Week 62 - Walking back was a bit SHOCKING!

November 3, 2014

Hey guys it's been a pretty crazy week!  I think I'll start by talking about last Friday which was pretty fun. We woke up and studied and then went off to send the tithing to the bank. Got back contacted a bit and went to lunch. Afterwards we left to study and then went out to a small two house población called La Vegas... it's about 30-40 minutes ride out from Fresia with a 15 minute walk through the campo (country), we walked to a member's house and ended up teaching her and a family that lives next door. They were great people, and we had a very good lesson. Walking back was a bit shocking, I brushed my hand past an electric fence... not as bad as I would have thought and it made for a good laugh! We then went to a PF family that went inactive about a month ago.  The father is an alcoholic and the past missionaries thought it would be a good idea to get them married and dunk them as soon as possible. I'm sorry to say it wasn't as effective as I would have hoped, but they're slowly making progress and while the father has left the house the rest of the family came to church this Sunday and their 7 year old daughter walked to church all by herself my first Sunday here.

We haven't had too many other funny experiences this week but we've had a bunch of little tiny blessings that if you weren't looking for you'd miss. We have just found some amazing people. I'm not sure if I mentioned this last week but my first week in Fresia I bumped into my investigator Jose from Puerto Montt, the only person I hadn't been able to say goodbye to which was frankly amazing!  I mean I know it's a small town but that's a whole lotta "luck"! (Puerto Montt is a big city about an hour and a half south of where Hayden is currently.) We've also met a bunch of inactive but really receptive members. Although It's been raining a lot we've still managed to make more contacts than we normally do and we have found a lot of new amazing investigators and a bunch of people who I really hope will progress.

Halloween was pretty fun but down here the evangelicos have hijacked it and claimed it as national evangelico week, so we got a little bit of flack in the calle. We bought candy for trick or treaters but gave it all away in the street, so that the two groups that did pass by our house didn't get any, bummer.  Other than that not much has happened. We've had some amazing lessons and I love my companion to death and it's absolutely gorgeous here! I honestly couldn't ask for anything more.

Elder Washburn 

List of Questions I sent Hayden and his responses:

1.  Please tell me a little about your new companion. Where is he from? Interests? Hard worker? Teachable? Are you learning from him? Do you have anything in common? He's a great kid, incredibly intelligent and a very hard worker.  We've both seen the same movies and read the same books so were having a lot of fun. He's from Utah.

2. Do you like being a "mom"? Pros and cons?

It's really fun to mostly talk about how the states are. Thats a pro and a con because its good to know but at the same time it makes me a tiny bit trunky. 

3.  Describe Fresia, I've heard it's beautiful but couldn't find much on the internet.

It is beautiful but you won't see much on the internet because its a small town of maybe 10,000, but it's very pretty.

4.  How are your shoes holding out? If you are in the country you need shoes with good support. Saving money isn't worth ruining your feet.  My shoes are fine really.  The bottoms are wearing out a little but the arches are fine and they're still water proof anyway. DO NOT BUY ME NEW SHOES, if my shoes wear out I will use my boot versions which are practically pristine.

5. Who feeds you? does your laundry? The branch president feeds us and we do our own laundry.

6.  I am going to send off your Christmas package this Friday. Any last requests? Would you like spices for cooking? How about Christmas music? Jeans? More socks? Gifts for your companion? I really don't want anything I've got way too much stuff as it is. Just send some letters.

7. Do you expect to be in Fresia for Christmas? Will you still be able to skype? I probably will be in Fresia this Christmas. I'm not sure if I will do it there or if I will go down to Puerto Varas, but I will skype.

8. Do you have a favorite person/family in Fresia? Not yet, the branch president is nice but when it comes down to it there’s only about 20 people and the majority are 50-80 year old women.

9. You have never said if the music I sent was ok? Can you delete songs that don't work? The music is ok don't worry about it.