welcome one and all....

Well I´d just like to say I love you all lots and lots. I am at a different cyber right now and its a lot beter but I cannot send pictures. I brought it all and everything. Anyway Christmas is in the air I am going to do Skype Christmas night 25th at about 8 o'clock my time. I am very exited did you know I cut my hair the other week shorter than it has been since that one time in UT and I was devistated hahaha.

 Anyway lets go through some key highlights this week:
First off the baptism did not go through:( but for good reason and actually it was president who denied the baptism. The problem is MArgarita the wonderful lady we are teaching, she lives in a house with her grandkids and her old partner. WE did not think it was going to be a problem because they are both pretty old and are more like siblings.  They are in the same house for the grandchildren. Her x partner was inactive from a long time ago but when the missionaries started teaching his grandson he came back in full force and is one of the best reactivated members I have seen.HE loves church. Anyway so we had some problems there and it did not go through but IT is only a mater of time and finding out what we can do for them we have a couple of solutions and we´ll just have to find the way to make it work.

Someone broke into the chapel as well and  stole a computer and an electric piano. It is sad how hard it is here to keep people from robbing things. All the windows of the church have huge bars on them and so they picked up the brick around it and took it off and broke into the secretaries office. WE think they have been in the chapel before becuase they knew exactly which window to climb in.

Fletcher...Dude remember that "Heman song" thing on You tube? Dude I heard that song here the other day on the bus and died laughing to myself:) made me trunky (miss home)

Did you know that Uruguay is over run with cats and dogs I have told you this no? well its the truth everywhere every house has like 4 dogs. But guess what that also means there are puppies and kittens everywhere here hahaha too bad they have fleas....I still play with them:) It literally is crazy though how many baby animals there are here.

Teddy and Bo guess what you know that Vegetales sing along song about the cucumber danceçing and singing. Guess what now I can sing that song and know what it says I was singing it just from memory the other day: "Mire el Pepino":)

Scripture of the week: Mormon 9:14 It talks about the impure staying impure and the clean clean. For me it reminds me of the importance of being happy in this life because the happy will be happy and the unhappy will  be even more unhappy. I will finish the book of mormon this week in Spanish how much I love that book and often find myself trying to find more time in the day to read more. I also found myself thinking of my saviour this christmas time... How much I wish he didn´t have to suffer for my mistakes but at the same time I just find so much love for him. I am amazed by his unfathomable love, stregnth and intellegence.

Anyway time is up I love you all like crazy oh my foot is fine not to worry and DAD we have DVD players in every house not to worry:) I love you all tons and tons be happy live everyday happy and make sure to tell everyone who is freaking out about the end of the world on the 21st that its all a bunch of balone.

This is a foto with Elder Viñas and our zone is Salto and photos from when I left Salto

 

 Elder McCRanny

 

Elder Stewart-Chester

"Its the most wonderful time of the year"

I’m sorry I cannot send more pictures today, next week I will. These are photos from Salto. I did not send any from here yet. The truth is I’m testing out the area to see if I can take it around with me. It looks pretty safe.  Now the only thing is one minute it's sunny the next it's pouring. The truth is I am not too far into the city, we are more on the outskirts.  Unlike the states where the inner city is the rough part here it is the outside where all the poor live. I love my area. We have like 20 lessons with a member every week because there are so many that are willing to help and lots of people to teach.

Something that me and my companion (my mom didn't correct this even though she should have-love, mom) have really begun to focus on is reactivating and we are seeing lots of fruits from our labor. This last Sunday a lot of very big recent convert family that went inactive came to church!! There is so much work to be done in reactivation here and we have set our goals high to bring many back to fill the church full once again. 

Me and my companion (mom needs to teach grammar to her sonJ)get a long really well. I tried something new this change and just worked hard to make him laugh and become his friend. I do not chew him out I just serve and do all that I can thinking about the savior. Our goal as a mission is to be one of the saviors’ friends, to serve out of love not out of duty. I love my savior. I think about his question so amazingly put by Elder Holland often "DO YOU LOVE ME?"   I think about it and then I serve all that I can. I think about it when I arrive at the house in the night, which is such a mess and there is so much to do and all I want to do is sleep and then I get to work and fight the tiredness. My foot has been causing me problems and yet I thought about serving him truly loving him and I kept going and washing and cleaning all by myself.  That day I felt his hand uplift my burdens. 

I did what Grandpa said and soaked my foot in apple vinegar boy did it hurt and then the second day I did it again and that next day my foot swelled up huge and that’s where I am at today. I soaked it in ice water last night and it helped and the swelling decreased but I just hope I did not do something wrong.

I went on diviones last week with an elder from El Salvador who was baptized at 19 he is  a powerful missionary and knows how to teach. Anyway we had a lesson with one of our investigatores Margarita who is 60 something and wants to be baptized but is quitting smoking. We had an amazing charla with her. She said that she was feeling as though God did not love her but after Elder Rivas spoke she knew He really did. Anyway she is getting baptized next week and we are exited! Lots of work is going on here. 

Scripture: 4nephi 1 15

 15 And it came to pass that there was no ^acontention in the land, because of the ^blove of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.

The Book of Mormon is amazing read it

I love you so much I don’t really feel like its Christmas time, it’s too hot:) and no family

Love you all 

Elder Stewart-Chester

 BON BON coma....

 Salto rainy!!

 SALTO!!  rain

 Making sausages......ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (love mom)

 I actually got to baptise Florencia which was wonderful as always but you know me I forgot my towell at least it is insanely hot here!!

Dec 3 (late update from mom) Well we are at that time again!

Please forgive me this thing is terrible. I am going to start emailing in the morning. Anyway ahhhhh I forgot the cord to send the pictures.... nuts. Next week I’ll spend time sending pictures. P-days are busy days where you try and cram lots in and then you have to agree with your comp and it just makes it even harder to do all you would like to.

Anyway, so where do I start.  Well I had a very spiritual experience this Tuesday on divisions with a different Elder called Elder Montes.  He is from Spain but lost his accent completely. Anyway we actually had a couple of spiritual experiences. First, we went to an 18 yr old young man’s house who had been baptized recently 8 months ago to try and teach his sister. He’s super active and actually was a corto plazo (a missionary before the mission) with my comp for two days before I got here. Well when we got there he told us that he had decided that he was going inactive. We were shocked and so we sat down and had a lesson I will never forget. We asked him why and things like that. He said it was because he was a bad person. We talked about the atonement, about never giving up about how much god loves him. I cried.  My comp cried and so did he. In the middle of the lesson I had the weirdest feeling. I literally sat back and thought to my self as I listened to myself speak. I have already heard and said all of this before in my dreams the night before. I told everyone and I was amazed. After that lesson he told us he was not going inactive. He later sent us a message telling us that he had been kneeling asking the Lord to help him repent, to help him. He said that we were his answer. My favorite part of being a missionary is following the spirit and being the answer to someone’s prayers.

Wow, O have so many things to say such little time. Fast...... my comp has P90x.  We work out. We had a baptism this last Saturday and it was really great. Our ward is wonderful and it is working well to get things moving. His name is Alexander he is the brother of a recent convert. In the baptism President Heaton came to see our baptism and well the mom of Alexander is an investigator of ours and she had not shown up yet and so I went looking for her in the car with presidente.  Ha-ha, through some rough streets with his nice car super strange to use a seatbelt.

That is all I will have time for for now forgive me.  Typing is a weakness of mine I will be talking again with Skype very soon!! So you can ask me all kinds of questions then as well.

I just want to say I love you so much. Be safe and love the lord the hard things are what mold us into what god wants us to be!

Elder Stewart-Chester

Okky Dokey folks yall ready

SO it turns out I am a really crapy Elder so I have been transferred once again.....
My Change

Cerro Barrio 16
With: Elder Vargas (Peru)
I am going down south folks to the big city Montevideo!!!! I was very much in Shock because well I am the only missionary I know with 4 areas in 7 changes. My companion I am with right now has 4 areas and he only has 6 months of his mission left. I mean wow I have only been in an area for 2 changes that is unheard-of.

Anyway folks as you can tell I am writing this super late.  I am actually already in the time we should be out working. :( the Cyber here was too full so we had to wait. So forgive me I am trying to type as fast as my skinny fingers will let me. I have so much to say lets hope I can get some of it across.

First off mom the Mp3 is fine do not spend lots of money and hide it well. Things I still need are envelopes and now futbol shoes sadly mine are super destroyed.  To send shoes you have to send one in one package one on in the other just send me a pare of dad's indoors.

I was spat at this week.... Just kept walking. Someday I will receive tons of blessings for that one. I was amazed at how well I kept my head. I am changing that's for sure.

We had two baptisms Sunday, two adorable little girls who are showing the way for their mother who needs to be married before she can be baptised. I will send pictures next week hopefully. I´m guessing the computers in Deo are better. I actually got to baptise Florencia which was wonderful as always but you know me I forgot my towel at least it is insanely hot here!!

Here in Uruguay well south America Everyone has Moto´s(motorcycles etc) and after being here so long I have the strongest desire to buy one when I get home. Something funny about motos here is they are a family vehicle. Did you know they can fit a family of 5 on those things. Hopefully I´ll take a picture. Also they use them like trucks carrying goods. Often you will see a moto go past with two men on it and one is carrying a giant wooden beam, or a piece of metal.

What do I think of the new age change of missionaries?....well its inspired!  China must be opening up soon. I think that missionaries will have to come more prepared and that their may be more problems,  but I think hopefully they will come very teachable and The work will grow.

I have thought of one thing one thing I wish I knew earlier in life. Do you want to know what that is?  Moroni´s promise. I wish someone would´ve sat me down younger and told me you Have to read this book and then ask God your life depends on it. I love the Book of Mormon I wish I had poored through the pages earlier in my life. I would´ve received so much more. My goal for the rest of my mission is to feel the spirit and teach with the spirit as much as I possibly can. It´s honestly all that matters.

I am disappointed to leave my area I had so many plans and ideas. It should only go up hill here in this area.

I love the Lord and I will go and do whatever he asks.

Les Quiero

Elder Stewart-Chester

Sent from my iPhone

Writing Next Tuesday due to changes!

Well It feels like yesterday I was just emailing. It is a good thing I write things down in my agenda because if I didnt I would be so lost right now. First off I would just like to say I love you all I´m so grateful for every person, teacher, leader, parent, sibling, I have had in my life. How lucky I am. 

Something I realize I have completely forgotten to tell you guys I´m pretty sure is  that in my old area with Elder McCraney he has baptised a couple who we were teaching over there, so Awesome. It would´ve been really cool to finish teaching them but Its just wonderful because they are such amazing people and will be a forever family. Silvia and Marcelino. Elder McCcraney always gloats to me because Silvia brings them food like every night becuase she is so wonderful. 

Ok I did not know Dakota got called to The Salt Lake City Mission!!?? 

This week has been pretty ok.... my bike is busted and it makes us work a lot slower and it bugs me. Oh so guess what Dad ELder McCraney said "Elder Stewart-Chester is the hardest working comp I have in the mission" -I know you are probably crying right now. Looks like some thigs rub off huh. 

I have been writing down Scriptures that I feel you Mom and others really would be good for you´all.

Alma 50: 23

Alma 37:37

Alma 38:5

The book of mormon has become one of my favorite books. 

We had a bunch of investigators in church this last week!!!WOOOOHH Super good for them. We are baptising two young girls of a family we are teaching next Sunday to help the desire grow in the heart of the mother. She wants to be baptised but has to be married first and if she does she loses her pension of her dead ex-boyfriend. We had two investigators we found saturday go to church Sunday. one is called Leonardo and he is 22 and we´re are praying he is a misionary to be

I have started to realize how scatter brained my letters are its mainly because of my notes I take so I can write this thing. Something that I love about the people here is they love and look after the poor. The people love and look after one another. They often give out food for free and all the time they are giving away clothes and things like that. I need to be more like them. I think I am going to work in a soup kitchen next time I am home maybe around the holidays or something.

Anyway I wish I could say so much more but I have to go I love you!!

Elder Stewart-Chester

10/29 I would send pictures but there are too many people here and they might come break into our house to get my camera later

Hello Hello well its that time of the week again. not really sure how your side is not really sure how many of you actually read my blog but isn´t my blog great people dont I have a wonderful mother to do all that for me.

Anyway how do you talk about this last week.... lets see well lets start off with the best part of it all the conference with Elder Oaks!!! yeah thats right that was this saturday and what an amazing experience. With all the missionaries from our both missions here in Uruguay we listened to one of the 12 apostles give us specific direction from God. WOW. Do you want to know what the topic was= Repentance. I know what your thinking wow your missionaries must be terrible if he came and talked to you all about repentance. But it was not about our repentance it was about making sure to teach someone in a way that they can experience true repentance in order to keep firm in the gospel until the end he told us that in the book of mormon next to the word baptism is always repentance. It is sad but far too often they`re are missionaries that just baptise to baptise. I hate it. It was a powerful conference I learned so much. Something he talked about that applies more to everyone was that being a follower of Christ means going to church every week. he talked about the importance of sacrament. It is so importantant that they as appostles even with their extremley busy scheduals have to atleast once a month partake of the sacrament in the temple. He said sometimes it is hard because you travel so much. He said if it is important as an appostle of the lord to partake it is so important for us. He said to focus on the principle that "to always have his spirit to be with you" is being cleaned because the spirit cannot dwell in unholy temples. 

Elder Viñas  and Elder Halstrom came aswell with their wives and said powerful things aswell. Something intresting that they all did was testify that Elder Oaks was an appostle and if you stepped back as I did I felt the spirit testify to me about their words. Someday you will all have to read my notes. I have a lot to work on, But I´m so grateful for his direction I would be lost without it.

I have had a couple of rough days with my companion. But it should get better from now on I hope. He has lots of exuses but  last night I told him that It was one of the saddest days of my mission becuase we did not work hard enough with the time the lord gave us. (you dont have to put this on the blog its up to you)

We have been using the marshmellows that we sent to me to make smores with investigators. I feel like it helps we are still working with some good people we just need to get them progressing. I love this area it gets better everyday. It was a really strong ward a year ago but a lot left offended and now we are starting to bring them back slowly but surely. 

It was amazing the conference I met and talked to so many missionaries how I love good missionaries its awesome to see so many great men and women who serve and love the lord. Its crazy becuase we all have similarities. 

Anyways I am out of time. The Church is true and dont you ever forget it when someone challanges you about a topic of term or something about the church just remeber to tell them that you asked God if the Book of Mormon was true and well he responded. I love you all tons 

Elder Stewart-Chester

Well what a week

Not going to lie even after P-day I am exausted. This week has taken a lot out of me and has required things of me I never thought of before. I know why I was called to this area now and why I was called to be with my companion but saddly that story will have to wait for after the mission. Lets just say I have grown a ton and worry to death about being a parent.

Lets see something pretty nutts is two nights ago I left the back door open while we slept and did not have the fan on me and was well rather eaten alive. I have counted 72 mosquito bites on just my arms haha its not that bad though atleast my bed does not have bugs. It is super hot right now and all the people talk about is "this is nothing just wait until we hit 45" which is like 115.....I am very scared. But hey its for the lord right. 

Anyway so ya I had an intersting week went on divisions with an ELder I met in the CCM from Alaska and honestly he is the manliest guy. He is 27 years old and found his way to the mission and lets just say he knows why he is here. He told me about being chased by grizzlies in Alaska and the northern lights and well now I gotta go:) hahah we´ll see. but he really is super manly he shaves with a straight razor. 

My feet have been not in the best shape but their not bad at all. I still work as hard as I can. If anything they are just annoying. 

I also had another divisions with the Zone leaders again and it was really wonderful. The only bad part is I was out of my area a lot this week. Our area is such a good one and whenever anyone comes they´re like I would love to be here. We just are struggling to get people to come to church. We´re really working on it and we are having an activity this week with a competition of desserts. It should be super good our ward use to have a lot of life and we are really trying to revive that life. 

Mom you said you like to read the scriptures I am reading well right now as a mision we are reading the Book of Mormon in 90 days and I honestly read through it like I use to fiction novels back home. I read all in spanish ad should finish well before christmas. I just read two scriptures that I loved this morning: Alma 36:3 and Alma 36:24.

Yesterday was the birthday of my companion. Not a good day for me or the lord but I got cake, 

anyway forgive me that I did not send pics. I will do soon anyway I cannot tell you how much I love you all and how much I have changed.... I love serving and I´m hoping that soon we will be doing so much service for those around us.

I Know the Church is true and so do you!!! you´ll know to when you are backed up to the wall and dont know which way to go then you´ll bare testimony and be filled with the spirit.

Elder Stewart-Chester

Ps. I have been bad at writing back letters so forgive me. I´m going to fix that hopefully next week