Monday, February 28, 2011

Baptism

Hello! 
We had our baptism this week! Oh my goodness it was the hardest week yet too! i think it is just like that when you have a baptism though. It is just like Satan does everything he can to hinder it from happening. It was like everything we planned went wrong, we had a lot of problems with our companionship, and then at the end the day of somebody died in our ward and their body was in the chapel all of Saturday and Sunday. it was a roller coaster of a week if there every was one. But yeah so when people here in Chile die they have this tradition of letting everyone view the body for and entire 24 hours or more. They got special permission from the area authorities to keep the church open all night so people could come and view it. Also all during church they had the viewing in the room behind the chapel( you know the one that they open up if there are not enough seats in the sacrament room). it was kind of weird to me. But that was crazy when we found out about that the day of at like ten in the morning. We were running around all day trying to change everything and get permission from the Bishop and stake president to have it at the stake center. But finally when it was time to have the baptism at 8 that night everything calmed down and went exactly right for the first time that week. It was such a surreal experience. It is impossible to explain all the feeling and thoughts you have when someone you have found is walking into the font and then when they come up out from the water. i think only Hermana Amaya and I can fully understand and see the change that has taken place it this family. It is nice to be able to see that all the hard work that we do everyday, all the sweat, blisters, and tears have made a difference for someone. In the end the funeral was good because the family asked us to come and hand out pamphlets, Book of Mormons, and talk about the plan of salvation because a lot of the people attending were not members. They even mentioned us in the service and said the Siser Missionaries are here and can teach you about this plan and everything, it was pretty good. 
It sounds like you guys have had a busy week with things to do. All of those activities sound fun! I am a little jealous sometimes because I just miss the life I am use to in the United States. :) As for who feeds us it is the ward members. We get feed the one big meal that they eat(Lunch) everyday except for on Monday. It is kind of a hit and miss though because lots of things they eat really aren't too bad but sometimes its a little rough. That is one thing that is really hard for me here, not being able to have a choice on what I get to eat and the portions. i miss that so much.  I love Mondays because I get to choose :) Most of the families are really awesome though. It is only sometimes that they forget or fed us something that is gross. We eat a lot of rice and tomatoes and mayonasa.  As for snacks I eat a lot of fruit and different candy things. The candy is hard to explain because it is all very similar but different at the same time. I will have to send some home to you guys or bring a bunch back in my suitcase. lol
Spanish is still coming along slowly. It is still very frustrating at times though. We had interchanges on Wednesday and I was with Hermana Morales, she is from Argentina. Very very nice but doesn´t know any English whatsoever. It was really good though because we talked all day and were able to understand each other. We even stayed up a little later than we were suppose to because we were talking. She is really quite though so I ended up talking a lot and I was so happy with how much I could say in Spanish. She was so nice and complemented me a lot on how good my Spanish was especially for it only being month 4. It is so nice to be able to understand more and more every week. It make things not feel so different.
Thank you for everything Mom!  Love you all and miss you a lot!
Hermana Lichty

Monday, February 21, 2011

4 month mark!

Hello....
It has been I crazy week full of ups and downs. No earthquakes yet but we heard that the United States made and official announcement about a big earthquake that is suppose to happen this month in Chile.. hmmm Yea we are getting prepared.
So lots of snow huh? That is crazy. The weather here has been weird, pretty cold in the morning and hot in the afternoon. Lots and lots of clouds. Our pension is freezing in the morning and none of the houses here have heaters or coolers. Only little space heaters so in the winter I might just freeze. :) It is kind of crazy to me about their houses because they don´t have insulation either it is just like brick or wood that they use and there are lots of cracks in the houses because of the earthquakes.
I have some REALLY good news about the pulgas :) That lavender oil is working! It has been so nice to not stink all the time like vinegar. lol It is so funny too because they really don´t like the lavender so they bit my companion instead. She is a little ticked about the situation but I think it is funny. Every night she shows me the bits that I should have. lol I told her to use my stuff but she is being stubborn. I put like 5 drops of it in a big thing of lotion and use that all over my body every morning. Those fleas are smart though because they find where I don´t put it... but I am not going to go into details about that :) So now I only get bit on my hands and feet where the lotion gets washed off and rubbed of during the day. And I am going to try and experiment with those patches this week and see if they work. Oh Mom, Hermana Gillespe wanted me to tell you thank you from her for all your help with the fleas. When I told her about the lavender oil she was SO exctied and happy. She said that is is very grateful that I have been able to figure out a solution since I get it the worst out of all the missionaries here because know she can let all the other missionaries know. So thank you Mom and to everyone else that has helped with the problem :)
We have a baptism this Saturday that we are really looking forward to and then 2 or 3 more on the 12th of March.  It is crazy to me how hard Satan works to get our investigators off track. It makes for some really hard weeks but definitely worthwhile. Most days we get back to the house and are just completely exhausted and ready for bed. It definitely makes time fly by though. I was four months in the mission yesterday... can you believe it? So crazy.
So what all is happening with Stephanie... how do you get a Kidney infection. That is a bummer. Tell her to write me please :) That sounds fun about the Chili cook off thing.. I wish I could have been there..do you have pictures?
I am jealous you all have a day off. lol Sometimes all I want to do is sleep in and it is all I can do to get out of my bed in the morning. But its okay.
Spanish is still coming along but defiantly hard. I love that I am understanding more and more though. It is nice to know what is going on in the conversations and to be able to comment.
Oh and I have some pictures from a conference we had on Friday. It was actually pretty good. We had to give 8 minute talk about any subject in the gospel and it went really well( considering I forgot my paper with the talk on it :) I can do I talk all in Spanish on the spot without practice... Yeah haha
But yeah I can´t really think of anything else at the moment... It has been a busy busy week with our investigators and finding new investigators :)
Thank you for everything... I love at miss you all,
Hermana Lichty
And yes I got that email about your uncle.. that is so awesome! Please tell him thank you for me. It has been amazing to see how the lord blesses his missionaries huh? ;)

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Valentines Day 2011

And the earthquakes begin....
It had been a week full of a lot of interesting things including earthquakes. Yes we have been feeling earthquakes. The one Dad is talking about was a 4 on the scale, it shook us like twice in like 20 seconds. The next day they had another big one in Concepcion that was a 7 I think and then the day after that we had another baby one here. It is kinda freaking us out because they announced that there is suppose to be a big earthquake this month in Valparaiso and Belloto is in Valparaiso. They say that the last really big earthquake they had here was in 84 or 85 and they are expecting it to be as bad as that one. Like it is suppose to be huge. So we have our emergency kits ready and our emergency supply of food and water. The earthquake that was in Concepcion last year affected Belloto too. They said they were without electricity, water, food, and any form of communication for 3 days, so yeah we are waiting for something. It is kind of nerve wreaking because every time we have lunch at a members house they are talking about the earthquakes and yes I understand almost everything they are saying about them and it is not good. But we are prepared :)
Hermana Amaya was really sick on Monday night and Tuesday so we had to travel to Viña for the morning and get her medicine. We found a MacDonald´s there and it was so good. lol I had the Elders in the office drop us off there. It was funny.
Our investigators are doing okay. I have some pictures of Alejandro because we did this service project at his house on Saturday. I am so sore from it. We cleaned up is front yard and hauled all the tree branches and bushes into a hole in his back yard. It was kind of random but that is what he wanted. I think he was surprised at how much we really just want to help him. It is just so sad because he really has nothing, not even running water for the toilet or a shower. Sad sad We are trying to find some Church clothes for him at the moment.
Another investigator is having a really hard time. Her husband almost cut 3 of his fingers off,had to go to three hospitals and had a 4 hour surgery to try and fix it. They have not idea how they will pay for it our how he is going to work. It is a test of their faith. I am praying for there family because they are so good. We went over and had a little family home evening and made cards for him and ate Flan and Flac cookies. I hope it helped them.
As for the milk we can´t find any Soy milk in any of the stores but I found this special kind of digestion milk that seems to agree with me a lot better. lol It has been nice to have a break from being sick and having a stomach ache every morning.
That is awesome about Zach and the letter. Hopefully they respond or do something with it- Since he is such a good writer maybe he should try writing me a letter :)  Oh and thanks for the picture.. I was wondering about them. What is the date for their wedding?
As for the package from grandpa and grandma they can wait and send it in a couple of months. I am doing pretty good with everything right now. Thank you thank :) I actually got another blister yesterday.
Oh did you get all the pictures I sent last week because I got an email that said they failed or something. I will send them again.
I am losing my English. The last couple of times people have asked me how to say words in English I have forgotten. I still don´t remember, even Hermana Amaya is surprised with the words I can´t remember. I don´t know what is happening. :)
How is the snow there? I am praying for cooler weather here. But the members tell us by mid March it gets better. Anything else new going on? How is Dad and Stephanie doing since they haven´t written me yet? :) I have a lot of fun stuff to make for you guys when I get home. All they food here is different. I am staring to really like it :)

Monday, February 7, 2011

Good Morning

Good Morning :)
How is everyone doing this week? Yes yes I got two packages today. One was the lavender oil and the other was the medical kits from Grandpa and Grandma.. Thank you so much :) Those band aids will defiantly come in handy down here. It seems like someone always needs something. Last week my companion had a blister on her big toe that took up the entire bottom of her toe. It was sick and I had to help her cut it off. I know I know, too much information. lol But my point is those medical kits came in handy( as well as all those blisters I got from training for those marathons :)) I had her all fixed up in no time and ready for more hills :)
This week has been pretty amazing with our investigators. One of our investigators is really old, probably around 70 or so and he has been smoking since he was little. He has a baptismal date is for the 26th of this month and after teaching him the word of wisdom last Sunday we asked for his cigarettes. He said no but told us starting Monday he would stop. We made him this can thing for him to put all the money he doesn´t spend on cigarettes. AND he stopped.. just like that and is doing wonderful, he attended church with us for the 2nd time yesterday.
Another investigator we have been working a lot with gave us all her Coffee and tea this week and even fasted this Sunday with us so she can stop smoking and get the answer she needs that is the right church. It was sweet. Funny story though. Before we went to her house to collect her Coffee and tea we bought her Ecco( the stuff that is kind of like coffee but not) and herbal tea... also I bought some cinnamon tea that was really good . After we returned for the day to our pension my companion said ¨ I think we need to look at that tea we have been drinking because it just says ¨Tea with Apple¨ and ¨Tea with Cinnamon¨. Hna Amaya had been drinking this Tea with Apple and said it was really good so that is why I bought the same kind and drank it. Anyway so we look at the tea that she had been drinking and the tea that I had just bought and had some of and it is horrible! Black tea.... danget. We were just like what the heck. We have been teaching the Word of Wisdom for the last 2 days to our investigators and we have been breaking it. Hna Amaya kind of had a freak out moment but I calmed her down. lol  We took a picture with our tea, the tea and coffee we collected from our investigator and then the good stuff we can drink. It was an interesting day. And not to worry we threw the bad stuff away.
What else what else.... Oh I put Hermana Amaya on a diet. :) She has been out on the mission for 7 months and gained around 15lbs so we are working on it. Lots of fruit and no pan(bread and pastry's) for her. Sometimes it is hard for her but for the most part it is pretty easy, I just have to remind her when we are at member´s house and at lunch. Today is her ¨cheat¨ day where she can have two things. Man she is in heaven with the idea of this cheat day. haha I just think it is funny.
Oh crazy thing happened on Friday. We were at these new investigator´s house and the are the nicest people you could ever met. They have a really small small house and we are talking talking talking when out of the middle of no where this duck comes walking into the living room. They start talking to the duck, it has a name ¨Fito¨ and it listens and follow their commands. I was laughing so hard! It was the most random thing. It even gives kisses when you ask for them and it cuddles with you! Who would have thought.... a duck. lol It was so funny because it peed on the floor too. I don´t know if you have ever seen a duck pee before but it is funny. It is just like a large squirt out of their butts. My companion and I almost died laughing.
 
I think thats all the really exciting stuff going on right now. The fleas and still here and bitting.. fun fun for me :) I feel like all the stuff I try works a little bit but not totally. Vinager has been the best in my opinion, that and the flea coller on my bed.Spanish is really hard but I am understanding more and more each day.
The food is alright... I am not sure what I like best. Maybe the avocados with tuna and mayonesa also the bread is really really good. I miss so many foods from the US though. Cookies for sure, they don´t make cookies anywhere here. We don´t have any fast food or restaurants in our area. I tried pizza and this is... interesting. Oh yeah also I am allergic to the milk here. I have been trying to figure out why I am sick in the bathroom every morning since I got here and I have figured it out. Last week I tried the lactose free milk and that was not it so this week I am going to try soy milk. I am praying that will work. Mornings are never fun for me... but its okay :) Also no Diet Pepsi here... no where sad sad sad. haha
 
Sounds like there is a lot going on at home and at Church that's great. How is Zach´s job hunt going? I am glad you are so busy at the office. Anything else new? What is Stephanie up to? I sent that letter to Ramona but it is coming to our house because I didn't know her directions. I had some extra time because Hna Amaya was sick on Saturday. I am hoping I don´t get what she had it was not fun for her and we have a lot of work to do this change.
I hope all is well :) I love getting you emails
 Love,
Hermana Lichty