OH MY GOODNESS I LOVE IT HERE SO MUCH!!! I now totally
understand a missionaries need for emails and packages, I could not stop
smiling the whole time I read your email, thank you for the fantastic and
detailed update. So to answer your question, no it does not feel like REAL
winter. It feels like a nice, homey, California winter. Just cold enough to
wear a coat, but not too cold to be miserable and moody when you have to walk outside.
We split up as missionaries at the airport and got whatever we wanted. Hermana
Upton, Hermana McRae and I all got Panda Express together. It was almost
surreal to finally meet them! Kind of made everything a little more real, you
know? I did try to call in Atlanta, and I could hear you, but you couldn't hear
me. Bummer, but its all good!
So as for my daily schedule...we wake up at 6 45 each
morning...Presidente Allred plays Tabernacle Choir cds over the intercom to
wake us up, how cool is that!! Personal Study is at 7 10, breakfast is at 8 10,
then we get physical time from 8 30 to 9 30. My companion ROCKS, for many
reasons, but one of them is that she is a runner, and loves jogging in the
morning and then doing tons of push ups and sit ups and planks. We are
basically perfect for each other!
From 10 in the morning until 10 at night, we have language
and gospel study classes, with breaks for lunch and dinner at about 1 and 6 30.
While it is difficult and straining and exhausting, I LOVE IT. I have three
miestros-teachers- all returned missionaries and all great at teaching us what
we need to know to be rockin missionaries.
We got our official Districts on Thursday. I am in District
7, and I already love every single member of our mini missionary family. We
have 6 North American Elders, 4 Brazilian Elders, and then Hermana Mittelsteadt
and I. Sometimes, it seems like we never stop laughing! We all get along
wonderfully, and even though there is a small language barrier with the
Brazilians, there's no separating off, everyone gets along and has a great time.
I met my mission president and his wife immediately upon entering the CCM - MTC
- and they are both great. I actually found out in Relief Society yesterday
that we are RELATED through the Allred line! SO COOL!!!
I love hearing about everyone back home. Sarah will do SO
WELL! If anyone could handle learning four languages at once, it's Sarah
Burgett. She will be an amazing missionary.
Your vacation sounds fun, especially being able to go to the temples.
This morning, I was actually able to do a session with some other missionaries
in the temple right across from the CCM. It was going to be closed this week
for cleaning, and Monday because duh, but they kept it open because they knew
the missionaries had been looking forward to the peace of the temple. How
amazing is that!!!
The address here is
Pedro de Valdivia 1423
Providencia
Santiago Chile
Santiago Chile
And just address to me...haha duh...
My favorite class is my Book of Mormon Class. We all sit in
a circle and just break apart 2, maybe 3 verses in 30 minutes. It's to get us
used to how we would read scriptures with investigators. We wouldn't just sit
down and read a whole chapter. we would pick the verses that are most
meaningful, and go through them slowly, so that they can digest the information
and let the Spirit do its work. It is incredible. I wish we could just read the
book of mormon all day long.
So in case you didn't know, learning a new language es muy
dificul. But it is coming along! Everyone here is in the same boat, learning
and growing and really trying to do their best. I will admit, it is a struggle
for me. I can express myself perfectly in english...it is hard for me to not be
able to express them easily while I am here and trying to speak in spanish as
much as possible. We do foux investigator meetings with our teachers, and I
really just can't say much of anything in that situation at this point.
BUT.
I can say a blessing on a meal in spanish. I can introduce
myself, and ask someone simple questions about themselves. I know foods,
greetings, a few scattered, simple phrases...my favorite...Tiene hacer que
hace. You have to do what you do. That's one of the first things I figured out
how to say. It is frustrating, but I am putting all of myself into learning
this language.
At one low point, I regretted putting in my papers that I
was willing to learn a new language. Seriously, you can't just assume it will
all come to you and you get it quickly, this is the hardest thing I have ever
done. But I keep telling myself- I was willing to serve my Lord as a
missionary. So I should be willing to go wherever, do whatever, preach whatever
he needs me to. So I am here, in Chile, learning how to do exactly that.
I love this gospel! And I LOVE CHILE! I got to go shopping
at the grocery store this afternoon, and walking down the cobblestone streets
of downtown Santiago was just thrilling to me. They have fruit stands and
farmers markets everywhere, street performers and vendors and beautiful trees
and shrubbery. I LOVE IT HERE.
Last bit, I don't have much time left, but on our way out of
the supermarket, we stopped to eat some ice cream Herman Mittelsteadt had
purchased and a man approached us from a camera crew - that's right, folks - and
starts talking in rapid spanish. Even though my rockin comp knows spanish
pretty well, we had no idea what he was saying. Then finally, he starts talking
in english. Hallelujah. He tells us hes from a local tv station, and is wanting
people to imitate and sing like PIN UP GIRLS for his tv show. So we are like,
dying, and then Hermana Mittelsteadt says I love to sing.
Thanks a lot, pal.
So he asks me to sing for him! I show him my badge, tell him
I'm a missionary, and maybe instead of a 40's hit, I could sing one of my
church songs for him. And he said YES! And I sang Called to Serve FOR A MORNING
SHOW!
So, yeah. This week has been both grueling and amazing. I love it
here, I love Chile, my companion, my District, but most of all, I love the
gospel. Which is why I'm here. Tiene hacer que hace. I love you all. Write me
letters and emails! Por Favor! Ciao!
