Christmas week woot woot

Our District

SaY wHaT sAy WhAt?!? Christmas already passed? dang is time picking up. And going by fast. I like to think of a roll of toilet paper for how a mission goes haha. it starts off with a lot and seems like it will never end. But once it starts being used it goes quick. You can start telling that you have less and less as it gets nearer to the end. And then before you know it you are out! And your stuck in the bathroom yelling for more toilet paper. haha but serioiulsy this is going fast, i hope you understood what i was trying to say.

Christmas dinner.  Can't have it without soda and mayo!

Anywho, This week was great and did so much. Christmas night we didnt have a time to be home really and got in at 12:30ish after dinner. oh dinner was huge and good. lots of food and vegetables. oh and mayo on everything, the rice, corn, potatoes, carrots, beats, peas, but it was soo good. the pruvians know how to cook here. And on christmas we went to visit all of the members that lived alone and had nobody to visit them. so the four of us in this ward visited them and sang and just had a good time. we washed a car for one member who is reactivated. Just lots of fun with them all. I opened my packages and loved all the gifts and candy. haha but chile isnt as bad as you think, it is pretty much los angeles. its not hard to find food or candy, but thanks for the american food! i already ate all the candy haha. I dont know why im feeling all funny today and im actually writing this all fast.

Christmas service project

Gifts under the tree  -  Thanks for all the gifts  -  Elders in our ward skyping our families

We found some awesome new investigators this week. One is a haitian who is friends with and lives with the other haitian members. He shared of who he has been here for 6 months away from all his family trying to find work and it has been hard. He told us all about his life and cried explaining the difficult time in his life. But we helped to make him feel better and shared so much with him as he had lots of interest. And the best feeling came over me on sunday. Just as we were singing the first hymn in church he walked in! he sat next to me and i had the biggest smile on my face and felt so great. During the meeting he was giving his full atention and was reading the book of mormon he brought with him. After the meeting i asked him how he got here. He said he walked and kept asking people on the street where the building was because he really wanted to make it to church. he woke up and didnt even eat anything just so he could make it to church. He has lots of interest and we will coninue helping him gain a testimony. Definitely one of the most loving people there is.

As well our other investigators came to church and i was so happy for all of them. things are starting to pick up here and we are still continuing to work every day. never a moment to stop working. 

Early morning studies in Chile...

well a new year and new goals and resolutions, so im gonna make 2014 a year of straight working non stop. Thanks for all your support and love. And thanks for the letters and packages and emails. I love you guys and pray for you. bye!

Getting ready for christmas!

I love this place!

I am so pumped! i just have energy like the energizer bunny! I dont know what it is but i love all of this. Hahah well this week i had a little sickness in my stomach and spent most of my week on the toilet. Never eating fish again. They food is different and i'm getting used to it.  We just share whatever and eat whatever. I love them all and want to help as many as i can.Hahah just in the middle of this a man came up and asked me to light his cigarette.  

Went on interchanges and rode bikes!

This past week has been getting better with trying to find more people to teach and talk with. We stopped by a house the other night looking for a someone but ended up talking to an older man in bed rest. He can only move his right arm and gead after a attack in his brain. but we talked to him for a while and he ended up being a member but many years ago. It was really special to talk with him. He has been in bed for a few years and hasnt been in contact with the church for many. But we are going to help him the best we can. My companion and i love to sing songs and the older man asked us to sing his favorite song for him. while we were singing he was holding his heart and smiling big:) He also told us about how he prayed this morning and knew that we would be coming. It was very special, and i know he is one of the many who are waiting for the missionaries.

Me & my companion Elder C.  We email here every p-day.

I gave a talk this week in church. I prepared a 5 min talk but gave a 15 min talk in spanish because the other speaker wasnt there. It was actually good and understandable. I'm always willing to speak!

Many people try to get us with a kiss on the cheek because it is customary, but we always have to say no kiss for the rules. BUt the haitins are so loving and will always greet with a kiss. Haha too many actually. The kids gave on on the lips and i was thrown off. So we had to tell them no more. But they are kind and loving. All of our investigators and members of the ward.

The wedding or baptism didnt happen this week because the certificates and papers they had were bad. But in a a few weeks they will be baptized and married! So awesome! 

Shhhhh.  I took out the mac & cheese and put in trix cereal!

Have a great christmas week everyone. see you soon -Elder Jaeger

I got a spray tan! haha noo. But this HEAT!

Stray dogs everywhere!!!!!

This week has been so hot. the total opposite of you guys in ca. And boy have i gotten tan... well a nice farmers tan. I told people i got a good spray tan deal down the street. Buy two completos (hotdogs) and get a free spray tan haha. j/k SO much sun but i love it. Just getting as much color as i can. 

I am always so pumped to be out here serving so nothing will get me down. Even though this week has been tough because of only walking in the heat all day, and many people wont accept us. But i continue with no problem. My companion says it has been the hardest week for him and that it can only get better from here because it has never been so hard. 

I pray for help with my spanish, for teaching people, and to find new investigators who are prepared. Always searching and talking to everyone. I really feel great and have so much energy so that means there will never be a sad or dull moment in my mission. I always walk around with a smile on my face, smile and say hi to every person in hopes to make their day. At times they ignore or dont notice but i still always do. I am so happy to be out here helping everyone i can. Like the recent converts like a couple from haiti. We teach them in there one small room where there live, eat, sleep, everything. I think in english, teach in spanish, while he reads the doctrine in french, and translates to his wife in the language they use fom haiti. The investigators we have are great and i love them! This week we are planning a baptism... and a wedding!

A wedding! i never thought i would be planning a wedding this saturday and hopefully a baptism this sunday. He is so awesome and has a great testimony. He will teach other investigators with us even though he is and investigator too. He is a dad haha, and he asked about a mission but cant since he has a kid. I love him and will definitley keep in touch with him always!

New friend and Companion Elder C

So a little bit about each day. we wake up at 7:30 for excersise and get ready from 8-9. Then study until 1 in the afternoon. go out for a bit and eat luch from 2-3ish with a member. They normally feed us first and just keep bringing food so kind. then the rest of the day is work until 10 and go home to prepare and be in bed by 11:30ish. Its a little different. But im getting used to it.

The few members in our ward members do everything for us! They wash and iron our clothes, cook for us. it is awesome. And our house doesnt have a stove or washing machine. Just a fridge and microwave. So i eat a pb and j sandwich every night i get home. I have to have peanut butter every day haha. its easy to find at a store call liders which is walmart for chile. And everything here taste fine to me. I ate the biggest meal this week! like ever! a family from peru cooked so much for us. A huge bowl of soup, the best potatoes and meat, and fruit! Enough to feed a family of vour. And i ate it all! 

Also i got so scared from a dog this week when i went to a door. side note that every house here has a front gate and you have to yell ALO! And this dog comes running at me and jumps trying to bite me. but i got away safe! Some dogs here are crazy.  

Anyways i am loving it and cant wait for next week and all this week with the wedding and baptism. Have a great week in the cold while i am hot as heck haha. love you bye.

First week in the field

I will try my best to put all i can in this letter but we only have an hour and i have two weeks to talk about. oh and the keyboard on this public computer is terible haha. This week has been crazy trying to get used to everything here. right as i got my companion i got thrown on a subway with all my luggage and then had to walk all the way with it. i get to our goregous house which is pretty much a treehouse haha. its different for sure and i have to get used to it. i wish i had time to explain it all but the pictures will do.

Home Sweet Home.  I do love it here!

so on my first day we went to go visit a family. the kids were baptized a few months ago and the mother just started taking the discussions. well i ended up asking her to be baptized... and she said yes. there family is so happy. two little girls 10and 12, then a 18 year old boy who wants to go on a mission. so we have few investigators being baptized before chrsitmas hopefully. another is a 17 year old boy named f who first contacted us as a joke but became very interested. he wants to be baptized by christmas. the investigators we have right now are great.

My first completo.

The ward and my companion are cool too. elder C knows T.G from home so we get along haha. I have 12 weeks of training not like the girls 6. my spanish is pretty good and i can have a conversation with anyone. its started to feel like english to me. itll be good to go by the end of training.

My favorite street

so this week was pretty crazy but im getting into the routine.a lot of walking and talking. i feel great and love everything. the food is pretty good and they love to put mayo on it all. i actually am liking it all!

just to let you know whats up we took the metro here to a internet place. but had to get off and walk becuase someone jumped in front of the train. now there are dogs walking in and out of this place. but the dogs are everywhere. haha just some random stuff.

hope you guys have a great week. Chao pescado. which means bye fish in spanish. haha -Elder Jaeger

All the Elders in our Spanish Ward

Tallest building      ~       CCM latino friend

District Christmas Card!      ~     CCM District

My name tag & Chile Santiago Temple

Out into the FIELD!

President and Sister Essig

All new to the field (Chile Santiago North Mission)

New district & companion & house & everything

well this week i got a new companion Elder B and had to switch districts. because my past companion knew spanish really well and they made him zone leader. so i am still in a way cool district now and stay at this place called Alcantara. It's like a huge mansion.  The day before i packed up and left the ccm dorms i played piano, and a bunch of elders came around and started to somewhat freestyle rap while i played. it was a pretty fun night. 

This is my new home while finishing at the CCM
(Alcantara-Sweedish Home)

I am just going to throw around all my favorite parts of the week. So last night when we got home the older missionary couple who is watching us at alcantara had a scoop of ice cream for each of us and it was soo good. They might be doing something on thanksgiving for us. Oh and speaking of that i need to see what im thankful for. Obviously my wonderful family, parents, siblings, and kennedy we can count as family. Also for the church and the opportuntily to serve in chile. A teacher asked me this week what the one thing i dont like here is because everyone has one. i told him that i absolutely love it here and there isnt a thing i would change.

This week was really special. so we get to practice speaking spanish and talk to people walking around the temple. i saw a group of a dozen or so kids and had to go say hi. as i came up they all had future missionary tags on. we all talked for a long time and i told them why i am here and some of my testimony. i really loved it and remember being one of those kids looking to the missionaries and it feels wierd to actually be one now.

 Alcantara Missionaries - this is how we get to the CCM everyday by bus. 

haha Also everyone i guess really likes my ties. no lie though i get some pretty good compliments. and guys like to trade ties but i always tell them no because they are from my girlfreind. so by now everyone knows that im the Elder with his girlfreinds ties haha. nope i aint giving them away. and jokingly they made a list of who gets what when i get a dear john letter haha but that wont happen so we are good.

This week was great and i leave real soon to the field. thanks for all the support and love. i will not have a p day next week but will be going to my mission. have a great thanksgiving. i love you all

View from my room in the CCM of the Chile Santiago Temple

***THANK YOU Sister B for the pictures :)

Next group leaving the Chile CCM

Cile CCM Zone.  Staying at Alcantara

All of us in the Chile CCM

Things are gettin real

Chile CCM

Today is the first day that i am going to have to be speaking Spanish. I will be attending all Spanish classes and church and everything will be only Spanish from now on. I have got it all down though so I'm not worried. 

Two more weeks in here and we leave on December 3rd. Oh also there are tons of earthquakes here, but I'm used to them. sorry this letter will be all over the place because I'm checking the random notes i write throughout the week to email. Happy birthday to dad as well! hope you have a good one. 

Well this week we went to lunch and saw some "sausage," so we did what any hungry guy would do. We got some and started eating them, they didn't taste bad. As we look around the room no body else had eaten theres. So i lean over and ask one of the latinos why no body wants them. He said something in Spanish and I asked him again. He said "sangre." Now sangre means blood. So it ended up being cow blood and pepper haha.  Well I love pepper and it wasn't half bad at all.  

Well, i don't have much time to email. But i am still doing good here. -Elder A Jaeger 

ELDER Jeffery R. HOLLAND was here!!!!!

My District in the CCM

What a great and special week. I wish i could send you everything that Elder Holland said. But i have 45 mins to type up as much as i can. I miss all you guys and love you, but staying focused on this work and giving everything i have. So i will start by talking about how Elder Holland came by and Elder Christopherson (i dont know how to spell it) The ccm doesnt have very many missionaries right now because they all left so id say there is maybe 70 of us, pretty small and you know everyone by name. Elder Holland he got to speak to the few of us in person.

Hearing from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was a very special experience. We werent expecting him to come by and it was a surprise. He walked down our hall while we were having class and everyone came out to greet him. It felt so powerful to have the spirit carried with him. We all went to a small room like a young womens type of room. And opened by singing called to serve in spanish while standing as he entered. Then he got up to speak to us and did so for around a half hour, and spoke with great power. "This is one of the greatest  moments in the history of the church," he started as we all listened solely to the words he spoke. "This moment ranks with the 1st vision, the coming forth of the book of mormon, and the restoration of the priesthood." He said that we are a great part of this work that is going forth. He than gave church statistics and talked about temples and said how we will soon be counting temples by the hundreds and maybe even thousands later. A new temple will be built in Concepcion Chile soon. 

"This is not only the last dispensation, but it is the greatest dispensation." He said we are here to help and save many people and "it all starts with one convert and then goes forward." He then shared a story about a mission president in Europe who was having a hard time with his missionaries being discouraged as many dont want to hear the gospel over there. So the mission president prayed and heard in is prayer "Please dont let you missionaries be discouraged, they are doing OUR work." Now he doesnt know who said that to him but knew their work needed to be done. People have been waiting for their work to be done and Elder Holland said that everyone you baptize will lead to more and more baptisms.

"One of the most fatal mistakes you can make is to go into a mission without a vision." He talked about how we need to know what we want to accomplish and have goals. And talked about Joseph smith. Sorry i am trying to go through all i can with ten minutes left to type.

This week was great and I've been GAINING SOME WEIGHT!!! My favorite foods used to be potatoes rice and pasta and we are having it every day here haha. I have never been better and next week will be the start of only speaking spanish. Jello is the only thing us americans like to eat at meals too haha, everything else is always the same. oh and i kicked out two park lights accidentally when we were playing soccer. i am having so much fun here and cant wait to get out soon. ive got it down really good and can carry a conversation with those who speak only spanish. Sorry about my bad typing as i try to do it quick. have a great week everyone. now i get to go out and eat some pizza hut. bye

"If you will give this your heart and soul, and be devoted to god and the prophets and apostles, if you will take your stand with them, your life will be blessed forever and ever and ever." - Elder holland. he said that right before he finished.
bye- Elder Austin jaeger

Semana 2 - CCM

CCM (Chile MTC)

Woah there is so much to talk about and not enough time. only have 15 minutes now because i was sending pictures and emails. well a funny story real quick. so here in chile they drink soda and carbonated stuff with every meal, my companion and i wanted regular water. so at the store last week i bought what i thought was water. we were walking on our way and i opened it up the water it sprayed all over my shirt! it ended up being a bottle of carbonated water! 

This week my district and i got to sing nearer my god to thee in spanish for the whole CCM. it was during a devotional and it went great! the 8 elders and 2 sisters in my district are all great in music so always want to sing and stuff. 

When we work out every morning and go running there are tons of stray dogs.  If you are even the slightest bit nice to them they will follow you around. so imagine missionaries running with dogs around them haha. and they try to steal the soccer ball when we are playing. 

So today most of the mtc left to there missions and it is pretty empty, haha it went from over 100 people to less than 30. but another group is coming in soon. we are the next ones to leave now!

I have been having such a great time here at the CCM, never a dull moment. most people here only talk in spanish so it really helps me learn. oh i have been reading in mosiah this week for myslef and wanted to tell you all in case you may want to read.

Santiago Temple ~ CCM (Chile MTC)

it has been fun here, learning lots with 12 hours of class a day. and they told us that our group came a little later so this is our 3rd week and we will be off and out in the field by the end of this month. my spanish is coming along good. i can talk with many of those who speak spanish here. and we are able to purchase stuff easily in spanish. they have all the same stores. today we went to the mall which is the tallest building in chile. it had all the same clothing stores and food places. we had a cinnabon and dunkin donut. everything here is the same except it has real sugar... oh and no mountain dew for me. they dont have it.

 

well i sent a letter home for the family and one to send off to kennedy, i tryed too say much but will never be able to tell you all until i get home and read you my journal. i love you guys and pray for you. i dont have much time to fix all the spelling so sorry about that. and sorry that i might have been jumping all over the place. well talk to you guys next week. i am doing great here. miss you all but i am focused on the work. Love you all. have a great week and i know i will.

and a side not is that people say regular mail is better than pouch mail outside of the ccm. so just send it thorugh the regular mail. love you bye  -Elder Jaeger

Main road that connects the CCM & Temple to all the stores.