Trent - Bautismo this Saturday!

Hola Everyone!

This week was so great! Our investigator Cinthia is giong to get baptized on Saturday. When we taught her the Word of Wisdom she gave all of her tea to a friend and told us that she's already dropped it! What a beast! This week she invited two of her friends to listen to us and we taught them the Restoration. She already shares the Gospel more than the members here. She's awesome! 

But luckily the members are changing a ton. The Area of Southern America South had a transmission this Sunday for the whole area. They talked about missionry work a ton and said that the members should be the primary source of finding new investigators for the missionaries. After that we had the Branch Council Meeting and the members all realized that they hadn't been fulfilling their duties as leaders in the church of Jesus Christ and they all were pumped up the help us out. They committed to go visit all the recent converts and to visit our investigator Cinthia. It was awesome. Our prayers are being answered and this branch is changing with all our hard work!

I have been studying a ton about faith and how I can build it and help others do the same. I have learned something that I have already known for a long time...that faith is constant action. It's living with righteousness always. When we have the faith to keep the commandments that God has given us and live righteously, our faith increases. We are able to receive blessings from our righteous living and then our testimony and faith grows even stronger. I have learned about the importance of helping investigators understand that they have to ACT and start making small CHANGES or their faith will never increase. The whole mish I have been trying to convince these people, but when I help them to ACT and make little changes in their lives(repentence), they convince themselves because of the blessings they receive. Thats my little spiritual thought for this week. I invite all to ACT!

Love you and miss you all! Till next week

Elder Reilly

Rhett - Obligado

Hello family and friends!

This week was a little tough but there were some great things that happened too. We were able to see a lot of little miracles here and there. One thing our mission is really focusing on right now is seeing the miracles God is putting in our paths every day. This month every missionary received a little book where every night we write a miracle that happened that day. It's incredible to recognize all the miracles that are coming in the work here. We have also been preparing a day of miracles for the 2nd of September. This month every missionary was assigned a day to pray and fast for this day of miracles. The mission has been seeing some some amazing ones!

This area here seriously is incredible though. We have met some investigators truly prepared for us. We have been teaching a girl named Rosaly who is 18 years old. We taught her last week about the restoration of the gospel and how she needs to pray to know if it's true. When we first met with her, she told us about how she wants to listen to us because we share the word of God but that she would not be willing to change her religion or go to our church. So last week we taught her the restoration, about why our church is different and how the authority of God has been restored to the Earth today. God loves us so much, that he called a prophet on the Earth today. But all of that depends on one thing, if this is the true church or not. If this is the church that Christ established when he was here on the Earth. You can pray and get an answer for yourself. So we invited her to pray and told her that she will recieve an answer if she really wants to know and asks God in faith. This week we had a lesson with her again and we asked her if she had the opportunity to pray. She said that she prayed on Monday and received her answer on Wednesday. Me and my companion weree like whatttt? You revieved an answer? What was it? She told us that it was personal and that she didn't want to tell us but that she felt really good. It was pretty funny that she didn't want to tell us about it but I know she for sure that she did get her answer. She said she just feels good and wants to come to church on Sunday. We ended the lesson and when we got to the pension that night she sent us a message and just told us how grateful she is that we have been visiting her and how how she feels great! She is so awesome and also lives with her family of five. I know that if she really is committed and is baptized her family will follow. It was just a great miracle this week about how God is willing to answer prayers when we sincerely ask Him. We are going to try and set a baptisimal date with her this week. If you guys could pray for her that would be awesome!

Sorry I'm really bad with writing these letters haha, and from what my mom tells me my spelling has gotten horrible haha but honestly I love this work! My comp and I are working really hard and we are seeing the fruits of our labor. There are so many miracles happening here. I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Ill be praying for you! 

Elder Reilly

We went to a brazilian buffet for last PDAY.... I ate so much it was crazyyy haha. By the way that elder next to me is from Temecula and is 7 feet tall. Haha Elder Prina, never knew him before the mission.

Chef Reilly...

Rhett

Hey Familia!

Man, this week was a little crazy but the work is amazing. We walked so much this week haha. There are so many places to visit and so many people to go find and teach it's crazy. Now we just have to keep visiting them and helping them progress and go to church. One thing we are working on right now is trying to work with members and get them excited to work with us and with less active members. There are a ton of members here that are inactive and nobody visits them. This week we talked to the branch president about having activities and things like that every once and a while to reactivate them and bring new investigators. I am super pumped about that. This area has so much potential, we just need help from the members so this branch can grow a little more and we can start another one is another area called Trinidad where there are a lot of other less active members. Were gonna just try and get them all excited to go out and be missionaries themselves, it's going to be great. 

This week we had the opportunuty to visit an investigator of the sister missionaries when they were here. She had come to church twice before and came again this week too! She is super solid. We were talking to her in the lesson about baptism and about how the next step is to be baptized. She explained to us that she feels a change in her since she started coming to church but doesn't know if she has recieved an answer yet if the church is true. We taught her about the Spirit and about how we can recognize it and receive answers to our prayers. I explained to her about how a lot depends on what we do and actually taking action. When we show our faith and act by going to church and praying we show God that we want an answer. She said she would continue to pray and that she would do all possible to come to church. On Sunday it was raining and at first when church started she wasn't there. But about 30 minuted into church she showed up! It's great to see the commitment she has to get an answer and follow Jesus Christ. That was a bit of a miracle this week! I know that Heavenly Father always listens to us, and if we put forth the effort and show our faith He will always answer us.

All in all this area is great and the work is amazing. I'm excited for what's to come this week! Have a great week, Love you guys!

Elder Reilly

For contacting.... ayyy!

There was a big storm this week

Trent - Almost 8 Months

Hola Everyone!

This week was really great. Our investigator Cynthia came to church and she loved it. She had a great experience and she has a baptisimal date for the second of September. We were guided to some really nice people this week. We were knocking doors at 8:30 at night because a couple appointments fell through, and we found this man named Hugo. He wasn't gonna let us in, but I stopped him and said "Give us ten minutes and we're gonna change your life." He let us in and we shared the restoration with this man he told us that he felt a little bit of hope for the first time in almost 15 years. It was so great. This Gospel really brings hope and happiness. It blesses the lives of all who live it. 

Everything is going well here in the Zone of Esquel. I'm loving the mission and feeling close to the Lord. My companion is a beast. We work awesome together and I hope we stay together this transfer. One of my best friends for sure. 

I love you and miss you all. I hope all is well. I pray for you every night! Till next week! 

Elder Reilly

Rhett - Obligado week 3

Hola Fam,

Sorry but I have like no time to write so I'm going to make this short. But this week was incredible. Were able to see a lot of miracles. Two other Elders from our district stayed with us this week to do divisions and for a conference we had, so we were able to work with them a lot. We had 4 elders in our area for basically 3 days, it was awesome. We just went to new areas, contacting, and were able to find lots of new people to teach. My comp and I finally know the area pretty well now so now we have a good idea of how to work effectively here. There is a ton of work to do here!

This week we truly were led to some people that needed us. It was amazing to see how the Lord really is preparing people for us to teach. We had a lesson this week with a girl this week that's about 25 years old. We taught her a lesson about the Restoration and about how the same church that Jesus Christ established is on the Earth today. She told us at the end that she loved it and believes that she should be baptized. It was one of many experiences that was just crazy this week. I just know that the Lord is really mindful of us and that He part of this work! I love you all, have great week!

Elder Reilly

Me and my comp Elder Barrios

The best district in the Mish!

One of the roads in this giant area

Trent - Week of Milagritos

Hola Everyone!

This week was another great one. It was super hard because everyone seemed to be in a rejecting mood but we were able to see various little miracles. The Lord always tests us and then lets us know that he's still there and that this is His work. 

We are still preparing the family Quilaqueo to get baptized this Saturday. They are getting married this Fridayyy!!!!!! Finally everything worked out and they are able to get married legally. They are so awesome. Honestly, they are going to change this branch. They're already better members than all the members here. 

Four times this week we were walking in the street talking to everyone and we were led to 4 members that have been inactive for over 20 years that were hidden here in Esquel. We are gonna reactivate them and baptize their families. We have been praying to find people who can be baptized and be in the new branch presidency and ward mission leader because this branch needs some serious help, and the Lord answered our prayers!! We're gonna change this branch so the work can progress and we can edify this little portion of the Lord's Kingdom. 

Love you and miss you all! Thank for the emails and support:)

Rhett - This Areas hugeee

Hey familia,

I hope you all had a great week! This week was a little crazy over here getting used to new area and everything but we were able to see the Lord's hand again in the work. This area is huuggge. We live in the town called Obligado where the church is, and then it just spreads out from there. Basically Obligado is the center of everything but there are not too many houses there so we have to go out and go to different areas to find more people. Sometimes even 30 minutes by bus. This week were were basically just working only in Obligato, but next week were gonna try and work in all the other farther areas and just pick one to work in everyday. It's a little tough, but it's great cause there are always people to find.

This week we definitely were able to see the Lord's hand guiding us. One day we were walking and contacting trying to find people to teach but didn't know where to go. We saw a street that we had never been to yet. We started contacting and after a few houses we came to a house where we met a lady named Jessica and she invited us in. She explained to us that she was usually never home but somehow we managed to find her at the right time and aww man she was so prepared! I won't go into too much detail but basically she was waiting for us. Man it was so awesome to be apart of it. It just made me think about how the Lord really is guiding us to find His children and bring them back to Him. I dont know why we chose to go to that place, that street, or that house that day but we went and the Lord led us. I know that the Lord is always watchful of us and He knows what we need! Thats all for this week!

Love you guys,

Elder Reilly

Trent - 7 Months already

Hola everyone!

This week has been great. We left from Neuquen yesterday at midnight and arrived at 12 in the afternoon and went straight to work. In Neuquen we had a training with all of the Zone Leaders in the mission. It was aweseome. Our mission President fired us all up to go and be an example for the missionaries on our zones and baptize in the next 4 weeks that we have in this transfer.

The family Quilaqueo are going to get baptized the 12th of August if everything goes well. They are going to get married the 11th of August and baptized the next day! Their lives have completely changed. Javier Quilaqueo was addicted to cigarettes and alcohol and now doesn't smoke or drink. He was famous on the city of Esquel for being a robber and now he is someone completely different. The Atonement of Jesus Christ has helped him to change. Even though his house is super tiny and he hardly has enough money to eat, he has already started saving for the temple. He's truly converted! It's truly special to see. I hope that after he gets baptized that he can become the Branch President or Mission Leader because this branch here in Esquel needs some serious help. There's about 20 members who assist regularly. We are doing everything that we can here to help these members realize that missionary work is the most important work in the world and they need to get involved. Read Alma 4 and you'll understand what's happening here. Just like it says in that chapter, the only thing that Alma could do to change the situation was bear a pure testimony from his heart. Thats what we've been doing. We pretty much teach all the classes and give the talks and do everything here haha. But the Spirit changes people and I know we can help change this branch so the work can start progressing much faster! 

I love this work and knowing that the Lord is always on my side. I love seeing someone who has become truly converted. There's nothing better! There's nothing else that's ever brought me more joy! Love you and miss you all.

Rhett - First Week in Obligado!

Hola Familia,

I hope you all are doing well, I'm gonna make this letter short and sweet. First off I'd like to give a birthday shout out to Mum! Thanks for being such an awesome grandmother! So, I'm now in my new area called Obligado which is way out kind of in the middle of nowhere. There are a couple ancient ruins in our area but that's about it. I picked up my brand new missionary comp Elder Barrios! Hes from San Juan, Argentina and is super capo! He is super humble and has a strong desire to share the gospel. I'm excited to work with him. This new area is super big and me and my comp know nothing about it, so were basically just starting from scratch. It's insane; and I'm also the district leader so that's gonna be fun helping out the other missionaries here and getting them all fired up about the work. That's pretty much it for this week, but I know that we can have miracles happen here in Obligado. We are gonna talk to everyone, and just try and follow the spirit and I'm excited to see what will happen. I know that this work is the Lords work. Love you all!

Elder Reilly

Pictures next week sorry...