¡Feliz semana de Independencia!‏

‏

What a week! Well it started out wonderful with a great package from my beautiful Grandmother. In it she set lots of goodies and some band aids- to which I thought, ‘‘She must think I have blisters, luckily I don't, I won't really need these'' (foreshadowing) but all the same I enjoyed the package.

We had a good first half of the week, finding a few new people to start teaching and helping the members prepare for 18th- Chile's independence day. It is bigger than Christmas here. We spent 2 mornings baking empanadas with an Hermana for her business. We made something like 70 of them. They are time consuming little things. But SO good.

In the streets we saw lots of kids playing with these wooden dradel type toys called Trumpos. We ask a few what they were and they told us they are traditional toys that they play with around the 18th. Me and my comp bought some to give them a try and they are so hard! You wind them up with a string and throw them at the ground and they spin...well that is what they are meant to do, but all the little kids are pros. We need some practice.
On Thursday we had an earthquake here in Chile! No worries it was very far from me. About 400 miles or so. The craziness is that we felt it here. It did no damage but it shook us up a little. I think the most annoying thing about it was that is distracted our investigators and they wouldn't focus after that. We were actually giving them the 'kill' speech during it (that we aren't going to keep visiting them) I thought it was ironic that it happened during the earthquake.
On the 18th it was a pretty good day. No one let us in. But we expected that with the holiday. We were allowed 2 hours at the church activity and that was really cool to go and see all the youth dance the traditional dances of Chile. They are really serious about that here. We also went to the Plaza, which was set up just like the fair. It was really neat.

The 19th was probably the most boring day of my mission. No one let us in again and we walked all day. Holidays have their ups and downs.

We were walking past a park and I had the great idea to go down the slide (to break up the walking) it was one of those really old metal steep and tall ones. It was a lot of fun until I fell at the end and ripped up my tights and my knees. I put those band aids to use from my Gram. That is what I get.

Well I think that is just about all you want to know about my week.

Love ya!

Besos

Hermana Saunders

Lucky month 7- Letter

Long week, but a good one! We continue to teach Fabian and he is progressing so much. This week we taught him the Word of wisdom  in a  game of basketball. It was a blast. He is just like a regular youth in the ward. We are still working on his mom. She is busy and not making time for us, but praying for an opportunity to teach her.

Last changes we had the sector in deviations with the other Hermanas, but this week we opened it up. We did a lot of walking and knocking to get to know the new sectors but I really think it will be for the best. We were lucky enough to find o lot of less actives this week that are ready to progress, which is exciting.

 Sad news is that we have in our plans to 'kill' our family of investigators this week. It has been 2 weeks without seeing them at church and we have prayed and feel it is time to let them go. I am sad. I am really going to miss them. Well, we will let go with faith. that is all you can do, right?

 We were put to shame this week when a member made fun of how tall our grass was at our house, so this week we took a morning to pull it all up. We couldn't locate any clippers and scissors just wouldn't cut it so we did things the Chilean way and we pulled every bit of it up. It was quite the adventure. Now we have to huge trash bags full of grass that the garbage men won't take... figuring out what to do with it will be our next adventure I guess.

Saturday we had a mission wide service day. In the morning all of the sectors near Concepcion came in and we cleaned a bunch of the streets. We played 'what are the odds' (sort of like truth or dare) with the Elders in our zone and Elder Meza from Peru had to buy me an ice cream. It was a good day.

 This week everyone is preparing for the 18th. It is Chile's Independence Day and they go crazy from what I hear. I am so pumped.

 The weather is really warming up and it is really nice not to lug around out water gear.

 I am doing great. Happy and healthy

Besos,

Hermana Saunders

 

 

 

Lucky 7 months

Hualqui B- Here to stay :)

¡CAMBIOS! Don't worry I am staying in Hualqui with Hermana Prettyman. I was praying for that, so I am happy. It is the most wonderful place in the mission. I am sure of it. There are so many incredible members that just love the missionaries. They have a rule that they can only sign up to give us lunch once a month because they are just so loving and giving and would do it every day if they could. What is even more incredible is that so many of them don't have work and are still so giving and firm in the Gospel. They are such examples to me. I am so grateful.

 It was a balancing act working with Hermana Heaton again this week but we did it, again with the help of the members. We will be having Hermana Pullson coming in to be her new companion this week so things will be back to normal :)

 We had an activity on Friday night- Noche de Country. We taught them all how to dance the cotton eyed joe and made fried oreos. It was a great time. We all really enjoyed ourselves.

 This week we taught a Jovencito Flabian. Our first lesson I was very skeptical about teaching a youth, but I was very pleasantly surprised about how prepared he is for the gospel. His questions are inspired. It was one of the most incredible lessons I have taught on my mission.

He told us he had deja vu, like he already knew us and he was coming home. I just wanted to scream to him: "You are home, the church is true and God loves you and you are his son and you are our brother!" But I kept my head on and continued to teach the Plan of Salvation. We got permission from his mother to continue teaching him and hopefully we can get her in on a lesson this week because the spirit was incredible.

 I am always running out of time but those are the highlights.

Love you!

Besos

 Hermana Saunders

Chinese/ Chilean Food