Love Our Missionaries: Hola from Chile!

Written by Sister Hannah Avery, currently serving in the Chile Vina del Mar Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaking Spanish.

¡Hola from Chile!

How are you guys?! I am doing absolutely awesome! Thanks for talking to me on the phone Thursday evening! AHH! It was soooo good to talk to you and to hear your voices!

I arrived to Chile on Friday morning at about 8:30 a.m. I was hoping to be able to email or call to let you know that I arrived safely, but that did not happen. The flight was about 9.5 hours, and I slept the whole way! It was a pretty empty flight, so I hiked up my skirt and went to bed LOL! I woke up drooling, so you know it was good sleep ... ahhh.

Anways, as soon as we got here, they put us straight to work! My mission president, Presidente Kahnlein, and his assistants (the APs), picked us up at the airport. We drove from Santiago to Viña del Mar, which was about an hour and a half drive. I arrived with four other missionaries; Hermana Page (my companion from the Mexico MTC), and three Elders (I don't remember their names).

As soon as we arrived in Viña del Mar, the mission president took us to the overlook where we could see the whole area of Valparaiso and Viña. It is GORGEOUS here! I am with temporary companions until Wednesday, since we arrived a week early. So I have no idea where I am going or who my companion will be, but I hope that it is as good as it has been so far!

When we finished pictures at the overlook, we went to the middle of Viña. They literally dropped us off with nothing but a Libro de Mormon and told us to get to work! WOAH! It was nuts! We talked to an older couple from Santiago who now live in Viña. They are Catholic, and the man was not interested AT ALL. But the lady was super interested. They helped us find the mission home, and then said goodbye. They didn't give us their contact information, but at least we planted a seed. The mission president said it takes about 8 seeds to get someone interested in learning more, so that was number one!

After we found the mission home, we had lunch and were interviewed by the mission president. He basically was just getting to know us and what our goals are for the mission. After that, we were all picked up by our temporary companions.

First, I was with Hermana Pereira and Hermana Zimmerman. Now I am only with Hermana Zimmerman, because Hermana Pereiras' last day in the mission was today. We dropped her off this morning. It was really sad! I have gotten to know and love her, even in just the three days that I have been here. She returns to her home in Paraguay on Wednesday, but they are going to Santiago for the next two days to finish paperwork and go to the Temple.

Alright, so about Chile! It it literally amazing. I love love love it!!! Our apartment is in the area of Mirador. It is pretty chilly right now, and I have never actually walked outside without a coat! Surprising, I know, but they say that it should be warming up here pretty soon.

Chilean Spanish is HARD. They talk SOOO dang fast, and I can hardly even understand them. But I am doing a lot better than the first day, and my companion Hermana Zimmerman is helping me a lot! They call your first companion your "mama," so I got lucky and had two! They are the best, really.

We had Family Home Evening at a convert's house that night, and she taught us how to make sopaipillas. OH. MY. GOODNESS. I am making these things for you when I get home! They are seriously heaven. It's basically flour, pumpkin, some Spanish thing I don't know... I will have to get a recipe one of these days. So you cut them into circles (once the dough is made) and you fry them. Then you put powdered sugar on top. They seriously are SOO good. And everyone makes them here. So I can see how everyone gets fat! AUGHH!

We literally walk everywhere, and we exercise for about 30 minutes a day. I hope that helps prevent me from gaining 500 pounds here, LOL! The second day felt really long, and I was so exhausted that I went straight to bed without really getting ready for bed. The streets are straight up and down, no joke, and I have sore muscles in my legs that I didn't even know existed! It is so crazy. But I so love it, and I know that one day when I get home, I am going to wish that this was my life. I am enjoying it, even though it is painful right now haha!

We do ride the buses when we go into Viña to see the mission president, which costs about 50 cents. Literally, everything is SO inexpensive here. I am really surprised. I do have to pay for my internet though, which is lame. But it's only about a dollar for an hour and a half, so I am not complaining!

I bought my groceries for the first time as a missionary on Saturday. I got the Chilean equivalent to Special K and some fruit. The fruits and veggies are so good, and they don't make you sick! You just have to wash them, and you are all set. The members here always feed us, and it is a big dishonor if you don't eat what they serve you. Just another reason why I am praying to not get fat ... blah!

An amazing family that we have been talking to is the MB (abbreviated for privacy) family. The dad was active in the church when he was younger, but he did some things he should not have and fell away from the church for years. He and his wife separated, and she was living on her own with all the kids that whole time. Now they are back together, and stronger than ever! I feel the Spirit SOO strongly every time I am in their home. They have so much faith, and so much love for the missionaries. The husband will receive his Priesthood again this November, and they will be sealed in the Temple next August. It is a really happy time for their family, and I am so grateful to have been part of it, even if just for a week! It is things like this that make me so happy. When we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God. And yes, it is the best joy that you will ever feel in your life! Being a missionary is absolutely the best thing ever.

Sunday was good, and the ward was really nice to me. Everyone is honestly awesome, and they are really patient with my poor Spanish. They speak mas lento (more slowly) just for me to better understand. I love these people so much. The Lord has truly blessed me with so much, even though I have given so little. It is wonderful.

We have taught a lot of families, but no one that isn't already a member or less active in the church. They say that most of our mission will be reestablishing contact with people who were already baptized at one point, but haven't been going to church or lost sight of the important things in life. So my job is hard at times, but seeing the light of Christ back in these people's lives is one of the greatest blessings that I could ever ask for.

This morning, after we dropped off Hermana Pereira at the mission home, Hermana Zimmerman and I went to Lider, which is like Walmart. It has Great Value brand and tons of American things, so I am feeling pretty good about life here at the moment! Our apartment is super nice too, with three bedrooms, but we only sleep in one, obviously. And we have our own bathrooms! They really take good care of us here, so never worry about me! I am good as ever :) And no earthquakes yet, but they will happen for sure! And possibly tsunamis they said, but that doesn't happen too often either. Mainly it just floods sometimes in Viña if the tide gets to high by the shore, but nothing major.

Well my family, that is all I can write for now. I am so sorry! If you have specific things that you want to know, list them in an email and I will respond to those in my next email. I love you all soooooo much, and I hope that you all have a great week! Keep the letters and emails coming! They really make my day! I LOVE YOU!!! Talk to you next week!

Con mucho mucho amor (with much much love),

Hermana Avery

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Hello Mama! I am doing great and I LOVE Chile! The keyboards here stink, so you will have to edit a lot. Sorry! I am trying, haha!

Anyways, I have not gotten any mail yet. We are supposed to get mail on Wednesdays I guess, so I am just waiting until they get here and hoping that they even arrive (the postal workers are still on strike!). Make sure you send everything to the mission home. They sort everything from there.

The flight was super long, but it was pretty empty. And the plane was huge! We were on LAN Airlines, which is probably better than JetBlue, which says a lot! The leg room stinks, but their service was awesome. They gave us free blankets and pillows since we were on a long, overnight flight! I slept almost the whole time, but was absolutely exhausted for about three days after getting here. Today is getting better.

I have been SOOO sick with a cold or something! I think I've gotten whatever garbage those kids in my MTC District had...blah! But I am better and better everyday, and I love it here soooo much! The people are amazing. I already have pulga bites (fleas!) and yes, they are annoying. I hate that the dogs know more Spanish than I do... haha!

I loved talking to you on the phone. That was so helpful for me, even though I was really sad to get off... cry baby! haha!

Keep me posted as always... I am SOOO excited for Charming Charlies at The District!. You have to send a photo when it is finished! ahh!

I love you my mama! You are my heart!!!! te amo mas que todo!!! (I love you more than everything!)

Hermana Avery

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Hey Dad! I don't have a lot of time to write, but thank you for the email! Chile is great, and I got here safely. I will include much more detail for you in the big letter home that I am working on right now. I don't have half as much time to write here as I did at the MTC, and we have to pay for internet, so I have to go fast! ah!

Hermanas Avery and Page
Vina del Mar, Chile

My address for the mission home is: 4 Norte 1112, Viña del Mar, Valparaiso V Region, CHILE. I don't get to my "real" place until Wednesday. Right now I am with temporary companions in Mirador, Chile.

Thanks again for the email! I hope that you are doing well, and I will talk to you soon! It was so good to hear your voice on the phone! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Avery (Hannah!)

Sister Avery's Last Week in the Mexico MTC (September 17, 2013)

I Had to Whack Him and Start Running! (September 30, 2013)

This is taken at the historic clock in Vina del Mar. Pictured from left to right:
Me, Hermana Page, Sister Kahnlein, their daughter, President Kahnlein,
and the three Elders who I don't remember ... sorry!