Building, Rebuilding, and more spiders.....

It was great to hear from Pierce as usual!  Am I the only Missionary Mom out there that leaves my Monday's open so I won't miss his email?  (It would be GREAT if I knew what time he would email each week.)  We are able to communicate a few times back and forth that way..., so it's almost like talking!

He sounds good, but he's hoping he will get a nice gringo comp one of these days.  The culture thing has never been too difficult until this transfer.  He's had 4 Latin companions, all great..., but he and his current comp don't seem to quite "get" each other.  It's all good though!

Here are some excerpts from today's email:  No pictures! :(

" It’s starting to get cold here.  It seems that EVERYONE is sick.  I was sick really bad this week."

Excerpt from Jackson's email:  " I like this place more than my last area,  it’s prettier ."

Excerpt from Aiden's email.  (He asked about animals)   "My city is cold, and green.  We have fish in the stream by our house.  The rest of our animals are only dogs and cats.  There aren’t that many birds here either." 

"We finished helping one of our investigator's build his house. Today we took apart someone else’s house!  We’re going to go and rebuild it a little later after lunch.   While taking apart this house today, it was like spider city.  SO many huge spiders everywhere running around and a few poisonous.  It was sketchy!"

"We did get a guy reactivated.  His name is "M". Basically we just went to his house and started to read scriptures with him.  He got really interested because he loves history.  Then he saw that the church has so many great programs and other stuff, like the 72 hour kit and food storage.  That  really interested him.  He’s probably one of the coolest guys here I've met!  He likes the outdoors and wood carving and stuff.  We were going to go on a day trip with him out to some river or something. He likes to learn.  He's always reading random history stuff and tells us about it.   He researches and reads stuff in the book of Mormon,  then tells us legends down here in South America that are basically the same story. Pretty cool!"  

Earthquake in Northern Chile and pics of Elder McMullan's new digs!

There was a 6.7 Earthquake Sunday in Northern Chile!  Glad I didn't hear about it until today, when it was announced on the news that all was well.   Pierce lived in one of the cities that was evacuated before he was transferred.  He was bummed he missed the excitement.  ??
He sent us pictures of his new "digs."  He mentioned SEVERAL times before he got his mission call, that he wanted to go to a 3rd world country.  Well, I think he's having that experience now.

Here are some excerpts form today's email:

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, I got all the stuff you mentioned.  I still have my old sunglasses but they're slowly dying, that's why I asked for another pair.  You know me, I’m going to wear them until they fall apart completely. haha.   This week was good.  No one really came to church that told us they would, but whatever.  Man some days it's hard.  We’re helping an investigator build his house though, so those are the best days! "

"Iquique, Arica, and Antofagasta got evacuated because of the earthquake.  It was almost a 7.0.   I know Iquique did, because it hit it directly or super close anyway.  Dang,  I missed the possible tsunami by weeks!  "

"7 and 1/2 months today!"  

"Yes, someone does our laundry and we get enough to eat.  I'm fine, except, I’m starting to hate the food.  The food is greasy, there is constant soda and other gross fattening food.  I may be going vegan by the time I go home.  I buy fruit and stuff and eat healthy at the house, it’s just all the rest of the stuff people give me. The water here is clean enough to drink from the faucet but we boil it anyways."

" Yea there are some Elders that run in the am.  I want to, but it's soo freaking cold here in the mornings, that I don't  want to leave and sometimes, there’s fog.  REALLY thick fog or mist.  You can’t see anything.   It’s cool though."   

"I wish I was fluent, I understand everything, more or less, but speaking it is sometimes hard.  Only grammar though, everything else is easy. I want a grammar book but can`t find one. Usually everyone understands me; it’s the 10 percent that don't that bothers me, but apparently everyone else can. So after  a year I should be good." 

"Sometimes I think it might be nice to have a gringo comp here.  Someone to really be able to talk to. Or at least see a gringo once in a while!  The branch president speaks English, but I never really speak to him in English. It’s good and bad."

View of the City

Moldy Tomato

The Kitchen  (yep, that oven's busted)

The bathroom, complete with a soaking tub...(yes the wooden thing is a window into the neighbors house.)   Just another one of those South American things)

Extra room

Bedroom.  (My head right next to another window into the neighbors kitchen, the sink is right on the other side)

The "Main Room."  (I don't think that's a sky light folks....)  

A "stream" in their sector.  :)  

More homes.....

It just wouldn't be home without some graffiti..

The hood....

He LOVES seeing green.  He's not picky...

His birthday pie.  Happy 19th Elder!  (Last Tues)  

Glad he liked the crown....

That smile melts my heart!  

Elders enjoying the birthday pie!  

Happy 19th Elder McMullan!!!!!

This is a tough birthday for Pierce.  He is in a brand new area where no one speaks English and no one really knows him.  I think he's feeling truly alone for the first time in 7 1/2 months.  He seems to have a good attitude about it, but I can tell it's tough.  He's learning just how much of a people person he really is!  I'm so grateful that he got his birthday package from us yesterday!!!  Could not have been more perfect timing!!  He needed it!

Here are some excerpts from today's email:  (And TONS of pics!!! )

"We don't have a Mamita so that stinks.  We actually save money though and just eat whatever. Mostly rice, A LOT of rice.  People usually offer us lunch so, that's always good too." 

"We had a conference with Pres all day yesterday, so today is p-day for us..  It was with President and  the zone, so 16 of us total.  Small  compared to the 50 in Arica!  No sisters. There’s only 12 missionaries in Vallenar, and 4 in the next city over, Huasco.  Huasco is  the farthest place off in the mission.  In Huasco there are 2 gringos and here there are 5.  The other gringos here live far away from us, so we never see them."

"I 'd like to live with the other 2 Elders, but first we need to fix our pension because it's destroyed.   I go in phases of different hobbies and things to stay sane. If we were to move in with the other Elders, it would be with 2 other Latin’s, which is still way better.  It's funny though,  the Latins don't get my  humor and I don't get theirs."

"I got the package yesterday which was perfect timing. So that worked out good.   I did get the music and food and stuff, thank you!  We haven’t really done anything for my birthday; our oven is broken so I can't make the cake."  

Pierce mentioned studying some of Joseph Smith’s talks.  He said he received many revelations while reading them.  I asked for details. (of course) He said “It's just while reading what he said, it made so much sense, that it has to be true.  Things I had always thought before, but now I KNOW they are true.”  

Saying goodbye to Elder J  (One of his fun roommates)  

Saying goodbye to Elder S (They've been together since he got there)  

Saying goodbye to Elder C (His Companion)  

"The District" (minus Elder S)

Elder J and  Elder M leaving Arica together. (They were in the MTC together!!)  

Sights from the 24 hour long bus ride to the new area

Lot's of dirt....

Coming into Iquique.  The sand dune "Cerro Del Dragon" is pretty popular 

More of the "Dragon" and Iquique!

Pierce met Elder L in Iquique!  (His replacement)

Coming into his new city.  

Happy birthday Elder!  Glad he liked his birthday package!!  

Having fun with his goodies....

Elder C gave him an official Argentina World Cup Messi Jersey!!

Elders  in front of their apt.

Elder C sent this pic to Pierce today from his bday party before he left 3 weeks ago.  

Spiders and adjusting to a new Area.....

We finally got some pics from Pierce today!  Although, they were all from Arica. (His last area)  He said he has a ton more to send, but they take 5 mins for 1 pic to upload...... :(  I suppose we'll get them sooner or later....

He seems to love the green and the cooler temps down South, but seems to be missing the comradery he had with the Elders in Arica.  He lives alone with his Comp now.  Here are some excerpts from today's email:

"This city has 3 branches, that's how small it is. We have like 50 active members and a really good mission plan now."

"The house is really old and sketchy.  There are spiders everywhere and holes in the ceiling, but it's all good.   I don't know if I already said this, (Nope, pretty sure I would have remembered this.....) but while in Las Acacias (Arica) The most poisonous/deadly spider in northern Chile fell from the ceiling, onto my face while talking to some members.  Then it crawled into my shirt and I killed it.  I didn’t get bit somehow, but it was terrifying."

"Elder P is new so he asks a lot of questions, but he just wants to be doing the right thing. He’s a worker though, which is good.  He just hit 2 months in the mission. (some of that was in the MTC)"

"The Fuenzalida Family (Estephany's family) threw me a birthday party before I left, which was a surprise.  They knew that it was almost my birthday and that they were going to miss it by a couple of weeks."

"This week was hard for me.  I have dreams of going to work and school and not being able to sleep at night and I love it.  To be honest we have TOO MUCH time to think here. You start doubting yourself at times. It's frustrating not being able to express all my ideas like I can in English." 

Bastian (Their investigator that was baptized on 2/22) and his brother Victor with Pierce 

Bastian, Elder McMullan and Victor 

The water was SUPER cold

Elders; McMullan, Contreras, Jarvis, ?, Pablo and Silvester.  (Pierce's District in Arica) 

Elder J with Pierce

Each book is 6 weeks worth of planning 

Pierce with Estephany (who he baptized) her Grandma, little Sis and Niece

Fuenzalida Family threw Pierce an early surprise birthday party, since they were going to miss his bday!  

The sweet Fuenzalida Family (and Niko)  

They bought him gifts

"I am your father?"  :)