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Hello Family and Friends!! :)
We had a crazy busy week this week! Ready, set...go!!!
First off, we had our conference with the Mission President in La Serena (the very tip top part of the mission) on Friday! It was sooo great! I had to say the prayer in front of five zones, the Mission President, and an Area Seventy, Elder Svec! AHHH! It was sooooo scary, haha! And all in Spanish! Good thing I am lightly seasoned here in Chile now and my Spanish doesn't sound like a dying cow anymore :) Blessings!
In conference, they gifted us all a Spanish Book of Mormon and invited us to read it again. We have goals to finish before March! woohoo! The Mission President challenged us to read for at least 30 minutes everyday, and mark it according to subject and color. He said that we should be able to read the Book of Mormon at least four times in 2014 if we do this everyday! I am super excited, and already on page 30 in just 2 days! WOOHOO!!
We finished conference at about 3 p.m. and were headed back to Ovalle (about an hour and a half drive) when we got stuck in traffic for THREE HOURS!! UGH!! It was SOOOOO hot! haha! Welcome to summer in Chile! :) What happened was that a semi truck carrying grapes flipped on its side and was covering the whole road in the canyon. Talk about a nightmare! People were going crazy and stealing the grapes from the truck! Wow...anyways, that was our crazy adventure this week!
We also has intercambios this week (exchanges). I was with Hermana Siler and Hermana Etchegary. We had a great time! I was in their area, Limari, this time. Limari and I have a love/hate relationship, haha! I love it because it's something new, but I hate it because it is straight up hills everywhere and we literally come home with burning thighs. And I STILL can't walk, even today, haha. Mission life...gotta love it!
OH! We had another big earthquake on Sunday morning at 5 am! I about peed my pants! I was in my deep, deep missionary sleep and, all of the sudden, I heard this really loud sound (like rumbling) and then...WAHHH!! The whole house started shaking like CRAZY for about 10 seconds, and then for another 20 seconds or so, it was pretty soft, but still shaking. UGH! I HATE EARTHQUAKES!! Literally! There is no way to know when or how big they will be, and I don't like that!
We taught a few lessons this week. It has been hard to find people at home since the holidays are here. When people go on vacations, they leave for the WHOLE summer! Until March! Because the drive is soooo long and it costs a ton. So we lost a lot of investigators this week because we can't teach them until they get back in March...bummer. But! We had four investigators come to church this week! FINALLY! After six weeks of lots of fasting and praying, we finally had people come to church. Blessing for Christmas! YAY!! And, we are trying to convince our zone leader to let us baptize two brothers (ages 11 and 13) on the 22nd! Next week you may hear about baptisms! WOOHOO!!! :)
I finished my 12 week training program this week! WOOHOO! Can you believe it?! I have been in Chile almost 4 months! WOW!! Now we get to leave the house to teach at 11:30 a.m. instead of 1 p.m! YAY! :) Blessings all around!!!
The last thing is, we have transfers again this week...boo!! I hope I don't get a phone call tomorrow saying that Hermana Puertas is leaving...and I DEFINITELY hope that I am not either! I heard a rumor from the Sister Training Leaders that the Mission President doesn't like to do a lot of transfers during Christmas, so I hope we get lucky and have at least six more weeks in Ovalle!
Well guys, thanks again for all of your love, prayers and support! You are my heart! I LOVE YOU!! Talk to you next week! And...I will Skype you on Christmas!! AHHH!! I CANT WAIT!! I LOVE YOU!! :)
xoxoxoxoox,
Hermana Avery
Dying of Heat in December (December 11, 2013)
Merry Christmas from Chile! (December 23, 2013)
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| Hermanas Avery and Puertas |
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| Five Zone Conference La Serena, Chile |
