¡Hola Familia!

Wow!!! This week has flown by...we had interviews with President May on Wednesday and I learned a lot of things from him and our other leaders about how I can personally improve in this work. I'm striving to apply the counsels that I've received in this work every day and we are starting to see the fruits of it.

Soooo... Elder Davenport and I received a call from the assistants to President May this morning advising us of a special change (you could say), but we aren't going anywhere. Tomorrow morning we have to be in the mission home to meet our new elder that we will be training together!!! It doesn't happen very often that missionaries train together, in a trio, nor does it happen very often that a missionary with 5 transfers in the mission, not to mention 4, are trainers. So needless to say we are nervous and excited at the same time!!! This missionary is not a permanent addition to the Chile Santiago North Mission, but rather would be going to Concepción had it not been the epicenter of a 8.8 earthquake. So when things start to normalize he will be sent to the Chile Concepción Mission having had 2 trainers in the Chile Santiago North Mission. Kinda cool huh (aka bakán)!!!

This week we also have Zone Conference followed by General Conference next week (that we may get to watch in English, if there aren't too many people in the stake center), so we are extremely excited for all of the spiritual food that we will be getting!

Mommy: I'm still completely and totally 100% Texan and always will be. I don't think I've let a single missionary in this mission forget that. There is a new sister in our zone who says she if from Texas still even though she hasn't lived there for a couple of years (moved to Montana), and she says also that she will always be Texan... that's the way it should be, isn't it? Also, I'm still waiting on the package... I'm pretty sure it has arrived, but I'm not 100% sure (one of the assistants was pretty sure the office just wasn't in a big hurry to deliver it). So it is now looking like the slow boat would be more practical for shipping to me, because the office definitely takes their time (and they are busy too).

Interesting to hear that Ward Conference was different than usual, but that is kind of a good thing, right? Either way they do it the spirit of the meeting still is there. Also good to hear that everyone had a good time in the temple and that the work is being done for those that I can't find. How is the family genealogy work going? Y'all gotten any more work done on the names that I got ready?

Chile finally seems to be settling down a little bit [in the sense that it isn't moving and not that the earth is settling]. We haven't had a temblor that we could feel for a couple of days or so, so that is good. We've been told to expect occasional movement, stronger than the norm, for a couple of months or so, so the level of alertness is still pretty high. It is good to hear that people are worried about me, even if I don't hear from them... LOL.

As I reflect on these almost 5 months I've had in Chile I'm starting to see success as more of a day to day thing. Even if we don't baptize every week like would be ideal, we are always teaching someone and helping others come unto Christ. I've come to look at many of the experiences I've had here as steps in my own personal conversion process. I love this work with all of my heart, there is nothing I'd rather be doing. It hurts me to see that not everyone who is able to serve in this way wants to take the opportunity to do so. We've been told that every worthy young man should serve a mission, how great is that call.

Recently we were asked to memorize a quote by Elder Bruce R. McConkie called "My Commission", that goes:

"I am called of God. My authority is above that of the kings of the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Master and he has chosen me to represent him. To stand in his place, to say and do what he himself would say and do if he personally were ministering to the very people to whom he has sent me. My voice is his voice, and my acts are his acts; my words are his words and my doctrine is his doctrine. My commission is to do what he wants done. To say what he wants said. To be a living modern witness in word and deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous latter-day work."

How great is our call! We are literally called to be living witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Master, our Savior and Redeemer, and the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I'm grateful everyday for the opportunity that I have to testify of Him, in word and in deed.

I love the analogy that President Grisel gave in Ward Conference comparing angels to us as members of this great and marvelous latter-day work. We as members should be those angels for whom others are waiting, to testify of this restored Gospel and to share of the blessings that we have in our individual lives.

I stand as a living modern witness of Jesus Christ. I know that he lives and that he lived for us and died for us. Hermana May said shortly after the earthquake that "If we didn't die for Jesus Christ [during this crisis], then we should live for Him now." How true is that statement! We were chosen to live at this time to stand as witnesses in these last days of the divinity of God's Only Begotten Son, to do his work, until he should again come to the earth and say "the work is done". I know without a shadow of a doubt that this is His work and that we are here to complete his purposes. I love him and I know that he loves each of us. This is my witness.

I love you all and miss you all. I'll let you know how it goes being a young trainer!!! LOL

¡Todo mi amor y carino! ¡Suerte y éxito en todo lo que hacen!

Love ya, -- Élder Todd