May 20 and 23, 2017

May 20
Today we went to the biggest flea market for like a couple hours around and it was dope. There was a ton of people and selling a ton of crazy things. I bought some soccer jerseys and a switch blade. Then we ate some empanadas and everyone loves to yell at us because we're mormon and gringos.

We wrote late today because we went to an open chapel to help out. I had to drive over there and it's in a place that is very hilly and I was driving stick shift, so my skills are getting a lot better. Google valparaiso hills. But it was a ton of fun today. Like always it was a busy week but I'm looking forward to this next week too.

As you can tell it's kind of late, so I gotta go, but I'm going to be writing Tuesday so I'll talk to you soon.
Love you a whole lot!

1. When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

[Chorus]
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your blessings;
See what God hath done.
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings;
See what God hath done.

2. Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings; ev'ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

3. When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.
Count your many blessings; money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.

4. So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessings; angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

May 23

(When he looks at emails) It depends on the week, so this week I write tuesday so I won't write again until next tuesday, unless something happens then it will be Saturday. 

This morning one of the Elders in the office, Elder Smith, lives on a ranch and can do some rope tricks. He showed us how to lasso a cow by the neck and also by the feet. We practiced a little bit and it was pretty fun. So we're going to all go to his house and be a cowboy for a day. 

It was a pretty good week, we're super busy as always and looks like we're going to continue to be busy for this week haha. This week Elder Packer is coming to the mission. The son of President Packer. So that'll be cool, he's going to do a couple of training and see how we're doing down here. That'll be next monday and tuesday. 

This week I was reading the scriptures and in 1 Corinthians 12 it talks about gifts that we can recieve through the spirit to bless other people. Like the gift of faith, of healing, of being healed, of profesying, of wisdom, and a ton of other cool and awesome spiritual gifts that we can obtain. And I was thinking and that's pretty great. That we can recieve those gifts and perform miracles. But then I came across the last verse in that chapter that says "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way." So we should try to earn the gifts that are good and helpful, but there is something that is better than all of these gifts. What is it? In chapter 13 Paul talks about charity. He says that even though we have all the spiritual gifts that are possible to have, they don't profit us. He says "Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away." In the Book of Mormon there are a couple times when it says that if we don't have charity we are nothing. So that helps us to understand the importance of really loving our neighbor. We have to really love them, not just serve them, not just be nice to them, we have to have charity for them. It was cool to learn that because many times it's really hard to have charity for some people, but we have to try and ask for help to do it anyways, because it really is the more excellent way. 

Love you guys a lot!

Elder Cheney