My Christmas Week

Hey everyone,

  This week was really pretty special.  It was the first time I was on the missionary side of using skype but I really did enjoy it quite a bit.  

  I wanted to share an experience that we had this week.  Last Monday, we were walking down the street and a man came up to us named Luis Alberto.  He said "Hello brothers, you guys are Mormons right?"  We said "Of course we are, it's nice to meet you"  He asked us, "Do you guys believe too that Jesus Christ is coming soon?"  We said, "We know that Jesus Christ is coming and that the scriptures say He is coming soon.  We are messengers of Him to teach people what they need to do to prepare."  He told us to visit him the next day and he now has a baptismal date for the 21st of January.  He came to church with us this week and got to see how the church is.  

  I'm so grateful for opportunities like this that we have and that there are people that have been prepared for us and that are seeking to find the truth.  We just have to be worthy for the Lord to trust us.  There's a song that we listen to at our house a lot that says, 

"I feel somethin' inside me, like I've finally found my way

I know my Savior loves me, and I wanna show him I feel the same

So I'll go wherever he may lead, be the person that I wanna be

And try to never let him down again

I wanna be someone, someone He can count on

I wanna stand up, be what I was made for

I wanna make it so it's easy to see, that he can count on someone like me."

This week, as the New Year is approaching, I hope we can all do our best to become someone the our Savior can trust.  If we don't feel like he could trust us, today is the day to change.  You guys are so awesome, and I'm so thankful for all that you do.  Have a wonderful week everyone!  I love you all!!!

--

-Elder Cheshire

FELIZ NAVIDAD

Hello everyone!  I hope you're all getting ready for the craziest time of the year.  There's definitely nothing quite like the Christmas Spirit like Utah.  With snow on the ground, lights everywhere and Christmas trees everywhere you look.  

  Here in Bolivia it's a little different. It's about 85 degrees everyday with a lot of humidity.  You see Christmas trees every once in a while but the snow is definitely not here.

  However, we all celebrate the same thing, where ever you're at in the world, not important where you are, we all remember the event that is one of the most important events in history.  This event is found in Isaiah 7:14: 

-- 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

I hope that we can all remember the true meaning of this time of year.  I'm so grateful for my Savior and that I can be here, a different climate, different part of the world, different language, teaching the same thing that we have known our whole lives.  I love you all and I wish you a very Merry Christmas.  Always remember that "Él Vive"  ("He Lives")

-Elder Cheshire

ANOTHER WEEk IN PARADISE

Sorry about the title of this email, first of all.  I thought that the title was perfect, except for the fact that I can't type a capital k.  

  But I want to start off by saying that the weather this week was AMAZING.  We've been suffering with the heat for the past few week and we finally had a day full of rain on Friday so it was a lot cooler.  And we finally got to wear our rain boots.  It's my favorite because I can walk through the street without having to watch where I step.  There was one part on the road that I was standing that went 2/3 the way up my shin.  I had a picture but unfortunately my camera broke this week.  I'll be doing everything possible to buy a camera for next week.

  We got to sing in a Christmas program at the Stake Center on Saturday which was a fun experience to be able to sing in Spanish with about 20-22 other Elders.  The Christmas Spirit is definitely different here, but I'd be lying if I said that you can't feel it here.  This time of year is the best because we focus on what really matters in our lives, our Savior.  It's always the best because people focus on doing good things for others.  With that being said, I want to share a scripture in D&C 64: 33-34 that says:

33 Wherefore, be not weary in well doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

 34 Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.

As we are focused on doing small things for the good of other people, great things will come.  Not only for them but for us as well.  I love you all and I hope that this week you can look for opportunities to serve.  Talk to you soon!

--

-Elder Cheshire

MI VIDA EN LA MISIÓN

Well, this week was good until Friday.  My companion, Elder Stewart and I got really sick and we had to stay at the house the whole day because we couldn't keep any food or drink down.  We couldn't really think about anything that we ate the day before, but we finally came down to the fact that we think it was some drink that we had that apparently wasn't made of clean, purified water.  It was made of some good ol' Bolivian water.  So we're thinking that was the reason for the torture.

But this week was awesome!  We had the baptism of our investigator, Blanca Corrales.  I did my first confirmation on Sunday too which was also pretty scary, but very rewarding.  I'm so thankful that I can have these types of blessings in my life and that I can wake up every day to share the same blessings with the people in this area, Cupesi.  The only worry that Blanca had before and after her baptism is that her mother was a convert and she (her mother) had some problems and trials in her life after her baptism and the result of it was that she left the church.  So she is worried about the trials that she will receive.  But really, it's just trials that we receive to have hope and to increase our faith in our Father in Heaven.  I was reading in Preach My Gospel about hope and I found two things that I really love.  It says:

1.)  The unfailing source of our hope is that we are sons and daughters of God and that His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, saved us from death.)  (that we have an opportunity to live with them after this life)

2.) Hope helps you conquer discouragement

 I love you all so much and I'm so thankful for all of your support.  I love what I'm doing and I know that I have been called of God to be in this mission.  Always remember to have hope and faith in our God and ask for help through prayer.  He is always waiting to help you.

  

--

-Elder Cheshire

El Libro de Mormon es la clave

Hello my dear family and friends,

 

 This week just flew by.  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We didn't get a nice big turkey here, but it was still an awesome day.  

   Not much happened this week, other than my first full week as a trainer.  It's such an awesome responsibility to train another missionary, because not too long ago I was sitting in his shoes so I can help him with a lot of his thoughts and feelings about a mission.  He's really awesome and very diligent.

   This week I was watching a part of a talk from Pres. Holland about the Book of Mormon.  He was speaking the words of his great grandfather that once said, "No wicked man could write such a book as this, and no good man would write it, unless it were true.  And he were commanded of God to do so.  

   I know with all my heart that this book that I am sharing with others is true and I'm so thankful that I can wake up every morning to help others strengthen their testimony of the book as well.  

I know this letter isn't too long, but I want you all to know that I love each and every one of you and I hope you all know that God loves you more than you could ever imagine.  Sorry I only sent one pic.  It took about 15 minutes to load just one.  I'll try to send more next week.  Take care.  Love you all.

Elder Daxton Cheshire

CAMBIOS!!

Hello my dear family and friends,

  

  This week was a little crazy with transfers.  It started with a call from our President on Tuesday telling my companion that he was getting transferred to an area called Tarija (about 2 hours in plane from my area) to be a Zone Leader.  I thought everything was going to be good, and that I was jsut going to get another companion and that everything was going to be the same just with a different companion.  

  And then, President Rodriguez said to Elder Talaverano (my companion at the time) okay hand the phone to Elder Cheshire for him to hear his assignment.  My heart dropped.  Because I had just finished my training as a missionary.  I answered and President said, "Elder Cheshire, are you ready to be a trainer?"  I didn't think it was possible to train a couple days after being trained, but I accepted and now I'm training Elder Stewart.  A new missionary, from South Jordan, UT, fresh out of the Mexico MTC.  

  But I have thought a lot about Nephi this week and all the hard things he went through in all his days.  I love the very common scripture in 1 Nephi 3:7 that says: 

7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: Iwill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth nocommandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

  I underlined the part that has helped me the most.  Because I know that God doesn't put anything in our lives except he prepare a way for us to accomplish it and to get through it.  We will have hard times in our lives always, or big responsibilities but always remember that you can do it and that there's always someone that is one call away.  I love you all and I'm so grateful for all the support that I receive from you all. 

  Have a good week!

Mi Familia y Amigos

Wow, this week FLEW by.  It's crazy that I've already past my 4 month mark.  It's so weird how time goes while on a mission.  I feel like yesterday I was sitting in a classroom in the CCM with a teacher speaking some foreign language that sounded like jibberish.

  Now, here I am, finished with my training as a missionary, having conversations, teaching lessons, bonding with members investigators, and bearing testimony in that very same foreign language.  I have tons of room to improve for sure.  But it's comforting to know how much the Lord has helped me to learn this language in the past 4 months and how far I've come in the language and my testimony.  I've come to find a true love and gratfulness for this gospel and that I've had a front row seat watching this gospel change lives of a different country.

   We have transfers this Wednesday and my companion and I are likely to be separated after our two transfers together.  He really has changed my life. He's helped my attitude, perspective, drive, and desire to become better everyday.  I'm so grateful for the people I have met on my mission, and that I will meet and i'm grateful that people right now are being prepared to hear this truth that we have.  How great of a privilige that I have to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord.  

   I love you all and I thank you for the many examples I have received from all of you to prepare me for this time on my mission.  I hope you all have a great week.  Always remember to pray to the Lord for help in all things.  I promise that he is there.

P.S, the weird food in the picture is fish that was "cooked" by sitting in only lime juice.  yeah not a huge fan, but it was cool to try it

--

-Elder Cheshire

"Fish that is 'cooked' by only sitting in lime juice.  Didn't enjoy it."

Una Buena Semana

Hello everyone,
  This week was pretty awesome.  We have a family that we're teaching right now named the Choque family.  They're so so awesome.  They're not married yet but we're working on putting a goal for sometime in December for them to get married.  The mother is working on receiving answers to her prayers, and the father is currently trying to talk with his boss to change his day of rest from Wednesday to Sunday so that he can attend church every week with his family. 

  I have a lot of love for this family and they are always so happy and I want them to have the happiness in their family that I have in mine that my family and I are sealed together that we will be able to live together for ever. 

  I received a letter from our Mission President this week and it says "A great missionary loves what he's teaching, he loves who he's teaching, and lives what he's teaching"  Every day as a missionary, this is my goal.  I really do love this gospel and all the people that listen to this message.  As I work to live all of the principles that I teach, I can truly feel the love of the Lord in my life.  I know with all my heart that this gospel is true and knowing that makes it so much easier to express my feelings for it whether in a foreign language or in my own. 

  I love each and every one of you and I'm so grateful for the support I receive from you all.  You're all in my prayers and I hope you can all have a wonderful week!  Talk to you soon!

--

-Elder Cheshire

HAPPY HALLOWEEN MI QUERIDOS

 Happy Halloween everyone!  I hope you all have something awesome to do tonight.  I know I do.  We have two family home evenings with 2 different families with investigators.  I can't wait.  I want to start by thanking all of the AWESOME moms of my friends who put together this package along with my wonderful mother.  Everything in the package was so awesome and my companion and I enjoyed it so much.  So thank you so much for all the effort and time you put into my package.
   In this package, there was a talk that I LOVED so much.  It's called, "Our Responsibility to Take the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth" by Jack H Goaslind, Jr. It talks a ton about missionary work but the end of the talk is my favorite part and I want to share a little bit of it.
   He mentions that President Spencer W. Kimball said that "Every young man should fulfill a mission."  He says that "This service is as much for your benefit as it is for the benefit of the Church and the nonmembers who receive your message."
   There was a meeting last night at our chapel for future missionaries.  My companion and I went to see if we could help with anything.  As we were listening, something caught my attention.  The member talking said that the real mission in our lives starts after the mission as an elder (or a sister).   I really do feel that this is true.  I have learned so many things already that I know that I will be able to apply to help my future family more than I ever would have if I hadn't decided to serve a mission.  He says one more thing at the end of his talk, "I know that the responsibility and opportunity of missionary service is the most worthwhile thing we can do.  The blessings must be experienced to be appreciated."
   As a missionary right now, I can PROMISE you with all my heart that serving a mission is the very best thing that I have done to prepare for my life later on.   I promise you that the work that you do on your mission if you decide to serve, you will never forget.  If anyone reading this wants to serve a mission, do it.  It's the greatest thing for you, your family and your future family.   Families who don't have the blessings that you do.  I love sharing this gospel and I learn so much as I teach the people here and study every morning.
   I love you all and I'm so grateful for all of your support.  Have a good Halloween day.  You're all in my prayers.  Much love.

--
-Elder Cheshire

Lift Up Your Heart

Hello, my dear friends and family,

I'm sorry that the letter this week isn't filled with any miracles or any spiritual experiences in my life this week.  My companion has been sick this past week so it's consisted of a lot of studying and helping him out with everything.  But I was reading in the Liahona and I came across a quote that stuck out to me.  I've sent this to one of my friends already because I feel like this can help any of us with anything we're going through.  It's a quote from President Uchtdorf that reads, 

"Lift up your heart.  You may feel that your life is in ruins....You may be afraid, angry, grieving, or tortured by doubt.  But just as the Good Shepherd finds His lost sheep, if you will only lift up your heart to the Savior of the World, He will find you.  He will rescue you.  He will lift you up and place you on his shoulders.  He will carry you home."

Whoever may be reading this letter, I can promise you with all my heart, as a representative of Jesus Christ, that he is waiting for you to call for him.  To have the desire to change.  He is only one prayer away waiting to give you the comfort you need.  Let him rescue you.  

I love you all and thank you for all of your support that you all have given me.  i love serving the Lord and the blessings I have received from doing it.  Love you, take care.

--

-Elder Cheshire

"One of the moms sent us missionaries matching ties...I thought you would want a picture haha"

"hahaha I hope there wasn't anything too valuable inside. This is how I received it."

 

My week in Bolivia

HOLA QUERIDO FAMILIA Y AMIGOS

  This week we didn't have any baptisms but yesterday, we had an awesome opportunity to have our recent convert, Elian, receive the Aaronic Priesthood.  It was definitely something else to have helped a 16 year old boy receive that power to administer and bless the sacrament and to have the authority to baptize his brother and sister in the future when we can finally get a baptismal date for them.  

  Elian is the teenager that told us he didn't want to be baptized the DAY of his baptism.  But as we helped him to realize that he didn't have to have a perfect knowledge of all things before his baptism, he was baptized that day.  And now look where he has come.  I had said a short prayer to help us that day and the Lord blessed us with the ability to help him, and now look where he is.  It's such an awesome feeling to help people come unto Christ with this Restored Gospel.  I know that there is true power in prayer.  

In Matthew 6:8 it says: 

"...for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."

Yes, in this particular situation, it wasn't my need.  I didn't need Elian to be baptized that day.  But perhaps the Lord knew that I would gain greater testimony of prayer and of this work if this experience happened in my life.  The Lord knew that I needed a testimony-builder.  The Lord works in his own way, but I do know that His way is perfect, and if we follow it with hope and faith that everything will be okay, he will make us become more like Him.  I sure do love this gospel a ton and I'm so grateful that I can wake up every day and share it with the people who need it.  I love all of you guys and your support for me.  I'll talk to you all soon.  If you're not praying everyday, I encourage you to do it.  I can promise you that there will be a difference in your life.  Los amo mucho, have a great week.

--

-Elder Cheshire

Mi Queridos

Hela familia y amigos.

   This week was pretty great.  We had two more baptisms this Saturday for two young boys named Nefi and Alexander, both from different families.  Alexander is from a family who was baptized by my companion a month before I came into the field and now their whole family is baptized except for their little girl who is 6 years old.  They are preparing to go to the temple next year.  It's so awesome to be able to testify to other people of the special blessing of being sealed as a family for all time and eternity.  And to be able to testify about my experience when I was sealed to my awesome family 10 years ago.

   After Alexander was baptized, his father came up to my companion and said, (in Spanish)  "Thank you, I'm so happy" and just these simple words brought so much joy to me because from this short sentence, I could feel the sincerity of his father.  They are an awesome family who love the Book of Mormon and are constantly strengthening their testimonies.  

   I'm so thankful for the opportunity that I have to be here and to teach about families and to help all of these people receive the blessins of making covenants.  

   My District Leader shared a scripture with me last night that is in D&C 103:36 that reads:  "All victory and glory is brought to pass unto you through your diligence, faithfulness, and prayers of faith."  I promise with all my heart that this is true.  I have felt it in this great work and it can apply to every one of you.  I love you all and I hope you all have a fantastic week, talk to you soon!

--

-Elder Cheshire

"Botanical Gardens"

"This was already there...I DID NOT VANDALIZE" hahaha!