October 27, 2014

Thank you so much for the pictures. I always love seeing yall. I am doing well. And to answer your many questions. Yes I did go to the doctor´s but when I walked in his secretary was like "hi how can I help you?" Then I was like, ¨Si tengo una cita Dr. De Leon a las 11.¨ And then she tells me that the doctor wasn't going to be in today. She said she called all of his pacients to cancel the appointments that day. Well she didn´t call the nurses to tell me. So since he wasn´t there, no I didn´t get a check up. 

I am really glad that Elkhart is excelling in sports. I am proud to be the older brother of 2 little athletes. It´s great. Well I am glad that everything is going well. I love yall.

Well the mission is great and awesome as usual. This week went really well. On Monday, we didn't set up a FHE with a family so we just stayed at the house and studied. That was good because it is always helpful to read and learn from the scriptures. On Tuesday I had divisions with my zone leader. I was really pumped because I had some great citas planned. But they all fell through!!! I was like wow this is not good. There is a family that we always visit that has never cancelled on us. But when we get to the house, they pulled out the good words, ¨Fijese que¨. So yeah but during that time we just visited other families to help them and strengthen their faith. SO it ended up being a pretty good day. On Wednesday, we went to a less active´s house. Her name is Sister Martha. We visited her everyday from Wednesday. She went to church on Sunday. Oh it was so great to see her there. On Thursday, we went with a family who was just baptized but are having some economical problems. But we are trying to get them back to church. On Friday was when I had my cita with the doctor but then it got cancelled jajajaj. But it´s okay because during that time we went contacting. We got rejected a lot but there were a few who were acceptive. So now we have some new investigators. On Satuday we went again with the family with economical problems to try to get the, to come to church the next day. They said yes so we were happy. On Sunday, we went to church and then after we walked to lunch which is about 25-20 minutes walk away from the church. Later we went with öur mother¨ of he mission. Her name is Sister Gabby and she absoulutely loves the missionaries. She was mad at me though because I hadn´t visited her in about a week and a half. But she ended up forgiving me. So yeah that was my week. It was pretty great. I love and pray for yall daily. 

With much love,

Elder Chicas

October 20, 2014

Dear Family,

Oh I love receiving your emails every Monday. And wow it sounds like you had a busy week. I am doing great. I feel so much better. Don´t worry about it. I had another appointment with the doctor this last Friday and he says that he believes that I will be able to leave the medication. I have another appointment with the doctor this Friday. And mama I miss you and everyone else so much. I have a picture of the family on my desk. I look at it everyday when I study. I feel the love that yall have for me. And I feel the prayers each day. Thank you. And it is good that yall have the missionaries over. I am sure that they really appreciate it. I know I do when members have us over to eat. And I am glad that Alex had a great birthday. I am really glad that he enjoyed the letter. I took a while on it thinking of what to write. Well Monday was P-Day and we just played soccer. That was fun. I still have my skills jajajaj. On Tuesday I went to get my new companion. His name is Elder Ayala. He is from Honduras. We are gonna work hard here. On Wednesday and Thursday we visited members so they could meet him. On Friday we contacted like crazy and then I went to the doctor for my check up. On Saturday we visited less active members to try to get them to come to church. And on Sunday we went with a member to see a reference he gave us. We taught lesson 3, The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Well that was my week. It wasn´t as crazy as others. But this week will be because me and my comp are gonna contact like crazy and try to find new investigators. Well I love and miss yall.

Love,

Elder Chicas

October 13, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

 Well this was a hard week for me. I have been weak since getting out of the hospital. So this week was mainly a rest week for me. I tried to go work but the president and doctors told me to rest. Even when I tried to work, my body told me that I couldn´t. It wasn´t until Thusday that we started working. I feel great now!

Oh and I am in a trio with the other elder in my area. But I have only been with them since Tuesday and tomorrow will be my last day with them. And the reason for that is because I will have my companion tomorrow. Oh and he is gonna be a brand new elder. SO I AM TRAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Jajajaj I just finished my training but I will start training a new elder tomorrow. I was so happy. I got a call Wednesday around 10:30 p.m. from the assistants to receive the news. So on Thursday we contacted like crazy trying to find new investigators. We found 3 families. We have citas with them later this week. On Friday, I had the trainers meeting. That was from 9:30-12. It was a great meeting because I was taught how to help the new elder that I will be training. President Smith, really does receive revelation when he gives talks. You can just feel the Spirit so strongly when he speaks. 

On Saturday, we went to see someone who is getting baptized at the end of this month. His name is Wosvely. He is bien pilas. After that we went to a members house. Well the father was sick and so then me and my comps had the opportunity to give him a blessing. I am the only latino in the trio because the others are gringos. So my spanish is the best jajajaa. I was nervous because this was gonna be my first blessing for the sick.  I took a breath before I gave the blessing and just trusted that the Holy Ghost would put the words in my mouth that were needed to be said. 

On Sunday we had the confirmation of Yoselin. She is soooooo pilas! As I taught her, I was learning myself how to teach a little better. So this was my little week. I am sorry that I have no pictures this week because my camera is at home. I love this work. I am so happy to be able to help with spreading this great gospel. I love and miss yall.

I still a haven´t gotten your letters you guys sent. I have been waiting for like 5 weeks. I want them sooooooo bad. Every time I go to a meeting with the zone, I ask if my letters have arrived and nothing yet. I can´t wait to get them.

Mama thanks for those packages. I can´t wait to get them.  I am glad to hear that President Smith said that about me. I will always work hard.  And I LOVE YOU TOO!

I always pray for yall. Well I will talk to yall next week. I hope and pray for the best for you.

Love,

Elder Chicas

Oct 7, 2014 (All is well)

Well this was a very interesting week. Well on Monday, my comp had to go to the office to take an english test. He did really well on it. Then we went to Central Park where we bought alot of stuff.  It was so awesome. On Tuesday, we taught some recent converts. They are named Lorenzo and Maria. We go with them every Tuesday and Wednesday to teach them something. They are so pilas but they also have a lot of question at times. And that is good because they I can learn more as I am teaching them. On Wednesday we went to do another baptismal interview. The girl who was getting interviewed was named Yoselin. She has learned so much in the time that we have taught her. She learns quickly. It makes me happy to help others. Okay well Friday was the craziest day. Mama the President called me yesterday to tell me that he was gonna call you. So you already know that I was in the hospital for about 3 days. Okay well it started when we were getting ready for the baptism. Well we had a super busy morning so we asked the bishop if he could fill the baptismal font. He said yeah. So 1 hours before the baptism we come in to find that the water in the font only comes to about your calves. So we filled it up the rest of the way. But we still had to heat it up because the water was freezing. So we do that. But then my comp forgot the clothes. But thankfully one of the other girls that got baptized the week before brought her clothes and it fit Yoselin perfectly. So then we are about to start and the person we wanted to direct wasn´t there. So I was asked to direct. So I did and it wasn´t too bad. I was a little nervous. And then after the ordinance we were gonna watch a movie while Yoselin and my comp were changing. But the movie that we left at the church was moved and we couldn´t find it. So I had to improvise. Well  by the end of this I was super stressed. So my blood pressure went up........a lot. It went up to 180 over 100. Yeah I know that this is really bad. So I went to another room and my body just like completely shut down. Like I couldn´t move my legs, arms, or even keep my head up. I could barely talk. So the other missionaries called the president and the nurses and they RUSHED me to the hospital. I was in and out of conscientiousness So they got me in the hospital and they started working with me. The president started asking me if I knew my name and where I was from. I told him everything correctly. So they took blood samples and then took me to my room where I stayed until Sunday morning. They gave me medication. And they told me to rest. Well on Monday I dropped my comp off at the office because he finished his mission. And while I was there, the nurses checked my blood pressure. It was 124 over 54. They were like okay that is a lot better. I believe my blood pressure went up because of the stress and everything we ate this week. We ate 17 lunches and dinners in 5 days. On Thursday we ate 4 big meals. But all of this happened because the members wanted to give my comp a last good meal before he went home. 

    Thank you for your letters. I have had my own struggle of trying to bring less actives back to the church. At times they are really positive and come the next Sunday. Other times they just don´t want anything to do with the church. I want them to go to church. I know that it will help them. I know it is good for them.  Thanks for everything you have done for me. I know at times I would start something but then just stop for a while. Like my drivers license and eagle scout, but thanks to your support I did end up finishing them. 

So yeah that´s how my week went. I am now doing well and I am healthy and ready to work again. I love yall.

Love,

Elder William Atilio Chicas