Elder Casper 1/19/2008

Dear family-

I can't believe that another week has just flown by, as we all say every week, the time is flying and we don’t know where it has gone. My companions are great, we had a pretty tiring week especially driving a ton. We had to make all of the changes for the sister missionaries on Monday and pick them up and take them to all of their new areas. On Tuesday we went to the airport to pick up all the new missionaries and it was a great experience and got me to ponder on my first day here in Chile.

We drove a ton this week and on Monday and Tuesday we were in the car for 12 hours. It’s a different experience here in the office and working with President, but it’s a great opportunity to grow and develop love for others.

We get into our sector to work about 3 hours a day and it is something marvelous how the Lord blesses us with the short time that we have there. We have been finding people and in the first lesson they have accepted to be baptized. We taught a lesson on Monday to a lady named Carolina and she accepted a date for the 3 of February and then yesterday we found a guy named Cristian and he accepted a date for the 17th of February. The Lord blesses us so much with people that are so prepared to receive the gospel and we always have people to teach. We don’t have much time to do contacts and it’s the first time in my mission where I haven’t been able to do my daily amount of contacts. It's hard but the members are great and the Lord prepares them to give us references. We have receive references every day and that’s the reason for all of the people that are so prepared for the gospel.

We have zone conference this week and my presentation is on references. I am really excited to be able to share with the mission about the importance of references, and I am so grateful for the testimony that the Lord has given of receiving references. This week is going to be a really tiring week because we have zone conference on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and we have 2 splits with a few missionaries on Wednesday and Thursday. I am excited for the week, it’s a little stressful but the Lord blesses us so much I cant even explain it. When the Lord promises us often in the scriptures that we will "walk and not faint" it is a fulfilled promise. I have experienced it over the past 10 days and I can testify that it is a real promise of our Father in Heaven. Our sector is great, the members help us a ton, we had a very high attendence last week at church, the most that the branch has had in over a year. We had 8 investigators in church and an inactive family of 8 that came, it was great and truly a wonderful experience.

It sounds like your all doing well, Cole and Harrison are tearing it up in basket ball…way to go guys. Keep up the hard work and keep practicing hard. Ash and Lace sound good and please let me know when my new nephew is on the way, haha. I am serious, its all good now if you have a kid because i'll be home when he´s born. It sounds like Lauren is doing awesome, she is going to finish her training experience this week and I wouldn’t be surprised if she were to train again to finish her mission. She is such a light to the world and especially to all those that surround her. What a blessing and example she is in our lives. Its too bad that Bergan isn’t moving up to Utah. It makes me sad also because I wanted her to be there when I got home. It would have been fun but maybe right now is not the time. Tell Nana and Papa that I love them and miss them and that I am praying for their health and that they may have strength. Let grams know that I love and miss her and that I am praying for her, for her health and that she may be an instrument in the hands of the Lord in her calling as a missionary. Tell all the family and friends that I love and miss you all and that you're in my thoughts and prayers daily.

Dad I loved that picture of you and Brian interviewing Paula Creamer, it looked like you guys were having fun. Dad fill me in on how the merchandise show went, I want to know all of the cool new things for 2008.

Dad it’s a great topic that you have chosen to speak on this Sunday in church. I know it's Saturday and that you don’t have much time to prepare but one scripture that came to me was the sacrament prayer...when it says "that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy son and always REMEMBER him, and keep his commandments which he has given them that they may always have his spirit to be with them. Amen". Our baptismal covenant is to remember our Savior and his commandments. We have to remember our covenants and keep them and if we remember we will have the spirit to guide us. I hope that it goes well for you. I am still waiting for your Alma 5 talk and I would also like to receive this talk next week. Know that I will be praying for you so that you may be directed by the spirit.

Please keep me in your prayers, its going to be a rough week and I need all the prayers and guidance possible. Elder Adams sends his love to the family. Know that I love and miss you and that you're all in my every thought and prayer.

I can't express my gratitude to our Father in Heaven for the blessing that you all are in my life. I love you, I love you, I love you. Please write me every Friday so that I can receive you letters on Friday and write to you on Saturday. Friday evenings I will look at my emails.

Have a great week.

1-4-3-4,

Elder Mason Casper