Okay, before i forget, I`m gonna answer your questions: Cali, no, I don`t know those people… sorry :( How do you know people from Machalí? Mom… I still don`t know Kelly Rassmussen. When I left she went to the area San Fernando, and I was in Guadalupe, but in the city of San Fernando. They are two areas in the same city. So she lives in the same house that I lived in. I know that she is with Hna. Pastrana from Colombia. And Hna. Pastrana is INCREDIBLE. So she is in very good hands there. Hna. Olson wrote me a letter once to tell me about how things are going down there and she commented that Hna. Rass is having a hard time because she was sick in the MTC and didn`t learn any Spanish so she feels really behind. But she said that Hna. Pastrana is helping her a whole lot. But I think that`s normal in the beginning of the mission. I am sure she will be just fine. We have a Sisters conference this next p-day, so I should be able to see her then.
I`m sorry if my last email scared you, I was just thowing in the details… oops? But everything is okay, please don`t worry. It`s been an interesting week! Presidente was very hesitant in letting us go out and work in our areas so until Thursday we could only visit members and the people that have dates to be baptized. That means that we had a lot of down-time… not been able to do a whole lot. As for the service we`ve been able to help a little, donate a few things, but we can only participate in organized service projects in the branch. There are a handful of families still living in the church, but the branch has really come together to help them, they are in good hands. Luckily Rancagua hasn`t been affected as much as another part in our mission, though our area has been the most affected of the Rancagua areas. The missionaries in the south are doing a lot more service as it was hit a lot harder. Though those in Concepcion obviously are not well. I am still amazed that not one missionary in all of Chile was hurt in the earthquake.
We`re still living with the Wengreens. They are taking care of us just fine. Though I sometimes feel bad because their apartment was already small for 2 people and now we`re 4 people and I feel like we`re kind of cramping their style. But they are being so patient with us being in their home. We have to travel a lot farther to get to our area (far enough that we can`t walk) So we`ve been able to hitch a ride from either them, or the assistants a few of these days and that`s been nice. They are working on looking for another home, but right now that isn`t their main concern, so we just need to be patient for a little bit more time.
As I said we had a lot of down time, so one of the days we went to work in the office! It was awesome. The assistants have been on the phone non-stop this whole week so I said (not seriously) that I`d help them out with the phone calls. So the Elder handed me his phone and said ¨go for it.¨ So I got to call all the zone leaders in the entire mission and get some info from them and write it all up in the computer. It was pretty funny because a handful of them thought it was a joke. But it wasn`t. The best part of it was when I got to call my old district leader and be the boss for a minute. Ha. JK… or am I… It`s been an interesting week. Sadly, it seems like the earthquake just made my companion more irritable and without desires for the work. That`s probably been the hardest part of the whole thing.
But the really good news is that Jairo and Monica (the sweet black Colombian couple) went to church yesterday!! Throughout the entire sacrament meeting Jairo just cried and cried. He said he ¨had pain being there¨ Because he is very sentimental and felt overwhelmed and obviously felt the spirit in the testimony meeting. But he LOVED it at the end, participated in the classes and left happy with a handful of books and magazines that the members gave him. Monica didn`t say much about church, she just sat quietly and took it all in. It worried me a little bit because she has been the more receptive one in the lessons. But when I asked her how she had felt she said that she had felt a peace and tranquilidad. It was pretty awesome. We are going to have a FHE this week with another family that live close by. They understand that they need to get married, but they are still missing a few documents to be ¨legal¨ in Chile. So the process will probably be a long one, but they are great anyway and make me really happy :)
Bueno, thanks for everything I love you all so much. I am sending a happy birthday letter to pops today so I hope he gets it.
One thing I wanted to make clear last week but forgot is: GET YOUR FOOD STORAGE UP-DATED!!! It really came in handy, and I don`t know what the situation would have been like if the missionaries hadn`t recently updated the food storage. Don`t wait, just do it now. Spend they money, make the effort, but get your food storage. One thing too that would be nice is to always have a backpack maybe under the bed with food, water, and a change of clothes and underwear and a pair of shoes. And a FLASHLIGHT. Those are the things we needed. It seems like we did that once a long time ago, but now`s a good time to update everything.
Welp, I hope this week goes well
Oh yeah… Cali, thanks for your email!!! I love you too! are you working at the Journey then?
CHAO
Hna. Jones
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