It has been another cold and rainy week here in Frutillar and a real roller coaster of mission work here. On Tuesday I had the opportunity to challenge someone to be baptized and she accepted, we have a date but the only problem is she has to get married to the man she is currently living with so this could be a bit of a problem, we taught the law of chastity on thursday and it was extremely uncomfotable because they had a discussion about marriage right there in front of us and she called him out on watchin `` Peliculas cochinas´´ and they argued for a little with us right there and a member there with us as well but she agreed to try to live the law of chastity which is good, and she went to church with us yesterday. I hope she is ready for the 22nd of sept for her baptism.
After that though, most of our appts. fell and it was very rainy and windy which isnt fun here haha, everytime it is raining, I think welcome to the mission that I have heard about.
On Saturday, we taught a lady and she was one of those super catholics with the creepy pictures of Jesus holding a heart everywhere and I couldn't understand her at all because she talked so fast. I'm starting to understand alot better now though.
So my day is simple, I wake up at 7, eat study have lunch at 12:30 at our mamita´s house. We then do a little more study (We study more for my training which is 12 weeks) and are out at 3-4 and return home at 9:30-10 at the latest, bed by 11 but I am normally too tired before then and am in bed as soon as we are done with planning. Yeah we have to walk everywhere, and I have been wearing the goretex shoes which have been holding up great in this wet time, I've needed it. Sometimes though to go places like Fruttilar Bajo we take a collectivo which is like a taxi and costs 400 pesos which is around 85 cents. At church we have around 80 people in our branch and it is a good but busy day. I haven't played the piano becuase the branch president won't give me the songs beforehand to practice, kind of frustrating because I want too but he keeps forgetting. After church we go eat at a members house, we went to a young married couple´s house who were actually married in the temple about a month ago which is a huge deal around here because the temple is so far away. After church we just work some more.My spanish is coming, I can understand everything that gringos say other than words that I don't know, about 80 percent of a gringo and a latin talking and about 60 percent of two latins talking, I have definately seen alot of improvement in my spanish in two weeks and know the only way is up.
Like I have said the weather is crazy, we have had a perfectly nice day and it is pouring an hour later, or the opposite, yesterday and today have been very nice days though, I still never go anywhere without my rain jacket and rain pants. Right now we are actually living in a little place called a cabaña which is just a little house. Its one of the nicer ones of the mission with a wood stove and a space heater, it sure is cold in the morning. If you want to try to look it up on google maps, its on the street pedro montt and near the corner of pedro montt and san pedro and its where three little houses are and we are in the middle one. It's not too bad of a place.
Im eating kind of everything, alot of chicken rice, beef, pork and a ton a bread. There is bread at everymeal regardless of desayuno, almuerzo or an once.
Someone asked if we celebrated Labor Day in any specific way and the answer is they don't have labor day here haha, that is a made up American holiday. But the 18th of Sept is coming up and we got permission to move our p-day from monday the 17th to the tuesday the 18th and are going to Puerto Varas and are going to have a zone barbecue and play american football which should be funny with some of the latins haha, we´ll see. Im really excited for it, there isnt really a point to us working because everybody is just getting drunk and its more unsafe to be there in the street. Im probably going to buy a chilean flag though for that day to celebrate. I hear its just crazy and shops all around town are starting to decorate and get ready for the Day.Well I hope all is going well and you guys are always in my prayers, I've really started to make my prayers more meaningful in the mission and I realize how much I need blessings right now.
Take Care,
Love Elder Jentry Dale Nelson
