Monday, June 10, 2013

¡Bienvenidos a Valparaíso!‏



This week. Wow! Remember a couple weeks ago, when I said I feel like I´m simply floating down the Lazy River at Cherry Hill? Well, this week I decided to go down Cardiac Canyon....
 
Wednesday morning I received a phone call from the President saying, "Buenas Días, Hermana Pendleton! I am going to be at your house at 14:30 this afternoon to pick you up and take you to your new area! Please be ready with your bags packed. Thank you and have a good day!" ...and that was that. On our drive to my new area, President told me that I was only going to be with this companion for three more weeks because she would be leaving the following transfer. He advised that I learn the area AND the language as quickly as possible.....so..... :/   ....yeah.

 

Later that day, I found myself in Valparaíso with Hermana Martínez! Her companion was having health problems and her body wasn´t able to walk the gnarly hills....so, we swapped places, and here I am!  It truly is San Fransisco here, only a lot more ghetto and diverse. Everywhere I look, I have a smile on my face. The bright colors, the archetecture, the view of the ocean....IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL.....AND SO FREAKING COLD. This week is officially winter and oh my gosh....I feel like I am re-living my first day in Boston all over again. It is so cold. That is all I can say. SO bitter, SO cold!

 

Hermana Martínez, my SIXTH companion, is great! She is 27 years old, from Mexico and is currently in her training to be a mission leader. I don´t know if you've heard, but they are now giving the Hermana´s leadership callings in the mission. As a mission leader, the Hermana´s will go on split´s with other Hermana´s and show them how real missionary work is done. That being said, I had to learn our entire área, investigators and ward in one day - on Thursday, because on Friday, Hermana Martínez was in Viña for training. I had a brand new Gringa, Hermana Boyd, spend the day with me and, oh boy, I was extremely humbled. Hermana Boyd has been here for three weeks and knows NO Spanish. Very funny day. I feel like I am being extremely blessed with the language and my abilites thus far.....but understanding everyone is a different story. Especially here in Valparaíso where some people don´t even know how to speak their own language. There is a lot of poverty here. We have lots of work to do....
 
This week I had liver and kidney for lunch.....I won´t say anything more.....Be grateful for your Café Rio.
 
As I was studying scriptures about putting our trust in the Lord this week, I came across a scripture in Proverbs that I can testify to be true as a missionary serving in Chile..."He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife:but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat..." I am really hoping all these steep hills will help me develop a Booty like Beyoncé.....
 
We have an investigator named Alejandro that we are hoping to baptize this weekend! Please pray for him. He has been having lots of doubts but definitely has a testimony of the Book of Mormon! He is such an amazing person and I know he is ready to be a member of this church! We have a lot of investigators but not many of them are progressing. I am hoping that I get a Latina for the next change because seriously, it is difficult to understand everyone here. Pray for me!
 
Other than that, this week was really amazing! It sounded like this past week was a success with the last week of school, your birthday, mama, and all other sorts of fun things! Please enjoy the sun for me! I am hoping these next two or three months fly by because this cold weather is horrible to work in! Becca and Cam, congratulations on graduating Elementary and Jr. High School!!! Tay, good luck with your job interview!!!
 
You are all beautiful. Thanks for being the best family in the world!

All my love,
Kath
 

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