Elder Gilbert gave me some forms and they printed them off
for me but I haven't been able to tell what is left. I don't know which ones
for certain I still need. I know that you can check online and let me know
about what I still have. I have the temple next week and I don't really have a
way to print off the names.... It may be best to just email them to Elder
Gilbert and then I can ask him about them and see if he can print out more. The
first two trips I was able to get 9 done each time and I have gotten 15 male
names done and 3 female names but I don't know much more. This week is going
great. Sorry my email time was later this week. More missionaries means the times get mixed
up. I will be on until 3 your time.
Hi Bud,
I am here! It has been an interesting day, waiting to hear
from you. We waited all morning and then went fishing for a while, but I
forgot my license. It was in the back pocket of the jeans I wore
yesterday, so we came back to get it. I am sure glad! I am grateful that Dad listened to his heart.
Most of the names on your account are done. If you had two
forms last week and they printed all the names off, then just do the ones you
have left. There should be 19 males and 20 females from my set.
Just do them if you can.
Don’t do the rest of the cards you took with you to Chile.
Those were on the heavy cardstock paper. Do the new cards that were
printed last week. They will have only endowments ready to do, with no
sealings. There is one with your name on it for Christopher Brown and the
rest should have my name on them.
Have you received anything in the mail or from the pouch?
Love,
Mom
The temple was great I have enjoyed it and it is fairly
small. The whole temple is on 1 floor.
I did find my notebooks and I bought 4 last Tuesday after
emailing. Today we had shopping first and I went with my companion and he found
a jacket for the field that he could wear during exercise.
My Spanish is coming along well. I don't know nearly enough
though. Mostly I have been learning a
lot of words that relate to teaching my investigators. We are trying to speak
entirely in Spanish, but we don't always have the words so it is difficult. I
enjoy teaching our investigators. The
time that we are teaching goes by so fast. 15-30 minutes goes by so fast and
feels like 5 minutes. I enjoy teaching. This week we taught 15 lessons and 1 of
them was for Priesthood for all of the Elders still speaking English. After 4
weeks, we go to Spanish speaking for the meetings. My companion and I were the
only Elders who have taught Priesthood since I got here. Otherwise it has just
been Elder Gilbert teaching all of them.
I have forgotten to tell you, but I have performed 2 musical
numbers with groups here. We performed “Nearer My God to Thee” and we performed
“Come Unto Christ” where different Elders and Hermanas sang solos and everyone
had a solo part and then we sang the chorus together. It was really good. We
did these for Family Home Evening for Weeks 2 and 3. One of the Hermanas in my
District is a really good singer. Her name is Mckenzie Tolk. She actually has a
CD that is being sold at Deseret Book and her dad is David Tolk and he has CDs
that are out as well. You should look them both up. I thought you might be
interested in that.
Things have been crazy, but good overall. Things are great
but I feel so lost with the roads and everything. The field is going to be
really confusing for me. Santiago is massive and reminds most all of us of a
European Salt Lake City. There are so many different types of architecture and
cobblestone roads at parts. It is very different. I don't like how it smells
like smog and smoke so much, but that's normal for me.
The days are crazy and having 28 people currently living at
Al Contara since a few just left for the field and having 10 more moving in
tomorrow. It is getting crazy. The CCM is getting so full. There were only 26
people when we started and they all lived at Al Contara. It is crazy.
Have you Google Earthed the CCM and the temple yet? Also you
should try to find Al Contara. I don't know exact addresses for either so I
can't help you much, but it is really interesting.
It isn't too horribly cold, but it is great here. I love the
people I just wish it were easier to speak to them. They are intimidating when
you have a hard time speaking Spanish. The last two weeks will fly by. These
two weeks we go on splits with missionaries and contact and do stuff out in the
field. I have to say that teaching practice lessons for investigators with Law
of Chastity problems is intimidating especially when they want to get baptised
and their girlfriend wants to move in and isn't interested in the church. That
was a really hard lesson but things are going well. Teaching in Spanish isn't
impossible I just have to listen really well to the people to understand
everything and they don't always speak clearly and it is all slurred together
which is difficult to understand. Overall it's good. Even the Latinos say that
they can barely understand Chileanos which is comforting.
Wow!
I am impressed that you are doing so well. I am happy that you are using
your musical talents. Keep it up. Use every opportunity you can to
sing. David Archuletta used it a lot to get into the people’s
homes. If they weren’t interested in listening to the message, he would
ask if they could sing a hymn for them and usually after they sang it, they
people would then invite them in and listen to their message. I am glad
you were able to sing a solo, also. That
is awesome that you also got to teach a Priesthood Lesson. So cool!
I
have heard several times that Santiago is a lot like Salt Lake City in weather
and in the way it feels. However, President Brigham Young was inspired to
lay it out with square blocks and numbered streets. You will just have to
learn each sector as you are assigned to it. I am sure they will have
maps for you to use with everything laid out and marked well.
Make
sure to get names, addresses, and phone numbers of everyone at the CCM so you
can contact them all after your mission. Hermana Tolk’s mother joined the
Santiago Oeste group on Facebook, so I had already learned about her musical
abilities and her dad’s music. I listened to a bunch of his music last
week when we were in Heber and I was on the computer at night. I will
have to purchase some of his CDs. He is a pianist and it is really good
music. You would love it.
These
last two weeks will be awesome as you are out in the field more and getting experiences
with real people and real problems. Trust in the Lord and you will be
able to have the words you need to teach them. You were promised the gift
of tongues and the gift of interpretation of tongues. The language will
come. Pray for help and then trust what comes into your mind. Enjoy
these last two weeks. It is going to change and get harder once you are
in the field, but it won’t be boring anymore.
I
love you so very much. It is so very good to hear from you.
Love,
Mom
Usually when I hear people talking in Spanish I don't know
all the words they are saying but usually I can listen and tell others who are
confused about it generally what they just said. Usually I don't even
understand how I did it. Things are great but I'm out of time. I love you and
want things to go well. Keep me updated on all your fun adventures and I don't
know if I will be able to keep up with everyone. There are a lot of people here
in the CCM. I am trying to get all the names for the missionaries in my group
going to The Oeste mission. Things are crazy, but good and there are a lot of
awesome people here. There is an Hermana living in the CCM housing that is from
Hooper so we talked for a while about home. That was really cool. Love you
Make
sure you are thanking Heavenly Father for that wonderful gift of tongues and
interpretation of tongues. It will be such a help to you in the
mission. It works through the power of the Holy Ghost, so keep yourself
worthy to have his companionship and you will continue to be blessed with these
gifts. I am grateful that you are receiving daily help from heaven.
XOXOXOX
Mom
Thanks and I love you have an amazing week. Talk to you next
week. I haven't sent letters home yet, so I will have to email Curtis next week
about his birthday. Thanks for everything. I am really enjoying having it all
here. I haven't really needed anything. I did buy a Spanish hymn book so that
will help, but I haven't found much else. I didn't like the nicer sets of
Spanish Scriptures, so I have basic ones.
Oh by the way there was an Earthquake on Saturday and I had
just fallen asleep and my companion woke me up to make sure he wasn't going
crazy. I missed it though. It was apparently like a 5 on the Richter scale.
Don't worry I will be just fine see you next week! Bye.
I got an email alert about the earthquake. It was near
where the last one was and a little less in strength, so I wasn’t worried about
you. I know you are busy which makes it hard to get letters written
home.
I will do all that I can. Thanks for everything and I am
still having a hard time getting all of my stuff organized and repacking will
likely be a nightmare, but I'm sure that I will get the hang of it. I have
found most of my stuff, but organizing will be interesting. They told us to
pick out certain things and then all of our suitcases went into storage, but we
still have access to all of them if we need. I found the picture cubes but
haven't pulled them out. Is there anything inside them? Also I found the other
pictures behind in the photo book. Thanks for those I didn't know about them
until this week, so it was good to find them. Love you.
There
is nothing inside the cubes. Just wonderful voices from home. I am
glad to know you will get the other bags back so you can pack up all of your
stuff. I was worried about how you would fit it all back into one small
case. I will send more photos later, but I wanted you to have some from
home. I hope they don’t make you homesick, but bring peace and love your
way.
I keep the picture book by my bed and it helps me a lot to
have pictures. Thanks so much bye.
So concerning the CCM
lately. There are more missionaries in the CCM now and I wasn't emailing in the
morning because of that. So the latest I could possibly email is at 2 to 3 for
you. It will be any time between 8 and 11 and between 12 and 3 for email
starting typically at 8, 10, 12, or 2. I don't know if the day will change. It
shouldn't though. I have one more email day here in the CCM. In 2 weeks I won't
get to email because that is the day that I go into the field and I need to get
organized and everything so there won't be any emails that week. Sorry, but I
figured I would let you know. I am glad that you are having fun and enjoying
your summer. Keep having fun and the time will go by so quickly. I can't
believe how long it has been, but it will just keep going quickly. Don't worry
too much about me. I will be just fine. Love you and keep me posted on everything
at home. Sorry I don't have any new pictures for this week. If I manage to take
a few I will send them to you through the camera. Love you and see you next
week.
Love, Braxton
Thanks
Braxton. I will look forward to a photo or two. Please take one of
your beautiful, smiling face and send it to me. I know things get messed
up down there with p-days and the constant changing. I also knew I would
probably miss a week of email when you get moved from the CCM to the
mission. You could still try to send a photo or two and a quick
message.
Have
a super awesome day. I love you so much.
Mom
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