La Serena

Oh what a week it has been! Can I tell you the worst news ever! Not only do we have a flea problem here but yesterday we found out that..... some recent converts have lice AND the other Hermanas think that they have it as well. So all morning we have been washing everything in our pension and when we get back we all have to use the special lice shampoo and comb. Yeah I am not too excited about it I'm not going to lie. We stripped all of our beds and sprayed them down, some members are helping us wash some of the clothes, we are hand washing clothes, and we have a lot of stuff in big trash bags tied up and sitting in the sun(to fry them), and all of our hair stuff in a big bucket of bleach water. Oh the things that happen in South America!  But I would like to clarify that  I am like 95% positive that I don´t have it. We are just trying to be cautious. :)

But other then that things have been going really good. My companions name is Hermana Cárcamo and she is really nice. I think we are really going to enjoy our time together. This area is great! I have been so surprised because the people here are different then those in the interior. They seen to be much nicer and receptive. I love it because almost everyone stops to listen to you. So that has been great. We had a lot of success this week and even my companion who is going into her 3rd change here was surprised. We already have a couple of people that are progressing and will be baptized this coming month. But we are looking for a couple more :) The bus ride was good,but a little long. It was great though because we got to see so many parts of Chile and the coast almost the whole way. We only stopped once for lunch and a bathroom break but it was good. I was the only Hermana coming here so I got to know a couple of the Elders. Out of the 200ish missionaries that we have here only twenty are here in La Serena.

La Serena is wonderful! It is so beautiful. It is the coast. That is the only way to describe it. It think it is like the size of Casper. You can see the sea line from everywhere in our area. But when you look in the opposite direction it is mountains and hills. It is great! The temperature here is a lot different here. It doesn´t get so hot like the interior. It usually is cloudy because of the sea so it is just a cool temp. Perfect for a skirt, short sleeved shirt, and a sweater. So that is going to be amazing for the summer! I am looking forward to that.

I loved the thanksgiving pictures. It looks like it was fun. I don´t ever remember making rootbeer though. But that's cool too. I totally noticed that Steph was wearing my shirt! Did she take all my clothes. Oh dear, what will I have to wear when I get home? Well it will be okay. How is everyone doing? Zach is getting bigger!

Well I have to go do a lice treatment.. lol

I love you all, thank you for everything!

Love,

Hermana Lichty

Happy Thanksgiving!

That is so funny you already heard that I was leaving Villa Norte! But I am really really bummed about it. I thought I had least one more change here. I almost started crying when we heard the news! I just sat there at my study desk staring at my wall. Both me and Hermana Garcia have been in a state of shock about it. We had talks yesterday in church that went really well but at the end when I told everyone that I was leaving I had to take a couple moments to collect myself so I wouldn’t start crying in front of everyone. It is so sad. I am just praying that I a can have a positive attitude about where I am going right now because I just don’t want to leave. Everyone in the ward has been really sad to but really good about it.

But on a different note I a going to La Serena! It is the most talked about Zone in the mission. Every that goes loves it there and everyone that hasn’t gone wants to go there. So it will be good. I will be with another companion from El Salvador. It is kind of funny because she will be my 3rd companion from there. I have heard I lot of good things about this area so I am excited. But it is far from here. It is like 7 hours by bus. So I will be traveling all day tomorrow to get there.  I think almost for sure that this will be my last area because it is so far from everyone that the president keeps the missionaries there for a longer amount of time.

But this week has been a good week in Villa Norte, we found a lot of new people to teach which means the Hermana that will be taking my place is very lucky. :) This morning I was starting to pack all my stuff and it is so hard for me... I have too much stuff. SOO I am going to try and mail 1 package home with my coats and some other random things.

So are you all excited about thanksgiving? They don’t celebrate that here so it will probably be another normal day here in Chile. I actually forgot about it. lol But you will have to send me some pictures of everyone that comes to celebrate with you guys. Then send me them on Monday.

Zach got is wisdom teeth pulled? How is he doing with that, no swelling or anything? How unfair,when I got mine pulled I got so sick and swollen. lol How is he doing with the girls? Tell him that dating is overrated and he should just focus on something else, like another project with dad or something. I was telling a member about how my brother had started dated and how weird It thought it was and he asked me if I was jealous. I was like.. what?? No no. haha But it has been weird because random Elders that I have met throughout the mission have started trying to write me. It is kind of funny but weird at the same time. One from Mexico and one from Peru.

That is crazy it is already getting so cold there. I can’t really remember that type of cold because it has been so long and it is getting so hot here. But I have heard that la serena is not as hot because we are right next to the beach. How sweet it that. It is a very touristic lugar because it is so beautiful and because of the beach. I will have to send you fotos. Also I have heard that the pension is sweet! Like a castillo(castle). SO I have a lot to look forward to but a lot of people to say bye to as well.

I am glad everything is going so well! I hope you have a very happy thanksgiving!

Con amor,

Hermana Lichty

Last week of the change

Did I ever tell you that I love Villa Norte? We had another baptism this weekend and it went great. Everything just fell into place and I really feel like it was just Camila´s time to get baptized. I am so happy for her because she is going to be such a great example to her family. Right now her parents don´t want anything to do with the church, but I feel with time that will change. Camila has been changing for the better since we started teaching her and her grandpa told us her mom had noticed what a positive effect the church has had on her. So anyway I am praying for at least one more change here so I can continue to help my converts and the investigators that we have. I don´t feel like my work is done here yet. I think there will be at least one more baptismal service here before the end of the year. 
I have been learning to trust more in the leaders here, especially the bishop. He has been the key to all the success that we have been seeing here. Recently we had a big problem come up that could have turned our really really bad and the bishop was able to handle it very smoothly, I was very impressed and grateful. It is one of those stories I will have to explain in person because it just has so many aspects to it. But it gave me a greater appreciation for all the rules that we have as missionaries and a better understanding to why we have so many. It is to keep us protected.
Elder Cook came and talked to us. It was really good, he talked about how we are ¨branch builders¨ and we need to be helping the members first and from there we branch out and help their families and friends. He talked about how we need to be more loving and gracious in our words and actions so that everyone can see that and have a trust in us. It was a really good conference and the whole mission came. It was so fun to see everyone from my old Zonas.
I can´t believe this change is coming to an end, this is the last week! It seems like just yesterday I picked my companion up from the office. The time is passing so quickly. But I am really happy because my Spanish continues to get better and sometimes I have to tell my companion what the people are saying because they talk so fast. lol
I am glad you are having such a good time in California, it sounds like you found a lot of good food to eat! Oh how I miss the good good. But its okay, before I know it I am going to be back and in Casper and missing the food here. lol I am starting to really love sunscreen again. It is getting hot! The good thing is my companion is use to the hot weather so the only comments about the hot weather come from me. :)
How is everything else going? Anything new and excited happening? I have been hearing a lot, from the members about new movies that have come out since I have been gone. I feel that I am going to have a pretty good list of thing to watch when I get back. haha
Anyways, sorry this letter is so short. I will try and make the next one better.
Love,
Hermana Lichty

Nov 7 2011

What.... Ashely´s dad got baptized? That is so crazy! I would really love to know how that all happened, the story behind that and how the sister missionaries started teaching him. I don´t want to brag or anything but the Sister missionaries bring a little something different to the table. lol We can touch people´s hearts a little differently than the Elders can. :)
The work here is going very good. We are preparing for a baptism this Sunday. I have been very humbled by the work here these last 5 months ( can you believe I have been here since June??). I have been noticing more the work of the Spirit in the work and how much we are being directed to knock certain doors and ask certain questions. I have really been trying to humble myself these last couple of weeks. This week especially I have been trying to become a better teacher, to focus more on listening and asking questions. I have been very touched by what a difference it has made in the work. The people we have been teaching and talking to have really started opening up and talking from their hearts. I have noticed that it is really our job as missionaries to show people the love that God has for them. My companion and I have made it a goal to share that with all the people we teach and talk with and it really makes a difference in their attitudes and words.
Camila the investigator we have that will be getting baptized this weekend has completely changed since we started teaching her. We hit a point with her where she just was not progressing anymore, she stopped going to church and stopped ¨having time¨ to see us. So we had a very straight forward talk with her. While we were talking we shared about the love that God has for her and why we were here as missionaries. We told her how much we loved her and how huge of a plan God has for her in her life. After that she just opened up and has been progressing so fast. We are so excited and happy for her.
I am trying to think of anything else that is going on here... Oh we have a conference on Friday and Elder Cook is going to be the guest speaker. SO we are very excited about that. It is a long conference from like 8 in the morning until like 5 at night so that should be fun.
It is getting really hot outside! But its good, the evenings are really nice to work in.
I like all the pictures that you sent. Zach looks so different and so does Steph! That is so crazy. Thank you for all of the updates and everything. SO much seems to be happening!
We /I have to get going but I love you all and I am glad that you like my letters :)
Hermana Lichty