Week 37 - The ups and downs of missionary work

This week was interesting. 

Monday we played lots of games and it was way fun for p-day.

Tuesday I was with Elder Burton.  We went to Los Vilos to get him and I had to sit on the stairs of a double decker bus.  That wasn't fun. Then we came back and taught a lot of people.  It was such a super good day.  We had a super good district meeting where we talked about consecrating our time. It was just awesome.

Thursday we had exchanges again.  I went to Illapel and I liked it quite a bit.  In the morning we had to walk a long way to the branch president's house.  We walked passed lots of green areas and I loved just seeing an area with grass and trees.

We came back and did a service project Saturday for an old folks club. 

Sunday we had church and the branch president taught the Sunday school class.  We've had a man that interrupts us a lot when we teach but this time he didn't say anything.

We taught "S" and invited him to go to church.  His mom yelled at us that we were pressuring him.  Then "E" called and said that we can't go to her house anymore and "C" said we can't go to her house anymore either.  So it been a week of ups and downs.

Elder Viana and I lost an investigators blender when we moved their house.  I'll need to pay for it...

Salamanca is mostly a mining town.  I met one of the Chilean miners that was trapped under ground for 69 days.  See chilean-miners-rescue

Week 36 - Zone party

Today for p-day we had a zone party.  We played card games and soccer.  It was really good, but we missed our bus, so I have some time to write.

Week 35 - The Cueca.

This week was pretty good. I had exchanges with Elder Lopez.  I wasn't sure what to expect and worried it might not be fun. Elder Lopez is quiet spoken.  He is latino and I still fear going out with other latinos because of my language skills.  Often I have to explain things more than once and I have to figure out their words. But it was a really good day!  Elder Lopez is so cool. We started our day by eating in the house as somebody brought food over in tupperware. We played chess while we ate.

We sometimes run into sad situations.  We taught two kids and learned their mom sells cocaine. We also taught a schizophrenic.

The exchange was very interesting and I loved it.   It was fun serving in another area.  We found and taught a new family.  The mother's name is "C" and she has an 11-year old daughter.  They came to church!

We also taught "S" and he is doing okay.  We still hope his parents will permit him to be baptized.

"J" didn't go to church for the third time.  This concerns us.  She was locked in once, but it still worries us that she hasn't come.

"O" is doing good.  He is excited to get the priesthood and be sealed in the temple.

"R" goes to church every other week.  His daughter is about to go on a mission and has been pretty emotional.

There was a church party for the Fiestas Patrias.  This celebrates the beginning of Chilean independence in 1810.  It occurred on September 18th.  It's like a second Christmas here.  Many celebrate for a full week.  We saw people dance the national dance and ate lots of meat.  It was pretty cool.

A typical hat and outfit worn for the National Chilean Cueca dance.

Yesterday we had to go inside by 8:00 pm.  The mission president felt we shouldn't be out at night on the 11th.  This is because it is a bad day for "gringos".  The previous government did something bad on this day.  It was a dictatorship and lots of people were killed and tortured.  On the 11th people chant and riot in front of police from what I understand.   We went inside an hour and half early, played chess, and ate fried Oreos.

Week 34 - Teaching in Salamanca

We taught "S" a bit and then helped his parents on the house they are building.  After, we asked them if "S" could be baptized.  They said no.  They don't want to take him to church and the father doesn't think he understands the gospel. "S"'s grandma is still coming to church!  She told us she would like "S" to be baptized.  

We started teaching a women name "C" and her son "Rc" who was eight years-old when she went inactive. They both came to church yesterday and everything is looking really good for them. 

"B" didn't come to one of our appointments because he had a soccer game that he wanted to go to.  We'll see how it goes with him.  He might just like to play ping pong.

I finally got the package you sent and I love it.  The food was awesome and is almost gone.  The war heads are amazing.  Watching a Chilean who doesn't normally eat sour things eat one is hilarious!