Elder Logan Passey: March 16th, 2015: FIRE!!!!!

Wow guys you wont believe it but I have been fighting fires all day and night! Hahaha I cant believe you have heard about the fires! But yes they started Friday the thirteenth! It was the craziest thing ever, it started about four in the afternoon and it was growing bigger then ever! The scary thing was that it was in my sector! That’s right! Mom it was burning places where I was walking and teaching the gospel. Wow so anyway the cloud of smoke was getting bigger and bigger and then the smoke started to get dark and it looked as if a river of smoke was streaming its way through the sky and soon all we could see was smoke and flames licking the top of the hills and I was actually really scared at this point, so we where running away from the fire and they threw us into a fire house and told us how to start the water and where the fire fighting equipment was and how to use it. Then we went running around and I was using the huge firefighter hoses and spraying houses and trees and stuff to protect them from the fire!

I was nervous and my heart was pounding like no other and then the bishop called us and we went coughing to the church. We then made the run for our emergency backpacks and food and stuff, first thing I grab was my patriarchal blessing and journal and then clothes haha, But it was crazy and then we started to help everyone into the church and make lists to see who was where and see what had happened to the others! It was really like life or death for some people up in the higher parts of my sector. The fire did start by an illegal garbage dump and burning, sad thing is that the people were just trying to burn the trash and not throw it in the woods where people could see it, oh well. The fire raged and burned all the hills and made its way for our sector and started burning over there! The police where there and soldiers where there as well and of course fire fighters! Those guys are studs!

Anyway more about the fire, one lady died and I think a couple of fire fighters are in critical condition, it was crazy to know that I was there with my companion helping until it got way to bad for us to be there! So what then happened was the Chilean people are a little bit weird, obviously they went running and went to their houses, Oh, for your info when there is a fire, there are no rules driving wise! People were seriously driving on sidewalks and around each other then they had a wreck so they could not get up or down the hill. Then the worse happened, they cut the lights of the hill! Every light close to the fire went out and that’s when screams started to happen and people where robbing each other and people were crying in the street just sitting down and waiting. I have never beheld the fear and the horror before like I have seen this week, also the pride in which was in the hearts as the people boldly fought the fire and ran into the houses to carry out TVs and radios and stuff. How could you risk your life for things of the world? Wow it was crazy!

But really nothing else bad happened and it burned some apartments but they are all concrete so it was not to bad, thanks to the firefighters it was controlled. During the night time we helped the bishop as we ran and helped find old members who could not get themselves down from the fire by themselves. It was so very hard to run around through he smoke and it was piercing my eyes and we could not really breathe but to burst into a room and find that member and help her out was incredible. Obviously the situation was not really bad but health risks and everything made us really put out a great name for the church! The love I have for these members is so crazy and I would obviously do it again in a heartbeat!

I did not sleep too much that night and I kept waking up smelling smoke and thinking we would have to get evacuated. It was nuts but hey life in the mission! Oh and the first relief support sent up was dog food for all the homeless dogs and that the even corralled them all and brought them and gave them houses and everything! Ugh! People! Get your priorities straight!

Also my birthday gift was postponed when Carlos got knocked out playing soccer Saturday night and could not go to church Sunday for his baptism! Ugh! But he promised not to play soccer until after his baptism!

We also had a conference with president and he told us about humility and how we need more, lets just say my prayers have been longer and I can feel the lord closer then ever and I know he is protecting me!

Love you all and I hope you are all doing great, thanks for your prayers!

Elder Passey