Bad Week for Elder Bof

So now that I have like a whole seven minutes to write this general email I´ll try to do a quick summary of what happened this week.

We are working very hard with two families, a single mom, and a new family that we just recently found. Talk about families!! With two of the three families we have got to wait until they get married. One of the families will be getting married in December!!!:) They were the only ones we could bring to Stake conference because just about everyone we invited happened to get sick Saturday night or Sunday and ALL of them went to the hospital... Nice. I hope it wasn`t something I cooked... Haha no but the good news is that they are all better now:) Nothing too serious happened to any of them!

Like I said in the subject line, my comp had a rough week. He broke his camera, payed 55 dollars to fix it, got his wallet robbed by a taxi driver (luckily he only robbed us of Elder Bof`s wallet. It was an interesting experience.) and they haven`t been able to find the guy and we are in the biggest city in Chile so the odds of it turning up are one in a million. Also I am convinced that just about all missionaries will be robbed of something in two years. Later that day he realized that he lost his SD card and then remembered that it was also in his wallet. Then he heard some sad news from home. He is doing well but prayers would be appreciated. To help out a little bit we decided we would make sushi since we are both fanatics! We made it last Thursday then again today! Sooo good!

That will wrap it up for now! Over and out.

Elder Gunnell

Baptism and WOW I´m tired after this week!‏

It was one heck of a week. We worked like crazy. Not a joke. It was such a good week and I loved it. Every day we came home and were just exhausted. Which was kinda bad because the house was a disaster since we had no desires to clean or organize anything. It`s a little better now!

I don`t really know what to say in this email because the week was so full of things!

First of all we had a baptism! Her name is Luisa. She and her family lived in another part of Santiago and moved into our ward two or three months ago. She was already meeting with missionaries in her old house and we she came here she found the missionaries here so that they would go to her house. The original plan was to baptize her and her husband (they got married just so they could get baptized) but he isn`t sure yet. He knows it is right but hasn`t made the decision. She was kinda getting unpatient haha and basically said, ¨well why do I have to wait for him if I know it`s right and I know it is what I need to do? I want to get baptized the 18th of October.¨ How were we going to say no to that?!? Haha so she was able to be baptized yesterday. It was a very gorgeous day. In the morning before church we went to their house to make breakfast for the family and went to church with her! I think that her husband will get baptized too, I don`t know when but I believe he will do it.

The two that got baptized last week weren´t able to be confirmed this week because of an emergency that happened. We call about 10 minutes before the meeting started and it turns out they were in the car on their way to the hospital... They had gotten ready for church even but right before something happened! It was a little bit of a bummer and sad but all is well now. We went to visit with them after church and they were doing okay. We helped clean their house, make dinner and wash the dishes. They will get confirmed in two weeks since this upcoming week is Stake Conference! I´m pretty lucky because I was here in this stake the last time they had stake conference! haha

My companion Elder Bof is awesome. He is such a punk but man we laugh a lot. It has been so fun with him and he has helped me work harder than I ever have in my mission. We have been seeing progress and are looking for one or two more baptisms this transfer! Hopefully we can reach them!

I am doing very good and getting excited for Halloween then CHRISTMAS!!!!! Haha I´ve already put on the Christmas music a little bit. Mom, you`d be a little annoyed but dad would be on my side I think. Haha I just love that holiday so much. There is a whole different vibe around Christmas time and it is such a good, fun time to share the gospel.

That´s all for now folks. Have a fabulous week!

Simón Bolivar and TWO baptisms!!!!!!!!‏

I can honestly say we started this transfer with flying colors. I don`t know how we did but man we had an awesome week. We taught and taught and contacted and taught and contacted. And we were able to end it with two baptisms! TWO! Thanks to Elder Bof and Elder Terry who were working so hard in this area before I got here.

 I am soo extremely tired. I´ve never been so tired before in my mission but I feel like we don`t ever have time to rest. It was one heck of a week to say the least. 

We are working with a young couple that have two little girls. The wife will be baptized this upcoming Sunday or the next for sure. Without doubt. We are working with the husband because he knows it is right and good and supports his wife 100 percent in her baptism but he is just lacking a firm answer. I think if he doesn`t get baptized with her he will get baptized soon after. 

Funny story! Last night after finishing up everything we decided to make some food but we burnt it (small fire on the stove... haha) so we opened up all the windows and the door and went outside (I now live on the 10th floor of an apartment building) to get some fresh air. We both had the grand idea of walking over to the railing to watch all the little kids playing soccer below. As we walked away from the open door it slammed shut from the wind..... We then realized how dumb we were because neither one of us had the keys and we weren`t really dressed well. Like we had our white shirts on but without ties and we just had our sandals on and it was chilly out! But lucky we got into the house about two hours later. No big deal. Also something funny, we lost the keys today:) haha so good work Elder Bof and Elder Gunnell! I think it is funny but I don`t think my comp thinks it is as funny. But oh well it already happened, what are we gonna do now? We think we just left the keys at the stake center which is like 20-30 minutes away so we just need to go back with someone who has the keys!

I´m excited for what other things we are going to see in this sector! It has been awesome with a latin comp, I love it.

Over and out,

Elder Gunnell

General Conference!! Transfers!!‏

 Last time I´ll see this water bottle (gave it away... You know how much I loved that water bottle)

Two of my favorite Elders in my last zone!

  The house after we finished painting it!

 The sister that lives in the house in front of us

  New companion

So I can´t express how wonderful conference was. I loved it. I missed the majority of the last session because we brought a family of investigators with us and she has three kids. Two of which are little boys. Ages 10 and 4. I took responsibility over them for the session so that she would be able to focus on the apostles and their words and feel the spirit. We stuck her with her daughter on the far edge of the bench, Elder Martinez in the middle and me right between the two boys! Haha wow did it remind me of the good ´ol times with the family and all the little munchkins. The good news is that we were able to do it! With enough games, coloring pages, treats, and other distractions us three had a good two hours! And they were quiet!! Their mom was able to enjoy conference and got a lot out of it! I love that family and hope that the continue meeting with the missionaries so that some day they can make it to their baptism.

I was so sad to leave that family and that ward but it is time to start something new! I won´t ever forget those amazing people but they will always be in my prayers. Now it is time to get to know and love the people of this new ward, Simón Bolivar! I am so pumped to be here! I am actually returning to a zone that I was already in! The zone and stake Huelen! The same stake as Miguel! Haha and I am with MY FIRST LATIN COMPANION!! Elder Bof from Argentina! Man I´m stoked to be with someone whose native language is spanish. It will be wonderful! This sector seems like it is going to be amazing and I am so excited to get started here! I am terribly lost and have no idea what is going on or who we are visiting but I already love it:) Elder Bof has been in the mission for 3 months and started his mission here so he knows the people and the area. It is the first time that I have been with someone who already knows the area! We won´t be wandering around for a couple weeks trying to get our bearings!

We already saw a blessing today! Someone ran up to us and asked if we were mormons we told them that we were and he wants us to visit him this week! He just got here from Colombia and wants to talk with us about God and families! Yeehaww we are already starting off good! Also Elder Bof tells me that we are going to have some baptisms this Sunday soooooo it should be good here:)

I am excited, happy at peace, a little lost but glad to be hear.

Shout out to the fam, have a good trip in Hawaii! Don´t enjoy yourselves too much!

Love you all.

´til next time,

Elder Gunnell