Oh my goodness, este semana era LOCO (this week was crazy)! It was Elder Crabtree's final week in his mission, so we were running around trying to say his last goodbyes and doing everything he needed/wanted to prepare to leave. It was one hectic week. It was a very bittersweet thing for me, preparing my companion to go home. Apparently when you spend 24 hours a day with someone for six weeks, you become really close to them! Haha, no, but it was actually very hard to say goodbye to him.
This week started out normal. We tried to hit up all of our investigators that bailed on us with coming to church, but there were a lot of people out of town. And that's a scary thing here. Here, when they're talking about vacations, they don't mean a couple days, or a week. They're talking months. Here, according to Elder Crabtree, the average vacation is about a month long! Compared to ours, at the longest, week long trips. So we'll see when everyone comes back. I'm hoping that they were just quick trips to Iquique or something, because I really wanted to talk to them! I was hurt when they didn't come to church. I knew that Satan was working his magic. I want to talk to them again, smack some Gospel into them, and see them through to the end! Fortunately, I feel like I'm gonna do just that with my new companion.
The last day with Elder Crabtree was completely insane. It was yesterday, Sunday. It started out pretty tranquila, but just continuously escalated until I could barely keep my mind straight! We went to church at 11:30, and after he took a lot of pictures with members in front of the plaque out front. Then we had lunch with la familia Blanca. This family knows how to eat! I leave every time overly stuffed, barely able to walk! It's crazy! I think Elder Crabtree had a second stomach, or something. I have no idea where he was putting all the stuff! This time, it was rice with a piece of carne and a piece of pollo. Then she prepared corn, tomatoes, and these weird hashbrown/tater-tot-ball sort of things. Then, she gave each of us half a watermelon and a spoon. So of course, after this, I'm almost throwing up I'm so full, but then she brings out dessert! It was a ton of food... but delicious! Anyways, after lunch, was basically just us sprinting from house to house saying goodbye to all of Crabtree's better friends in the branch. It was hard, because there was a meeting for all the parents at 6:00 that lasted a while, so we had to hit up all those people before the meeting. Each house we went to, Elder Crabtree had them sign his Justin Bieber notebook, which he used as his mission yearbook sort of thing (I'm gonna get myself one, it was awesome), and took a picture. But we got to everyone we wanted to, which was great, and ended the night at la familia Quiroga, nuestra favorita (our favorite). We stayed there until 11:00! When we got home, it was tranquila again for a little, as he finished packing and whatnot. However, he had forgotten when his ride was coming, and so at 12:20, we here OH CRAP, and he starts panicking, throwing all of his crap into bags. He had told mamíta to take him and Elder Chang (another elder who died yesterday) at 12:30. So basically, our last goodbyes were hasty hugs and good wishes. It was kinda sad, but like ripping off a band-aid. Really quick and painful. So now he's gone. I'm definitely gonna miss him, he's a good friend!
So I got the call from the President Assistants on friday telling me who my nuevo compañero will be. His name is Elder Reveco. (Pronounced like Rebeckah, but with and 'oh' at the end) He is Chileno, and carries about a year in the mission. This was good news for me, but also scary! And both for the same reason. He's latino. Meaning: no english. I've gotten off easy with Elder Crabtree, because we spoke a lot of English, but now that's not possible. I'm going to live with 3 Latinos now. It'll be all español from here on out. I'm freaking out, but also rejoicing. I'm sure by the end of this cambio, my spanish is going to be so much better, and I'll be able to talk and understand on such a better level! I'm so excited! So today I went down to Iquique with the other Elders in my pensión, and picked up the new elders for our district. We picked up Elder Reveco last. He seems really awesome! He doesn't know any English (wooo....), he's about as tall as I am. From what I can understand from what he's saying, he's a pretty funny guy! Hopefully I'm understanding him correctly haha! But everyone I talk to about him says that he is super awesome, and super obedient! So I have a very good feeling that this cambio is gonna rock! I can tell he likes to have fun, but that he also knows how to work. I think we'll make a good companionship. I'm still a bit nervous about leading the sector after only being a missionary here for a month, but I have just adopted the mentality of 'come what may'. Like you said, mom, all I need to do is give it my all. That's what is expected of me. I'm sure if I do that, any slack will be taken up by the Lord, if not by my new companion.
So I'm super excited! This is going to be an awesome 12 weeks with Elder Reveco! I can't wait to see what we do! I love you all, and pray for you, and miss you!
Les amo a todos!
Elder Schmid
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