On That Grind (Oct. 17, 2022)

Yooo how is everyone doin??? I'm doing pretty awesome down here. This week was a grind for sure! Last week I talked about trying to be more consecrated and I've been working on holding myself up to that and I have just been working with a high motor, like not wasting any time at all. As soon as the alarm goes off I waste no time getting to anything, and it's just go go go all day and by night I'm exhausted and feel like I sleep for 20 minutes and it's morning again and I do it all over again. This is the life. And I love it. It's so cool because I have no clue how I could work like this day in and day out on my own power, but at the end of each day I can just realize that God's power helps me stay working and focused each and every day. It's wild!

I had an exchange down in Chimbarongo with Elder Holman and it was probably one of the best days I've ever had on the mission, just a couple small town American kids walking the streets of Chile and speaking Spanish. Lot's of times I just stop and remind myself what I'm doing and I'm like sheeesh, I'm in this whole other continent speaking a different language and trying to convince people to change their lives. It's a little surreal at times but I'm just starting to love it more and more. I'm feeling a lot more adjusted to the culture and the people and trying to feel and be a little more Chilean and it's really helping me love and connect with the people. I've grown to really like the food and everything, I will now voluntarily put mayo on anything and use avocado for all kinds of foods as well. I am also becoming quite the slave to that addicting mate stuff, I love it.

Ok so a little more serious note now, I had a very spiritual last couple days. Saturday we had Agustin's baptism and it was such a good experience, to get his whole family back into the church and to see the light in this kid's face was so special. After the baptism his dad that we have reactivated came up to us and was just crying and thanking us so much for bringing the light of the gospel back into their lives, it was so special. Sunday was just incredible too, I was able to feel the spirit super strong in my personal study right before sacrament meeting and we had a ton of people show up and we had to open the overflow and I was just the happiest I've ever been on the mission when I kept seeing all the faces showing up to church and the people we have been working with, members, non-members and just everyone. The meeting was also the primary program and I loved it so much! They sang I am a Child of God, a Child's Prayer, and I love to see the Temple, and I was just feeling the spirit so strong the whole meeting and really thinking about how amazing those words of the songs are that I've sung my entire life. It was super special. Then the closing hymn was Families can be Together Forever and for the first time in Chile I just started bawling, I couldn't believe it, I just started crying like a little baby and I don't know what was happening to me cuz I like never cry but there I was just sitting there crying and just being so happy and grateful for how incredible this gospel is and just feeling so much love for being a missionary and just everything, I don't really know I how to explain it, but it was a little wild.

So sorry that was a whole lot, but I've heard from a couple people that they like my emails so I figured I might as well share a bit with all you guys about the sweet life I get to live down here. I know that Jesus Christ lives and he loves us so so much and as we strive to learn more about him and his attributes we can love other people more like he does. He led the way for us to be perfected in him, and because of his incredible love, we can literally experience the greatest joy we could ever imagine. That's it for me this week, remember that I love getting updates from all you guys. 

Elder Micheli

P.S. Go Bills!! #mafia