WOW!

Well, I am here in Chile!! And WOW!!! I love my area, Futrono. It is beautiful. A mix between Idaho, New Zealand and Utah. Lots of rolling hills, groves of trees and farms. There are also a lot of dogs and cats that roam around the streets. I learned REAL fast that if a dog starts baking at you or charges you, just pick up a rock. It scares them off.

My companion is Hermana Braithwaite from Oregon and she is AMAZING!!!! She is dedicated to the work and loves it. We already have seen so many miracles here. We are in a branch of 30 strong. And yeah, it is weird, well, just a different culture and it will take some getting used to…

They look to us for a lot. We have so many responsibilities that shouldn’t be ours and it is a bit frustrating at times because we should be teaching people, but instead we have to do other things…haha, but it is great. Everyone calls me Hermanita (little sister). 

In our sector, we have Futrono, Llifen and Non Tuela. We travel a lot. Futrono is a small town, like half the size of Rexburg, and the other two towns are even smaller. (editor's note: I couldn't even find Non Tuela on the map, it's so small...) Each are about 30 minutes away from each other by bus. We walk everywhere and my feet were really swollen the first two nights but are better now.

The food is good…although they literally cook everything and eat everything with oil! My arteries are going to be in trouble by the end of my mission…but it’s worth it!

Jeez, no time!

We are teaching some twins how to read right now. They are nine and in school but the teachers aren’t great and the twins don’t know how to read.

Something funny, we were in a lesson and I invited the investigator to be baptized and her daughter (who is a member of our church but doesn’t come very much) started, not yelling, but raised her voice at me and started talking super duper fast. What I got out was that I can’t ask her mom to be baptized because her mom doesn’t know if the church is true. Haha, pretty intimidating, because it lasted for like five minutes! But in the end her mom said yes she’d be baptized, once she gets an answer!

Dang I wish I had more time to tell you all the miracles that are happening. (We visited a woman and invited her back to church. She wanted nothing to do with it. She hadn’t been to church in four years. Two days later we testified to her about the power of prayer and she said she would come back to church!)

They talk SO fast here!! And don’t complete their words…it’s a fun guessing game trying to understand what everyone is saying. I am definitely learning patience! I can understand when they talk fast if they say words I know, which I am happy about. I can usually follow a conversation semi-well and my talking has improved a lot. The Gift of Tongues is real!

Oh! And mom, my trainer, it was her companion that got bit by the dog! Moonboots!

Anyway…she is the best. I have learned so much from her already and we both love to work. I am so blessed!

We live in a small casa (house). It is one room, just like a yurt! Seriously, future house right here! We have a “mamita” who cooks lunch for us. Breakfast and dinner is on us.

I love it here! Everyone should go on a mission! I’ve never felt so nervous, worthless and happy! Haha, it sounds weird but oh, I am so grateful for the person I am becoming.

Love you all!! I hope you have a wonderful week!

Work hard, help others, serve God! He is real! Les Quiero (I love you all)!