Monday, January 6, 2014

Heat of all Heats - Sister Hannah Avery

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

(**Note to reader: Clicking on highlighted words will link to additional information. Clicking on photos will enlarge them. Some names are omitted for privacy.)

Hello friends and family!

This week has been extremely long, tiring and a little discouraging, but I am doing my best to stay positive. Besides, how can we be sad when we are on the Lord's errand?! :)

Well, this week, Claudio and Ignacio decided to not come to church for some reason and they weren't at home either, so we are not sure where they are. Maybe on vacation? I don't know. But they weren't at church, so they did not get confirmed this week. We are praying that they come next week so that they can finish their baptism process!

As for J**, we had a LONG talk with her dad yesterday and tried to solve some doubts that he had about her being baptized. He is devout Catholic and is fine with her joining another church, but he wants her to be sure of her decision. She said that she was, but he won't allow her to be baptized this Saturday, the 11th. He said that we can do it on the 18th. He will be there for it, which is good :)

New Year's was pretty good. Honestly, it just wasn't the same as home, and a little scary too. The people here get REALLY crazy on New Year's, and we were out in the streets until 11ish at night. There were lots of drunk people and people with guns, etc. And, they have a tradition here where they make scarecrow looking people with all of the clothes that they wore during the year and they burn them at midnight for the New Year. They told me that it's like starting over the new year and burning away the old one... something like that. Anyways, it smelled horrible all night, and people were up ALL night, so we hardly slept. Yes, this week was VERY long and exhausting with all of the partying. Thankfully, it is all over now, and hopefully we can get back to normal here soon! But, we spent New Year's with the Pujado family and they made us asado, which is basically really good barbecue. It's super yummy.

It is SOOO hot here. It has been about 100 degrees or more everyday this week. I am DYING!! HELP!! I am tanning really well, but dying of heat. I put down water like no one's business, but my feet and hands are soooo swollen, even still. It's an adventure for sure! It's funny to think that I am roasting in the heat of all heats, and you guys are freezing your buns off in Utah! AHH! You are sooo lucky. I would love to be in the cold right now....

We have our interviews with the mission president this week again! It happens every 3 months. We have them on Friday. I hope that they go well. I will keep you posted on that for sure.

Well guys, that is all I have for this week! It's really all just the same old stuff here in Ovalle. We just keep working, and keep walking. Some days, we don't get in houses from 4 PM til 9:30 PM when we go home for the night, and we are just dying in the heat all day long. But we keep on going on :) I hope that you all have a wonderful week! Stay warm, and I will try to cool off! haha! I love you guys so much! Write soon! Love you!!!

xoxoxoxo Hermana Avery

Happy New Year from Chile (December 30, 2013)

Locked Out?! (January 13, 2014)


Hermanas Avery and Puertas, Ovalle, Chile