Monday, November 25, 2013

the meaning...

tate's message...

What the savior means to me.... 
 I tried thinking for a long time this week what the savior meant to me. And I had a thought. I thought to myself who am I without him? I am nothing without him. Literally nothing. If he wouldn't have spoken up in the pre mortal life I wouldn't be here. If he wouldn't have atoned for my sins, I wouldn't be able to be forgiven for my mistakes. And if he wouldn't have resurrected, I wouldn't be able to live with my family forever and return to my father in heaven. Those three acts on his part make me who I am today. Give me purpose in this life. And provide hope for the future.

He is everything to me. He is my brother. He is my counselor. He is my example. He is my hero. He is everything. And always will be. I am grateful to have come to know my savior even more in the past year and 3 months and I know he lives. That is a phrase that changed my life. Not only did he die for us, but he lives for us. He lives so we can too. And that is the ultimate gift of this life. He died so we could be forgiven, and lives so we can live. I know my savior lives and that he loves us. Especially at this time of the year, as we celebrate, I hope we can realize that he is EVERYTHING.

 Monday started off amazing. We were up the night before until like 130 working so for Pday we just woke up. Studied. Went  and did shopping. And then we headed to lunch and back to the house to take a long nap. Best Pday ever haha. I love being able to take naps. Then we wrote u guys and then it was time to leave again. In the night we had some good lessons but had one miracle that happened. We were in a family home evening with members and non members, and there was like 20 people. In Middle of the lesson one of the people we are teaching rose her hand and said. Can I make an announcement? I just wanted to let everyone here to know that I  want to get baptized haha. Pretty cool experience. Me and my comp were really surprised and excited. 

Tuesday was changes and actually wasn't too crazy this time. All went down well except for a sister missionary who didn't get off the bus at her stop and ended up in Santiago hahaha. Not our fault tho. After that we went to do a little computer work and then to lunch. The afternoon started off rough. We went to do more computer stuff but ended up waiting an hour trying to do something we ended up not needing to do. Sucked but then we had a good lesson and pre interview with the family who will get baptized this weekend and they passed. So that will be exciting. Then we had a pretty sad lesson with our other investigator who will get baptized this Saturday....well hopefully. Ha she is having a hard time feeling prepared and it was a rough lesson. I hope she realizes she is ready and that it is the best thing she can do for her life. We invited her to ask god if she should get baptized this week or not. Who knows better than god, right?? We ended the night with correlation. And then we got to know the new elder we live with. He is from Brazil. So for now I am on LATIN ISLAND haha.

 Wednesday was a good and upsetting day at the same time. We started with district meeting and we watched a video with our zone about being a disciple of Jesus Christ. It really made me think of how that is really our purpose here in life. To follow him. Everything we do should reflect how we are trying to follow his example. We had lunch and then chilled at the house for a little and then right at 330 we had a lesson with Alicia (the lady who announced she wanted to get baptized Monday) it went pretty well. Then we had a really funny lesson. We are teaching this really old couple and we show up to the house and the old guy (named lucho) is literally hiding from us as if we were playing hide and seek hahaha and then once we saw him he came running out and grabbed his Book of Mormon. They have a baptismal date for the 14th. They are hilaRious. After me and my comp had to go to a place called chimborongo. I had to do a baptismal interview. I love doing them. Nothing cooler than seeng the changes someone had made in there life to get to this point. The upsetting part was that in the meantime down in our sector another elder was doing an interview for our investigator and she passed and everything but the only thing is that she says she doesn't feel reAdy. So we will just keep trying to help her. A lot of the time people think you have to be perfect to get baptized. And you don't! But she eventually will feel ready. We ended the night on a long bus ride home and got home late so we planned and then just went to bed.

 Thursday was a freaking crazy day. We woke up and immediately had to leave to go to Santiago for my LAST time going for my toe. On the way we got stuck in traffic for over and hour and we got there late but she still let us in. After we ate at Burger King and then we headed home. But on the way home our bus broke down haha. So we didn't get home until like 7. It was so hot too so it was just miserable. But when we got home we had one lesson with our people who were going to get baptized this weekend but they want to wait another week and as well the ward wants us to as well so they can be there so that's what Thursday had in store for us. A whole lot of traveling and then just that one thing. I was really tired so we just went to bed. LONG DAY.
 Friday was a good day. In the morning we headed to chimbarongo again to deliver a package and then we headed right back for lunch with one of my favorite families here so far ha. Then the day started with a lesson with the really old couple we are teaching. We have to teach really simple but it is cool to see their excitement to go to church haha so we are going to go look for them in the morning to make sure they get there okay. We had a couple other lessons and then it was time to play soccer. I had 3 goals. They actually let me play something other than goalie haha WIERD. But I feel pretty good about how I played. 
Saturday started pretty good. In the morning we went and bought a bunch of stuff to have a water fight this Monday with the zone. We are gonna play the classic water balloon volleyball also haha. And them we ate two lunches. I dare anyone to come to chile and try and eat two Chilean lunches. Worst idea ever. Ha but afterwards we started diff pretty well with a lesson with Alicia. We taught her to follow the prophet and she practically taught herself. She is awesome. It really is a cool thing and a blessing that we have a living prophet and she was excited to listen to him and follow him so that was good. We went to the really old couple next and they just don't remember anything we teach them so we are gonna have to help them in creative ways with drawings and stuff. Should be interesting. After that we headed over and taught Samuel, a recent convert, the plan of salvation. The plan is perfect and he was really excited to strive to get to the celestial kingdom. I'm glad he has an eternal perspective. That is something I have definitely learned out here. Always look to heaven. It will always guide you home. Overall it was a good day. I am really tired but just as always I know I will have just enough energy to get through the next day. It really is a miracle. Sometimes I don't think I will make it through another day in this Chilean sun but somehow I do. Also I got the bday letter from gma and gpa Harding. I love you!!!! Thank you tons!!!

 Sunday was a day full of practically meetings and service. Right after church we had lunch with president of the relief society and she was really worried about a family in the ward who doesn't have a lot and it reminded me of the secret santa we always did as a family. I was grateful to have that experience and be able to share the idea with her and now they are going to do it. After we planned for two hours for the next week and then we had a meeting with the district president about our zone and the necessities for the missionary work so that went really well. After we took some food from the ward to that same family who doesn't have a lot and then we helped another member before heading home. Sunday nights are always really long cuz we pass dats until like one in the morning. It was a good week. But I'm tired and am excited for Pday haha. Love you family.!!! I will send my Christmas package today. Be looking for it. 

Elder Harding. 

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