SEP 2 - SEP 8 SEMANA 20 EN EL CAMPO MISIONAL, CONCEPCION, CHILE

¡Hola, mi familia!

Admist all that I did this week, I had the great honor of meeting one of the very first pioneers of the Church here in Conce! Her name is Hermana Ormeño, and she is 96 years old! The first missionaries to arrive in Concepción arrived at her doorstep in 1958, and she and her family were some of the very first to be baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this part of the world. Before the first chapel was constructed here in Conce, in Gleisner, meetings were held at her house. She and her daughter came to the Sacrament meeting yesterday to bear their testimonies of the Gospel, and afterwards we ate lunch together in the home of la familia Lopez hearing more about their history as pioneers of the Gospel in Chile.

She is quite the talkative, spunky old lady of 96 years, and has a firm testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

We too, like Hermana Ormeño, are pioneers of the Gospel. I was thinking a lot about that. Maybe we don't have quite a history, but we are pioneers, nonetheless. We are the first few in our family to know the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we are helping bring these blessings to our family and others.

I am grateful for that, and grateful for this Gospel. I am grateful for the opportunity, as always, to bring those blessings to the families here in Chile. :)

Les amo muchísimo, mis papás y Pan,

tu Elder Trent Sellers

One of the very first pioneers of the Church here in Conce! Her name is Hermana Ormeño, and she is 96 years old!

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So it's really a short story..

A few weeks ago we went to play futból with our zone, against another zone, in Laguna Redonda. It's a sector right next to ours, and home to a really nice cancha (field) of synthetic turf where we always play as missionaries. When we got there, there were only a few of us. There was also a friendly looking dog wandering around. I said hi to my friends and went to give my buddy Elder Sanchez (from Argentina) a big hug. The dog was nearby and thought I was attacking him! We tried to calm it down, but it was angry at me, and so barked and went in to try to bite me! I didn't want to give it the chance to do so, so I kicked the dog with my foot as I had so prepared myself to do and backed up! The kick humbled the dog right away, but at backing up...I fell into a pit of mug that had built up from the construction nearby! I fell in with both feet, and both of my shoes came out covered in the mud! Only this week did I set aside the time to clean 'em, and the picture is after the fact. And so, dang it, the dog still got me!

Muddy shoes!

Clean shoes!
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¡Queque hecho por la mamá de Elder Requena!

¡Queque hecho por la mamá de Elder Requena!

Arco iris en Chile con mi placa

Arco iris en Chile con mi placa

A meal at Doggi's

AUG 26 - SEP 1 SEMANA 19 EN EL CAMPO MISIONAL, CONCEPCION, CHILE

Hey, my family!

It's been a real good week in Lorenzo Arenas here in the Conce!

Now, I know I promised last week that I would tell you about the overflowing font and the dog encounter, finally, but after thinking about it I'm going to wait one more week until I gather a few pictures to go with the stories. ;) Sorry, sorry, but it'll be worth it! The dog didn't bite me, by the way! I haven't had any problems with that, although my companion Elder Withers did and I laughed straight for five minutes thinking about it haha.

So, I've been doing well this week. Lorenzo Arenas is doing good and the people are staying strong. Especially Amadeo! He has since received the Aaronic Priesthood, and is staying for all of church, for all of the classes. We go by about twice a week to follow up in teaching him. We're passing by with Hermano and Hermana Mella to teach him more about family history this week. Hermano and Hermana Mella are AWESOME and some of the pioneers of the Church of this area of Chile. They both served missions, Hermana in La Misión Chilena, and have taught us a lot about the history here. Hermana is actually a Historian of the Área!

This month marks the beginning of the HUGEST month in Chile! El mes del ¡18 DE SEPTIEMBRE! So much is going to be happening this month! El 18 de Septiembre is the greatest holiday in all of Chile!! Chilenos are off from school for the entire week and there is a PLETHORA of BBQs, empanadas, pajaritos (fried dough kind of like sopaipillas - the name means little birds), more food!

Speaking of food, we went back to Doggie's today and I used some clever techniques (keeping my leg through the strap of my bag) to guard my things. ;) Those clever Chilenos, man. All was well and we enjoyed lunch without losing anything other than satisfying our appetites! haha.

Ok, ok, I have to get going. I will write anything I've forgotten next week!

Love you, my family! :)

tu Elder Trent Sellers

Zona Concepción del último cambio

We have a little over 20 elders in our zone here in Conce! 

The zone's since changed a few elders with the last cambio, but we still have the same number. Good guys, here!

Decir queso

AUG 19 - AUG 25 SEMANA 18 EN EL CAMPO MISIONAL, CONCEPCION, CHILE

Hello, my dad, momma, and pan!

Everything's going well here in Chile! 

And there's NO CAMBIOS this time for Elder Requena and I!

We received the call this morning that we'll both be staying in the sector! Elder Medina is leaving to Linares. We'll miss our Ché Querido. He's such a funny guy. So this means that I will be in Lorenzo Arenas for the next six weeks, which includes a service activity in the cementary on September 13th, EL 18 DE SEPTIEMBRE, and La Conferencia General at the very end of the cambio! There's a lot to look forward to these next few weeks!

This past week has been a great one. This weekend we had STAKE CONFERENCE! It was my first stake conference in Chile, and my first stake conference in a completely foreign language. It was awesome! We traveled to the chapel in Gleisner, in Centro, Saturday night for the adult session and Sunday morning for the general session. We received some great counsel from the stake presidency, which actually includes an hermano from our ward: Presidente Tapia! It was fun gathering with all the other missionaries in this zone.

Ok, I don't have much more time today because I sent a BUNCH of pictures. Quite a few are from our ward mission leader Hermano Del Río. You have to check out his Instagram: rick23delrio! He has a bunch from the barrio there! 

Ok, my family, got to get going! I love you and I miss you. I'm going to try to remember to tell you next week about the flooded font and the time recently when I had to kick a dog! haha oh gosh.

Ok, love you, family!

Amor de su misionero,

tu Elder Trent Sellers

Iyapu (the band is spelled something like that)

¡Cantamos canciones Chilenas!

Juzgamos

Los jueces

Presentamos los premios (we presented the awards!)

Premios

Sound man in Chile

Recibimos diplomas por nuestros esfuerzos

Monica Cuadra ganó

Judging!

Basketball in Chile

Basketball in Chile, with my great grandpa visiting!

Basketball in Chile, with my great grandpa visiting!

My great grandpa!

Elder Hepsworth has been home for about a year and a half, but came back to visit Chile with his little brother!

He is my "great grandpa" in the mission because he trained the trainer of my trainer. 

Elder Hepsworth trained Elder Catron.

Elder Catron trained Elder Withers.

Elder Withers trained me!

My bud, Elder Shumway! He's been our líder de zona for these past two cambios, and he goes home to Provo, Utah tomorrow!

My bud, Elder Shumway! He's been our líder de zona for these past two cambios, and he goes home to Provo, Utah tomorrow!

Arco iris en Chile!

Fernanda was baptized yesterday! She was taught by Elder Harrison and Elder Medina.

We celebrated Fernanda's baptism with milanesa, an Argentinian dish (fried meat) that is DELCIOUS! Elder Medina showed us how to prepare the meat and it turned out great!

Making SOPAIPILLAS!

AUG 12 - AUG 18 SEMANA 17 EN EL CAMPO MISIONAL, CONCEPCION, CHILE

HEY, MOMMA!

HAVE TO WRITE REALLY FAST TODAY! I sent a few photos from this week that I took with my camera! 

Yeah, I went to Paris and bought another Canon! A Canon ELPH 150 IS. It's working really well. It's a lower model than the other one I had, but still great and not too flashy. I didn't want to get anything that would draw too much attention. Of course, thank you my momma and my dad! :)

So YEAH, the weather has been AMAZING this week! We haven't had any rain in a while, and there's been plenty of sun and clear skies! Today is actually warm and I'm wearing a short sleeve shirt, like I said in the other email. ;)

I GOT MAIL TODAY! Today I got the flash drive from Cris, another letter from her, and a letter from Aunt Dee!! I didn't see it in our mailbox when I checked it when we got to the office, but somehow my companion found them! I LOVE getting mail! :D Be sure to thank Aunt Dee for me! I need to send her an email as soon as I can. I'll write Cris right now.

We don't have a real good idea about transfers, but it's definitely possible that Elder Medina and I will leave this cambio. For sure, Elder Medina, we think. With me, it's a little more up in the air. I love Lorenzo Arenas, where I am now. I would love to stay here for el 18 de Septiembre, but I would also be excited to head off to a new sector and have a fresh start. We shall see!!!

So crazy about the news at home!!! Presidente Tait being released, Sabella coming home, Elder Harrington getting married, Lake George going through changes! Wow!

Tell Bro Tait I say hi! I think about that guy all the time! Good to hear they're back in the ward!

Also, I'm so proud of my boys in Scouts! Tell them all I say hi! 

Ah gosh, momma, sorry to hear about your crash and burn! Hope your arm gets better. :) Gosh! haha yeah, Aunt Dee must have been excited to hear that one! hahaha

Ok, momma, have to get going for now! I have a few ideas for the Christmas package, but I'll you them next week!

Love you, momma!!!!

Tu Elder Trent Sellers :)

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Hey, my dad!

Sent you some pictures from this week!

We had a ward activity called "Mi Nombre Es" and we got to impersonate people and perform! We elders sang a few canciones Chilenas ("Vuelvo" por Iyapu, "Luchin," y "Si vas para Chile") and I sang "Mirrors" Justin Timberlake for everybody! haha. It was a blast!

Things have been going real well this week! I love hearing the news from home. :D Crazy, all of the changes that I'm hearing about!

Ok, my dad, I have to get going! 

Love you, my dad! ¡Que tenga una semana fantástica, y que no se caiga momma en su bici de nuevo! ;)

Amor de tu misionero,

tu Elder Trent Sellers

PICTURES FOLLOW:

The old Ford and I

We missionaries of Lorenzo Arenas!

We missionaries of Lorenzo Arenas!

Hermano Lopez's old Ford that he partially restored

Old Ford

Old Ford, with el perro Floppy

Drum and a staircase, a la casa de la familia Lopez

Certificate for performing!

I got to be one of the judges! Por eso, the acts that I participated in didn't win. ;)

At the activity with our ward mission leader, Hermano Del Río! ¡Él es tan bakán!

¡Mi nombre es Justin Timberlake! I sang the song Mirrors by Justin Timberlake! JT!

Mi Nombre Es...

Actividad del barrio, MI NOMBRE ES

Actividad del barrio, MI NOMBRE ES

Actividad del barrio, MI NOMBRE ES

AUG 5 - AUG 11 SEMANA 16 EN EL CAMPO MISIONAL, CONCEPCION, CHILE

Hey, my family!

It's been a good week in Lorenzo Arenas!

Elder Requena and I are working really well together! There are some quiet times between the two of us haha, but I blame mostly the language. Speaking Español is becoming a lot more like second nature with having a compañero Chileno! Elder Requena is from Santiago, just about 7 hours from here, and he's been in the mission for 17 months! He originally received his call for Venezuela, but was put on a visa wait in Santiago for the first 7 months of his mission and eventually reassigned for Concepción. He loves fútbol, and especially the team de La Universidad Católica. He's a bit of a fanático!

We are beginning the fifth week of this cambio! It's possible that I will leave Lorenzo Arenas in this next cambio, or the next. Usually missionaries stay in a sector somewhere from 4 and a half to 6 months (3 to 4 cambios), and I'm just finishing my third cambio here! It's crazy, right?!

So of all the things this past week, I wanted to share about a less active family that we are working with.

Chile has a huge number of members of the Church, but an unfortunately huge number of them are less active or inactive. POR ESO, one of the focuses here is reactivating!

Right now, we are working with José and Rosa Ormeño Sanchez. They are an awesome couple, members of the church who are less active, and grandparents of five (I believe) grandkids. They have a wonderful family, and are two really kind, talkative Chilenos. Elder Withers and I found them, and Elder Requena and I are continuing to teach them. 

About a month ago, Hermano and Hermana Ormeño came to church for the first time in TWENTY years. Hermana made a commitment with God that she would go to church if he might bless their grandson that he might receive the health that he needed. And so they went, for the first time in twenty years. Their grandson got better. They're committed to going to church once again, and they're continuing to reactivate themselves in the Gospel.

I mention them super breve because I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to help them as a family come back into the Gospel. They hadn't been to church in more that twenty years, more than my lifetime, and I have the great blessing of seeing them come back. None of their kids are active, and none of their grandkids are members, yet their coming back as grandparents is the beginning of an incredible blessing for their family. 

I thank Heavenly Father that I'm able to help strengthen their family, as I've known he has strengthened mine.

I know this church is true, and I know that there are many blessings in store for this family, as well as every family that might find the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love you, my family, and I think about you all the time. You are my motivation, and I thank Heavenly Father for every one of you every day. 

Mucho amor de Chile,

Elder Trent Sellers

JUL 29 - AUG 4 SEMANA 15 EN EL CAMPO MISIONAL, CONCEPCION, CHILE

Hey momma!

It's been a good week! These weeks do seem to go by pretty dang fast, but we do SO much in seven days here!

Ok, , let's see what else...

I haven't got the flash drive from Cris yet. I'm eagerly awaiting anything. ;)

I've recovered pretty well from my robbery last week. ;) I went to Paris in Centro when Elder Requena went one morning for his therapy to buy a backpack. I bought a simple Nike backpack, and it's been working real well. I'm probably going to do a little bit of shopping as soon as we get out of the ciber to buy a flash drive and memory cards, but I'll hold off on the camera until next week. Thank you, momma and my dad, for taking care of me. It hasn't impeded our work too much. :)

Everything that I might need still like a folder and pens I'll buy at Lider today.

I hadn't heard about the Gallina's! That's awesome!

Ok, momma, really have to go!

Love you, momma!

tu Elder Trent Sellers

JUL 22 - JUL 28 SEMANA 14 EN EL CAMPO MISIONAL, CONCEPCION, CHILE

Hey, momma, my dad, and Pan!

So this week is starting out interesting!

I was just robbed! YEAH! Everything's ok: I wasn't approached by the guy and I didn't lose anything crucially important, but man was it a shock. 

Elder Requena and I were sitting and enjoying lunch in a fast food place called Doggi's here in Centro, and a man stole my bag and umbrella without us noticing. In my bag I had my camera with all of the pictures from the mission up until now, my flash drive, memory card readers, a church magazine, a Gospel Art book, and the little bag I carry with a copy of my passport information page and some American stamps. Nothing utterly crucial, thankfully, but still quite a loss. We talked to the workers and they brought us back to the office to watch the footage taken by the security cameras. It was done very slyly. I got to watch it, played back. The man was seated behind me and slowly scooted the chair beside me back until it was out of my view and my bag was close to his table and in his possession. He was acting like he was talking on the phone, facing nearly the opposite direction nearly the entire time and acted like the bag and umbrella belonged to him as he got up and left the store. I didn't notice anything (DANG IT fast food!) until we got up to leave and they were gone. I was so sly --- even Elder Requena hadn't noticed and he was facing the direction of the man! Again, the horrible distraction of fast food! We talked to two Carabineros (policemen) outside of the restaurant, but they told us it would be a long process to file an investigation and I know that the man would be selling my things right away in the streets of Conce. So, those things are lost...but I am ok! :) I'm grateful for that, as that's what really matters.

Momma, I'm going to need to purchase things this week, like a new bag and such, so that you know I'll be using my debit card and be needing a little bit more.

Well, that happened! Now on a lighthearted note...

The past week itself has been a good one! I'm continuing to be humbled in my experience of having a compañero Chileno! It's a big change, going from speaking English in between lessons to speaking Español practically all day long. I've learned a lot of Español in the first two weeks of cambios, or at least become a lot more comfortable with it!

There are still some things that I'm still learning, though. For instance: ordering fast food! When we were at Doggi's today, I ordered my meal but didn't quite understand a little bit of what the employee had said. It turns out that he was asking me if I wanted to "make it a large" and I ended up supersizing my meal hahaha. That worked out ok, though. ;)

Ahh what else. This past week Elder Requena and I worked hard, even in a little bit of rain. We didn't have many lessons, but we found some new investigators that are interested in the gospel and I'm really excited to be able to teach them. We also have some investigators that we are continuing to work with and teach. Specifically, Mario and Daniela and their family! They are a super awesome family with three kids (one, Martín, who is 13), and I hope that we are able to help them set a baptismal date this week and really start progressing.

Gosh, there's a lot more I could say, but I'll leave it at that for now!

I got a little sidetracked today with losing a few of my things, so I'll just have to recollect my thoughts a bit. ;)

Alright, love you, my family! :)

Muchísimo amor,

su Elder Trent Sellers