I loved Elder McMullan's email today.  He was wordy!!  He gave details! (for Pierce.., lot's of details)  It was AWESOME!!

Here are some excerpts from today's email:

"Hey Mom, yesterday was zone conference, so today is pday.   JUST NOW the place opened so we could email.  Not much new going on.   Presidents conference was good.  President told us to fake the smile until it becomes real!   It’s hard sometimes, to stay animated with my companion.  He’s the first one to actually get on my nerves.  He always does little things to annoy me. That’s NEVER happened before with anyone else.  Just Little things, but they’re all on purpose. So....irritating."  

"I think maybe, MAYBE,.... that I can figure out what to do in this sector.  I have 6 weeks under my belt..., but I still have no idea.  It’s weird it’s never been like this since Arica.  Some of the  people we have are leaving the country or are like not doing ANYTHING to show that they’re really looking for something.  It gets discouraging at times."  

"Yes I finished the BOM a long time ago for the challenge.   I think I actually read it like 3 times during the time we were supposed to. It’s not that long of a book.  I finished it again last week.  And, Helaman!  Man, I didn't realize how cool it was until this last time reading it!  (and  it’s like my 8th time reading it!)   

"This past Saturday night, the other Elders told me I had to give a talk the next day. The branch president didn’t tell me anything. Guess what topic?   La obra misional. (Missionary work) They asked 3 of us to speak on the same topic. It was like 10 when they told me.  I said, why don’t you talk about finding/baptism, you talk about retention and I'll do reactivation?  Simple enough.  The other 2 finished and I had like 20 minutes left. I Just basically talked about Amulek, Dads family (how they were inactive and because of his brother, his family came back to church), Claudio and Karen, and Vallenar in General really.  I took up the time and some lady was crying. It’s always a good sign when they cry. It was a lady who has been inactive for like a million years.  She came on that Sunday of all Sundays. Coincidence? Nope, they don’t exist. But the gnomes do!"

"I'm trying a ton to stay happy and stuff. I am happy, but I want other people to feel happy and it’s just sad a lot of the time. I don’t know how the youth are at home in general, but the kids here in Chile are basically lost. From lack of parenting and laws even. I can’t tell you how many 10-11 year old kids I’ve seen smoking pot or cigarettes or drunk.  I’ve even seen some being a dad at age 12. Sad."

"I just Wanna be more obedient.  Everyday I'm a Little bit better I think. Just staying at people’s houses too long. It’s hard to get out sometimes they want you to stay and stay and stay!"  

My hair is SUPER long.  I need to cut it!  It's only been 6 weeks and I'm starting to look like Macklemore again....

Lot's of pics!

Here are a few excerpts from Elder McMullan today.  He didn't have a whole lot to say today!  He DID send a lot of pictures though!  :)  I LOVE the pictures of him getting "attacked!"


"Copiapo is dry, and um that’s about it. I think it’s as big as Arica, maybe smaller actually, but it’s getting SO HOT here!"  

" I’m in a small branch of like 80ish members. The branch president is brand new.   He’s cool."

"So technically, we aren't supposed to play with kids or whatever, but this little kid makes me laugh so much!  His name is Cristobol.  I wanted to take a picture of him doing something funny and when I took out the camera he attacked me! "

LOVE these pics!  I'm sure one of the reason he loves this kid, is because he reminds him of his little brother, Aiden.  Anyone who knows Aiden will see the similarities!  

The little Chilean kids LOVE Elder McMullan!

This is his view from the front of his house. 

This is the front of his house.

The downstairs.

13 MONTHS, Meat Volcanoes and Mexican food!

Here are some excerpts from Elder McMullan's email this week:

  "We are teaching a lot of people, but nobody is really progressing too great at the momento.  I really like Ecuadorians!  They’re really cool and humble people.   We are teaching a few families from Ecuador now.  This is the first place people have REALLY brought out the Bible to use it to bash with us.  One of the families, Jazmín and her husband, love to bash.  They are 7^th day Adventists.   I'm not really good at doing things on a whim in Spanish, especially.  The English Bible is soooo much better. The topical guide saves lives. Guess what….. it doesn’t exist in the Spanish Bible . Sooo, it makes life a little difficult at the moment.  Anyhow, I’m studying it again like crazy"

"In other news…… 13 months!!!   I really WOULD LOVE to be able to walk out the door and take a nice long walk by myself.  I have never missed being alone so much.  Ever.  In my life.  It’s starting to get to me a little bit."

 

"The dogs here are really, really, diseased.   Most of them have these “meat volcanoes,” I like to call them.  Basically, some random lump that has ripped open the skin to an open oozing wound. Let me say that again…., OPEN OOZING WOUND.  It’s from all the contamination here I think. We live by a copper cleaning plant and there’s this nice thick layer of fog in the morning, only it’s not fog,  It’s contaminated smoke from the factory." 

"Hey along with those other books I asked for, could you please send me "Mormon Doctrine" by Bruce R. McConkie and "A Marvelous Work and Wonder" by some other apostle. I use the scriptures, but those books are also good to study.  They help explain things on a more basic level to those we teach.  If you could send me some of those if you find them, that’d be SWEET!"

"I had a burrito at this Mexican restaurant. It was amazing!  Probably one of the most trunkie moments of the mission! "

 

Insights, dreams and back to the desert!

We FINALLY heard from Pierce today!  He emailed much earlier than he usually does.  I think he must have felt my angst.   We didn't hear from him last week.  He explained a bit in today's email why he wasn't able to write.

 His comp now was JUST companions with Pierce's former companion.  (from a while ago....,the one and only companion that Pierce had difficulties with.)  I think it's been refreshing for him to learn that it wasn't his fault. (I will spare you the details)  Regardless of what Pierce has said, I know he's beat himself up about what he could have done differently. Anyway, he's learned that there wasn't much he could have done differently.  He was just as challenging with the other Elder. These insights are an answer to my prayers for sure!

Here are some excerpts and pics from today's email:

"Last week we ran out of time. Sorry we got stranded.  Basically the bus didn't come until 7 and they told us 5.  It wasted a lot of time."

"The new area reminds me of those fake neighborhoods they built to test nuclear bombs, because all the houses are the exact same.  The members here are cool.  Yesterday was a weird/sad day.  We helped a mom move out.  Basically  marriage problems."

"It’s definitely more challenging here in Chile because I don’t have the same personality in Spanish.   Well I do, but it’s not the same at all. If I could be in English, I would love it more. Heck, Campbell (The Australian guy in his last area)  went from “God is there maybe?” to Agnostic, to “I want to read your Book!"  All in about 30 minutes!  SO MUCH EASIER.  I can’t make a person interested in Spanish like I can in English. It’s just different for me." 

"I can’t even tell you how many dreams I've had about being home and giving my homecoming talk. So many. I'm excited to share the gospel, especially back home where I can explain things better and connect easier!  But I’m happy to be here for a little bit more.  I really want these people  to care, but so many people just don’t. And it…well, sucks. It just sucks."

"Another thing about being "real." One of the things I don’t like is that it’s sometimes like high school here, I swear.  Only you can’t leave at 2:15 back to reality. There are some here that are looking to back stab those around them in order to get up that “ladder.”  One day the person is watching movies at a member’s house and the next day they tell on someone for waking up 10 minutes late.  It shouldn't be like that. You’re supposed to be good, for the sake of being good, not for gain.  Not to destroy people. I've seen it a lot."

Elder McMullan made an appearance at Christian and Megan's wedding! 

Elder McMullan's "Zone" in Antofagasta

Elder McMullan's district in Antofagasta

Families (and Comp) in Antofagasta

Elders Golpe and McMullan with Campbell.  

Off To a New Adventure.................

We finally heard from Pierce today.  He was Transferred.

Here are some excerpts from today's email:

"I got transferred yesterday!  That’s why I didn't write. I was on a bus for 8  hours.  I’m in Copiapo now.  It’s the place where those miners got trapped a few years ago.   I'm with Elder Ruano from Guatemala.  Elder Ruano and I got here the same day.  I really didn’t want to leave Antofagasta. I was really excited about being there. Everything was finally starting to happen. Campbell, the Australian guy even came to church.  He didn’t understand anything but I translated and he really really REALLY liked it.  He planned on staying ALL 3 HOURS."

"But, it's all good!   I'm here now.  We live with 2 other Elders.  There is an  Elder Contreras from Colombia and his "kid" Elder Coca, from Provo, but he’s Latin."

" It’s hot here, so much hotter than Antofagasta!   That’s what happens when the ocean is far away.  I had forgotten."

"Oh my, there’s so much stuff about aliens here,  it’s not even funny.  The people are  really superstitious. I’m pretty to close to Vallenar here, and in between Vallenar and here…,  there’s some legend about a guy who had a farm or something and aliens visited him and threatened his life.  They stole all the copper from his land and then one day he had enough and went to go find and kill them in the night.  So the story goes that  he went out to his fields (of dirt I imagine) and he saw someone.  When he went to shoot them,  it looked like him.  A clone.  They cloned him. He later woke up and all his house and stuff was gone.  Then people say you can see cities down below while in a plane, but when you’re on the ground there’s nothing.  So crazy."

The Elders with Campbell (from Austrailia)  

Muy Pequena nota!

This week we didn't hear much from Elder McMullan.  Not much of a shocker.  I wonder sometimes if I should bother with this blog.  :(

Here is what he had to say this week:

"One of our investigators, the Colombian lady, moved to another city. But eh, it happens."

"There is this one lady here who always has gringos in her house.  They teach English at the school.  There is this one guy from Australia.  He’s pretty cool.   I talked to him for awhile.  He wants help with Spanish and the hermana he lives with, can’t really understand his English because of the Australian accent.  Maybe we can teach him.  He was asking questions and stuff.  And even after he leaves,  he lives in Zac's mission."

ONE YEAR MARK!!!! Investigators and Pics of the New Area

We've been out of town all week on vacation, so I'm finally updating the blog.......

Can you believe it's Elder McMullan's ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY/!!!  Yep, he entered the Mexico MTC on July 30, 2013!!!

Pierce sounded good last week, although he was a bit jealous of us being on vacation without him.  He told us very little about a couple of investigators he's working with.  It's not easy trying to pry info out of him.

Here are a few excerpts from last weeks email:  

"Wow road trips without me of course! haha  That place looks SWEET!" 

"The people I told you about last week, who smoked in front of us, are interested in hearing more about the gospel. "  

"Our sector is ok though.  We are also teaching this Colombian lady who’s doing well.  She is reading the Book of Mormon, so that’s always good.  As far as finding people, a lot of people tell us to come over and so we do and then they aren't there.  Oh well, we don’t give up, we continue to try to find them."

"As far as shoes go, they are good enough, haha"

"Elder Osorio is still working with the Claudio/Karen family in Vallenar.  They are doing really good." 

"Our apartment doesn't really have any windows, but from the back you can see into other people’s houses. So that’s interesting.  If you step right outside our apartment and look right, you’ll see the ocean."

"This is right outside our apartment.  That's the ocean out there."

"We hiked a mountain today.  This is Antofagasta behind us."

All of Antofagasta

Nothing but desert for miles