The Happy He Has

Zach sent us an audio letter this week. He has a native companion right now so he is speaking Spanish 24/7, which explains why half of what he said to us was in Spanish and half was in English.

To the best of my translation he reports that this week has been awesome and fun and crazy, but it went super fast (muy rapida) He and his companion road-tripped to the North (norte) five hours (quatro horas) away and had conferences where he got to get to know a lot of the mission and see a lot of his friends that he has made on the mission. A General Authority visited and talked to them about the importance of the spirit, the priesthood, and the atonement. As far as the work in the mission home goes, he says it's just a very different type of work. He basically drives a lot, and laughs a lot, and makes a lot of jokes. He is just really enjoying the mission. 

Here's a message from his companion Elder Herera: 

Buenos Dias Familia Frampton--good morning. Just I want to say your son is a good missionary. He's doing good. All the missionaries love him. Everyone says "Oh, you are the new assistant? I knew you were going to be."  

I'm very happy for him. I learn a lot of things from him. He is, I don't know, very enthusiastic. The assistants don't baptize a lot here in this sector, but we came, and we are going to baptize one again, and I know it is because of the unity we have and the friendship. Just know that he has been good here. He baptizes a lot here and I know that the Lord put his confidence in him.  

When we were with the president and we made the changes and we said "Okay we need a new assistant," we felt the spirit so strong in us, and we say "who can come here," and we say, "I feel Elder Frampton" and we say, "no, but he has only 9 months on the mission. He is very young. Okay, we need to pray again." And we prayed and we feel, "Elder Frampton" And we prayed again and we knew it was him. And now I know why he is here. Because the missionaries need the happy he has, and the power he has for his work. Thank you for every thing you did for him before the mission. We can see in him he has good parents. This is my message for you. 

One of my favorite things about the mission . . .

Hola hola hola. Buenos dias. Yo soy Elder Frampton,

First I have to say, I love the mission so much and I’m learning so much! But you know what’s weird? I have been out a year on my mission and I still feel like I have so much to learn! It's crazy.

So our recent convert, Alexander is literally the most faithful member I’ve ever seen and he’s only 11 years old. His family are not even members and he comes to church every week. He is usually the first one there too. He’s super excited to get the priesthood in December. It's so cute. He’s just like my little bro--so cool.

We don’t have a lot of investigators right now so we’re on the hunt. We’re just looking and finding people in the streets--walking up the hills. It’s kind of fun just to talk to everyone in the streets. That’s one of the things I love about the mission, You’re always outside in the street. You’re walking, you’re smiling, you’re waving at people, asking “Hey, how’s it going? Como esta?” You just start talking and getting to know people. It’s really interesting how in three minutes you can find out a lot about people and if they are going to be receptive to the message of the gospel.

We worked way hard this week, but we didn’t have a lot of lessons so we walked a lot. We walked and we walked and we walked. Straight up the hills. In the rain. One day while we were out in the streets trying to be guided by the spirit, we decided to go up this hill. We were passing by this investigator’s house, which is down the hill through a secret passage. We were like “should we go? We don’t have a lot of time.” But we were like “Let’s go.”

On our way there we walked past this member’s house and we were like “Hey, how’s it going?” It turns out she was having a really hard time and she needed a blessing. So we gave her a blessing and it was so cool because she was really cheered up, and really happy that we came by. She said, “You guys came right in the moment I needed you most.”

It’s really cool to see how God works like that. Literally, you show up at the right moment. It’s not like you knew. God just guides you straight to the place he wants you to be. It’s really awesome.

After all of our hard work this week we were finally able to find a new investigator. Two of her sons and her daughter recently died and we were able to testify of how families can be together forever. It’s really cool to help people with that stuff and to share that message with people who have lost loved ones . . . It brings soooooo much comfort into their lives, it’s incredible. Just in the fact of bearing testimony that they will see their family members again. It’s one of my favorite things about the mission too. To help people with that because it’s something that everybody wants and I’m really grateful for that knowledge.

Here is a question for you. One day while we were out in the rain walking around and talking to people one day, we struck up a conversation with this guy who had a Chicago. We just started talking about Chicago and then we were working the gospel into the conversation. He was like “no, I have my own faith. I’ve already shared with missionaries before. I really, really honestly tried to find out if your church was true” When he said that I really felt like he was being honest and that he really did try to find out if this is the true church. He said he didn’t feel that connection, and he honestly tried. It was really interesting. I was thinking about it and wondering why God didn’t give him the answer that it was the true church. I was wondering if you guys had any insight on that.

That’s how it is sometimes. You just gotta keep fighting. Keep looking. Keep working. Keep praying.

I was reading in Alma yesterday, about Alma the younger, and how when he goes to the city of Ammonihah after he has had a ton of success in Zarahemla, no one believes him, and they think he’s a fraud and like they basically throw him out of the city. Its absolutely just terrible. And I love, love, love when an angel comes upon him afterwards while he’s feeling sorry for himself, and the angel is like. “Dude, just chillax. There isn’t any reason to be sad. You’re doing great.” he basically tells him Lift up your head. Rejoice. You have a lot to make you happy. You have so much to be grateful for. You’re keeping the commandments of God. There’s no reason to get down. You feel the spirit and that’s really what matters.  

I went on an interchange this week with Elder Fulmer from Arizona, who is awesome. We freakin’ tore it up. Elder Fulmer’s crazy. He took me on all these shortcuts through the woods and literally almost killed me. We taught this family of like 50 people, and they were like singing and dancing in their little house. It was awesome.

This week I also got to make bread! Classic Chilean bread. When I go home, besides all the people, I ‘m going to miss the bread so much. It’s AMAZING. I’ve been dying to learn how to make it so slowly, but surely I’ve been making friends with this woman who works in a bakery. Yesterday I got to make bread with her.

Oh my gosh. One of the biggest blessings in my life happened yesterday. ha ha ha Someone made me a pair of onesie Avatar pajamas. They are so awesome. It’s like the whole outfit of Avatar--the cape, the arrow, everything. I slept in it last night, and it’s like sleeping in a cloud. They’re so freakin’ sick.

Yesterday, I really learned that the best way to learn is from the spirit. Like I’ve really been learning a lot from my mission. I’m taking in so many things at once. I’m learning so many things. Like I’m learning from different missionaries, different people, life lessons, doctrine, etc. I’m reading the scriptures and there are so many other things I’m reading and worrying about and trying to learn and memorize. So much information to take in at once. And like if you were to ask me one thing I learned on my mission, I think the only things I could tell you, are the things I learned from the spirit. Those are the only things I remember. I felt the spirit testify of this to me. That this is true. That is is how God works, how he helps us remember truth.  I feel like when the spirit testifies about the truthfulness of whatever it is you are learning, you can’t forget it.

I think one of my favorite things about the mission is when we teach the restoration. Especially when we recite the first vision in the words of Joseph Smith and how he describes his experience. Like every time I teach the restoration I feel the spirit when I teach that part. I don’t know why, but I like it. That’s one of my favorite things about the mission. I think that people feel the spirit too when we teach it. It’s like a confirmation that Joseph Smith really did see God the Father, and the Son. I love it. 

This week we didn’t have a lot of success, but we did have a really awesome lesson. It was really, really cool, and she was super receptive to the restoration. She understood it really well, and she said she’s going to read and pray about the Book of Mormon.

And finally, one last thing. Guess what! I'm freakin' AP. Crazy, right? ha ha I leave this afternoon to go back to Vinar, and my new P-day will be on Saturday. I'm excited. Lesssssss gooooooo!

Hey, I love you guys. I'll be back on Saturday.

Elder Frampapi

P.S. I got to play soccer with my zone this week on P-day, which is always fun. I had like a freaking’ diving header goal, in front of all these Chilean members, who are like soccer pros, and I was balling out. They called me the Messi of the United States. ha ha ha

Doing my thing in the Lord's way

Heyyyyyyy, I'm back, baby! Still kickin' it here in Valpo! I'm about to fill you in on how the week here in the mission is going. 

Soooo, first off WE HAD A FREAKIN' BAPTISM THIS WEEK, and it was freakin' awesome! His name is Alexander and he is such a cool kid. He is like my best friend he is Chile. Seriously! He is like my little bro, and he is super funny. 

We had his baptism and I've never seen someone so excited. He dove in that font and he would not get out of the font after the baptism. He just wanted to swim in there. He was was like splashing around after the baptism with all the members watching. I had to drag him out of the font ha ha It was too funny. 

And the best part about the baptism was afterwards when he gave his testimony. It was so cute because he got up there and talked about how when the Elders came to his house he was getting really bad grades and he was going to have to repeat that school year. When he started to go to church his grades got a lot better and now he doesn't  have to repeat. It is something so simple but it is so true! I loved it so much. His grand mom was crying and it was just an awesome service!

Also, we had a zone conference and it went really well. I was super sick again this week, but I'm better now.  The assistants came too so I was a bit nervous with them there, but it turned out way good and my zone is great! I'm really enjoying helping other missionaries! Oh, and I  met a missionary this week that knows Tyson. How cool is that?  

I don't have to much time left. Only a year left in the mission. But I finally found out the trick to save time and I'll share it with you next week! 

I'm doing super good! just working super hard and loving the mission. Doing my thing in the Lord's way. 

Love you guys! Have a great week! 

I don't mind spending every day . . .

OKKKKKKK HERE IT IS . . . my week. I honestly don't know what to write because the week just absolutely few by. Honestly, I felt like I was just just sitting here writing you guys yesterday.  The days go by sooo fast and I swear they get faster and faster as the mission goes on! But I'm really enjoying the mission. It's crazy to think that I have a year now under my belt. I really feel like I just got here.

But this week was awesome, and freaking crazy too! Like this week was literally just pure rain . . . all day long, hard rain. And the funny thing about Chile is that when it rains here, nobody does anything.  At least here in Valpo. Like everything was shut down and there was nobody in the streets. We just had to work every day in this pouring rain. But I don't mind spending every day, out on the corner in the pouring rain . . .  jajajaja (I miss that song!) But I just worked all day in this rain. It's crazy. And it's even more crazy going up these huge hills with all the rain rushing down them. And then even more crazy is that our convert's house got wrecked and her roof flew off and her whole house got wet inside. But she is an amazing person. Like she didn't even care. She said "it's okay. They are just things that can be replaced." She is soooo awesome! so we helped her a little to fix her house. And the even crazier thing is that our investigator's baptism got postponed because of the rain!!! We are going to do it next Saturday. 

We also had the meeting with all the leaders in the mission and that was cool to see all of my old comps. My trainer is going home soon, which is crazy cool. 

Oh, shout to my grandma for her letters. I got it this week and I loved it! Thanks Grandma! oh, and cool story with our new convert Yunino.  His wife had her operation this week and so he went to Santiago and he said he fasted that she would be okay, and he said everything went good, so that is sooo awesome. He also said his family went to church in Santiago. How cool is that?? I was pumped to hear that and he and his wife are now going to the get married in the temple and he is getting the priesthood! Less gooo, baby! That is so cool, huh? 

Also, Alexander is doing really good. 

I'm honestly just loving the mission. I feel Chilean and I've met some of my best friends here. I just feel free of this life. I liked a lot a lesson that my presidente taught me this week. He said that we aren't from this world! I loved that. Right now I don't feel like I am from this world. I feel free from this world right now and it is such a blessing! I'm honestly learning so much and it's hard to write about everything that I'm learning but it's freaking awesome! 

But ya, that's a little bit about what went down here in Valpo and I'm hoping you like the pics! 

Have a great week! I

love you guys

FREAKIN' AWESOME WEEK!

heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

WHAT A FREAKIN' AWESOME WEEEEK . . . LESSSS GOOOOO! THIS WEEK WAS AMAZING! I've never seen so many miracles. I'm serious!

I don't know where to start, but I guess I'll start with the man, the myth, and the legend! He got baptized and confirmed this weekend and I've never been sooo happy in my life. He was a straight miracle.

About three weeks ago he was drunk on the road and now he is a completely changed man. I have never seen someone change so much, so fast, and have so much faith. Literally, he stopped drinking and really put his life in order. and it was so cool to see him dressed up in white on Sunday

But obviously this week we had to teach him the commandments before he was baptized and we were scared to teach him tithing because he doesn't have any money, but it was a miracle . . . like really, he can't wait to pay tithing to get the blessings. 

We were also scared to teach about keeping the Sabbath day holy because he works on Sundays, and when we taught him he said, "That's impossible! I need the money to send to my family." But after we told him to trust in God and God would bless him, he felt the spirit and said he would stop working. It was amazing. Sooo much faith. But really it was miracle after miracle like that through his whole conversion and he's only going to keep going! His family came from Santiago to see his baptism and they loved it and his mom was just crying so much. She was so emotional and proud. That was the coolest part of it all! I really feel so blessed to be able to be an instrument in the Lord's hands. I really learned that God loves EVERYONE! I love my Heavenly Father. That's not even the whole story. I'll have to write a letter to my mom with all of it all because it's truly unbelievable!

We will have another baptism this week and I hope I don't get changed before his baptism because we have changes on Wednesday and his baptism is on Sunday. Honestly this kid is like my best friend is Chile. I love the kid. He's 11 and he is the most faithful kid I've ever met. Literally! He likes church more then me. jajajaja He is a miracle too! He goes to church by himself and nobody in his family is a member! He is really such an example for me, but ill tell you more about him next week! 

To end, I had an awesome experience this week. One night we were walking and we always pass this store which is on the way to our house, and there is always this guy cleaning and so we always say hi as we pass by. The other day I noticed he was really cold and he didn't have a jacket so I let him borrow my jacket. He was really grateful. This weekend I went by to pick up my jacket and the coolest thing happened. It turns out that I had left a Book of Mormon in my jacket pocket so when I asked for my jacket back a few days later he said that he had read half of Book of Mormon. I told him that he could keep the book and he was super excited and said he was going to finish it. Then he invited us to his house because he has a few question about the book! 

How cool is that!? 

But it was a great week I've been balling out, I bought a new basketball and I've been dribbling in the mornings. I've also been sick this week! But it was an awesome week! 

I love all you guys! 

Have a great week!

The Book is Blue, and the Church is True!

Lessss gooo baby! I'm back! 

Alrighty, I'm about to hit you with the weekly update . . . 

Started out the week with a nice soccer game with my zona, which was way fun! I'm balling out at soccer now because I'm Chilean.  jajaja 

But ya, it's fun to get together and hang with my zona, and get to know them! I think that one of my favorite parts of the mission is just meeting some of my best friends in the world here! 

Also this week I joined the Mate train ha ha ha If you don't know what Mate is, it is basically this South American drink, which is pretty much grass in a cup, but I wanted to try it and I gave it a run and it turned out pretty good. if you don't know what it is go look it up! It's pretty funny! 

Also I met the most interesting man in the world this week. jajaja But he really was the most interesting man I've ever met. He speaks perfect English and he has 24 kids. 17 of them are from the U.S. and they are from 16 different ladies. jajjajaja So ya, we started teaching him this week and he started telling us all these crazy stories about how he went broke to how he like got rich to how he became like homeless. It was too funny. i don't know if you have ever seen the most interesting man in the world commercials, but he's that guy, only the Chilean version. I've actually noticed that a lot lately,  because I've realized that there is a Chilean version of everyone so I have been converting everyone here to famous people in the states. Like the other day I found the Chilean Pam from the office. It was awesome! jajajaja 

But anyway, it was a great week I have really been feeling the spirit a lot in my life! Our investigator is doing great. We actually had a great lesson with him yesterday. The crazy thing with him is that we found him drunk in the street Saturday night, but after a week he has already changed soooo much!!! He told us that he was going to stop drinking and everything and the other day he told us a story about how his friends offered him beer and he turned it down and they started making fun of him and everything because he said no. And then he told us that when they started making fun of him he whipped out his Book of Mormon and said "This book has changed me," and he said, "Look, if you guys are really my friends you won't ever offer me beer again," and then left! 

LESSSSSSS GOOOOOOOO BABY! THE BOOK IS BLUE AND THE CHURCH IS TRUE! 

HE IS GETTING BAPTIZE THIS SUNDAY! 

I LOVE THE MISSION

Hi Zach!

To: debframp@hotmail.com

Alright!!!!!  The weekly letter!!! okkkk let me take you guys on a trip to Chile and fill you in a little on what happened here in Valpo this week. First things first! The weather here is interesting because we basically live up in the hills and I've just been getting soaked in the rain all week. But I love Valpo, really. It's such a great city. I can see myself living in a place like Valpo! 

This week was awesome because we had zona coference with presidente!!!!! He's sooooo sweet!! I'm so happy and excited to work with him. We had interviews with this week and it was the funniest thing because I like had my interview and he called me into the room and everything and then he shut the door and told me to sit down, and as I go to sit down I just absolutley break the chair. hahahahha It was like one of those things that dad does sometimes. I just totally landed on my butt and broke this chair in the interview with president! ha ha! I swear weird, funny things like that always happen with president. But I really love him and I got to work with him closely this week.  There have been an lot of changes here in Valpo in the stake so I got to work with him a lot and it was awesome. He is so humble. 

Also this week I've learned a lot about how the Lord works. I started reading the Book of Mormon again and I decided how I was going to read it this time through.  I'm going to read it now with a focus on the lives of the profetas in the Book of Mormon, and their lives. I am marking what attributes they have and what trials they had and what attributes they developed through there trails. Those three things. It's been amazing. I love it. I am learning so much and its cool because I can see the Lord working like that in my life! 

I seriously love the Book of Mormon! 

but I had a really, really cool experience this week with my great friend, and investigator! He is about 35 years old and it was crazy because on Saturday night we were getting back to the house and we just bumped into this guy and invited him to church. The next morning he showed up at church and everything and then that night we taught him. It was an amazing lesson. We found out that he had just received the news that his wife has cancer and its been really hard for him. He lives by himself and he has 4 four kids that live is Santiago, which is really hard for him. He was just such as humble and cool guy and he just told us how much he loves church and stuff and we taught him about the plan de salvation and invited him to pray and I will never forget the prayer he gave! During the prayer he just broke down and couldn't finish. He told us how he had never felt that feeling before and how he felt God's presence! 

How amazing was that? He is going to be baptized in two weeks! IM SOOOO EXCITED! 

But ya, it was an amazing week. I love the mission and I wanna be a missionary forever. I'm so grateful to have this time to serve the Lord and not worry about anything else! 

I love you guys! 

Historic Success and Personal Failure

Alright, I'm  gonna give you a quick run down about what is going on here in the mar of the vina! ha ha 

It was a great week--a week of historic moments is Chile! First off, Chile won the LA CUPA AMERICA for the first time in the historia of the country, which was absolutely crazy! 



Footballl is life here in Chile so when they won on Saturday . . . wowowowowowowoowowow I've never seen such a riot! Everybody was going crazy. Everyone in the streets! It was awesome to be here when they won! We actually had to go back to the house a little bit early when they won because it was so crazy! 

Also we had a special conference here in Valpo because we are now two stakes, so that was awesome. There were like 2000 people there and elder Zeballos came from the 70's and he gave a great talk. It was freakin' sweet!! I'm in the choir right now so I got to sing at the conference.

Also my new presdiente is awesome. I really love him!!!!! He is soooo different the old presdiente, but I love him to death. I'm seriously so excited to work for him. He is just one of those guys that makes you want to become better. He is way cool! 

But it was an awesome week. I got to see all of my old comps except for Elder Santillan. :)))) It was like seeing the family again!! 

Oh ya, this week I worked in all rain, which was soooooo pretty, and fun. I don't know, at this point in my mission I really love it all! I am just enjoying all of it and it's crazy because I feel like it's flying by and its going too fast! ha ha 

I had a great birthday. Seriously, it was different, but it was awesome! I had to give a talk in church and then we celebrated it at my converts house and she made me a cake and everything. 

I'm doing great. My comp and I are doing awesome. I love him! I have learned everything about Lord of the Rings! ha ha My comp is like a Lord of the Rings legend you could say ha ha! He loves Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Harry Potter, and he is giving me the run down of all the books of Lord of Rings. Right now we are in book #1 and it's been fun! 

But everything is good! ummm, we still haven't had a lot of success, but it's good. It's what I need, and It's really teaching  me a lot. You learn most when you don't get what you want! 

We finally found like a really solid investigator! Finally! ha ha ha She is awesome!! She's been struggling a lot in her life for a while now, but it is really fun to see the gospel start to change her life, along with mine.  I am really grateful for her and to finally get a little something going here. 

But, I'm doing super good here. I've really been learning a lot. I just finished the Book of Mormon again! I'm trying to think of another way to study it next time around! if you have any ideas let me know!

I love you guys!  Vamos Chile!!! Les Amo

Video Dialogue May 27

This is a super fun watch. (Even though I kept gagging and saying, "Spit your toothpaste out, Elder!"

Video Dialogue May 25

Sooooooo tired.

Video Dialogues May 24

Tabasco, baptisms, and "a freakin' demon view."

Video Dialogue May 23 (5 stars)

This is so cute. It's like an uncut Mormon Ad for Missionaries.

Video Dialogue May 20

"My comp is craaaazy. Literally cutting my hair on camera."

Video Dialogue May 19

Ja ja ja ja ja ja ja ja ja ja ja ja (A smoking-weed laugh?)

Video Dialogue May 18

Week Two, Baby! A hectic P-Day, a distracting haircut, and a sad dear John.