Week 19 - September 21st, 2015

This week was a little crazy. So first: there was the earthquake and the tsunami. My companion and I, and all the missionaries in our zone, have been helping out with service down where it really hit hard. We do service from about 10 to 1, and then we have lunch and then back to work as missionaries! Im pretty sure we will be doing the same this coming week. So we have been doing a lot of service, but then to top it off, probably the biggest holiday in all of Chile was this last Friday. The 18th of Sept is their independence day so there is a gigantic field next to the ocean where they have stores, resturants, games, a rollcoaster haha, dancing, concerts, etc. And the festival is pretty much the whole week, Soo all the people have been there, so we havent been able to find anybody haha. So on the 18th we were told just to stay with the members the whole day, and the recent converts. But yeah! Thats what has been happening! Hopefully we can find more people this next week, soo keep us in our prayers please! AND all the people that lost their homes, and businesses, and everything. Im soo grateful for all your support! Ok thats it for this week! Chao!!

The view from his room

"La Destrucción"

Elder Johnson his new companion

"My companion & I ate BBQ blood. It's actually pretty good."

EARTHQUAKE UPDATE: Friday September 18th, 2015

Hey mom!! Yeah so I was in the 8.3 earthquake!! Me and my companion were walking in the street and talking, and all of the sudden I started to hear a rumbling sound, so I was like, hey stop. And then thats when it happened! we were standing in the street, like holy crap hahaha. It was gigantic!!! It felt like we were on a scateboard or something, we were swaying back and forth and so were the buildings, the light poles, everything was shaking. that was probably the coolest thing that ever happened hahaha. For the rest of the day we were feeling tremors, but before we went back to our pension, we found members who were walking to go watch the tsunami! so we were like.... OK lets go!! Hahaha so I was really high up and I got to watch the tsunami come and take out cars, boats, and we were next to a dock for cargo ships, so there were tons of those giant cargo boxes that went past us. BUT yeah. Thats what happened. My whole area is on a hill right next to the sea, so I was safe and I got an awesome view of everything. There were some missionaries that werent able to sleep in their pensions, but everything turned out OK. I have some great photos! I will send them to you next Pday so yeah, I just didnt want you to worry or anything! We have been doing a lot of service too because of the tsunami. The tsunami was probably the most destructive part, most of the center of our city was like taken out, and a lot still dont have lights. We are using member´s computers because everything is closed, because they dont want anything stolen. Anyways, thats what happened!! Im fine so settle down!! ya weirdo. I love you tons!!!! Everything is TOTALLY OK. Chao!!

Oh haha I didnt answer some of your questions: YES im soooo happy that I lived through one and I cant wait for the next one next year!! There is suppose to be another big one next year, so we will see!! and yes I knew what it was when it started, thats why I told my companion to stop talking, because thats what I thought it was, but I didnt know it was going to be that huge!! Hahaha yeah so I saw the tsunami, but I couldnt see a lot of the actual ocean because it was at like 10 oclock at night, so I only got to see what was coming on the land, but it was still awesome to see hahaha. No I didnt loose anything in the flood hahaha im really high up on a hill so the water didnt even come close to me. Hahaha alright soo you can be at peace. Hahaha I love you tons!! Chao!!

Week 18 - September 14th, 2015

Weeeell, Changes were this past Wednesday, AND my companion left, AND I left. Yep Im no longer in Olumé, there are now two new Elders in that sector. That was totally not expected! When the zone leaders were reading the names of the missionaries leaving, they first read my companion´s name, which we both saw coming, but then they read my name and I was like . . . . . What? Hahaha so now Im in the North! The place where I am now is about 6 hours to the North of Viña del Mar, called Parte Alta, Coquimbo. My sector is basically a penisula, almost completly surrounded by ocean. Im actually really happy about that, because the winds that we get from the ocean are great especially now that summer is starting to come. ANYWAYS, my new companion is Elder Johnson, he is from Arizona, 18yrs old but his birthday is 28 of this month, and he has 6 months in the mission. Soooooo, yeah hahaha. My new area has a lot more flighte people, which is basically like gangster, or *cough* white trash *cough*. So its been really interesting! The people are a little strange here, but the members are awesome:) Thats one of my favorite parts of the mission! OH YEAH. The view from my pension (my house) is so incredible. Like, its freaking beautiful. I also live about 2 minutes walking from the biggest monument(..?) in Chile! Its a gigantic cross called Cross of the third millenium. Hahaha, but you can go inside it and look out at the ocean from the view! We are hopefully going to go up it next week! I dont have pictures today, so next week. But yeah. Thats may new area! Its been a crazy past couple of days! Oh and one more funny thing that happened, my old companion: Elder Henriquez, is now with my companion from the MTC haha. Yep so thats about it!! Chao!!

Week 16 - August 31st, 2015

This week has been pretty slow hahaha. But here´s whats new: We started teaching a class for the members of the ward so they can start teaching the lessons to the recient converts. We are only teaching the ward leaders right now, but its been a lot of fun!! Hahaha so thats been happening and last time I had to teach the English class all by myself. It was good I hope haha. We started contacting in new areas which makes me really happy, and we now have some really good investigators so Im excited to start teaching them, BUT! Changes are not this week, but next, and the city Im in, Olmué, is becoming one sector! So it will now be either just Elders or Sister missionaries:( So Im probably going to be leaving which sucks because I really love this area. But if Im not suppose to stay here, then I guess I will do more good somewhere else so now Im just waiting to see what happens haha. Anyways! Thats about it for me. I started wearing short sleeves now because its really starting to get hot:( Dang it haha. Oh!! I have now finally had liver!! Yaaay. Its so gross hahaha. The mean people here keep giving it to me hahaha. Its not even meat. Its like sand or something hahaha. Other then liver, the food is actually really really good here. And there is a place close by my house where I can buy french fries and empanadas!! Im so happy hahaha. Alright, well thats all for this week!! Chao!!

(The pictures below aren't from this past week, but they are from the MTC! He just got them & they're fun so I thought I would post them)