WELCOME!

Bienvenidos a la Mision Chile Santiago Norte! We love the Savior, and are blessed to be part of this great work, to share His gospel, and invite others to come unto Him. We are grateful to have this incredible opportunity to associate with such fine young men and women and other couples who are serving in this wonderful part of the vineyard. We decided to share this mission through a blog, with any who would like to know more.... All of the lessons, talks, training, conferences, and meetings are obviously done totally in Spanish, but for the sake of this writer, the notes are here in English, for speed in typing, and therefore, mixed with a bit of both worlds. We hope all of our missionaries, families, and loved ones can enjoy this blog, in spite of the writing, grammar, language, errors, etc. This will be a miraculous journey, and we invite you to share and enjoy it with us.

Lovingly, con cariño,
Presidente Michael May
Hermana Carol May

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

We want to thank YOU!

Dear Sisters, Elders and Leaders and Members,

Last week Sister May taught in our zone training meeting the importance of expressing gratitude and especially in written form in thank-you notes. I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to each of you, the missionaries of the Mission North, the leaders and members of the stakes and district, wards and branches with whom we have the great blessing of working together.

All are examples of great faith and dedication. I am so grateful for the service you as missionaries are giving in the wards and branches where you are serving. At the same time, I see the love and support the leaders and members are showing giving references, leaving to teach lessons with the missionaries, holding a family home evening with investigators, and also caring for the missionaries. I am so grateful to hear comments from the missionaries like, "President, I do not want to leave this area, the leaders and members support us so much, they are incredible! Recently I received a letter from a branch president saying the following:

"I am very grateful for the missionaries that we have in our branch, they are outstanding and radiate a special spirit. These missionaries have brought many blessings to the branch. They have left an imprint on my life that I will always carry in my heart. We appreciate everything they do, for the time and willingness to serve every time we need them. I would love to have them spend their whole mission in our branch, but I understand that it is necessary for them to serve in other parts of the mission.”

Again I would like to thank each of you for you love and service that you are giving to invite all to come unto Christ. It is a privilege to serve together with you in the work of the Lord.

With much love and appreciation,
Presidente May
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Sunday, August 16, 2009

Latest comments from our Newest Missionaries!

Fase 1 Training/ New Missionary Comments
These are some of the great thoughts our missionaries share as they relate the
experiences of success they are having in the mission, what they are learning and how
they love the people in Chile. We always are inspired by their great faith and bubbly enthusiasm for this wonderful work....

• “This is like living a dream. We teach and we get right to the hearts of the people. They need our help; many are sad. We ask them if we can sing them a song, right where we are, and then after that, they want us to come and teach them. They begin to want to change, make commitments and come to church. Wow.”
• “We are opening a new area that hasn’t had missionaries for a while. We rec’d so many referencias, because they were waiting for missionaries again. We didn’t know people in the branch, but people started giving us names, wanted to help and gave us lots of ideas, followed by 4 more people, 2 families and then getting them to church was a great start.”
• “Speaking Spanish and now English here today is still hard for me!”
• “Our very first day we met 8 new investigators, and we were so excited. The next day, total opposite. We decided to fast and taught more. We felt the spirit more and we see the people want us to come back, they want to go to church and return to live with God.”
• “We are way out in Curacavi (1.5 hr west of Santiago)Brand new area, and starting over since there were no missionaries there for a while. It is humbling to see the people who the Lord has put in our path. They are being prepared and we have to remember the Lord knows who and where they are. We met a great family.”
• “We remember learning in the MTC, that if something falls through, and they don’t keep their appt., sometimes right after the Lord blesses us with another ‘little miracle,’ that we see his hand, right after, helping us to find someone else He knew was right there. I feel like I see a light of Christ right in them.”
• “We went to a new area to open it. There are members who are recent converts and getting to see their newest is incredibly new for me, growing up and living in Nevada with a strong ward and background. I’m excited to see how they love the gospel.”
• “We have 2 investigators in the same house. However, it is obvious to see the one more prepared that the other; he wants to read more, devouring the pamphlet we gave him and hungry for the Book of Mormon. He told us he wanted to live the Word of Wisdom, so he started doing it himself, cutting out tea. What a miracle.”
• “Put into practice what we are learning and did learn in the CCM/MTC. Now a woman we are teaching wants to go to church. We rec’d many referrals from the Funeral that was held in the Colina chapel. People respected and honored this man, and then were impressed by the church setting of the funeral and lots of members and others sharing and teaching those who came, to learn about the church.”
• “We had a baptism. This young teenager was into satanic things, now his whole heart and countenance has changed. It’s incredible. Another woman we are teaching is so ready to be baptized. She is very prepared, felt the spirit so strongly, hasn’t ever smoked, had drinking problem, café’ etc. We took one of our recent converts to go help us teach this woman, and her strong, new testimony was so powerful. We are grateful for the members’ help.”
• “I love our sector. We have people who are really supportive and I love my companion. He is bacan. We are making lots of contacts and they want us to come back.”

Read more!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Accountability

In Chapter 8 of Preach My Gospel we learn about the importance of accountability:

“Accountability does not come only at the end of your mission. It is a principle that influences how you begin, how you think and feel about the responsibility the Lord has given you, how you approach your work, and how well you endure. The attitude you have toward your mission experience is a reflection of your love toward your Heavenly Father and His Son and your respect for the priesthood. Accept full responsibility for your efforts. Never blame others for difficult circumstances or lack of progress.” PmG p 151

The following formula illustrates the importance of taking responsibility for all that we do:

E+R=O
(Event + Response = Outcome)


Sometimes when we do not achieve the outcome we want, we may blame the event or circumstance. This will never change the event or circumstance. For example, if our response to lack of success in proselyting is “well that is just the way this area is” will have no effect on changing the area. The key is changing the response to the event in order to change the outcome. So 2 + 3 = 5. If 5 is not what we want, the 2 of the event is a given. We then must focus in on changing our response to some other number, say 4 or 5 in order to get a different result. In other words, how we respond to the event or circumstances determines to what level we accept responsibility for our results. Our response is something that we have control over and truly shows the desires of our hearts. How we respond to opposition has everything to do with our success as missionaries.

“As you pray personally and in your companionship, seek inspiration on what you should do each day. As you follow your plans, pray and ask the Lord for guidance. Have a prayer in your heart throughout the day that the Spirit will help you know where to go, what to do, and what to say. Ask yourself, “What more can I do?” In your prayer at the end of the day, give an accounting of your work” PmG p 151

Let us remember what President Henry B. Eyering offers as counsel in times of adversity in his talk in the April 2009 General Conference:

My purpose today is to assure you that our Heavenly Father and the Savior live and that They love all humanity. The very opportunity for us to face adversity and affliction is part of the evidence of Their infinite love. God gave us the gift of living in mortality so that we could be prepared to receive the greatest of all the gifts of God, which is eternal life. Then our spirits will be changed. We will become able to want what God wants, to think as He thinks, and thus be prepared for the trust of an endless posterity to teach and to lead through tests to be raised up to qualify to live forever in eternal life.

It is clear that for us to have that gift and to be given that trust, we must be transformed through making righteous choices where that is hard to do. We are prepared for so great a trust by passing through trying and testing experiences in mortality. That education can come only as we are subject to trials while serving God and others for Him.

In this education we experience misery and happiness, sickness and health, the sadness from sin and the joy of forgiveness. That forgiveness can come only through the infinite Atonement of the Savior, which He worked out through pain we could not bear and which we can only faintly comprehend.

It will comfort us when we must wait in distress for the Savior’s promised relief that He knows, from experience, how to heal and help us. The Book of Mormon gives us the certain assurance of His power to comfort. And faith in that power will give us patience as we pray and work and wait for help. He could have known how to succor us simply by revelation, but He chose to learn by His own personal experience. Here is the account from Alma:

“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Our prayer is that you will have the strength to continue to press forward in the face of adversity. You are never alone because you are truly chosen representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ and He truly loves His missionaries.

With much admiration and love for each one of you,
Presidente May





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Friday, August 7, 2009

Fase 3 missionary thoughts....learning moments!

These are some thoughts from our Missionaries in Phase 3 Training
where we ask them to share some “Relatos de Exito/ Success Stories” or things they are learning since they have now been here 3 changes,or about 4 months.This whole meeting is in Spanish, and the parents of these great missionaries who were North Americans wouldn't believe to hear their sons and daughters speaking so well in such a short time, but the thoughts and comments have been translated here into English for the blog. August 7, 2009

• “We’ve really been working with families. One house the mother was baptized but the others didn’t want to listen, and now all of them are coming into the room for the lessons and they want to be baptized too. The Holy Ghost is touching their hearts so much. ”

• “We went to a home where a man invited inside his home. He said he had been praying for us to come. He is blind, and he told us that he had lots of lessons before, we knew nothing about him, and he said he went to church but couldn’t be baptized because he was living with a woman, but now he is not. He felt like he was ready to learn more and was praying that we would come back. He told us then and there that he wanted to be baptized, and he was ready! It is like a miracle!”

• “When we have a conflict or problem with our companions, we have to be humble to ask our companion for help. This means we need to be teachable and humble. Also, we can’t just ask them to solve our problems, but we need to help THEM find the solutions for themselves. This is like what we do with our investigators. We are just teaching and showing the way to have faith, repent, and make changes in their lives for the better.”

• “We had not had any success getting into homes so we had really been praying for that. That day when we went out, we had lots of people with their front doors actually open! It was really like a miracle. Then the family that we first taught that day told us we were like Angels, and that they felt like Jesus Christ had just entered their home, when we came in. We invited them to church, and when we went by their home on Sunday, to walk them to church, the woman was in a skirt, and the man and his son both had on white shirts and ties, like our missionary ones. It was awesome!”

• “We were not being very effective, and we had been wasting lots of time in our days, not having planned very specifically. We repented, and really planned our days and time better, and the Lord started blessing us even more. We met a woman, and she set her baptism date right that day, and has now gone through so many changes, like no more smoking, leaving alcohol, and these things were hard for her, but she has done it. Obedience is a powerful principle I am learning.”

• “I’m learning we have to give our companions time to talk and share together, even if we think we have the answers. It is a companionship and teamwork as missionaries.”

Read more!

Monday, August 3, 2009

Good, Better, Best....Efforts

Today´s message is simple: “I love you and I am grateful for your dedication and service to the Lord!” I know that He expects us to give our very best efforts each and every day. Elder Oaks gave a talk in the October 2007 General Conference entitled, “Good, Better, Best!”. He used an example of shoes:


“There were three degrees of quality: good, better, and best. For example, some men’s shoes were labeled good ($1.84), some better ($2.98), and some best ($3.45).”

It is my prayer that we will always give our best efforts to the Lord each and every day in bringing souls unto Him. As we do so, the level of joy we will feel will always match our efforts.

With much love and appreciation,
Presidente May

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Saturday, August 1, 2009

Mission Home Favorite-- Zuccini Bread!

Lion House Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe/Pan chocolate de zapallo italiano

Ingredientes
• 2 c all-purpose flour, all purpose . HARINA
• 1 c sugar . AZUCAR
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon . CANELA
• 1 c brown sugar . AZUCAR MORENA
• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate (2 blocks) . 2 CDRA COCOA
• 1 c vegetable oil . ACEITE
• 1 tsp vanilla extract . VANILLA
• 1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips, semi-sweet . CHOC CHIPS
• 3 eggs . HUEVOS
• 1/2 tsp baking powder . POLVO PARA HORNEAR
• 1 tsp salt . SAL
• 2 c zucchini, grated . ZAPALLO ITALIANO, RALLADO
• 1 tsp baking soda POLVO BIOCARBONATO

Directions
• Step #1 Preheat oven to 325F degrees.
• Step #2 Prepare two 8x4-inch loaf pans by greasing & flouring or by lining with parchment paper.
• Step #3 Melt unsweetened chocolate & set aside.
• Step #4 Wash & grate zucchini; set aside.
• Step #5 Measure flour, salt, baking powder, soda, & cinnamon into a bowl; stir & set aside.
• Step #6 Place eggs in mixing bowl & beat.
• Step #7 Add the sugars, melted chocolate, oil, & vanilla; beat until creamy.
• Step #8 Add the zucchini & stir this together.
• Step #9 Mix in dry ingredients until incorporated.
• Step #10 Add the chocolate chips & mix inches.
• Step #11 Pour into pans & bake for 45-50.
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We just love these missionaries...

This last group of missionaries…..who arrived June 22, 2009

Just some thoughts from our new missionaries at the Fase 1 training they shared with us:(Elders, Hermanas, from Latin America and USA.)

• “I come from a big family back in the U.S., with 12 children at home. When we came into this humble home, the woman wanted us to bless her home. When we took out fotos of Jesus, she began to cry. That really touched me.”

• “It was awesome to bear our testimony. I really felt the power of the spirit helping to make up for my lack of language.”

• “I was an extreme biker in my country. I was offered a sponsor-ship, like a contract scholarship to ride for this company. It was for mucho dinero in my country. I knew I had to come on a mission instead. I know the Lord will bless me.”

• “I’ve only been a member for 3 yrs. I was introduced to the gospel from a member who I dated. She told me about it and I began to investigate it without telling her. My family didn’t understand why I would want to join with a church like this. My father was very sick, and my family thought I should be the one to stay and work, to help take care of my father, but I knew I had to leave on a mission. I know he will be taken care of because I am here, in Chile, serving a mission.”

• “My father learned about the gospel in our country because he dreamed one night about some beautiful music. The next day, he missed his bus stop, and then had to get off at the next stop. When we got off, it was in front of this beautiful church, and he decided to go inside to see what it was like. As he entered, he heard that exact same beautiful music being played inside. Of course it was our church, and the spirit touched him to become converted. He has been active all the rest of his life so far, and brought the gospel to our family.”

• “I am happy to be following my good trainer. We are having doors really slammed in our faces, and we’ve had some real challenges, but we are still making lots of contacts, and it’s great.”

• I am learning what it is like to help people commit to things. We are helping them to come to church, to take the Santa Cena, accept invitations to attend, and I’m learning from my good companion, the assistants in our tutoring, etc.”

• “I love being here. I have wanted to be here all my life. I am living my dream!”

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