5 awesome people in Church on Sunday... Chile & Argentina

Dear Family,

Well the cambios (transfers) got here, I and Elder Copling are still together so that is good.  I don’t know if I told you about ´´The Tie´´.  There was a missionary who was here during the earthquake, and he gave the tie to the person he trained, and then that person to the next, and so on, kind of like the gold plates.  I was the 8th person to have the tie, and now Elder Copling has it since he finished his training.  The missionary who has it writes their name and the year on the back of the tie.  It is a cool tradition.  

This was a great Sunday.  Five less actives came to church.  One of them brought his girlfriend, and she is a non-member, so we hope we can start the lessons with her.  

Here are a couple of pictures one we put with our testimony in the Books of Mormon before we give them away.  The other picture is the man who goes up and down the streets all day selling fruits and vegetables out of his large ox pulled wagon.  He advertises by yelling really loud, he is good at it though.  

We had some pretty cool experiences this week.  Yesterday, at about 9:00 p.m. we came around a corner, and we both felt a very strong impression to just turn around and go back.  We both, neither one saying a word, knew that God didn’t want us to be over there.  I don’t know what would have happened had we ignored the spirit.  I hope that you all know that God answers prayers, and that he is watching out for his children.  I love you all!

I love you all more than the number of grapes that Chile exports to the U.S.A.
Elder Withers

Dear Family,

I love hearing from you guys.  I just love the routine of reading your letters each week and knowing that all is well.... Life is so incredibly good isn’t it?  We have so much to be thankful for and so many fun things to experience in this life.  

As for my adventures this week.....it was a good one!  We had five investigators at church.  FIVE!  Every time one walked in my heart sang a little bit louder.  It’s so fun to have them there, because the members do a really good job fellowshipping them.  

We had another lesson with Alfredo, and he is still so cool.  He is reading the Book of Mormon lightning fast, and has the most admirable curiosity.  He really is just like a child in that sense....very meek and willing to learn. 

And we had a lesson with Marisa.  Which went well, she is still letting doubts float around in her head instead of acting on faith with what she does know to be true. She is a good lady and is willing to do the Lord’s will, she is just getting confused as to what the Lord’s will actually is.  We are working with her though; at least she is still willing to meet with us.  

We had zone meeting this last week as well, which was fun..... I keep praying and hoping that the Christmas package makes it.  

Fun cultural note is that we are sort of stuck in the 90s down here......in nearly everything.  In clothes, music (our neighbors are the worst in that sense.....they play footloose, and girls just wanna have fun, and so many more super loud....we sleep with the fan on the highest setting to drown out the noise and layer up the blankets....because it’s getting cold!)

I love that we are experiencing changes in seasons together, you guys on your way out of winter, and me on my way into winter.  It’s so crazy.  The time is flying by.  

Today we got transfer news, and............Hermana Sainsbury is going to Parana to be with Hermana Haynes (my MTC companion!).  Crazy!  I am getting a cute Hispanic companion named Hermana Galan (I still don’t know where she is from though; I get to meet her tomorrow!)  She just finished the 12 week program, and I am excited for the change.  Ha.....Hermana Sainsbury is devastated though.  She is going to a big city, and we have stayed at that apartment she is going to move to (when we have to travel long distances).....and it’s a real dive.  We will be buying ice cream this afternoon for sure.  

Really life is good.  I feel like my roots are firmly established here in this area, and it feels good to have a handle on the language.  Having a new companion here will be good to change things up too, and I can keep learning and growing.  

I love you all lots!  More than all the things that go up in price each day!  I am actually not even kidding, everything inflates in price a little bit each day.  

Hermana Withers