Hey, So much to say, and so little time to say it. This email is going to have to be a little short. Let me first say that I love this time where I get to hear how everything is going with everyone. So much is happening there, and so much is happening here. The members are awesome, and my companion is a lot more patient than I am with me learning spanish. We have a lot of work to do. There were 64 people at church on sunday, and there is a good percentage of the members that are inactive. And our Aaronic priesthood is really low in numbers. There is only one really active young man, Nelson, and he was the only one there on sunday, so I helped pass the sacrament. He is a teacher in the priesthood. We are focusing on lessons with members when we teach, because every member is a missionary and members can be your best tool in reactivation and helping investigators and less actives go to church and other activities. We are also involved a lot with the youth, because me and my companion are councelors in the Young Mens presidency. We teach the priesthood lessons on Sunday and do mutuals on thursday. Hopefully by the time I leave the ward can be strong and be an even bigger aid to the missionaries and this great work. In two weeks I get to go to the temple again, because I´m killing off my companion. Superbowl Time Already, we have to wait a bit for the World Cup of Fútbol. Everything is just so great, a billion times better than the MTC in every regards. Even the difference in food in the difference between night and day. Until next week, love you, Elder Chandler.
To the wonderful people of the United States, my family and friends:
There is so much to say, and I don't know exactly where to start. How about the food. In Chile they eat a large lunch and then have "once" at night which can be crackers with jelly, or bread and salsa, or sandwiches, or something else small. The members take care of lunch durring the week for us, and when I say large I mean LARGE. They start with a little something light, like a green salad. They also usually have some bread in the middle of the table. And then the bring out a huge plate or bowl of the main dish. To finish that is a fine task. Then they bring out a good amount of fruit, and by that time you are suprised you finished the main course. Yesterday we had lasagna, and by the time I was done with that large plate I was feeling a little sick from eating so much. And then I had a little fruit. Either my stomach shrunk, or Chileans are CRAZY eaters. I think it's the second. We walk a lot from place to place. It seems like most of the time of the day is just walking from appointment to appointment. But most of the people here are pretty cool, well except for the couple drunks in our area which I've only run into about twice, and the people who think it's funny to joke around and yell english from across the street, with the very few words they know. "Hello" "How are you". "I'm fine". And in the worst english and the worst accent. But in all seriousness, I love the people of Chile. They are the coolest people, so ¨Bakán¨ or super cool. It is going to be an awesome two years. I can´t wait to hear more from you all. It has been a long 6 weeks, but I am finally here in Santiago Sur. I woke up early and we were out by 9 am. Then we took a LONG bus ride down to the SUR, where we met the mission president, learned a little about the mission, ate sandwiches, and met our companions. My companion is from Ecuador, and it his his last 6 weeks in the mission. This mission is obviously the best mission in the world. The areas are in big need of reactivation. The mission president considers reactivation almost as good as a baptism. In some wards the activation percentage is under 7%. It´s poor down here, but the people are humble, or so I hear, and I am ready to get to work. It´s time to get the wards working as hard as they can with the missionaries, and building the church into something substantial and strong. I am ready to work. It´s pretty safe too, but if we do run into problems they told to do three things. First, Point to our badges and tell them we are representatives of Jesus Christ and to tell them we are only here to help. Next, offer to give them the most valuable thing we have, The Book Of Mormon. And third, dump out our bags and run the way. But everything will be OK. Everything will be great and fun, hard, but great. I can´t wait to learn the language, I can´t wait to get things moving within the wards, and can´t wait to reacivate, and I can´t wait to baptize. I am so excited to get to work and share the reason of why I am who I am today. I can´t wait to change people´s lives, I can´t wait to get to know the people of this worderful country of Chile. I can´t wait to get my hands dirty. It is so beautiful to have time to just think about the lord and his work, not school or your personal life, but truly forget yourself and become a representative of the Savior. I know that this church is true with all of my heart, with everything that I am in ways I can´t even explain. I feel so strengthened by the Lord, so important in his work. I am going to obey all the rules 100%, and be a person the lord want´s me to be. I invite you all to do the same. It isn´t easy, it´s really hard, but as you trust in the Savior, and strive to become an instrument in his hands you will be changed even more than you can imagine. I know I will change a lot. Keep doing the good work, keep doing His work. I am prepared to be in shock for a little bit: language shock, culture shock. It´s going to be a really hard few months. I love hearing from home, so please keep up the emails. I´ll talk again next week, but I just wanted to tell you that I got here safe and sound. Everything is great. I love you all, Elder Chandler.
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