March 5, 2012

How are things going back at home?  Life here has been pretty good.  It was kind of a slow week.  For some reason, a lot of our appointments weren't there when we stopped by, so it was a little harder to be able to teach others as much as we would have wanted to.  Our investigators are doing pretty well and learning a lot.  We have one investigator who had a lot of problems as far as drinking, smoking, drugs, and partying, but she actually seems to be doing a lot better.  We are also teaching an alcoholic.  It's actually really sad to see him struggle with that, but we are going to do all that we can to be able to help him out.  He had some problems and ended up getting deported from the states, but all of his family is still there, which is obviously really hard for him.  Hopefully he will be able to see the blessings of the gospel in his life as he learns to trust more in God and Christ to help him through this really tough challenge that he has.

The most exciting thing is.... my new missionary is coming tomorrow!!!!!  I am staying in the same ward (San Bernardo) for my third change in a row.  It's a pretty small ward, but I enjoy it because I've gotten to know most of the people in the ward.  [Just so you know and can look up the boundaries, they are the train track on the East, on the North it is Yungay on the east of a canal and Yerbas Buenas west of the canal.  On the west is mostly Avenida Central except for the most north western corner which is Panamericana.  Then the south is Avenida Colón.  That way you can see how small it is.]  It's pretty fun though; I even know a lot of nonmembers who we see pretty frequently in the streets.  It's pretty nice to be able to go and say hi to people by name even if you've never really talked to them all that much.  [His reply to our comment that area is only 1 square mile --Yeah the area is pretty small.  I heard from the patriarch here that the ward used to be only 5 blocks by 2 blocks (between América on the west, the train track on the east, Balmaceda on the north, and Colón on the south) and they had an average attendance of 200 people in the sacrament meeting.  I don't know how that would be possible but I guess somehow there were a lot of members in a really small area.  Either way, it is pretty crazy even now!  Also it's neat that just about everyone has heard about the church.  Here there are only 4 major religions, Catholic, Mormon, Evangelical, and Jehovah's Witnesses.  There are also some 7th day Adventists and other random small Christian sects.] 

But anyway back to the exciting thing... I get to go down to the mission home in Rancagua tomorrow to go get my new companion.  I have no idea who it is yet, or even if he is Hispanic or from the states.  I'll be able to find out tomorrow and will then be able to email home again on either tomorrow or Wednesday when he writes home to say that he arrived safely.  Either way I am WAY excited to train.  Hopefully, I don't end up getting too stressed out about having to train a new missionary and lead our sector.  But I am really excited and grateful for this opportunity.

Well there isn't that much more that I can think of now, but I'll be able to email home soon again, so if you have anything that you want to say before then let me know!  Well I will write home soon to tell you about my new companion!!

Hasta luego,

Élder Stollenwerk