The Roller Coaster... ups and downs

Today we spent nearly all p day in Santiago. My companion has had pretty bad back pains and now she´s getting the doctor to check it out. Why they send us so far away for the doctor, I´m not sure, but it was kind of fun to see a small part of the big city. People weren´t lying when they say how populated it is!! We got on the subway and it was shoulder to shoulder packed tight! We had to go to the doctor at the MTC here in Santiago, which means that we were right next to the temple…which means we took a couple pictures by it! It´s closed on Mondays, so we didn´t get to go in, but it was pretty neat.

Rita is doing quite well! We taught her about the word of wisdom most recently and though she has a few problems with it, without hesitation she told us she would stop smoking and coffee. My heart is so tender for her and her willingness and desire to learn and to follow Christ. These last couple times that we´ve been with her I have felt so content, so happy. I noticed that this happiness is something that I haven´t really felt to a great extent before… I really like it.

So things are going well, but there´s still the roller coaster… The other day we had kind of a downer one and at the very end of it we were doing a contact with a dad and daughter through their fence. Without noticing it, the little girl who probably only is 6, managed to find a rock about the size of an apple to throw at me with all the might her scrawny little arm had. It hit me on the arm… no big deal really, but it was kind of shocking, and a little embarassing and was kind of the last straw of the day. On the way home I was feeling kind of down but ended up sitting next to a random lady. Usually during contacts I am on the street with my companion, so if there is anything I don´t understand, she helps me out, so contacting people by my very lonesome is still scary. I was so nervous, but I talked to her and it was just fine. She didn´t want to hear more, but the good news is, I did it! Then the rest of the night I was super happy, see? Roller coaster…but a fun one.

It sounds like you are all doing so well. That´s super exciting that you got go up to a race with erik. GOOD WORK ERIK!! That´s pretty awesome. I´m definitely proud of my little bro! And tell Danielle to write me an email or something… I want to hear about these adventures…

Shoot dog, I can´t respond to all your comments, but I read them and I cherish them all in my heart :)

And I love you all so much! I´ll write next week!!

XOXOXOXOXOXO