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| A Chilote house (on stilts) |
Mis queridos!!!!!
So Tuesday the house rest was lifted and we have been able
to work normally now. Elder Weech feels better because he is taking some medication
to help with the pain. They said he has "calculos" which could be
kidney stones. But we don’t know.
We went to Punta Lapas this week. It is the end of the Pan-American
Highway. Super cool. Reminded me a lot of the Oregon coast- windy, cold, water,
beautiful, salt smell.
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| Punta Lapas |
I had an intercambio with my zone leader Elder Hughes. He is
from Nevada. He is taller than I am. We ate completos for lunch, then worked
hard. We gave two baptismal invitations, but they weren´t accepted. That’s ok. We
did our part. During the intercambio, an hermano named Ronald worked with us.
He works in Líder and called us to see if he could work with us even though it
was his only day off in the week. Golden.
A few days ago, we passed by Hno Antonio y Hna Jacklyn to
visit them. That’s the family we ate an asado with on Christmas. They live on
the top of a forever long hill and have a ton of massive pigs. As we were
climbing the hill, we could hear pig shrieks. When we got to the house, the
hermanas told us to go to the pig barn. The familia Fernandez had just come,
and they butchered a pig. We all grabbed a leg and carried it to the car so the
familia Fernandez could take it home. Super heavy pig.
The other day, a guy in the street said hi to us. He looked
a little too happy. We were waiting for someone to come to a cita with us. After
a few minutes, the guy came back and started talking to us. I’ve learned in my
mission that if someone wants to talk with you, and not the other way around, it often means they are either drunk or a pastor. He turned out to be the second. He
kept pulling out all of these "examples" to help him make a point
which he wasn’t doing very well, and he kept telling us parables from the Bible.
Elder Weech talked with him. I said hi to people as they passed. The pastor asked me the answer to a parable. I remembered the
answer because Dad had talked to me about that same parable a while back.
Whipped out the right answer.
This week, I asked Elder Weech for a priesthood blessing
because I have been feeling a lot of stress. It helped. Mom, Dad, Uncle Josh,
your advice in letters helped me out a ton this week. I’ve made little cards to
carry around with me that give ideas on how to deal with stress. That way I
always have a resource with me. I’m marking up my scriptures so I have
something to read also. The mission is really helping me out with stress. I’ll
return super chill :)
Yesterday, we taught Hna Jacklyn and Antonio about
preserving to the end. We set up a noche de hogar with them. We are going to
bathe their pigs!!! While teaching them, I realized that I absolutely love
these people. They are so humble and have such good desires. I love them.
Catalina leaves Santiago on the 24th. We taught her the plan
of salvation this week. And during the lesson, she stopped us and told us that
she got an answer to her prayer about joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. She
said it was a warm feeling that felt good. Her mom started to cry. Tender
moment. I couldn’t stop smiling. While teaching the plan of salvation, Claudia
realized the importance of the fall of Adam and Eve. It was cool to see that
light bulb go on. Tonight, we have a noche de hogar with Hna Jacklyn, Hno Antonio,
the family of Pres. Ojeda, and Claudia, Catalina, and Benjamin. We are going to
teach the ten commandments. Later this week, we will complete her teaching. She
could honestly get baptized this weekend, but we will wait until after her
surgery. But I think she will get her baptismal interview this week. So
grateful to witness the conversion process of this beautiful family. Catalina
has been reading and praying daily and going to church. She is so good!
Until next week,
Elder West
