Transfers!

We heard from Pierce briefly first thing this am.  He let me know that he was getting transferred!  He was about to jump on the bus for an 8+ hour ride up north.  He said he'll be able to email tomorrow.  He said he'll be serving in the "Ghetto" of the mission.  (Apparently all the missionaries refer to it as that)  He's pretty excited about it!  Doesn't surprise me one bit.  His new Companion is from Argentina and they know (or met) each other when they both served in Arica.  He's going to miss Elder Osorio!  Let's hope he'll keep up the culinary skills with his new comp.  :)

Rain, World Cup, Discouragement and lot's of Pics!

It's been getting cold in Chile!  Elder McMullan expressed his concern for the members in his ward.  There is a huge problem there with the people getting offended by other members. VERY VERY easily.  The Missionaries also don't get a lot of support from the members, which is a little disheartening.

The email today was a little down.  He says he's doing fine, not to worry.  He really is happy, just sad for those that won't help themselves.

The Chileans are glued to their T.V while the World cup is going on in Brazil!  Here is their reaction to their win over Spain!     http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/19/world-cup-chile-party-santiagoSantiago Chileans reaction

Excerpts from Today's email:

"You gotta look up Chileans at the world cup..., they’re nuts!  They have been destroying cars, buildings and burning things.  Today they play Holland, so I might just get attacked."

"I can’t wait to be a member and do missionary work.  We (the missionaries) can’t really help people out in many ways here, so it gets pretty disheartening.  The members understand how important it is, but they don’t do it.  For example…, you know the family that we helped build their house? They are Inactive again, and they don’t want to come back. The husband is already smoking and drinking again.  They need support from the ward."

" I care about these people. I really want to help them. I get down sometimes because I see people doing bad things ALL THE TIME, that they know they shouldn't do, but they don't stop.  They don’t do the small things to fix it.  It's hard to watch.  "God is a God of miracles."  I get that and all, but people are also lazy.  It's the motivating them to WANT to change."  

The Elders have been able to help this amazing family!  

This is Claudio and Karen's family.  From left to right: Karen's mom, Brian(7) Karen with Emilly, Justin (4) Claudio, me, Kevin (15) and Elder Osorio

All of us with the beanies on you made us.  (They love them)  

Elder McMullan demonstrating the uniform of the Jehovah Witnesses' there in Chile.  (That's just Pierce being his crazy self) 

The Mountains surrounding Vallenar after the rain.

 The return of "Misty Mountain!"

Beautiful Chilean Sunset

A Star War type drawing Elder McMullan drew.

Great tasting Pizza!  (Apparently it's hard to get there) 

Homemade Cinnamon rolls Elder McMullan and Elder Osorio made.  YUM!

After the rain.  Looks like they haven't been able to fix the leak in the roof.  :(  The new paint job looks great though!!

 Panoramic after the rain........

This is painted on the side of a school.  Pathetic..... :( 

No talk of poisonous Spiders this week.....PHEW!

Yesterday's email was pretty quick and not loaded with much information.  Now that the World Cup is going strong in Brazil, ALL Chileans are glued to their T.V's.  (I think Chile is still in the running??)  I can only imagine how much harder it is to get into homes now!  There were no mentions of spiders this week, which is a first in a LONG time..., so that's a plus.  :)  

Here are a couple excerpts:  

"I really don’t know what to write anymore! You guys pretty much know everything that’s going on!"         

"The sweaters help.  I still haven’t given the beanies to anyone because "K" had the baby last Thursday. She finally had little Emily! It was a c section so she’s been hurting pretty bad I guess.   Tonight we are going over there, So I'll give them to them tonight."   (My one domestic skill is making knit beanies, so I sent a ton to Pierce.  Not much use for them in Az)  

"One thing that happened this week, was that we saw these 2 kids.  Really dirty…., I mean REALLY dirty kids. Both about 8-10 years old.   As we got closer we realized they were gypsies.   There’s a lot of them here actually, it's weird.  When we got really close, we saw that they were gambling with dice and cards with money.  That was a shock. Shouldn't be doing that at age 10!"

Zone Conference, Comics and would someone PLEASE call an EXTERMINATOR already?!

We heard from Pierce a day late this week.  They had Zone Conference on Monday, so their P-Day was switched to Tuesday.   It sounds as if he probably had a productive week..., but then again, today's email was EXTREMELY vague!  Ugh..., does he even realize he's killing me?!  Patience is a virtue....,patience is a virtue.....,patience is a virtue....

Here's some of what he had to say today:

"Yesterday was zone conference.  It was really good."

"Elder Osorio and I have started making comics about the things we see and stuff..., It’s way too hard to explain any of them over email, but I'll have a lot I'm sure, by the end of the mission!"

" K"still hasn't had her baby.  I guess they were wrong about the timing,  so this week is the 39th week or something like that? Don’t know what that means, but she hasn’t had it yet.  Claudio’s smoking is getting better."

"Also I forgot, we've been having some fun with Karaoke.  Also this week, I found one of those poisonous spiders in my bed, right when I was about to go to sleep!  Good thing I noticed it, because we have no light in our room. The electricity doesn't work, but I killed it,"

 

I found this on Hermana Dalton's FB page.  It's from the Mission Conference May 2014.  This is 1/3 of the Mission.  (Pierce is 3 row up on the right) 

Dinner after the Conference.  No that's not him in the front.  (I thought so too) He's sitting at the very back table on the right, with his back to the camera.  

Interesting name choice for an electronics store??

Diego and his cousin Belen.  

Elder M and O made homemade tacos!  (And homemade salsa)

They made onion rings!  (They apparently got sick after eating these perfect looking gems....)

Taco and Salsa in the making.....

Napping in the park.

"SUP-UH scenery"  

New Investigators, Baptisms and Spiders,.....OH MY!!!

This last week marked Elder McMullan's 10th MONTH IN THE MISSION!!!!!  

He is loving his area and mentioned that he hates the thought of leaving it!  He's made some really close friends with the members and investigators there.  He and Elder Osorio have been making HUGE strides with one investigator family in particular there.  It also seems that all the other families/ investigators in the area have become exactly that.....,family.  :) 

Here are some excerpts from his email today:  

"This week I gave "K" a blessing because the whole situation is really difficult.  It was really cool.    (one of their investigators)  She still hasn't had her baby yet!  I don’t know how either, because I'm pretty sure the date has already come and gone!  They don’t induce people here. (I don’t think anyways)"  

"We actually found 2 people to teach this week!  One is really good, but the other one is moving next week.  The one, is "B."   I think she’s like 17 or 18? I don’t really know, but she’s really cool and ready to learn!"  

"We taught C and K about the word of wisdom.  "C"  stopped drinking tea that moment…..,but he smokes, A LOT. So now we have started this thing, actually today, to help him stop smoking. It'll be a long time before he gets it, but he has the will power so that’s cool.  We all fasted together yesterday so that he could stop."  

" We actually just heard from "C", that yes he smoked, but only his first one of the day at 1:30.  Usually he smokes like every 30 min after he wakes up and smokes a pack or more a day.  He resisted until 1:30, which is progress.  We are also teaching him English. He came over the other night to do it there because his kids are really loud. That was cool.  He basically vented to us about smoking and stuff and how he did worse drugs before, but he replaced it all with cigarettes.  That's why it has been so hard. But he will drop it!"  

Elder McMullan and Elder Osorio, adding some hot water to the FREEZING water in the baptismal font for their branch's baptisms.  

The not so, "itsy bitsy Spider."  

Little "B" turns 8!  She is the cousin of a 17 yr old boy /recent convert and member of their branch.  She is just one of MANY family members that have come to know Christ because of \his faith and courage!