Just a quick one

I´ve got very few minutes but I´ll give a short run down on this week.

Last Monday there was a fire in our apartment building. We live on the 10th floor and it was on the 5th but below us. Luckily no one was in the house but that made it a little complicated to put out. By the time it was finally put out, by the neighbors and other people near by, just about everything was destroyed which is so sad. The firefighters got there but a little, or I guess too, late because with all the fire houses that we had lowered down from all of our floors they basically were able to put it out. The family is okay, a little shaken, but okay and living with the grandma until they can get everything figured out so keep them in your prayers!

Last week was a very slow and long week but there were positive things that happened too! One of the good things was that we found a family from Africa! They are from Kenya. They are sooo welcoming, so loving and so humble. Their fifteen year-old daughter got here about two months ago and is learning spanish. The parents have been here for about eight years and speak spanish very well. But I taught the lesson in English so that the daughter could understand. They offered us food the very instant they invited us in. I have never been invited into a house so quickly in my mission. We had a wonderful lesson and were able to give them a Book of Mormon in spanish. We were also able to help them download the Gospel Library app on their phones so that they could read it in one of the many languages they speak. Thank goodness for technology and a big thumbs up for that amazing application that I hope everyone is using DAILY!:)

I had an idea to make a ton of cookies and going around and giving them to the members and people that always give us food or do things for us so that we could thank them and ask if they knew anyone that we could visit or help out. The cookies which were oatmeal raisin (my favorites) and oatmeal chocolate chip turned out incredible but the idea flopped. It didn´t go as well as I had hoped. We didn´t get any references or names of people to visit. But that´s okay. It was worth a shot. I guess not everyone is as alive in the work as I would have hoped.

I pray for you all and hope that you have a fabulous week!

Over and out,

Elder Gunnell

Piano

First things first, I played the piano yesterday in Sacrament Meeting. For the first time in my life. Haha it went.. Well to be honest it was kind of a disaster haha but I think it was better than nothing! I mean I kind of figured I wasn`t going to play perfectly or anything and I was okay with that! Next time I play, which I think will be in two weeks, I am hoping that it goes a little bit better:) It is way different playing the piano alone and with the accompanement of people. So props to all those who can do it well! I definitely don`t have that talent! Well at least not yet, maybe one day I can develope it... We`ll see! But it was an adventure and it was something I had never done before so I feel good about it!

This week was a really successful week until Sunday. We found quite a few new people to teach which hadn`t happened in this sector for a long long time. The bummer of the week is that we were going to bring two families with us to church. One of the children of one of the families was sick so they decided not to go (the are from Haiti and are sooooooo cooooooool. I wish I could be Haitian.). They other family had some serious problems with the dad at like 3 in the morning... Which was really sad to be honest... The poor kids. We will go see how they are doing later this week and I hope that nothing worse has happened. I guess it`s not right to say that the week was a bad week just because it went bad on Sunday. In reality it was a good week. We could help a lot of people, get to know new people, and do service! I love doing service.

All in all I am doing well!

I would like to share something from a letter from a former companion of mine.

¨I really like this concept: I like to think of learning as a tool box. When we're born our tool box is empty; not a single tool in there. As we grow our parents work their very hardest to start putting together our tool box. They give us a screw driver here and a hammer there. They teach us to talk. That's a very useful tool because it allows us to ask for things we don't have or communicate to others that we're in a dangerous situation and that we need help. They teach us to use the potty which allows us to not be societal outcasts. Etc. Etc. In this point in our lives we should expand our tool kits to do valuable things. Knowing how to work with computers is valuable to a company. Knowing how to get people to buy things is valuable to a company. Knowing how to drive and successfully bring pizza to someone's door is seven-dollars-and-twenty-five-cents-per-hour-plus-tips valuable to Pizza Hut. [Our grand responsibility and great purpose is] to pack as many skills, talents, abilities, and knowledge into [our] toolbox[es] as possible. Think of this: The Lord has the complete tool kit. He knows how to do everything, and He probably uses His whole tool kit to bring to pass His plan. This life is a time to make our tool boxes look like His so that we can use our tool boxes like He uses His. And He gives us trials and weaknesses so that we can add even more tools to the box. He does it because He loves us!¨

So there is some of the profound doctrine of a good friend of mine and just a little something to think about! 

Thank you for all you are doing for me! It means more than you know.

Have a wonderful week!

Over and out, 

Elder Gunnell

You´ll never guess what I got myself in too...‏

So with Sister Christensen gone we had no one in the church to play the piano. Me, not knowing that there really is someone who can play the piano but comes every other week for some reason, decided (me being the go-getter that I am) that I was going to play the piano in church. Funny joke right? When was the last time I touched a piano? Years and years ago? Well long story short, next week I have been assigned to play the piano in Sacrament meeting. Someone tell Ressa Budge for me that I am grateful for everything that she taught me and that I am trying to remember everything I can, but I really don´t remember much. Also say lots of prayers.:)

It was a slowww week. And real hot. Many of our investiagators have hit the road for summer vacation and we are no longer teaching a majority of them so last week was a week of finding. We talked to a whole lot of people and hopefully this up-coming week we can see some fruits! 

My last cooking experience was quite a disaster. I was going to make a cookie dough brownie for our District Class. In the process of making the brownie, I accidentally put in a little too much baking powder and while it was cooking in the oven it kinda of turned into a volcano and got allllll over the oven and started a little mini fire in the oven which I quickly turned out as the smoke filled our little apartment. We scared a couple of the neighbors in the process haha. 

I think that is it for today! Sorry for the short letter this week and for not replying to many of the letters you all sent me. Next week I will do better! Have a wonderful week! 

Much love,

Elder Gunnell

The smog here in Santiago is gross sometimes. 

  A pretty sunset but not like Cache Valley.

#longday

From the mom

Bayler didn't have time to write this week but with his permission I'm taking part of his letter to me and putting it on here.  

I think all of your wonderful and faithful prayers were answered:) I didn´t get transfered. I didn´t get a new companion. I´m just where I need to be with who I need to be with. I don´t know why and maybe I won´t for awhile but I know what I need to do. I have the wonderful opportunity to help change his life. I can be a companion that he never forgets. I´ve been very cold with him because I expect more from a 24 year old man but it isn´t my place to judge just to help. I´m going to love him. If I don´t do anything in this area I am going to love and help my good ´ol comp. Thank you for your prayers:) don´t stop praying!

I love that talk by Maynes. About a month and a half ago I decided that I was going to start listening to at least one talk from conference every morning. So when I go to shave I bring my little speaking into the bathroom and put on a talk (ive just gone in order of the sessions, never skipping a talk) and as I shave, shower, get dressed and make breakfast I listen to and focus on the talk. Later when I am finished I start my personal study and go back through it in the Liahona to find the parts I liked and read the scriptures that called my attention. It has been one of the best habits I think I have started on the mission. More than once it has been an answer to me or to someone who asked me for help. For example a new sister missionary (she´s been here for 5 months, she is from cali) is going to be training this transfer and had told me how worried and nervous and scared she was. That very morning I had listened and studied the talk by President Erying from the priesthood session and told her to read and study it. It was exactly what she needed. Amazing how God does that isn´t it?