8.8!

Thanks for the concern and calls to my mom and all that jazz.  The earthquake was one of the biggest in history and the only places south of Santiago that didn´t feel anything was Punta Arenas and Collaque.  Osorno and most of our misión had earthquakes too.  But everything is really well and calm down here…its just that it seems EVERYONE has family in Santiago that they can't comunícate with.  I have friends serving in Concepción and Santiago so we were worried.  President came down a day before the earthquake to Punta Arenas for conference and is stuck here because there are no flights so we went to see the penguins today, but he assured us that every missionary and misión president in Chile is accounted for and well.  Most of the chapels up there weren´t even damaged.  It really is a huge miracle.

Oh yeah, funny story...Two days ago, the wind started.  I´ve heard tale about the wind down here and didn´t understand what ¨wind¨meant until two days ago.  We were running to get to an appointment and I got involuntarily blown all the way across the street.  (NOT an exageration).  Winter will be an adventure!!! :)

  I am at the very bottom of the earth here in Punta Arenas and I must admit that when I read that the gospel will be preached to ¨all the ends of the earth¨, my heart does swell with happiness knowing that I am here, in one of the corners of the earth.  The wonderful thing is, however, is that the location of my service in no way impacts the value of these sons and daughters of God.  On a daily basis, I see that lonely woman who just needs someone to invite her over to talk...I´m friends with the lady in the ward who secretly does good even though nobody will ever thank her...I visit the man whose wife is in the hospital and he doesn´t know what to do...I see the less active just searching for where she went wrong in her life...I see the bishop, stressed as ever just trying to keep all the glass balls juggling with only a little support from the ward members because they just don´t understand exactly how much he does...I see people who don´t understand that they have a loving Heavenly Father who will just give them everything if they come to Him...I see the lonely kid who just wants to fit in...I see people not do good just because it´s easier.  

All of these people...I know them from down here and I know them from up there in Salt Lake.  There is absolutely no difference in the problems we face, the sorrows we see, the pain we feel.  Right next door is someone whose heart is crying out in pain and I think sometimes we feel we need an exotic or special or ¨higher¨calling to help someone in need.  It´s like when the Lord told Naaman to wash in the river and it was such an ordinary thing to do, he was insulted because nothing more was required of him.  Wasn´t he ¨special¨or better in some other way? I know the answer is no.  Every single person is a son or daughter of God with infinite value and potential and who are we to decide who should be served? I think when it comes down to it...we serve because we love.  Not because someone will notice...not because it´s convenient...not because its our calling.  We serve because we love.  When we really love, we serve...that´s what Christ did and I hope I can work my whole life in developing that attribute.  I think it´s the hardest thing in the world to develop and I am a thousand miles away from having it, but that´s what I´m working for.