el campo misional! The mission field!

Hey family and friends!

I am wriing this email from a little internet cafe in my area! My fingers are numb because i have been out in the rain... it is like a monsoon out there! and so sorry for the bad spelling and typing!

My area is awesome! It is about an hour away from Santiago and it is out in the country...kind of... it is really similar to St.George, in that there is a big mixture of farms and neighborhoods. Also it is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! Seriously... it is just beginning winter here so there are still some fall leaves, and a lot of green trees too.. there is a vineyard right by our house, but there is graffitti all over it because the workers are on strike and its this big crazy issue I don't really ask about. Okay so the area is called Pirque, if you want to look it up on the ocmputer.. not sure if ther will be good pictures bu t you can try! My compainion is Hermana Hernandez and she is from Nicaragua. She is okay at English, but sometimes we have to use charades to communicate. The first person we went to contact ,she said I will do this one, then the next one is yours. It was terrifying, but I actually was able to speak in Spanish and we set up an appointment to go teach them!

Our area is going to be kind of difficult because it is Huge and we can`t ride bikes (too dangerous) and we have to take busses everywhere.. side note. the busses are also terrifying. My balance has improved greatly! Okay anyway. In our area we have one small branch and there are five of us sisters that cover it (first sister missionaries in this area..what what!!??), and there are A LOT of inactive and less active members. It is absolutely crazy! So we willl be teaching a lot of families that don't go to church and try to help them come back. One of the sisters that we taught is named Esteffani, and she has two cute girls and is married to a non members. She hasn't been to church for a long time, and she started smoking a year after she was baptized. She wants to quit but she started smoking when she was 10 and it is something hard  for  her.. especailly since her husband smokes. We had a great lesson with her and felt  the spirit so strong! I really hope that we can help make a difference  for her, and I hoope her husband's heart is softened (he says we are a  cult..) There are lots of stories like this and I wish i had time to share them all, but I don't! ;( you will just have to read my journal when I get home!

Okay.. Some interesting/different/cool cultural facts about Chile....

If you want to ride a bus you have to call for it like a taxi.

Everyone greets eachother with a hug and a kiss on the cheek... we can't do this with men, and sometimes it is really awkward when they go in for a kiss and you have to say no.

The homes have no insulation. Our house is literally all cement.. including the floor. I freeze.

you say permiso before anything it is like our form of excuse me, but literally is said  almost every other sentence.

There are fences around every house and you have to call Allo! in order to get someone to come outside. 

There is a lot of Fanta here. orange soda for days.

The food is a lot better now that I am not in the CCM. We eat rice almost every meal.

You eat a huge lunch and then once for dinner. Once is like a hot drink with some bread or a little snack.. However the members over feed you for every meal! (We had two once's yesterday). 

A hot drink they have is ECCO.. apparantly it tastes just like coffee, but it is made from a grain. I love it! 

The name for umbrella is paraagua.. literally for water.

Latinas love english music. They always sing American songs to me and ask if I know it.. usually I do cuz I am a music genious like that. Just kidding.

There is always music playing everywhere we go... it is so hard not to dance to some of  the songs! 

Futbol. is. huge. I have a hard time not watching it when I  go in houses. People get so  excited.. its like the superbowl every game.

Lots of other stuff... everythingis different, but I am enjoying it!

I am having a great time teaching people! There are always struggles, but it is better to learn  from them then to complain! I am so sad to hear about Aaron. Please give all my love to everyone. I know that he is in a better place, and that he is free from pain. Also sorry to hear about Dixie Anderson, please let her family know that I am thinking of them. Is everyone okay in Oklahoma!? That is scary! I had a dream about a tornado last night! Sometimes I wake up to small tremors and it puts me on the edge... don't really like these natural disasters!

I am going to try to send some pictures, so hopefully those make it! If any of you are trying to send me messages and there are pictures attatched they might not go through because of the filter of the sight.. so... send your message and the pictures seperate! Por favor! Also, momma I need some pictures of Dax! I am missing him with all of the dogs here..

Other side note. There are stray dogs everywhere. It is so sad...  there are some in such bad conditions, but also there are some that are just mean and come up and attack you! it is kind of scary.. that is why I have a BOM in my hands at all times.. because if I look like I a going to hit them with it, then they back off a little! But seriously, some dogs love us and will follow us for a mile. My companion hates it when they do that, but I usually pet them and sneak them some food.. (Probably why they follow us for so long). I can just tell some of them are so sweet and it makes me want to cry when they give the puppy  dog pout. Second side note. Fleas. I am one of those white people that fleas like to bite. Yay.

Okay so i get sidetracked but I just thought of a major accomplish I made this week! So members like to serve lots of fruit. all the times. and one house served a bowl with bananas mixed into it.......................................No. I didn't eat the bananas... BUT! I did eat the kiwi that was touching the bananas. It only took 4 cups of fanta and a lot of will power. Mom, you should be proud.

Alrighty! I have to leave out into the pouring rain and freezingness.. but I love you guys so much! and i MISS you! CTR and all that jazz!

Ciao!

XOXOXOXXOXO

Hermana Sommerfeld

Rainy day today! flooded streets