Up's & Down's - But it's all Worth it!!

Sector- Lo Campino, Quilicura
Companero- Elder Zapata
Carta #59

That's soooo amazing that Jaren's leaving on his mission! When is he leaving again? You guys have to give me his email so i can email him!!!  Hes gonna have a great time! Obviously its going to be suuuperr hard but hes gonna progress so much!!!

That's crazy you guys went and saw Emily!!! I'm superrr jealous!! hahah she said it was amazing talking to you guys!! Super jealous you guys got to go see her hahah!!

But this week was pretty hard for us because we were in the street almost allll week!! we had sooo many appointments for this week and we thought we were going to have the best week, but alllll the appointments we have just fell through. That was horrible. So we started doing contacts. And we met cool people that wanted to know more. But when we went to their houses again they were either never there or just didn't want anythinggg!!! IT was super hard this week. Its super hard to keep your faith up when everyone you talk to just rejects you. But After these kind of weeks is when you see the miracles. I have faith well see a lot of miracles this week!!

 
But the good part about our week was that SOLEDAD GOT CONFIRMED!!!! WWOOOOO hahah that was amazing!! and now shes an official member of the church!!!! WOO! And the fact that we have two people that are preparing for their baptisms that are supperr close to being baptized. The only bad thing is that there's transfers this week!! so all I want is to nottt leave my sector. Because I have worked so hard and I want to be able to see the fruits of my labors hahah!!  In this sector I have learned so much about how to be a better missionary and how to effectively work. And I have been able to see sooo many miracles it would be really sad to leave!! but if I do i'll still push forward and help the people in my next sector!!!

Dad, sounds like you suffer wayyyy too much when moms not there ;) hahhah I guess that's good though. 

Hey, are you guys thinking about coming to pick me up??  Cuz I heard you can set apart over Skype so if that's possible it would be siiiickkk. but it wouldn't even be worth it if they can't release me.

I LOVE YOU FAMILY
HAve a greatttt week!!!
Tell Jaren congratulations!!!! Super sick he's going!!!!!!!!
Love,
Elder Nate Dirkmaat

Siickk!!!

Sector- Lo Campino, Quilicura
Companero- Elder Zapata
Carta #58

Ollie got a GoPro for his birthday!  Wwwwhhhhatttt that's siiiiickckkckckc seriousllyy.. I've always wanted onneeeeee.. gosh. I hope he shreds with it. That video of Ollie's assist is sooooooo sicccckk!!! he's sooo goooddd!!! almost as good as me ;) hahahahah

MOM, sorry I have like nooo time this weeekkk..but thank you so much for your emails they're super amazingggg!!! And the pics and the video of Ollie was siickk!!!

This week was suupperr good and we have a ton of investigators progressing towards their baptism superrr well!!  Were having a tonnnn of successes it's amaziiinggg!!!  We were the top companionship this week in our mission for how successful we've been!! We've been receiving a toooonnn of blessings!!!

I LOVE YOU FAMILY!!!!!

Seriously so sorry for the dumb letter!!!! Bobby was talking to me!!! hahah Mom I LOVE YOU!!!
That pic of you is sickkk.. All the families think you and dad are sooo cute together hahahah
they think gringos are like perfect!

I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Love, Elder Nate Dirkmaat

"Hurry Up! Fill Up the Font!"

Sector- Lo Campino, Qulicura
Companero- Elder Zapata
Carta #57

Yo Parents. 

Oliver is freaking SHREDDED!!! How did he get sooo shredded? hahaha I miss that kid. Tell him happy birthday!!! ALL the girls are gonna be chasing him in middle school. Seriously what a stud. I hope he's good at surfing now also!! Haahah but seriously you guys have been the best parents someone could ask for. Especially in the example you set as a married couple. And always putting the family first. because there's a lot of people that don't do that. And its soooo important!!!  And Dad I think your gonna be stake pres. hahaha no Idk I'll pray for you!! I also want to work with the young men when I get older. 

 Hey dad, hows your job as a partner in the firm now? Way better. Its amazing to see the blessings you guys have received. That when we were in the bay area we thought it was the worst thing ever that dad got laid off. But it has turned out to be one of the biggest blessings. We live in San Diego right next to the beach. And Dad is ALWAYS there for dinner! they are blessings that are so important!!!

This week was also amazing. SOLEDAD JAVIERA and CARLA GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!! It was suppperrr spiritual and she cried right after for like an hour because she has finally arrived. There were soooo many obstacles in the way of her baptism and she kept her faith and completed. Her husband left her with her four kids abandoned. and didn't pay anything towards them. So they lost their house and ended up living in the street for two weeks with four kids under the age of 12 all of them. Until her mom finally let her and her family stay in her house for a little bit. but they had a small corner to live in. Then they met with the sis missionaries there and she started to investigate the church. She then finally found rent in our sector and rented a few rooms from a house. And we arrived and told us that she really loved the things that they had taught her. We taught her everything. She went to the conference and just cried during the prophets talk and said she had received her testimony that he really is a prophet. Then she made the decision to be baptized. As she made that decision, her parents stopped helping her pay rent and the owner wanted to kick her out her house the day before the baptism, and on the day of she was throwing up, with fever and we went by and she said she wasn't going to be able to be baptized. But then she called us at like 12:30 and told us I'm on my way. I NEED to get baptized!!! so we were like alright hurry fill up the font!!!!!!! HURRY hahah cuz her baptism was at 1. And she arrived and was baptized. And now we are just praying that she receives peace and calm with her family and that she will receive blessings from the decision she made. It was hard for her but she did it. and it was amazing to see the happiness she had being baptized and having a ward family there to support her. She cried and cried. It was super spiritual.

And that was an amazing experience and its experiences like that, that make it worth the pain of the mission. Also the blessings we receive personally and in our family are amazing. Sometimes its just so hard, but the special moments and the blessings just make it worth it.
I will try try to send pics, but this comp. is suuuperrrrr ghetto. so Idk if Ill be able to next week I will send the pics of the baptism!!!!!! 

I love you family!!!!!!!!!!!

Soledad's Baptism!  

Listen to the Prophet

Sector- Lo Campino, Quilicura
Companero- Elder Zapata
Carta #56

Hi family!!! 

WOW look you guys still care about me!! you wrote me!!! haha wow how did you get released from your calling!? you lovedd that calling!!! it was sicckkk to go on alll the camp-outs all the time!!! I know sometimes we wouldn't want to go..but every time it was an experience to remember. Actually here in the mission, Ive learned so many good lessons on what you guys have done that made my life so much better. Like moving from the bay area and getting a job where you weren't gone all the time. And also the rule to not watch tv and all that blessed me so much to not have a life that sucked. because there's people here on the mission that spent allll their time doing nothing.. and they literally have no talents!!! I will probably strive to be parents like you guys have been to me!! you guys have been really good examples!! And I hope that my kids can turn out just as good as I did ;) hahahahah NO just kidding they're gonna have to be a lot better!

This week has been good!!! and don't worry...Soledad hasn't smoked for 3 weeks!!!!! WOOOO!!!! and she is FOR SURE getting baptized this week, so I'll be sending the pictures next week!!! oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLIVER!!! WOOO 13!!! he's sooooo OLD!!!!! that's going to be crazy getting back and seeing him again!! I hope he SHREDS!!!! hahah

But yeah, the conference was superrrr cool!!! Our investigators LOVED it. and I could feel the spirit sooo strong. Its an amazing thing to be able to have a prophet that receives revelation for us. And he can guide us through all the bad things that go on in this world. Its a wonderful blessing to know that God loves us so much that he still calls prophets and apostles to guide us back to him. Its amazing to know that if we can follow their council we will always be alright. I hope you guys felt the spirit just as strong as I did listening to the prophet. 

 
Our sector has been really good. We have seen so many fruits and I'm so grateful for how the lord has blessed us. We started out with NOTHING and it has turned into a sector that has soooo many investigators that have potential to get baptized. 

 
Its amazing that here in the mission we can see the hand of God in our lives sooo much more. I hope to see it always. Its amazing how much we need prayer, and how much we need god in the mission. I hope that I can maintain that relationship afterwards also. Sometimes I get worried that I wont be able to maintain this progress.

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!
LOVE
Elder Nate Dirkmaat

Comfort & Happiness from Praying

Sector- Lo Campino, Quilicura
Companero- Elder Zapata
Carta #55

This week was realllyyy good for us!! we had so much success with our investigators this week. They have progressed so much and we are really seeing the blessings in our sector. We have soo many that are preparing for their baptism. But the baptism that I'm most excited about is Soledad and her two daughters. She stopped smoking for a WHOLE WEEK now!!! whoooooo!!! one more week and she will be able to be baptized. She went into an interview with the bishop to talk to him about her problems and everything. And she came out and was like WOW I have NO doubts now and I am soooo ready to get baptized!!! she said Im going home and I'm throwing away allll my lighters and allll my cigarettes!!! hahah it was amazing!!!!

We have been working sooo much and we are really seeing the blessings in our sector.

Also this week I have prayed and prayed and I've received sooo many answers to my prayers. Its truly amazing to see how much God loves us and seriously answers EVERY SINGLE one of our prayers. We just always have to pay attention. I've received sooo much comfort and happiness this week from praying and from fasting. I seriously am so grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission and learn so much from it!!!

This week was amazing and I hope its an even better week this week!!! Im excited for general conference and I hope you guys are tooo!!!!

I hope you guys are alll goodd. Say hi to Ollie and Fia for me!!!

I Love you guys!!!
Love,
Elder Nate Dirkmaat

That's why I'm so FAT!  What everyone eats every weekend here!

Baptismal Date!!

Sector- Lo Campino, Quilicura
Companero- Elder Zapata
Carta #54

HEyyyy family!!!

This week was really good!! I was so happy because it was the independence weeek in Chile!!! hahah and everyone celebrates it allll week and they alll just party the whole week!!!We got to play soccer on that day and pass the day with members, it was super sick!!! But as to the missionary work this week, there wasn't much we could do when everyone was just drunk, but we were able to have some success!!!

Soledad and her daughters finalllyyy went to church and they LOVED it!!! And the members were soooo nice to them and afterwards they were so excited!!!!

They have the baptismal date for Oct 5th so we are working really really hard for that date!! and she has 4 days without smoking!!! so were super excited!!!

It looks like you guys had a blasttt!! againnnn like always!!! Sophia looks like a BOSSS playing soccer. hahaha and thats sooo good that Ollie is becoming like me, that means he's learning how to be a bosss hahaha Ollie looks super grown up in the pics!!!Cant wait to get home and snap tha fizzz with tha fAmmm !!!!!1 hahaha

I love you guys!!!!!!1
Love,
Elder Dirkmaatttttttt

18 De Septembre!

Sunset 

Our Zone

FAMILY!

Sector- Lo Campino, Quilicura

Companero- Elder Zapata

Carta# 53

Whats UPPP!

That cat looks like a little devil. I'm gonna hate that cat!!!
Amber's way better. haha Dad your sooo whipped.. but I think that's good because it means your in love ;) hahaha

But this week was good for me as well!!! 

Last Monday the president called me and told me that I was going to be district leader so that was weird in the middle of the transfer. But I had to give my first district class on how to work with members. And I was super scared but I did it. and it was good! haha I also did a baptismal interview and that was super spiritual because we talked about how baptism is just the door and there is much more after. A lot more happiness and blessings. And I talked to him about how he has to put his goal as getting sealed in the temple with his gf because that will bring him more blessings than anything else. And then the next day when he got baptized he bore his testimony about how he cant wait to get sealed in the temple and be with his girlfriend always. Because his parents are divorced since he was young and he always thought that was so wrong and he has always suffered for that. and he told about how excited he was to have a strong family in the gospel. SOOO cool!!! that's the blessings of the gospel right there. The FAMILY.

Our investigators also FINALLY went to church. Holy crap i cant believe how hard it is for them to just go to church!!! so ridiculous!! but they liked it and the sacrament meeting was super spiritual!! we have a ton of investigators in this sector that are just sooo excited for their baptism and i really hope I don't leave!! transfers are next week!!!  sketchhhhhh  hahah because I always leave before the baptisms. but its alright at least I could teach them and help them. 

 
But your trip to Yosemite looks sicckk!! I love Yosemite! so many memories there!!! the 50 miler!! and then that one hike where we got back at like 3 in the morning. And then when me bobby and chandler got lost..sooo fun!! haha I cant wait to do fun stuff with you guys when I get back.
I'm glad you guys had a sick week!!!  I hope you have another one!!!!!!

I love you ALL!

Love
Elder Nate Dirkmaat!