April 25, 2011

I sent Jeff a picture of his grandpa and grandma Marje at a 90th birthday cellebration for grandpa:

Hey!
Wow, thanks for sending the picture of Grandpa and Grandma! That was so great to see them. I didn't realize that Grandpa already completed 90 years! Thats great, he looks great still. I'm excited to see both of them and just talk with them. Thats cool that you were all able to eat with Uncle Pete and Aunt Angie, and that they invited one of their new neighbors. Haha, I remember that wood duck house. I wonder if there are any still standing in the park. How many years ago was that? Like 4? I don't even remember, that whole time period from after high school up till the mission is easy to get confused with.
But yea, so that was pretty weird for me to have to give my testimony. No, it wasn't hard to give it but it just wasn't expected yet. I have had to give a lot of talks and classes these last 9 months. So I really have gotten used to it, it's not a big deal to me anymore. So I guess thats good :) Yea, this change will have a lot more of those "last time" moments.

Oh right, so for the big news...I will be ending my mission in the same sector.  Yep, I will be dying here in Ochagavia, but the sad part of the story is that my comp and good friend Elder Clark will be leaving me.  I'm really sad to see him go, I was hoping that he'd be my last comp.  I have to train in a new zone leader companion so he can carry on when I leave, and my comp still isn't quite ready.  But he'll be there soon enough.  I am happy that I won't have to do another change though, that would
have been tough.  So now I'm just anxious to see who my companion will be and I'll find out tomorrow.
 As far as being trunky goes..I'm really not very trunky.  I'm just gonna keep on going hard these last few weeks, then when I'm on that plane I'll relax ha. 
 Thats what the Lord asks of us in life too.  That we are faithful and obedient until the end, not 99% but the whole 100%, then when we pass to the spirit world we can relax.  There are many different people who will read this letter, all in different parts of that journey.  Don't ever give up, there are always many challenges and trials but I know, I really do, that if we stay strong in the gospel we will make it through.  I just look at our family, we've passed through lots of trials, and we are still going strong.  And I know it's because of the gospel, without it who knows where any of us would be.

Yea, I'll let you know what day and time I'll be "Skyping" (is that a word).
 Ya know, I'm gonna be honest, I am looking forward to the college life again. I know I have to work my butt off and study hard, but it's a lot of fun too, especially with all the firends I've made here on the mish. SO it will be a blast. But thats a ways off still so..the summer will be great to relax!

Well, I'm happy to report that it has been getting colder here in Chile! Finally, I'm not walking around soaked in sweat haha. I just hope my shoes don't get a whole these next 6 weeks, because it's been raining a bit and will probably conitnue to rain here. But even if it does I'm just gonna put on another pair of socks haha. But I'm holding up fine, it's funny I think the Missionary Mall clothes are designed to hold together exactly 2 years. Because after these next 6 weeks I'm pretty sure that they are just going to fall apart! Oh well, I'm leaving most of them here in Chile, not worth the weight.

Well, I don't have anyhting else to say really. Today we had a big barbeque as a district, it was a lot of fun. I didn't eat much (I'm going home in 6 weeks can't get fat!) It was yummy though.
Ok well hope you all have a great week!
Love you all!
Elder DeLong

April 18, 2011

Yea, it was really sad about Elder Colman.  We had our conferences of zones this last Wed. and President gave a little presentation in memory of him.  It was sad, he started crying..
At that same conference several things happened.  I had to give a class in front of 4 zones, and I had to give my going away testimony too (because we only have these zone conferences every 3 months, so that was my last one)   So that was pretty crazy for me, one never thinks that they'll be up in front giving their parting testimony, but it came and it came fast.  This change has definitely been the fastest of my mission and no doubt that this last one will be even faster.  We'll see, all of the things I'll have to do will make it go fast, and talking with all of you too.   (Mother's Day call..Hooray!)   We will be able to do Skype again as far as I know.

We have a lot of investigators that are progressing really well, hopefully in Mayo we will be able to have some baptisms again.  Like I said to dad, I have interviews with President King tomorrow, so hoprfully he'll tell me whats going to happen.  We have a really good relation so I hope so :)  But for sure next Monday I'll know whats going to happen.  I'd like to stay here with Elder Clark, but I don't think thats going to happen because I have to train a new zone leader in for when I leave.  So if thats the case I'd like to go to a neighboring sector where Elder Egbert is and be his comp.  But we'll see.  I'm pretty sure I'll be staying here in the zone though. 

Yea, having so many good friends that are gong to BYU makes me really excited for it.  I really hope I can work something out so I can live with E'Speakman, but we'll see.  E'Egbert will be living pretty close, so that will be cool.

I really like serving others now, before I did too, but it was just a lot harder for me to do it. Now it's a lot easier, I hope it stays that way.

I don't think they really celebrate Easter here much, we'll see what happens.
 I did find out the true meaning of why an easter bunny and stuff. And it has nothing at all to do with Christ, so that kinda took some of the enthusiasm out of it.

 Have they heard anything from Ex-Elder Matt Kennison? Hope he is doing well, I told him I'm going to visit him in Utah when I'm out there to get to know him better.

Ok, well really not much more to say.

Oh, today we had our zone acitvity and we played Ultimate Frisbee. It was a nice change of things from soccer and was super fun. I'm for sure going to play at lot at BYU :)
Ok well I love you all and hope you have a great week! Hold true to the rod always :)


Love
Elder J. DeLong

April 11,2011

Well, first of all I just want to start off with some sad news. One of the missionaries that returned this last change, Elder Colman from Panama, just passed away. Right before he left he got real sick of his kidneys. And he basically went strait from the airport to the hospital, and was never able to recover. It is sad, but I know that every death has a purpose. That Heavenly Father needed him above more than he needed him here. But I'm happy that he was able to see his family before he went. He was older, like 28. I lived with him for one change, he was a really nice, humble guy. Really quiet, but a hard worker.

Life isn't easy most of the time, but we all knew that and accepted it before we came here and knew that we would pass through challenges, but for our own good so that we can progress.
 
But this week went really well for us.  We continue to find lots of new people to teach, and many of which show potential to be progressing investigators. 
 We visited Magdalena yesterday and had a really good lesson with her about prophets and the word of wisdom.  She smokes and drinks coffee and was fine with not smoking but didn't understand why she couldn't drink coffee.  But we were able to teach her the doctrine of Christ behind it and then she understood perfectly and was happy to stop.  Cool stuff :) 
The low down on Jovanna is that she will have to go through a long process of writing letters to the First Presidency and finding witnesses that will confirm that she isn't a member and stuff.  It could take quite a few weeks.  But she seemed happy still and willing to do it.  So we hope that she will do what it takes do be able to recieve baptism in the church.

Hey so you guys have been doing a good job about not being too trunky,haha. I'm not too bad, I''m excited to keep working this last change. I wonder what will happen, If I'll stay or if I'll go. Who knows.
Yeah, I really hope that Speakman and I can figure out a way to room together. If not in the same apartment, at least in the same complex or something. He is a really cool guy. I've made a new really good friend here too, Elder Egbert. He too goes to BYU, so we will hang out too :) That will be a lot of fun. He gets home in July, one change behind me.
 
Well, I really don't have anything else to say, there's only 2 more weeks left in the change. So I hope they go well and then we'll see what will become of me for my last change.
Well, don't really have much more to say this week, so hope that all of you are doing great! That you are reading the scriptures daily and being faithful to the Lord :)
I love you all!


Have a great week!
Love ,
Elder DeLong

April 4, 2011

I said to Jeff that receiving his itinerary made it seem very real that he will be home soon:

Hey Mom!

Yes, it seems very real now..only like 63 days or so left. Pretty crazy.
But there is still a lot of work to do. Elder Clark and I have been able to receive a lot of inspiration that has guided us to many new people to teach. So we are excited for that.

I'm still in the same place, changes are in 3 more weeks.  I think I will either get a new companion who will be a zl, or I'll go be with one of the DL here and train him as a zone leader.  But, we'll see what happens.  I'd like to just stay here with Elder Clark, but who knows. 

The decision on Jovanna is that President is going to have an interview with her Wed.  I think that she is telling the truth, she says that she had the baptismal date and everything, and that day came and it was a Sunday.  Pèople passed by to take her to church but her husband wouldn't let her go and get baptized, and she never went again.  If that is true, that means the missionaries went ahead and registered as a member anyways.  So we'll see what happens.  And Magdalena is doing great, she went to conference and really liked it.  The only challenge with her is that we can only teach her on weekends, hopefully this week we will have a home evening night with her and her member friend. 

 We had concilio with President in his house last Friday.  And because it was the 1st he played a little joke on all of us.  After lunch, we went up to have more classes and he came up with a letter in his hand that he said he had just received from the 1st Presidency.  He started to read it and it basically said that because of all the natural disasters that have been happening missionaries will no longer serve outside their own countries, and that the stake presidents will organize the mission work in thier stakes.  Haha, we all believed it, he wrote it really well.  It was pretty funny, but Sister King was behind it all..it was her idea. Haha. 

I think my shoes will make it 2 more months, they kinda have too ha.  No, I threw my other pair away, they were totally trashed.

And conference was great :) I love listening to the prophets and apostles now (unlike before the mission if you can remember). Oh how the mission changes one, but all for the better. And the time passes so fast, 2 hours is nothing now. But it is such a blessing to have a prophet, listening to him alone is testimony that he is called of God. And that is testimony that the church of Christ is a living church, what a great blessing! I can't imagine living in a time with out the light of the restored gospel and can't imagine not having it in my life now. We truly are blessed :)
I too took many notes and received lots of personal revelation.

I love you all and hope you have a great week!


Love,
Elder DeLong