Jajaja dang mom! You are getting pretty snarky! I was reading and it made me laugh how sarcastic you were, and then you actually read back and commented on the same thing! To answer your questions straight off, then, yes, my english is slipping, but that's not why I didn't answer last week the question about skype. It's because I was waiting for the rules to come in from Pres. We got that email this week. We will skype Monday, Christmas day. It has to be before 7:00, my time, so I don't know what hour that is for you guys. Also, I don't know if I will be here, or in another secotr, so I can't really work out the little details. I will be able to do that in... two weeks. Hehehehe...
But that sounds like such an awesome month you are having! December has always been my favorite month, between the cold, the awesome Christmas spirit, my birthday, everything! All of that was kind of taken away on my mission... but that's ok! It's gonna be a good time here! I love that idea of the stake muscial program! I hope they do it again next year! And yeah, classic grandma! Haha has anyone taken time out to just teach her when she can or cannot answer her cell phone? And that's good that you are getting in a lot of work, mom! It still seems strange to me that you're working again, but I think it's awesome!
Well, things here are going strong! First things first, we had our Christmas conference this week! It was so amazing!!! I loved it! It was with my zone, the zone of Antofagasta Centro, and Calama. In all there were around 60-70 missionaries there. President talked a lot about ending the year strong, how the mission is changing drastically for the better every day, and how we keep surprising him with how we follow the vision he has received for us so much. Then he talked a lot about the story of the Nativity in Luke, but focusing on Gabriel, the angel come to spread the news of Jesus' birth, and how relatable it is to the missionaries here relating the very same message to the world. I loved it! Hermana Ferreira also talked about the cost of dicipleship, all that we are giving up to be here and to be diciples of Christ, but also all that we are gaining in return. it was a very spiritual conference with many inspiring messages. The office also did a few cool videos. One was a bunch of clips of recently returned missionaries talking about how it's possible to baptize weekly, giving ánimo, and all that, and it was really touching, and awesome to see faces of people I knew personally back in there homes, some of them actually marries by now! (flpping mormons). Another video was a spif off of some commercial here about Alexis Sanchez, but President put it in his voice, about a grandpa telling his grandkid about how here was in some awesome place when something awesome was going on, and how this mission is exploding, and we are a part of it! It was funny, but also inspiring! After the conference, we had a big lunch given by some volunteers from different wards, and they gave gifts to those who had a birthday this month! (ME!!!) And then we got to take the annual picture with Pres and Hermana Ferreira, in which they gave us a box of chocolates and a paper with all the missionaries currently in the mission on it. The box, to answer your question, mom, is something called 'toffifees', which ended up being super super delicious chocolates with hazelnuts inside! Afterwards, we played a little gift exchange game where we all sat down in a massive circle, and they called a fruit (we were all assigned different fruits) and we had to switch places, but they removed a seat. The person who was left without a seat had to share a funny expereince from their mission. I lost once hehehe. I shared the story of the two dogs with Elder Barney. At the end, the seat you were in had a gift for you given by some other missionary. I got a little chinese golden waving cat with some pens/markers. Then we ended it by watching Wreck It Ralph! Which was HILARIOUS!!! I am so deprived of movies...
Well, the rest of the week was good too, I guess. Our second baptism fell because the person ended up moving back to their home country! -_- That was really really hard. but it's ok. I am fine with the work I am puitting in. I know that I'm not just wasting my time, even if everyone else is baptizing so much and I am not. But we do have some solid people lined up for us. This week, some joven came with Rodrigo (recent convert) to a youth activity, and said he wanted to talk to missionaries. Then he came with Rodrigo to church! Then we went over, and told us he wants to get baptized!!! What?!?! I have to recognize God's hand, his miracles in the mission. This time, it's not too difficult to see it. We are going to baptize this kid, and next his family! We are also talking more with Rosa, the lady who came to church last week. She couldn't make it to church this week for emergency, but she is loving everything we are telling her! (We haven't taught her the word of wisdom yet) But she is gonna get baptized!!! We are also talking to another friend of a recent convert who's name is Jesennia. It's wierd because it's spelt and pronounced the gringo way, but in spanish it reads 'Hesenia'. But she lives with a family of members and is from Ecuador. She gon' get baptized!
Working has been difficult. I'm pretty sure I'm leaving this sector. It's hard to contact new people when that happens, because you don't have as much drive, because you might not be here to baptize them! But I am still working hard, trying to get over my pride and just work! Yes mom, the fire is still there from both conferences now, and we are going to baptize weekly. A baptism fell in Caliche B that was difficult, but I did her interview sunday, and she is definitely going to get baptized this week, with her son! We are always talking to everyone we cross in the street, and have several new families and people we are teaching. Just puttin down the seeds and weedin out the weeds!
I have been trying hard this week to look for the hand of God much more in my work. I loved looking for tiny things and recognizing them as tender mercies sent from on high! Like the menos activos that showed their faith again and came to church again. We are talking with a family, la familia Roca. I love them! They are all from Bolivia, and just stopped going to church for a while. But as we've been talking to them, the desire has come back, and one of them is interviewing with bishop to serve a mission! I love seeing their 'reconversion' process here! I also notice how many people God puts on our path who need the message we are preaching! So many people do not have the truth simply because 'They know not where to find it'! I am here to bring it to them! The spirit is using me as a tool in his conversion of all these people, and I have the privelage of watching it from front row seats! How can I not recognize that miracle? The gospel changes lives. I might get a topic for my homecoming talk, but I will probably end up talking about how the gospel changes people! I love seeing the change! Maybe it's not so big sometimes, but it is ever so important!
Today I decided to take my district to have our 'last pday activity'! I saw a bunch of missionaries with pictures in Antofa when they went to some go karting place! So I decided to take them there! We went and it was awesome!!! They were so much faster than I thought they were going to be! We were drifting and spinning out and it was sooooooooo fun! I won! Jejejeje! Elder Yoshikawa tried to say that I seemed to have a faster kart! (Yeah, okay!) But it was extremely fun! But expensive.... I'm eating pure oatmeal this week. and the next. But it was worth it! Then, when we were leaving, we saw some other missionaries, and they looked at a¡us weird, and said 'Did you just come from go karting? You guys know that's not allowed right? We talked with pres and he said we can't do it, it's an area rule.'' So... I kinda freaked out. But to be fair, I had no idea! But I was chueco... I'm sorry!!! But.... I did have sooooo much fun. But now I know, and I will never do it again.
But anyways, that's pretty much it! Sorry mom, I haven't gotten that package yet. But I will check soon. It might be in the office. But I can't exactly just hop on over and check. I need a valid reason, and no matter how much I argue it, a pouch is not a good enough reason. But I hope you all have an excellent week! I love you guys! Ciao!!!
Les amo a todos!
Elder Schmid
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