A New Family in the Kingdom

The Carrio Toro family is officially part of the family of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was such a beautiful moment that I don’t feel the words I write could describe it. I got to witness Yolanda speaking at the baptism of her three children and stand at the pulpit for the first time. She bore a powerful testimony of the worth of the scriptures. She radiated the Spirit.




I had the privilege of baptizing Elizabeth. Greenwood baptized Constanza which was his first baptism after 8 days in the mission. Marco baptized his son Gabriel and participated in the confirmation of all three. He is now an active member and a worthy holder of the Higher Priesthood.

The Church is true. Enough said.
 


Love,

Elder Rich

Elder Greenwood, Elder Rich, Constanza, Gabriel, Elizabeth, and Marco on the big baptism day.

Constanza, Yolanda, and Elizabeth

Elder Rich leading Elizabeth into the waters of baptism.

Elder Rich and Elizabeth

Elder Cabrera, Elder Greenwood, and Elder Rich

Marco and Gabriel

Elder Rich and the Pacific Ocean

Elder Rich at an Old Spanish fort in Ancud, Chile.

Elder Greenwood

Elder Greenwood is locked and loaded.

The Student Becomes the Teacher

I feel like any of the Book of Mormon prophets who experienced so many amazing and crazy things, and then had to sit down and try to pick the best two or three to write about for all to read. High five Nephi, I have a new respect for you.

So Elder Cluff has gone home and I am now training a new missionary which makes me a senior companion. Cluff and I left for Osorno on Tuesday so he could get on his plane and I could pick up my kid (My new missionary. I am his ¨Dad¨) We ended up getting the luck of the draw and staying the night with Elder Frausto in Ovejeria, my old stomping grounds. I got to run around and say hi to everyone and just tell them I love them.

The next morning I met my little boy Elder Greenwood from San Diego, California, and we got right on the bus for the long ride to Chiloé. We have been working hard and seeing miracles. Yolanda´s daughter, Elizabeth, told us about a week ago she wants to get baptized and will be getting baptized next Saturday, but her other daughter, Constanza, wrote us a letter a couple weeks ago and said she will never get baptized. Cluff and I were pretty bummed out, and I was thinking about it on the bus ride to Chliloé when I had an idea: Family home evening.

Greenwood and I taught Yolanda and Constanza Friday and we talked about family home evening and how the family is meant to progress and be together forever. It was such a simple topic but by the end Yolanda was weeping, which she NEVER does, and Constanza was very different. The next day we had a branch party and we were all hanging out and having a good time when Constanza pulled us aside and told us she wants to be baptized as soon as possible. Miracle.

Family can be together forever. Just the thought of it touches hearts of all people everywhere no matter the language, race, or location.

Elder Aidan Rich

Farewell party for Elder Cluff and Elder Jeria who are returning with honor!

Giving Elder Cluff gets some love as he completes his mission and returns home.

Some branch members and friends at the farewell party.

Elder Rich in the mission home to pick up his new companion. Welcome to Chile, Elder Greenwood! 

Brother and Sister Obeso with Elder Greenwood and Elder Rich in the mission home in Osorno, Chile. 

The Ancud Branch hosted an 80s Dance Party. Elder Greenwood with a sister from Chile.  

Yolanda, Marco, and Constanza in their 80s get-ups.

Elder Greenwood, Elder Rich, and an investigator from Ancud. 

Elder Rich with his new companion, Elder Greenwood in Ancud, Chile. Has there ever been a better name for a newbie missionary then Elder Greenwood?

One of the Great Ones

There are terrible, horrible weeks here in the mission. And there are weeks where everything just falls in place almost by itself. This week just so happened to be one of the great ones. We just saw so many miracles and I am learning to use our spiritual gifts as the Lord´s servant.

Service just never fails us, and I think that is where it all began. Drunk guys always ask us for money and we usually just smile and keep walking so as to not fuel their bad habits. However, Friday we were walking and an older gentleman stopped me and asked me for some money. Instead I asked him if he would like to accompany me to a bakery so we could get him some food. We were already late for an appointment but I just felt like I needed to do it. I bought him a simple meal and he broke down crying and said I was the first person to ever do that for him. Everyone in the bakery watched him cry, hug me, and thank me. It was a cool experience, even though I didn’t do it for praise.

We got to our appointment, which was with Marco and Yolanda, and just started a conversation. Marco then asked if we only had baptisms on the 30th of each month because that was the original date we proposed which they all rejected. We told him that it is just usually on a Saturday. Then Yolanda surprised us by saying, “I will have family here on the 30th so it does not work. So can I move it up a week to the 23rd?” Cluff and I did not even know what to say. So Yolanda is getting dunked the 23rd and her two daughters and son will either be baptized the same day or a little further down the line. AAHHHH!! Finally.

Afterwards, we called Patricia, a 25 year-old in the branch, to check on some stuff for a family home evening. She was crying because she had lost her brother’s cat and he was going to flip. I asked her if she had prayed and she said no because God doesn’t care about something like a cat. I said, “WHAT!! God cares about EVERYTHING that you care about. He LOVES you!” I then read her like 5 scriptures proving my point. Then I said, “I am going to hang up, you are going to get on your knees and pray, and you are going to PRAY. Then you are going to wait 30 seconds to feel the Spirit, then you will find the cat within 5 minutes. See you at church.” Then I hung up the phone. She showed up at church with several friends. They had been with Patricia listening on speakerphone when I said all that and had been part of the search for the cat. They had prayed together and found the cat waiting right outside their room. They now want to hear about the gospel from me.

Elder Holland once said something pretty cool. “This work is urgent. We are the church that dreams dreams and believes in miracles. If we have to call blessings down from heaven, CALL THEM DOWN.”

I testify that with the gospel Joseph Smith restored miracles on earth.

Elder Aidan Rich

Elder Rich with two fellow missionaries serving in Ancud - Elder Cabrera and Elder Jeria - visiting Fort San Antonio.

Cannons at Fort San Antonio which was built by the Spaniards in 1780.

Elder Jeria getting a look at the cannon. 

Hidden Beach

The coast line at Fort San Antonio

Ruins along the coast at Fort San Antonio

Sunset at Ancud overlooking the ocean.

The ocean at sunset

Our little Chilean Grumpy Cat

A Little Q&A

Elder Rich must be having some very busy P-Days. He only had time to answer a few questions from my letter and didn't write any other letters to us this week. I was able to exchange a brief Q&A with him while he was online sending his email. So, this is our brief update for the week.

Amber: Be faithful. Be happy. Remember to dance and be silly!

Elder Rich: We for sure danced and were silly this week. Elder Frausto and I organized a huge ward party and we had a crazy good turn out. It was a talent show and we had almost one hundred people show up. Of those people, 25 were investigators or inactive members. I played the guitar and sang a couple songs and then Elder Frausto and I along with the assistants put on a big sketch where we basically taught the first discussion with plenty of wit and humor. It was a riot and we have a lot more people to teach now.

Amber: I'm so glad you received our Christmas package. Be honest, did you break into the Almond Roca already?

Elder Rich: The almond roca is already gone! I shared most of it with the members.

Amber: That is the most Christlike-thing I think you've ever done. A boy that good deserves another can! What songs did you sing at the Talent Show? Please tell me that you sang something by Enrique? Or did you stick with church songs?

Elder Rich: I sang “Collide” by Howie Day and “Only the Good Die Young” by Billy Joel and then a bunch of songs in Spanish that they all know. Not to brag but I had several people want to pay me to play at parties and stuff. I am pretty humble about it.  My camera is have problems connecting to the computer so I won’t be able to send photos this week but I am trying to get it figured out. 

I love you.

Elder Rich as Captain Moroni. Nice abs, Captain. Elder Frausto as Santa Claus.