Week 40 - Ribs on the Calefaccion

June 2, 2014

Ok here's the gigantic two week novel of a letter that I've been promising for so long! 

Hey guys we had a good week we ate really well and had a lot of lessons with members. Some weird stuff happened too, I shot a member in the head, made ribs with our heater, and we were asked by a drunk if we were nazis... made for an interesting week.

Monday was good but a bit hectic. We woke up and went to Zona Franka and bought some Costco stuff from Super G and got Elder Barney a hat. We then went to centro and wrote, afterwards we went off to the mall and saw the suit that I wanted to buy last week for 140$ at 40$, so I made the buy. We then went to Lider and bought some burgers and found cheesecake. We then came home and got Elder Barneys hair cut. Afterwards we passed by Christian and taught his Catholic mother in law. 

Tuesday we had a zone conference with the new zone (it split). Elder Gubler is still my zone leader, which is going to make this 6 out of my 7 cambios with him as my zone leader. It's bakancito or I guess just a little bit awesome! I've always thought that was a funny word. After the zone conference we went home and ate with the Vidal family and then took a collectivo to centro to pick up Elder Barney's bags, came back and changed out of our suits and headed up to Hermano Angel's. He told us that he still doesn't want the greater priesthood (Melchezedik) because he's too old. We then picked up Hermano Hernandez (a forensic psychiatrist who's from Buenos Aires /Mexico City / Santiago and visiting his daughter and grandchildren here) and took him to Viviana's house. We taught her and her son the plan of salvation and the 9 year old son started asking questions that I've got to admit I’ve never really thought about let alone have the answers to. I understand that there are a few things in this world that are above my pay grade... revelation speaking anyways, and I'm not really sure if I have to know anything about God's brothers, to be saved... 

Wednesday was a good day and it started off with some bbq. I threw a couple of spare ribs on the calefacción that I had rubbed the night before and wrapped in tinfoil. 

This is a calefaccion or a wood burning stove

They turned out a lot prettier than I thought they would. We studied and then I took a flat head screw driver and a wrench and carefully chiseled an ice sculpture with the half foot of solid ice that was once our freezer.... we then walked to the church and did el recate. Picked up our lunch, ate at home and studied. We then went out and talked to Christian about temple work and answered a few questions about premortal life. Our cita with Oscar and Diana moved to Thursday so we went to an inactive’s house.  When we were about to leave they came running down the street to stop us. The father wasn't home so we picked up Hermano Orlando and taught the plan of salvation to their 9 year old son. 

Thursday was good.  We woke up and ate spare ribs as we had weekly planning for the morning. After weekly planning we went out and grabbed our lunch from Aguers and came home. After studies we headed out and tracted until our cita with Diana. The cita was good. We ate huevos al pobre which are just scrambled eggs with pebre which is just an awesome chilean version of pico de gallo. We then taught the gospel of Christ to which Diana started crying and bore her testimony, they then committed to go to church! We did something after this but it apparently wasn't valuable enough to stick...

Friday we woke up, got showered and ate french toast. We went to the church and did el rescate.  After lunch we went out with Hermano Hernandez to teach some menos activos he knew, most were really receptive but they all work Sundays!

Saturday was pretty good. We woke up and got ready, studied and then went out walked a lot and found some really good people with the el rescate list, one of whose sister was a member but died a few years back he told us that he's been looking for the truth and really wanted to come back this next Friday. We then ran to the church to eat the completos that we had ordered to help the jovenes for their temple trip. We taught Viviana before we went out to Marco's house for dinner. He also let me shoot his gas powered airsoft gun... I haven't lost my touch but a ricochet totally pegged him in the head! If it matters it was a really tight group anyways...

Sunday was good. We got to go to church in my new suit and we ate lunch with the familia Caillapian. It wasn't ribs like the week before but it was still pretty good. We also went by a few menos activos families to teach.

Monday we woke up wrote home and I printed out another great advice letter from dad. Everyone seems to be doing fine we played soccer and went to Lider, taught Angel and then went home to make cheesecake.

Tuesday we had the first district meeting of the cambio which was pretty good.  Kind of funny because we're on week 4 of the cambio. We had some good practicas and then made a farewell video for President Rappleye. We went home ate lunch with Hermano Vidal and he told us about the crab fishing here and where to find cheap centolla. We then went up to teach Sarah. She was a lot more receptive than her husband but they still really loved the Book of Mormon when we explained it again. We tried to get a baptism invitation in but the husband had to run out to pick up one of their kids and we had to get out the door with him.

Wednesday we had intercambios I was with Elder Bustamante, an awesome Columbian metalero. We had a blast and ended up getting a few more lessons with members and a really good one with Miguel. Apparently the missionaries before us were just there to give juice, so we sorted that out. We then taught David and Letti and Gabriela’s daughter Aranza. The lesson with David was awesome! He's ready to be baptized he just needs to get to church!

Elder Washburn and Elder Bustamante

Thursday we ended the intercambio in the morning with ribs and cheesecake. We taught Diana and Oscar again and it was really awesome. I love her testimony and Oscar is really starting to progress. We just need to keep getting him to church so he can get a testimony of his own.

Sorry guys I'm out of time but I'll get the rest next week!Love you all!

Elder Washburn

Week 38 - We Walk About 100 Miles Per Week

May 19, 2014

Hey guys, how are you doing?

I got to get back into the novel writing phase again I'm just getting a bit flojo (relaxed) I guess, sorry! This week not much really happened we walked around a lot got attacked by a few rabid dogs and on Sunday we had ribs! Other than that not much really happened, so I guess I'll just talk about my sector.  I don't think I've ever done that.

I'm in Rio de la Mano now, it's the campo-ish (country) part of the city and probably takes about a quarter of the city.  We've got by far the largest sector considering that there are 30 missionaries here covering the other 3 quarters. On the average day we walk about 12 to 15 miles with the occasional awful day of 20 with a grand total of 100 miles a week.  My shoes are a bit shot so I'll have to get my soles changed out pretty soon. My new companion is Elder Barney.  He's a great guy and a baseball player from Mesa Arizona and I recently found out that he was the pitcher. Thanks to him and a well thrown rock, I don't have to get rabies shots now... I've got next to know time left to write now so I'll have to cut out for the week but I can tell you right now that the ribs our barbeque fanatic of a member gave us were delicious!

I hope you guys all have an amazing week!

Elder Washburn

Week 37 - Last Conference with President Rappleye

May 13, 2014

Hey guys!

This letter is gonna be pretty pathetic, we had transfers this week and the last conference with President down here at the bottom of the world before he goes home. My new companion (Elder Barney) is great and some pretty crazy stuff happened this Mother's Day but I really just don't have time to talk about it.  I hope you are all doing great and that its warm wherever you are! Have an amazing week and I love you all!

Elder Washburn

Sister and President Rappleye

Elder Washburn with the Rappleyes

Week 36 - Cinco de Mayo!

May 5, 2014

Hey guys how are ya doing?

I have little to no time this week after setting up my skype acount so I'm going to try and write this letter as fast as I can! This week was ok, nothing too special happened but I told you I'd fill you in on my last week so hopefully this letter won't be too dry.

Saturday normal day until about 4:30 when we stopped by Sarah the woman I contacted last week. Her husband invited us in and we talked for a bit before we taught the restauracion. The mother and the kids paid a ton of attention and when we mentioned the Book of Mormon her son Gerardo's eyes got really big and he shot into his room to pull out a pristine Book of Mormon that he found in the street. We asked the family to read and pray and they gave us an enthusiastic yes. We then went on divisions with the priesthood quorums. I went out with Hermano Angel, he's 83 years old and a little nuts but I love him anyway! After a few houses failed we went to the pf family with the bipolar mother. Angel sang, started to talk about visions and then shared some poetry. I reeled him back into reality and we talked about the gospel after a prayer. The mom was in a good mood and we left before she threw a vase at us.

Sunday started daylight savings which means it's now pitch black at about 5:30. We ate lunch at Hermano Chito’s house. We had awesome churrascos the size of my head. We then tried to go tracting the new poblacion but after knocking on doors I felt prompted to go knock a house across the street with a green Toyota. A man in his 30's stepped out to tell us he didn't have time. I asked if there was a time that would be better and he waved us in. We taught him and his son (Richard and Nick).  After he told us about the doctrinal issues of the testigos de jehovah we then taught the restauracion and he bore his own testimony of the apostasy and that the problem was that no one was following the Bible. I agreed and said that’s why we have so many churches. Then he told us that all of the answers to the Bible’s questions are in the Bible and that it never contradicts itself... he told us the flaw of our church is the belief that the soul is eternal and directed us to Ecclesiastes which states the dead know nothing and he believes that they are dead (unconscious) until resurrection. I threw out a couple of verses in Corinthians talking about spirit prison and Christ’s declaration to the thief on the cross, that today he would be with him in paradise yet how in his statement to mar touch me not I have not yet ascended to my father would insinuate that there is another world before heaven and how that for the dead to be taught they would have to be conscious (I don't remember anything form the classes I slept through!  Joke, ha ha!) He looked at us for a few minutes and told us that he would have to study and think a bit because the bible doesn't contradict itself. I bore my testimony and invited him to pray about what we had taught. He said he  would and we set up a cita for next week. He's one of the only people I've ever met that knows something about the Bible so I'm excited to teach him some more!

 Pday we did the normal stuff and we found Costco brand at Zona Franke. We then went out with Hermano Orlando and while the man is unlucky (every cita fell) we finally found Jennifer, the girl we hadn't taught who has had two assistances and wants to get baptized. After we taught her the restauracion she asked us for a Book of Mormon! And told us she would pray. Wednesday was weird but I'll have to tell you guys all about it next week sorry!

Love,

Elder Washburn

Me kissing the Mapuche foot... I'll now come back to Punta Arenas

Elders Bustamente and Bosa

Week 35 - We Hate Intercoms!

April 28, 2014

Hey guys!

How are ya doing?  This weeks been pretty good I've found a lot of amazing people and we're starting to work a lot more with the members. After writing you this Monday we left for ovajero to play ping pong and f'útvolley, which is this awesome soccer version of volleyball the latins created because we can't play fútbol. We then left with Elder Hullinger and Rivera to Lider. Afterwards we came home, got changed and went to a reference that we got through the church. She didn't live there anymore but her daughter did and she invited us in. She's living with her boyfriend who is a prison guard. I can tell you now that they love their daughter more than anything! They’re flying her out to the big time Rush concert in Santiago! We then talked a little bit about his job as a guard at the prison in my sector. It's pretty small so I asked him if it was minimum security, he laughed and told me that until recently it was the maximum security prison for all of South America... I guess it makes sense if you want to get out you would have to fly or walk 200 miles across the frontera into Argentina. We taught them the restauracion and it was pretty good but they are the first active Catholics I've ever met and they were a bit skeptical on prayer.

Elder Gubler, Quezada, McDonald, Washburn, Rivera and Hullinger

Tuesday not much happened. We had district meeting and I solved a fun puzzle and was proclaimed a future AP. I doubt it, but it would be cool! Afterwards we set up a noche de hogar with Diana and contacted some great people. Walking down the river in my sector I saw an intercom on the gate of a house and while as missionaries we hate intercoms (it's easier to say no and it's always awkward) thank heavens for that telemarketing job before my mission.  Well it was really shiny and something pushed me to push it. Long story short, after a brief conversation, Sarah invites us into her home and tells us about her HUSBAND and two children and we set up a cita for this week!

Wednesday we had an awesome noche de hogar with Diana and her boyfriend a non-member friend and Diana's parents and grandparent. Halfway through the plan of salvation Elder Johnson called (MTC comp) but it wasn't our phone. It was Diana’s father's! Johnson then relates to me that I stole his member and that he had planned a noche de hogar with them. But Diana had invited her family. I guess when your inactive daughter calls to invite you to a family home evening with the missionaries it doesn’t matter what your plans were!

Thursday we spent the whole day planning for an activity for the ward. It was good and we taught the ward and invited them to teach their neighbors.

I've got a few awesome stories about Saturday and Sunday but I'll have to tell them next week so sorry! Love You all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Washburn

My new ferret friend! (it's stuffed)