Feb. 26, 2011

Hey family!!

Thanks so much for your letters. I am doing great here. Things have been crazy and they aren't going to be slowing down. It all started on Tuesday when 7 missionaries went home and 15 came... that was crazy. We spent two nights in Talca this week, working in areas such as San Javier, Constitucion, Talca and such. I am in a trio; Elder Pitcher, Elder Garcia and Elder Keller. Elder Garcia is from Ecuador. I love them both, they are so awesome. I never wanted to be in a trio on my mission, but I'm glad to be with them because they are incredible. We have plans to do a lot. Elder Garcia goes home the same time I do in May. Right now we have to go to Constitucion again because the chapel was just finished and we are going to be having an open house. We will go with the president and the entire Talca Centro zone will be there. 

I'm excited for Erynn to give a talk. Compassion to me and my companions is a sincere concern for other people. Worrying about how they are. Love and understanding. Feeling pain for the suffering of others. That is what we think. Christ and His Atonement would be the best example of that. 

Thanks to everyone. I love you all....

Feb. 12, 2011

Did I feel the earthquake? You better believe I felt the earth quake, the epicenter was like 20 miles from here... in places like Talca it wasn't as strong, but it was strong here. We were just leaving the office and we were two levels below ground getting the truck when it started to shake... it stared and my companion was like "wow this is big" and I thought "no its not that big" but then it got bigger and bigger. I was right there getting into the truck, my comp who was just about to get into the truck left the door open and was now in between the truck and the path to the stairs slash elevator going upstairs. He was there yelling "¿que hacemos... subimos o vamos? subimos o vamos?" basically like what do we do... should we go upstairs or should we just get out of here? I was just about ready to lay flat on the floor next to the truck because in the big earthquake lots of the building that fell compacted down, but stopped because of the tires and shocks and wheels on the cars (looking back... I don't think our little ranger would be able to support the 11 stories that were above us) Then all the lights went out and it was black. My companion had the cell fone so he took it out and we went to the stairs. Everyone was coming down, but we were going back up to the office to see how the two elders were that were up there. There was no light in the stair well so everyone was freaking and my comp was showing them the way with the cell. After we didn't have phone coverage, we got home and some boxes and bottles had fallen and broken. But honestly, earthquakes are really fun to be in (except for the damage). Every time it shakes we look at each other and start to laugh. The only scary thing is when you're below a 11 story building.
Things are going good here. It's raining right and and kind of chilly, but that's ok.  It has been a good week.
So I'll tell you right off the bat, today we went bowling at the mall and there was a song playing and guess what/who I thought about.... Cpitch and Matty A driving about to Devil's Gate in the Maxima because when you got there you told me that's what you were listening too. Wow, I love you guys so much... give Matt a hug for me. I miss him.
 On Sunday we ate with the Fischbecks (senior couple) because it was her birthday on Saturday. She made a cob salad for lunch and afterward strawberry shortcake... good American food.
On Monday we went to a pizza place for lunch. Then I went to the dentist, not the best birthday gift but good news... no cavity! According to what he told me, the enamel had just gone away and because of that it was hurting. So he fixed it. Then in the afternoon we had a family at the bishop's house with some members and some new converts and Christian. It was good. The best part is that people called me to wish happy birthday. Adela called from Chillan. She called the president to get my number. Then people called from Talca, a group of like 11 people mas o menos. That was really neat.
Tuesday we were in Chillan for a training. We taught and talked about a lot of things with the zones of Chillan and Ñuble. Then after that we went out and worked with the zone leaders for the rest of the day. On Thursday we were back up in Curicó working with that zone. That is about a three hour drive.
Friday we were going to work with some sister missionaries in Santa Sabina. It is here in Concepcion. We were going to go with the zone leaders and then do splits, one ZL and one of us with a companionship of sister and then the same with another companion ship, but the earthquake didn't really let that happen.
I love having the assignment I have because we can do whatever we feel will help the mission. We can go and help whatever missionaries or companionships we feel like we could help or that the president wants us to help. We get to go and work with them, and we get to know them and love them. I also love traveling in the car with my companion, He is an awesome guy. I feel so lucky because with every companion there is just something that I will remember about that companionship... that usually happens with all missionaries and I think it's really cool.
Here's a photo from Christian's baptism

Feb. 5th, 2011

Hey... sorry I don't have any time so I figured I would just send some pictures...
The waterfall pictures are from today.

 This is from a training we did.

 This a little market place we went to that had stuff from all around the world... honestly I didn't buy anything... I wish I would have....

Cristain Lagos is getting baptized tomorrow!!!!!!! He passed his interview with flying colors... He has already taken the big earring out of the ear, the big gauge he had there....sorry, you'll never see any foto of him with the earring, only of the new Cristian :)
Chao!!!

Jan. 29, 2011

Good day to everyone.

I am so grateful for the chance I have to be here. I love Chile. More than Chile, I love the people I have met here. I love everything about this mission. Not so much the place or the cities, but truly the people. And not only the Chileans, but missionaries. The missionaries of this mission are absolutely incredible. They are awesome. I think the first person I would have to thank for that would be President Chavez. That man is amazing. He was truly inspired in everything he did here. Now President Humphrey is taking the baton forward. Another thing that is happening is that as I get to know President Humphrey more and more I see him more and more as the President that he is. I always thought that would be different, like as I got to know him more as a normal person, but that really hasn't happened. I have seen him more and more as the President literally called by revelation to lead this mission. I guess you could say my 'testimony' of him has grown. I have learned to trust every decision he takes.

This week was good... it went by very VERY fast because we were out of town all week. Tuesday morning we woke up early and went up to Talca. There we did a training with the Talca centro Zona and the Curico zone. After that, we did a minicambio for the rest of the night.  Elder Mcdonald and I went out to Constitucion, which is a sector with 4 sister missionaries and is right on the beach, a lot like Tomé. There we taught some people, first we went to a house of a man who was having problems with keeping some commandments and when Sister Enders and Sister Hardy told him we had come to talk to him, he said 'He is 20 years old, he might know more about the church than me, but he can't help me with life issues'.... plop....we didn't get to help him too much.. After that we went down to the beach (it was already 9:40) and the other sisters were there with two people that needed interviews. We began to give them interviews right there... that beach is absolutely beautiful.

Wednesday we were in Linares with Parral and Talca. Afterwards we made some other visits and I learned a lot about the importance of humility.

Honestly... It was a great week. I love being here. 

I love you all. Thanks for everything. I hope you have a great week. I would like to know if you are coming down to get me.

Love... Elder Pitcher.