Courtney's Week #32

So this week was pretty good. This week we had 9 investigators who we talked to on Saturday and they all said that they were for sure going to go to church, and we even called them on Sunday morning and everything, but guess what, none of them went. I was so angry! I was so excited and then nobody came! Ughh!

 

I guess the biggest thing that happened this week is that Hermana Hadlock my companion that I have had for the last three months was reassigned to another mission in the states. It was really sad, just because I feel like maybe I could have done more to try to help her. But anyways, point of the story, I am no longer in a trio, it is just Hermana Sampson and I, but then again cambios are this week anyways so who knows what is going to happen.

 

This week Hermana Sampson and I went to the foot doctor because she has problems with her foot. The doctor didn´t speak any English and was not very patient, and he also had a tendency to mumble so it was really hard for Hermana Sampson to understand so the doctor ended up talking to me the whole time. It was really funny because he asked us why we walk so much and if there was a chance that we could walk less. I told him that we have to walk so that we can go teach the people about Jesus. He said that all we needed to do was set up a little stand with pictures of our faces and all the people would come to us instead of us having to walk to them. He didn´t seem to really understand our purpose as missionaries, but it was kind of fun.

 

Well, I don´t really have much else to say, but this week I will try to do better at writing down all the funny stories that happen. Oh and I also wrote a few letters and sent them off last Monday, so hopefully you guys will get them soon. Love you!

Hermana Evans

Walker's Week #38

So this week was pretty eventful, my companion ended up getting sick so I got to chill in the house for two days while he slept. It was terrible, there is nothing to do. But its okay because today being pday one of the people in the other companion went on divisions with us and we went to the beach. It was super awesome.

So last week we went to the Temple but we kind of live 4 hours from the Temple so we had to wake up at three in the morning to get there. So I tried to sleep on the bus but that didn't work because the buses here are made for little people and my legs don't fit. So we went to the Temple, went to San Jose, bought everything we needed for the next month and a half and here I am again in the middle of no ware trying to teach people the most important thing they will ever hear in there life's, and they don't want to listen. Bueno adios.

Courtney's Week #31

How´s it going? So yeah if you guys have stuff that you would like from Chile just let me know. Thanks mom for trying with all of my requests, you´re awesome.

 

So this week was really really good. We are finding a lot of really good investigators, the only problem is that they are only home on the weekends, so its really hard to teach them as often as we would like. So this week all the missionaries from my mission and the mission Santiago East had a conference with...Elder Cook! The apostle! It was really cool and we all got to shake his hand. And then yesterday we had a special stake conference and guess who showed up, Elder Cook again! And, we had four investigators at the conference, which is really good because it is a lot harder to get people to travel to the Stake Center. But one of our investigators that we have been working really hard with totally went up and met Elder Cook. Yeah! It was pretty cool, but then that night she went to the doctor because her knee was hurting a lot, probably because we dragged her to the conference in the subway and then in a make-shift mini-bus, but she met an apostle!

 

Another really cool thing that happened this week. So we had a couple that we taught only one time. The son of the lady was baptized when he was 8, but then never went and now he is 21 and drinks, and smokes, and pretty much breaks any of the commandments that you can think of. But his parents really wanted him to get back into church because they are sick of everything and kind of what him to have purpose to his life. So they contacted us on the street about two months ago and we taught them a little tiny lesson, but then we could never really find them again. So we called the dad, his name is Jorge, a few days ago and set up an appointment, but when we showed up no one was home, but we called his phone and he said that he was coming around the corner. So when he showed up he was in pretty bad shape. He started telling us a little about all that had been going on with his life and how everything is going wrong, he didn´t give a lot of details, but he was weeping the whole time. He had written notes to his family and he was thinking about commiting suicide. We sang and prayed and talked about the atonement and in the end of the lesson he said that he felt peaceful. We talked a lot about the love that God has for him and how he knows what he is going through. I didn´t really fully understand that he was thinking about suicide until after the lesson when the member (one of the young men) that we had with us was totally in awe.

 

I think what really stood out to me about the whole situation is that God knows his children and guides us as missionaries. As we have been dropping all of our investigators the last few weeks, for some reason we didn´t with this family. We kept calling and trying to pass by. And more than that, our schedule was jam-packed for that day, but because we got out of our conference with Elder Cook early, we were able to help this man. And more than that, usually the sister missionaries cannot enter with just a man unless there is another woman present, but because we are in a trio we were able to enter and to really help this man. It was just really cool to see the way the God prepares the way for us to help his children. I know that we are here as missionaries to help God with his work, it is His work, not ours; we are just instruments in his hands. God knows every one of his children and what they need and when.

 

 Well, I am out of time. I just ordered new garments online, so you don´t have to worry about that. Oh, and before I forget, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! And just so you know, Bridger and Dad, I did not forget your birthdays, I just never remembered when I was doing internet, but I love you guys and was thinking about you all day on your birthdays! I am working on sending you guys a letter from Chile it should get there soon. Love you all!

Hermana Evans

Walker's Week #37

Hello, so this week was pretty crazy. So me and my comp have been having a pretty hard time with our area. This last week we were lucky if we taught a lesson a day. Actually this hasn´t just been this week, this has been since I got here. So like the Zone Leaders decided that they needed to do divisions with us to make sure we were actually working, which we are no worries. So we had a zone conference, which was awesome. And then one of the Zone Leaders came to our house on divisions with the other area. Oh because there are two areas that split Cañas. But then the AP's called to find the Zone Leaders and he found out he has a changes. So now we don´t have divisions and also the other area is a trio. So now there are five living in our house.

But about my area, I will take a picture and send it to you next week. But pretty much if you can find Guanacaste its every thing from Cañas south to Punterenas.

So still haven´t got any packages. So next week I'll let you no how that's going. But i´m really short on time because we went to the Temple which I had to wake up at three to do, but I need to get back to my area. Love you all, adios.

Courtney's Week #30

So just to let you guys know, I had to buy floss a few weeks ago here, and it is four dollars for a little thing of floss! I couldn´t believe it. Also pads and tampons cost a fortune here. They sell the pads in packs of five! And the latinas don´t usually even know what a tampon is. Its crazy!! Also the deodorant sticks are like the little travel ones that you find in the travel aisle and they are more expensive then the double packs would be in the States. Uugh! Sometimes I think the Chileans just don´t take care of their body and thats why all of the hygenic things are so expensive.

 

Anyways, thanks so much for the pictures!! You guys are awesome.

 

So I forgot to answer last week, but about your question about Halloween. So they do celebrate Halloween here, but its just kind of started up within the last few years, so its not really a big thing. Nobody really decorates and well, I´m not entirely sure yet, but I don´t even think they will go trick or treating. Also funny little fact, they can´t celebrate Halloween today because it is on the records as Dia de los Evangelicos or Evangelists Day, so they made tomorrow as Dia de los muertos or Halloween. I just think it is funny, because they don´t even really celebrate anything, everybody just wants to get more days off work to go to the beach. I do think its funny though they that they have a holiday for the Evangelicists, and its even funnier because people ask us what we will be doing for the holiday; why would LDS missionaries celebrate the Evangelicist religion? But I will definitely work even harder today and maybe we can baptize a whole congregation of evangelicos to celebrate.

 

This week was pretty good, well actually our numbers went down a lot this week and I´m still trying to figure out why. We dropped a few more of our investigators, so now we´re pretty much starting over. Also I´m a little a bit ticked off because we taught a lesson to an old man a couple weeks ago and I accidentally left my extra hymn book, but we haven´t been able to find him since. He´s not really a golden investigator, so normally it wouldn´t be a big issue if we couldn´t find him again because he didn´t really have a ton of interest, but I really want my hymn book back, so everytime we are close we stop by and never opens the door. Funny though--It kind of reminds me a little bit of when Nephi broke his bow and his family all complained though, because ever since I lost my hymn book my companions have been complaining about how hard it is to share, but they lost their extra ones too. I just think its funny, but the problem is I don´t know how to make a new hymn book like Nephi made a new bow. I´ll ponder that this week.

 

So that´s about all that I have for this week.

Love you all!

Hermana Evans

Walker's Week #36

Okay so first off about Jesse, who really cares if she bit someone. I mean like really, I get bit by dogs all the time and this week some little four year old kid bit me. That was pretty intense, it left a little red mark from his teeth for like three days. And really you always have a choice just tell him to leave the dog alone and next time it won't bite. Second thing, they don't have razor blades here either so in your next package to me if you send me some that would be awesome. Oh and other thing Mike-n-Ikes don't work here the humidity and the heat just kills them. Third how am I supposed to tell you what I think about the surgery, I mean it doesn't hurt me.

So yeah, hey guess what it is Halloween. They do celebrate just a little and today I am in Liberia in divisions. So yeah, really it's just an excuse to go and get drunk, yep. So in my new area is super hard, we teach like one lesson a day because the houses are so far apart. But we are trying to fix that. Oh so thanks for the pictures I forgot how sweet Sawyer looked. But now I know. And also I really like the Christmas lights, who ever put those up must have been pretty awesome.

Oh so question, do you guys want me to try and send you something for Christmas slash if you do what would you like?

So this week was pretty long, I walked a whole lot. So nothing has really changed from last week. We didn't have anyone come to church, so yeah. So I really don't feel like time is actually moving. It still feels like the middle of summer here. I never realized how much of a difference it makes having seasons other than the wet season and the not so wet season. So yeah sorry its really hard to write stuff because I do the same thing every day.