What could be better than a large grill in the warm sun, eating empenadas de pino and potatoes, and listening to cueca while kites are floating above in the sky. At this moment I can´t think of many things better. Maybe you have to be here to know what I´m talking about. You can feel the chilean spirit strong on the national holiday of chile. What a beautiful time of year.
Saturday was the international day of service, and our zone, San bernardo sur, and zone La Bandera painted a few rooms and hallways in a hospital. We woke up extra early, and had people painting inside and other people without painting experience scraping off old paint in the exterior. It was a lot of hard work. Monday for a family home evening with a family made tacos, which turned out soooo good. I can thank my mexican comp for that great experience. Tuesday we had a family home evening with another family, which was fun but the food didn´t turn out so well, the cupcakes that she made burnt on the bottom and stuck to the paper. But aside from burnt cupcakes the lesson went really well. Wednesday we did divisions with the zone leaders, which live with us and work in our ward too. We went on bikes in the country, and when I say country I mean country. Large crops and farms, dirt paths and farm animals. It is so different from the other areas in the mission, which is pure city. I´ve only gone through those parts since we got bikes, so only a few times, but it is GORGEOUS. We saw goats, and took pictures touching them, because I won´t be able to see goats more in my mission. While returning and going down a hill, I fell and landed on my leg wierd. It didn´t hurt too much right away, and so I got back on the bike and went to the house of the ward mission leader for a service. He called us a little before and asked us to bring a table from the church. When we got there he told us that the service was eating completos. But he said we could only have one each. When he brought out the comletos we found out why it was only one. By the end of it all it was hard to stand up and bend my knee it hurt so bad. Brother Martinez took us home in his car. Durring the night I didn´t get much sleep, trying to find a position that I could feel comfortable and my leg wouldn´t hurt. I don´t think I got very much sleep in the night. In the morning it was worse. I couldn´t get out of my bed because I couldn´t move my leg. We had changed our Pday to play soccer with the members, and it was a little difficult to put on my shoes and socks or even walk. When we went to the church, I thought I obviously wouldn´t be able to play, I couldn´t even kick the ball very well. But we started, and like a miracle I started playing and after no time at all I was playing soccer like it was nothing. I even scored the winning goal, and helped the missionaries win against the members. Victory. And now my leg is almost back to normal, like a miracle. We just finished eating lunch with sister Macarena, a large empenada and a lot of meat and potatoes. It was so delicous. We are using their computers because all of the cybers are closed for the 18th. It was a pretty good week, and the last week of the cambio. Who knows which elders will stay and which will go, but I hope I stay for at least another cambio more. It´s good to hear how all of you are doing, and I will write more next week. Elder Chandler
Saturday was the international day of service, and our zone, San bernardo sur, and zone La Bandera painted a few rooms and hallways in a hospital. We woke up extra early, and had people painting inside and other people without painting experience scraping off old paint in the exterior. It was a lot of hard work. Monday for a family home evening with a family made tacos, which turned out soooo good. I can thank my mexican comp for that great experience. Tuesday we had a family home evening with another family, which was fun but the food didn´t turn out so well, the cupcakes that she made burnt on the bottom and stuck to the paper. But aside from burnt cupcakes the lesson went really well. Wednesday we did divisions with the zone leaders, which live with us and work in our ward too. We went on bikes in the country, and when I say country I mean country. Large crops and farms, dirt paths and farm animals. It is so different from the other areas in the mission, which is pure city. I´ve only gone through those parts since we got bikes, so only a few times, but it is GORGEOUS. We saw goats, and took pictures touching them, because I won´t be able to see goats more in my mission. While returning and going down a hill, I fell and landed on my leg wierd. It didn´t hurt too much right away, and so I got back on the bike and went to the house of the ward mission leader for a service. He called us a little before and asked us to bring a table from the church. When we got there he told us that the service was eating completos. But he said we could only have one each. When he brought out the comletos we found out why it was only one. By the end of it all it was hard to stand up and bend my knee it hurt so bad. Brother Martinez took us home in his car. Durring the night I didn´t get much sleep, trying to find a position that I could feel comfortable and my leg wouldn´t hurt. I don´t think I got very much sleep in the night. In the morning it was worse. I couldn´t get out of my bed because I couldn´t move my leg. We had changed our Pday to play soccer with the members, and it was a little difficult to put on my shoes and socks or even walk. When we went to the church, I thought I obviously wouldn´t be able to play, I couldn´t even kick the ball very well. But we started, and like a miracle I started playing and after no time at all I was playing soccer like it was nothing. I even scored the winning goal, and helped the missionaries win against the members. Victory. And now my leg is almost back to normal, like a miracle. We just finished eating lunch with sister Macarena, a large empenada and a lot of meat and potatoes. It was so delicous. We are using their computers because all of the cybers are closed for the 18th. It was a pretty good week, and the last week of the cambio. Who knows which elders will stay and which will go, but I hope I stay for at least another cambio more. It´s good to hear how all of you are doing, and I will write more next week. Elder Chandler