Aires at the beginning of February for a month. Then he'll come back for a week here in San Luis and go back for a month and do that for we don't know how long...it was kinda sad because he won't be able to progress. BUT were hoping to pass on where he'll be living in Buenos Aires to the mission in what sounds like Buenos Aires North Mission so were hoping they'll be able to continue teaching him up there!

Other than that we found 2 awesome christian evangelicals that are pretty different but one has a more stronger desire to learn but we're helping them learn. They're named Diego and Omar and we gave them some restoration pamphlets to read because we were talking about a lot of random things and then we had to go but we're going to talk about the restoration today with them so we'll see how it will go! 

Also this week we've had some other weird and interesting things happen and I've come even more closer to my Savior and I can trust him with everything in my life. I know he will always help me and protect me from what can hurt me physically and more importantly spiritually. I've gained a more stronger testimony of that and of being a representative of my Lord Jesus Christ. Anyway, I wanted to share that with you all.

I love you all soo much! I hope you all have an amazing week!

Elder Chamberlain

Testimony of Repentance Strengthened

My new companion, Elder Bennett from Tucson, AZ

Dear family and friends,

This week was awesome and we really got Maicol to open up more to us. He was hiding back on how he felt about smoking and he opened up to us about how he felt. He asked if when he got baptized if he'd have to stop forever. We told him yes and he said "It's impossible."  Then Hermano Riveros talked to him about how he could do it through the love of our Savior's atonement. He started tearing up and said 'but what if I do it again? I wont be able to repent?'  With tears in his eyes and in mine (we were all crying a little at some point) I told him myself that no matter how many times he would fall short or fall back into transgression, he would ALWAYS be able to repent. The Savior didn't pay for a part of our debts, he paid in full and only asks us that we try our personal best to come unto him and be perfected in him through the atonement. Once again my testimony of that was strengthened.

Also Maicol's grandpa had a stroke this last week and he's pretty close to passing. My companion bore a powerful testimony that he'd be able to see not just his grandpa if he passes but all of his family. We told him that the Lord had a plan for all of his children and that it didn't matter what would happen.

Anyway that was something that happened this week with all the other things haha but much love to everyone.  I hope you all have an amazing week!!

Elder Chamberlain

2016 is off to a great start!

Hey fam and friends and people I loovveee and miss a lot:)

So this week was another amazing week! Maicol came to church and he really liked it! He was understanding everything way good and before he left, he offered us a taxi with him and asked when we'd have the next appt! He was even reading in the gospel principles book about baptism.  It was sooo cool!!

We have had a lot of success and saw several less actives go to church this week for the first time in a long time! I honestly don't know what to choose to write but we're starting a lot of good things with families by just cleaning out the area book which has been helping us a lot and just seeing a lot of miracles!

I LOVE ELDER HOLLAND!! Oh my gosh he is my favorite apostle and I never feel the spirit stronger with any other than him. At least for me, haha!  He's awesome--- what an opportunity! You guys will have a good time. Kelsey and Spencer will too for sure haha!

Mom Hermano Riveros came to church after not coming for like 10 years... He helped teached Maicol why we do things the way we do them. He fellowshipped him-- I guess is what you say in english. it made me soo happy to see him. I've come way close to him and he helps us soo much and I've learned some really deep doctrine things too and just a lot from his experiences that he had while on his mission.

Anyway,  I have to go because we set up an awesome lunch with food from Paraguay because several of the missionaries are from there and so is the hermano! I'm pretty excited-- the food sounded good!

Much love to you all you're all the best!!

Elder Chamberlain

Wow mom thank you sooo much for that quote....that actually really means a lot to me. I'm going to tell that to my comp..

On Mon, Jan 11, 2016 at 2:15 AM, Tamara Chamberlain <tntmusic92@gmail.com> wrote:

Here is one of my favorite quotes for you this week:  "Live up to your privilege....the Angels cannot be restrained from being your associates. If you are pure, nothing can hinder. " -Joseph Smith

I pray angels will be your associates this week️

I love you!
Mom

Sent from my iPhone

Great Start to a New Year!

Whaddup Fam and Friends!

I am beyond grateful for my new comp! He is soo awesome and loves to work!  He is from Tucson and he has a way big heart.  I've already learned a lot from him this week. This is his last transfer and he wants to end super strong for his dad that just passed away a couple months ago. I've never seen someone want to sincerely serve the Lord and someone testify soo strong about the love he has for his family and that he will see his father again. It wouldn't matter who you were or what you've done in your life, you could feel the spirit testify soo strong about the plan our Heavenly Father has for us. I'm feeling it again as I type this-- it's kinda weird. 

Anyway we were able to teach a lot and we put a baptismal date on a guy that found us in the street! His name is Maicol Suñer and he comes up to us asking,"Hey are you guys Mormons?"  We told him, "Ya, we are.  We're missionaries."  He then just started asking us all these questions and we could answer all of them.  Later I asked him, "Why did you want to talk to us?"  He told us that we've always caught his attention and he felt really curious to talk to us.  

So we taught him a little about the restoration and finished it more fully a couple days later and invited him to be baptized and he said yes!  We were soo happy!

Also we're planning a "future missionary" activity with the Hermano Marcelo Riveros for the primary and we're going to try to get references from it!

Anyway that's something that happened this week much love to you all!

Elder Chamberlain