Dear
family,
I
love you so very much. I would send you pictures of the ocean view we
have from our 4th story apartment, but the virus security is questionable on
these computers, so I don’t want to hook my camera up. I will try to use
better computers next week. My companion is really cool. We live
with 2 other North Americans, so it is harder to learn Spanish. Living
with Latinos was a huge help for my Spanish.
Amazing
news, Elder Vàsquez sent me an email saying that, after 8 or so years of
missionaries on and off, Adolfo finally accepted a baptismal date, the 22
of February. He was the guy that took us fishing. I will make sure
that Elder Vásquez sends me the pictures of the baptism. Adolfo always
reads the assigned chapter of Principles of the Gospel Class, and takes
brilliant notes. He prepares for Sunday School class more than
the teacher does. I am so happy that he is getting baptized.
That
is great that the Seahawks won. Being in Concepción, I am now a fan of
ocean birds. Yea Seattle!
I
love you all so much, and hope that you always remember that Heavenly Father
loves us more than we can possibly imagine.
I love you all more than the number of times it says in the scriptures
´´Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you.´´
Con
mucho amor,
Elder
Chad Withers
Dear
Family,
Today
marks 7 months in my mission......!!!!!!! So crazy. I have a lot of
time left to serve still, but these last few months have flown.
As
for the transfer update.....I am staying another transfer in La Paz with
Hermana Sainsbury. People are starting to make jokes that she has been
here so long and will have to finish her mission here, but we are excited to
have another transfer together. We have a smooth rhythm in the way we
teach and contact....we can go back and forth in talking really easy because we
have been doing it for so long together....we can only improve and get better
from here!
My
birthday was fun.....but in all honesty felt like any other day. My
companion made me French toast with dulce de leche, and served it with a nice
cold glass of peach juice (the fruit juices here are out of this world
delicious), and we went to get ice cream from the shop a block away from our
apartment. You walk in and no one is
there....and then this tall lanky man will come towards the front from this
dark hallway that is in the back and stare at you, not asking you
anything....just expecting you to start telling him what flavors you want)
Haa....at least his ice cream is good!
While
we were waiting for a colectivo earlier this week, it was clear and sunny
skies, then in a matter of seconds clouds came from nowhere and seconds after
that it started to rain, HARD. We ran from the stop....bagging the idea
of catching the bus right then and ran to the closet thing that could cover
us....which ended up being a Catholic chapel (ironic right?!) It only
rained for a couple of minutes and then stopped, so we went back to life as
usual. It was just the most random storm ever.
And
the other day while we were walking home, we were walking past a part where the
sidewalk turns into this wide open gravel patch that leads to a couple of
different roads. We walk on the side of
it in case people turn in from the main road to turn to the other side
roads. Anyway....we were walking past
this part (on the left hand side) and a white car going kind of fast turns in.
We keep walking and it turns towards us and speeds up. We look at
each other.....freak out and run to the right side of the road......the car
speeds up and also turns to the right side of the road. We tried to
escape the car and run to anywhere with protection but there really wasn’t
anywhere to go. It was a big open gravel patch of nothing with no trees
or buildings to run towards....and before we knew it the car was inches away
from us. The car really couldn’t have gotten any closer without touching
us when it slammed on the brakes. We thought we were about to turn into
road kill at the hands of some dumb kids or something....when one of the families
we are teaching piles out of the car laughing their heads off. They were
deep belly laughing so hard at the faces we were apparently making - and they
thought it was so funny. Once we knew who it was we were laughing too,
but in the moment they really scared us. Which is what the dad was going for
when he was driving I think.....quite the prank! They really are a great
family though. The parents are married (which is unusual!) they have six
kids, and are very kind to us (except for the car prank thing....that was
lame!) They are very Catholic but also have an admirable relish to learn
more about the LDS church. We just barely started working with them, so
we will see what happens and how they progress!
Yesterday
at church I think was the first Sunday that we didn’t sing Secret
Prayer and Who’s on the Lords side Who. We sing at least one of those
hymns every Sunday just because everyone seems to like them and they don’t
know that many songs, so if they know one they like to sing it lots. I
never really sang those hymns before my mission......but I am pretty sure they
are always going to make me think of this Branch in La Paz.
We
have new investigator named Florencia who is living with a menos activo.
He wants to come back to church and she wants to get baptized. We
are teaching them together, and hoping that we can have a wedding this transfer
and a baptism right after!
I
am doing well and excited for another transfer here in La Paz...there is lots
of work to do. Holy moly.....it just
started to rain torrential down pour outside. Good thing we live a block
away from the member whose computers we use, because we totally didn’t bring
our umbrellas! We should be having zone meeting this next week which
means I get to see what made it in the mail from America all the way down here
in Argentina! (:
I
love you all lots....more than all the people who are shocked when they learn
that mate doesn’t exist in the States.....and more than all the people who
pronounce Google "gugley" it’s my favorite (:
Have a
great week!
Hermana
Withers
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