August 19, 2013

August 19, 2013

Hey, Everyone!

It has been a fantastic week. I LOVE TOMÉ!

Not to brag, but this has been one of the greatest weeks of my mission, finally getting out of that hole of a house and getting to Tomé, the prettiest city in the mission! Seriously, it’s awesome. Things are good, and it’s great to be with a Latino again that can help me out.

My skin is totally getting way better. I’ve been washing it better (now that we can get somewhat hot water) with antibacterial soap, taking antibiotics and cream that we got from the hospital that we went to. Another brush with Chilean health care--it actually was not that bad. Just long waiting.

Honestly, the last two cambios have been super tough. Especially the last one. I have had tons of skin problems, not a ton of success as far as the work goes, just as I feel that I have been working my hardest and becoming the best missionary that I can be so far during my mission, everything just stopped.  For those who don’t recognize it, that was actually a quote from The District 2-- I really quite identify with Elder Murray... ha ha, not. I’m working super hard to change things, but nothing has been working out. I finally saw some glimmer of success that last week, then I was out to Tome. And salvation!!!!

This house is ridiculous. It took two days to clean it, but what a sweet house! There is space to move! It is warm! There is warm water for showers! It is easy to clean! Such wonderful wonderfulness, I feel like I have died and gone to heaven, as they say.

And the sector-- absolutely enormous! Never in 6 months here do I think that I could contact every house! Super pumped! We are going to be finding and baptizing como locos aqui! And being with Elder Saenz again, ah what a blessing. Our lessons go well, we teach together, with good solid commitments--this is the mission at its best. 

Back with Elder Saenz!

Tome is super nice. It’s a beach city with tons of hills, and there are tennis courts here! Super awesome. Really excited to maybe even play one day! But this is the place to be.

This week has been crazy. Monday was spent with Elder D, running around Conce, packing, meeting Elder G’s mom, then saying bye to all the VH people. They are so great. I love them all. Then on Tuesday, I had to go to Conce to meet Elder S. We had to wait there for all the new missionaries of the zone to get there. They are whitewashing a bunch of sectors here, putting hermanas in--the whole zone is going to be new, which is awesome, it will be really moldable. So Tuesday was crazy. We went to the hospital, as well, because my skin was really bad, swelling, allergic reactions and stuff. And guess who showed up in Tomé? Li’l Hermana G--what are the odds?! Kind of neat.

We had a good Wednesday--ate mole with a cool member, ran all around the zone doing stuff; it was hard to fit in time to really just work. So we are working on planning better and really using our time wisely. But Elder S is great and we are having tons of fun. I can’t believe it’s only been a week, though--I have never done so much, driven in so many buses and taxis, and had so much fun! Things are going great. All the missionaries here are really willing to work, and now it’s just on us to all do our best and help the kingdom grow here!

It’s been super fun, and this next week we are going to make changes so that we make our relation better with the ward and find some great people to teach!

And the mission office called. It’s time for me to renew my carnet, my visa. That settles it: I’m officially old. Dang. Too much to do, too little time.

I gave a talk yesterday in the ward (big ward, big win) about how to stop spiritual leprosy. Leprosy is a disease that causes loss of feeling, so I talked about how the best way to return to feel the same spirit of conversion and power of the Gospel and the Atonement is to share it. Hopefully it animated the ward to help us out with the work—it’s up to us to make it happen!

Hope you all have a great week with school coming up and everything! I pray for you all always.

Love,

Elder Brown