Sometimes I chuckle to myself when I think about how I thought the MTC was hard.  HA! Ah so young and naive.  You think you understand a mission is hard, but you can´t really understand in what way until you´re here.  But amidst the hard times, there are those moments where you see eternity and you understand a little bit more why you are here.  

This week we focused a lot on the less actives in our sector.  I will venture to say that about half of the members in our branch are less active.  They are coming out the wazoo people.  We have about thirty five less actives in our sector that we know about.  And about four active members.  I´ve come to realize that my mission is going to include a LOT of reactivation.  I keep thinking about the seminary answers that everyone made fun of: pray, read the scriptures and go to church.  So simple, but let me tell you, those three things make all the difference in the world.  I would give a whole lot for the people here to understand those three things.  There is a word, a Chileno word, Porfiado, which is basically someone who knows they should do something, but doesn´t do it.  That might sum up this week pretty well.  

But when someone starts doing these things, oh how you can tell the difference!  One woman we are teaching, who wants to get baptized, her husband and daughter are members, but she can´t get baptized until her husband obtains a divorce from the woman he is actually currently married to.  It´s a very strange situation, but this week, their family started reading and praying together, and oh how you can see the difference! She is so much happier!

We are still working with the eleven year old who is going to be baptized, and we had a great family home evening with them and his whole family attended church this week, it was great!

Some things about Chile that I´ve forgotten to include:

1. There are dogs everywhere, I have not yet met one person who doesn´t own a dog. There are dogs just roaming the streets, ugly dogs, beautiful dogs, dogs that nip at your heels and dogs that just bark like mad when you pass.  It´s like that story with those dogs that say do you like my hat? no i do not like your hat.  Dogs everywhere people.

2. Semola con leche! Look it up! Delicious.  With caramel sauce.

3. Fields of cows and horses! I´m going to try to send a picture next week! 

4.  The houses here look like an old western town, inside and outside. All the houses are warmed by a woodburning stove and all the food is cooked there.  I´m pretty experienced with starting a fire with matches now I would say.

5. The main meal is lunch here, we eat rather a ton of food at about twelve, and then just work through the night until we come home at about 9:30 and eat a snack.  My family will be interested to know, I haven´t eaten eel yet, but a lot of chicken, rice and potatoes.

6.  I can see Volcano Osorno from my house!  

I love you all! The language is coming, hopefully.  I haven´t spoken English to anyone in a month and I think I´m going crazy!  I´ve caught myself thinking in Spanish HELP!! 

Love you all!