Waterproof Coat Improves Quality of Life

How are you all doing? I am good.  Except my fingers are cold and it is hard to type fast...noooooo!  It has been sunny this week.  Which means it has also gotten colder.  It makes it really hard to get out of bed in the morning when it is 4 degrees (Celcius) in the house.  Because then I have to get up and start the fire with our green wood that some very inconsiderate person sold to us.  (I wanted to use a different word there but it didn´t seem appropriate as a missionary). It might be because I am a gringa, but I think it is because all of his wood is terrible...he sells green wood to the other missionaries too.  Argh:(  The good news is I bought a wonderful, warm, waterproof coat for...140 dollars I think.  It is AWESOME.  AND WATERPROOF!  Did I mention it is waterproof?  Lots of coats say they are waterproof and aren’t actually waterproof but this one is.  

It is getting hard to write to you people in English.  I have to translate some words in my head from Spanish to English...sigh...But when I am frustrated I talk in English...it is funny.  Yesterday at church we called one of our investigators to confirm that he was coming to church and then he told us he wasn’t coming and then when we hung up I started mumbling about the excuse that he gave and Hermana Núñez was like, "Uh, Hermana Wood?"  And then I realized I wasn’t speaking Spanish...sigh...

This week we visited one of the members who was one of the first to join the church in Puerto Varas.  His wife died a few months ago (the first funeral we planned) and he’s been in Santiago with his daughter ever since.  And now he’s back and he is living with one of his grandkids who is not a member and who has received lots of missionary discussions.  I wanted to go and teach the plan of salvation and subtly find out when his grandson is home so we can come teach him.  The problem is this beloved member is practically deaf and there was nothing subtle about it.  The good news is I think all of Chile must have heard us teaching the plan of salvation and we’re expecting all kinds of new investigators to show up at his door:)  Then he came to church 2 hours early and we had just finished up with a meeting and he wanted to wait in the room with us...how do you tell a near deaf man that you can’t be alone with him while there are other very spiritual and important meetings going on in the room next door?  We didn’t...we just took a really long bathroom break...poor Hermano:(

Brett, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU RIGHT NOW.  You can put that on the blog mom...everybody should know Brett is a genius...in Calculus...We´ll pretend the World History thing never happened;) I am practically in tears. (Editor’s note: Brett scored 5 on the Calculus AP test—highest possible.  He scored 2 on World History—2^nd to lowest possible.)

Ok bye I love you:)

Love,

Lexie

Inspired Piano Playing

Well, this week we had another funeral.  I played the piano for like an hour.  It was very nice and everybody felt the spirit which is really good because the majority of the people there weren’t members.  My companion and I left and she turned to me and she was like, "Ah, that was awesome the spirit was so strong the whole time you were playing and now everyone is going to get baptized!"  Ok she didn’t say that last part but that is what we both want:)  I also played in church on Sunday and everybody loved it and some people cried.  I like making people cry.  Is that okay?  They are crying for a good reason...I think it is okay.  Except I feel like somebody has to cry now for me to feel like I did a good job on the piano...But if they don’t cry does that mean it was awful or are they crying because it was awful?  I don’t know.

It has been cold and rainy here.  I need to get a warm waterproof coat...that doesn’t cost 300 dollars...Hahahaha....oh...sigh...I am just always cold!  Mommy would DIE here in July.  If you ever go to southern Chile mom, pick December.  Cold weather and a ridiculous number of dogs?  Not possible for you.  I hate dogs.  If you think I am adapting to the large number of dogs you are wrong.  Our neighbor’s dog chases us and barks at us when we are trying to get into our house.  Then I swing my umbrella at him and he runs away.  One day I would like to hit him but that would not be very Christlike and I have to be good...

Well that’s it for today.

I love you LOTS!!!!

Love

Lexie

Missionary Work is Fun

Dear family,

I can’t believe it.  You ALL wrote to me.  I am so proud:´)  I almost cried.  Ok I didn’t almost cry but I was very very very happy.  Now you will all probably fail for the next three months until I give you another lecture.  Sigh...Remember that ENDURING TO THE END is a fundamental principle of the gospel.  You have to do it or you won’t be able to receive the kingdom of God.  I feel like that should be pretty big incentive for you to all write to me...

Good news, I realized this week my fire building skills do not stink, it really is the wood.  We bought dry wood and now I can start a fire in 5 minutes instead of one hour.  Yeah!!!!  My firewood chopping skills are continually improving you’ll be happy to know...

Anyway, things in Chile are pretty good.  Hermana Núñez is a stud and is a baptismal invitation machine.  Nobody says yes, but that’s besides the point.  People here are interesting...Like all people are I guess.  A lot of people invite us into their home and ask us, "What are you doing in the south of Chile?  How do the people receive you?"  And I am like, "Um, you are the people..." And then we teach them and try to make them realize that they need the gospel and then we leave and come back later and they tell us to leave them alone but that they have lots of respect and wish us luck...sigh.  Then other people listen and their like, "Yeah, if you tell me Joseph Smith was a prophet, heck I believe it."  And then..."But, I’m not going to change my religion chicas..."   Uh...okay?  Not a whole lot of commitment sometimes.

I watched the Work of Salvation broadcast yesterday.  IT WAS AWESOME.  I liked it.  Not that I don’t love tracting all day in the cold and rain, but I am in agreement that there is a better way.  Nobody wants to let a dripping wet gringa into their house...and that’s if they made the effort to open the door to let all the cold in the house.  Oh, missionary work:)  It is the best.  I like being a missionary.  It is fun.  We saw our recent convert walking in the street and she was like, "Look at how healthy I am getting!"  And started jogging down the street :o  I was in shock.  Seriously, it is a miracle.  She is 67, but everyone thinks she is 80.  Maybe now everyone will believe that she is 67.  She is so happy:)  Her husband won’t ever walk up for the discussions but she does:)  

Well, that’s about all I’ve got.  Love you all LOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Lexie

Grrrr...Wet Wood Doesn't Burn

Hi family!!!!!!!

How’re you all doing?  Good I hope.  I have funny siblings. You all write me the same thing every two or three weeks:  "Dear Sister Wood, Sorry I am a bad brother/sister and this letter is short I will write more later."  Out of curiosity what exactly is your definition of "later" and what is your plan of action to improve?  Come on, you are all returned missionaries for crying out loud.  What happened to your daily planning session!

Anyway, I am good.  I mean, I could be better, but I could be worse so it’s kind of just a nice equilibrium.  Except I have a confession.  I am kind of angry at the man who sells us firewood.  He was like, "Ah, don’t worry hermanas the wood is dry."  The wood is NOT dry.  I have burned my fingers more than once trying to start a fire and it isn’t from the fire it is from the water that boils off the wood...I feel like that is just stupid.  We should not have water sizzling off the wood.  How is the fire supposed to start if it has to fight against all that water!  It doesn’t.  Ok it does but it takes me forever.  I probably look like a smoker now because my fingers are yellow from burning them so much.  By the way Dad, yes I really chop wood...I chop wood like every day...How else do you think I start the fires?  Also, I am not dumb and I am very safe with the axe.  Okay one time I chopped off one of my toes but it’s okay because I walked to the clinic afterwards:)  Haha...just kidding, the mamita drove me.

Anyway, I like hearing about all the funny things at home...plastic on the stairs, a lazy little boy who is not waking up to go swimming, what you ate for dinner.  I love my family you are all awesome:)  Yeah for my awesome family!!!

Oh, I remember another question Dad had about whether or not I can communicate with Hermana Núñez or not.  I hope you realize that my other companion didn’t speak English either...so yeah...I have been communicating for the past two months...but I still have to draw pictures and grunt when I want something sometimes.  Haha, just kidding.  I may not be a pro with the language skills but I am a trainer so the Lord gives me extra help.

I am so excited for Dominica!  She will be great.  Also, I sent a letter to Liz and Sarah about 3 months ago and it never got to them...because I got it last week.  Can someone communicate to them that I love them?  It would be nice.  Maybe you can make Alex do it and tell Alex that I love her too!!!  Hi Alex!!!!  I love you!!!  Do you like Costa Rica???  I am sending you a beautiful letter but it probably won’t reach you until October...

Love,

Lexie

1st Week as a Trainer

You probably want to know about transfers.  I got my new companion Hermana Núñez.  She was born in Ecuador and has lived in Spain most of her life but she does not have a lisp thank heavens...sorry Dad...She lives in Madrid.  She is 19 and has been a member her whole life and has two older sisters one a returned missionary and one currently serving.  We are getting along great and both of us are learning lots.  The spirit is so ridiculously strong between the two of us.  She´s got all the fire from the MTC and we pray like every 10 minutes together because she doesn´t know what´s going on and I only kind of know what is going on...okay sometimes 30.

This week has been pretty eventful.  Lots of emotions go with being a missionary... Graciela our recent convert is doing really great.  She feels so happy and it makes me so happy.  We are finally starting to teach her husband now and I feel like that is just huge progress because before he said he didn't even want her to keep visiting with us.  The problem is he doesn't live the word of wisdom and he is a lot healthier than his wife so we might have a hard time convincing him he needs it too!

Right before transfers one of our "golden" investigators said she didn't want to keep visiting because she’s not going to get baptized.  Then another family we've been teaching told us the exact same thing...except they both scheduled return appointments so I am still very hopeful.  It reminded me of something very important though: We are at war.  We are at war with Satan and every time we find receptive and prepared people he is working just as hard as we are.  We have to treat every one of our investigators like the precious and valuable souls that they are and we can’t give up on them.

Yesterday we visited one of the less actives and his wife (not a member) was in the other room on the phone.  We explained that we couldn't be alone with him and she had to come into the room or we could come back later.  He said no..."Don’t come back, don’t call me, I told you my wife doesn't want to sit in on the lesson and right now she’s talking to my son and it is a very important phone call, if you don’t have any trust in me I don’t want to have anything to do with you etc. so just leave."  So we did.  We were outside the gate and his wife ran out to call us back.  Turns out she had wanted to go to church that day but things got in the way and she wanted to talk to us because she felt a need to do so.  When her husband told her what had just happened, we explained the need to be obedient and she said, "I agree" and let it go.  I am awfully grateful for these tender mercies of the Lord.

It is getting super cold here.  It hasn't been raining the past couple of days but that actually makes it colder.  My fires have been so lame too...sigh...I really need to be more awesome...Today I am going to chop lots of wood so I don’t have to do it at 9:30 at night and I can’t see anything...

Well, that’s about it for today...keep praying for me:)  I LOVE YOU!  

Baptism and Healthy

Lots of good things happened this week.  First, one of our investigators got baptized!   Wooo!  It was beautiful:)  I cried.  Okay, tears didn’t fall from my face and I didn’t make any weird gasping noises but it was a silent cry like Karrie Beckstead does.  Anyway, Graciela is the little abuelita that quit smoking and that had a dream about me that I was dressed in white and blessing her like a Catholic priest.  I love her she is so funny:)  Her baptism was so awesome.  She said it was the best day of her life.  The other sisters had an investigator the same day and we had tons of support from the ward.  It was sweet!  I will try to send a picture if it will work.  All my other pictures kind of got erased...

This week President called...I am going to be training. I finished my training this morning...and I am going to be a trainer on Wednesday...Agh!  That is scary.  My companion is from Spain. A few extra prayers for me would be pretty awesome...also a few extra for my new companion...

This week I have learned a little bit about the nature of prayer.  We always say that specific prayers receive specific answers but sometimes we don’t fully apply that principle.  First, we’ve been praying to find more families and we’ve been finding more families.  Second, one of our investigators told us she can’t believe Joseph Smith was a prophet and she’s not sure that listening to us more is going to change that.  We left and said a prayer in the street and she called us 10 minutes later to schedule an appointment.  I am grateful for these little tender mercies from the Lord that shows us how to be humble while enabling us to do the work.  Pretty cool stuff.

Being a missionary is so cool...and nobody got sick this week!  Did I mention that?  It was a week of health...almost...one of the other sisters was sick, but nobody threw up.  Thank you, Dad for letting me know to wash my hands...unfortunately God has given us all our agency and I can’t help it if nobody else does.  Alex is funny.  In her letter she told me if I wasn’t on my mission we’d be in Alaska...but then she said South America was way better than a non-contagious state...she has a way with words right?

Chile is awesome...it has been raining a lot lately...like every day...and getting colder...The good news is I am staying in Puerto Varas and it’s not too bad here.  I am getting really good at building fires.  You would be proud.  Ok, I cheat and I use petroleum sometimes but you would too if all your wood was wet.  I am also losing feeling in my fingers because I burn them so often...but it is worth it when the wood catches:`) Sigh...I’ve got to get better at chopping wood now.  It is hard when it is raining and dark...but I can do it!  No worries.  

Okay I’ve got to go. I love you all loads!

Love,

Lexie

A Week of Flu

This week I thought would be normal.  Hahaha, sigh.  Then I woke up at 5:30 on Tuesday morning and threw up.  That was fun.  It was even more fun when Hermana Arias threw up.  Haha...oh the flu.  Tuesday morning I was lying in bed and all the sisters came over to do splits and all the Latinas were freaking out and analyzing my symptoms and saying "That’s not normal!  That’s not normal!"  And then they said, "Oh well at least she knows where the clinic is."  I’m sorry...if I am healthy enough to walk a 1/2 mile to the clinic, there is no way I need to go to the clinic.  Anyway later Hermana Zortman came into my room and talked some good sense about how I had the flu and even though having a fever and throwing up is not fun, it is normal when you have the flu.  I love that woman.  I thought I was better on Saturday, but I threw up again last night so clearly I am not better...sigh...

I did get to work a couple of days this week.  We knocked on the door of one house and this little old lady answered the door.  She was hard of hearing so this other guy came to the door and we were trying to introduce ourselves and the man was shouting at the woman and the woman was shouting at everyone and it was funny.  "They’re Evangelicos!" "No we’re from the Church of Jesus Christ..."  "What? They’re Catholic?"  "No they’re Evangelicos!"  "No we’re Mormons..." "I’m Catholic!"  "They’re not Catholic they’re Mormons!"  (Angry face from the woman.) "She doesn’t want anything from the Mormons, she’s Catholic..."  Oh funny stuff.

Well, I don’t think there’s really a whole lot to report this week since I have been indoors all week...Except we are having a baptism this Saturday!  Our little abuelita:)  She is funny.  There was a baptism last week from the elders and we took her to that and now I think she is a little worried about getting dunked into the water since she is 67 and delicate but she will be okay.  Besides ever since she stopped smoking she’s been getting all kinds of exercise so she’ll totally be ready for the dunking action.

Well I hope you are all being good...I love you LOTS.

Love,

Lexie