September 17th, 2012

Hola Familia!


What a crazy week this has been! Well I arrived safely in Chile, I think President and Hermana King sent you a photo. Do not be tricked my trainer is not American but from Argentina, Buenos Aires. Which means I don´t speak English very much, and by very much I mean maybe 10 words a day. But it is good. She is kind though. Very touchy feely but that is the culture I think. Also this is her first time training, and I´m not sure who is training who, but that okay. Only sometimes frustrating.

Things about Chile.

I learned Spanish in the MTC, here they speak Chilean. Definitely not the same and super duper fast. Yeah. but I am slowly getting better at understanding them, and if all else fails I just guess at what I thought they said and respond back. It usually works out pretty well.

Chileans are not very dark at all. Light skin dark features. Lots of people remind me of dad especially when I see them watering their lawns with a hose. And also Chileans take great pride in the gardens. Its great, I think dad is part chilean or chileans are part basque.

I get to sleep in till 730! Hallelujah! Because chileans are lazy and get up really late. But also stay up really late so normally in our mission we wake up at 730 and go to sleep at 1130.

However my area is a little bit different. Caution before you read this part, mother remember that I am a missionary and protected. Okay so my area used to be a elder sector but it was switch to hermanas but there are rules. Normally we have to be in our house at 1030 here, 900, because it is dangerous here. But all is well I am still alive. There are some really humbling circumstances here and it is definitely not the richest part of chile. Also my companion says that this is one of the hardest areas in the mission. I believe it. You would not believe how many people are inactive. literally pages and pages of names. So that is what we work with, reactivating people. It is hard because we basically have double duty, we have to find and reactivate, which is basically the same this as having an investigator that knows nothing. Also here we have lots of investigators that we call the investigators eternal. Because they are. No joke. One goes to chuch, has visiting teaching, takes the sacrament, super active, not baptized!!! AWWW! so frustrating. My personal goal this exchange. They may be stubborn but so am I and I don´t give up. Also marriage is a really big deal here, people don´t get married and break the law iof chasity which isn´t really that great, so we have try to convince them to get married. Its hard. But really really good people. Super nice. And the members that are active are active! And so strong in the church.all 40 of them.

So this week some funny things.

Someone called me the devil.

Someone saw I was holding a book of mormon so decided to give me a catholic prayer in hopes of leading me on the right direction. Sadly to him it didn´t work.

I get called all sorts of name, but luckily for me I don´t understand spanish so I don´t understand them. My companion always says, oh don´t listen to them and I respond back, oh don´t worry I don´t understand. Its fine. Blessings of being a gringa.

Oh investigator is super catholic, we walked in and I could tell she didn´t want us there but we stayed, sang a song and the spirit was so strong there. We taught about prayer. At the beginning she wouldn´t talk to me because she said I couldn´t understand, which i understood when she said that but by the end, she complimented my spanish and said I spoke well! Oh yeah! Also many of the ward members tell my companion that I speak well so that´s nice.

Lots of Burrachos, drunk guys, and here you greet with kisses. I was scared for my life. and put my hand out as far as I could so he could kiss me. SO SCARY! Luckily I only had to touch his hand.

Also alot of gypsies here, real life with gypsy names like esmeralda and tamara. I feel like I am in hunchback of notre dame. My companion is teaching me the ways not to be stolen from! She´s nice


Experiences this week.

Starting with a referral. From Bolivia, super nice, super receptive to the gospel, first lesson asked when church was! Oh yeah golden. We met her yesterday and she is coming to a ward activity with us today! Super excited.

And lastly my favorite experience this week. There is a women in the ward who was excommunicated over 10 years ago. Don´t know why but her husband recently joined the church 2 years ago and together they have been very active. With all their children. 4 have served missions all are super active but she isn´t a member obviously. Well this week we decided to ask the bishop when she could get baptized. He said in 2 weeks! We were so excited to go tell her and when we did it was such a special experience. Everyone was crying and the spirit of gratitude filled the air. Her husband and her were saying how they had been waiting and waiting and finally it was here. Her response was, are you serious!. It was beautiful! The atonement is real. Through Jesus Christ people can change. Of all the miracles that happen in missions and happened this week, this one is the biggest, that we can change through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Well I love you all. I am sending some picures of a ward activity to celebrate indepence day here. Aur there is a little girl here that reminds me of Liza except Chilean. During relief society she was singing and the top of her lungs and whenever she sees the us she says, hola hermanas. So stinking cute.Yes we have another one tonight too! They celebrate all week! Love you all. Also my pday is monday and I am ahead in time so family you can´t be flojos! You have to write before Monday if you want me to read it. And I want to read it sooooo don´t be lazy!

Anyone who loves me is welcome to send me flannel tights of wool tights and gloves. It is so cold here, plus it is winter there and you could probably find them. I will need them in 6 months when winter really comes.

Love you all!!!
Hermana Iroz