Date: May 18, 2013
Area: Santiago, Chile
Companion: Elder Berrios
Hey
Family,
I don´t really have
too much time to write (like 15 minutes) sorry. I have found that it is kind of
harder in the office haha but it really should be easier though. Crazy things
just seem to happen though.
Like today for
instance. We went to the zoo in the morning and that was cool, it was really
kind of sad to tell you the truth because it is really small and all the animals
are just depressed because they can´t go anywhere or do anything so it wasn´t
that cool. But we did get to see a bunch of different animals. After that we
went to an investigators house who is from Peru. She invited us over for lunch
and so we headed over there and were able to share with her for a little bit
which was really fun. She said that she is going to come to church tomorrow
though so it should be good. While we were there it a big thunderstorm came in
and it started pouring and for a little bit it was hailing! It was sweet! The
hail was really big too, like the size of a pellet gun bullet. (well thats big
for me haha) and so we were leaving Sonia´s house and we called Elder Peters
(the secretary, the one you met when we did skype) and he and Elder Miklich (the
other one you met) came and picked us up in the car so that we could go to the
mall to do our shopping for the week. It was interesting driving over there
becasue here in Santiago it doesn´t rain very often and when it does the streets
are converted into rivers! So literally we were driving through rivers the whole
way and the parking lot in the mall was basically a large lake. But we shopped
and we left and on our way out of the parking lot we got a flat tire haha! So we
had to change it and it took a little bit but thats why we got back here late
and why we don´t have much time to write now.
But this week flew
by. We had a couple of different training days this week which were fun. One
was Consejo de Líderes (leadership counsel) and that was with all the zone
leaders and the sister training leaders (a new leadership position that the
sisters have) and it was the first time any of them had been to the meeting
because all the zone leaders in the mission are new. (the area told president
Essig that the zone leaders are no longer allowed to train and they have to be
companions with another zone leader and so in order to be obedient President
changed all of the former zone leaders to be district leaders/trainers which is
why all of the zone leaders now are new.) It was a funny way to bend the rules
but it worked and all the zone leaders are still great. But it was fun to be in
the training with them. We set a new goal as a mission for baptisms so that it
is a bit more realistic (we dropped it from about 100 to 60) and hopefully this
month we should be able to get the goal.
But then on Friday we
had FASE 1 which is a meeting for all the new missionaries and their trainers
and that was a really fun meeting because it is a whole lot more relaxed. Its
fun to be with all the new missionaries because they have so much hope and faith
but they really just don´t know anything! haha so its really fun. Those are the
best companionships in the mission, the new missionaries that are full of that
fire and the oldest most experienced missionaries. They make a powerful team and
its cool to see.
At first getting up
in front of all the missionaries to have to train them was a little bit strange
for me but now I really kind of like it. It is fun to get in front of all the
missionaries and to be able to teach them the things that I learned and to try
to excite them to do everything better and stick to the mission plan and pump
them up! haha, its fun.
We had a fun
experience last night! Since I got here to the office we have started to fix
weekly goals as a mission. For example we have this week the goal to have every
companionship have 7 with member lessons and 6 references contacted. Then every
Wednesday and Friday in the night we call the zone leaders and the sister
training leaders to see how they are doing with the goals. On Friday we ask for
an average of the goals (what the zones and groups have up til that point) and
then we send it out in a letter every Saturday morning to the zone leaders and
the sister training letters so that everyone knows how things are going. Anyway
we call in the night at about 11 and we called one of the sisters who is a
leader and she said that when she called one of the companionship's in her group
that they didn't answer. She said that she called about 15 times and every time
she would call they would cut the call. She said that after calling that many
times the phone got turned off and she couldn´t call anymore. It was strange. So
Elder Millan and I started trying to call and nothing went through because,
indeed, the phone was off. Well now its about 1130 and we call president and
tell him about the situation and he is worried because it was a strange
situation. I mean, if someone calls you 15 times you are probably going to call
them back and not just turn off your phone, right? And so he said that he wanted
us to call the Elders that are part of the same ward as these sisters and have
them get a member that lives close by to go to the sisters house to just check
up on them and see if they were ok. So I called this poor elder who was sleeping
by this point and get him going so that he sends somebody to check up on the
sisters. In the end the bishop sent a sister from the ward over (now its like
12:15) and she starts ringing the doorbell a TON and nobody comes out. So she
informs the bishop who is now in contact with me. He gives me a call to let me
know whats up and it was really strange. So I call President Essig and he said
that he wanted us to get dressed and go with the other office elders to the
office, to get the keys to their house and to get out there to know what was
going on and if they were OK. I was kind of nervous for them but it was like an
adventure. So we get headed out there and get to their house at about 1 in the
morning. The lights were obviously off and we started ringing the doorbell a
BUNCH and.... nothing. So we unlock the gate and go to the door and start
pounding on the door and.... nothing. So we start trying the keys and none of
the keys worked for the front door, it was not a really good situation. So we
try going around back and as we were going back there a neighbor came over and
was like ¨ what are you guys doing¨ because it was fairly suspicious- 5 guys
dressed as we were at 1 in the morning trying to get into the house of sister
missionaries haha. We explained to him the situation and he was cool and left.
But we got into the porch in the back and they had left one of the doors
unlocked so we were able to get into the house. So we get inside and start
turning on the lights and talking saying ¨Hermanas!¨ so that if they were there
we wouldn´t scare them too badly and... nothing!!! So we make it to the one door
that is shut and we open it up and.... THERE THEY WERE!!! haha. And we opened up
the door and were still talking and NONE of the 3 sisters woke up!!! They were
asleep like ROCKS! But we decided to wake them up so that they knew what was
going on and the first one to wake up jumped about three feet in the air and
just about had a heart attack! I felt kind of bad but it was funny afterwards.
We explained to them what was going on and everything and they said that their
phone just died and that nothing had happened. So it was a great blessing that
they were safe and everything but I don´t understand them. If somebody calls you
15 times that late at night and your phone dies, the logical thing to do would
be to charge your phone and to call back! I still don´t understand why they
didn´t do it but.. oh well haha. But we called President Essig back and he said
thanks and that was about it so we headed home and went to bed haha. We hit the
sack at about 2... the funny thing is that thats not too unusual for the
office=)
But that was my fun
experience for the week.
Time is really
flying. I can´t believe that two weeks have passed since the changes and now I
only have 4 weeks left here in Chile. Andrew Jensen finished his mission a
couple of days ago...CRAZY! I am actually doing really well at not thinking
about it though, I feel good about it. We are keeping busy here with lots to do
so I don´t have too much time to think about going home which is what I like.
When it comes I know that it is going to be a great mix of emotions.
This next week is
going to be a bit crazy. Monday we have our office meeting with President Essig
which will take most of the day and then we have to run out shopping for some
stuff for certain missionaries and we have to drop off some things to different
zone leaders. Tuesday we have a Zone Training Conference in the morning that we
have to go to (we are just going to observe and the zone leaders (actually the
one that I am going to, Elder Barnes is the zone leader) and the zone leaders
are going to teach the lesson.) Its the same lesson that Elder Millan and I
taught in Leadership counsel. And after the conference I am going to do
exchanges with Elder Barnes until Wednesday morning. Then Wednesday afternoon we
will switch back and it will be normal. But then the fun begins because on
thursday and friday, then every day the next week and then the monday the week
after we will have interviews. That means that we are going to be waking up
pretty early everyday to get to the chapels by 8 and we will probably be in the
interviews until 5-8 at night. While President (I feel bad for him) does the
interviews Elder Millan and I are going to check the area books and the daily
planners of each missionary so it shoud just be a whole bunch of fun! =) haha.
Time is going to keep flying.
On Wednesday (the 22)
Sister Waldron (a sr couple missionary who is incredible!!!) also has her
cumpleaños! So we are going to have a small party here in the office that
evening which will be fun.
Love,
Elder Jaromy
Holland
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