Dec.
16, 2013
Dear
Family,
Cambios
(transfers) came! I am staying here in Barrio Libertador (Liberator Ward),
for a third transfer with Elder Vasquez!! It will be cool to have Christmas
with somebody who has a Christmas tree up year round.
The
members are awesome here. Familia Arsola has invited us for Christmas Eve
dinner. The mother and father both served missions, and they wanted to
have the missionaries over for Christmas Eve because their 3 kids all left the
house within a period of 3 months. Their 2 returned missionaries got
married with other returned missionaries, and the other kid left for the
mission. (a very mission oriented family, especially here in Chile) It will be their first Christmas without their
children, so we will be happy to be there.
Thank
you for all the birthday wishes. You guys are awesome. My testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith and
the Book of Mormon has grown a ton lately.
I am excited to Skype with you all.
I
love you more than the number of electrons that made this email possible.
Elder
Withers
Dear
Family,
Sorry
to hear you are all freezing......on the flip side of the equator we are
melting, crazy to see such a drastic difference in climate!
This
week was an adventure! I think I say that every week, but this time it
really was. On Monday, the police all went on strike. In some towns
the police kept on with business as usual...but here in La Paz they went on
strike. So the day was a little interesting. More than anything the
day just felt eerie....EVERYTHING was closed and shut down (more locked up than
in the middle of the siesta!) And in the evening we were going to go out
and work like normal, but we made it about a block from our apartment and both
felt very strongly to go back and stay for the night. It felt weird and in
a way disobedient to be in the pension (apartment) so early in the evening, but
it was the right thing to do. We stayed there reading our scriptures,
listening to hymns, and just trying to pass the time quickly. In the end,
nothing dangerous or super dramatic happened....it was just one of those things
where the Spirit told us to go back so we did. I didn’t know why then and I don’t think I
will ever know, but it was right and I am so grateful for the Spirit.
Later that evening we got a call from the zone leaders with a message
from President that all missionaries are to be in their apartments before dark.
Which for us means around 8pm. It cuts about an hour and a
half from our work time each night, and it’s weird having so much time in the
evenings.....but until President says otherwise, we will keep doing it. I
have learned that obedience will always bring more blessings than impressive
numbers.
On
Wednesday we had our Christmas party in Santa Fe with all of the other
missionaries from the northern half of the mission. And it was soooo fun!
We watched the First Presidency Christmas devotional, had an absolute
feast of some kind of food but I have no idea what it was, and got a gift from
President and his wife (a mission flag and a candy cane). It was fun to
see Hispanic missionaries who didn’t know what a candy cane was. There
were slideshows with pictures, skits, Christmas music, visiting, and just lots
of fun. When the day was over, I think we were all in denial that we had
to go back to reality.
And
summer has officially started! We are finally to the point where the heat
and humidity are about as hot as it will get. There will be some days
that are worse, but we have finally hit the "normal". No more of the locals saying horrible things
like, "oh it’s going to get sooo much worse, get ready"....we are
finally to the "worst" and it’s pretty hot, but not so bad as I let
my imagination think it could get. It’s hot and sticky, but it’s
bearable. I think when the people were telling us to be ready; I let my
imagination fantasize it being so hot that you couldn’t even walk. Maybe
I am finally adjusting? Who knows, but I think I might make it out of
this summer just fine!
I
am not going to have P Day on Monday because President changed it to
be on Wednesday for Christmas day.
I gave my first talk as a missionary in
Sacrament meeting....and it was great! I talked about Christ and serving
him during this Christmas season by serving others. And serving Christ by
sharing our testimonies with others! The whole having to talk in Spanish
thing really helps me slow down when talking in front of people, so that is
good too.
I
love you more than all the bites of food I eat at lunch appointments even after
I am demasiado (completely) full.
Hermana
Withers
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