French Investigators!

Sector- Lo Campino, Quilicura
Companero- Elder Zapata
Carta #46

Hey Family!!!

Those pictures are sick!! hahah you guys all look the exact same still! What!? You guys are going to Catalina for boy scout camp? Thats so sick!! hahah The kids are lucky!!!!!

I have like nooooooo time this week because our time was shortened for emailing this week because we got a new president...

That's super cool that Jaren is finally putting his mission papers in!! Wow finally!! hahaha I hope that he comes to Santiago North Mission that would be sick!! because then I would have both of my cousins in my mission!! what? SICK hahah but that's not very probable. 

This week was good.. We found a lot of new investigators again!! It was amazing and we're being so blessed in our sector!! We're teaching this family of Haitians and they barely speak Spanish so we had to get the Book of Mormon in french and all the lessons in french... I'm trying to learn french, but its not very easy! such different pronunciation!! Haha I just need dad here to help me in these lessons. They went to church on Sunday and they have a baptismal date for the 10th...we're praying that it works out!!

The dad of the family is doing well also! we had a good lesson but he still hasn't received his answer yet. And says that he will NOT get baptized until he receives his answer. So we have just been praying and praying that he would get it. I KNOW he will get it..I just don't know if he will recognize it..because that's the hard part about revelation..and I don't know when god will give it to him either. but we are praying and praying!!!!!

Wow thats so crazy how chelsea and karissa are already at home!! crazy!!! haha it goes by fast!!!!! whens beau and dallas leaving on their missions? And whens chandler gonna leave!? That's crazy how fast the girls get home from their missions!!!!! Maybe bobby can finally get married ;) hahaha he better be careful or I'll be getting married well before him!!! hahaha

I love you Guys!!
Sorry I don't have very much time.
I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!

Love,
Elder Nate Dirkmaat

Love God Before Anything Else

Sector- Lo Campino, Quilicura
Companero- Elder Zapata
Carta #45

Hi family!!!

Wow!!!! your vacation looks soooooo fun!!! wow why do you guys do such fun stuff without me ALWAYS? hahah That looks super sick sailing and that backpacking trip you went on!! you guys are enjoying your vacations for sure!! It's winter here and its raining a ton!! haha so it's the complete opposite for me!! And why are you guys buying a cat? Cats are soooooo dumb hahaha Amber is wayyy sicker than a cat. haha when I get home I'm just gonna have to be super mean to the cat!! haha just kidding.

Wow Jarens coming to San Diego again!? That's sick. .He needs to go on the mission haha or i'm not going to see him for four years also!!! because in like 4 weeks I'm gonna complete a year!!! what are you guys going to do with him?

Well this week was good! we found a lott of new investigators again!! it was super cool!! And we have that dad of the family that is still not baptized going to church every Sunday now! and he stays for alll the classes and plays soccer with the elders quorum on Wednesdays! he's progressing super well! and he should be getting baptized this week. But if not this week.. next week! So that will be super cool!  The other family that we found as a miracle has not been there.. soooo dumb!! I hate when that happens!!! It's so annoying! because you have soooo much hope for them and then it's just allll gone!! but whatever, maybe they'll be there this week!

That's a super cool story about the hike and how you applied it to us in the mission haahh That hike was super hard but you made it to the top and were so grateful that you did it. That's exactly how the mission is sometimes, you just feel like giving up but when you continue forward you are so happy that you did. And when I finish my mission, I will look back and be so grateful that I did what I did on the mission, although its like trials everyday Ill look back and see what I learned and Ill look forward in my life and see all the blessings that I received from it. I've already received so many and I know many more will come in the future. It's crazy how much we can learn and we can benefit from just serving the lord and loving God before anything else. That's probably one of the biggest lessons we can learn, is how to love God before anything else.

I'm glad your week was amazing!!! I'll send pics next week! the cable thing isn't working!!! so dumb!!! these computers just suck hahaha!!  I love you guys, I'm glad you guys are all okay and well!!!

Love,
Elder Nate Dirkmaat!

Helping People Find the Truth!

Sector- Lo Campino, Quilicura
Conpanero- Elder Zapata
Carta #44

Wow you guys have a big week of vacations ahead of you!!! I miss backpacking so much..It would be soo sweet to go backpacking for a week haahah but I would probably die because I'm so out of shape!!! Sounds like sooo much fun!!! haha That's so weird how you guys are already going beach camping again!!! Its already been a year!!? thats so crazy how fast that passed by! So crazy in no time Ill be shredding the gnar in San Diego!! hahah

This week was so so much better for us!! we had a day this week that was just full of miracles!!! We have been praying sooo much for new investigators and for people that are being prepared to hear the gospel. And in one day we found TWO perfect families!! it was amazing!! We were knocking doors and the neighbor of the family we found was talking to me first, and she said this family next door probably needs to hear the word of god because I already have him in my heart haha So I was like alright!! and I knocked the door and they let us in right away. They're a family of 5 and the Dad had just passed away recently. And they've been in so much pain because of that. And the mom was diagnosed with a horrible sickness like a week ago. And we arrived at their door in the perfect moment. We taught about the plan of salvation and how through Jesus Christ we are able to have the knowledge that we will see our loved ones again. The spirit was sooo strong during the lesson and they were sooo grateful that we were able to tell them that. they said it was exactly what they needed. Then we gave the mom a blessing to get better. I dont know how she is yet, but I hope that she is better! It was a miracle how God was able to prepare that family for us. And that he was able to answer their prayers and our prayers. God always alwyas answers our prayers in his own way, and in his own time. because he knows exactly how it will bless our lives the most. I've seen that so many times on the mission. And I think that is such an amazing blessing to be able to talk to god and know that he will ALWAYS answer our prayers..we just have to pay attention always. Then RIGHT after that I knocked another door and the family opened up and we shared the restoration and they said they would pray and everything..but it was just amazing how we could see sooo many miracles in one day!! 

I also think the difference was that the other weeks I was so focused in doing 140 contacts because that's the rule..and if we don't do it..its like the end of the world...so I was so focused in that sometimes I would just do contacts that sucked and were super fast. Then I realized that wasn't working and I started to do contacts with the thought in the mind that I want to help this person and I want this person to be blessed from the gospel. not with the thought in my mind that I need to talk to this person to meet with this goal. And we were blessed this week doing better contacts. The other weeks we got like 1 or 2 new investigators..and focusing in doing good contacts this week, we weren't able to meet 140 but we had 10 new investigators. And I learned a lesson that this mission isn't about getting the number. Its about helping people find the truth. and blessing their lives. And if we focus on that God will give us success!

I hope you guys have so much fun on your vacations!! Sounds like its gonna be sickkk!
I love you guys!!!!

Love
Elder Nate Dirkmaat

Pictures!!

 Lo Campino en Quilicura

 CHI CHI CHI LE LE LE!!! 

Viva Chile!!!!

Aw, sucks we lost to Brazil!

 Elder Dirkmaat

 With you forever my baby <3  hahaha

That's for Emily!

Porotin means "little bean" hahaha

 Santiago, Cerro Renca- look at all that pollution!  Ridiculous!

 Package from Emily's family!  Thank You!!!

 These things from the Isla de Pascua

 Cerro San Cristobal

Virgin Mary

We pray to her for guidance

If I Have Not Charity, I Am Nothing

Sector- Lo Campino, Quilicura
Companero- Elder Zapata
Carta #43

Hello Family!!!

This week has been really good!! We had some cool experiences this week and we have started to teach part member families and we have seen success!! We met this Bolivian family like 3 weeks ago and the wife is a member and her husband has been with the missionaries for a looonggg time but never has gone to church. We taught him the first lesson and put him with a baptismal date and he has gone to church 3 Sundays in a row!!! Its a miracle!!! We are hoping to teach him the rest of the lessons so that he gets baptized.. Its just that he rents a room from a house and the owners are like anti Mormon and they don't want us in the house, so we have to set up with him to teach him in another house of a member! But we are working with him!!

Also This week we taught a lesson to a family where everyone is a member except the dad. And the mom came up to me after testimony meeting crying and said I'm just so so sad because all I want is to be able to have an eternal family and be sealed in the temple with my family. And I felt so so bad!! We set up a family home evening and we shared about eternal marriage and charity, the pure love of Christ. We read 1 Corinthians 13 where it says I could have all the faith to even move mountains, and I could have all the knowledge of the mysteries of God and all the attributes of Christ but If I have not Charity I am nothing. And it was super spiritual!! Everyone was crying! And I just testified that the ONLY way we can obtain this pure love for the ones we love, is by becoming a disciple of Christ. And following him. Sacrificing for him. And together, living the gospel trying to be more like him. And then we talked about how important it is to make covenants with God so that we can grow our faith in him and confidence and more abundantly partake of His blessings. It was a super spiritual lesson and I hope that the dad can have enough love for his family to make the changes necessary in his life to bless his family and be able to be sealed. If I could help this family get sealed in the temple it would be a successful mission for me because that is the most important thing we can do as missionaries. We are praying and praying that the dad will be able to change and want to be baptized because that is all the family wants. 

Seeing all these things makes me so grateful for my family and how many blessings I have from my family. And I should be so grateful for the wonderful mommy and daddy I have because I am so grateful that you guys can be such good examples for my future life. And that you guys could teach me principles that will bless my life forever.  I'm so grateful about how loving and understanding you guys are. You guys really help me through this mission. And you help me see what kind of parent I want to be. And what kind of wife I want!! Its amazing!! I want to be just like dad and go on camp-outs alll the time with my kids and SHRED the GNAR with my kids alll the time.  And I want my wife to be a mom like mom is because she is so loving and caring for everyone of us! Mom, you used to be able to talk to me about my problems and when I had problems you would help me be happy all the time! You remember mom...when Emily left on the mission I was super sad, but I always had my mommy!! hahahah I love you mom and Dad!!! I thought you guys should know that!! because you guys are great.  And although moms a cry baby and I'm so much better than dad at surfing I still love you guys ;) hahaha I'm glad for this mission and I hope you guys feel my prayers for you!

I love you guys!!!
Love,
Elder NATE Dirkmaat