Independence Day

Date: September 20, 2011 Area: Santiago, Chile Companion:Elder Metcalf

Hola Familia,

Sorry the letter was late this week. I thought yesterday ¨oh no, they are probably waiting around for the letter!¨ But I couldn´t write yesterday because it was a national holiday and everything was closed. This weekend was a lot of fun. It was the Independence Day weekend and everyone does go crazy here! Saturday there was a stake activity and there were a TON of people that were there. It was really fun! All the missionaries in my zone went too which was sweet. There was a ton of food and a big show with a bunch of Chilean dancing. Each ward in the stake performed a dance. It was super cool! I attached a photo. Then Sunday was the 18th, the actual independence day and it was also Elder Metcalf´s birthday so we went to eat with a bunch of the members in the ward which was good but way too filling. We both wanted to burst by the end of the day! I kept a count, that day alone I had 4 empanadas, 3 choripan (sausage in bread, like a hotdog), a massive serving of meat at lunch and 3 desserts. It was more food than at Tucanos! It was really good though. For dessert they usually will have peaches though every once in a while it will be ice cream which I like. And yesterday, the 19th everything was closed for the ferrial. Its like labor day where they celebrate the armed forces. So basically yesterday was a Sunday all over again. We couldn´t work because everyone in Chile does things with their families on the Independence Day weekend so they won´t listen to us. there were only 52 people at church!

 

Mom, I got the package! Thank You!! it was really fun to open and I loved the green theme!!! I think the best part was the measuring cup because they don´t sell them here!!! I looked so that is going to save me! Thanks. There is a picture of me eating the blueberry muffin batter=) it was delicious. We tried to make cookie dough last week but it didn´t turn out because they don´t have the right brown sugar here... oh well. And thanks for all the other cooking supplies, now I really can cook the recipes you gave me!

As for the week, it was really kind of slow. We couldn´t do much teaching so we focused more on the members. There aren´t really any cool stories. We haven´t been able to meet with either of the families that we have been working with which is really bad but we have appointments this week so we´ll see where they are at. We did find a less active family, the Suarez family that we have been working with to get to come back to church and they have a daughter that hasn´t been baptized so we´ll be working with them.

 

I did go on intercambios last week with the companion to the zone leader which was... interesting. The missionary I went with arrived the same time I did and he speaks next to nothing so I definitely had to take the lead in all the talking and teaching which was different. We taught 3 lessons and I understood and taught pretty well, considering. I´m starting to pick up the Spanish which I´m happy about.

Sorry that the letter is so short this week! I´ll do better next week. My thoughts and prayers are with you!

Love

Elder Holland