So there are some huge fires here in Chile and things are getting a little crazy. Where I am there aren't any problems but a town kind of close is up in flames. It doesn't affect us at all except for the smoke which is covering the town. All my clothes smell like smoke and it's a little smoggy but besides that we are all good. Unfortunately the smoke seemed like a good reason for a few investigators to not come to church so that was the worst... 

This week my comp and I have been working like crazy. And its been paying off because we have found a lot of really good people. Here are a few:

Juana Parraguez: Juana is the cutest little old lady there is and she always gives us juice and "pan de pascua" (fruitcake). She loves to listen to us and really wants to go to church, but it's a little hard because she just had a hip surgry and it hurts in the mornings sometimes. She still isn't sure if she wants to be baptized because of a few friends she has, but she is praying about it. 

Juana Salas: I have never met a person who talks more in my life. Ever. We almost can't even teach her because of it. She just talks and talks and talks about things that have nothing to do with what we are teaching. BUT she is golden and loves us and wants to go to church with her daughter, so we are just practicing our conversation skills haha.

Paula Cruz: Paula received missionaries before but was never really interested until now. She reads what we leave her and she understands everything we teach her. She told us straight up that she doesnt want to get baptized, BUT we all know that the spirit can change that. We are planning on teaching the doctrine of baptism this week with her so wish us luck! 

(Paula also has a family super similar to mine (including 3 sons who are CRAZY) so I feel a lot of love for her and her family).

Diego: Diego is 12 and his family is less active. We activated his family and are now working on getting them to the temple together! Diego was never baptized but he wants to do it. They said they want to be prepared as a family to do it, so we are working with his siblings, parents, and grandparents. They are the familia Garrido and I kind of love them a lot. 

There are some more but those are my favorites. I love seeing how people here in the mission really change so so much and I feel super blessed for all the things I've learned here. I think that's something huge that I've learned here- the power of change and repentance! I know that through our Savior Jesus Christ we can all be better everyday. 

Hermaña Wittwer

Well... honestly this week has been pretty uneventful. We are looking for new investigators and contacting a lot and getting super sunburnt and it's a blast! Holidays during the mission are hard because EVERYONE leaves. And none of your investigators are home. But that's alright because it gives us time to look for new people and the investigators should be getting back from visiting the beach pretty soon :)

So one funny thing did happen this week. We teach English twice a week in the church and we take turns among the gringos teaching it. This thursday it was my turn, so we went to the church and set up the room and everything and I wrote on the whiteboard "Welcome to English Clase" and underneath in spanish "Bienvenida a la clase de Inglés". Everyone got there (like 4 people) and we started the class when suddenly one of the people raised their hand and said, "Um... isn't clase de Inglés spelled with two S's?" ... I'm not sure if they will invite me back to teach next week haha. 

Ok I might have said it before but the best part about being back in my old zone is that I get to see people I know all the time and I get to do interchanges with my old sector. This tuesday I was in Centinela and it was a blast. We got to visit new people and old people and I felt like a newbie again. Also I was with my old compañera so that was a blast :) 

This week we have plans to find lots of new people and set up some baptisms for February so it should be a good week. 

Hermana Wittwer 

 

And this week's email.....

Hey sorry I dont have a lot of time today but a quick update on life:

This week we did interchanges so I got to go to Chimbarongo with Hermana Lund. It was out of the city and WE HAD BIKES so I got to fulfill that mission-long dream. 

Here in my sector things are picking up. This week we had more lessons than we´ve had in a long time and we found 7 new investigators. Now we are just working to get people progressing! 

Sorry mom, I know I'm the worst. I promise to write more next week. Love you all bye!

Hermana Wittwer

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!! This new years was one of the best. Why? Well this story starts about 6 months ago:

When I was in my first sector (Centinela) there was a member named Hermano Kerber who is just the absolute best. He is from the ward Guadalupe but we were best friends. The sister missionaries from Centinela and Guadalupe live together and one of the Hermanas from Guadalupe was going to have a birthday so Hermano Kerber invited us 4 to lunch in his house. But it wasnt just any lunch, it was a special lunch because he asked us all individually what we wanted. He said he would make whatever we wanted. I thought about the most gringa thing I could ask for and decided to ask for a hamburger. So he planned this amazing lunch with my double patty cheese, tomato, grilled onion, and all things good, super amazing hamburger. The day before this lunch we got a call from our Mission President saying we had special changes and that I had to leave. The bottom line is that I didnt get to eat my hamburger, and that some random missionary got to come eat in instead-so for the last 5 months Ive been dreaming of this hamburger.

So this last change when they told me I was going to Guadalupe, the first thing I thought was "my hamburger!!!!" And the first thing Hermano Kerber said to me? "Hey I owe you a hamburger-when can you guys come over?" So for New Years we visited his house and his family and he made us an asado (BBQ) and made me my hamburger. Best dinner of my life. 

Anyways I'M IN GUADALUPE IN SAN FERNANDO NOW!!! And it is so fun. I get to live in my old house with my old compañera and see people I know! Also the sector is fantastic and has soooooooooooooooooo much good potential.  My new compañera is Hermana Rojas. She is 20 and from Bolivia and she is taller than me!!! Which is new and awesome. I think we are going to get along really well and its going to be a really good change together. 

Im not going to write a lot about the investigators and people here because Im still getting to know them all but expect a good update next week. Hope you all have a good 2017!

Hermana Wittwer