Friday, May 30, 2014

May 26th, 2014 "Life in the Dumps"

Wow seriously this week has gone by so fast that I feel like sometimes its not even real.   I did a lot this week and I have seriously done everything from cutting wood to crying.....not in the same day I promise. haha  But this week has been full of success but disappointments as well and big news guys.......I'M FREE OF THE FLEAS.....I think.


So what I really have to talk about is this place that is in my mission.  We have a ton of work to do in this place called Las Tomas.  This place is crazy weird and really dangerous because it is seriously the wild frontier.  You probably cant google earth this place because in the governments eyes it does not exist.  Really the translation for the Tomas is pretty much "for the takes"  It is government land that is pretty much free and anybody who wants to live here can.  It is the outskirts of town and full of trash.  I always knew that I lived in a poor part of Chile but never believed it until we really started to do work in this area.  The crazy thing is that the government lets these people live there and the houses are completely different then what we are used to.  For example they cook stuff on fires and boil the water for baths and this little girl in this picture hates getting bathed and its only about one time a week.  Crazy huh.  But because there is no street numbers or house numbers it is really a free-for all and houses pop up all the time and then get torn down.  Its not a new city but more of a addition so to speak.  Anyway to be honest with you guys I am a messy person.  Ask anybody in my house and they will say that I never clean my room, car, or dog for that matter but this place is utterly nasty.  Wait to you see the pictures!  People just throw everything in the streets and there are little gangs of dogs that are running around and cows and chickens and stuff.  Whats crazy is that the kids don't care.  They are running around and throwing diapers at each other and I have those moments where I wonder "where am I?"  But hey its the good ole South America and there are really good people down here who are ready for the Gospel.  What a influence they are because they try to make the most out of there circumstances.  So for that I give them props and I pray for them all the time because right now it is pretty cold down here and I seriously think that Chile has crazy weather like Utah! 

If you look in the background you will see the house of this little girl


  
Bueno, time to talk about the weather.  So it has absolutely poured and rained so hard from Tuesday to Wednesday and I have been thanking my mom so much for her umbrella she has given me and for her help in the jackets.  If I made those decisions I would not of brought those things.  But it rained and rained and it was really hard to contact so we did a lot of teaching menos actives (less active) and working with the people that the Lord provided and guess what!  Four more spirits accepted baptism!  That's so awesome and what a blessing they are to my life.  I pray that they will persevere to the end and I cant wait to see them baptized.  Two of the people are part of  a family.  One is Catalina.....remember her?  She is the one who is Rachel's age and she accepted but we lost contact with her for about three weeks and she needed to be re-taught but this time her mother accepted as well.  What a great experience to see a family brought together by the Gospel and it always makes me think of when I was with my family and the Gospel was the glue that held us together in times of hardship.  Their dad was a member but has not visited the church in about ten years and he says his goal is to go through the temple with his family! WHAAAAATTT??   Oh man they are seriously so golden and I was so spoiced, it was sweet!  

(Note from Liz:  I did not know what the word "spoiced" meant so I looked it up.  This is what I found:  

"Spoice is an exclamation of gratitude towards life. It's the proper word to use when you find yourself in a situation involving a multitude of positive things at once. You may only utter it with pure joy behind it. Derived from snowboarding culture by people living in dreamworld."  Sounds just like a word Logan would use!)

But hey what can you do after a lesson like that?  Pray and pray that they receive answers in there prayers.  The other is a older women named Angelica.  She visited church this week as well!  She loves the whole concept of eternal families as well and I seriously think she is gold.  She loves to talk and talk and talk and to be honest when she talks I lose contact and struggle to understand her gossip.  Her Spanish is horrible and even my comp says at some points he just nods his head and smiles hahah.  The other is this mother in the Tomas that accepted baptism but the date is not set for her. This week has been crazy and I love this mission life.  I am always tired but it is the best feeling ever and I'm all smiles.

So as far as my health is concerned I am doing better and I bought some medicine.  I still have some coughing problems but it is all good.  I don't have any new flea bites and they are all going away except for some that scared up so I have some battle wounds.  As for vitamins I don't think they exist down here but i will look.  I'm always cold and yes I hate to say it but I love scarfs......yep I said it.  This whole I love my comp thing is awesome but his personality is rubbing off on me because we could spend literally all day in a store looking for clothes "p day of course" haha  But he has to try all this stuff on and I just laugh at him.  But we like different stuff as well. but yes I wear scarfs all the time because I am always frozen! 

Overall this week has been great and I think I will be tired forever but the Lord helps me when I am with the members or in a lesson.  We also have a ward activity coming up and its karaoke......and they want a solo out of me...... watch out Chile! haha I love my family and especially my mom and dad.  Thank you guys for your prayers and please don't pray for me but pray for my investigators.  I can tough things out but they need all the help they can get. especially with answers to their prayers  I really want you guys to know that being a missionary is hard. I always thought that was a lie but it really is really hard on your body and on you spiritually.  But there is a person that can help us....our Savior.  He is our Savior for a reason. he saves us from our temptations, our fears, and our doubts.  I love you guys so much and I pray for you all the time.  Sorry Luke I could not write you man I love you dude and we need to be roommates for sure.  This is the place I'm supposed to be.  Don't worry about me.

I went crazy chopping wood and they all said look at that American go! 

The rich part of my sector.....

Life in the Dumps

Las Tomas


Just me!

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