Elder Blotter pics - May 29th

Elder Hansen, one of the Mission AP's with Rob.  An honorary Cub fan

Elder Blotter with some Chilean graffiti. Looks like Bart Simpson is a universal character 

Elder Arros, one of Rob's former Senior Comps

Elder Blotter - May 29th

Dear Mom, 

Hey mom I am glad to hear all is well with you back home and all the family. I am well her in Lanco and hope to keep working hard her in Lanco with Elder Winsor. We have had a pretty good week with many investigators in church and many lessons with members this past week. This coming week we are having a baptism of hermana Dina on Saturday so we are really excited for her because she is ready and she just feels the spirit so strong. I can´t believe I will be 21 tomorrow it really doesn´t feel like I'll be 21 so I'll just pretend that I am not turning 21 haha We had a good day yesterday in church with 56 attending church and I finally presented myself in church today so now the Branch knows I am here now ha ha. The zone conference was good I got to see one of my old companions Elder Arros from Santiago(in the picture) that finishes his mission this transfer  and then Elder Hansen the assistant(shown in the picture with the Cubs shirt) so it was awesome to see him and I hope to see those two guys after the mission cause they are awesome guys and powerful missionaries. It has started to get really cold here in Lanco and it rained quite a bit here but all is good but the only problem is that we have no wood for our fire place so its really cold in our house all the time so we need to buy wood but we're poor Elders here in Lanco but we hope to get our money tomorrow to buy a metro of Wood to be able to heat the house better. Me and Elder Winsor are getting along well we are good buddies and teach well together. and we hope to see a lot of miracles this coming week with our investigators and the members can have excitement in the work. I thank you for all the support that you guys give me. I love you tons and miss you more!!1

love,

Elder Blotter

Elder Blotter pics - May 23th

The Los Lagos Zone. Standing (l-r) are: Elder Winsor from Idaho, Elder Romero from Ecuador, Elder Cayoja from Bolivia, Elder Gonzalez from Chile, Elder Thorup from Utah, Elder Broadhead from Idaho, Elder Hunsaker from Wyoming and Elder Blotter from Illinois. The zone leaders are Elders Hunsaker and Gonzalez.

President and Sister Lovell are finishing their Mission in June so this is their last round of Zone Conferences with the missionaries.  I am sure it is bittersweet for them and the Elders

The chapel for the Lanco Branch where Elder Blotter is currently assigned with his companion Elder Winsor

Elder Blotter pics - May 23th

P.S. Some of the pictures I have sent are of me and some of my investigators and members from San Pablo and from our last Zone meeting in the Zone of LA Union and of our first activity of the transfer in Valdivia, which was BOWLING!!! WOOO!!! ha-ha 

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Elder Blotter - May 23th

Dear Mom,

I will make this short and simple today because me and my companion have been traveling all day from the NEW sector I am in called...LANCO to....VALDIVIA yes I am back up north again near where I started my mission. it is insane, when the bus arrived into the Valdivia area I felt like I was having a flash back and I am starting my second visa here in Chile so we had to travel to Valdivia and I felt like I was having flash backs because I was there for 6 months in Valdivia and I know that place better than the back of my own hand. I ran into members from my ward in Valdivia and it was so awesome to see them again and I saw my old papito and it was just nuts. I felt like I was seeing family again that I hadn’t seen in soooo long.  But Lanco is a little town about an hour and a half from Valdivia and its in the Zone of Los Lagos with Pangipulli and San Jose and all that area so its a new zone I have never been in and I only know one Elder from the zone that I was with in a different Zone. In this Zone I am the third oldest so it is really weird to actually feel really old because there are only 8 missionaries in this zone. It is the smallest zone in the mission so it was crazy to hear last Tuesday that I was heading to this zone. My companions name is Elder Winsor from Idaho, my first American Companion I have had in over a year!!! That is insane but his Spanish is amazing because he only has 3 months here in Chile and he speaks better than I did when I first got here. I started speaking as well as he can when I had 4 and a half months so it was interesting.   We get along well here and we are preparing someone for baptism for the 4th of June here a woman named Dina who is such a humble woman and just loves feeling the spirit. I can tell that through the teachings that Elder Winsor and his last companion have given her that she is well prepared and ready for baptism. She will have her interview this Saturday so we are really stoked for her.  We have Zone conference, our last Conference with President Lovell so tomorrow will be very sad for all of us missionaries. But that’s awesome that you guys got a letter from President and glad to hear that he gave good remarks about me. I love President Lovell and wish he could be my president for my whole 3 years. It’s colder here in Lanco than my last sector because we are closer to the mountains here than San Pablo so it’s cold in the nighttime and in the morning but its all good. I have my sleeping bag and a lot of warm clothes. The branch here is great and has an attendance of about 50 to 60 members so its a growing branch here and if we work hard here in Lanco to help the members attend that are less active we could have a branch of about 150 members so it has a lot of potential. I love it here and hope to see many miracles here in Lanco with Elder Winsor. I love you and miss you tons!!!

Love, Elder Blotter

Elder Blotter - May 16th

Dear Family,

Well it has been an interesting last week of the transfer with many lessons with member and we had one of our better investigators attend church for the second time and he really liked it and it really opened the eyes of our members that we are working hard here in the sector to help people come to church and that they too can help in the work. Our investigator’s name is Pascual and has a little guy I think I’ve told you a little bit about him but he’s a humble little man about 55 years

old give or take. But it has just been a week of miracles with a noche de hogar that we had Monday with our branch president and Pascual came and it really helped a lot because President Jonas really helped out Pascual with some of his doubts that he has. And then we had a Noche de Hogar of our Branch on Saturday, which was really successful which we had 23 people attend mixed of Members, Less Actives, and Investigators it was so sweet. It was on the Restoration and the Spirit just filled the chapel. And then yesterday we had a noche de hogar with at a members house and it was awesome too cause the spirit was so strong in the Noche de Hogar also because the investigator we brought really impacted her the video we showed which is called the Prodigal Son?? It’s the Parable in the bible that Christ explains of two brothers and the story really helped her see something in her own life. I am thankful to my Heavenly Father that he has given us so many great miracles this last week of the transfer. I still don’t know if I am going yet or not but al write in the next email if I am out or not.  But It has just been an awesome last week of the transfer and I know next transfer if I stay or go this sector will have baptisms next transfer because there are people that are ready to take this step in their lives and feel the fullness of God’s love in there lives. I love you tons and miss you more!!!

Love,

Elder Blotter

P.S. The pictures are of today we went back to the cave area where we went last transfer with Elder Camarena and there was more water this time so the waterfall there was a little bit bigger but it was sure an adventure today on our p day with the guys from our Branch here. I hope one day they all will soon go on missions. And then also if I am not mistaken some of the pictures are of yesterday in our Noche de Hogar with the Family Sabedra where part of the activity was that we made Bread it was pretty sweet and delicious not going to lie ha-ha

Elder Blotter - May 9th

Dear Family,

I have felt well since I just talked to you all yesterday I will all write you just one letter to send out to everyone. It was super awesome to talk to you all yesterday and insane to hear some new voices and hear some voices that are now speaking WORDS!!! That’s sweet. I am glad to hear everyone is of good health and that everyone it happy. I really don’t know what to say but the majority of the email is just going to be pictures of the package I have received from you all for my Birthday again thank you all. I have enjoyed the candy and ties I was wearing one of them when I was talking to you all so thank you!!! OH and to Amy I think it was Amy that said she was going to send me something?? Not sure but just send me maybe some socks and if you can

get me a Utah State Aggies shirt that would be super awesome!!!  Umm also fill it with candy whatever time and an In and Out Burger ha-ha that’d be sweet if it was possible. another tie?? I don’t know I like to change around ties a lot and I’ve had the same ties my whole mission so I want something new ha-ha but year that’s about it =) But I have had a really awesome week this past week with investigators in church this afternoon we have a family home evening with our branch president and hopefully to have a lot of investigators there. And then also today in the majority of the photos is of our trip we took today to Lago Ranco, which was nice, and beautiful but we walked a lot but I am used to that ha-ha but a long drive but worth it for the pictures

and to be with the Zone. Wow I can’t believe I have one phone call left to talk to you all at Christmas and one more General Conference that’s just going to get here so freaking fast. But So many changes are going to be happening this coming transfer with many leaders dropping and new leaders going up and then the last transfer for President Lovell and Sister Lovell I really hope I will be able to see them when I go home cause they have been sooo good to us here and well they live in Utah now so hey I could see them again ha-ha But time is just going to fly cause time has just flown here in San Pablo and I have a feeling I am gone this coming transfer but will see what happens here at the end of this coming week cause this is the last full week before Transfer the 18th of May so wow will see if I get a call this Friday, Saturday or Sunday if I am Going South South ha-ha But I really don’t Know what to say cause I pretty much said everything yesterday but I hope to see the most successful week this coming week here in San Pablo to have a lot of people in church Investigators and Members cause also the attendance was pretty low for attendance with members so we hope for the best. But I love you all and miss you all even more!!!

Love, Elder Blotter

Doctrine and Covenants 49:5

"Thus saith the Lord; for I am God, and have sent mine Only Begotten

Son into the world for the redemption of the world, and have decreed

that he that receiveth him shall be saved, and he that receiveth him

not shall be damned"

Elder Blotter Pics - May 16th

Elder Blotter, his comp and some of the young men from the San Pablo Branch went on another local river adventure and cookout for their P-Day.  They seem to have lots of beautiful waterfalls in Chile

A San Pablo Branch Family Night activity

Elder Blotter and his comp making chilean sweet bread.  A missionary favorite

Elder Blotter Pics - May 9th

Elder Blotter and other members of his Zone on a P-day outing to an area lake.  Looks like a beautiful area.  No coats yet so they are still in Fall

Elder Blotter with his package from home.  Note the Chicago Cubs t-shirt

More from the Zone P-day trip.  What a great looking group of missionaries.

More P-day vistas

Elder Blotter and his care package.  Missionaries love their care packages.

Elder Blotter - May 2

Hola Famila,

Yes we have electricity back it is awesome but this week has been an interesting one and a fast one I can’t believe April is gone and now we are in May holy freak and as mom has said and many others have said I am "Old" in the mission holy cow I feel old even with President Lovell in the end of next transfers leaving the mission. I have really come to know him and trust him and feel like I could talk openly with him like he was my bishop/dad ha-ha but I guess to all the missionaries here he is our dad and Sister Lovell is our mom ha-ha but it’ll be a sad day when they go. But

Yesterday in church attendance was low and no investigators but its OK we’re doing our best.  We lost our best investigator Saturday morning because we went by her house and found her and her family moving all of their stuff into a moving truck to move out into the countryside in Rio Bueno.  So now we will be giving all of our information to the Elders in Rio Bueno and hopefully they can baptize her before I leave San Pablo because there are only 2 and a half weeks until the end of the transfer because transfers are the 18th of May.   She only lacks one attendance and has all of the lessons done and it would be awesome to see her get baptized. I found her in my first transfer with Elder Camarena and she is just of Gold. It would be sweet to see someone I had found get baptized because I have never been in a sector and seen someone I personally found get baptized.  I always left and then heard that they got baptized. But the attendance of church has gone down more and its more for winter here because its not like back home where everyone has cars and we have electric heating inside.  Here in our chapel its a fire place with mobile gas heaters so its a bit different so less people come because they say its too cold to go out walking to the chapel so its kind of frustrating.  But that’s life I guess, we got to help some people change their way of life in this concept. I have NO info on Mothers day right now but I hope to receive during the week or something to be able to contact you guys during the week or come to a cyber and write a short letter of WHEN, NUMBER and Etc, I hope to see more success this coming week even though its getting colder here we will change the mind of our investigators and make them investigators of Gold that they will want to follow the lord in every foot step that they make and be faithful until the end of there days. Thank you dad for all that you do for me. I love you tons and miss you more!! 

Love,

Elder Blotter

Elder Blotter pics - May 2

Elder Blotter and his Comp checking out the City Offices in San Pablo.   Very picturesque building. 

Elder Blotter wrote that this is their Landlord's dog Lua.  Look's like she likes missionaries.

Elder Blotter pics - April 25

This was the picture Elder Blotter sent from their 5 days without power this week due to all the rain.  They had to use candles for  most of the week for their lighting.

Elder Blotter - April 25

Dear Family

I am well this past Easter Sunday.  Funny it didn’t feel like Easter Sunday but then again they don’t really celebrate it in the branch here like we do back home. I did get some little chocolate Easter eggs from our recent convert’s son Antar who had a little Easter basket he got from in school.  So he shared them with my companion, and me, which was nice. Here Easter Sunday is more powerful in the Catholic Church and evangelic churches where they celebrate the full 3 days with the walking of the cross and a bunch of other stuff. They call Good Friday and the whole weekend Semana Santa that means Holy Week.  It’s interesting to see the culture difference in this holiday especially in a small little town. My companion is adjusting well just a little shocked from this past week because it rained here in the south for more than 72 hours STRAIGHT!!!   It was nuts not going to lie ha-ha and during the whole time until this afternoon we haven’t had power in the house so it was interesting being in the dark with a bunch of candles throughout the house lighting the place.   I guess it gave us a feel for how it must have felt for the pioneers in the old days where electricity didn’t exist at all so it was fun.   But it was sure a week of miracles in the rain because people stopped to talk to us more than usual so it was awesome and it’s always on those really rainy days that we find awesome new investigators!!!   So now we have a couple of new people to teach so maybe when the winter season gets here for real we won’t be walking so much in the rain and be more in houses ha-ha.  Wow it’s been a roller coaster this past week with rain. No power. Traveling to Rio Bueno a lot. Having our LAST interviews with President Lovell.  It’s a shame that he is ending his time as my mission president.  It’s going to be really weird to have a new mission president for the last 6 months of my mission. I'll barely have time to really get to know him. But it’s what the Lord wants. I know Sister Lovell is really sad to be going because I can see that she has really come to love the mission and we have all as missionaries come to love her a lot for what she does for us and brings to the mission. Thank you for all your love and support you give me even though I am a 1000 miles away from you. I love you tons and miss you more!!!

Love,

Elder Blotter

John 8 verse 12

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the

world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have

the light of life."

Elder Blotter pics - April 18

This is Elder Blotter and his missionary companion's new quarters in San Pablo after they lost their previous housing.   It was quite the saga if you read his April 18 letter.

Freeway shot from the highway outside of San Pablo. 

Elder Blotter and some San Pablo members

Elder Blotter - April 18

Dear Family,

Glad to hear all is well with you this past week. I am well here in San Pablo. I haven’t told you guys about in the past 3 weeks but my companion and me have been living in La Union because we lost our house.  We lost our house because the house we were living in before belonged to the Government and we didn’t know that because the houses that are in the neighborhoods here, most of them have contracts with the government that you cannot Rent or Sell them for 5 years.  You must be living in the house and then after 5 years have passed you can Sell it or Rent it out but I guess there is a ton of people breaking the law and apparently so was our owner.  The Government went out to go investigate all these houses to see who is renting these houses out or who is not living in the houses they gave and if they find that they take away the houses and ban the people from buying a house from the government for 35 years so it’s a big price to pay.  So we got out of there as fast as we could and finally about 2 days ago Saturday we finally found a house here in San Pablo so now were not homeless!!!  Everything is in the new house and it is in an area very calm and not ghetto but beautiful and surrounded by a small forest and is on the side of the highway and a little outside of the town.  It’s nice and very spacious.  I can say from the beds the owner has in the house we will sleep like kings ha-ha.  The beds are huge. But the owner is really nice, she has kids that are about my age but are all studying outside of the area like in Santiago and Puerto Montt.   It’s sweet. Me and my companion didn’t have any investigators at church but we hope to have investigators at church this coming Sunday because for some of our investigators that have baptism dates this is the Sunday of make it or break it.  If they don’t attend I guess they’re just not ready yet.  We hope to help them progress and feel the spirit and the want to attend without us really telling them to attend. But we have had a lot of sweet miracles this past week like one of the days this week me and my companion sat down on a bench in a plaza to wait for a member to arrive to go out and teach a couple of appointments that we had and we just said hi to a couple of people walking by and asked how they were doing.  They walked over to us and were interested in what we were doing and what we offer WHOA!!! First time I have ever had people come up to me and contact me, I am always chasing after people in the street to talk to them or stopping them in the street. This time they came to me!!!  YEAH!!! and we got directions so it’s was even sweeter. But that was an awesome miracle that we had this past week. Your weather is sounding a lot like here with rain and cold so it sounds like were both in the same weather pattern. Thank you for all your support in my mission. I pray for you always. I love you tons and miss you more!! 

Love,

Elder Blotter

Elder Blotter - April 11

Dear Family,

I am well this past week here in San Pablo with my new companion, Elder Juarez from Santiago Chile.  So I am training a Chilean. He is great kid with all his family members of the church. He plays soccer like me and practices Judo and was on the selection of Chile for Judo so he was pretty good at it. We had a good Sunday with many members in the church and 3 investigators in the church, which was awesome.  Two of them have dates so we are stoked for them because they are progressing even more.  The winter season is coming closer and it is getting colder every other day. It was a very busy past week with lots of teaching but also moving very fast. I have never trained before and I feel like I have so many other things to do now because I have to teach him everything.  Well not everything but a lot of things about how President runs the mission here in the south. He is a good kid, very smart and knows the gospel. He knows how to feel for the

spirit and find needs in people. I have learned a couple things that I have lost a little here in the mission that I want to gain back and maybe I can gain them back from Elder Juarez because he reminds me a little bit of myself in the beginning feeling a little lost.   He’s

acclimating quickly. I am grateful for the opportunity that the Lord has given me to train one of his servants in the great white fields that is ripe and ready to harvest as we read in D&C 4. I love the mission and love the gospel here in the South. I have learned so much and hope to continue to keep learning more. Thank you for all the support you have given me throughout the mission and in my life.  Tell Ian I say hi and tell him I am glad I am not in his shoes right now Ha-ha.   I already have three callings here in the mission, Missionary, Sunday School Teacher, and Home Teacher ha-ha.   I love the people here in San Pablo and I hope to continue to grow with them and help them grow in the Lords work and help their friends receive this gospel too.

I love you tons and miss you tons!!!

Love, Elder Blotter

.

Matthew 18:3

"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become

as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."