Buenos Dias Familia,
So I eat tomatoes now, and I don't hate them. They are really really big on tomatoes here, so they serve them to us all the time, and I have to eat them, and I think I must just have gotten used to the texture or something. Everyone says that they taste better here though.....so I may hate them again when I get home. Anyway just thought I would start off with that gem because I keep forgetting to tell you.
This week was quite the week! I think it is kind of just like pure confusion when you first get to a sector. I did learn a lot this week though. I kind of have a general understanding of my sector, and can even name off some of the streets and poblaciones (I know you are going to have to google that, but I don't know how to say it in English) so that is quite good. Also, I remember a lot of the names of people so that is kind of amazing! (We meet so many people, it is just really hard to remember sometimes. Example, one of the people we call tiger lady. It started out because my companion couldn't remember her name, but now it is just funny. We found her this week so that was exciting. She is in her 70´s. I saw her get off the bus and the spirit was all, you need to talk to her, so I kept walking (because I am dumb) and then we turned around and walked by her house and the door was open and the spirit was all go in that's her house, so I kept walking and then I realized I was being dumb and was all What am I doing? and turned around and then we met her. We haven't actually taught her yet, but she told us that she pertained to the church in Pichilemu, so that is kind of cool. We are going to teach her tonight. (Please excuse my terrible grammar right there. I know there are some run-on sentences. Maybe my sister will edit it for me :) ) (editors note: didn't happen :) )
Anyway my new companion is awesome. I love her. She kind of talks like a gangster, so if I start talking weird in e-mails....that would be why. She does know how to sound normal though haha discovered that one (funny story) Anyway she just finished her training. She is from Colorado. She was an atheist before she found the church. Her story is pretty awesome. She thought the church was like a history museum because she saw a family history sign and so she went in to check it out, and BAM conversion!
So I kind of want to back track in the week to when I was in Recreo. I miss those people! On Monday I went to say goodbye to a few people. I said goodbye to Patricia and she started to cry. I felt SOOOOO bad! She gave me one of her prized possessions and kept asking about how she could call me etc. It was pretty terrible. Then I didn't get to say goodbye to Javier.....that was really depressing. I called him on the phone though, and said goodbye that way. He was having chest pains again. I worry about that kid, I really do. They don't even know what is wrong with him, and I won't ever find out....because I am not allowed to write him. Anyway so I almost cried after that. I was really sad.
Anyway, so I got here to San Fernando. I am in the Guadalupe Branch (yep a branch not a ward). It is actually bigger than my last ward. We are in like the city part of San Fernando. There are some country parts......and they ride bikes, so I am pretty happy about where I am at. It is bigger than Graneros, but smaller than Rancagua....which probably means nothing to you all haha.
Anyway so we have some pretty awesome investigators here. There are two people that are going to get baptized in the next month. One whose name is Joaquin and the other is Nicole. Joaquin is a cheeky 14 year old with a lot of energy. He is really into the getting baptized thing. He told us on Sunday that he was talking to an Elder the night before and he told him he should pray to God to find out if he should get baptized, so he did and then he told us he got his answer during testimony meeting, that the church is true and that he needs to be apart of it. I was all like WHAT THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!! He prayed and was open enough to get an answer from the spirit. So then he walks away and Hna. Smith was all, well that was like a knife to my heart. She thought he said the opposite thing haha Anyway, so then there is Nicole who has known about the church for months and months. She has been waiting because she isn't married and lives with her fiance. (Something so common in Chile. Getting divorced is really hard here, and they only just started allowing it. So, living together is very very common.) She gets married on the 27th and baptized on the second of May. Her Grandma died on Saturday so she wasn't at church because there is a law you have to bury the people within 24 hours.....I'm thinking they don't embalm here or something.
Anyway so this week was definitely a challenge. I definitely felt strengthened by you all though. In the blessing I received before I left it gave me a promise that when I felt weak I should hit my knees and pray and I would feel the strength of my family members praying for me at home. So, thank you so much for your prayers. Satan was really trying to do a number on me this week. Just because your a missionary doesn't mean Satan doesn't try and get at you at whatever angle he can. He doesn't want missionaries in the field. He works so hard against us sometimes. It is really annoying. That is why obedience is so important as a missionary, and why the rules are so strict.
Anyway I love you all very much. I also miss you a lot. Feel free to fill me in on more stuff. I like the mundane routine things of life. You might think you life is boring or nothing is happening, but I happen to know all of your children and they are the funniest people I know! Please pray for Javier and his health problem. Please pray that Joaquin can have more desire to focus on his studies so his Mom doesn't make him stop coming to church. Please pray for Nicole and her family. Satan works so hard to stop baptisms.......its so stressful! Anyway be good, be diligent, be obedient. Stand up for what you believe in. Strengthen your faith. Love God more than anything else. Try and be like Jesus.
Read and Pray Everyday Everyday Everyday!
Love you to the U.S. and back a bajillion times!
Hermana Makin
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