Two changes with elder figueroa, and now it is time for a new companion. It was a good three months, and I am happy that he gets the chance to train, or be a father. And I am also happy to stay in Quimey. I found out yesterday that my new companion is Elder Nichols, who I know from La Bandera when I was starting the mission. Now he only has 3 months left, 2 changes. That makes me feel even older. My first gringo companion. Now there are three gringos in the house and only one latino. Go USA! I don´t know how much more time I will be here, and I have a lot of plans to to reactivate and baptise and progress the people we have and also plant new seeds here in Quimey. Lets see if I can do it, and work some miracles here. My first day with my new companion was a little crazy, but amazing. We taught two lessons from contacting. It baptism there. It was definately a miracle, a tender mercy of the Lord. We had a ward activity friday, with folklore dancing and Karaoke, but we could only stay for a little bit because we had to return home. We only saw a little dancing. The bad part is that not verwas so amazing. For the second contact we were knocking doors in between apointments, and before we could say anything to her she said, can you come in? That never happens. NEVER. Especially in the area we were contacting, which has been contacted a lot by the missionaries before. It turns out she is a member that moved there a few years ago, and hasn´t been to church in a long time. Her only son died from cancer not to long ago, and has been going through stages of depression. She realized that it is time to return, and asked where the chappel is. She was happy to know that it was so close, and said she would go sunday. We took another apointment. Her boyfriend isn´t a member, so maybe there is a future y much people went, I think because it is the 19, and people were visiting family. But a family went that we have never been able to find to teach, even though we have passed by often. My comp found them when we were on divisions and invited them to the activity, and they went!!! We started teaching them yesterday, me and elder Nichols. Today we played soccer with 2 another zones. It was fun, but we had to sub in instead of continue playing, which made it a little borring, but still fun. Elder Nichols is from San Diego, and also has a twin serving the mission, but in california. I love it here, and love all the support you give me. Take care, Elder Chandler.
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 We had the stake activity saturday, which means we ate good, got to watch each ward dance a traditional cueca dance, and chill with the stake members. It was a great activity, and we finished it off with a giant empananda de pino which was to die for. Our phone was out of commision for about a week, and we just got it fixed yesterday, which was a relief. Not having a cell phone makes the missionary work a lot harder.The Soto family are progressing nicely, and are practically active; they jsut need a calling the the ward. The problem is with their son, Javier, who just plays video games all day and doesn´t want to go to church or listen to us. The Fica family feel like the word isn´t very welcoming, and they don´t have friends in the ward, but Martha goes to church every week with her daughter. Those problems make it a little dificult for them though. Marco and Gledys are doing really well, especially Gledys who assists every sunday and is definitaly the example for her family. She is dilligently working to help her family grow in faith, which can be a little difficult when her daughter and husband have their doubts at times. Her 18 year old daughter isn´t a member but she convinced her to go to church with her the whole month of September. Amanda ran over her cat, so yesterday and sunday we helped remove bandages from the leg wound, clean the wound, and re-dress it. It is service for Amanda which she can´t do herself, but it´s a little sickening and grotesque. Today we went bowling!!! I won both games we played. We also played pool, but I could use a little more practice there. It was Really Fun. Tomorrow we are in the house all day due to the 11 of september, which I´ve heard that there is a lot of violence on the streets. We have to enter the house early today, right after internet for the same reason. Thats a good wrapup of my week, I am having a great time and killing it on my sweet bike. I love you all, Elder Chandler.
To start off this week has been a little strange, because everyone in our house has been sick except me. Especially Elder Burhoe who hasn´t left the house in 4 days, and has felt awful. We have been in the house a lot, which is difficult when you can´t leave. We are now teaching piano and english in Quimey, which has turned out so far to help a lot to find new people to teach. Monday I did an interview in English to help a kid with his school project, and his father said that we are welcome to come back, and he is interested in learning more about the church, and will go to the piano\english classes friday. The cool thing is that he came to ´´our´´ house to ask help, he found us!! I also love my bike, it makes it so much faster and cheaper to travel. Yesterday we went to the Estancillas de Nos, which is REALY country, with people with farm animals and crops. It is so cool, and so different from the city. And the people were so receptive, we have three new families to teach. I will have to send you some pictures, it is really awesome. There are chickens walking down the street, horses and sheep. Elder Zeballos from the 70 is comming to talk to the mission. And the Fiestas Patrias are comming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This Saturday we have a stake activity, with cueca dances and empenadas and asados, which means a lot of meat. I hear the families have a lot of parties, and for a week there will be asados every day in every house. MMMMMM. The bad part is that we will have less lessons, because everyone is celebrating, but we get to celebrate a little with the families we are teaching. My mouth is watering just thinking about all the food. Also, the 10th we will go home at 6 at night and not leave until the 12th. That´s because there is a lot of violence and drunks on the streets on the 11th. I think we are going to cook a little in the house that day. The 18th is chile´s independence day. Saturday we did crossfit in the chappel with the ward mission leader, which we also did the saturday before. We were so soar afterwards that it was difficult to walk, and siser Olson fell about 4 times. We have been soar the whole week, and just now are feeling a little better. We have also been recieving a lot of rain. Thats a good thing, but I am a little sick of the rain too. I don´t think I am forgetting anything. It is good to hear that you are all doing good. It is also good to hear that Jeremy is having success in Argentina. I hope some of those Columbians get baptized. I love you all, Elder Chandler
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