Courtney's Week #16

Okay the last week in my first change (area) there was a fair amount of rain, but in my old area we had to cross these things call posteros, which are big fields that people use to cross from neighborhood to neighborhood. They were so muddy.

The next day we climbed one of the hills in the area with the zone leaders and the elders from the branch next door it was so fun. I slid down half the hill. I didn´t get any really good pictures because we climbed it at 5 in the morning and it was still dark. But it was great!!

Me and Hermana Stevens and Hermana Jenny, our "mom" in Esmeralda.

Me and my new Companion

I did pictures first today because I really wanted to finally send out pictures and we are in a little bit of a better cyber today. By better cyber I simply mean that the USB ports work. It however would not pass for a business license in the states.

Here I am!! I am here in an area called Los Andes, more specifically in an area called Centenario, just in case you can find that on google maps. I didn´t realize how poor the people were in Colina or Esmeralda, my last area. I just assumed that that was how all of Chile was. But Los Andes is pretty much like the States, the people here are a lot richer and can afford things. Oh my goodness, people even have automatic gate openers, (just like garage door openers, but they don´t have garages, just gates). The first one scared me half to death because I was sure that conveniences such as this did not exist in Chile. It is kind of sad though. I feel like the culture has been lost as the people have been exposed to the conveniences of the world. I feel as if I am in the states, even the food is pretty much the same. I had Great Value Blueberry Pomegranate Ice Cream the other day in a members house--the same stuff that our family gets from Walmart, crazy! I am no longer eating rice, beans, and pan. The food is much more like the states.

Although it is nice to have a store where I can buy hot chocolate and other conveniences that I love it is kind of sad to be here among the richer people, things are so much more peaceful, but I really loved the poor people they were great. Oh, I haven´t been proposed to at all since I got here, this is quite sad. My self-esteem was so high when I recieved hourly compliments on how beautiful I was and occasional marriage proposals too. Now I am lucky if I get one a day. ¡Que Triste! (how sad)

Well I ran out of time, but just know that I am a happy missionary! I am picking up spanish super fast. I know that Heavenly Father needs me to speak spanish NOW and that is why I am with all the Latinas. I am meant to be a great tool in the hands of God, but first I need to be able to communicate with the people so here I am learning spanish.

To answer one of your questions Dad, technically I am still in training until the end of this change, but mostly my companion is just teaching me Spanish nothing else is really new other than insights and stuff like that.

I love you all! Thanks for everything!!

Hermana Evans