September 1, 2014

Estoy aprendiendo mucho aqui. Vida en el campo misiònal es differente que vida en el CCM pero yo pienso que los dos son bueno. En el penultimo domingo, uno de nuestro investigadores asistieron a la iglesia por la primer vez. Sin embargo, nadie asistieron este semana.

 

Translation:

I am learning a lot here. Life in the missionary field is different than life in the MCC but I think that both are good. In the penultimate Sunday, one of our researchers attended the Church for the first time. However, no one attended this week.

 

Now that you think I am smart I will tell you that I was using google translate. The language is coming and everyone says I speak well (for pronunciation and such) but the problem is I struggle to understand the people. Some are better than others but usually I am just trying to comprehend the overall message and I miss details. After each lesson I try to review what I understood with what Elder Stratford knows they really said. Sometimes I get everything. Sometimes... not so much. I try to talk to my companion in spanish whenever I can but sometimes english is necessary.

I used the cash from Aunt Meche to buy the sheets. I tried to use my card but the machine at the store had issues. I use my mission card for groceries. When I decide to buy souveniers or clothes I will use my personal card.  The church is apparently pretty impressive for Chile but it just looks like one from Utah on the outside. It is surrounded by a large fence though. Everything is gated or fenced in here. The interior is a little different from the chapels at home but they are remodeling it starting this week. For the next month we will go to the Stake Center for church. It normally starts at 11 but for the next few weeks it starts at 4 30. We will see how that goes.

The Get Sexy Plan has suffered a bit. He manages to get the exercise in but the diet falls to pieces. He tries and he can sometimes get one night of success but never two in a row. At least not yet. We are waiting to take pics of the sector because we want to know the best spots first and then just take one day to do it. I do have pictures of my pension though. (because some missionaries are in houses, apartments, the houses of members, ect. we just call them all pensions).

I have seen 3 other tall people so far. Most of them seem to be the size of Aunt Brenda or Grandma Hunter. It is a cultural thing to not get married. Most people are "con vive" meaning they live together. They will live with one person for 7 years and then switch. I guess they do it to avoid the hassle of divorce. Some people are con vive for 20 years though. It doesnt make sense to me but it is a real struggle for the missionaries here to get their investigators married before baptism.

Great to here about the other future missionaries. Tell Brycen to write me when he gets to the MTC. I am glad their talks went well. Tell Dad thanks for the advice. I have not struggled too much with my companion yet and I hope it lasts but much like Mom and her new phone we will have to wait and see.

Congrats on the victory Jake but be careful about those concussions. Futbol Americano is a great sport but there is a reason that the stereotypical football player is not very smart. Kaitlin, keep up the work on soccer. Your opponents are not from South America. At least you have a chance. By the end of my mission though I might be better than you if you dont work hard...

I have not been sunburned yet but it is winter going into spring here. It is usually foggy. The days when the sun is out I try to stay in the shade as much as possible because it does get hot. My companion has been all over the mission from the most northern city to the one furthest south and the weather changes quite a bit apparently. He was actually in Iqueque when the earthquake hit too. So while I dont have an amazing mission story, my companion has a few. I have witnessed a few small miracles already but I will save those for the homecoming talk.

We try to avoid nicknames in the mission field. In the Missionary Manual (aka White Bible or Guìa de Èxito) it says to refer to other Missionaries by their proper title as a way to show respect. Though for some reason before the mission Elder Stratford said "Brock" instead of "Bro" so he finds it hilarious that my actual name is Brock.

I hope that answered everyones questions for the week and I hope everyone does well with school, work, and sports. I am praying for all of you everyday but remember "Prayer cant fix stupid" so stay out of trouble! Love you all.
Elder Hunter

Also I have annointed two people with oil in the last two days. It is a bit different in spanish and everyone here has four to five names so that makes it tough but I did it. Plus I forgot to answer two questions.

First: It is actually usually cold in the Pension so I keep my jacket on to stay warm sometimes. The other Elders have a space heater in their room but we dont have anything like that in our room.

Second: P-Days are the same as every other day until 9 30. Then we can do whatever we want. usually we spend the morning playing soccer, then we go to a "Cyber" which is a business with public computers so I can send my weekly emails. we get our shopping for the week done (at least we try to. we have made exceptions for necessities like toilet paper and bottled water. Tap water is not safe to drink or cook with so we have to use big 20L jugs). We also try to finish other things we need to do like shine shoes, clean the pension, or sew to fix buttons and pockets.sometimes we go out to lunch and other times we go to the mamitas house. One of the other Elders in the Pension, Elder Malan, is trying to get me into Magic the Gathering. It is a very nerdy card game but he has cards in english and spanish so it becomes a stress reliever and language study. Sometimes we just hang out and talk (sometimes gospel doctrine, sometimes life before the mission, sometimes what life will be like after the mission, ect). At 6 30 we go back to work like it was a regular day. We visit investigators and less actives and then when we get home we plan for the next day and go to bed.

When you ask questions I will try to answer but I sometimes I do miss a question. Just ask me again next week if I miss it. always ask questions because otherwise I dont know what to write about... Love you all. Take care.

Elder Hunter (again)